Ike and the Cuban Missile Crisis

Let's say ASBs or miracle doctors give Ike a clean bill of health and he goes for that third term in 1960, successfully beating back the 22nd (as many AHers seem to think he could have done). He wins, as expected, but then what?

Key questions here, to be considered within the parameter that Ike, as he was fit enough to run, has the same mental and physical faculties he had at the start of his second term. Consider it a very minor political ISOT from the mid 50s to the early 1960s if you must. The point of this is to discuss:

a) Would the Soviets go ahead with the plan? I'm not familiar with the intricacies of the opening plays of the crisis but if they did it because a relatively new and young President as at the helm, would they do it at all with Cold Warrior and WWII-winner Ike in charge?
b) How would Ike react if it happened?
c) Would the situation be better or worse than OTL? (worse meaning... well, anything between the missiles staying and WWIII, better meaning a shorter crisis)
 
Let's say ASBs or miracle doctors give Ike a clean bill of health and he goes for that third term in 1960. He wins, as expected, but then what?

He can't run for a third term. The Constitution had been amended to limit a President to only two terms.

Torqumada
 
A) No they wouldn't, nor would they if Nixon had won. Khrushchev knew very well that neither Republican would stand for it. JFK's perceived weakness at Vienna led Khrushchev to believe he could bully Kennedy into overconceding at the negotiating table. Fortunately he misread the 35th POTUS very badly.

B) Same as Kennedy presumably. Since Ike's the foremost living military officer, he's not going to tolerate any talk of nuking or likely even invading Cuba.

C) Similar to OTL, since Ike knows perfectly well the Jupiters are obsolete. Later he might sneak some modern ICBMs back into Turkey though.
 
A) No they wouldn't, nor would they if Nixon had won. Khrushchev knew very well that neither Republican would stand for it. JFK's perceived weakness at Vienna led Khrushchev to believe he could bully Kennedy into overconceding at the negotiating table. Fortunately he misread the 35th POTUS very badly.

B) Same as Kennedy presumably. Since Ike's the foremost living military officer, he's not going to tolerate any talk of nuking or likely even invading Cuba.

C) Similar to OTL, since Ike knows perfectly well the Jupiters are obsolete. Later he might sneak some modern ICBMs back into Turkey though.

Thanks for the reply. So most likely he'd adopt JFK's 'Erm, excuse me? No.' strategy of 'polite firmness backed up by the massive elephant in the room of MAD'?

Was wondering if he'd handle it differently, but given his general stoicism in OTL's 1950s I can see the reasoning for your point.

Here's a thought - if the stress really takes it out of him (it did terrible things to Jack, what would it do to a much older man?), would he resign and hand over the reigns to Nixon? Christ, this is rapidly warping into a TL.
 
This is before the 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967. It was (and still is) little known that Ike and Nixon had in effect worked out a private system to deal with an incapacitation. If Ike felt he could not execute his duties, he would write a letter to Nixon (or sign a typed one) making him Acting President. When Ike recovered, he would resume his duties. Legally this is quite shaky since unless SCOTUS ratifies it this has no more legal standing than a gentleman's agreement or a regular contract. Actually, Nixon would have to ask Rogers, as AG, for a SCOTUS advisory opinion. The 25th might be ratified ahead of schedule in 1965-6, so it will go into the pipeline as soon as the CMC is over.
 
This is before the 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967. It was (and still is) little known that Ike and Nixon had in effect worked out a private system to deal with an incapacitation. If Ike felt he could not execute his duties, he would write a letter to Nixon (or sign a typed one) making him Acting President. When Ike recovered, he would resume his duties. Legally this is quite shaky since unless SCOTUS ratifies it this has no more legal standing than a gentleman's agreement or a regular contract. Actually, Nixon would have to ask Rogers, as AG, for a SCOTUS advisory opinion. The 25th might be ratified ahead of schedule in 1965-6, so it will go into the pipeline as soon as the CMC is over.

The Supreme Court of the United States does not issue advisory opinions. It's refused to do so since 1793 (when Washington asked for one), interpreting the cases-and-controversies clause as requiring an actual (as opposed to hypothetical) case.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
On the topic of Cuba, I wonder how Ike would have executed the Bay of Pigs seeing as how it was his administration's baby. Perhaps he utilizes the military cover that Kennedy refused to supply the invaders with?
 
Then, of course, comes the inevitable question: could the Bay of Pigs succeed with Ike as POTUS. Because of it does, and El Jefe is history, then no missile crisis.
 

Commissar

Banned
Then, of course, comes the inevitable question: could the Bay of Pigs succeed with Ike as POTUS. Because of it does, and El Jefe is history, then no missile crisis.

If the Invasion flopped as it did OTL, he'll call it off as his policy was massive retaliation which would have meant use of nukes.

He would more than likely fire many CIA Chiefs for the Debacle.

Cuban Missile Crisis. Again Massive Retaliation, the Soviets and Cubans back down.

Military wise, we'll see the completion of the U.S. Military to a completely Strategic Warfare force that uses nukes first and doesn't stop till the rubble is rubble. No involvement in Vietnam, Ike was pretty much Viet-where on that issue and limited the aid advisers gave.

Space wise Ike would push the Saturn project and without McNamara's disastrous tenure as SecDef, we would have a far stronger space program both military and domestic.

Overall you would see the USAF operating Mach 3+ Aircraft today and a stronger presence in space and possibly Moon Colonies.
 
Imagine no 22nd amendment and something coming out to exclude Nixon and that other events go as OTL I think that Ike would have handled Cuba roughly as Kennedy did.

In OTL all the military were pushing for drastic responses. I think that Eisenhower would have been more aware about how hard invasions are and would have found it easier to tell them where to go.
 
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