Ike does not run in 1956

I am reading Stephen Ambrose's biography of Eisenhower. He discusses how Eisenhower came to a decision to run for reelection. He also waited until after medical tests for doctors to approve his running for reelection. What if his heart attack was more serious and he does not run? I think Nixon get the Republican nomination. 'in the good economic times of 1956, he beats Stevenson. I think he escalates the Vietnam War. By 1960,the war is not yet unpopular. Nixon beats probably Kennedy for reelection. As president, he would not make the mistake of campaigning in all 50 states. By 1964, Goldwater has emerged as a powerful figure and wins the nomination. Humphrey wins in a landslide. The Humphrey Administration (1965 - 1973) is remembered for getting us out of Vietnam. He has a Vietnamization program and withdraws troops and signs a cease fire just like the OTL one. He is also remembered for the Communist victory in Vietnam. On the domestic front HHH is remembered for progress in civil rights ( Nixon also signed civil rights legislation) and the Great Society or whatever his PR people would have called it.
 

ROTS Anakin

Banned
Nixon runs and wins a landslide in 1956. He wins in 1960, beating LBJ. Its not a landslide, but not as close as OTL 1960.

Younger Nixon is much more liberal, having not come up with Law and Order or the Southern Strategy. He is also less paranoid, losing OTL really did something to him.


He pushes civil rights, maybe a bill in 1963, but not as strong as OTL 1964 act. He sends much more troops to Vietnam, and maybe even Cuba if he doesn't invade. Sadly, he always thought Space was a expensive joke.


The Democrats might win in 1964. Depends, on lots of stuff. How is Vietnam going? What about civil rights?

Like OTL, it will be Goldwater vs Rockerfeller. On the Democrats, it will be a 3 way fight between Kennedy, Humohrey, and Johnson. And Wallace...
 
Nixon runs and wins a landslide in 1956. He wins in 1960, beating LBJ. Its not a landslide, but not as close as OTL 1960.

Younger Nixon is much more liberal, having not come up with Law and Order or the Southern Strategy. He is also less paranoid, losing OTL really did something to him.


He pushes civil rights, maybe a bill in 1963, but not as strong as OTL 1964 act. He sends much more troops to Vietnam, and maybe even Cuba if he doesn't invade. Sadly, he always thought Space was a expensive joke.


The Democrats might win in 1964. Depends, on lots of stuff. How is Vietnam going? What about civil rights?

Like OTL, it will be Goldwater vs Rockerfeller. On the Democrats, it will be a 3 way fight between Kennedy, Humohrey, and Johnson. And Wallace...

If Nixon is in the WH as Sputnik rises, he will probably do something with the Space program, even if not as much as Kennedy. (The "missile gap" was largely a fiction of the Kennedy campaign, after all, but there would be 'prestige' issues involved.)

A less paranoid Nixon is certainly likely, but recall the sheer opportunistic dirty tricks of his campaign against Helen Gahagan Douglas in California. (Whence he earned the sobriquet of "Tricky Dick".)

Still (OTL) Nixon did shepherd the 1957 Civil Rights bill through, before Southron politicians watered it down. He also earned respect for his courage in facing mobs on his South American tour, and famously debated Khrushchev in a kitchen. Who knows what he might have done as President in 1956?

If it is Nixon who gets a meaningful Civil Rights bill through, there would be no 'Southern Strategy', both parties would still have liberals and conservatives, and perhaps the US would be a much saner place today. (two pence worth)

Not Johnson, By that time he would have had four more years as Master of the Senate, and probably (?) wouldn't want to change horses.
 
What's to say that Nixon even gets us involved in Vietnam. IOTL we didn't get in until 64', under circumstances the buck could be passed to the next administration.

In terms of foreign policy, he might actually go to Moscow, since Eisenhower almost did, and if no spy plane goes down, well, he can go.

In terms of domestic policy, he'd be a Rockefeller Republican, no Southern Strategy or Law and Order, he probably gets Civil Rights done and presides over an era of prosperity.

In terms of earlier detente, Civil Rights, and the good economy, Nixon would go down with a pretty good legacy.
 
and likely cuba doesn't happen.

would Nixon have the common sense not station those Jupiter missiles in turkey?
The Soviets would have seen nixon as stronger than kennedy.
 
I understand Ike beating Stevenson, but would Adlai had had a better chance against Nixon? And how enthusiastic would Ike be in campaigning for Nixon in '56? He was pretty lukewarm during OTL '60 election cycle.
 
I understand Ike beating Stevenson, but would Adlai had had a better chance against Nixon? And how enthusiastic would Ike be in campaigning for Nixon in '56? He was pretty lukewarm during OTL '60 election cycle.

I think in the economic boom of 1956, the candidate of the president;s party has a real advantage.
 
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