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Eight presidents left office through the Grim Reaper. While most were unexpected, victims of murder or a sudden sickness, the same cannot be said for Warren Harding and Franklin Roosevelt. Harding had been declining in health as he passed the midway point in his term, with the vacation trip he never returned from being to help with his health. The war effort was sapping the strength of FDR. Tellingly, in the famous "Big Three" picture he looks the oldest despite being younger than Churchill or Stalin. Neither had a healthy lifestyle, and even if they lived long it wouldn't be by much unless some major changes were made to their lifestyle some time beforehand. It makes me wonder-who would they have picked as their successors in the 1924 and 1944 election, if they were both there and didn't want to risk dying in office?

Here are the two scenarios-who would these men want to succeed them, and who most likely get nominated. While the question of successor is the main focus, you can also add whether you think they would actually win and who they would be going up against.
  • Warren Harding's trip doesn't end in his death. It's thought that food poisoning sped things up, unless you buy into certain rumors his wife did it. From what I've read of the man, and from what I've seen of scenarios discussed on this site, the scandal probably wouldn't be enough to sink his chances of victory(unless he pulls a Watergate) or the Republican victory. It's not like he was personally corrupt, at least politically. However the scandal, combined with worsening health, is impetus for his decision to decline being renominated.
  • Franklin Roosevelt's doctors decide to be blunter. They show FDR that his chances of living through a fourth term are next to none. FDR starts stubborn, but relents and decides that shouldn't die on the job. While the successor is a bigger question, as Dewey performed the best(still a landslide loss, but points for trying) of FDR's four opponents IOTL it makes me wonder if the Republicans had a good shot at taking the White House with a new guy as their opponent.
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