Nixon became president in 1953

[buritobr]

Eisenhower's airplane crashes in April 1953. Nixon becomes the youngest US president. How would be his administration?

[brucejoel99]

Nixon, even lacking his trademark paranoia, wouldn't have been ready to be President at this point. From what I understand, Eisenhower didn't think very much of him during their time together as President & Vice President, & I think that if Ike had succumbed to such a freak accident, then the electorate would agree. I think many would also be quite upset that the man they idolized for his service in WW2 was replaced by such a man as "Tricky Dick."

There's also the fact that Nixon was rather close to McCarthy, & while he was no idiot, I think he might indulge the man more than Eisenhower did, which could be very ugly for him.

As far as foreign policy goes, I don't have much to base this on, but I do get the feeling that Nixon would be far more aggressive (though not as competent) in responding to the Hungarian Revolution & Suez Crisis, which would be a disaster, in all likelihood.

I'm not sure what would happen in 1956, to be honest, but I do get the feeling that the Democrat (be it Adlai or somebody else entirely) would win.

[President Johnson]

Nixon, even lacking his trademark paranoia, wouldn't have been ready to be President at this point. From what I understand, Eisenhower didn't think very much of him during their time together as President & Vice President, & I think that if Ike had succumbed to such a freak accident, then the electorate would agree. I think many would also be quite upset that the man they idolized for his service in WW2 was replaced by such a man as "Tricky Dick."

There's also the fact that Nixon was rather close to McCarthy, & while he was no idiot, I think he might indulge the man more than Eisenhower did, which could be very ugly for him.

As far as foreign policy goes, I don't have much to base this on, but I do get the feeling that Nixon would be far more aggressive (though not as competent) in responding to the Hungarian Revolution & Suez Crisis, which would be a disaster, in all likelihood.

I'm not sure what would happen in 1956, to be honest, but I do get the feeling that the Democrat (be it Adlai or somebody else entirely) would win.

I agree. I think Nixon would have have been a much better president if he was elected in 1960 instead of 1968. Before the 1960 loss, he was far less paranoid, but still had his great political instincts. It's hard to deny Nixon was a political mastermind and knew how government and international affairs worked. Furthermore, he was more moderate in these days considering the Southern Strategy wasn't a thing back then.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

@brucejoel To be fair to Nixon, his foreign policy record in the legislature was fairly internationalist, as I recall, and throughout his Vice Presidency he counted Tom Dewey a friend, so I don't think it would be completely fair to dismiss him as the type of guy who would drop a nuke on North Korea (as much as even Eisenhower threatened that) or the like. Nevertheless, he probably would have been more willing than Ike to risk budget deficits for the sake of defense spending and "parity" (the US already led them) with the Soviets. He was also opposite Eisenhower on tax cuts, and likely would have been more willing to use a combination of spending increases and tax relief during recessions, which Eisenhower, ever fiscally conscious, was loath to do.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

I could see John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Thomas Dewey having the most notable impact on the young president. 1954 elections would probably be a disaster, but with Nixon eventually steadying himself and establishing a governing philosophy, and him being more Keynesian than Eisenhower, he could probably have the economy and national support needed for re-election, albeit perhaps narrowly.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

I could see John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Thomas Dewey having the most notable impact on the young president. 1954 elections would probably be a disaster, but with Nixon eventually steadying himself and establishing a governing philosophy, and him being more Keynesian than Eisenhower, he could probably have the economy and national support needed for re-election, albeit perhaps narrowly.

Which Dems would run in 1956? And which one would do the best electorally?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

I could see John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Thomas Dewey having the most notable impact on the young president. 1954 elections would probably be a disaster, but with Nixon eventually steadying himself and establishing a governing philosophy, and him being more Keynesian than Eisenhower, he could probably have the economy and national support needed for re-election, albeit perhaps narrowly.

Which Dems would run in 1956? And which one would do the best electorally?

I wouldn't have much reason to think it'd be different from how it went down in our timeline--though perhaps with a much more beatable opponent, Kefauver or someone with a bit more energy and bit less "retread" vibe is able to win the nomination. I'm not very much up on the respective pros and cons of folks like Kefauver, Harriman, etc.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Haha, my very first forum post was about this scenario.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

I could see John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Thomas Dewey having the most notable impact on the young president. 1954 elections would probably be a disaster, but with Nixon eventually steadying himself and establishing a governing philosophy, and him being more Keynesian than Eisenhower, he could probably have the economy and national support needed for re-election, albeit perhaps narrowly.

Which Dems would run in 1956? And which one would do the best electorally?

