DBWI: Nixon wins -- after losing?

Plenty of WIs out there asking what if Nixon won in 1960 -- what I want to know is how could Nixon come back* and become President after?

For example, it would clearly help if he'd won the California election in 62. I think 64 would have been too soon -- Kennedy was pretty much unbeatable in 64**, even if someone better than Goldwater was challenging him. I think he might have had a shot beating Rockefeller for the GOP nomination in 68; though I also can see him becoming Rocky's choice for replacement VP in 72, then assuming office instead of [Edmund] Brooke after his death in 75.

After that though, I think it'd be too late. What do you think? Any other ideas? Depending on when he's elected, what would his presidency be like?

*JTBC, PoDs must be after concession speech ;)
**Maybe this is too cynical, but maybe if there had been no attempt on Kennedy's life the year before he'd be more vulnerable? Just a thought...

OOC: PoD is JFK surviving
 
So Nixon pulls a Gore? Easy. RFK doesn't run in '68. The GOP didn't think Nixon could beat a Kennedy.

I've been thinking about doing a WI if RFK could pull a Gore as well. I always wonder how RFK would do as President... shame about that car crash.
 
So Nixon pulls a Gore? Easy. RFK doesn't run in '68. The GOP didn't think Nixon could beat a Kennedy.

I've been thinking about doing a WI if RFK could pull a Gore as well. I always wonder how RFK would do as President... shame about that car crash.

Now that could be an interesting thread -- take the crash in 69 as the PoD, and put another Kennedy in the WH... :rolleyes:
 
Now that could be an interesting thread -- take the crash in 69 as the PoD, and put another Kennedy in the WH... :rolleyes:
That crash did destroy the family. Poor Ted. Imagine drunk driving into your own brother!

When Rockefeller became POTUS, Nixon lost most of his influence in the party. Nixon may have been popular among the base, but the party bosses have and always will control the conventions and Nixon was seen as a thing of the past in the seventies. IIRC, right before Nixon became Secretary of State, there was talk that Brooke would replace Goldwater on the VP Slot in '76, but Brooke went with Bush. Had it gone the other way, Bush's career would have been ruined by the Saudi Oil War instead of Nixon's. Not that any Republican had a chance in the late '70s anyways. :rolleyes:
 
IIRC, right before Nixon became Secretary of State, there was talk that Brooke would replace Goldwater on the VP Slot in '76, but Brooke went with Bush. Had it gone the other way, Bush's career would have been ruined by the Saudi Oil War instead of Nixon's. Not that any Republican had a chance in the late '70s anyways. :rolleyes:

OOC: Just want to try and clarify where TTL's chain of events stand --

1963 -- (PoD) JFK lives
1964 -- JFK beats Goldwater for re-election
1968 -- Rockefeller elected PotUS
1972 -- Nelson Rockefeller re-elected,, w/ Edmund Brooke as his running mate
1975 -- Pres. Rockefeller dies, Brooke assumes Presidency; sometime thereafter, Goldwater is elevated as VP
1976 -- Brooke/Bush ticket wins election
1977 -- Nixon is made Secretary of State
Late 1970's -- Saudi Oil War; not good time for Republicans

Hopefully I'm not mistaken, and the following works...

IC: Yeah, I can see that -- had Brooke kept Goldwater in 76, he probably would have kept Bush as Secretary of State instead of giving Nixon the job; and I'd certainly agree being in the most powerless office during such a tough period helped Bush when he ran for President later on...
 
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