Who would have had the least humiliating landslide against Nixon in 1972

[morgankingsley]

Honestly, despite the fact he would probably only win 5 or 6 states, I think it would actually be George Wallace. He would have still lost big, but he would have made it respectable, at least in comparison to the others.

[Lord Admirale]

Either George Wallace or Ted Kennedy, but Kennedy was still in hot water due to Chappaquiddick and is vulnerable to affairs plaguing his campaign.

Wallace would've traded in Massachusetts for the deep south (SC, GA, AL, MS, LA) and would've had a stronger EC margin compared to McGovern.

[MAINEiac4434]

Muskie. Extremely popular, known for bipartisanship. He scared Nixon so much he had the Plumbers forge a letter making him appear racist.

[dw93]

Muskie. Extremely popular, known for bipartisanship. He scared Nixon so much he had the Plumbers forge a letter making him appear racist.

This. IRC, there were even some polls taken in 1971 that had Muskie narrowly leading Nixon. HHH would've fared better than McGovern to, but still would've lost decisively.

[Mail-order President]

Humphrey, Muskie, Scoop Jackson.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Humphrey had the highest floor, Muskie had the highest ceiling.

[MillennialModerate]

If the truth about Watergate came out 6 months earlier than it did ... and Muskie & Ted Kennedy we’re together on the Democratic ticket, I think Democrats could have won. Despite Chappiquidick and Nixon’s favorable up to that point.

[America's Sweetheart ❤/𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖙𝖞 𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖗]

Either George Wallace or Ted Kennedy, but Kennedy was still in hot water due to Chappaquiddick and is vulnerable to affairs plaguing his campaign.

Wallace would've traded in Massachusetts for the deep south (SC, GA, AL, MS, LA) and would've had a stronger EC margin compared to McGovern.

Wallace would have won the Deep South handily, but would have done much worse than McGovern basically everywhere else. I think Nixon would have pummeled him by at least a 65-34 margin in the PV, and he may have even won DC.

[Mr. Smith]

Humphrey had the highest floor, Muskie had the highest ceiling.

This.

[Lechasseur]

Humphrey had the highest floor, Muskie had the highest ceiling.

This.

[The Govanah Jake]

Muskie

[MIKESOWELL]

Probably Edmund Muskie. Nixon feared him the most that upcoming election year.

[Pandaguineapig]

John Lindsay could have held the Northeast and some Midwestern states

[MillennialModerate]

If the truth about Watergate came out 6 months earlier than it did ... and Muskie & Ted Kennedy we’re together on the Democratic ticket, I think Democrats could have won. Despite Chappiquidick and Nixon’s favorable up to that point.

What does "the truth" mean?

If the full truth came out, Nixon probably would've had to resign as he eventually did. Democrats probably could've beaten Agnew; it's true. But Watergate was already being reported before election day 1972, and Nixon won as he did.

The truth meaning that Nixon knew of it soon after it happened and so on. He won in 72 but prevailing wisdom at the time of the election was that it was low level people that was totally unrelated to Nixon.

If Watergate truth comes out before October of ‘72 then both Teddy and Muskie would have beaten him IMO. Muskie decively, Teddy decively without Chappiquidick & narrowly with it.