WI George McGovern stays a Republican?

George McGovern was initially a Republican before switching to the Henry Wallace Progressive Party in '48 and before eventually becoming a Democrat after being disillusioned with the Progressives because of the influence of the CP within the party in the late 1940s.

What if McGovern never makes the switch from Republican to Progressive, and instead stays a (most likely socially liberal and fiscally conservative) Republican?
 
George McGovern was initially a Republican before switching to the Henry Wallace Progressive Party in '48 and before eventually becoming a Democrat after being disillusioned with the Progressives because of the influence of the CP within the party in the late 1940s.

What if McGovern never makes the switch from Republican to Progressive, and instead stays a (most likely socially liberal and fiscally conservative) Republican?

Assuming no other butterflies, difficult to see where he gets a footing. The moderate and liberal wings are crowded with plenty of talented people. Runs for Congress sometime in the '50s, his OTL Senate seat in '62.
 
That'd be interesting. Leads a McCloskey-esque primary fight against Nixon in '72? I'd like to see this in a tl.
 
Ideologically, let's outline McGovern. In order to keep him a Republican, we'll have to at least moderate his economic views. Say, make him still support stuff like farm aid, but also want a more efficient New Deal and oppose a large, cumbersome, bureaucracy running things. On social issues, he'll probably be just as liberal (of note is the fact that he may have been conflicted over abortion). And on foreign policy issues it's probably still just the same.

In terms of his career, it'll probably be different as a Republican. SD being a Republican state, he won't have very many open races to run in. First chance is the 1958 gubernatorial election. After a couple years of working in local Republicans as a moderate, working for the GOP committee there, and maybe even working in the state senate or state house, he's elected Governor as a Republican in 1958 and re-elected in 1960. In 1962, the incumbent Republican Senator Francis H. Case dies, leaving an open Senate seat. McGovern then runs for that in 1962 and wins. Maintaining his status as a moderate to progressive Republican, McGovern in the Senate advocates farm aid and whatnot, but opposes some of Johnson's "excessive" pieces of the Great Society, advocating for an efficient system of fighting helping the poor and proposing bills that allow for businesses to get involved in the war on poverty.

Throughout his Senate career, especially as the issue of Vietnam continues to grow, he is an opponent of war and vehemently speaks against a hard-line anti-Soviet policy. In 1964, there's a small draft movement for him to run for the Republican nomination, but he instead endorses Rockefeller and later the nominee, Goldwater. Goldwater as we all know goes down in flames. In 1968, with Vietnam being one of the dominating issues, he, Mark Hatfield, Pete McCloskey, and others lobby for a peace plank on the Republican platform. When asked by Richard Nixon's campaign if he'll join the ticket as Vice President, McGovern refuses, earning him the enmity of Nixon, who picks Spiro T. Agnew and wins the election. During Nixon's first term, McGovern finds himself supporting some of Nixon's domestic initiatives, including "New Federalism" and the establishment of the E.P.A., though he vehemently opposes the Wage & Price controls enacted by the President. On foreign policy, Nixon makes few strides towards ending the war and in fact escalates it by extending the conflict into Cambodia, much to McGovern's dismay but little to his surprise.

Come 1972, McGovern is worn out by continued promises of peace. Johnson promised peace, Nixon promises peace, and yet the war in Vietnam still rages. He announces in mid-1971 that he intends to challenge Nixon for the nomination. Supported by several anti-war and liberal Republicans, he is Nixon's main opponent in the primaries. However, McGovern fails to unseat Nixon who goes on to win re-nomination easily. McGovern concedes, but refuses to endorse Nixon or his opponent.
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Blue-President Richard M. Nixon of California
Green-Senator George McGovern of South Dakota

In the Democratic primaries, meanwhile, Edmund Muskie appeared to be the frontrunner for the nomination, but following the "Canuck Letter", Senator and former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey soared in the polls, eventually being met with victory and the Democratic nomination a second time. For Vice President, former Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina is chosen.
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Green-Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota
Red-Governor George Wallace of Alabama
Blue-Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine
Yellow-Others

