What if Nixon was assassinated you say? Welcome to THE GEORGIAN ERA.
1969-1972: Richard Nixon/Spiro T. Agnew (Republican)
1968: Richard Nixon/Spiro T. Agnew (Republican) def. Hubert H. Humphrey/Edmund Muskie (Democratic), George Wallace/Curtis LeMay (American Independent)
1972-1972: Spiro T. Agnew (Republican)
1972-1973: Spiro T. Agnew/George Bush (Republican)
1972: Spiro T. Agnew/George Bush (Republican) def. Hubert H. Humphrey/Sam Yorty (Democratic)
1973-1973: George Bush (Republican)
1973-1977: George Bush/Nelson Rockefeller (Republican)
1977-1981: George Wallace/Henry M. Jackson (Democratic)
1976: George Wallace/Henry M. Jackson (Democratic) def. George Bush/Nelson Rockefeller (Republican), Ted Kennedy/Ron Dellums (DC faithless electors)
1981-1985: George Bush/William Milliken (Republican)
1980: George Bush/William Milliken (Republican) def. Walter Mondale/Patrick Lucey (Peace Independent), George Wallace/Henry M. Jackson (Democratic)
1985-1989: William Milliken/Howard Baker (Republican)
1984: William Milliken/Howard Baker (Republican) def. Adlai Stevenson III/Ed Edmondson (Democratic)
1989-1997: George McGovern/Joe Biden (Democratic)
1988: George McGovern/Joe Biden (Democratic) def. William Milliken/Howard Baker (Republican), Al Haig/Paul Laxalt (Independent)
1992: George McGovern/Joe Biden (Democratic) def. Bob Dole/Dan Quayle (Republican)
1997-2001: Barry Goldwater Jr./Harrison Schmitt (Republican)
1996: Barry Goldwater Jr./Harrison Schmitt (Republican) def. Joe Biden/Ann Richards (Democratic), Jerry Brown/John Silber (Independent)
2001-2005: Wes Watkins/Frank Fasi (Independent)
2000: Wes Watkins/Frank Fasi (Independent) def. Paul Wellstone/Jim Hunt (Democratic), Barry Goldwater Jr./Harrison Schmitt (Republican)
2005-2013: Tony Knowles/Kathleen Brown (Democratic)
2004: Tony Knowles/Kathleen Brown (Democratic) def. Wes Watkins/Frank Fasi (United We Stand), John E. Bush!/Win Rockefeller (Republican)
2008: Tony Knowles/Kathleen Brown (Democratic) def. George Allen/Bill Schuette (Republican)
2013-present: Lance Armstrong/Norm Coleman (Republican)
2012: Lance Armstrong/Norm Coleman (Republican) def. Kathleen Brown/John Lynch (Democratic)
2016: Lance Armstrong/Norm Coleman (Republican) vs. Claire McCaskill/Roy Cooper (Democratic)
So. Nixon is assassinated in April 1972. Agnew becomes president and it's too late for anyone to challenge him in the Republican primaries. As some Republicans begin considering a third party run in November, Agnew scrambles to select a new VP. Eventually he decides on former Congressman and UN Ambassador George Bush. He is respected by the party establishment and trusted by Nixonland and he is easily nominated at the convention. The confirmation in Congress is a bit rockier but Bush gets through anyway. In the Democratic primaries, without Wallace being assassinated, he continues running in the primaries and eventually forces a deadlocked convention. The main candidates are Hubert Humphrey, George Wallace, and George McGovern. After tons of ballots, with no progress being made, delegates begin discussing drafting a nominee. The top choice is Ted Kennedy. However, before these plans are put into action, George Wallace decides to cut his losses and offers to release his delegates to Humphrey in exchange for choice of running mate and influence over nominations. Humphrey, desperate for victory and facing likely his last chance at the presidency, accepts the deal. Wallace selects Sam Yorty as the running mate. Quite simply put, it was a match made in hell. Humphrey and Yorty clash at every point and Humphrey's reputation is damaged by the deal. Meanwhile, the "sympathy" vote boosts Agnew just as it boosted LBJ eight years prior, and that is the story of how Hubert Humphrey lost an election Spiro Agnew. However, it's much closer than OTL's 1972 election.
