WI: JFK Escapes Assassination, But Dies of Natural Causes in 1966

Watergate isn't some unavoidable event. The factors leading up to it and like behavior was unique to the circumstances Nixon and more importantly his staff were facing OTL. Without a dragging Vietnam it wouldn't have occurred. Without the Pentagon Papers, it wouldn't have occurred, Without Haldeman and Erlichman it wouldn't have occurred.

Vietnam and the stress it put on Nixon played heavy roles into the atmosphere surrounding the lead-up to Watergate. But it was the Pentagon Papers that triggered the paranoia. Which, in many ways was rightfully placed to some degree. Those reports heavily threatened (at least appeared to) Nixon's secret negotiations and diplomatic chess to strengthen ties with China, ease tensions with Russia, and bring Vietnam to the table. He however, vastly over-corrected.

If Nixon came to office in a scenario were Kennedy makes it long enough to change and leave an impact on Vietnam policy, I heavily doubt anything resembling Watergate would occur.
 
Watergate isn't some unavoidable event. The factors leading up to it and like behavior was unique to the circumstances Nixon and more importantly his staff were facing OTL. Without a dragging Vietnam it wouldn't have occurred. Without the Pentagon Papers, it wouldn't have occurred, Without Haldeman and Erlichman it wouldn't have occurred.

Vietnam and the stress it put on Nixon played heavy roles into the atmosphere surrounding the lead-up to Watergate. But it was the Pentagon Papers that triggered the paranoia. Which, in many ways was rightfully placed to some degree. Those reports heavily threatened (at least appeared to) Nixon's secret negotiations and diplomatic chess to strengthen ties with China, ease tensions with Russia, and bring Vietnam to the table. He however, vastly over-corrected.

If Nixon came to office in a scenario were Kennedy makes it long enough to change and leave an impact on Vietnam policy, I heavily doubt anything resembling Watergate would occur.

According to John Farrell, Nixon had already gone paranoid during the 1950's due to attacks from the press. And even during his first Congressional race in 1946 he wanted to wiretapping his opponent and put spies in his camp, which he ultimately did to the Democrats once he had that power as President. Watergate would look different here, but that scandal was a product of Nixon's fundamental character as a politician and a human being.
 
According to John Farrell, Nixon had already gone paranoid during the 1950's due to attacks from the press. And even during his first Congressional race in 1946 he wanted to wiretapping his opponent and put spies in his camp, which he ultimately did to the Democrats once he had that power as President. Watergate would look different here, but that scandal was a product of Nixon's fundamental character as a politician and a human being.

every politician, at the time at least, placed, or tried to place, spies in the other campaign. We still have campaigns follow others closely to tape speeches, etc.. Other President's have used wiretaps as well, and they aren't viewed as being inevitably tied to a scandal.
 
every politician, at the time at least, placed, or tried to place, spies in the other campaign. We still have campaigns follow others closely to tape speeches, etc.. Other President's have used wiretaps as well, and they aren't viewed as being inevitably tied to a scandal.

And where's your proof of this?
 
And where's your proof of this?
off the top of my head,

Lee Edwards, Director of information for the Goldwater campaign, made repeated claims in years and decades following, including in the Wall Street Journal, as to Johnson's using of the FBI,CIA, and wiretaps to spy on the Goldwater campaign. Not to sure how accurate these claims were. I've heard that Johnson was also believed to have at least acquired tapes of Nixon's campaign during the 1968 election. (including the South Vietnam talks discussion).

Kennedy, at least RFK, had MLK wire-tapped.

and just as a trivia fact, Washington Governor Daniel J. Evans' re-election campaign utilized Ted Bundy, the serial killer, to spy on the opponents campaign and to tape stump speeches (a common tactic).

perhaps my use of "spies" was overstating however and I'm not trying to insinuate Nixon didn't do wrong.
 
I could see a Rocky/Reagan ticket in 1972, based on both men's tough stance on law and order and the war on drugs. 1976 will be a tough year to be running for re-election though, given the bad economy. Perhaps if Rockefeller is seen to have handled the downturn well and is credited for an economic recovery then he could get narrowly re-elected. Obama in 2012 would be a similar scenario. However Rockefeller probably dies of a heart attack during his second term, making Reagan President during the late 1970's.
Will Rockefeller die in the same way as president?
 
Will Rockefeller die in the same way as president?

No. In the years after he left the Vice-presidency Rockefeller developed a serious heart condition and by 1978 he knew he didn't have long to live. It was only then that Rocky realized he'd never be able to become President (you think he'd have learned his lesson back in 1964). People who knew him personally said that he started to lose his will to live, and that perhaps his fling with that woman in January 1979 was an act of nihilistic recklessness. Obviously, this ended up killing him. (For those who don't know, Rockefeller entered cardiac arrest while having sex with a woman much younger than him. Frightened and ashamed, the woman called her friend instead of an ambulance which quite possibly could've saved Rocky's life).

So long story short no. That said, he could still die of a heart attack or stroke in 1978-79 due to the pressures of the Presidency. But the circumstances would be very different.
 
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