AH: "Nixon's War"-A Longer Vietnam War/Authoritarian United States

I'm working on a an AH called Nixon's War, and i need advice

In it the Vietnam War is extended when Nixon decides to launch an all out assault into North Vietnam to end the war once and for all no matter the cost. The initial offensive is slow, and efforts are made to keep the PRC out of the war, but to know avail.

The entry of the PRC strains relations and drags the war on indefinitely. The USSR ramps up its aid to the north, while the PRC directly engages US troops.

by the late '70s, protests in America become more and more aggressive. An attempted assassination attempt on Nixon's life and the deteriorating situation of the war prompt him to give himself emergency powers, while he also manages to cover up the Watergate Scandal. He gives himself full control of the military and has final say in all decisions made by officers.

The War is deemed a failure, and the Communist forces eventually go on a counterattack and take over South Vietnam, which due to the extended war doesn't fall until America withdraws(which only happens when almost all of S. Vietnam falls due to Nixon's plan to hold the southern part of the nation at all costs despite massive loss of life, turning into a "early Korean War", where the country only has a few territory left), so the war ends in the late '70's-early 80's


Nixon reigns as president-for-life until his death in 1994 from a stroke brought on by his heart condition.


From then on America continues to be ruled by an authoritarian military junta/with a president as a figurehead


A Vietnam War from 1955-1980ish. How likely(or more likely UNLIKELY) is this rather ASB situation? Who would rule modern(2011) America? Could you see Nixon giving himself emergency powers in a longer, more deadly war?
 
He obviously can't do that; the US Constitution would have a shit fit.

Actually, no. According to the Constitution, Nixon could have, if he wanted, had full control over the military, as he is the commander-in-chief. However, the whole President-for-life thing would have been a problem, both with the Constitution and the American public.
 
He's Nixon-he can do whatever he damn well pleases! :D...this should be in the ASB forum


Can't Nixon just be like: I now rule all of America with an iron fist and their nothing the American people can do about it![laughs manically]
 
Alien Space Bats from the Planet Draka would have to descend from heaven to allow this to happen

And besides, Domination of the Draka was far dumber then this scenario...right? :cool:
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Advice?

Throw it away, learn something about the U.S. Constitution so you can see why this could literally never happen, and try again.
 
The Post-1900 subforum, and the Board generally, has more rigorous standards than Turtledove, who writes for a mass audience. Invoking an ASB scenario in post-1900 isn't helping.

On the OP: completely and utterly ASB, and out of step with Nixon's character: while he may have had a warped view of executive privilege and power, he would never commit a blanketly unconstitutional act like that. If he did he would be impeached and removed from office in the blink of an eye.
 
ASB... maybe if you had some pre 1900 POD which gave the Presidency much more power than it had OTL (like say... Jackson's Spoils System remaining in place) and then adding no 22nd amendment... and THEN adding some radical departures in the 60's like a much stronger anarchist movement... only then would you set the stage for Nixon seizing the Presidency for life and even with all that it would be nigh impossible...
 
Top