People who could have been good US presidents.

List some people could have been good presidents had they either ran or won election. No current political figures on this discussion. A few in my opinion.
Ann Richards
Mario Cuomo
John Glenn
 
Earl Warren
George Romney
Hubert Humphrey (In 1960 or 1968, not any later)
Nelson Rockefeller (For the Most part)
Walter Mondale (if he were to run/win in 1976)
Howard Baker
Al Gore
Ann Richards
Mario Cuomo
John Glenn
 
James Baker
Brent Scowcroft
Elizabeth Dole

(HW really did put together an excellent cabinet)

Sam Nunn
 
Jesse Jackson
Mario Cuomo
Edward Brooke
Colin Powell
Hillary Clinton

I'm legitimately curious how one can think Jesse " campaign platform includes cutting DOD funding by fifteen percent, slavery reparations, new WPA, immediate nuclear freeze" Jackson would be a good President while simultaneously thinking the same thing about Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton, who to make a massive understatement don't support any of those things.
 
I'm legitimately curious how one can think Jesse " campaign platform includes cutting DOD funding by fifteen percent, slavery reparations, new WPA, immediate nuclear freeze" Jackson would be a good President while simultaneously thinking the same thing about Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton, who to make a massive understatement don't support any of those things.
If I were of voting age in 1988, the apex of the Jesse Jackson trip, I’d have voted for him. His policy proposals would’ve been good in 84 or 88, but his policy stances represented the necessary reversal that needed to take place to combat the Reagnomics-Reagan Revolution consensus. I feel the same way about Mario Cuomo. The others are just good leaders with moderate-to-liberal positions.
 

Anchises

Banned
I'm legitimately curious how one can think Jesse " campaign platform includes cutting DOD funding by fifteen percent, slavery reparations, new WPA, immediate nuclear freeze" Jackson would be a good President while simultaneously thinking the same thing about Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton, who to make a massive understatement don't support any of those things.

Slavery reparations are DEEP nutjob territory (imho) but a fifteen percent cut for DOD (assuming it meansDepartment of Defense) funding seems like a sensible proposal given how Reagan absolutely bloated defense spending and the budget deficit.

My list:

Colin Powell: In a war situation he would have been a great President imho. Otherwise an unremarkable "standard Republican" Presidency.

Nelson Rockefeller: Probably a stable Presidency.

Al Gore: Probably would have handled the 9/11 aftermath more sensible. I think his measures would have been more moderated (and less expensive) and would have aimed at building a stronger International consensus.

RFK: He would have probably been a more sensible choice for a leftwing President than McCarthy. I still think that Nixons foreign policy was great but a Kennedy win would have prevented Watergate so he would have preserved more trust into the Presidency.
 
Just about any of the OTL runners up post-1900, save Goldwater and perhaps McGovern or Bryan - though I suspect even Bryan wouldn't have been half as bad as sometimes supposed.

As for alternative nominees, Champ Clark would be fine in 1912, and Wood, Lowden or just about anyone other than Harding in 1920.

Had Wilson not finished his second term, Marshall would have plugged the gap as well as anyone.

Any of Johnson, Stevenson or Symington in 1960, or Rockefeller on the other ticket. Muskie, Jerry Brown, Jack Kemp and Gary Hart would all be interesting. John Glenn any time.
 
John McCain especially if he beat Bush out in the 2000 primary I don't see the division happening between right and left as strongly here. His time really was what became the Bush era.

Bernie Sanders present day
 
... Al Gore: Probably would have handled the 9/11 aftermath more sensible. I think his measures would have been more moderated (and less expensive) and would have aimed at building a stronger International consensus. ...
There's even a chance that the 9/11 attacks might have been stopped by US intelligence agencies if the negative effects of the handing over of the presidency would not have impacted them.
 

Thomas1195

Banned
Robert LaFollette Sr
Irvine Lenroot
Robert LaFollette Jr
Thomas Dewey
Harold Stassen
Henry Cabot Lodge
Nelson Rockefeller
George Romney
 
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