MLK survives assassination, is elected President in 1972

[Blue3]

I know the premise is a little out there... Martin Luther King not only surviving assassination, but being elected President in 1972, and re-elected in 1976. (No Nixon re-election, no Watergate, no Ford, no Carter election).

But that is the premise.

1. What would his presidency be like?
2. How would the history of the US, and its current status, be different?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

A little out there? It's hard to imagine the circumstances that would cause MLK to run in 1972, let alone win both the nomination and election. Tho if he did get the Democratic nomination, he probably does better than McGovern did. Something must have caused the Republicans to lose in 1972 if MLK wins. Most likely thing is Watergate blows up before the election which leads to a Democratic victory.

[RINO Tom]

A little out there? It's hard to imagine the circumstances that would cause MLK to run in 1972, let alone win both the nomination and election. Tho if he did get the Democratic nomination, he probably does better than McGovern did. Something must have caused the Republicans to lose in 1972 if MLK wins. Most likely thing is Watergate blows up before the election which leads to a Democratic victory.

I just can't imagine what MLK's map looks like to win ... I highly doubt he wins the Southern states that Carter did, for example.

[Keep cool-idge]

A little out there? It's hard to imagine the circumstances that would cause MLK to run in 1972, let alone win both the nomination and election. Tho if he did get the Democratic nomination, he probably does better than McGovern did. Something must have caused the Republicans to lose in 1972 if MLK wins. Most likely thing is Watergate blows up before the election which leads to a Democratic victory.

I just indecan't imagine what MLK's map looks like to win ... I highly doubt he wins the Southern states that Carter did, for example.

Besides he would have run as an independent not a democrat or republican.

[The Mikado]

I agree that it's not remotely plausible for him to beat Nixon in 1972. Only route I could imagine him even being competitive is some crazy scenario in which the Democrats nominate a not-shot George Wallace and MLK runs third-party. Wallace would mean that the Democrats would have zero appeal for white liberals and Wallace also has significant crossover appeal for the voters Nixon wants (many of whom voted for Wallace in 1968). Even under those generous circumstances, with white liberals and blacks united behind him and white conservatives split, I'm not sure I can get MLK to a win.

[Blue3]

This thread isn't about IF he could be elected.

It's about what would happen in a MLK presidency in the 70s, and how the history of the US would be changed.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

This thread isn't about IF he could be elected.

It's about what would happen in a MLK presidency in the 70s, and how the history of the US would be changed.

To a large extent, that's dependent upon how he managed to pull off the miracle of getting elected in the first place.

[Devout Centrist]

There is no conceivable way that a self described socialist and black civil rights leader is winning the Presidency in 1972, short of a massive natural disaster, economic depression, or quasi dictatorship.