Agnew's stuff comes out anyway and he gets stuck in the shit real quick. He wants to fight it out but his staff, largely comprised of Nixon men, and Congressional Republicans don't really support him. Nevertheless, Agnew soldiers on until he's impeached by the House. Barry Goldwater comes to the White House and tells him point blank that the Senate will convict. Agnew resigns a few hours later and Bush takes office. Bush selects as his vice president New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. In 1976, the Bush-Rockefeller partnership is strong enough to scare away any serious challenge, even Ronald Reagan, and they're renominated. On the Democratic side, Hubert Humphrey is in shame and Ted Kennedy is running for re-election, leaving the nomination wide open. George Wallace runs as a "reformed" man, abandoning much of his rhetoric from past campaigns and co-opting some of the more populist positions of the McGovern campaign. Wallace defeats his myriad opponents and wins the nomination. The Two Georges square off in an extremely bitter and contentious campaign that culminates in Wallace narrowly winning despite losing the popular vote.
Wallace's term is a disaster, much like Carter's OTL. He ends up ordering troops into Iran, which backfires bigly. Wallace barely fends off a primary challenge from Ted Kennedy. George Bush wins the Republican nomination again, defeating challengers such as Ronald Reagan. He is still liked by Republicans, and Americans in general, especially since he won the popular vote in 1976 and Wallace has been a bad president. With Rockefeller dead, Bush selects Michigan Governor William Milliken as his running mate on the advice of his first choice, retiring House Minority Leader Gerald Ford. With Walter Mondale running a "Peace" platform, and his poll numbers slipping every day, Wallace is crushed by Bush in a 49 state landslide, while Mondale wins Minnesota and DC. Wallace becomes the first incumbent president and first major party candidate to lose all 50 states and DC. George Bush becomes the first president to have non-consecutive terms since Grover Cleveland.
Bush's second term goes a lot better than his first, as he quickly ends military action in Iran and presides over economic recovery. Term-limited in 1984, he hands it off to Milliken, who easily wins the nomination despite grumbling from the more conservative elements in the party. He selects retiring Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker as his running mate. On the Democratic side, there is another scramble for the nomination. Illinois Senator Adlai Stevenson III, initially a dark horse, emerges at the top of the pack, partially through sheer luck, partially through his opponents falling to scandal, but mostly due to speaking good sense at a time when most of the other candidates were trying to recapture Wallace's spirit in 1976 through fiery rhetoric and extreme shenanigans. Stevenson selects fellow senator Ed Edmondson of Oklahoma as his running mate. The Milliken-Stevenson race is very quiet, with both candidates taking respectful tones and employing articulate and sensible rhetoric, avoiding mudslinging and negative campaigning, a welcome relief from the madness of the past four (or six) elections. Unfortunately for Stevenson, such elections favor incumbents, especially in good times, and Milliken cruises to victory, becoming the first president not named George in over a decade.
However, Milliken's smooth sailing is disrupted by the choppy waters of global economic instability originating in the Soviet Union. This exacerbates the farm crisis at home and coincides with an Arab-Israeli War. Milliken is unable to manage all the crises and is further crippled in 1986 with Democrats taking back control of the Senate and holding both houses of Congress. By 1988, Milliken is in a very weak position, but he is renominated. On the Democratic side, George McGovern wins the nomination running on a platform of proper liberalism and a return to New Deal-era progress, abandoning both the direction set by Wallace and the middle course charted by Stevenson. With the election becoming moderate Republican vs liberal Democrat, conservatives decide to buck the party. An independent campaign is launched by former Defense Secretary Al Haig and Senator Paul Laxalt. With the Republican base divided and the incumbent weakened, McGovern wins in a landslide.
McGovern's first term is a great success, as he successfully brings peace to the Middle East, eases the collapsing Soviet Union into the new era with generous aid, and creates a national healthcare system with the help of large liberal Democratic majorities in Congress. Although his presidency is the death knell for southern Democrats, a new generation of Democrats is born in McGovern's image. McGovern is strong going into 1992, despite many Republicans being against his so-called socialist healthcare system. Bob Dole wins the Republican nomination against a field of nobodies after former VP Baker decides against running. Dole selects Dan Quayle as his running mate to provide an age balance. Vice President Biden quickly dubs Dole "Boring Bob" and goes on to trounce Quayle in the debates. Quayle attempts to compare himself to John F. Kennedy, to which Biden responds "that's a bunch of malarkey," coining a new political catchphrase. Meanwhile, McGovern maintains his popularity as Dole slips further and further. A McGovern win is predicted by all, which leads to the Dole campaign giving up and very depressed Republican turnout. Shockingly, McGovern wins 49 of 50 states, losing only Utah to Dole.
