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When FDR was elected in 1932, he was not inaugurated till March 4, '33. That changed with the 20th Amendment so that for his second term, he was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 1937.

What if the 20th Amendment had been bolder?

Let's say the thinking is that for a normal job, two weeks is enough for transition. And with picking Dec. 5th, it's a sure three weeks, many years running to four weeks, and that's considered plenty of time.

Some implications?

Smoother transition, and Eisenhower in late '52 may not change Truman's foreign policy as much.

And the big one, when Nixon takes office Dec. 5, 1968, well, there's some lines of evidence that as candidate he sabotaged Vietnam peace talks, waving off Thieu and promising him a better deal if and when he was president. (Thieu wasn't real enthusiastic about the talks anyway, because they didn't provide him with much post-war role.) So, with a Dec. 5th date, yes it does give Nixon more leverage while he's initially waving off Thieu, but also, the talks aren't as much of a dead letter when he takes office.
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