If Ike wins a 3rd term, then wouldn't that set Barry Goldwater to win in 1964 not Nixon. Without the popular sympathy from President Kennedy's passing and Johnson taking over Johnson isn't a viable candidate in 1964 for President. As such Pat Brown most likely would have been the Democrat nominee in 1964. While I know historically Goldwater loses greatly to Johnson without the assassination and without Johnson in the mix then Goldwater would do much better. Note I believe Senator John F. Kennedy would still have been assassinated, so he is not alive at this time to run for office. The killing of a Senator also wouldn't have fomented as much in the minds of the American People.
Goldwater saves the republicans for one election cycle but folks are still wanting a younger generation to come. Probably the 1966 election sees the Republican loose many seats in the House and possibly some in the Senate, its a tide of change coming. (In essence it delayed the collapse by just 2 years as it was inevitable).
Goldwater seeing the writing on the wall decides not to run for President in 1968. He as in history puts his support behind Gov. Ronald Reagan of California. Nixon though desires power and as in the OT manages to beat both Rockefeller and Reagan in the primaries. So Nixon is the Republican candidate.
Robert F. Kennedy is the Senator from New York, having gotten it from sympathies over his brother's assassination while Senator of Massachusetts. Robert F. Kennedy uses this and becomes the Democrat nominee in 1968. Joseph Kennedy is still alive to see his boy make history, and has the financial ability to support it. (Note Humphrey having never been Vice President doesn't beat him in delegate counts, and RFK having never been AG under JFK isn't assassinated). Eugene McCarthy is probably his choice for Vice President as he needs a more diverse ticket than just a NE ticket.
RFK probably goes on to win a 2nd term. Nelson Rockefeller is the GOP candidate in 1972. His loss her puts him farther down the pole. That means in 1976 GOP nominee will be Ronald Reagan. The most likely VP candidate is still Bob Dole, after all George H. W. Bush has never been CIA director and most likely was never envoy to China.
Interesting thing is without Carter in the White House the Iranian Revolution doesn't occur in 1979. Iran Contra therefore never occurs, there are no American hostages. The Shah dies naturally in 1980 and his son Reza Pahlavi becomes Shah of Iran.
Eugene McCarthy makes a bid in 1980 to be president but is easily beaten by Reagan/Dole.
George McGovern is the Democrat choice in 1984, yes Reagan runs for a 3rd term. George picks Bob Graham as his running mate, though he does consider briefly Jesse Jackson. They loose to Reagan/Dole its closer than the Mondale landslide but still a lose.
Due to Reagan's declining health Nancy refuses to allow him to run for a 4th term. Bob Dole is seen as the GOP bearer and is nominated easily by the party. Dole picks George H. W. Bush for his running mate, George having served as Director of the CIA for most of the Reagan administration.
The Democrats decide its time to really shake things up, they've been out of the White House 12 years, Reagan has enjoyed major popularity all over, with him retiring though and Dole being seen as a stiff compared to Reagan. They decide to target the south, particularly the states with large colored populations. Jesse Jackson, Sr becomes the Democrat nominee. They choose Sen. Ted Kennedy as Vice President to bring back memory of the RFK years. Flipping most of the south and keeping the northeast the Democrats easily take the presidency over the much stiffer Bob Dole.
Jesse Jackson actually ends up being a fairly popular president bringing back FDR era works programs, educational reforms include free community college for all, FDR style farm programs, equal rights amendment, nuclear disarmament and strongly advocates for a Palestine state. His main failure in his first term is the failure to pass as single payer health care system that he desired to do, but the economy does well for the most part with many of his other reforms. He enacts heavy sanctions on apartheid South Africa. Jackson paid for most of his social programs with cuts in the military as well as higher taxes on the rich. His open dialogue with Palestine and support of a UN Mission to Israel gave hope to some Arab leaders that they might get some justice. Saddam Hussein dispatched an envoy seeking assistance with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Iraq was heavily in debt and earlier treaties were fraying a bit. Jackson opens dialogue and seeks to resolve all the lingering issues, from Palestine, to Israel occupation of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine, to Iran/Iraq occupation, and the matter of Kuwait which prior to WWI was part of Iraq. The call for talks by the American President helped avert immediate war. In addition Jackson prepared an aid package that Congress passed to ease the suffering in Iraq during its harsh season. Though tensions were still rough there was peace. The talks would occupy much of the the next two years. Jackson would devote much time to them while campaigning when he could. He saw resolution of the Mid East as the ensuring dilemma of the time. The peace approach and sticking to his principles plus accomplishing much of what he had promised, relatively low unemployment, investments in infrastructure and education easily win him a second term.
A black spot over his first term was the sexual transgression of Vice President Kennedy which led to Kennedy stepping down in 1991 from the office of Vice President. Jackson passes Gov. Clinton over as a VP possibility due to Clinton's on sex scandals. He nominates Gov. Ann Richards of Texas to be Ted's replacement. The congress approves narrowly his choice. Ted manages to overcome his problems and later rejoins the Senate.
