Frank Wills takes a nap

MrHola

Banned
Frank Wills was the one who discovered the burglars in the Watergate Complex. Let's say Wills takes a nap instead of patrolling the hallways and never discovers the tape on several doors in the complex. I assume that this prevents the Watergate Scandal. Nixon leaves the White House in '77 with high approval ratings.

I assume his successor would be Ronald Reagan but loses the '80 elections to Edward Kennedy*. I think Kennedy would last two terms.

But what about Vietnam? Iran? Who would be Reagan and Kennedy's VP? Is it possible for Jimmy Carter to be Kennedy's VP?
If the USSR invades Afghanistan, I assume that Reagan would supply the Mujahdeen like he did in OTL, but what would Kennedy do? And who would be Kennedy's successor?

(*I believe that everyone elected in '76 was doomed. Even Reagan would last only one term.)
 
Last edited:
Well, the problem is that even if the Watergate tapes were not found in this situation, Nixon's band of electioneers would probably be found out sooner or later.

What this might mean is that Nixon's last days in office are plagued over the scandal, but Congress is content to wait out his term rather than impeaching him--he has just two months to go when the investigation becomes serious, and he never fires Archibald Cox or anything like that. Investigation delayed, not Investigation denied. Still, Nixon is likely to end up a disgraced politician AFTER his term is over.

Nixon's VP, Gerald Ford, has no real chance to win the election and probably wouldn't run. An outsider might make a move for it--I'd consider Bob Dole/Nelson Rockefeller as one matchup, Reagan ran as well, so he might get the nod.

In any case, These are Stagflated times, and Reagonmics is the great lie of the 1980s. Reagan's tax absurdity, however, is killed in the face of flawed economy reality. Even Dole-Rockefeller would have no real way to stay alive.

Ted Kennedy might run, but its also important to remember the scandal that killed one of this aides and seems very much a personal failure. Jimmy Carter or Walter Mondale might be able to knock him out of the primaries if they push that issue in a big way. They would be running against the winner of the '76 election.

Odd situations, just saying that it would probably switch the democrat/republican a term of presidencies. Most interestingly, this means that Clinton would be in the White House during 9-11...
 
The actual tapes were for Nixon's memoirs after office. So he could easily record over any incriminating parts. If Watergate is not found out that means IMO the scandal never breaks. Nixon didn't shout it from the rooftops. He didn't even need to do Watergate he only did it because he wanted a landslide victory. IF they are not found and don’t get caught doing it again. It may come out when Nixon is writing his memories or one of the burglars however Nixon would not let it get out during his time in Office.
 
What would be interesting is if, when the next president (Ronald Reagan probably?) takes over, the investigation into Nixon would continue. If they catch a break say in '77 or '78, then you could have the whole thing we now know as "Watergate" getting dragged into the public while Reagan's administration is falling apart in the face of the crisis' of the late 70's. Reagan isn't interested in pardoning Nixon, since his legal troubles are keeping the country entertained while it lurches from crisis to crisis. Since some of the Nixon people are bound to be in the White House, then Reagan starts getting pounded with guilt by association.

The sensational trail of former American President Richard M. Nixon captivates the nation in 1979, a domestic drama to parallel the international drama playing out as the Shah of Iran falls and American hostages are taken. Teddy Kennedy positions himself as being the return of Camelot after years of GOP corruption and mismanagement, and the Republicans are so demoralized and disorganized that they can't even yell "I'm going to see a man about a bridge" enough to beat Teddy.

Teddy's presidency is not everything that it promised to be, but he is neither the now-jailed Nixon or the failed Reagan, so he is moderately popular. The Democrats will probably stay on their New Deal thing, maybe do some cuts to taxes and welfare, but none of the brutal stuff that Reagan did in the 80's. Ralph Nader probably gets a lot of support, and expect a lot of consumer safety regulation.

The Republicans, well they have the first ever jailed POTUS, followed by the failure of Reagan. I would say the the "Reagan Revolution" never materializes, and the conservatives may be totally discredited. George Bush Sr. gets the presidency '88 as the kind of moderate Republican who can win nationally (as opposed to Goldwater and that failure Reagan) and is not so conservative that he is unable to govern effectively. The Soviet Union still collapses on schedule, but H.W. gets a second term, because Kennedy doesn't totally wreck the federal budget the way Reagan does.

I realize that if you are a conservative my frame of reference is basically unacceptable, and I'm sorry.
 
Top