The Kingfish Reimagined: What If Huey Long Had Lived?
What if Huey Long hadn’t been assassinated? In this 1936alt timeline, America caps wealth, funds healthcare, and builds fairness from the bayou up.
1936alt – The Share Our Wealth Nation
By 1936, President Huey P. Long has just been elected by a surprising but decisive margin on a third-party ticket, signaling deep voter frustration with the political status quo and a desire for bold reform on a third-party ticket, toppling both Roosevelt and Hoover coalitions. The New Deal was rebranded as the True Deal — a redistribution program that capped personal fortunes at $100 million—high enough to reward innovation and long-term enterprise, but low enough to prevent dynastic hoarding, guaranteed a $5,000 minimum income, and funded universal college education and pensions through aggressive oil taxation and corporate dismantling.
Instead of being assassinated, Senator Long exposed corruption in Louisiana's upper legislature, jailing dozens. His charisma carried him to the White House, where he instituted wealth caps and land reforms by executive decree, backed by a new Civilian Oversight Guard (COG). In this timeline, America embraced a populist, redistributionist model that closed the wealth gap by 1950 and prevented the rise of McCarthyism.
Rural parishes received massive infrastructure investment. Creole and Cajun communities were recognized as distinct cultural contributors. Historically Black colleges became tuition-free.
They called it the Red Bayou Era—when oil flowed, but so did equity.
2025alt – The Huey Long Legacy Lives
In this world, Louisiana is a global case study in balanced populism. Healthcare is state-funded, though not without its critics—some argue it burdens taxpayers or limits provider choice. Baton Rouge is home to the People's Policy Institute, a think tank built from a converted refinery. Property taxes fund free clinics. The prison system shrank dramatically after a 1983 act abolished private prisons entirely.
The Babtiste lineage still sends letters to the editor, praising the state’s “inheritance of fairness.” Zora Babtiste, now a city planner, helps oversee affordable housing initiatives once considered radical.
High school students memorize the Share Our Wealth speech. Confederate statues were removed peacefully in the 1970s, replaced by fountains representing "Shared Abundance." Schools teach that patriotism means making sure everybody eats.
Of course, this isn't our world. In our timeline, Huey Long was assassinated in 1935 in the Louisiana State Capitol. Some say he was shot by Dr. Carl Weiss, but theories persist about who really benefited from his death. You can still see the bullet holes in the marble walls—history frozen mid-sentence, reminding us how fragile change can be.
What We Can Do Now
We’re not in that timeline—but we aren’t helpless. Share Our Wealth clubs were once real. Why not reboot them? You don’t need a President Long—you need neighbors. Hold monthly potlucks to talk about simple neighborhood efforts—like community cleanups, tool sharing, or streetlight repairs—and explore ideas for mutual aid. Advocate for community land trusts. Pressure local governments to impose caps on corporate tax breaks that drain school budgets.
You can even start by reading Long’s speeches. Ask yourself: Why were they so dangerous? Then ask: Why do they still scare people now?
And maybe, just maybe, start calling your potholes "capitalist sinkholes" until someone fixes them.
Further Reading
Explore More: