[fieldmarshaldj]

From what I understood of Willkie, he was initially thought of as an isolationist, and later claimed to be a non-interventionist. Prior to the '40 election, he charged FDR with being a "warmonger." Eventually, he came around to embrace most of FDR's positions (before he died, he left the Republican Party to found the NY Liberal Party, which was created to supplant the Communist-infested NY American Labor Party). Interesting that despite his relatively youthful age when he ran (48), he would not have lived to see the end of the Presidential term, and his running mate, Sen. Charles McNary, both died in 1944 (McNary in February, Willkie, just 3 weeks before the November elections). It surely would've been a politically tumultous year, as Speaker Sam Rayburn would've become President with a vacancy in both offices (and I have no idea whom the Democrats would've put up in '44, as FDR probably would not have been physically up to mounting a rematch campaign).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_Willkie

[Torie]

I am continually amazed by your knowledge of political trivia, even trivia that goes back a long way. You are the best on the net at that, bar none, and I get around. Kudos. Few may appreciate what you do in that regard, as to your contribution, but I do, FWIW.

[AuH2ORepublican]

"It surely would've been a politically tumultous year, as Speaker Sam Rayburn would've become President with a vacancy in both offices"

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Between 1886 and 1947, the Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate were not included in the line of succession, and next in line after the VP was the Secretary of State, folloed by the Secretary of the Treasury and (if I'm not mistaken) the Secretary of War and Attorney General. So had a President Wilkie died in 1944 he would have been succeeded by his Secretary of State, who would have likely been an heir apparent (maybe Robert Taft?) given the fact that the VP had died in February and Willkie's health was failing. I assume that Willkie would have dropped out of the presidential race in 1944 given his ill health, but then again FDR didn't.

When President Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, it inserted the Speaker and the President Pro Tem in line following after the VP (prior to 1886, the President Pro Tem came first, followed by the Speaker). It is of doubtful constitutionality for Congress to insert legislative officers into the line of succession, since the word "officer" as used in Article II almost certainly refers to an officer of the Executive Branch (or perhaps to the broader Officer of the United States, which includes federal executive officers and judges but excludes legislators, which is why an impeached and removed judge such as Alcee Hastings may serve in Congress), and since having a legislative officer become President would create a potential conflict of interest and would force a Speaker to resign from the House to become Acting President for a 24-hour period in which the President (if he didn't have a VP) would be under anesthesia due to an operation. I think we should listen to James Madison (who wrote the freaking Constitution) and get legislative officers out of the line of succession before there is a succession crisis (with both the Speaker and Secretary of State claiming the presidency).