Just over a year ago, user Everdarklegion wrote at the alternatehistory.com forum:
I'm working on an alternate history novel and the story requires that the US is a fascist power during WW2, with William Dudley Pelley as President, Charles Lindbergh as VP, and Father Charles Coughlin as Minister of Propaganda. Is there a plausible and believable way this can happen?
Thread here: https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/fascist-united-states-by-1940.524203/
Replies/discussion run to a total of 25 posts. Not bad for the obscure subject, I suppose. In true Vance fashion I was the thread slayer… meaning that once I chime in there follow only crickets.
My response:
For Pelley to have come to power in the US during the 1936 election would require a peculiar set of circumstances, but I think a believable alt narrative is possible.
If he had remained active in Hollywood for just a few more years and made the transition to talking scripts, his fame and recognition could have grown. Let's say he wrote one more highly acclaimed novel in 1931 or 1932 giving him the literary status of say an F. Scott Fitzgerald or Thomas Wolfe (whose hometown of Asheville, NC was his base of operations). This elevated "household name" status before his transition to spiritualism/metaphysics would have guaranteed him greater visibility and political recognition when founding his own Christian Party in 1935.
Also consider that once he began self-publishing the metaphysical stuff circa 1930 he was obsessed with date-setting prophecy. His favored timeline was based on the Great Pyramid and he ran headlines declaring great changes or a national renovation coinciding with Sept 16, 1936.
Okay, so Walter Winchell and any number of popular newspaper columnists of the day were already lambasting Pelley as a crank, charlatan, con-man, etc.
Imagine the public condemnation grew to such a pitch that everyone in America identified Pelley as the September 16th nutjob. Then, on Sept. 16th, instead of nothing of immediately visible consequence taking place as was the case, something tremendous happened... a terrorist attack on the Capitol by communists killing Roosevelt, who Pelley had accused of being soft on them, even in bed with them.
Suddenly Pelley is a prophet and in the social turmoil and political scrambling which follows he gains millions of fanatical followers motivated by the most extreme religious fervor. Popular Christian congressmen are among the converts. Their constituents follow. The press is accused of aiding and abetting the communists. Coughlin calls on his radio listeners to support Chief Pelley. Dr. John Brinkley, who owns the most powerful radio station in the hemisphere and was a Pelley supporter IRL, devotes XERA's border signal to a constant stream of propaganda painting Pelley as the "man on a white horse," the savior of America.
To put this all in terms with which we might more readily relate, the last date on the David Davidson pyramid prophecy timeline was Sept 11, 2001. Imagine if Pelley's crusade had taken place 60 years later and his frequently reiterated headline all up the 1990s had been the 9/11 prophecy. We don't want to think of ourselves as so moved by superstition or coincidence, but imagine the most outspoken opponent of the Bush regime in 2001 shouting at the top of their lungs for several years leading up to 9/11 that on that date there would be a great awakening or call to action. Imagine the militia movement 250K strong and with the support of military, national guard and law enforcement backing a new leader.
You could also "what if" the public reaction/success of some early "New Deal" programs. If FDR's administration was floundering and the Depression was only getting worse leading up to 1936, the popular vote would be for regime change. If it came as a religious prophet with a cure-all Commonwealth plan, I think it's believable.
Outlandish? Sure. Colorful? Absolutely. Interesting, if well written? I think so.
In summary: Religious Prophecy Fulfilled
I have studied Pelley for more than 25 years and recently launched the American Archvillain blog devoted to his life, orbit and influence.
That’s a fascinating alternate-history scenario. Too bad the original poster didn’t have anything more to say; they probably just stole the idea and didn’t want to give you any credit.