AHC: President Elect William E. Miller

During the early 1960's, William E. Miller was the son of German and Irish immigrants. He became the chairman of the Republican National Committee and a New York congressman. He was commonly described as a fiscal conservative with eastern roots and a Catholic Faith. While people outside of the state barely knew his name, he was chosen by Barry M. Goldwater as a running mate for the 1964 election. His obscurity and inability to remember Goldwater's home state gave birth to the refrain "Here's a riddle, it's a killer / Who the hell is William Miller?". After a landslide loss to LBJ and the Great Horatio, Miller faded into obscurity and became better known for his advertising than politics. But what if...

During the year 1968, the death of Robert F. Kennedy left the seat to the senate's chair wide open. However, the position was given to Charles Goodell, a liberal Republican and an anti-Vietnam Representative. Eventually, Goodell lost the next election to James Buckley, a member of the New York Conservative party. Another option would be giving Rockefeller the keys to the Oval Office leaving the position for New York governor wide open. Suppose Miller wins either of these seats and decides to launch his own campaign. How would Miller's policies be like and how would they affect America?
 
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During the early 1960's, William E. Miller was the son of German and Irish immigrants. He became the chairman of the Republican National Committee and a New York congressman. He was commonly described as a fiscal conservative with eastern roots and a Catholic Faith. While people outside of the state barely knew his name, he was chosen by Barry M. Goldwater as a running mate for the 1964 election. His obscurity and inability to remember Goldwater's home state gave birth to the refrain "Here's a riddle, it's a killer / Who the hell is William Miller?". After a landslide loss to LBJ and the Great Horatio, Miller faded into obscurity and became better known for his advertising than politics. But what if...

During the year 1968, the death of Robert F. Kennedy left the seat to the senate's chair wide open. However, the position was given to Charles Goodell, a liberal Republican and an anti-Vietnam Representative. Eventually, Goodell lost the next election to James Buckley, a member of the New York Conservative party. Another option would be giving Rockefeller the keys to the Oval Office leaving the position for New York governor wide open. Suppose Miller wins either of these seats and decides to launch his own campaign. How would Miller's policies be like and how would they affect America?

Do you mean Rockefeller would have been
elected President in 1968 instead of Nixon?
He did try for the Republican Presidental
nomination that year but lost out to Nixon-
& I seriously doubt there was any way
Rockefeller could have won the nomination,
he just was too unpopular in the G.O.P.
 
Do you mean Rockefeller would have been
elected President in 1968 instead of Nixon?
He did try for the Republican Presidental
nomination that year but lost out to Nixon-
& I seriously doubt there was any way
Rockefeller could have won the nomination,
he just was too unpopular in the G.O.P.

No, I meant 1960-1968
 
No, I meant 1960-1968

OK, gotcha; thanks. I just can't see William Miller going very far even in this scenario, & this isn't
because he signed up as 2nd mate on Goldwater's(we can now see)doomed Presidental voyage. There
have been, IOTL, a # of Vice- Presidental running mates who impressed people enough that even
though the ticket lost, they used their candidacy as a springboard to bigger & better things(Examples:
Franklin D Roosevelt in 1920, Frank Knox in 1936, & Edmund Muskie in 1968). No, the problem with
Miller is that he was utterly lacking in those qualities of charm and/or drive that persuade large
numbers of people to vote for you. There were also questions re his personal integrity. In 1964,
former Mississippi Congressman Frank E. Smith alleged that while he was in the House Miller went up
to him & offered him a monthly pay check for work that was vaguely defined. Smith was certain that
this little offer was intended to influence how he would vote on legislation affecting certain
enterprises Miller had a financial interest in. Miller cried that these charges were smears, but he was
never able satisfactorily to refute them(SEE Eric F. Goldman, THE TRAGEDY OF LYNDON JOHNSON,
1969, ch. 9). (Ironically enough, Miller's daughter would later gain a certain notoriety as a LIBERAL
radio commentator).
 
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