alternatehistory.com

Senator Brien McMahon, also known as "Mr. Atom" and "The Atomic Senator", was the first chairman of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy and sponsor of the 1947 McMahon Act creating the Atomic Energy Commission. He also had presidential ambitions, making a brief run for the Democratic nomination in 1952 before withdrawing due to cancer - cancer which killed him shortly afterwards.

What if he never caught cancer? I very much doubt he could win the 1952 nomination, let alone the general election, but I suspect he was actually aiming for the VP slot anyway (although I don't know that for sure). Could he win in 1960?

And, if he did become president, does anyone have any ideas on what his policies would be? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find out much about his political views on non-atomic matters. I know he was a union lawyer at one point, so he's probably pro-labor, but that's not saying much for a Democrat in 1960. Any thoughts?
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