Plausability Chisolm does better McGovern loses the 1972 nomination

Could Shirley Chisolm have done better in the 1972 nomination contest. A lot of people wanted radical change and most wanted George McGovern.

For symbolic reasons and her 'unbought unbossed' image some might have voted for Congresswoman Chisolm.

Had she done well enough in Californai (winner take all I believe at that time) could McGovern have lost that and the nomination

My assumption is that Nixon still wins by lots and is deeply discredited by his criminality.

What would that mean for later elections
 
Her getting the nomination is supremely unlikely. However, if we assume that she already has it, Nixon flouncing her in the presidential election could be disastrous.

A landslide over Chisholm would cast a shadow over every woman or African-American seeking a party's nomination. Jesse Jackson probably woundn't have been one of the top three candidates in '84, or the second place finisher in '88. It's possible that it would still linger enough today to keep Obama off the ticket in '08, probably Clinton too, so say hello to President John Edwards.

On the upside, Sarah Palin remains an obscure governor of a distant state.
 
I could see Chisholm cutting into McGovern's vote and Humphrey getting the nomination. If you add Arthur Bremer getting arrested for shoplifting, then you have 1972 the rematch.
 
I was not imagining her being nominated in 1972

Rather if a mainstream candidate had also lost and the establishment got really shamed by Watergate looking as unlike Nixon or Ford might help
 
Not at all likely. It was 1972 and the idea of nominating a black female for President was simply an idea way ahead of its time. In fact, I'm not even sure the idea is particularly plausible even today.
 
Not at all likely. It was 1972 and the idea of nominating a black female for President was simply an idea way ahead of its time. In fact, I'm not even sure the idea is particularly plausible even today.

Condoleezza Rice? Not saying she could have won, but she could have had the same moderate appeal McCain had if she'd chosen to run. In the end, Iraq probably stained her reputation too much for her to be viable, but she might have had a decent run for the nomination.

What I'm trying to say is not that she could plausibly win the presidency, or even the nomination, but that if she had decided to run nobody would have questioned it.
 
Depends. Does Chrisholm have to deal with the awful Thomas Eagleton in any capacity?

I'm always going to hold it against Eagleton for running McGovern's chances of winning more than a single state.
 
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