How could the American Independent Party have continued to exist and become America's third party?
Wallace in 1968 was an interesting figure. He's looked at historically as a conservative - and clearly was one on racial and policing issues - but he also had a higher AFL-CIO rating than Hubert Humphrey and his opposition to Vietnam was another issue of his. The general understanding of Wallace's electoral impact was that he was a spoiler for Nixon in the South and Humphrey everywhere else.
Wallace performing better in 1968 would be a necessity. This would likely mean Curtis LeMay is replaced - either by Ezra Taft Benson (who was interested, but blocked by the Mormon Church) or Happy Chandler (who couldn't come to an agreement with Wallace on racial issues and also angered several of Wallace's Bircherite supporters). Benson is an interesting one, as it'd give Wallace more western appeal.
The GOP would also need to be more hostile to civil rights opponents and not court southerners as much. John Volpe was pretty close to being VP OTL.
Wallace in 1968 was an interesting figure. He's looked at historically as a conservative - and clearly was one on racial and policing issues - but he also had a higher AFL-CIO rating than Hubert Humphrey and his opposition to Vietnam was another issue of his. The general understanding of Wallace's electoral impact was that he was a spoiler for Nixon in the South and Humphrey everywhere else.
Wallace performing better in 1968 would be a necessity. This would likely mean Curtis LeMay is replaced - either by Ezra Taft Benson (who was interested, but blocked by the Mormon Church) or Happy Chandler (who couldn't come to an agreement with Wallace on racial issues and also angered several of Wallace's Bircherite supporters). Benson is an interesting one, as it'd give Wallace more western appeal.
The GOP would also need to be more hostile to civil rights opponents and not court southerners as much. John Volpe was pretty close to being VP OTL.