Richard Nixon stays

What if Richard Nixon had stayed in office to await impeachment how would the trial have affected things and what kind of butterflies would occur
 
What if Richard Nixon had stayed in office to await impeachment how would the trial have affected things and what kind of butterflies would occur
In real time on August 9, 1974, President Ford, moments after taking the oath of office had said "that our national nightmare was over".
By Nixon refusing to resign and the trial of impeachment happening, we would never be in a position to heal as a nation.
With the trial over, let us say in early or mid 1975 and Nixon declared guilty, Gerald Ford would still become president and would echo those same words ... that "our national nightmare is over" but with the time that has passed and the trial of Richard Nixon dragging the country further down ... Ford would have a much harder time uniting the country after that. And he would have to distance himself from Nixon, in every way, meaning NO PARDON given whatsoever to the former president. But nothing will help Ford politically.

The democractic nominee in 1976, whoever he may be (Carter can still be a possibility) would defeat President Ford even more handily than real time.
 
I disagree with the assertion that Nixon being pardoned healed our long national nightmare. What would have healed that nightmare was Nixon being convicted and punished for his actions, as the Constitution intends. What Ford's pardon did was to send a signal through American society, government and future generations that if you were big enough, you would avoid punishment no matter what you did because we don't want to have to deal with punishing you and coming to grips with ourselves over it (or you could otherwise buy your way out of your situation with money and influence), and that you were actually above the law. That "Too Big to Punish" idea is powerful and horrible for the United States.
 
Democrats win big in 1976, Mr Nixon is probably never rehabilitated or it at least takes more time.
 
Democrats win big in 1976, Mr Nixon is probably never rehabilitated or it at least takes more time.
I just thought of something that I missed: Nixon nearly died in the fall of 1974 due to all the stress caused over the past two years of his life. IF HE did not resign when he did (August 1974) and stayed in office to the end, meaning his impeachment after the trials were completed, he most likely would have died in office in October or November of 1974.
 
If Ford won't "take one for the team" and issue a pardon, the GOP may retaliate by dumping him and nominating Reagan in 1976 (assuming Nancy's psychic okays it).
 
Nixon an American President in jail, does that create a martyr? Does that help Reagan get the nomination out of right wing bitterness over Ford not giving a pardon to Nixon? Finally does George McGovern decide to run saying I told you so? He really thought about running in 76. Talked to Humphrey about running together has a team, HHH has President, George has VEEP.
 
From what I've read in previous discussions on here was that the thing many Americans objected to about the pardon was that it was so wide in its scope covering crimes " that may have been committed" this gave the impression that there was more and possibly worse to emerge, an impression that Nixon did little to dispell by being very coy on the subject in subsequent interviews. Personally I think it was the right thing to do as without it the various trials and appeals would have dragged on into the 1980's, but it perhaps should have been a conditional pardon, dependent on Nixon admitting guilt and co-operating fully with the investigations.

Even with the anger over the pardon its significant that Ford only just lost in '76 and that has been attributed more to his gaffes on the campaign such as the Eastern Europe remark. Have him fight a better campaign or have Carter drop a clanger and he could have got his full term.
 
The Nixon pardon is more unpopular and that widens Carter's margin. It also increases the number of Democrats elected down ballot.
 
The Nixon pardon is more unpopular and that widens Carter's margin. It also increases the number of Democrats elected down ballot.

Really? Because from a distanced vantage point, a pardon after removal from office seems even more justifiable than what happened historically. Nixon has faced trial in the Senate and been convicted, and duly removed from office. In that case, you could argue that Nixon has already faced justice in the form of a Senate trial, and that there's no real need for a criminal trial to be brought against the former President. Granted, there would be those who would oppose a pardon even then. But if Ford's pardon specifically referred only to the crimes outlined in his conviction in the senate, I can't see it being less popular than historical reality, and I could potentially see it as less of an issue, again because of the seeming cathartic finality of the Senate Trial.
 
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