1956 without Ike.

I tried to come up with a slightly better title for this, but I couldn't think of one.

Anyway, historically Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in 1955, and consequently, if I remember correctly he seriously considered not running in 1956. Suppose that Eisenhower did decide against running for reelection. Who would the Republicans nominate? Nixon? Or perhaps Bill Knowland? And would Stevenson still receive the Democratic nomination? Generally what would the election of 1956 look like if Eisenhower had withdrawn from the race?
 
It would probably be Nixon, because Knowland was a Taftite blowhard who was a tool of the Taiwan Lobby. Nixon wins in 1956, and as an incumbent, would likely beat Kennedy in 1960. Stevenson would be nominated: no other candidate was viable. Harriman was unviable, he was to Stevenson's left and had only 2 years as governor of New York. Their best candidate was LBJ, but they wouldn't nominate a non-incumbent Southerner in that era. All the other Democrats were favourite sons apart from Harriman and Stevenson, and LBJ to a degree.
 
It would probably be Nixon, because Knowland was a Taftite blowhard who was a tool of the Taiwan Lobby. Nixon wins in 1956, and as an incumbent, would likely beat Kennedy in 1960. Stevenson would be nominated: no other candidate was viable. Harriman was unviable, he was to Stevenson's left and had only 2 years as governor of New York. Their best candidate was LBJ, but they wouldn't nominate a non-incumbent Southerner in that era. All the other Democrats were favourite sons apart from Harriman and Stevenson, and LBJ to a degree.

I think you're dead-on but Kefauver might have been a viable national option had he agreed to debate Stevenson in April rather than May when he had run out of money and wasn't really in the race anymore. It's concievable that after his Minnesota upset he would have been more confident in challenging Stevenson on more issues than the H-bomb tests, and might have secured a wider following. Regardless of the eventual candidate it might have become a spirited race and may have invigorated Dem chances against Nixon in a '56 election. Nixon still wins comfortably, however.
 
Top