Governor Nixon?

Was it possible for Richard Nixon not to run for PotUS in 1960? Or to run for Governor of California after losing to JFK? Or in 1968?

Would he have sanctioned the Plumbers against his Gubernatorial opponent? (Would he have needed to?)

What does this do to federal politics?

It would obviously butterfly away Woodstein becoming famous...& "ATPM" being made.:eek::(

It also butterflies the short-lived sitcom "Sirotta's Court", I'd guess.:(

Does it butterfly away Fred Thompson becoming famous? Unless he does as a lawyer for [url=""https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Ragghianti]Marie Ragghianti[/url].
 
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Nixon actually did run for Governor in California in 1962. He lost to Pat Brown, which led to the infamous "last press conference" after the election.
 
Nixon also absolutely hated the idea, realizing only after making the attempt how pointless he considered being a Governor was since he only cared about foreign policy.

Nixon as a Senator though, now we have possibilities. Majority Leader Nixon? :)
 
Nixon also absolutely hated the idea, realizing only after making the attempt how pointless he considered being a Governor was since he only cared about foreign policy.

Nixon as a Senator though, now we have possibilities. Majority Leader Nixon? :)

The Dems controlled the Senate from 1955-1981.

I don't know if Nixon could attain enough seniority and in 1981 he might be too old.
 
The Dems controlled the Senate from 1955-1981.

I don't know if Nixon could attain enough seniority and in 1981 he might be too old.

In 1981, Nixon is younger than President Reagan. The GOP tends to have older leaders, doesn't it? It isn't impossible, assuming he can hold on in California over the years.
 
Apollo 20 said:
Nixon actually did run for Governor in California in 1962. He lost to Pat Brown, which led to the infamous "last press conference" after the election.
Shows how little I know about him.:eek:

OTOH, the "you won't have Nixon to kick around" pledge didn't last. Would he ever have run again, rather than for PotUS?
 
Nixon as a Senator though, now we have possibilities.

He can't very well run for the Senate in 1962, though, given that Thomas Kuchel was up for re-election. True, Kuchel was detested by the right wing of the California GOP, but Nixon, at least as of 1962, wasn't a part of that (indeed, they ran a candidate, Joe Shell, against *him* in the primaries) and he is not likely to challenge an incumbent Republican.
 
Shows how little I know about him.:eek:

OTOH, the "you won't have Nixon to kick around" pledge didn't last. Would he ever have run again, rather than for PotUS?

The vibe I get from Nixon is that he's the kind of man who merely tolerated those lesser positions as a stepping stone to "the room where it happens" as it were. Much like LBJ in that respect. Nixon isn't going to go through the ordeal of a gubernatorial or senatorial race unless he honestly thinks he can get back in the Executive Branch in some capacity or other.
 
What would Nixon even do as governor that would be different than Reagan? Californians, what would succession look like?

Senate: Nixon not becoming VP is the easiest route, but then it takes longer to become POTUS. He has to take control of the CAGOP, which might mean an even nastier bloodbath than OTL '58. Seniority-wise he could probably throttle Knowland after the '58 massacre like Halleck did to Martin and become leader then, but I don't see Nixon spending 20+ years in the minority.
 
jpj1421 said:
The vibe I get from Nixon is that he's the kind of man who merely tolerated those lesser positions as a stepping stone to "the room where it happens" as it were. Much like LBJ in that respect. Nixon isn't going to go through the ordeal of a gubernatorial or senatorial race unless he honestly thinks he can get back in the Executive Branch in some capacity or other.
TBH, that's the sense I get, too: it would take a high bar to keep him from running. IDK of one...
 

TinyTartar

Banned
Nixon would use being governor as a way to gain national profile. The position of being California Governor allows for this.

Perhaps he builds his law and order reputation up before 1968 by cracking down on UC Berkley protests and having the cops beat up the longhairs. Maybe he proves himself by using the National Guard to crush race riots.

I know that he wanted to run in 1964, but Nixon was a smart man and saw a poisoned chalice (the GOP nomination; he was running against Kennedy's ghost) when it existed. I think he stays out of it in '64 as a result.
 
He can't very well run for the Senate in 1962, though, given that Thomas Kuchel was up for re-election. True, Kuchel was detested by the right wing of the California GOP, but Nixon, at least as of 1962, wasn't a part of that (indeed, they ran a candidate, Joe Shell, against *him* in the primaries) and he is not likely to challenge an incumbent Republican.

1962 is one of the tricker scenarios, I was thinking more along RogueBeaver's line, but of course he could run for Senator in '62. The California GOP has already turfed a Senator and a Governor in 1958's Big Switch, they'll do it again if they (Nixon) really want to. I agree Nixon won't run in the primaries against him, but equally I suggest the GOP is more than powerful enough at the time to tell Kuchel to go run for Governor or something, because if he doesn't step down they'll cut him to pieces and he has a pair of recent fresh examples to remind him the Cali GOP & Nixon are ruthless.

Interestingly he may then lose the 1962 Senate race to some Democratic candidate, which would be a fun alternate take on OTL with the same basic result at least at first.

Senate: Nixon not becoming VP is the easiest route, but then it takes longer to become POTUS. He has to take control of the CAGOP, which might mean an even nastier bloodbath than OTL '58. Seniority-wise he could probably throttle Knowland after the '58 massacre like Halleck did to Martin and become leader then, but I don't see Nixon spending 20+ years in the minority.

Of course Nixon staying as Senator drastically changes the 1960 Presidential race so perhaps alt-Eisenhower VP takes it instead of Kennedy, thus forcing Nixon to wait at least until 1968 or longer if he still runs for President. By which time he's probably Minority Leader of the Senate and certainly things might have shaken out differently enough to come out with a GOP majority earlier than OTL. Or indeed he might just jump in anyway, but he'd lack the standing being VP gave him.

Or say Eisenhower alt-VP is a nobody then Rockefeller might get in earlier in 1960 and actually take the nomination. He'd easily beat JFK I believe, win in 1964, and probably get his candidate nominated in 1968 if the Goldwater wing can't get it together (if they can, well, 1964 scenario with equally matched side is a real nasty GOP fight) so Nixon is stuck until 1972 if the GOP nominee loses and 1976 if the GOP nominee wins.

If he never makes it to President I'll bet that Senator Nixon gets SecState at some point, but it is a very good question as to when and which President, because it is at best a poor fall back position for him if he doesn't get to be President. (Won't be Rockefeller of course, Kissinger gets to be SecState much earlier ITTL.)
 
Electric Monk said:
Of course Nixon staying as Senator drastically changes the 1960 Presidential race so perhaps alt-Eisenhower VP takes it instead of Kennedy, thus forcing Nixon to wait at least until 1968 or longer if he still runs for President.
That suggests to me it butterflies away Watergate.:eek::cool: If he's less paranoid about losing to JFK, does he still sanction (or ignore) the "dirty tricks"? Or is he just too unstable to let it go?:eek:
 
1962 is one of the tricker scenarios, I was thinking more along RogueBeaver's line, but of course he could run for Senator in '62. The California GOP has already turfed a Senator and a Governor in 1958's Big Switch, they'll do it again if they (Nixon) really want to.

I would think that precisely the memory of how disastrous the Big Switch was in 1958 would dissuade California Republicans from trying anything of the kind in 1962...
 
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