In the general election, Nixon runs a wide lead in the polls and merely attacks Humphrey as a candidate no more ready to serve America as President than four years ago. Touting negotiations with the Soviets, his visit to China, and the economic recovery from inflation through use of Wage & Price controls. Humphrey in contrast, facing the fact that even a large amount of labor is supporting Nixon, is left with little to stand on. In the end, Nixon is re-elected by a large margin.
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President Richard M. Nixon (R-CA)/Vice President Spiro T. Agnew (R-MD) 416 electoral votes, 57% of the popular vote
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Governor Terry Sanford (D-NC) 122 electoral votes, 41% of the popular vote

With Nixon's re-election came not only the return of inflation, Watergate, etc. and Nixon's eventual resignation, promoting Gerald R. Ford to the Presidency. Ford found himself attacked from both the Right and the Left of his party, and come 1976, a challenge from both sides. The 1976 Republican field was comprised of three strong candidates, surprising for a year with an incumbent running. In the middle was President Gerald R. Ford of Michigan. To his Right ran former Governor Ronald W. Reagan of California and to his Left, Senator George McGovern of South Dakota. McGovern attacked Ford for an inconsistent and failed economic policy as well as Ford not pulling the last Americans from Vietnam quickly enough. Reagan meanwhile attacked detente and Ford's foreign policy which Conservatives thought gave too much to the Soviets. With the Left-Right tag team of Reagan and McGovern, Ford was pushed back to third place when the primaries were finished. Reagan instead went on to win the nomination, promising Ford a place in the administration and choosing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to appease Ford.
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Red-Former Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan of California
Green-Senator George McGovern of South Dakota
Blue-President Gerald Rudolph Ford of Michigan

As for the Democrats, the field was in confusion without a clear front-runner. However, the party's liberal eventually coalesced around former Senator Fred Harris of Oklahoma while hawks took refuge in Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington, Southerners with Governors George Wallace and Jimmy Carter. Eventually, Harris, combining the West, Midwest, and Pacific Coast, was able to win. In order to help with moderates and Southerners, Jimmy Carter was chosen for Vice President.
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Green-Former Senator Fred Harris of Oklahoma
Blue-Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington
Red-Governor George Wallace of Alabama
Yellow-Former Governor James Earl Carter of Georgia
Gray-Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia

The general election, despite what should have been serious setbacks for the Republicans, was dominated by Reagan who was able to blast Harris as a Progressive too far from the American mainstream. Harris' attacks, meanwhile, were skillfully avoided by Reagan who proved a masterful politician and a "teflon" nominee as the election continued. On election night, in what would have been a surprise twelve months earlier, Republicans won a third consecutive term.
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Former Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (R-IL) 348 electoral votes, 54% of the popular vote
Former Senator Fred Harris (D-OK)/Former Governor James E. Carter (D-GA) 190 electoral votes, 45% of the popular vote

Reagan's Presidency would see serious difficulties on the foreign and domestic policy front. To battle "stagflation", Reagan appointed Paul Volcker to head the Federal Reserve. However, his deflationary policies took long to work and resulted in government-induced recessions. As well, oil prices continued to spike due to trouble in the Middle East. In reaction to the bad economy, the Reagan Administration unveiled a plan to down-size the federal government and lower taxes. However, the plan quickly met with fierce debate from Democrats as well as some moderate Republicans including Reagan's rival George McGovern. Already, people were wondering if McGovern was willing to mount yet another Presidential bid in 1980. Eventually, a large amount of the Reagan tax cuts passed Congress, but the spending cuts didn't, resulting in a widening of the federal deficit. In foreign affairs, Reagan publicly took the hard-line. However, behind closed doors, he continued the shadow of detente with the Soviet Union. In response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, money was funneled to the Afghans in order to help them fight off the Soviet invaders. To help with fuel prices, Reagan signed off on numerous de-regulations of the oil industry and worked with Iran--including putting down a rebellion in 1979--to allow the oil trade to continue. However, try as Reagan might, the economy could not merely be brought back to life as a result of certain policies, America would have to play the waiting game. In addition to Reagan's other accomplishments, a number of de-regulatory bills concerning industries such as coal and airlines were passed.

