Third time's the charm in 1976 or 1980, perhaps. Perhaps the conventional wisdom is that things would have gone smoother in 1960s or 1970s had he been elected then...
Nixon's Legacy If He Lost in Both 1960 and 1968
- Thread starter Amadeus
- Start date
Richard Milhous Nixon was an American lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as the 56th United States Secretary of State under President Ronald Reagan and the 36th Vice-President of the United States under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in Yorba Linda, California in 1913, Nixon was raised in near poverty by a family of Republican Quakers. After graduating from Whittier College and earning his law degree from Duke University, Nixon entered private practice in California before serving in the United States Navy in World War II. Upon his return to the United States Nixon enjoyed a break-out career in Republican politics, defeating Democratic incumbent Jerry Voorhis for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1946 and former actress Helen Gahagan Douglas for the U.S. Senate in 1950. For his aggressive personality and willingness to engage in smears and personal attacks in political campaigns, Nixon was given the nickname "Tricky Dick" by his opponents. As a young, outspoken anti-Communist from the West Coast Nixon was tapped to be Dwight Eisenhower's running mate in the 1952 U.S. Presidential election. The Republican ticket won in a landslide and was re-elected by an even larger margin in 1956.
As Vice-President Nixon earned a reputation as an international statesman and an expert in foreign policy, notably debating Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in the famous 1959 "Kitchen Debates." The following year Nixon ran to succeed Eisenhower as President but he narrowly lost to Democratic Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts in one of the closest Presidential elections in American history. Nixon hoped to kickstart a political comeback in 1962 when he ran against Democratic Governor Pat Brown, but he lost yet again - this time by a decisive margin. Declaring his political career over, Nixon retired to his legal practice in New York City but remained active in public life. Six years following his defeat to Governor Brown Nixon ran for the Presidency a second time in 1968. Despite his reputation as a loser Nixon overcame a divided opposition to win the Republican Presidential nomination. With the unpopular Vietnam War raging overseas and crime rates escalating on the homefront, Nixon entered the general election campaign with a 17 point lead in public opinion polling. Yet Nixon's refusal to debate his Democratic opponent Hubert Humphrey, who emphasized a strong economy and came out in support of a bombing halt in Vietnam, caused his lead to slowly evaporate. In the days before the election, Humphrey's campaign revealed that the Nixon team had attempted to illegally sabotage the on-going Vietnam peace negotiations. Nixon denied any involvement, but the public backlash against his campaign's actions allowed Humphrey to win in an upset.
After his second national defeat, Nixon again returned to his New York law practice. In 1973 he was appointed U.S. Secretary of State by President Ronald Reagan. Serving eight years from 1973 to 1981, Nixon is widely considered to be one of the most influential Secretaries of State in American history: he negotiated the release of prisoners of war from Vietnam, opened relations with China in 1975, and forced an end to the Iran Hostage Crisis in the final days of Reagan's Presidency. After Reagan's departure from the Oval Office in 1981 Nixon never held public office again. He dedicated the remainder of his life to writing and lecturing about foreign policy and running his highly lucrative law firm. By the time of his death of a stroke in 1994 Nixon was a multi-millionaire. Historians often evaluate Nixon as one of the most prominent American politicians of the 20th Century, although his level of involvement in the "Chennault Affair" that lead to his 1968 defeat remains controversial.
Does Humphrey wind down the Vietnam War sooner? Does the draft end sooner? Also, Watergate leaves the headlines. The president in 1973 faces no scandal, but an energy crisis looms. If HHH is in a second term, the Dems (probably Muskie) are doomed in 1976. If he loses and a Republican is in office when inflation takes off, then Muskie has a chance in 1976. Gerald Ford stays in congress.
No matter what happens in 1972 I think the Republicans win in 1976: either because of voter fatigue after 16 years of Democrats or because a Republican President will be running for re-election during an economic recovery and a time of relative peace.
Can we still have Nixon win the California governorship in 1962? That would help him remain memorable even if he's a two-term loser. It might make him running in '68 more plausible than IOTL
He would be the most interesting man in the world!
And what an interesting president he might be in the 1980s.
And what an interesting president he might be in the 1980s.
Former governor, failed twice in his presidential bid.... The Jon Huntsman of the 1960's
Consider this scenario. In 1968, Wallace makes a three-way split that deadlocks the electoral college. The Senate chooses between the top two and Ed Muskie becomes VP-elect. The House remains deadlocked on January 20, 1969. Muskie first takes the oath as VP and immediately afterwards, is sworn in as president. Nixon loses and a movement begins to seriously eliminate the electoral system. The war winds down sooner. No Kent State shootings. In 1972, Reagan campaigns on the basis Muskie gave up too much and wins. Reagan falls victim to the fuel crisis and loses in 1976. The Democrat, and it could be Carter, does what he did and stands no chance of re-election 1980. Here, Nixon runs at age 67 and wins. When inflation stops in 1983, Nixon gets a second term.
Edit: Muskie picks Ted Kennedy as VP. Chappaquiddick has not happened yet and OTL will not. Consider the future implications. Two Catholics in those positions will tick off Southerners.
Last edited: