In OTL, the October Surprise during the US Presidential Election of 1972 were the leaking of a series of phone call recordings then-Governor of California Ronald Reagan made to then-President Richard Nixon, a subsequent call between Nixon and then-Secretary of State William Rogers, and a call between Nixon and Florida banker Bebe Rebozo. Nixon and Reagan held a press conference together in California wherein they offered non-apologies. The Surprise wasn't enough for President Nixon to lose the election to Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, however, the election was closer than expected. Following the leak, the American public demanded more of Nixon's tape recordings be made available to the public, leading to a persisting crisis even before Nixon's term started.
Reagan had considered running for President in 1976, but refrained, hoping the outrage of the 1972 leak died down. When he ran for President in 1980 and was attacked for his record on race, he essentially shrugged it off and asked, "so what?" Former Ambassador George H. W. Bush declined his offer to be his vice presidential nominee, so he selected retiring Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania. He was leading unpopular President Jimmy Carter in the polls until an October Surprise of him and Nixon's racist rantings and against whoever leaked the 1972 tapes surfaced. Reagan offered another non-apology and asked America to "move on" from something he said a long time ago. In a close election, President Jimmy Carter defeated Reagan.
Reagan considered running for President again in 1984 and 1988, but in 1984, his defeat in 1980 was too recent in memory and in 1988, he did not want to primary challenge then-President Bush. He didn't run in 1992 because Vice President Bob Dole was running. In an inconceivable move, Reagan ran for President in 1996, but was defeated in the primary by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who went on to be defeated by President Clinton. Between his runs as President of the United States, Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1986 and re-elected in 1990.
How would a Ronald Reagan Presidency have looked anytime between 1969 and 1997? Had he been elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, he would have died before completing his second term.
Reagan had considered running for President in 1976, but refrained, hoping the outrage of the 1972 leak died down. When he ran for President in 1980 and was attacked for his record on race, he essentially shrugged it off and asked, "so what?" Former Ambassador George H. W. Bush declined his offer to be his vice presidential nominee, so he selected retiring Senator Richard Schweiker of Pennsylvania. He was leading unpopular President Jimmy Carter in the polls until an October Surprise of him and Nixon's racist rantings and against whoever leaked the 1972 tapes surfaced. Reagan offered another non-apology and asked America to "move on" from something he said a long time ago. In a close election, President Jimmy Carter defeated Reagan.
Reagan considered running for President again in 1984 and 1988, but in 1984, his defeat in 1980 was too recent in memory and in 1988, he did not want to primary challenge then-President Bush. He didn't run in 1992 because Vice President Bob Dole was running. In an inconceivable move, Reagan ran for President in 1996, but was defeated in the primary by Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who went on to be defeated by President Clinton. Between his runs as President of the United States, Reagan was elected Governor of California in 1986 and re-elected in 1990.
How would a Ronald Reagan Presidency have looked anytime between 1969 and 1997? Had he been elected in 1996 and re-elected in 2000, he would have died before completing his second term.
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