If the non-incumbent winner didn’t run (post WWII)

[Sir Mohamed]

What if, since 1952, the non-incumbent winner of each presidential election had never entered the race? Who would have become president? My thoughts:

1952: Robert Taft (Dems were doomed that year; but as he died in August 1953, his VP would have taken over soon. Maybe even Nixon?)

1960: Richard Nixon (I don’t see someone else other than JFK beating Nixon; a small chance Johnson wins, he would have been the nominee)

1968: Nelson Rockefeller (He was second for the nomination and would have won the GE, possibly by a larger margin than Nixon)

1980: HW Bush (he was the runner-up, almost any GOPer would have won)

1988: Bob Dole (runner-up, he beats Dukakis)

1992: That’s tricky, probably Jerry Brown (HW loses in any case; if Mario Cuomo enters the race, him)

2000: John McCain (as GOP nominee, I see him winning narrowly, but by a wider margin than W)

2008: Hillary Clinton (obvious)

2016: Hillary Clinton (if not Trump, Cruz would have been the GOP nominee and lost the GE)

[Sir Mohamed]

1952: Robert Taft
1960: JFK
1968: Election gets Thrown Into House, where Humphrey Wins

1976: Henry Jackson
1980: George HW Bush(Unless some other major Republican who didnt run due to Reagan being viewed as inevitable ran)
1988: Bob Dole
1992: Jerry Brown (But Election possibly gets thrown to the House)
2000: John McCain
2008: Hillary Clinton
2016: John Kasich(I think without Trump in the race he dominates the Midwestern and the North East Primaries and Rubio still implodes at the NH debate)

I doubt Kasich would have won the nomination. Ted Cruz would have been the nominee if Trump stayed out.

1976 was with an incumbent, btw.

[Sir Mohamed]

1952: Robert Taft
1960: JFK
1968: Election gets Thrown Into House, where Humphrey Wins

1976: Henry Jackson
1980: George HW Bush(Unless some other major Republican who didnt run due to Reagan being viewed as inevitable ran)
1988: Bob Dole
1992: Jerry Brown (But Election possibly gets thrown to the House)
2000: John McCain
2008: Hillary Clinton
2016: John Kasich(I think without Trump in the race he dominates the Midwestern and the North East Primaries and Rubio still implodes at the NH debate)

I doubt Kasich would have won the nomination. Ted Cruz would have been the nominee if Trump stayed out.

1976 was with an incumbent, btw.

you said non incumbent winner:

Ford Lost

Actually I meant each election with no incumbent involved like 2008 or 2016.

[Sir Mohamed]

1952: Robert Taft
1960: JFK
1968: Election gets Thrown Into House, where Humphrey Wins

1976: Henry Jackson
1980: George HW Bush(Unless some other major Republican who didnt run due to Reagan being viewed as inevitable ran)
1988: Bob Dole
1992: Jerry Brown (But Election possibly gets thrown to the House)
2000: John McCain
2008: Hillary Clinton
2016: John Kasich(I think without Trump in the race he dominates the Midwestern and the North East Primaries and Rubio still implodes at the NH debate)

I doubt Kasich would have won the nomination. Ted Cruz would have been the nominee if Trump stayed out.

1976 was with an incumbent, btw.

you said non incumbent winner:

Ford Lost

Actually I meant each election with no incumbent involved like 2008 or 2016.

you did include 1992

You're right. I don't know why I didn't think about '76