AH Challenge: Richard J. Daley as President

The question is: would he want to? He could run Illinois from Springfield rather than Chicago as Governor. On FP, he was a 'Nam supporter until his best friend's son was killed (one of the reasons he was neutral-leaning-RFK IOTL) and domestically was a pure New Dealer. So basically Hubert Humphrey-meets-ward boss. He's far more valuable as kingmaker than king.
 
Although extremely intelligent and very hard working, Mayor Daley was somewhat uncouth (i.e. yelling F*** You" at Senator Ribicoff during the 1968 Democratic Convention) and I do not think he would have gone over very well on the national stage.
Daley was interested in power and within the city of Chicago he had almost total control. I do not think the more diffuse power available to a
Governor or the lack of power a Seantor has would have appealed to him.
I recommend "American Pharhaoh" by Cohen and Taylor for a very interesting biography of Richard Daley and the limits of what traditional ward heeling politics can accomplish, both for good and bad.
 
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