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Four years ago, it appeared that President Davy Crockett and the Whig Party would be able to enjoy a prolonged period of peace and calm at the helm of the United Republic after winning re-election against the staunch reformist Radical, Thomas Wilson Dorr. But, how circumstances can change within a few months! The first substantive blow to the Whigs’ carefully constructed narrative of stability was the fallout from the Ostend Treaty, which asserted that the United Republic alone was responsible for starting the war with the Spanish Empire. This paled in comparison to the Crockett administration’s controversial response to the Revolutions of 1848. Now, without their talisman, the Whigs must select a presidential ticket that showcases its capacity for change while maintaining continuity with the party’s values.

The Presidential Balloting 

The two candidates who garnered the most support on the first ballot were the two highest ranking members of the Crockett administration. Though President Crockett himself has sought to stay above the fray, he favors Vice President Papineau to inherit his legacy and has privately urged convention delegates to rally behind him. Though trailing Papineau in terms of pledged delegates Secretary of State Daniel Webster, as the de facto leader of the Centralist faction of the Whigs maintained a strong support base. Unsurprisingly, the first candidate to withdraw from the running was Millard Fillmore, who then instructed his delegates to support Zachary Taylor, believing that with enough support behind the popular former general to deny either Papineau or Webster an absolute majority, it would allow the relatively small yet sizeable nativist presence at the convention to play kingmaker. 

Candidate	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Louis-Joseph Papineau	288	312	312	334	346	341
Daniel Webster	263	271	272	250	244	249
Zachary Taylor	97	77	81	108	102	102
Millard Fillmore	44	32	27	0	0	0

This gamble failed, and the race for the Whig nomination remained between the two frontrunners. Eventually Taylor instructed his campaign operatives to withdraw his name from the running at the 8th ballot, though he declined to endorse either Papineau or Webster, and flatly refused to enter into negotiations to court his approval, believing such machinations to be beneath the dignity of the presidency. And so, the balloting continued.

Candidate	7th	8th	9th	10th	11th	12th
Louis-Joseph Papineau	349	373	355	351	362	348
Daniel Webster	269	319	337	341	330	344
Zachary Taylor	74	0	0	0	0	0
Millard Fillmore	0	0	0	0	0	0

On the 13th ballot, Daniel Webster overtook Papineau in the number of pledged delegates, which he lost in the subsequent ballot. The next four ballots were a constant back-and-forth between the two candidates, neither willing to withdraw for the other for various ideological and personal reasons. It seemed as though the nominating contest was destined to drag on endlessly, unless the convention could rally around a suitable compromise candidate, like the Democrats did in 1844 or unless a figure within the party intervened on behalf of one of the two men.

Candidate	13th	14th	15th	16th	17th	18th
Louis-Joseph Papineau	339	357	346	361	336	345
Daniel Webster	353	335	346	331	356	347
Zachary Taylor	0	0	0	0	0	0
Millard Fillmore	0	0	0	0	0	0

That figure was none other than the President himself, Davy Crockett. Using a telegraph from an office in the National Assembly, he urged delegates to rally behind his Vice-President to continue the party’s legacy of maintaining domestic stability and increased international standing, cautious though they may be in wielding it. This was the final nail in the coffin for Webster’s bid for the Whig nomination, and Papineau easily won the next ballot to become the party’s standard-bearer in the crucial 1848 election.

Candidate	19th
Louis-Joseph Papineau	462
Daniel Webster	230
Zachary Taylor	0
Millard Fillmore	0

The Vice Presidential Balloting

Knowing that the Centralist wing of the party still maintained a strong presence, Papineau at first attempted to extend an olive branch to the leader of this faction and his chief nomination rival, Daniel Webster, by offering him the Vice Presidential slot. Webster refused, and rumor has it that he is exploring the possibility of creating his own National Party with some of his like-minded allies. Papineau’s next choice was fellow Massachusetts Deputy Robert C. Winthrop, who eagerly accepted. Winthrop, with his close ties to Webster and the Centralists, proved to be an acceptable compromise for most of the delegates and easily secured a majority on the first ballot.

Candidate	1st
Robert C. Winthrop	405
Daniel Webster	132
Zachary Taylor	90
Millard Fillmore	65

The Whig Ticket

For President of the United Republic: Louis-Joseph Papineau of Quebec

For Vice President of the United Republic: Robert C. Winthrop of Massachusetts