President Spiro Agnew runs for election in his own right in 1976

[Lincoln Republican]

In August, 1974, President Richard Nixon is forced to resign the Presidency of the United States as a result of his involvement in the "Watergate Scandal," which amounted to his subversion of the constitution and the breach of his oath of office.  He either reisgned, or he faced inevitable impeachment in Congress.

Vice President Spiro Agnew, a man of unimpeachable integrity and unquestionable honor, is sworn as the 38th President of the United States on August 9, 1974.  Agnew had served as Governor of Maryland from 1967 to 1969, and had run an administration noted for its honesty and openness.  He had served as Vice President of the United States since 1969, and had conducted himself in the Vice Presidency with the utmost integrity.  While President, Agnew led the administration the same way he had conducted himself as Governor and as Vice President, honest, open, fair, and competently.

The highly principled President Agnew refused to pardon Nixon, stating that "no one, not even the President of the United States, is above the law.  I cannot, in all good conscience, pardon criminal behavior.  It would go against every fiber of my being, and against all I have stood for and have fought for my entire public life."

After his swearing in as President of the United States in August, 1974, Agnew nominated Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee to replace him as Vice President.  Senator Baker had been serving in the Senate since 1967, and was widely respected amongst his colleagues and the public at large.  Baker was known as the "Great Cinciliator," and had a reputation as one of the most successful Senators in terms of brokering compromises, enacting legislation, and maintaining civility.

Baker won quick and overwhelming approval from the House and Senate to become the new Vice President.

Going into the 1976 election, the Republican ticket of President Spiro Agnew and Vice President Howard Baker promised to lead an administration that would continue to be uncompromising in it's honesty, openness, and fairness.

The Democrats nominated the moderate, one term, Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter for President, and the experienced, liberal, Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale for Vice President.

Your thoughts please on how such a scenario would play out in the election.  Who wins given these circumstances?  What would a map of the election look like?     

 

[Lincoln Republican]

That's the whole point of this thread.

We all know about Spiro Agnew's real life involvement in accepting bribes.

For purposes of this thread, as stated in my scenario, Spiro Agnew is the model of honesty and integrity, and is above reproach, and, in this scenario, always has been.

Those are the circumstances under which this election is to be addressed.  The "What IF" Agnew, not the real Agnew.