WI: The Watergate Burglars Aren't Caught?

A more immediate question - if no one notices the Watergate burglary, where does Nixon's paranoia express itself next? He's absolutely certain that Havana and Moscow are funding the Demcratic Party. If the proof wasn't in the DNC's financial records, where does he look next?
I'm pretty sure there were also plans for activities and surveillance at the Democratic National Convention in Miami. If the burglars aren't caught at the Watergate, they might get caught in Miami and Nixon would probably be suspected even faster.
 
I've been thinking about this, and one potential butterfly could be substantially less distrust of the federal government in American society. OTL, the twin blows of Vietnam and Watergate made Americans distrust their government greatly. TTL, Watergate hasn't happened, so we will probably see government as more of a positive influence, and less as the Big Bad Government coming to Take Your Rights and Money. This would probably lead to a more generally liberal population than OTL. How realistic is this?
 
I've been thinking about this, and one potential butterfly could be substantially less distrust of the federal government in American society. OTL, the twin blows of Vietnam and Watergate made Americans distrust their government greatly. TTL, Watergate hasn't happened, so we will probably see government as more of a positive influence, and less as the Big Bad Government coming to Take Your Rights and Money. This would probably lead to a more generally liberal population than OTL. How realistic is this?

While I've speculated on that question myself, I'd say that Liberals don't necessarily trust government any more than Conservatives do. The fact that I am one and don't trust it has nothing to do with it, of course.:D
 
Nixon can't legally take Reagan as VP - they're from the same state.

Nixon and Reagan can not run on the same ticket unless they forfeit the vote from California. But replacement of a VP under the terms of the 25th Amendment does not involve the Electoral College, so Reagan would have been eligible.
 
Nixon was popular enough that it's certainly plausible the 22nd could get overturned.
Democrats controlled Congress. He was popular enough that it could become a visible public topic (keep in mind, under every administration since the 22nd amendment, there have been calls to repeal it no matter party or president then currently in place), but not to get it overturned.


Why would Nixon choose Connally over Ford?

Suppose that without Watergate, the Agnew scandal does not surface until early 1975 and Agnew resigns two years later. Now, Reagan's term as governor ended in 1975. Suppose he announces a consideration to run for president. There is nothing in the 25th Amendment that prevents Nixon from nominating Reagan as VP. After all, they will never be running mates.
Agnew's resignation and the scandal which lead to it was not related to Watergate as far as I know.

Nixon wanted Connally or Reagan as VP. He could certainly pick Reagan but I think he would want Connally more (in IOTL he didn't pick Connally because of Watergate)
Connally declined to be VP because he thought the Vice Presidency was a useless job.
 
Agnew's resignation and the scandal which lead to it was not related to Watergate as far as I know.

Agnew's problems were not related to Watergate, but perhaps they were revealed sooner because the latter created a heightened level of distrust and a call to investigate. After all, much of it remained hidden from the years before Agnew was VP.
 
Top