WI: President W. Averell Harriman

In the 1954 race to succeed Republican Thomas Dewey as Governor of New York, Harriman defeated Dewey's protege, Irving M. Ives. He served as governor for one term until Republican Nelson Rockefeller defeated him in 1958. As governor, he increased personal taxes by 11% but his tenure was dominated by his presidential ambitions. Harriman was a candidate for the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 1952, and again in 1956 when he was endorsed by Truman but lost (both times) to Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson. Harriman was generally considered to be on the left or liberal wing of the Democratic party, hence his losing out to the more moderate Stevenson.

Ok...Is there any plausible way that we could have the Prominent Elder statesman/New York Governor W. Averell Harriman as President of the United States?
 
Well, I wouldn't look for a nineteen fifties POD, he was born circa eighteen ninety after all.

Different POTUSES elected in either 1940 or 1948 could see him as the leading establishment Dem candidate in the postwar era.
 
According to the books I have read, Harriman had the looks, the money and the experience to be a credible Presidential candidate and he might have been a decent President if he could have been elected. However, most of the authors agree that he lacked a sense of humor and came accross as stiff and haughty. In other words, a FDR but without FDR's sunny personality.
I therefore think that the best he could hope for is the Democratic nomination in 1956 and a landslide loss to the popular Eisenhower. If Eisenhower could somehow be eliminated from history, Harriman might have a better chance of winning the Presidency, but even running against Taft, Knowland or Warren, Harriman might appear to be the less appealing candidate.
If, by some combination of circumstances, Harriman was elected, I think his Presiency might combine a very muscular anti-Soviet poicy with a strong civil rights push and a moderate to liberal economic policy. As with any Presidency, events would dictate specfic actions and responses and other than the general tendencies mentioned above, it is hard to predict Harriman's responses to specific events.
 
According to the books I have read, Harriman had the looks, the money and the experience to be a credible Presidential candidate and he might have been a decent President if he could have been elected. However, most of the authors agree that he lacked a sense of humor and came accross as stiff and haughty. In other words, a FDR but without FDR's sunny personality.
I therefore think that the best he could hope for is the Democratic nomination in 1956 and a landslide loss to the popular Eisenhower. If Eisenhower could somehow be eliminated from history, Harriman might have a better chance of winning the Presidency, but even running against Taft, Knowland or Warren, Harriman might appear to be the less appealing candidate.
If, by some combination of circumstances, Harriman was elected, I think his Presiency might combine a very muscular anti-Soviet poicy with a strong civil rights push and a moderate to liberal economic policy. As with any Presidency, events would dictate specfic actions and responses and other than the general tendencies mentioned above, it is hard to predict Harriman's responses to specific events.

Yeah I do agree with Magniac, the a POD in the '50's would probably be to late, as by '52 America was ready for change after 20 some odd years of Republican Administration. I think I've come up with two different scenario's both set in 1948.

1. Dewey defeats Truman: Ok we all know how ridicuously close that election was IOTl, and could have easily went the other way for Dewey. However it is not for certain, especially if the Korean War goes as badly for Dewey as it did for Truman that he would win a second term. Id say if Harriman is able to clinch the nomination in 1952, he might be able to upset Dewey in another close election.

2. Truman picks Harriman as his VP: Although Barkley was a strong VP choice, I just really don't know Age wise and the fact that he was from Kentucky really didn't balance the ticket well in my opinion. He should have targeted the eastern establishment that Dewey had come to represent and picked his Secretary of Commerce and native New Yorker...W. Averell Harriman as his running mate. I think the Truman/Harriman tickect would win around OTL margins. However, due to butterfiles the Torresola & Collazo assassintion attempt at the Blair House could be successfull...Thus thrusting Harriman to the Presidency.
 
Wasn't Truman quite favourable to the idea of Harriman running in '52? Or am I thinking of someone else?

Harriman had a very chequered 'love' life; he was divorced a few times IIRC under rather Rockerfeller-like circumstances. That may totally knock on the head any prospect of him becoming President.
 
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