Approached to run for Senate as a pro-Civil Rights Democrat.
I think if that had happened he'd have stayed a Democrat, and I wouldn't imagine he ever really lost his socially liberal views to along with his libertarian views that would manifest later.
Alright, so Heston is elected to the US Senate 1970, re-elected thrice, and runs for Pres 1992.
Many thanks
I'm not sure I can do it with a singular POD. But I think the following scenario has been mentioned before. It does require multiple pods and assumes that both Watergate and the Gerald Ford Presidency still occur despite Heston's elevation to the senate.
So we begin with Heston's election to the Senate in 1970. We see him gradually shift rightward over the course of the decade. Someone with more knowledge of the history of Heston's ideological evolution than I have may have some issues with the plausibility of this. I'm not sure if I'm speeding things up for Heston here or not. I know he was a republican by the 1980's.
Obviously he won't change party labels here, but his ideology itself can still drift towards a more conservative stance.
While Heston serves in the Senate, Watergate happens, Nixon resigns ect.
In 1976, Heston is elected to a second term in the Senate. While Gerald Ford narrowly defeats Governor Carter.
By 1980 Senator Heston has become something of what we would now consider a "Bluedog" or more conservative democrat. He runs for the democratic nomination in that years primaries. His major opponent in the primary is Senator Kennedy. But thanks to Kennedy's somewhat incompetent campaign, and Heston's appeal for the voters known IOTL as Reagan democrats Heston defeats Kennedy in a hard fought campaign.
1980 is an election that is very difficult for any incumbent party to win. But in any case 1980 is interesting. It's likely Heston vs. Reagan in this scenario. But for our purposes, Heston wins.
How the Heston Presidency goes probably depends a lot on how the extended Ford administration goes. I'm not sure without Paul Volcker we would have seen either the recession of 1982, or the recovery and boom of 1984. If the boom still happens than Heston is probably reelected.
President Charleton Heston 1981-1989.
His Presidency would be......interesting to say the least.
Anyone want to take a shot at this?
This, except he would be elected in 1988 or 1992. Any time after that is too late, given he would be in his late sixties and going into his seventies. Despite differences between the two, I doubt that he would mount a challenge against Carter, given that he would have to defend his own seat that year (he would be elected in 1968, not 1970)
His Presidency would be......interesting to say the least.