In 1972, George McGovern picked New Jersey Representative Peter Rodino to be his running mate for his unsuccessful presidential campaign. McGovern had almost selected Missouri Senator Thomas Eagleton, but Eagleton ended up admitting that he was the one who had described McGovern as the candidate of "amnesty, abortion, and acid" to Robert Novak.
What if Eagleton either never admits to saying these words or never says them at all, and he becomes McGovern's running mate? Remember that Eagleton had a history of depressive bouts and undergoing electroshock treatments. If his medical history becomes public in 1972 instead of a year later, how does that affect McGovern's performance?