McGovern runs unopposed in 1972

[LBJFan]

There seem to have been a lot of maps on here very unfavorable towards George McGovern. Nixon resigns in 1972. Agnew decides not to run for the presidency since the tax evasion news comes out then and the Republicans can't find a definitive candidate to run.


What happens?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

The GOP nominates Rockefeller, Reagan, Ford, Baker, Kirk...Seriously, the field is wide open. Anyone could of run and beat McGovern.

[NHI]

Reagan wins nomination and beats McGovern handily.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

There seem to have been a lot of maps on here very unfavorable towards George McGovern. Nixon resigns in 1972. Agnew decides not to run for the presidency since the tax evasion news comes out then and the Republicans can't find a definitive candidate to run.


What happens?

If Nixon resigned, they would pick a MUCH better canidate then McGovern. Scoop Jackson comes to mind. Other canidates would include Robert Byrd, George Wallace, Shirley Chisholm, Terry Sanford, Hubert Humphrey, Ed Muskie, and Fred Harris come to mind.

[Dancing with Myself]

There seem to have been a lot of maps on here very unfavorable towards George McGovern. Nixon resigns in 1972. Agnew decides not to run for the presidency since the tax evasion news comes out then and the Republicans can't find a definitive candidate to run.


What happens?

There's no way the Republicans or Democrats would ever not run a candidate. This is not 1820. The Democrats had no chance in hell in 1920, 1924, 1972, and 1984 but still ran candidates, the parties are afraid that they will lose power

[MAINEiac4434]

This may just be because I'm a Mainer, but I think Ed Muskie would be the nominee. He was the favorite entering 1972 (he won both Iowa and New Hampshire), and it's likely because of the Nixon smear campaign's "Canuck Letter", which sparked the "Crying Speech" on that snowy day in front of the Manchester Union Leader building in Manchester, NH, at which point killing any chance Muskie had of ever being president, unfortunately.

Assuming Nixon resigns in 1972, and Agnew doesn't run, I think that there might be general disgust with the GOP. Ed Muskie wins the nomination, because the "Canuck Letter" is never published. George McGovern is his running mate to appeal to the more radical of the party, as Muskie is relatively centrist.

The GOP chooses George Romney with John M. Ashbrook as his running mate. I know this is kind of going against what the entire topic was about, but here is what I think it would be:

Edmund Muskie (ME)/George McGovern (SD) - 334
George Romney (MI)/John M. Ashbrook (OH) -204

My first map posted! Anyway, perhaps I exaggerated Muskie's prowess over Romney. I don't really care, though, cause Muskie is awesome.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This may just be because I'm a Mainer, but I think Ed Muskie would be the nominee. He was the favorite entering 1972 (he won both Iowa and New Hampshire), and it's likely because of the Nixon smear campaign's "Canuck Letter", which sparked the "Crying Speech" on that snowy day in front of the Manchester Union Leader building in Manchester, NH, at which point killing any chance Muskie had of ever being president, unfortunately.

Assuming Nixon resigns in 1972, and Agnew doesn't run, I think that there might be general disgust with the GOP. Ed Muskie wins the nomination, because the "Canuck Letter" is never published. George McGovern is his running mate to appeal to the more radical of the party, as Muskie is relatively centrist.

The GOP chooses George Romney with John M. Ashbrook as his running mate. I know this is kind of going against what the entire topic was about, but here is what I think it would be:

Edmund Muskie (ME)/George McGovern (SD) - 334
George Romney (MI)/John M. Ashbrook (OH) -204

My first map posted! Anyway, perhaps I exaggerated Muskie's prowess over Romney. I don't really care, though, cause Muskie is awesome.

Vermont and NH were both Republican strongholds back then, as was Indiana. Illinois was a swing state. That's what I know, at least. I don't think the margins would be so wide.

[MAINEiac4434]

This may just be because I'm a Mainer, but I think Ed Muskie would be the nominee. He was the favorite entering 1972 (he won both Iowa and New Hampshire), and it's likely because of the Nixon smear campaign's "Canuck Letter", which sparked the "Crying Speech" on that snowy day in front of the Manchester Union Leader building in Manchester, NH, at which point killing any chance Muskie had of ever being president, unfortunately.

Assuming Nixon resigns in 1972, and Agnew doesn't run, I think that there might be general disgust with the GOP. Ed Muskie wins the nomination, because the "Canuck Letter" is never published. George McGovern is his running mate to appeal to the more radical of the party, as Muskie is relatively centrist.

The GOP chooses George Romney with John M. Ashbrook as his running mate. I know this is kind of going against what the entire topic was about, but here is what I think it would be:

Edmund Muskie (ME)/George McGovern (SD) - 334
George Romney (MI)/John M. Ashbrook (OH) -204

My first map posted! Anyway, perhaps I exaggerated Muskie's prowess over Romney. I don't really care, though, cause Muskie is awesome.

Vermont and NH were both Republican strongholds back then, as was Indiana. Illinois was a swing state. That's what I know, at least. I don't think the margins would be so wide.

I figured the "home state" rule would apply to a moderate from Maine like Muskie (alliteration much?). I guess you're right. So it would look more like this:

Democrats: Edmund Muskie (ME)/George McGovern (SD) - 314
Republicans: George Romney (MI)/John M. Ashbrook (OH) - 224