1976 Election and After (If Watergate Never Happened)

Not against the Nixon Machine.

I'm not so sure. Remember in 1968 that Reagan came closer that people realized to upsetting Nixon at the GOP convention. Quite a few delegates were ready to jump ship from Nixon to Reagan. As it was, it took some heavy duty lobbying by Storm Thurmond to fend off the Reagan challenge. I am not sure that Reagan could be held off again by Nixon and the GOP establishment.
 
I'm not so sure. Remember in 1968 that Reagan came closer that people realized to upsetting Nixon at the GOP convention. Quite a few delegates were ready to jump ship from Nixon to Reagan. As it was, it took some heavy duty lobbying by Storm Thurmond to fend off the Reagan challenge. I am not sure that Reagan could be held off again by Nixon and the GOP establishment.

Reagan also lost to Ford. The Nixon Machine would win. Remember, Connally is a former SoDem as well.
 
Well, that is true, but for the sake of this timeline, we're going to say that Ford is considering the Presidency.

As much as I like GRF, given what I've read, my gut tells me that he would have retired from politics in TTL after his term as VP ended on 1-20-77.

In addition to Reagan, Dole and Connally, Charles Percy and Howard Baker might enter the race
 
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WOuld SOmeone PLEASE tell me about John Connaly and why so many of you think the sun rises and sets on him!

1st, I do not believe that the sun rises and sets on John Connally (though I did actually portray him during High School when our NHS held a mock GOP convention - I won the nomination BTW :D).

2nd, Connally was "beloved" by RMN and quite possibly would have been his anointed heir in TTL's 1976 or at least the presumptive front runner going into that election cycle.
 
1st, I do not believe that the sun rises and sets on John Connally (though I did actually portray him during High School when our NHS held a mock GOP convention - I won the nomination BTW :D).

2nd, Connally was "beloved" by RMN and quite possibly would have been his anointed heir in TTL's 1976 or at least the presumptive front runner going into that election cycle.

Yeah, OK, super that's nice, so do you know anything about him, I mean anything you can tell me?
 

Ford1976

Banned
JANUARY 23, 1976


Movie star and American Icon, John Wayne, endorsed former Governor Reagan saying that "Leadership is staying true to your values and beliefs and for the last seven years, we have had a president that has changed his values and beliefs for the betterment of politics, not America. Ronald Reagan on the other hand, has kept America number one and that's why I give my support to my old friend."


Reagan issued a statement about Wayne's endorsement:
"John Wayne, known to every American as Duke, is a great American and having his support will surely help us get to Washington."

Vice President Ford, though still unannounced, still leads in the polls, but Reagan is gaining steam.

Walter Cronkite reports on CBS Evening News that former Governor John Connally has formed an exploratory committee about a possible White House run.



Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen and Former Vice President and 1968 Democratic Presidential Nominee Hubert Humphrey announce their candidacy for President increasing the Democratic Field.
 
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Sure it can. You think Democrats preferred McGovern to Muskie? McGovern to Humphrey? No.
A large faction of the Democratic Party did perfer McGovern over Muskie and Humphrey. w wWhen they were the winning plurality in California primary he won the nomination.

I don't think Reagan will be more popular than Connally, anyways.
Reagan was more popular than Conally. Reagan became the new Goldwater in 1966.
 
I seem to remember reading somewhere else on this site that Connally, at least when he attempted to run for President historically, was a rather inept campaigner and that he just rubbed people the wrong way. Now, Nixon's help may be enough to save Connally in the primary, but if that's true, it'll certainly be a problem in general. Also, wasn't there a Connally bribery case in 1975?
 
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