Ike out in 56, Stevenson/Kennedy victory plausible?

If Ike had chosen not to run for a second term in 1956, would a Stevenson/Kennedy ticket become plausible and, if so, what would occur in the event of a Stevenson/Kennedy victory assuming Stevenson does not decide to run again (or else otherwise cannot) in 1960?

I think this is simplified enough.
 
Yeah sure why not.

Stevenson would definitely run, but his odds on getting a nomination might be different since the field is more open now.
 
I think President Stevenson in 1957 is quite plausible if you have Ike not on the ticket in '56, but I think it depends on the reason why he's off. If he's died, that might very well give his Republican successor on the ticket a sympathetic boost in the polls, a la the boost Lyndon Johnson received in 1964 after Kennedy's assassination. If Eisenhower dies after his OTL heart attack in 1955, it'll also give Richard Nixon a chance to prove himself in office.

Now here´s two TL´s I´d like to read. (Based on the pod of Eisenhower´s heart attack).

A. Nixon president in the 50s. Maybe that´s where he truly belonged. If he beats Stevenson and then Kennedy. (I´m pretty sure he´d actually beat Kennedy if he already had been president for 4 years since he came so close OTL). How the world looks in 1964 and who the Dems nominate is a good question. Nixon´s VP probably would get the nomination.

B. Stevenson presidency. Some like Ike. I like Stevenson.
 
Top