DBWI: Nixon became GOP nominee in 1968

as we all know, Donald Rumsfeld became the youngest president in 1968 by a wide margin against Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

We all know of Rumsfeld's endeavours against international terrorism with the suppression of the Vietcong, Baader Meinhof, the Khmer Rouge, the Weather Undergound, the KKK among others. The FBI and CIA were reformed as counterterrorism became more pressing.

His landslide victory in 1972 seemingly cemented his reputation.

But some spots on his record include support for Pinochet and the botched invasion of Uganda as well as the carpet bombing of Laos.

Rumsfeld also seemed to be capable of winning the Vietnam war, turning around the mess of LBJ in a seemingly Herculean task.

But What if Richard nixon had managed to win in the election?
 
OoC: Is that even realistic. I mean if he was Nixon's veep and he died in office, than yeah but I ... I just don't see it.
 
well, perhaps inspired by JFK, Rummy decides to give the presidency a shot.

Perhaps he could pull an obama.
 
IC: Rummy IIRC is one of the GOP Icons, with Reagan. Many attribute this to the victory in Vietnam, others to counterterrorism in his presidency.

Rumsfeld is also vilified on the left for "imperialism".

I loved it when rumsfeld pinned down Noam Chomsky in a debate.
 
as we all know, Donald Rumsfeld became the youngest president in 1968 by a wide margin against Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

We all know of Rumsfeld's endeavours against international terrorism with the suppression of the Vietcong, Baader Meinhof, the Khmer Rouge, the Weather Undergound, the KKK among others. The FBI and CIA were reformed as counterterrorism became more pressing.

His landslide victory in 1972 seemingly cemented his reputation.

But some spots on his record include support for Pinochet and the botched invasion of Uganda as well as the carpet bombing of Laos.

Rumsfeld also seemed to be capable of winning the Vietnam war, turning around the mess of LBJ in a seemingly Herculean task.

But What if Richard nixon had managed to win in the election?

OOC: Oh, that's good satire.
 
OOC: Erm, I'm confused. I thought Rumsfeld was one of the players who advanced with the Ford Administration?

What exactly is the PoD here? Cold war goes Hot, Blue states get slagged and someone like Rumsfeld suddenly becomes the angel of the United States?

Really, Rumsfeld is a pretty good loser character. The words "Failed Presidency" do not begin to describe my predictions of a Rumsfeld presidency. Suffice it to say that someone who dorked up the Iraq War would fare little better in Vietnam. But let's try to get my preceptions into this thread without breaking it.

IC: Not going to happen. I mean, the only thing Rumsfeld got on his credentials is "success in foreign wars". He totally destroyed the budget, appointed wacko fundies to the Supreme Court, and thanks to him, the Military-Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about is totally out of control. The United States hit 66% spending on defense during his presidency. Yes, those guns were put to good use, but only at a cost of cutting social programs to the bone. That man killed Social Security and conceded defeat on LBJ's war on poverty just so he could intimidate the Soviets.

Nixon, I think, would have been a more moderate character. Unlike Rumsfeld, he probably would have cut a deal with China, his history not withstanding. But of course, Nixon lost an election and was tarred as a "sleazebag" in the Republican Primaries. What I would have liked to see is Nelson Rockefeller run. Instead, we've had a United States that's been too many guns and too little butter.

I know that many people in the USA like this whole "Gunboat Diplomacy" and a "Three Million Man Army", but I wonder whether the USA's efforts are really for the best. The Soviet Union is clearly beaten in power and economic strength, but Gennady Yanev continues to run the country, even though Eastern Europe has turned into a circus. China might have had different leadership instead of the "Gang of Four" that now runs the country. Sure, we've got a good friends with the Shah and Saddam Hussein of Iraq, but what if we had tried to support Gorbachev's desires for ending the cold war? What if we had backed Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping instead of isolating them?

I'm really unsure that we should be lionizing a guy that may well have extended the cold war for decades. Yes, our SDI may mean that a victorious Third World War is imminent, but wouldn't it be easier just to befriend moderates instead?
 
as we all know, Donald Rumsfeld became the youngest president in 1968 by a wide margin against Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace.

We all know of Rumsfeld's endeavours against international terrorism with the suppression of the Vietcong, Baader Meinhof, the Khmer Rouge, the Weather Undergound, the KKK among others. The FBI and CIA were reformed as counterterrorism became more pressing.

His landslide victory in 1972 seemingly cemented his reputation.

But some spots on his record include support for Pinochet and the botched invasion of Uganda as well as the carpet bombing of Laos.

Rumsfeld also seemed to be capable of winning the Vietnam war, turning around the mess of LBJ in a seemingly Herculean task.

But What if Richard nixon had managed to win in the election?

OOC: What is it with you and Rumsfeld? And I don't mean that in a mean way. You just seem to have a thing for him and make him the replacement to Nixon in a butt load of ATLs?
 
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