What If Scenario starting in 1956

[True Democrat]

This is mainly elections, not the actual presidencies.

1956:

The Democrats nominate Adlai Stevenson again, knowing they have no chance of beating Eisenhower.  However, Eisenhower drops out because of a heart attack.  The Republicans then nominate Nixon, who has the full backing of Eisenhower.  The Democrats keep Stevenson, as they do not want to embarrass themselves.  Stevenson runs a good campaign, but people see him as a politician of the past.  The South does support Stevenson though.

Nixon/Lodge: 52.2067%
398 electoral votes
Stevenson/Kefauver: 47.4533%
133 electoral votes



1960:

Nixon has had a very successful presidency.  The Democrats nominate Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts, who chooses Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota as his running mate.  Nixon wins in a landslide, though Kennedy does better than some had expected.  The "unpledged electors" voters choose to support Nixon this time.

Nixon/Lodge: 56.4336%
505 electoral votes
Kennedy/Humphrey: 43.2564%
32 electoral votes



1964:

After a bitter primary between Henry Lodge and Barry Goldwater, Goldwater proves victorious.  However, the division in the Republican party does not heal.  Many moderate Republicans choose not to vote in the election.  The Democrats nominate another Kennedy, this time it's Robert Kennedy, a 39 year old Senator from Massachusetts.  He chooses Senator Lyndon Johnson of Texas as his running mate.  During the campaign, Kennedy makes many remarks about his pro-civil rights views, thus alienating the South, except for Johnson's Texas.  On election day, Kennedy pulls upsets in many rural states such as Ohio, Iowa, and Kentucky.  Kennedy does not do well in large markets like Illinois and California.  Because of Nixon's popular presidency and Kennedy's horrible campaign, the election is tight, but Kennedy comes out on top.

Kennedy/Johnson: 50.361%
301 electoral votes
Goldwater/Miller: 49.459%
237 electoral votes



More coming later. . .

[ATFFL]

I'm guessing Nixon managed to pull of the Bay of Pigs and did a better job in Vietnam than Johnson did.

[True Democrat]

I'm guessing Nixon managed to pull of the Bay of Pigs and did a better job in Vietnam than Johnson did.

I didn't really think about the Bay of Pigs invasion.  Vietnam will happen later.

[ATFFL]

I'm guessing Nixon managed to pull of the Bay of Pigs and did a better job in Vietnam than Johnson did.

I didn't really think about the Bay of Pigs invasion.  Vietnam will happen later.

Reasonable enough.  A successful Bay of Pigs might have the USSR and PRC think twice about supporting a regime that will bring the US into another area of their sphere making Ho and others delay operations while they build up the military.

Heck, without support N. Vietnam might never get the chance to launch a serious invasion.