Watergate scandal in 1972
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  Watergate scandal in 1972
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its_gi_brown
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« on: December 02, 2021, 11:41:04 AM »

If the Watergate scandal was revealed and hit its peak during the 1972 campaign season, what changes would happen? How different would the results be for the presidential & congressional elections?
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Agonized-Statism
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« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2022, 03:14:53 PM »


President Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Vice President Spiro Agnew (R-MD)
Senator George McGovern (D-SD) / Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) ✓
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NewYorkExpress
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« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2022, 12:46:55 AM »

Given McGovern was a horrible candidate for 1972, Nixon would still win, but it would be slightly closer.


McGovern picks up New York from the 1972 map.
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Schiff for Senate
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« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2022, 03:03:12 PM »


President Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Vice President Spiro Agnew (R-MD)
Senator George McGovern (D-SD) / Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) ✓
Given McGovern was a horrible candidate for 1972, Nixon would still win, but it would be slightly closer.


McGovern picks up New York from the 1972 map.

I think somewhere in between these two, though the map above is probably closer to what would actually happen (I think McGovern would win).

But I don't see how it's fair to have Ted Kennedy be his running mate; the OP's premise changes only the Watergate scandal, not running mate picks, and picking Kennedy is a significant choice that would greatly help McGovern compared to what he actually did (choose Eagleton, drop him because of a scandal, and then choose Ted's brother-in-law). So McGovern would probably lose some of the states he won in the above map, plus perhaps a few others since the OP may be overestimating McGovern more generally. My guess is the 4 or 5 closest states might flip.

In critiquing the map below, I would say that the reasoning is flawed - yes, McGovern was still a horrible candidate, BUT Watergate would really doom Nixon's chances regardless of his opponent. You seem to underestimate the effect of Watergate on Nixon's popularity.

Lastly, it seems like a ripe opportunity for a third-party candidate since McGovern was pretty disliked as well, and Nixon would be hated by the American public after Watergate like in real life.
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Agonized-Statism
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« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2022, 03:15:58 PM »

But I don't see how it's fair to have Ted Kennedy be his running mate; the OP's premise changes only the Watergate scandal, not running mate picks, and picking Kennedy is a significant choice that would greatly help McGovern compared to what he actually did (choose Eagleton, drop him because of a scandal, and then choose Ted's brother-in-law).

It's "not fair"? Realistically, Kennedy wouldn't have turned down the vice presidency after Watergate broke.
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Schiff for Senate
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« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2022, 03:22:58 PM »

But I don't see how it's fair to have Ted Kennedy be his running mate; the OP's premise changes only the Watergate scandal, not running mate picks, and picking Kennedy is a significant choice that would greatly help McGovern compared to what he actually did (choose Eagleton, drop him because of a scandal, and then choose Ted's brother-in-law).

It's "not fair"? Realistically, Kennedy wouldn't have turned down the vice presidency after Watergate broke.

I was thinking it might have broken a little later in the campaign, once the VP was picked, and if that's the case, then Kennedy wouldn't have run with McGovern. But if the scandal broke during the primary season / before McGovern picked, then yes, you are right.
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