What if Nixon had gotten away with it

[Hadley]

Lets say Nixon gets away with watergate, the break-in at the DNC goes off with them getting away succesfully, and nixon has no need to resign. How does politics change?

[Flush]

Republicans today would probably have stated Nixon as their "leader" instead of Reagan.

[Electric Monk]

Institutional Memory:

No Deep Throat, Political Implications
No Watergate
Nixon gets away with it

[black angel]

Originally Posted by Flush

Republicans today would probably have stated Nixon as their "leader" instead of Reagan.

maybe not, Spiro Agnew would still go to jail, that would blacken Nixon's name, and without Agnew to run in 1976, the Dems win over who ever does run, (Ford would likely to become VP, and may or may not run, Ronald Reagan & Nelson Rockefeller may run as "outsiders" {Rockefeller in this TL not seeing how much the GOP hates him, and how much he hates DC} Bob Dole may also run, then there's George H. W. Bush)

[Derek Jackson]

In OTL Carter only won quite narrowly. I think Ford wins in 1976. I think that means that Republicans are anihilated in 1980.

[Tomac]

Originally Posted by black angel

Spiro Agnew would still go to jail

Ummmm, when did Agnew go to jail?

[Grey Wolf]

In "What If America" there is this scenario

I read it, but can't remember all the details

Two things I think
-1- Nixon was trying for some kind of health or welfare programme
-2- If he had been strongly on the ball, then when the N Vietnamese broke the agreement (which he always expected they would) there would have been an American response, rather than a defeated shrug

Wasn't Ford something of a compromise choice to replace Agnew ? I thought Nixon would have gone for someone else if he was without problems himself ?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

[black angel]

Originally Posted by Tomac

Ummmm, when did Agnew go to jail?

you're right, he didn't go to jail, but still he'd be convicted (or plead nolo contendere) to tax evasion and money laundering

[SRT]

Originally Posted by Grey Wolf

-2- If he had been strongly on the ball, then when the N Vietnamese broke the agreement (which he always expected they would) there would have been an American response, rather than a defeated shrug

Didn't Nixon run on an explicitly anti-war platform, though? I don't see how this wouldn't be political suicide.

[Electric Monk]

Originally Posted by Grey Wolf

-1- Nixon was trying for some kind of health or welfare programme
-2- If he had been strongly on the ball, then when the N Vietnamese broke the agreement (which he always expected they would) there would have been an American response, rather than a defeated shrug

Wasn't Ford something of a compromise choice to replace Agnew ? I thought Nixon would have gone for someone else if he was without problems himself?

Actually he purposed universal healthcare, but Senator Kennedy turned him down because he wanted nationalized healthcare (Kennedy continues to regret that to this day). This would likely not change if Nixon remained in power.

Nixon also purposed a negative income tax, but without corresponding cuts in welfare programs Republicans wouldn't support it.

I agree. American airpower + South Vietnamese ground troops won in '73, the same thing would probably happen again.

Yeah Nixon wanted Texas Governor (and former Democrat) John Connally. Congress said hell no, but if Nixon's Watergate shenigans hadn't been found out he likely would have had Connally.

[RodneyB]

One big fallout of the Nixon Watergate era was the weakening of the presidency which lasted through the Ford and Carter administrations. That may not have occurred.