Theodore White said in The Making of the President 1964, that if issue of Nelson Rockefeller's divorce had not come up the write in campaign for Henry Cabot Lodge would not have happened. He thought that Rockefeller would have won New Hampshire and then would gone on to win the nomination. I think he underestimated the power of the Goldwater movement. Out of respect for the late Theodore White and because it is an interesting question I would ask what would have happened if Nelson Rockefeller won the 1964 Republican nomination for President ? First I think that George Wallace would have run as a third party candidate. He won have hurt Johnson by winning Southern Democrats but also hurt Rockefeller by winning Goldwater conservatives. I think LBJ wins by a narrower margin. The popular would have been Johnson 44% Rockefeller 41% Wallace 14%.Johnson would have won Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky. Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington, Hawaii, California, Nevada, New Mexico. Texas, Arkansas and Missouri for 310 electoral votes. Wallace wins the OTL Goldwater Southern states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,, Georgia and South Carolina for 47. Rockefeller wins everywhere else for 181 electoral votes. The future, however is murky. Goldwater might have been able to run for reelection to the Senate and continue as leader of the conservative movement. Vietnam, the urban riots and the rising crime rate would have increased his support. He could have won the 1968 nomination. Then Humphrey wins by a landslide. I could also see Richard Nixon cutting into the conservative vote and winning the nomination and things proceeding as they did OTL. I think this TL delays the political career of Ronald Reagan. I don't see him having enough enthusiasm for Nelson Rockefeller to make a nationally televised speech. I see him holding his nose and voting for Rockefeller. In 1968, he could easily have made his speech for Goldwater or Nixon and become a star in California Republican politics as he did OTL four years earlier. In 1970. there would still be a Republican incumbent Senator. The governor's office is possible if Pat Brown was reelected against another Republican in 1966. If Humphrey is president 1970 could be a good Republican year and Reagan could be elected California governor. Although the issues would be different than 1966 though. If Humphrey is president 1974, with the bad economy, inflation and the energy crisis would be a very good Republican year and Reagan could easily win reelection. He then could be the Republican nominee in 1976. If he is is elected. I don't see 1980 being different ITTL. so he would lose badly. Of course. Reagan's career depends on the unknowns of the who is elected President in 1968 and California Governor in 1966. If there was a vacancy in a Los Angeles area strong Republican House seat in 1970,with his national prominence he could be considered a presidential candidate by 1976.