Wallace v. Nixon '72

[TommyC1776]

let's say George Wallace became the Democratic nominee in 1972, would this be a good map, below?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

ha ha. Wallace would definately NOT win DC. He would also have trouble in Maryland since most Democrats there are blacks and liberal whites who would vote for Nixon with the same mentality as the French who voted for Chiraq over Le Pen.

More than likely a non-racist liberal Democrat would run as a third party, exact opposite of 1968. They would win DC, but if it was my hero McGovern, that's all they'd win.

[King]

[ilikeverin]

King's Map

[Dr. Cynic]

If I had to vote for one of the two party candidates, whom I most certainly am hostile to, I'd've gouged my eyes out with a wet noodle.

[King]

Anyway, I think there would have been outrage that lead to a party like the "New Democrats" to form and nominate Muskie, McGovern, McCarthy, or Humphrey

[Michael Z]

Something like this...?



Richard Nixon/Spiro Agnew (Rep) - 387
George Wallace/John Schmitz (Dem) - 75
Edmund Muskie/Morris Udall (New Dem) - 76

[Michael Z]

As totally unlikely as this entire scenario is, I think it even MORE unlikely that John Schmitz would be George Wallace's running mate. Schmitz was a Republican U.S. Representative from California and a member of the John Birch Society. Not exactly much in common with Wallace in economics and probably not too close in foreign affairs either. The nomination of Schmitz in '72 by the American Independent Party (Wallace's vehicle for his presidential run in 1968) is what split the party into the AIP and the American Party.

Oh, right. If I'm honest I was really clutching at straws there. I had a feeling Wallace wouldn't have chosen Schmitz, but I couldn't come up with another name, so I just went with that.

Who do you think would've been Wallace's running mate? Would he have chosen someone close to his ideals, or would he have maybe chosen someone to ideologically balance the ticket and avoid a split in the party (say, Udall or McGovern)? How about a Wallace/Chisholm ticket to REALLY confuse the electorate?

[King]

I have no clue what traditional Democrat would have accepted the veep slot in the highly unlikely scenario of Wallace winning the Democratic nomination. Perhaps a moderate midwesterner but I have no name to offer.

He was winning the early primaries...if he hadn't gotten shot then maybe the outcome would be different...

[TommyC1776]

He would also have trouble in Maryland since most Democrats there are blacks and liberal whites

I thought he won the primary there, though

[Dr. Cynic]

I think Muskie and Udall would've won PA and NY.

[??????????]

John Birch society!

[TommyC1776]

well how couls a racist man be winning primaries, at least in the north?