McGovern's second term proceeds largely like his first. Although there is no sweeping legislation, McGovern is able to expand existing programs and preside over relative prosperity. Biden is a shoe-in for the 1996 nomination, selecting Texas Governor Ann Richards as his running mate. On the Republican side, California Senator Barry Goldwater, Jr. wins, calling for a new direction in the Republican primary to weaken McGovernism and win back moderate voters to the Republican primary. Biden holds the edge over Goldwater, but his campaign is damaged by an independent run from former California Governor Jerry Brown. Brown's quixotic campaign, which attempts to combine positions from all parts of the political spectrum, only serves to divide Democrats and throw the election to Goldwater. Nevertheless, Brown's strong showing proves the viability of his so-called "Third Way" and leads to the emergence of a Brown faction in the Democratic Party. This election marks the start of the Biden-Brown feud, which continues when Biden returns to the Senate in 2002 and Brown is elected Governor of California again.
Goldwater soon becomes known as the worst president in living memory, perhaps even of all time. His administration is damaged from the outset by the bad victory, which is then compounded by trouble with cabinet picks and scandal. Goldwater then attempts to deliver on his promise of repealing and replacing "McGovernCare" but fails due to a lack of support in Congress and popular outrage. This has the contrary effect of ensuring McGovernCare's long term survival. Goldwater is dealt another blow with the onset of another recession prompted by the bursting of the tech bubble. At the same time, another Arab-Israeli conflict starts. Goldwater controversially decides to directly intervene on Israel's side, which creates anti-American sentiment among Arab countries and prompts Arab fundamentalist groups to begin terrorist attacks against America, at first only against troops in the region, but then by taking the fight to America using suicide bombers and other methods. The war comes to an abrupt end with a nuclear attack in the Golan Heights. No one knows who used the nuke, but both sides are quick to point fingers. Acting to prevent further use of nuclear weapons, the UN, Europe, and Russia form a coalition for peace. Ironically, Goldwater's only real achievement as president had been the signing of the Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty with Russian President Anatoly Sobchak.
In 2000, Goldwater is challenged by numerous Republicans, but he manages to win thanks to the divided opposition. On the Democratic side, Joe Biden and Jerry Brown are running, but their feud leaves an opening for dark horse candidate Paul Wellstone to seize the nomination from both of them. Wellstone famously opposed intervention and came to be seen as the leader of the nascent "peace hawk" movement, which grows larger with each day the war continues. Upon securing the nomination, Wellstone's victory is seemingly guaranteed. People begin calling him the second coming of McGovern. However, the dynamics of the election are flipped by the entrance of Oklahoma Governor Wes Watkins as an independent candidate. Watkins, once a Democrat, then an Independent, then Republican, then Independent again, is a curious figure. He is also a candidate for peace, but unlike Wellstone, he is able to bring anti-Goldwater Republicans to his side, as well as moderate Democrats who were slowly driven away from the party by McGovern and Wellstone but unwilling to back Goldwater. Watkins selects Hawaii Governor Frank Fasi as his running mate, another independent governor who has been a member of both parties at various times. The Watkins-Fasi ticket surges ahead of Goldwater and the president is sidelined as the race becomes Wellstone vs Watkins.
However, Goldwater's presence means all bets are off. Predictions range from a Wellstone 50 state landslide to a deadlocked election that will be sent to the House. The latter scenario seems more and more likely as Election Day draws closer. On that day, Watkins stuns the nation as he wins state after state, relegating Goldwater to third place in each of them. Wellstone wins Democratic strongholds as well as some deep red states where Goldwater and Watkins divide the vote. However, Watkins upsets Wellstone in key swing states as he wins moderate and independent voters. As the night goes on, Goldwater joins George Wallace as the second incumbent president and major party candidate to lose in every state. However, there is still no winner. In Montana, Watkins and Wellstone are almost exactly tied, prompting a recount. The long and arduous process ends with Watkins being proclaimed the winner by 492 votes, giving him the election with 270 electoral votes. While Wellstone wins the national popular vote, Watkins becomes the first independent to be president George Washington.