In 1980, George McGovern was at it again, campaigning to unseat the third Republican incumbent in a row. "Ron Reagan did it four years ago, I figure we can pull it off now!" However, McGovern had to come to terms with the fact that a majority of the party disagreed with him on a number of issues. All in all, the only agreements he had with the GOP mainstream were over abortion, deficit reduction, and the size & scale of government. He attempted to up-play these positions and make good, universal points on foreign policy, but once again, George McGovern failed to unseat a Republican President.
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Blue-President Ronald Wilson Reagan of California
Green-Senator George McGovern of South Dakota

Meanwhile, the Democratic primaries were a fierce battle between a number of sides. Representing "Harissites" was Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona. Running as a moderate Southern candidate was Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Running a moderate, mavericky, Western campaign was Governor Jerry Brown of California. And finally, representing mainstream liberal Democrats was Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts. From the outset Kennedy dominated, but every one of the candidates was able to sneak in a victory here and there. It was only after the New York primary that the inevitability of Kennedy seemed apparent and the candidates started dropping out. The last one to drop out was Brown following his loss in Vermont caucuses where he'd been hoping to eek out one last win. For Vice President, Kennedy chose Bentsen as the runner-up and a reliable Southerner.
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Blue-Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts
Red-Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen of Texas
Yellow-Congressman Morris K. Udall of Arizona
Green-Governor Edward M. "Jerry" Brown of California

The general election was centered around the past twelve years of Republicans in power. "During the twelve years, we have seen inflation at staggering rates, growing unemployment, failure to win a war, pain at the gas pump, the decline of American manufacturing and industry, and weakening American prestige abroad. You have that to answer for, Mr. Reagan." "Now, Senator, the inflation that you speak of is the result of continued growth of the federal government over the last two decades, the very main part of it coming form the economic programs you and your party have championed. Trying to pin the loss of Vietnam or any of your other accusations solely on this Administration and even on my party are entirely un-warranted." Despite Reagan's attempts to defend himself, the polling showed the obvious, that the President was doomed for re-election in November. As if Reagan's luck was not already bad enough, Senator McGovern announced an independent campaign with Congressman John Anderson of Illinois as his running-mate. With liberal and moderate Republicans now completely free to abandon the ticket, GOP prospects were their worst since 1964.
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Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA)/Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) 428 electoral votes, 52% of the popular vote
President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Donald Rumsfeld (R-IL) 87 electoral votes, 36% of the popular vote
Senator George McGovern (I-SD)/Congressman John Bayard Anderson (I-IL) 23 electoral votes, 11% of the popular vote
 
You know, he would not have to tay a Republican forever. Perhaps he gets in on the formation of the Libertarian Party, and pushes it in a more social liberal and antiwar, less expressly free market direction?
 
Really great tl Cathcon1 I still think it's nearly impossible to have McGovern stay in a party so long that he has so little in common with but you've managed to make a good tl out of it.
 
Really great tl Cathcon1 I still think it's nearly impossible to have McGovern stay in a party so long that he has so little in common with but you've managed to make a good tl out of it.

Thanks. :) When I read the thread I really liked the idea, especially when you consider that he'd be at his political height just as Nixon was at his and have him butt heads with a number of his party's most famous names. I don't see him staying in the party post-1980, but maybe with his longer past as a Republican and his allies in the liberal/libertarian wing, he decides never to go over to the Democrats and lives his life as an Independent ex-Senator.
 
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