Jackson's second term begins with another push for a single payer health system for the United States. Taking advantage of the new educational opportunities there is further investment in NASA and NSF in the USA. Shortly after the election Israel withdraws from Lebanon and Syria, Syria withdraws from Lebanon, Iran and Iraq return each others territory. Israel agrees to the formation of a Palestine state to be decided in elections in 2 years. Palestine though has to give up on claims of Jerusalem which does not sit well with many but as Pres. Jackson puts it "this is the best deal we are going to get, peace is better than war. Let us have peace and build up our lands and people. Let us rise to a new tomorrow." The Kuwait issue was more complicated, however Jackson was able to get Kuwait to forgive half the debt of Iraq while the United States helped Iraq refinance the remaining half. A new shared plan for the neutral zone oil fields in dispute was reached. He manages to pass some health reforms including tort reform, opening insurance up across state borders but falls short of the single payer system due to deals he makes with Congress. Still it is a marked improvement to the system.
Jackson having aged in the process decides not to run for a third term, he's already had 2 assassination attempts, and decides its time to return to the work of the Lord, he feels he's left the nation in better shape, he does however campaign for VP Richards.
Richards would choose NY Gov Mario Cuomo for her VP. They would easily win in 1996. They would keep much of the same domestic policy but the Jackson Works Program would be coming to an end by this time, though it would have been responsible for replacing many of the FDR era road bridges and railroad lines. Towards the end of her second term is the rise of a large number of Pirates along the coast of Africa. The United States having undergone a drastic reduction in its military is not well disposed towards removing the menace and no other nation has built up a sufficient navy to control the situation either. Oil and Gas prices begin to rise as the pirates take a number of tankers hostage. Richards/Cuomo though still decide to run for a third term.
Their challenger this time Gov. George W. Bush of Texas. Bush is a kinda go gettem guy in the mold of Ronald Reagan as many put it. He calls for increased spending on naval and air assets and that the pirates should be removed forcibly. Karl Rove weaves an ingenious campaign strategy that ultimate wins George W. Bush the presidency in 2004. They phrase increasing the military will provide jobs as the unemployment rises from the loss of the works program.
George W. Bush wants to shake up the election it is reported he first approaches Condoleezza Rice a provost at Stanford to be his VP pick but Rice refuses not wanting to get involved into national elected politics. He settles on Melissa Hart of Pennsylvania.
Bush's modernization of the Navy and Air Force bring many jobs to shipyards and aircraft manufacturers. Taking advantage of the improved educational system of President Jackson they are able to move innovation through at a cheaper cost than might otherwise have. The Somali Coast War begins early 2006 with a carrier strike group softening up the pirates. Bush though goes it alone, choosing not to overly involve other nations. However after just 2 years of operations they have cleared the pirate threat from Somalia opening oil lanes and causing oil prices to decrease. Former President Jackson visits Somalia at the request of President Bush to outline what the US could do for the nation. Despite a massive Hurricane Katrina the infrastructure improvements under President Jackson avert what might have been a national tragedy as the dikes hold against the fury of the storm. A Somali Help program is instrumented to aid the Somali people in farming/education/medicine. Much of the program is designed by President Jackson in his role as special envoy, Bush readily accepts it and Congress passes it.
Riding high on their victory over the Pirates Bush/Hart are easily reelected in 2008. In the second term there is major progress on reforming the nation's largely unfunded entitlement programs and major tax reform is tackled. Work on this prevents the USA from losing its AAA credit rating though there is word much more work needs to be done. Bush decides 2 terms is enough, much like Jesse Jackson had.
2012, most likely the Republicans pick someone like Marco Rubio, after all the economy is in much better shape than the OTL, and so someone like Mitt Romney would have much less appeal. Who would the Democrats choose, I seriously doubt its Barack Obama. My guess is that Hilary Clinton probably having divorced Bill for his shenanigans in Arkansas that prevented him getting a VP nod will be the Democrat nominee, as she has always had a desire for power, and those with such a desire usually find it. Obama's hope and change message is lost in the windows of time, because Jackson was president.
Dwight D. Eisenhower/Richard Nixon 1953 til 1965 (R)
Barry Goldwater/Nelson Rockefeller from 1965-1969 (R)
Robert F. Kennedy/Eugene McCarthy from 1969-1977 (D)
Ronald Reagan/Bob Dole from 1977-1989 (R)
Jesse Jackson Sr./Ted Kennedy from 1989 - 1991 (D)
Jesse Jackson Sr./Ann Richards from 1991 -1997 (D)
Ann Richards/Mario Cuomo 1997-2005 (D)
George W. Bush/Melissa Hart 2005-2013 (R)
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