Let's assume that in 1975, Lynette Fromme succeeded in assassinating Gerald Ford. Nelson Rockefeller ascends to the Presidency. Who does he choose as his VP? And assuming both that he does seek his own term in 1976, and is elected, what does America look like during/after his Presidency?

Brownie points for any plausible explanations of how Rockefeller could win in 1976, and an examination of how Democrats would react to a more liberal Republican Presidency (if not an entire party).
 
I think that Rockefeller, even if he selects a conservative VP, would have a very hard time in the primaries against a Reagan challenge. If many Republicans thought *Ford* was insufficiently conservative (and enough thought so to almost get Reagan the nomination in OTL), you can imagine what they would think of Rockefeller. It is just possible that Reagan won't run: maybe Nancy convinces him the danger of assassination is too great; or maybe he doubts that the American people will be in the mood for four presidents in a little more than two years. But if Reagan does run, I have a hard time seeing Rockefeller getting the nomination. Even if he does (Reagan doesn't run, and conservative opponents of Rocky divide their votes among several weaker candidates) a right-wing third party could make things difficult for him in the general election. OTOH, the area where he would be weakest (the South) was one which went for Carter anyway (except Virginia). And he has a much better chance than Ford of carrying the state of New York. (No newspaper ever had the headline: ROCKY TO CITY: DROP DEAD...)

If he does somehow win both the primaries and the general election, he might at least please some conservatives on foreign policy:

"[Stu] Spencer, in a 2000 interview with the author, also described Rockefeller as 'the toughest anti-Communist I ever saw. Much more than Reagan, much more than Barry.' I said to him, 'Why?' He said, 'If you were a Rockefeller, wouldn't you be?'" https://books.google.com/books?id=yjuOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT649

Finally, my standard joke on this subject:

"1979: President Rockefeller found dead of a heart attack in the White House, with his aide Megan Marshack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megan_Marshack 'by his side.'" https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/president-rockefeller-scenario.398258/
 
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One thing of note, Rockefeller would also be another unelected President, elected to neither top or bottom of the ticket and as the choice of an unelected President be even more vulnerable on that regard than Ford(OTOH, Rockefeller had won statewide elections in New York while Ford had just won his congressional district). Reagan may not run as mentioned above, but if he does Rockefeller would probably not be nominated. Rockefeller would likely win the general election as he would be a stronger candidate than Ford(no Nixon pardon), win New York(Ford lost it by only 4 points even with 'FORD TO CITY: DROP DEAD') and he would do better outside the South. Dole would still be a good VP for Rockefeler. Either Rockefeller would die earlier due to the stress of the presidency or later due to better treatment as President. Maybe Nelson Rockefeller(1975-1978), Bob Dole(1978-1981), and then a Democrat President in the 1980s.
 
Election 1976.
President Nelson Rockefeller running with
Vice Presidential candidate Bob Dole. They campaign to different audiences and force Reagan to try and tailor his message for two different audiences depending on the issue. Reagan excitement never happens. Rockefeller-Dole beat the Carter-Kennedy ticket by 5 percent of the popular vote. Rockefeller spins out a wonderfully aggressive internationalist loan program that weakens left-wing governments and strengthens right-wing governments. The effect on the Soviets is impressive. The Russians sue for nuclear peace in 1979. After the Sarajevo Summit, it looks really good. Then China launches a land war against India and Russia. Nuclear exchange by the summer of 1981. Ten million dead. Nuclear winter follows. Deaths from cold and starvation: 300 million by March of 1982.
 
Election 1976.
President Nelson Rockefeller running with
Vice Presidential candidate Bob Dole. They campaign to different audiences and force Reagan to try and tailor his message for two different audiences depending on the issue. Reagan excitement never happens. Rockefeller-Dole beat the Carter-Kennedy ticket by 5 percent of the popular vote. Rockefeller spins out a wonderfully aggressive internationalist loan program that weakens left-wing governments and strengthens right-wing governments. The effect on the Soviets is impressive. The Russians sue for nuclear peace in 1979. After the Sarajevo Summit, it looks really good. Then China launches a land war against India and Russia. Nuclear exchange by the summer of 1981. Ten million dead. Nuclear winter follows. Deaths from cold and starvation: 300 million by March of 1982.
Not exactly what I was looking for, but hey, you got it where it needed to be.x'D
 
....If he does somehow win both the primaries and the general election, he might at least please some conservatives on foreign policy:

"[Stu] Spencer, in a 2000 interview with the author, also described Rockefeller as 'the toughest anti-Communist I ever saw. Much more than Reagan, much more than Barry.' I said to him, 'Why?' He said, 'If you were a Rockefeller, wouldn't you be?'" https://books.google.com/books?id=yjuOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT649

Confirming the point:

"His distrust of Moscow left Rockefeller, paradoxically, closer to Rumsfeld's view of the Soviets than to that of his protégé Kissinger. Indeed, said Ford, on national security issues, arms control, and the defense budget, 'Nelson and Don Rumsfeld were shoulder to shoulder.'"

https://books.google.com/books?id=yjuOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT973
 
Election 1976.
President Nelson Rockefeller running with
Vice Presidential candidate Bob Dole. They campaign to different audiences and force Reagan to try and tailor his message for two different audiences depending on the issue. Reagan excitement never happens.