I wouldn't have much reason to think it'd be different from how it went down in our timeline--though perhaps with a much more beatable opponent, Kefauver or someone with a bit more energy and bit less "retread" vibe is able to win the nomination. I'm not very much up on the respective pros and cons of folks like Kefauver, Harriman, etc.

How would you consider Nixon's legacy to be here? As president from 1953 to 1961, taking office at an astoundingly young age? Would he have any future electoral career?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Wouldn't Eisenhower be the second-shortest-serving US President in history here?
Looking at it from a historical angle, this plane crash would be as traumatic as the Kennedy assassination and/or 9/11.
As brucejoel pointed out, Nixon would be unready. I think he'd rely a lot on older politicians and people to guide his policymaking as chances are high he'd realize this. 1956 might be winnable for the GOP still, though an experienced D stateman might make the race very hard for the GOP win if things went their way.

I could see John Foster Dulles, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Thomas Dewey having the most notable impact on the young president. 1954 elections would probably be a disaster, but with Nixon eventually steadying himself and establishing a governing philosophy, and him being more Keynesian than Eisenhower, he could probably have the economy and national support needed for re-election, albeit perhaps narrowly.

Which Dems would run in 1956? And which one would do the best electorally?

I wouldn't have much reason to think it'd be different from how it went down in our timeline--though perhaps with a much more beatable opponent, Kefauver or someone with a bit more energy and bit less "retread" vibe is able to win the nomination. I'm not very much up on the respective pros and cons of folks like Kefauver, Harriman, etc.

How would you consider Nixon's legacy to be here? As president from 1953 to 1961, taking office at an astoundingly young age? Would he have any future electoral career?

I'm completely talking out of my ass when I say this:

Let's imagine that Nixon wins a second term, and in doing so and in listening to his advisers, both the defense budget and domestic spending have expanded. I think there's the possibility that, with some political wind at his back, he makes attempts to curb both of these trends and perhaps goes off in a more "Eisenhower-esque" direction--starts focusing more on empowering local partners and the use of nuclear deterrence. At the same time, if we pretend like 1970s Nixon is related to 1950s Nixon, he probably makes an early effort towards arms control, and perhaps tries to link it to


The Nixon foreign policy of 1969-1974 was centered around this idea of creating a structured playing field of tiered powers, and using arms control as leverage for getting the Soviet Union to keep their subordinates in line. Nixon probably is not as sophisticated a thinker in his early forties as he was in his late fifties. So I imagine he would be left with a few choices: Follow Dulles' more hawkish approach that relied specifically on a nuclear deterrent (and, per Eisenhower's intentions, cut the cost of conventional forces); follow the advice of more liberal Republicans and expand the defense budget along conventional lines while perhaps aiming towards arms control and/or human rights; or follow the advice of the Taftites and focus specifically on domestic defense and anti-communism. The third option is out. I imagine he probably ends up taking bits and pieces from the first two philosophies and gradually matures into having his own view of things (which is perhaps not identical to him OTL). Remember also that he doesn't have Kissinger at this point.

Given Nixon's domestic political instincts, I imagine we probably see expanded domestic budgets, particularly in response to recessions (he and Ike's Labor Secretary butted heads with Ike when he refused to cut taxes during a recession), and at first we see expanded defense budgets. Nevertheless, I can imagine that, having successfully fought off a Democratic challenger and having built some political capital, he turns toward cementing a legacy that is very much his own. This may in some respects come to resemble Eisenhower's in overall focus: nuclear deterrence and empowering regional partners. However, he may be inclined to actually see through the first arms control negotiations, for which there were numerous botched opportunities in the RL 1950s. Additionally, while Dulles and Eisenhower had often contemplated that all Communists were not the same, and not necessarily controlled by Moscow, attempts at cajoling Mao's China were either feeble or very forceful--as in "we'll show you what life is like on the outside before we let you inside!" Maybe Nixon makes the opening to China right as the Sino-Soviet split is happening?

So let's imagine the 1950s ending with a United States somewhat more confident in the Cold War than it was in real life--Democrats, particularly Kennedy, attacked the Eisenhower administration on gains made by the Second World during the 1950s relative to the US. This sets Nixon up to look rather well as his second term ends, though there will be greater deficits than there were under OTL Eisenhower.

