Let's say that within a few days or weeks of Eisenhower being inaugurated as POTUS in 1953, the man drops dead from a heart attack or freak accident, leaving Richard Nixon in charge for nearly a full term before the 1956 presidential election. How does he handle things, both in foreign policy and domestically?
When discussing this sort of scenario, people oftentimes discuss Nixon's eagerness to use nuclear weapons on behalf of the French in Indochina, but beyond that, how might such a young Nixon handle the Cold War at such an early stage? Furthermore, while certain events such as the Hungarian Revolution and the Suez crisis may or may not be butterflied, generally speaking, how might Nixon respond to revolts against communist rule in Central Europe and decolonization?
Domestically, how does Nixon handle the Civil Rights movement and the latter stages of McCarthyism? Critically, who might he appoint as Chief Justice upon the death of Vinson, and what impact might that have had broadly?
Finally, much is made of Nixon's paranoia, which developed over the course of his political career, and how it affected his presidency after he won in 1968. However, in a world where he rapidly rose from a U.S. representative to become U.S. president in a much, much shorter period of time, with the only major snag being resolved by the Checkers speech, how might the man's personality be different, and how might that affect his presidency?
When discussing this sort of scenario, people oftentimes discuss Nixon's eagerness to use nuclear weapons on behalf of the French in Indochina, but beyond that, how might such a young Nixon handle the Cold War at such an early stage? Furthermore, while certain events such as the Hungarian Revolution and the Suez crisis may or may not be butterflied, generally speaking, how might Nixon respond to revolts against communist rule in Central Europe and decolonization?
Domestically, how does Nixon handle the Civil Rights movement and the latter stages of McCarthyism? Critically, who might he appoint as Chief Justice upon the death of Vinson, and what impact might that have had broadly?
Finally, much is made of Nixon's paranoia, which developed over the course of his political career, and how it affected his presidency after he won in 1968. However, in a world where he rapidly rose from a U.S. representative to become U.S. president in a much, much shorter period of time, with the only major snag being resolved by the Checkers speech, how might the man's personality be different, and how might that affect his presidency?