President Goldwater

I recall once watching an interview of Barry Goldwater and one of the questions was,, what would you have done in the White House, if you had been picked to replace Spiro Agnew, instead of Gerald Ford. Goldwater, who seemed surprised that anyone thought he was ever under consideration for the job said one thing. He said that in 1975, he would have sent the Air Force to in his words: make a swamp out of North Vietnam to prevent them from conquering the South. I also recall reading about that the Nixon pardon, that Goldwater reacted with anger to his courtesy call from Ford.
So that means an attempt to get us reinvolved in the Vietnam War. but with bombers not troops, as well as probably no Nixon pardon. What else is different? Perhaps a free market approach to the energy crisis. I know that the idea of Democratic Congress confirming Goldwater does seem on the ASB side, but if the drafters of the 35th amendment had followed Richard Nixon´s suggestion, a reconvened Electoral College would have picked the new Vice President. Goldwater would have had no problem of getting a majority considering that 521 of the 538 electors chosen in 1972 were Republican. I know that in those circumstances, Nixon would have picked John Conally, but I can eliminate Conally by moving back his bribery indictment. The Grand jury handed down the indictment on August 8, 1974 ( Ironically the day of Nixon´s resignation.) I could have it happen a year earlier.
All that get me back to one question. Would Nixon have picked Goldwater, possible but not likely. I think the goal for AH is plausibility not probability.
 
Interesting idea. BG was really more of a libertarian in his later career, but was he more conservative than libertarian in '74? I wonder who he would have picked for the Supreme Court? A number of military planners felt that with continued U.S. support, Viet Nam would have eventually have reached a Korea-type amistice. But it might have butterflied away both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
 
Interesting idea. BG was really more of a libertarian in his later career, but was he more conservative than libertarian in '74? I wonder who he would have picked for the Supreme Court? A number of military planners felt that with continued U.S. support, Viet Nam would have eventually have reached a Korea-type amistice. But it might have butterflied away both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

By 1974, the US had lost the will to win the war in Indochina. The Democrats, many of them peaceniks, won a massive majority in the 1974 midterm elections, which would not have changed with a President Goldwater rather than a President Ford. In 1975, the Congress refused Ford's request to support South Vietnam's army with funding, ensuring a Communist triumph and the bloodbath that followed. Goldwater would have gotten nowhere fast if he tried to intervene (even though history has proven the hawks right about Indochina).
 
Goldwater will lose in 76. I assume Jimmy Carter is the Democrat nominee, so I see the same Presidents 1977 to the present as OTL.
 
Goldwater will lose in 76. I assume Jimmy Carter is the Democrat nominee, so I see the same Presidents 1977 to the present as OTL.

Although I see myself as a butterfly minimalist...but something as big as Goldwater becoming President would have it's ripples. It really depends how hard Goldwater tries to push his conservative agenda onto Congress and on Foriegn Policy. I really doubt Barry would Pardon Nixon, and that he would run for a full term in his own right. This would undobutly keep Reagan from running in '76.

On The Democratic side, although a McGovern New Left liberal would be unacceptable this time. I think an old school New Deal Democrat could definatley rap up the nomination, so either Hubert Humphrey or Mo Udall, possibly even Scoop Jackson could beat the inexperienced Carter out of the running.

I doubt Barry could win a full term, and whomever the atl Democratic President is from 1977-1981 might manage the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the Economy better than Carter. So a Udall or Jackson President will probably be going against a Republican moderate in the like of George H.W. Bush.

I think im going to write a quick President list for this POD:D
 
Ï still disagree, but I look forward to a very interesting list of ITTL Presidents.

Ask and Ye shall recieve...:D

37. Richard M. Nixon(R-NY): January 20th 1969-August 9th 1974
38. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ): August 9th 1974-January 20th 1977

39. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN): January 20th 1977-January 13th 1978*
40. Dale Bumpers (D-AR): January 13th 1978-January 20th 1985*
41. Daniel P. “Pat” Moynihan (D-NY): January 20th 1985-January 20th 1989

42. Robert J. “Bob” Dole (R-KS): January 20th 1989-January 20th 1997
43. Ann Richards (D-TX): January 20th 1997-January 20th 2005
44. Tom Ridge (R-PA): January 20th 2005-???

Notes

39. Dies from complications of Bladder Cancer as in OTL, while in office.
40. Ineligible to run for a true “second” term under the 25th amendment.
 
Very interesting list. Very creative and of course I have problems with it. For starters, Humphrey´s cancer was diagnosed during the fall of 1976. OTL, hospitalization curtailed his campaigning for reelection. So I think that means that he has drop of the run for presidency. I don´t think that Bumbers can win another term in the bad economic times of 1980, even if he avoids the hostage crisis. Likewise I don´t the candidate of the President's party loses in the good economic times of 1996 nor can President Ridge win reelection as the economy collapses in 2008. Nor do I think a pro choice candidate like Ridge could win the Republican nomination. Aside from that your list was a great read.
 
Thank goodness!:eek:

I thought this was considering Goldwater winning in 1964 and we all know how that would have worked out.

Surely you all remember the warning that a vote for Goldwater would mean a massive new arms race, a bloody war in SE Asia, riots on campus and the inner cities in flames? Millions voted for him and you all saw the results.:(
 
And that, Mr. Reaper, is why my dad gives LBJs grave the finger whenever he goes to Texas.
 
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