Senator Robert Taft, rather than endorse his fellow senator John Bricker, chooses to endorse General Douglas MacArthur for the Republican nomination for President. After his narrow victory in the Wisconsin primary over Thomas Dewey, the primaries are evenly divided between him, Stassen, and Dewey. When asked by reporters if he would be present at the convention, he is reported as stating "my country needs me here fighting the Japanese then it does campaigning for a house. Unless the people decide I am better suited in Washington, I shall remain here in the Pacific, leading our boys to victory." When the Republican National Convention convenes in Chicago, it very narrowly nominates Douglas MacArthur as the Republican nominee. Robert Taft puts forward a motion to allow Senator John Bricker to become the running mate, which again narrowly passes. (Dewey and Stassen had talked about uniting their delegates in hopes of stopping either nomination from taking place, but they could not agree who would be on the top of the ticket).
Keeping to his word, MacArthur refused to campaign for the office. In a meeting with Roosevelt on Hawaii in July, Roosevelt remarked that "he felt as if he were running against George Washington; a very popular man, but only present in spirit." However, the press brought him to the American people; he was plastered on newspapers, talked about on numerous radio stations. Taft and fellow conservatives stumped up and down the states, making his candidacy known (that how low-key the election was in some areas). As MacArthur went up in the polls, Roosevelt became worried; despite a level of respect for MacArthur, it was he who had to finish the work he had begun. The nation was still in crisis, and a change of leadership would simply worsen it. He promptly gave the go-ahead for the release of footage regarding the Bonus Army's supression by then Chief of Staff MacArthur. Also released was information regarding a $500,000 (now $7.2 million) dollar payment by Phillipine President Quezon for his pre-war service.
The results were disatrous, with Roosevelt having attained a twelve point lead, and MacArthur's response not all that comforting for former supporters. By early October, it appeared that Roosevelt would easily win reelection. However, on the twentieth of October, a famous photo would be taken of Douglas MacArthur wading through the surf onto the beaches of Leyete. Known now as "MacArthur's Crossing of the Delaware", the nation, while still hurt by his past scandals, believed he could better run the war than Roosvelt could (there was also a worry that Roosevelt would not last another term. He had been confined to the White House due to sickness, and could not conduct his personal campaign through the cities as he had desired. A Republican office in New York had upon one of its windows "A vote for MacArthur lets Roosevelt live Longer").
In a shocking upset, Douglas MacArthur was elected President of the United States, even winning Roosevelts state of New York. Douglass MacArthur did not leave until the third of January from the Phillipines to head to Washington for his inauguration.
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Now, with that introduction, how would a MacArthur Presidency turn out? Would there be major strategical changes in Europe? How would he deal with Stalin? How would he do on the Domestic Front (or would he leave that in other hands)?