So the question is what would a unified party have done in the key states of NY, Ohio, Ind, I’ll and Conn.
States Lincoln was just over 50%.
We just need to knock of 21 to get Lincoln below 152 after Org and Cal.
Ohio’s 23 at 51.2% Lincoln would be enough.
Ind 13 and I’ll 11 at 51.09% and 50.69% would also have been enough.
Or NY 35 - a tougher hurdle at 53.7%… but perhaps doable if your party is not split in 2. Douglas did not win many states, but he came in second in a lot.
If the democrats had stood behind Douglas - they could have won.
If the democrats had stood behind Douglas - they could have won.
You can play the math any way you want but the Democrats were divided into North and South factions. All of the states you claim would have gone to Douglas were Northern states and that was the flaw in your analysis. Not defending demoncraps, but it was the Northern demoncraps that helped put Lincoln into power. The demoncraps were divided in 1852 and 1856 and that carried over into 1860. Remember the Regan demoncraps, these were the Lincoln demoncraps.
Even if your speculation is true, and I have my doubts, the Democrats didn't.