Can you clarify what you mean by this? The wording is odd. It sounds like you are saying that Reagan would win despite not being very smart.

Sense != intelligence in English, it’s the old trope of smart people doing dumb (or at least implausible) things.

Reagan ran for President in 1968 despite the long odds. He might well do the same in 1972. His run in 1968 was not sensible (unless he had started earlier), nor would a run against a Democratic incumbent with a healthy Wallace in the mix in 1972 be sensible. Nor is challenging the President of the United States sensible, yet Reagan still tried.
 
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"Some point" would be 1976. The GOP wins big with the Presidency and likely both Houses of Congress. After that they are going to be in power for a long, long time. I can see Republican control of the Presidency lasting until 1988 or 1992.

Nixon's massive victory in 1972 did not translate into congressional Republican gains.

Meanwhile, 1980 would hinge on how the Republican President performed after 1976.
 
Meanwhile, 1980 would hinge on how the Republican President performed after 1976.

Definitely. Even if the new President is a moderate Republican and not a conservative, as is likely, we'd probably see some limited tax cuts combined with monetarism to combat stagflation. If these policies are credited with having relieved/reduced America's economic woes the incumbent Republican President would have an OK shot at winning in 1980.

Iran would also be a major factor. The Hostage Crisis could be butterflied away entirely provided that a different President makes better decisions than Carter (not letting the Shah into the US would be an obvious one). If not, I could see just about anyone handling that situation better than the hapless Carter.
 
It depends on who's nominated in 1972, my guess is it would be Rockefeller, Reagan, or Romney (more likely one of the first two). If the GOP settles with Rocky and he loses to HHH, than Reagan definitely gets the nod in '76, if it's Reagan as the nominee that loses to HHH in '72, it'll be then that they settle with Rocky or they'd go with another moderate such as Percy, Baker, Bush if he's elected Senator in 1970, Mathis, Hatfield, or even George Romney could emerge as the nominee in 76 or even 72 if he's somehow recovers from the gaffe that did him in in '68.
 
In one word: no. The longer explanation is that Reagan would probably run in 1972 and lose to the Democratic incumbent. Being viewed as a second Goldwater who lost because he's too right wing (even in 1980 he was so nationally unpopular he trailed Carter until the debates), he won't have the chance to redeem himself four years later. Further, the moderate Republicans who didn't run in 1976 because President Ford was an obstacle (Baker, Mathias, Chuck Percy) would throw their hats into the ring and probably beat Reagan. Percy in particular (a handsome, charismatic former entrepreneur from Illinois) would be a very popular moderate alternative to Reagan even if the Gipper waited out '72. Reagan became President in OTL because the Democrats failed under Carter and the moderate Republican establishment was devastated by Watergate. So if a Democrat wins in 1968, he would still be a powerful leader of the GOP's conservative wing, but he's unlikely to become President. Ever.

Right. I think a Western, libertarian leaning Republican would have a chance. Maybe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_McCloskey
 
Let's say Percy gets into the GOP race at some point. He was very moderate, pro-choice in fact. It could change the alignment of the parties, given that abortion was not a major issue in 1976. Better yet, it could take the issue off the party platforms as a component of religious choice.
 
Weird thought, Reagan loses by 55/45 or more., Republicans want a way to show they are not far right. Could they nominate a ticket to prove they are different. Chase Smith/Edward Brook?
 
Weird thought, Reagan loses by 55/45 or more., Republicans want a way to show they are not far right. Could they nominate a ticket to prove they are different. Chase Smith/Edward Brook?

Smith would be too old, and as much as I hate to say it a ticket of a woman and an African-American just wouldn't fly in 1976. Especially when both are from New England. I think the candidates that others have put forward like Percy or Bush would be more viable as a way for the GOP to show it's not too far-right. In fact, a Percy/Bush ticket is pretty much a Rocky Republican's dream come true. Both are pro-business social moderates with wide geographical appeal (Illinois/Texas).
 
I certainly think that only an anti-communist Republican like Nixon could have reached out to China and gotten away with it, but price controls and opposing the gold standard were actions that FDR took during the Depression. So a Democrat could have done those too. But it's great that you bring up China because since it wouldn't happen under a Democrat, the earliest the US recognizes China would be in 1977 when a Republican takes office. Can anyone think of major butterflies that would result from this?

Anyone could recognize the PRC in 1977. Mao is dead by that time and a different leader can justify a different policy. Especially if the new leader is smart enough to make concessions that are more important to us than to them - that provides domestic political cover to the President at little cost to the new leader of China.
 
Anyone could recognize the PRC in 1977. Mao is dead by that time and a different leader can justify a different policy. Especially if the new leader is smart enough to make concessions that are more important to us than to them - that provides domestic political cover to the President at little cost to the new leader of China.

Depends how the Chinese develop without that 'Opening' of China. Gang of Four keeps Power? Cultural Revolution keeps going till there is an actual Military Coup? Some believe that Mao went with Nixon as a way to keep a lid on Lin Biao and the PLA
 

Bomster

Banned
As others have said it seems that Bush, Dole, and Percy are pretty good choices. I find the concept of a Bush presidency in the late seventies to early eighties incredibly interesting however, is there any way this is likely?
 
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