As Wesley Wade Watkins- WWW, as he is known- is sworn as the 45th President of the United States, no one knows what to expect. Watkins promised peace in the Middle East in 100 days, and to that effect he goes directly to Israel to declare the end of American involvement. This bold move proves his dedication to the cause of peace and he is able to bring all sides to the peace table in Bucharest. Peace is indeed achieved, with the United States being represented by none other than Secretary of State Joe Biden. Watkins enjoys a boost in popularity and begins working with both parties in Congress to pass legislation. Watkins's primary achievement is tax reform which was an integral part of his campaign. The new system introduces several new brackets and reduces the burden on middle class. It is hailed as a major victory for the working man but is seen as an odd move for a man who was a Republican, but it is balanced by raising the estate tax baseline, which angers many Democrats. Nevertheless, Watkins bolsters his image as A True Independent™.
In 2004, Watkins explores running as a Republican and as a Democrat, but decides that it's too risky. Instead, he and Fasi form their own political movement, United We Stand. It is not just a vehicle for the presidential campaign, but an actual party that runs candidates in congressional and state elections. In the Republican primaries, John E. Bush, who becomes famous for his ubiquitous Bush! campaign logo, wins. He runs on nostalgia and promises of the "good old days" when his dad was president. After suffering such heavy defeats under Goldwater, Bush! is welcomed by Republicans with open arms. To double down on the nostalgia factor, Bush selects Arkansas Governor Win Rockefeller as his running mate. On the Democratic side, Biden and Brown both decide not to run, as well as Wellstone, leaving the field wide open for the first time since 1988. The top candidates are 2000 running mate Jim Hunt, Missouri Senator Mel Carnahan, and Washington Governor Gary Locke. A fourth dark horse candidate emerges, Alaska Governor Tony Knowles. Knowles cuts through Hunt and Carnahan's southern style moderatism and Locke's more mainstream liberalism with his populist Alaskan politics. It's not quite McGovernism but it's something new and it works. Voters respond to his message and deliver him to victory, hastened by the collapse of his opponents due to scandal and poor strategy. Knowles selects California Governor Kathleen Brown as his running mate to win over the Brown wing of the party and avoid an independent run from them.
The three way race looks a lot like 2000, with one key difference. Bush! is much stronger than Goldwater was. This actually has a negative effect on his campaign, as it further divides Republican voters with Watkins and allows Knowles to sweep the south and southwest in a landslide victory despite winning a slim plurality of the popular vote. Knowles, the first Democratic president not named George in 36 years, takes office with a divided Congress, with Democrats holding the Senate and Republicans holding the House, and the new United We Stand faction emerging as a wildcard. Knowles has difficulty governing, but is able to convince Congress to pursue a bold new initiative: abolishing the Electoral College. After the mayhem of 1976, 1996, 2000, and 2004, both parties can see the problems inherent in the system. Congress passes a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College, which then goes to the states for their ratification. Knowles goes barnstorming across the country to raise support for it, but the small states remain opposed to it. Ultimately, only 30 states ratify the amendment, leaving it unratified. However, no time limit was added by Congress, so the amendment remained active.
Although hobbled by Congress for the first half of his term, Knowles recovers when Democrats actually win control of the House in 2006 as UWS collapses without Watkins to keep it alive. However, Knowles's hopes for legislative achievements are dashed by the start of yet another war in the Middle East. Saddam Hussein dies and is succeeded by his son Qusay. However, Qusay's brother Uday also wants to be president and other players want them both gone. As such, civil war breaks out between Qusay and Uday. Knowles is extremely hesitant to get involved, with the Israel war having ended just a few years ago, but the war creates chaos in the region and disrupts the flow of oil, creating a global energy crisis. As the economy worsens and the war creates a humanitarian crisis, Knowles decides to go before the UN to seek a global coalition for intervention. Knowles gets what he was looking for and the coalition invades Iraq in late 2007. By June 2008, Baghdad has been captured and both Hussein brothers are dead. Knowles famously declares "mission accomplished" and his approval rating skyrockets.
