However “historians” label someone is often dubious, since so many are leftist, they tend to just throw all ones labeled un-P.C. in the right-wing barrel.
Coughlin was certainly NOT far-right playing footsie with far-left tyrants like Long. He obviously wanted strong interventionism in the country if he agreed with Long, so that makes him a Socialist, too. He just wasn’t an FDR type of Socialist. He also tried marrying populism, religiosity, and nationalism. A lot of that was almost like an Americanized version of National Socialism (minus the attempt to impose a new religion). If Long had gotten into power in 1940, I think Hitler could’ve easily seen him as a potential ally with similar goals (except the Jewish thing, though so many in America were anti-Semitic then, partly as a result of so many Eastern European Jewish coming into the cities and bringing radical Marxist politics with them).
I think ultimately Coughlin was just another prong on the leftist fork fighting for which would be the most dominant (FDR Socialism or Long Socialism).
WW2 would’ve unfolded in a different manner under President Long. It’s quite possible Long would’ve remained neutral or not unfriendly to Germany. The U.K. would’ve been defeated early on with no Lend-Lease and Hitler might’ve appealed to Long to help wipe out the Soviets. As Japan would not have been able to ally with Germany on good terms with Long, they would’ve had to find another way to deal with their own personal issues and animosity against the U.S. (perhaps Hitler would’ve brokered an arrangement to smooth over any hard feelings). With Japan occupying a good chunk of China (Manchuria) and the Germans and perhaps Americans leaning on the Soviets would’ve lead to the Communist capitulation.
Then, of course, we’d have to contend with the outcome of that situation. An Imperial Japan dominating the bulk of Asia, a new German Empire with Mohammadan constituent states in the Middle East in between and a National-Socialist America under Long.
I’ll take this oppo to recap what ended up happening in “The Plot against America”
Walter Winchell gets fired from the radio and makes a very early run for the rat nomination in 1944. He draws bigs crowds and counter-protesters who are 100% at fault for stirring up riots wherever he goes. Eventually he gets his head blown off in Memphis or somewhere.
The pro-Lindy Rabbi (a Southern Jew who’s people have been in the country for a long time) has an idea to send Jews to places like rural Kentucky and Billings Montana (where they probably would have great trouble attending Temple so WTF?). It’s supposed to be voluntary but they get companies to move the jobs, the Jews can go or lose their jobs.
Waves of antisemitic violence for seemingly no reason (Jewish woman in Kentucky is burned alive in her car for no reason). Lindy does nothing, gives a one sentence speech about the good economy and flies off. His plane goes missing. In the show this presented as British intelligence assassinating him cause VP Wheeler can be beaten in 1944.
There’s a conspiracy theory though that Hitler was blackmailing him all along (Nazis kidnapped his son, before they ever came to power for some reason, awesome long term planning!) and he was nabbed by Germany so Wheeler could take over cause Lindy was doing the bare minimum of being pro-Nazi. Only pro-Lindy people voice this theory and are looked at like they are crazy.
Wheeler is Acting President, closes the border with Canada (where Jews are fleeing) and has Lindy’s wife put in an asylum and the pro-Lindy Rabbi arrested.
Mrs. L escapes and gives a pirate radio address denouncing Wheeler, antisemitism and calling for “Congress” to remove him and authorize a special election for President in 1942. No mention that an amendment would be needed. For some reason the political establishment is now shamed and a supposedly GOP Congress agrees to gives the democrats a chance to take back the White House early.
The GOP Ticket (based on election signs) is Henry Ford (Sec of the Interior, and I guess he was a real antisemite) and Taft. Rats are FDR and Truman. “Fraud” is depicted, people being told they suddenly aren’t registered and people walking off with ballot boxes, we are to presume it’s the GOP doing this. The a-hole producer put that in as commentary for GOP allegedly oppressing the Black voter today.
In the book, FDR wins and “history gets back on track”. In the show the ending is left up in the air, the radio says some Virginia Beach precincts that went big for Lindy are showing mixed results and then it ends.
The Lindbergh and especially Wheeler estates should sue.