mullauna
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Post by mullauna on Aug 8, 2019 21:04:30 GMT
Our POD is Ronald Reagan is diagnosed in 1972 rather than 1992. He resigns as California Governor and withdraws from public life.
This POD is not big enough to affect Watergate, Agnew's resignation/disgrace or the Congressional Democratic Party leadership basically imposing Gerald Ford on the Trickster.
Now... I can still see Ford choosing Nelson Rockefeller as his VP which means that conservative Republicans are riled up enough to mount a primary challenge in 1976. I can't see any plausible serious candidate being as skilful or as charismatic as Reagan, so Ford is much less damaged going into the general election campaign. Even in our history, had the election been a week later, Ford would have won, so in this alt-history he will beat Jimmy Carter, and win a full elected term
1980 will the Democratic Party's to lose IMO
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Aug 8, 2019 22:09:52 GMT
I suppose the key question would be do you still get a swing hard right in ~1980 on afterwards in the US. There is an argument that the main drivers are still there with increasing power for major business interests and a growing opposition to the dominant social model that had existed since the war. However its possibly that the US might have stayed moderate and centralist for a while longer at least. If this lasted until ~1990 and the collapse of the Soviet Union this could have lasted even longer.
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insect
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Post by insect on Aug 9, 2019 5:08:58 GMT
I think Carter could still defeat Ford the debate gaffe and Nixon pardon hurt him.
I can't imagine Bush being the nominee in 1980 he hasn't won a election in years. With Reagan out a moderate Republican may win no third party Anderson run but since Goldwater ,,64 run the flames been brewing....
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Aug 9, 2019 10:31:24 GMT
I think Carter could still defeat Ford the debate gaffe and Nixon pardon hurt him. I can't imagine Bush being the nominee in 1980 he hasn't won a election in years. With Reagan out a moderate Republican may win no third party Anderson run but since Goldwater ,,64 run the flames been brewing....
If the party doesn't have Reagan pushing to the right could Anderson have become the Republican candidate in 1980? Given the problems that Carter had - assuming the Iran mess still occurs as OTL a moderate Republican is probably even more likely than Reagan to win as he could well draw on voters who were put off by Reagan's rhetoric.
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mullauna
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Post by mullauna on Aug 9, 2019 13:01:39 GMT
I think Carter could still defeat Ford the debate gaffe and Nixon pardon hurt him. I can't imagine Bush being the nominee in 1980 he hasn't won a election in years. With Reagan out a moderate Republican may win no third party Anderson run but since Goldwater ,,64 run the flames been brewing....
If the party doesn't have Reagan pushing to the right could Anderson have become the Republican candidate in 1980? Given the problems that Carter had - assuming the Iran mess still occurs as OTL a moderate Republican is probably even more likely than Reagan to win as he could well draw on voters who were put off by Reagan's rhetoric.
Judging by his presidential campaign advert, Anderson was a lot of smoke and no fire: www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980/john-anderson |
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stevep
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Post by stevep on Aug 9, 2019 14:12:54 GMT
If the party doesn't have Reagan pushing to the right could Anderson have become the Republican candidate in 1980? Given the problems that Carter had - assuming the Iran mess still occurs as OTL a moderate Republican is probably even more likely than Reagan to win as he could well draw on voters who were put off by Reagan's rhetoric.
Judging by his presidential campaign advert, Anderson was a lot of smoke and no fire: www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980/john-anderson
Why do you say that? It looks a bit old fashioned of course compared to today and possibly for the time but gave a brief run down of his experience and value. The quote from Ford towards the end would seem to be a useful selling point it making him sound less like a Washington insider and more like a man of conscience.
Or do you mean simply that his campaign as an independent made no real progress against the established party candidates?
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