1976: Nixon vs. Carter

[Dr Oz Lost Party!]

What if Nixon never resigned, wasn’t impeached, and ran again in 1976? Watergate still happened in this scenario btw. What would the map look like?

[Sir Mohamed]

There is no way he wasn't impeached.

Btw, thread belongs to past-election what ifs board.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Are you aware Nixon was term-limited?

[Some of My Best Friends Are Gay]

Assuming he wasn't term-limited...

Carter obviously massacres Nixon in an LBJ-style tsunami.

[President Johnson]

If Watergate never surfaced and Nixon wasn't term-limited, he would have won a third term handily (possibly against another Democrat because Carter only became the nominee as a result of Watergate). If he was term-limited, John Connally wins the election by a fair margin but is a one-termer during the many difficulties in the 1977-81 term and Republican third term fatigue. 1980 has a ticket like Reubin Askew/John Glenn elected in a landslide. All this would have been way better for America going forward with no Carter and no Reagan.

[Some of My Best Friends Are Gay]

If Watergate never surfaced and Nixon wasn't term-limited, he would have won a third term handily (possibly against another Democrat because Carter only became the nominee as a result of Watergate). If he was term-limited, John Connally wins the election by a fair margin but is a one-termer during the many difficulties in the 1977-81 term and Republican third term fatigue. 1980 has a ticket like Reubin Askew/John Glenn elected in a landslide. All this would have been way better for America going forward with no Carter and no Reagan.

OP said Watergate still happened in this scenario, so I assumed it still surfaced. I don't think Carter would have been incompetent enough to ignore such a huge scandal if this scenario had actually happened... hence why I have Carter winning in a massive landslide.

[brucejoel99]

Well, you see, there's this thing called the 22nd Amendment, the existence of which would've made this match-up legally (let alone politically) impossible.

[morgankingsley]

Carter wins