Nixon, despite not being particularly conservative in terms of overall policy, had running gripes with some of the liberal Republicans who were always a threat to him. I don't imagine Rockefeller gets the standing in the administration that he had under Eisenhower, and, if elected Governor of New York in 1958, the administration will do what it can to make sure he doesn't take the nomination. So who does win the 1960 Republican nomination? Well, we have to ask who Nixon chose for Vice President four years prior. He needs someone with moderate credentials and impeccable experience to help allay the concerns of the voters and, more importantly, the RNC delegates (I imagine Harold Stassen or some other buffon tries to unseat him in '56). I have an out-of-the-box suggestion: Thomas Dewey. A mentor to Nixon while the latter was VP, a party stalwart, and Governor of the most populous state in the union as recently as 1954, Dewey would make an attractive VP choice for an inexperienced and embattled executive. And, in 1960, Dewey, though probably wooden, uncharismatic, and out of touch, is only 58! As a twice-failed nominee, this puts Dewey in an awkward position, and, if we believe his Wikipedia biography, I'm guessing there's a substantial movement among the party elite to reject Dewey outright, but he would perhaps have far more legitimacy as an incumbent VP. The other counterfactual is that Dewey refused presidential appointments by Ike, Johnson, and Nixon, and ran an incredibly lucrative law firm, so he might have no interest in the Vice Presidency.

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. is an overly obvious choice because Nixon chose him four years later, but he could be the necessary bone throw to Nixon's intra-party enemies needed to secure renomination. If that is the case, I'd imagine that Lodge looses the fight to secure a third term for the GOP, if he even bothers pursuing the nomination. Potentially underrated, maybe Prescott Bush? Another friend of Eisenhower's, has the backing of eastern finance, and not a boat rocker. I also don't imagine another New England patrician running too energetic a general election campaign four years later, but maybe there's a chance with this one? Would be fairly interesting to have a Bush presidency in the 1960s. Sans a strong VP, I could see the nomination going to Rockefeller, with neither Nixon nor the Goldwaterites happy about that. While we can imagine Rockefeller running an enthusiastic campaign and having substantial across-the-aisle appeal, would he hold the Midwest? Ohio in particular is probably likely to fall, and the right #populist could probably take parts of the Mountain West or the plains against him.

In the end, we thus face the prospect that Kennedy is still elected and the 1960s go as planned. Wherefore Nixon? He is now in "retirement" at the age of forty-eight! He could barely stand it in OTL, I doubt he has the patience for thirty more years of mere "quiet reflection" in Yorba Linda. It would nevertheless be unbecoming for a former president to run a statewide race, let alone risk losing one, and the House is too obscure a platform. I would imagine that, like OTL, he would take an interest in foreign affairs and pen his memoirs. As a former US president, he'd be received greatly throughout much of the free world and would also have the opportunity to be in contact with academics like Dr. Kissinger should he feel the inclination. Nevertheless, the limits of this sort of informal power would probably be mind-numbingly frustrating and, I imagine by the time a Republican president takes office in 1969 or the 1970s, Nixon is treated as a go-to Godfather of sorts, particularly if said president is moderate or liberal rather than a Goldwaterite. It would be very unconventional to appoint a former president as Secretary of State, but let's say there's maybe a 10% chance of that under, say, a president Charles Percy, George H.W. Bush, or Bob Dole.

The below is my attempt to put together a reasonably imaginative list of presidents in this scenario. George H.W. Bush got retconned out since butterflies involve Tower's election to Yarborough's seat in 1964. Even though not in office when Tower and Dole were elected to the Senate, Nixon is still a sort of "father figure" in that he was the most recent (successful) GOP president during the 1960s, and there's a fair chance that Rockefeller's heart health doesn't keep him in contention for long anyway. As such, he's able to play foreign affairs mentor into the 1990s, when he dies.

34. Dwight D. Eisenhower (Republican-Pennsylvania)/Richard M. Nixon (Republican-California) 1953
35. Richard M. Nixon (Republican-California)/vacant, Prescott Bush (Republican-Connecticut) 1953-1961
36. Nelson A. Rockefeller (Republican-New York)/Roman L. Hruska (Republican-Nebraska) 1961-1965
37. John F. Kennedy (D-MA)/Terry Sanford (D-NC) 1965-1970
38. Terry Sanford (D-NC)/vacant 1970-1973
39. John G. Tower (R-TX)/Charles H. Percy (R-IL) 1973-1981
40. Robert F. Kennedy (D-MA)/Reuben O. Askew (D-FL) 1981
41. Reuben O. Askew (D-FL)/vacant, Walter Mondale (D-MN) 1981-1989
42. Robert J. Dole (R-KS)/Howard H. Baker Jr. (R-TN) 1989-1997

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Then, Barry Goldwater becomes Prez in 1968 in the aftermath of Vietnam. Jay Edgar Hoover wanted Goldwater or Nixon in office after Kennedys