Questions on 1968, 1972, and 1976 presidential elections and a PoD

Zioneer

Banned
So I was thinking of doing a small TL involving Senator Frank Moss, last Democratic Senator from Utah running for president in either 1968, 1972, or 1976, or being picked the VP slot on a ticket in any of those years. I don't know in what circumstances he'd be on a ticket or even merely run for president, but I'd like to figure out what kind of PoD would make sense. While I don't imagine he could be president or even win a nomination, I want to explore the idea of a pretty liberal Senator from Utah ending up in national politics. He doesn't seem to have been interested in running for president, but at the same time, many historical politicians have said they aren't interested and end up running when the opportunity presents itself.

So how could the last Democratic Senator from Utah end up in the 1968-1976 Democratic primaries, and what effect might he have?

Also, what are some good resources on those OTL elections?

Some additional info on Frank Moss:

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/962257/Obituary-Senator-Frank-E-Moss.html?pg=all

http://historytogo.utah.gov/people/franketedmoss.html
 

Zioneer

Banned
I can't see him making the ticket in either 1968 or 1972 (he had a voting record almost identical to McGovern and he was also from the west.)
Perhaps he could make it in 1976 as Carter's VP - Mondale and the others turn it down and he's recommended by someone as someone who could appeal to the party liberals.

That's true, I was thinking of going with either a Carter VP situation, or have Moss fulfilling Mo Udall's role as the Mormon-affilated (in Mo's case, it was not something he wanted to be) western liberal. Though I'm not sure why potential VP candidates with a similar profile to Moss would turn Carter down.

Mainly I just wanted a last hurrah of the Utah Democrats on a national level; there were obviously Democratic Governors of Utah past 1976 (up until 1984, actually), but none of them were involved in a national scale like a Senator or presidential nominee would be. Plus by that point, the successful Utah Democrats were too conservative for the national party.
 
I'm vastly more up on Udall than Moss, but my suggestion would be that Moss runs for President to boost awareness of his anti-smoking campaign in 1972 (I don't recall off-hand when he started said campaign, but that can be the POD). That changes the race enough for someone besides McGovern to win so that Moss is VP nominee; or McGovern still wins and Moss is not VP nominee but he gets a taste for the Presidency and then runs/wins in 1976.

Edit:
Also, what are some good resources on those OTL elections?

The best single book on 1976 is Marathon: The Pursuit of the Presidency 1972-1976 by Jules Witcover.

For 1972 the best books are the Rolling Stone pair: Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, '72 and Boys on the Bus.

For 1968 the best book written at the time is An American Melodrama (by three British journalists who weren't tricked by Tricky Dick), also useful of course is The Selling of the President.

(Teddy White's Making of the President series is also useful, as long as you understand just how much he was wrong about.)

If you browse Amazon starting with those books the suggested reads will quickly give you the more recent books on those elections, the names of which I don't recall offhand, lol.
 
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