Triple Crown Truman

The Vulture

Banned
He'd have to do something pretty bloody spectacular to get a constitutional amendment passed just for him. Like end the Korean War before it starts by flying over there and defeating Kim Il-Sung in a no-holds-barred wrestling match on the top of an airship flying over Moscow. His impressive finishing backbreaker scares Stalin, Ho Chi Minh, and Mao into becoming capitalists.

Seriously, though, he'd have to do something to become so wildly popular that the public demands his return. I'm hesitant to suggest ending the just-started Korean War with nukes and making some kind of impressive speech showing everyone the US is tops, but it's all I can think of for July 1, 1950.
 
The 22nd Amendment didn't apply to him since both his terms of office started before it was passed. He was free to seek relection in '52.
Good point.

Maybe have his Fair Deal programme be more successful? That would, presumably, help his popularity enough to be a viable contender for the '52 nomination...
 
On Different Worlds I read a TL that had HST bomb the bridges over the Yalu which cut off the supply of Chinese troops. The North Koreans were only able to hold on to a small section of land by the border with China. This scenario or a even more glorious victory would have boosted Truman's popularity and allowed him a third term.
 
Truman manages to pass his Fair Deal programs (national health insurance included), or the Korean War goes better. Or both.
 
That could mean a President Nixon in 1960, or JFK '64, because Harriman is too old and Truman thought Adlai a conservative by '56 IOTL... :D
 
The Korean War goes better and ends as an unquestioned victory for the Allies with North Korea no longer existing. Chinese intervention either doesn't happen or is defeated.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
IIRC, Truman did enter the primaries in '52 but did so poorly that he quickly pulled out.

If the UN wins Korea (that Yalu bridge bombing idea sounds good), the Fair Deal goes forward, and maybe you somehow get China to fall (maybe Truman goes with MacArthur's borderline-insane plan to nuke China?) Stalin won't go to war over China, plus he's out by '53 anyways...which could have interesting butterflies since the hard-liners are still in the Kremlin.

Anyways, Truman could have a tremendously good shot of re-election if he's seen as the sort of guy who's actively rolling back Communism (though of course he may come to reject that term as in OTL).
 
That could mean a President Nixon in 1960, or JFK '64, because Harriman is too old and Truman thought Adlai a conservative by '56 IOTL... :D

Why Nixon, Necessarily? Yeah, he was growing in importance, but he wasn't exactly the biggest name in the party when Eisenhower picked him. Four more years of Truman, and as you suggest, and he may well be out of the running for the presidency...
 
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