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the overwhelming rejection of the League of Nations by the Senate, and then the loss of the Presidency by Wilson in the next campaign which focused on the League as the major issue

Except that Wilson was reelected for his second term in 1916, then entered the war, then lost control of Congress in the 1918 midterm, and then advocated for the league of nations and lost the Senate vote in 1919.

You seem to have a penchant for reversing chains of events.

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 at 10:53:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]
No, the November 1920 election was primarily about the League of Nations and Wilson's views on it. And the Senate vote was March 20, 1920, not 1919.   I'll quote the entire quote from above to make the dates more clear--more verbage, which I was trying to avoid, but perhaps more clarity:
The signatory nations to the Treaty all ratified it, which meant acceptance of the League. Mr. Wilson, seeing a change of sentiment, began a speaking tour of the country to restore sentiment in favor of the League. He was successful in arousing the people of the Pacific Coast to his support. But the strain of the tour was too much for the President and he collapsed at Wichita, Kansas, on September 26, 1919.

There were some attempts at a compromise on Article X by President Wilson and his opponents, and certain reservations were voted on against President Wilson's wishes. After two votes on November 13 and November 19, in which the Democrats, on Mr. Wilson's advice, did not vote, the opponents of the League voted for ratification of the Treaty with reservations, but failed to carry the resolution. President Wilson was incompetent through illness to lead the Democratic part, and, as he had no lieutenant capable of taking his place, the championship for the League became weak. Finally, on March 20, 1920, a resolution of ratification was presented and again President Wilson advised the Democratic senators not to vote for it; consequently the resolution was lost by a vote of 57-37. In the general election of the following November, Wilson appealed to the people to support the League. The result of the election, which was fought chiefly on the League, was an overwhelming Republican victory. This was taken as the death knell of the League in America - and so it was.

Wilson was not the candidate due to stroke, but the primary issue in the 1920 presidential election was the League of Nations, and Wilson's views on it:

The United States presidential election of 1920 was dominated by the aftermath of World War I. The wartime boom had collapsed. Diplomats and politicians were arguing over peace treaties and the question of America's entry into the League of Nations......Outgoing President Woodrow Wilson was deeply unpopular: the economy was in a recession, Wilson's prosecution of the war had angered several traditionally Democratic constituencies, and his sponsorship of the League of Nations ran counter to American isolationism which had been strengthened by World War I's butcher bill.....Both major parties turned to dark horse candidates from the elector-rich state of Ohio. The Democrats nominated newspaper publisher and Governor James M. Cox to take on Senator Warren G. Harding. Harding essentially campaigned against Wilson, and, with an almost 4-to-1 spending advantage, beat Cox in a landslide.
by wchurchill on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 at 11:45:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
OK

Those whom the Gods wish to destroy They first make mad. -- Euripides
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Dec 7th, 2006 at 11:47:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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