Believe me, conservative Republicans are going to be much *more* excited about Reagan running against Rockefeller (with Dole or anyone else as his VP) than against Ford. Despite his moves to the Right in the late 1960's and 1970's, Rockefeller was still a devil figure to many conservative Republicans. There was no such animosity toward Ford.
 
Believe me, conservative Republicans are going to be much *more* excited about Reagan running against Rockefeller (with Dole or anyone else as his VP) than against Ford. Despite his moves to the Right in the late 1960's and 1970's, Rockefeller was still a devil figure to many conservative Republicans. There was no such animosity toward Ford.
Yes, well you bring out a good point. Conservative Republicans at that point didn't care for Rockefeller. But Ford was not a particularly contraversial choice for 1976 OTL and Rockefeller was President because had been Vice President because he had been Speaker of the House because he was the pillar of the Eastern Liberal Republican Establishment and the Conservatives were not ready to move into power in 1976. Reagan and the Conservatives were enormously unpopular with everyone to the left of Rockefeller, Dole was middle aged trusted Conservative from the Midwest, well plugged in but still young enough to run for President for the next twenty years (I myself voted for him OTL). Youre also ignoring how Reagan was dependent on the Soviet threat (Afghanistan) and the perceived weaknesses of Carter's handling of the late 70's recession and Iran. A lot of the people you know in their 50s and 60s were proud Democrats or proud Liberal Republicans back then. But they sure aren't now. Go ask 'em. (Be careful when you do!) The fact is Reagan changed their minds. But in OTL 1980. Not in 1976 in any TL I can imagine. You'd have to Show Me.
 
Yes, well you bring out a good point. Conservative Republicans at that point didn't care for Rockefeller. But Ford was not a particularly contraversial choice for 1976 OTL and Rockefeller was President because had been Vice President because he had been Speaker of the House because he was the pillar of the Eastern Liberal Republican Establishment and the Conservatives were not ready to move into power in 1976. Reagan and the Conservatives were enormously unpopular with everyone to the left of Rockefeller, Dole was middle aged trusted Conservative from the Midwest, well plugged in but still young enough to run for President for the next twenty years (I myself voted for him OTL). Youre also ignoring how Reagan was dependent on the Soviet threat (Afghanistan) and the perceived weaknesses of Carter's handling of the late 70's recession and Iran. A lot of the people you know in their 50s and 60s were proud Democrats or proud Liberal Republicans back then. But they sure aren't now. Go ask 'em. (Be careful when you do!) The fact is Reagan changed their minds. But in OTL 1980. Not in 1976 in any TL I can imagine. You'd have to Show Me.

Let's put it this way: Ford defeated Reagan in the 1976 GOP primaries by only 53.3%-45.9%. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_1976 That's 7.4%. That means that if you get 3.7% + of GOP voters to switch to Reagan, Reagan wins the primaries. and presumably the nomination.

It seems extremely likely to me that there were at least 3.7% of GOP voters who thought that Ford was acceptably conservative but Rockefeller was not. So I'd have to say that Reagan would be the favorite to win the GOP nomination. Whether he wins the general election is of course another matter.
 
Seriously though, Rockefeller is going to die in office if he gets re-elected. I can't stress this enough.

I'm not so sure about that. It has been argued that the reason he let his health deteriorate in OTL is that he knew he would never become president: "'He stopped moving,' says Happy Rockefeller. 'He stopped exercising. And he used to be very rapid on his feet.' His weight ballooned to a record 220 pounds. "Old friends detected a loss of vitality, the source of which was not hard to trace. 'It was over,' says Canzeri. 'He had had his last hurrah.'..." https://books.google.com/books?id=yjuOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT1000
 
Let's assume that in 1975, Lynette Fromme succeeded in assassinating Gerald Ford. Nelson Rockefeller ascends to the Presidency. Who does he choose as his VP? And assuming both that he does seek his own term in 1976, and is elected, what does America look like during/after his Presidency?

Brownie points for any plausible explanations of how Rockefeller could win in 1976, and an examination of how Democrats would react to a more liberal Republican Presidency (if not an entire party).
I'd expect a moderate-conservative VP like Dan Evans or Howard Baker.
 
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