Presidents That Never Were, Part 2

[Bo]

George McGovern/Scoop Jackson-327 EV
Barry Goldwater/Ronald Reagan-211 EV

McGovern attacks Godlwater and says that the U.S. will get nuked and annihilated under his watch, while Godlwater says that McGovern will cause the U.S. to get occupied by the U.S.S.R. In order to seem more hawkish on defense, McGovern picks Scoop Jackson, an anti-Communist hawk. In contrast, Goldwater's pick of Reagan (he wanted a true conservative ticket) does little to help him, and thus McGovern wins comfortably by appearing like a sane moderate in contrast to Goldwater (who is a radical extremist).

[Bo]

George McGovern/Scoop Jackson-327 EV
Barry Goldwater/Ronald Reagan-211 EV

McGovern attacks Godlwater and says that the U.S. will get nuked and annihilated under his watch, while Godlwater says that McGovern will cause the U.S. to get occupied by the U.S.S.R. In order to seem more hawkish on defense, McGovern picks Scoop Jackson, an anti-Communist hawk. In contrast, Goldwater's pick of Reagan (he wanted a true conservative ticket) does little to help him, and thus McGovern wins comfortably by appearing like a sane moderate in contrast to Goldwater (who is a radical extremist).

What? It would be the other way around. Goldwater would crush McGovern.

No, he wouldn't. If McGovern could convince people that he's the only choice who will prevent the U.S. from getting nuked and/or occupied by the Soviets, he will win, especially if he picks a hawk like Scoop Jackson as his VP.