What If: President Eisenhower died in September 1955?

[JoeinOhio]

In OTL, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack in September of 1955, but recovered and won a landslide reelection in 1956.

What if President Eisenhower had died from that heart attack in September 1955? How would the young President Nixon (then age 42) handle the various international, domestic, and political events of the mid-to-late 1950s? Would President Nixon be the Republican nominee in 1956? If so, who would Nixon pick as his running mate? Would Nixon win in 1956? (He would still be eligible to run again for a second full term in 1960). Would Stevenson or someone else (perhaps NY Gov. W. Averell Harriman or TN Sen. Estes Kefauver) be the Democratic nominee in 1956?
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[Blackfox5]

Originally Posted by JoeinOhio

In OTL, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a serious heart attack in September of 1955, but recovered and won a landslide reelection in 1956.

What if President Eisenhower had died from that heart attack in September 1955? How would the young President Nixon (then age 42) handle the various international, domestic, and political events of the mid-to-late 1950s? Would President Nixon be the Republican nominee in 1956? If so, who would Nixon pick as his running mate? Would Nixon win in 1956? (He would still be eligible to run again for a second full term in 1960). Would Stevenson or someone else (perhaps NY Gov. W. Averell Harriman or TN Sen. Estes Kefauver) be the Democratic nominee in 1956?
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Nixon would likely be the nominee. Nixon would probably perform well as President. He was smart and competent at governing. Even at that early age, I don't see him screwing up too bad that he'd lose his own party's nomination.

I don't know if he'd win in 1956. It depends on how well he does in that year of office. The Hungary (and possibly the Suez) crisis late in 1956 could either win it for him, or sink him depending on how well he handled it.

Dems pick would likely be either Stevenson or Kefauver. Same dynamics apply as the nomination IOTL.

[Derek Jackson]

Unless Tricky Dicky REALLY screws up he wins in 1956. I understand that there was some kind of recession in the late 1950s. Of course any blaim would fall even more heavily on Nixon than OTL. On the other hand inumbency helps a lot.

The key issue is Cuba. As I see it the US had three options in responding to the revolution. 1) Do some kind of deal with the revolutionary government

2) OTL complain a lot and look stupid

3) Something between WW3 or a Vietnam analogue




I fear Nixon would have done the third/


So what happens in 1960?

JFK might still win.



Other thing is the Vice Presidency. Who does Nixon choose as running mate.

Would he want to choose a potentail succesor or someone who would be more subordinate?

[serbrcq]

Originally Posted by Derek Jackson

The key issue is Cuba. As I see it the US had three options in responding to the revolution.

I can't see him doing anything different from Eisenhower. Before he declared the "socialist nature of the revolution" in 1961, America was fairly lukewarm about Castro. There'd been a spate of tit-for-tat nationalizations and indications of Soviet influence, which were the rationale behind the Bay of Pigs, but nothing to indicate a threat serious enough to justify large-scale invasion or WWIII.

[Peelitebkearns]

I actually started a TL with this as the Pod. Nixon is fairly successful as president on the whole.

In 1956, he faces a couple of primary challenges from Stasson and Knoland, though in the end he wins the primaries easily (despite some small-scail Watergate-esc activity).

Nixon wins big in 1956 for simelar reasons to Ike, plus like LBJ in OTL, he's riding on a wave of sympathy for the late President Eisenhower. Everet Durkson was his running mate-I think he'd want someone a bit older than him and someone who could potentially succeed him, but he'd also want loyalty. I did toy with the idea of having him choose Hugh Scott, or as a wildcard-Doug Mackarthur!

Stevenson was the nominee in 1956-I don't see that changing.

He doesn't interfear as much in Suez-he simply doesn't have the stature to pull that off. Instead he offers his survices to nigociate an end to the situation, immediately creating world-changing butterflies-Anthony Eden has a more dignified exit from 10 Downing Street ITTL.

I think Nixon excelerates Civel Rights here-the Rosa Parks incident still happens and acts as a catolist. The greater push for Civel Rights does lead to more violence in the US however and has interesting affects on South African politics...

The Dems hold on to the south for a bit longer as a result of a republican president leading the way on Civel Rights-though the Democrats still put forward CR policies, so the blaim/creddit is more equally shared between the 2 parties.

I didn't manage to complete the TL, but personally I think that in this scenario, Nixon will probably pull off a somewhat narrower win in 1960. Personally, I'm not sure JFK would even run in 1960, in these circumstances. If it looks like Nixon will win, it might be more sensible for him to sit out 1960 in favour of running in 1964, knowing Nixon can't run then.

You'd still have some low-level amount of Watergate-esc activities, but they won't be as much as OTL-Nixon's a bit less paranoid for one and the media of the late 50's was completely different to that of the 1970's.

[Wendell]

Nixon might not even run again in this alternate 1960.

[Paul V McNutt]

Originally Posted by Wendell

Nixon might not even run again in this alternate 1960.

That is interesting, Why wouldn't he run?

[Plumber]

Originally Posted by Paul V McNutt

That is interesting, Why wouldn't he run?

It seems completely out of character for him.

One butterfly here is that Johnson was seen as never to get the Presidency after his heart attack until Ike ran again after his. If Ike dies here...

[Wendell]

Originally Posted by Paul V McNutt

That is interesting, Why wouldn't he run?

He'd be president for nearly 10 years, civil rights might diminish his popularity in some sectors, and the economy is starting to slide, meaning that his chances for victory are not all that great.

[Paul V McNutt]

SO what happens in 1960? Does Nixon pick Henry Cabot Lodge as his running mate in 1956? Does Rockefeller run?