In 1969, Nixon asked his former campaign chairman, Lt. Gov. Robert Finch of California, to be his running mate. Finch refused. Nixon of course ultimately selected Spiro Agnew after a long search for someone acceptable to Strom Thurmond yet not so conservative as to scare moderates. Finch would became Nixon's first HEW Secretary, though he wound up clashing with conservatives within the Nixon WH and was demoted to "special adviser." Despite all that, he would remain one of Nixon's few lifetime friends.
So what happens if Finch accepted Nixon's offer? Finch was a liberal Republican, albeit less polarizing than Rocky. Had he become president he, like Ford, would likely have pardoned Nixon. Even moreso than Ford, he would have clashed with conservatives. He would likely have been forced to pick a more conservative vice president under the 25th Amendment (quite possibly Ford actually), then would have faced an even stronger challenge from Reagan.
So my guess is that there would be minimal change. You might get a more liberal period of domestic legislation from 1975-1976, when the post-Watergate Congress would the liberalish Finch a more amenable figure than Ford. But in 1976, Finch loses the nomination to Reagan. Carter still wins the Democratic nod. And this becomes the familiar "Reagan v. Carter in '76" ATL - a scenario in which I tend to think Reagan would lose to Carter, given the weak economy, fatigue after 8 years of Republican rule, and Watergate. The question then becomes whether Reagan can come back in 1980 like in OTL or whether 1980 becomes somebody else's year.
Anybody else have some thoughts on a Finch presidency?
So what happens if Finch accepted Nixon's offer? Finch was a liberal Republican, albeit less polarizing than Rocky. Had he become president he, like Ford, would likely have pardoned Nixon. Even moreso than Ford, he would have clashed with conservatives. He would likely have been forced to pick a more conservative vice president under the 25th Amendment (quite possibly Ford actually), then would have faced an even stronger challenge from Reagan.
So my guess is that there would be minimal change. You might get a more liberal period of domestic legislation from 1975-1976, when the post-Watergate Congress would the liberalish Finch a more amenable figure than Ford. But in 1976, Finch loses the nomination to Reagan. Carter still wins the Democratic nod. And this becomes the familiar "Reagan v. Carter in '76" ATL - a scenario in which I tend to think Reagan would lose to Carter, given the weak economy, fatigue after 8 years of Republican rule, and Watergate. The question then becomes whether Reagan can come back in 1980 like in OTL or whether 1980 becomes somebody else's year.
Anybody else have some thoughts on a Finch presidency?
