Taft in 1952: Impact on Cold War

Let's say Truman was able to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination in 1952, while Taft became the Republican nominee instead of Eisenhower. The general consensus here on AH.com seem to believe the race to be a tossup. Who would Taft pick as his running mate? It would definitely not have been Eisenhower given their strained relations at the time. It is also not impossible that Eisenhower would endorse President Truman for re-election.

Alright, let's say Taft somehow wins the election, and becomes President. He would simply be President for a few months before he died, and his stress may even kill him slightly earlier than in OTL.

Okay, my question here is, what would Taft try to do in his rather short presidency? Would he even attempt to withdraw US troops from say Japan and South Korea, and would he manage to get the US out of NATO? While I think both scenarios that I've just mentioned are highly unlikely to happen; would Taft try to improve relations with the Soviet Union, or to push for an earlier detente? What would be his impact on the Cold War? Or alternatively, would Taft have become simply a footnote in US history?
 
If he wants to throw a bone to the Moderate/Liberal Faction of the GOP, he could chose Harold Stassen as VP. As a Governor, and war hero, he could bat off accusations of Taft being too weak on Foreign Policy. Remember, Taft was the idiot that complained about the Nuremberg Trials, something that should have had him never be able to hold public office again.

Alternatively he could choose the young and popular commie hunter, Tricky Dick Nixon, to balance out age and geography.

I think, but I'm not 100% sure, Eisenhower and Dewey would either be tight lipped throughout the year, or give small support to Truman, given their ideological similarities.

EDIT: Forgot the OP question: Taft was gonna die shortly into his administration (July 31, ~192 days/6 months, shorter than Garfield who served 199 days). If he was lucky he might make it to where he died OTL, but whoever he chooses as Vice-President is going to be more important than him. The question is Stassen, Nixon, or someone else.

Taft will be lionized by Conservatives as a man who died in his prime, and will be remembered for his service and opposition to Truman and the Korean War. Taft will be remembered by the public (If at all) like Garfield, a competent guy who died and had a more important successor then him.

Although...If he campaigns as President, can the overwhelming stress kill him earlier? If he dies then maybe Dewey gets his 3rd shot, at Eisenhower steps up to base. Should neither of them try, Stassen and Vandenberg might be options.
 
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bguy

Donor
Remember, Taft was the idiot that complained about the Nuremberg Trials, something that should have had him never be able to hold public office again.

Taft was also the only Senator to speak out against the internment of Japanese-Americans, so I would say he is the only Senator in the entire 77th Congress who was actually worthy of public office.


Alternatively he could choose the young and popular commie hunter, Tricky Dick Nixon, to balance out age and geography.

Most likely Taft goes with William Knowland. Knowland provides youth, military service, geographic balance, is from an important state, has similar political views to Taft and was friends with Earl Warren.
 
Remember, Taft was the idiot that complained about the Nuremberg Trials, something that should have had him never be able to hold public office again.

Lots of people complained about the IMT. To this day. I don't think it was a thing that would have hurt Bob Taft, and am not sure it's fair to think it should.
 
I believe it's been said Eisenhower and Truman had some kind of agreement for Eisenhower to endorse Truman if an isolationist like Taft was nominated by the GOP in 1952.
 
I believe it's been said Eisenhower and Truman had some kind of agreement for Eisenhower to endorse Truman if an isolationist like Taft was nominated by the GOP in 1952.

No agreement per se, but given Ike felt that Taft's foreign policy was more dangerous than anything the Democrats have to offer, it's likely.
 
Always been keen to see how a Stassen presidency would pan out. His foreign policy was an odd combination of intense anti-communism and an arms length approach to the Cold War, i.e. arm your allies but cut back on American troops in Europe and Asia with the 'nuclear umbrella' acting as the only direct US threat to the Soviets.

He was also keen on nuclear power, civil rights and the banning of the CPUSA. The latter wounded his chances in 1948 when Dewey famously said "you can't kill an idea with a gun" during a debate. However in a hotter period of Red Scare it could work to his advantage.
 
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