Idea: Nixon the Cleveland

What follows may be a bit convergent, given the point of divergence, and I apologize for that. There are other plausibility issues as well which I readily admit to, this is more like a fun little speculative scenario than anything else.

On November 25th 1957, just over a year since the last Presidential election, President Dwight Eisenhower dies of a stroke. Vice President Richard Nixon assumes office. Nixon's Presidency doesn't go as well as he might like. Sputnik, the 1958 recession, the rise of Fidel Castro etc. occur under Nixon's watch. Nixon isn't unpopular, but he's far from being the entirely beloved figure Eisenhower was, and indeed, Nixon sometimes suffers by comparison. In three years, the halo effect of the General's death has essentially worn off. Nixon seeks reelection, and finds himself in a tight race against Senator John Kennedy. Kennedy picks LBJ as his running mate as per OTL. The election is extremely close, but in the end, Nixon prevails in the popular vote. The margin is basically a reversal of what historically happened. Nixon wins 49.72 to Kennedy's 49.55. Missouri, Minnesota, and New Mexico all go to President Nixon. However, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Daley's Democrats, Kennedy still wins Illinois and therefore the election. The final margin in the electoral vote is:
Kennedy: 281
Nixon: 248

Kennedy becomes President, and President Richard Nixon leaves office at the young age of 48. 8 years later, things are just as chaotic as in our history. Former President Nixon enters the "race" for the 1968 Republican nomination. Normally, as a kind of political has been, he'd have no chance. But thanks to the peculiar circumstances of 1968, Nixon once more becomes the nominee. In a close fought fight resembling the election that occurred in 1960, Former President Nixon wins his second term.

Yes I realize how fantastically unlikely all of this is. Nixon would probably win in 1960, and even if he didn't, he wouldn't have hope of renomination eight years later. I perfectly understand if this is implausible to the point of being an ASB designate.

But for the sake of argument, what does a Lame Duck Nixon term between 1969-1973 look like?
 
One thing is that without Eisenhower, Nixon might be able to win re-election. While Eisenhower was revered throughout the nation, many of the things Nixon was attacked on were thanks to Eisenhower. Not being hawkish enough with Cuba, the recession, the perceived missile gap. Nixon would probably act more harshly and quickly against Cuba in time for the election. He probably would have cut taxes in order to boost the economy in the wake of the 1958 recession. He'd probably have a lot more control over the 1960 race with him in charge from the get-go.

I wonder who Nixon chooses for Vice-President in 1960? And in 1968? Does this affect the 1964 race at all? I wonder if, in his old age, Nixon becomes a Truman or Hoover like figure, the aging former President of high esteem despite not having a so-good tenure in office.
 
I started a TL where Ike's OTL 1955 Heart Attack proved fatal, so I've thought about this in the past.

If Nixon loses a close election in 1960, but remains fairly popular, I reccon he stands a chance at renomination 8 years later. It all depends on whether Nixon did better than expected in 1960, or lost unexpectedly.

Asuming Nixon is the 1968 nominee in this scenario, I can see him picking a more high-profile running mate than Agnew, someone who can act as his "successor" thus mitigating his status as a lame duck president.

Obviously this butterflies Watergate (or anything like it) come 1972-Nixon can't run again and he's not going to stick his neck on the line for the 1972 nominee.

Still, if Nixon's 1969-73 term goes much like it did IOTL, I think the republican wins.

Even if Nixon serves 2 full terms after an Ike Death, winning in 1960, I imagine he'd pull a Cleveland of sorts, making a political "comeback", either in the senate or as secretary of state in another republicans cabinet.
 
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