WI: McGovern wins in 1972

Tough for him to win in 72. But if he did, I think the southern democrats would have went GOP a lot faster. There would have been National Health Insurance. He said that was simple to do. Just make Medicare from cradle to grave. He was a big fan of technology so the military would have been a lot leaner yet more capable More modern. Congress would have worked with him a lot more than they did Carter. Kennedy was his friend. America was becoming more conservative at that time in history(like it is becoming more progressive today) so he would have been fighting history, and Reagan in 76
 
There was a McGovern wins TL on DW. It had a deal between Nixon and the Teamsters exchanging an endorsement for a Hoffa pardon revealed in 1971. hHe resigns , facing a bribery charge. In October 1972, President Agnew's tbribery and tax evasion becomes public knowledge.
 
He'd probably be a one termer unless he can enact some kind of energy program that sticks and full employment legislation. Actually, he probably could do that, given the strength of and the liberalism of Democrats in Congress at the time. So he'd probably have at least a fighting chance in '76 against Republican nominee Ronald Reagan. Talk about an ideological gulf! :eek:
 
ASB?

IMHO, a McGovern win over Nixon in 1972 is ASB or close to it. He was too far Left for 1972, while Nixon was more of a centrist Republican despite his staunch anti-communism. A Goldwater win over LBJ in 1964 falls into the same ASB, or close to it, category.

Both men lost in landslides for a reason...they were seen as out of step with the US electorate...especially swing-voters, alienated important segments of their own political parties, and made key mistakes (Goldwater's gaffes and McGovern's Eagleton fiasco).

Alternate USA election outcome scenarios make more sense in very close elections...like 1960 or 1968 or 1976 or 2000 or 2004.
 
IMHO, a McGovern win over Nixon in 1972 is ASB or close to it. He was too far Left for 1972, while Nixon was more of a centrist Republican despite his staunch anti-communism. A Goldwater win of LBJ falls into the same ASB, or close to it, category.

Both men lost in landslides for a reason...they were seen as out of step with the US electorate...especially swing-voters, alienated important segments of their own political parties, and made key mistakes (Goldwater's gaffes and McGovern's Eagleton fiasco).

Alternate USA election outcome scenarios make more sense in very close elections...like 1960 or 1968 or 1976 or 2000 or 2004.

Before the conventions of 1972, McGovern was doing one point better than Ford did in 1976. Had he campaigned as well as Ford, he would have won the electoral vote, while losing the popular vote. It's unlikely, but not ASB.
 
I swore I'd already posted in here. Ah, okay, here goes...
- Thomas Eagleton needs to be eliminated. Maybe his mental disorders come to light before the campaign somehow. Get him out of the way early enough to avoid his anonymous 'abortion, amnesty and acid' comments, much less his shitty VP bid.
- The DNC convention is not as messy and McGovern delivers his speech around 8PM or so, rather than early in the morning/late in the evening, allowing voters to witness his charisma for themselves.
- McGovern challenges Nixon to a televised debate, and Nixon likely refuses. Gives McGovern some good press. Or if you want to border on the impossible, they do debate and McGovern performs well.
- Obviously with Eagleton axed, he gets a different VP pick. Not sure who.

This gives McGovern the momentum to do fairly in the election. To push him over the edge is anyone's guess exactly... you could have one of Nixon or Agnew's scandals come forward earlier, or force Wallace to draw more Nixon voters.
 
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