The war coincided with the 2008 presidential primaries. Knowles has no challengers and is renominated. On the Republican side, Virginia Senator George Allen wins the primary against a wide array of challengers thanks to strong establishment support. His running mate is Watkins-esque Michigan Governor Bill Schuette. United We Stand does not field a serious candidate as both Watkins and Fasi decide not to run. With victory in Iraq and troops returning home, Knowles is the heavy favorite for re-election. On Election Day, Knowles sweeps Allen away in a landslide, and Democrats win large majorities in Congress. It looked like Knowles's second term would be much better than his first. It wasn't.
As coalition troops begin withdrawing from Iraq, elections were held, the first free elections in the nation. However, the process is marred by political violence and the results are heavily disputed. As a new president took office, his legitimacy is entirely dependent on the presence of coalition troops. His requests for the withdrawal to halt are ignored, as the coalition sticks to the strict timetable outlined at the start of the invasion. Almost immediately after the last troops leave, the president is deposed by the military, starting the Second Iraqi Civil War. No one wants to go back to Iraq, even as the situation becomes worse than it was the first time. However, when President Knowles is shot in Miami and the shooter is found to be an Iraqi man connected with rebel groups, the attitude in the United States changes overnight.
Knowles is rendered comatose by the would-be assassin and Vice President Brown becomes the acting president. Brown is urged toward action by the defense establishment, Congress, and an angry nation. After some hesitation, she unofficially begins the American return to Iraq by ordering airstrikes on rebel bases. The action is initially regarded as a success, but it backfires by turning more Iraqis against the United States. Additionally, there is confusion as to what a favorable result would be in Iraq, as both the military government and the rebels are anti-American, while the legitimate government is too weak to hold long term power. When Knowles returns to office, he is angry to discover that America is at war again in his name, but has no choice but to ramp up American involvement as the Iraqis continue to hit back harder. Both parties in Congress are divided on the issues and peace and war factions emerge once more. Democrats barely hold on in 2010 as peace and war candidates win in different areas. The liberal base of the party has turned against the war, while there is still majority support in the whole nation. The division between the four factions, which essentially become their own parties, destroy Knowles's presidency and turn him into an early lame duck.
After twelve years out of power, with two consecutive defeats for establishment candidates, the Republicans turn to a true outsider: cycling legend and Texas Governor Lance Armstrong. Armstrong has frequently been mentioned as a presidential candidate since he was first elected and his entry puts the other Republican candidates on the defensive. After sweeping the early primaries, Armstrong is left with only token oppositions and he ends up winning the primary despite the best efforts of the party. For balance, Armstrong selects moderate Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman as his running mate. Vice President Brown wins the Democratic nomination after fending off a challenge from Senator Carol Moseley Braun, running as the peace candidate, and selects New Hampshire Governor John Lynch as her running mate. The war is the dominant topic in the election. Armstrong maintains that the second intervention was a mistake while Brown is forced to defend it. In October, Armstrong is accused of doping, despite the fact that a previous investigation ended without any charges. Armstrong shockingly admits to doping in October and the effects on his candidacy appear to be minimal. It seems voters do not believe the doping will affect his capacity to serve as president and his candor is appreciated. Armstrong ends up winning the election and becoming the youngest president in history.
Armstrong's presidency so far has been a mixed bag. An investigation into his doping starts again in order to examine the extent of his usage and to uncover the full conspiracy. This investigation overshadows the rest of his presidency. He delivers on his promise to end involvement in Iraq and begins pulling troops out, but recent estimates indicate that full withdrawal will take another five years. Democrats take back the House in 2014 and stymie his efforts to undo the Watkins tax reform. By 2016, the investigation is over, but Armstrong has taken a hit in popularity, not because he was a bad president, but because his cycling victories have been delegitimized. Missouri Senator and former Governor Claire McCaskill wins the Democratic primaries and selects outgoing North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper as her running mate. Both candidates represent a type of Democrat that's more moderate and more in the mold of Knowles than McGovern, a type that's expanding the party in the south for the first time in decades. Currently, the polls show a dead heat between Armstrong and McCaskill.