If he lived longer, would Wendell Willkie ever have been president?

[President Johnson]

Wendell Willkie, the 1940 Republican nominee, sadly died at 52 in October 1944. If he lived into his 80s, would he ever have been president? He was charismatic, a great campaigner and a business-friendly pro-New Deal liberal with strong pro-civil rights stances (actually some earlier version of Nelson Rockefeller).

I think he may have ousted Harry Truman in 1948 or won in 1952 (at age 60) as Republican nominee. Not sure though he may have returned to the Democrats later on. Towards the end of his life, FDR actually tried to get Willkie back. I doubt he would have though, especially since he once ran as Republican and his civil rights views were out of step with the Dixiecrats.

[Agonized-Statism]

No. Dewey would have had more star power in the 1940s and the Eastern Establishment had already started losing power in the 1950s.

[Alben Barkley]

FDR wanted Willkie on his VP ticket for 1944, and even discussed the possibility of forming a separate liberal party with him after the war. Of course, neither lived to see the end of it. And even if Willkie had accepted his offer for 1944, he would have died before being sworn in.