WI: Richard Nixon Shot in 1968

What if instead of Robert Kennedy being shot in 1968, Richard Nixon is targeted instead and either significantly wounded or assassinated?
 
Could Romney make a comeback? He was in a good ideological position between Rockefeller and Reagan which he could potentially fill in with Nixon's absence. Yeah, his "brainwashing" gaffe was bad but surely not campaign ending bad when the other choices are too far on either side.
 
My guess is George Romney ends up getting the nomination as a compromise when Reagan and Rockefeller deadlock the convention. Romney won't perform as well as Nixon, but 1968 was a weird year. Nixon won big in the electoral college, but the popular vote was a squeaker. If Romney does worse than Nixon, but still not terrible, we could have a scenario where Romney wins the electoral college even though Humphrey wins the popular vote. If Romney does even worse than that, we could see nobody winning a majority of the electoral college, which is George Wallace's dream scenario because now he can dangle his electoral votes as a prize if anybody wants to renounce the Civil Rights Act. Neither Romney or Humphrey would take him up on it, but he'd try.
 
My guess is George Romney ends up getting the nomination as a compromise when Reagan and Rockefeller deadlock the convention. Romney won't perform as well as Nixon, but 1968 was a weird year. Nixon won big in the electoral college, but the popular vote was a squeaker. If Romney does worse than Nixon, but still not terrible, we could have a scenario where Romney wins the electoral college even though Humphrey wins the popular vote. If Romney does even worse than that, we could see nobody winning a majority of the electoral college, which is George Wallace's dream scenario because now he can dangle his electoral votes as a prize if anybody wants to renounce the Civil Rights Act. Neither Romney or Humphrey would take him up on it, but he'd try.

Would either party even accept Wallace's Electoral votes in such a scenario? It could evoke something similar to an 'Adams-Clay corrupt bargain' and then the losing party would claim that the democratic process was subverted. Plus, accepting George Wallace's electoral votes could be a poison pill, especially for the Democrats, as it would be seen as selling ones soul to the segregationist to gain victory.
 

Delta Force

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It seems to be a bad week to be alternate history Richard Nixon. This is the third thread in as many days about him being injured or killed.
 
Would either party even accept Wallace's Electoral votes in such a scenario? It could evoke something similar to an 'Adams-Clay corrupt bargain' and then the losing party would claim that the democratic process was subverted. Plus, accepting George Wallace's electoral votes could be a poison pill, especially for the Democrats, as it would be seen as selling ones soul to the segregationist to gain victory.

The Democrats definitely wouldn't take it, because they know they'll win in the House anyway. The only way they'd take it is if it looks like the Republicans are going to and they want to beat them to the punch. But I doubt the Republicans would make a deal with Wallace either. It would get them the White House in the short term, but it looks terrible in the long term.
 
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