1896

1896 is an official scenario based on the 1896 United States presidential election.

Introduction
After the Panic of 1893, the incumbent president Grover Cleveland has decided not to run for his third (and second consecutive) term. The election comes down to the Republican establishment candidate William McKinley, and Democratic populist candidate William Jennings Bryan , with Gold Democrat John Palmer in the background.

Gameplay
At the start of the election McKinley has estimated 264 Electoral Votes, compared to Bryan's 183. McKinley holds the Northeast and polls well in the Midwest, while Bryan holds the Solid South and the Mountain States. The main battlegrounds are the West Coast, the Plains and the Border states. It is also possible for Bryan to win most of the Midwest on normal difficulty.

Issues
The primary issues of this election are economical in nature. Voters are mostly concerned with the tariffs, business and organized labor, but the biggest issue of them all is the question of currency, with McKinley defending the Gold Standard and Bryan standing for Free Silver.

Trivia

 * This is the first and so far only election where both major party candidates shared the first name.
 * Every single answer on the question where McKinley can utilize the press to his advantage does literally nothing, although picking the most lenient answer will lead to you getting chewed out by the Advisor Feedback.
 * John Palmer can win states in the South if Bryan speaks out in favor of civil rights, but he can never win the election.

Further Information

 * Third Party System (Wikipedia)
 * Fourth Party System (Wikipedia)