FDR had written that in 1944, he was choosing "Harry Truman or Bill Douglas" as VP. He obviously went with Truman, but what if he chose Douglas? Douglas was a very respected figure, Truman even offered him vp in 1948, but Douglas was also the furthest left SCOTUS Justice the US has ever had. He suspended the execution of the Soviet spies that sold the Atomic bomb plans to Stalin, was a prominent pre-Stonewall gay rights supporter, and even went as far as to say that nature such as trees should have standing to sue in court over their destruction. He also defended the IWW and opposed the Vietnam war. With the Republican supermajorities, I doubt that he would be able to get much done, but iirc, Truman went farther than not just Republicans, but most in his party in his Cold War hawkishness and helped the Cold War take shape to the level that it did. What would be the effects or achievements of a William O. Douglas Presidency, if FDR chose him for VP, and still died in 45?
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