AH Challenge: POTUS Sarge Shriver
- Thread starter Historico
- Start date
I'll bite at this one. A couple of things come to mind, though neither strikes me as particularly plausible.
One scenario would be Shriver remaining off the 1972 ticket and Shriver running in 1976 with Ted Kennedy's blessing after making the decision that Chappaquiddick was too large a hurdle to overcome for him ever to become President. How realistic this is, I'm not too sure of; Shriver's relationships with the Kennedy brothers were complex. IIRC, he and RFK detested each other. I'm not sure what his relationship with Ted was like; there's a Shriver bio that supposedly gets into this, but I haven't read it.
Another way to go, which strikes me as unlikely, is McGovern picking him over Eagleton initially with Watergate becoming a bigger problem for Nixon earlier than it was, resulting in a McGovern win and Shriver either succeeding McGovern after a death in office or after a run on his own later.
One scenario would be Shriver remaining off the 1972 ticket and Shriver running in 1976 with Ted Kennedy's blessing after making the decision that Chappaquiddick was too large a hurdle to overcome for him ever to become President. How realistic this is, I'm not too sure of; Shriver's relationships with the Kennedy brothers were complex. IIRC, he and RFK detested each other. I'm not sure what his relationship with Ted was like; there's a Shriver bio that supposedly gets into this, but I haven't read it.
Another way to go, which strikes me as unlikely, is McGovern picking him over Eagleton initially with Watergate becoming a bigger problem for Nixon earlier than it was, resulting in a McGovern win and Shriver either succeeding McGovern after a death in office or after a run on his own later.
Careful there. "Detested" is way too strong. Gently mocked as the "house Communist" is more appropriate. Remember the maxim: in-laws are never true Kennedys, and I've explained the reasons before. I know it seems strange for the only faithful males in the family to be on poor terms, but alas...
OT: pretty much ASB, because he's only a "counterfeit Kennedy" and can't start a career of his own with the Kennedys in the picture.
OT: pretty much ASB, because he's only a "counterfeit Kennedy" and can't start a career of his own with the Kennedys in the picture.
I think there was speculation of him running for governor of Illinois in 1960 and again in 1968, he lived in Chicago at that time.
That too seems a real possibility IMO, but aren't Illinois governors elected in even numbered years when there aren't presidential elections?
Any Democratic governor of Illinois is operated by Hizzonor via remote control. Shriver was a Daley loyalist, and would be seen as his stooge if he attempted to seek higher office had he won those posts. Also Daley wouldn't create a tension between the political ambitions of the Kennedys and their in-law.
Maybe... and this is a stretch... Humphrey selects Shriver as his running mate, and then wins in '68. Then either:
(1) Humphrey dies in office, leaving Shriver as POTUS.
(2) Humphrey finishes two terms and Shriver runs (and wins) to succeed him.
(2) Humphrey loses in 1972 to Reagan. Shriver runs to succeed Reagan in 1980 and wins.
(1) Humphrey dies in office, leaving Shriver as POTUS.
(2) Humphrey finishes two terms and Shriver runs (and wins) to succeed him.
(2) Humphrey loses in 1972 to Reagan. Shriver runs to succeed Reagan in 1980 and wins.
McGovern told me more than once that Shriver was his first choice in 72. But could not reach him. I think he (Shriver) was in Russa at that time. Remember the 72 convention was mess and communications were not good like today. Long distance was not instant. Any way if Shriver is picked first and there is no Eagleton affair. The 72 election may have been a bit closer. The Kennedy's get more involved researching the dirt of Watergate. I think Nixon still wins. But it is closer. Shriver is seen as the front runner in 76 and is able to say I told you so on Nixon and Watergate. Shriver picks Carter to be his running mate and they beat Ford and Dole in a close one.
Ted Kennedy was not at all involved in the '72 election, though Shriver was McGovern's 1st choice as you said. Why would Shriver be the frontrunner in '76? He hadn't particularly distinguished himself in '72 IOTL and probably ITTL, and more importantly no elective office. No sale.
In my opinion, the only way it could happen is if it's post Chappaquidick, If Sarge left his ambassadorship within Nixon's first year in office and runs for Governor or the Senate in Maryland or preferably Illinois, it would make him a more qualfiable candidate. That in turn would probably give McGovern the extra push to pick him intially at the Convenion, and if the ticket performs better, then he'd be a shoe in '76, as that would be his magical "Sixth" year.
POD: Shriver does not accept his ambassadorship to France, instead returning to private life in Illinois for the time being.
Private life, however, does not last long. Unsatisfied with the incumbent Governor's chances of winning re-election in a decidedly non-Democratic year, Chicago's Mayor Daley meets with Shriver and other high ranking Democratic pols and convinces him to seek the office himself. Defeating the incumbent Governor in a close primary (with the aid of his Kennedy connections), Shriver narrowly goes on to defeat his Republican opponent that fall.
Ted Kennedy dies in the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, leaving no one as the patriarch of the 'Kennedy clan', though Shriver soon assumes that role in public as well as private. Though he turns down the Vice Presidential spot on the disastrous McGovern-Gravel '72 ticket, he remains popular among white working class and other Democratic coalition voters, enough so that he is re-elected Governor of Illinois in 1972.
By 1976, Governor Shriver is preparing for a Presidential bid. Hubert Humphrey has decided not to seek the White House again, and Henry Jackson comes out as an early supporter of Shriver. With the AFL-CIO and other traditional Democratic groups backing the candidacy of Governor Shriver, he easily clears the Democratic nominating field and defeats incumbent President George H.W. Bush in a landslide.
Private life, however, does not last long. Unsatisfied with the incumbent Governor's chances of winning re-election in a decidedly non-Democratic year, Chicago's Mayor Daley meets with Shriver and other high ranking Democratic pols and convinces him to seek the office himself. Defeating the incumbent Governor in a close primary (with the aid of his Kennedy connections), Shriver narrowly goes on to defeat his Republican opponent that fall.
Ted Kennedy dies in the Chappaquiddick incident in 1969, leaving no one as the patriarch of the 'Kennedy clan', though Shriver soon assumes that role in public as well as private. Though he turns down the Vice Presidential spot on the disastrous McGovern-Gravel '72 ticket, he remains popular among white working class and other Democratic coalition voters, enough so that he is re-elected Governor of Illinois in 1972.
By 1976, Governor Shriver is preparing for a Presidential bid. Hubert Humphrey has decided not to seek the White House again, and Henry Jackson comes out as an early supporter of Shriver. With the AFL-CIO and other traditional Democratic groups backing the candidacy of Governor Shriver, he easily clears the Democratic nominating field and defeats incumbent President George H.W. Bush in a landslide.
The situation was a bit more complicated than that, depending on the time period in question. While Daley did exert considerable influence in Springfield, he was not always on good terms with the Governor, even if the Governor happened to be a Democrat. The interests of the Mayor of Chicago and the Governor of Illinois did not then, and do not now, always coincide. Indeed, there is a kind of natural conflict between the two offices. Daley's influence could certainly overwhelm the Governor's intentions, but there's a slight difference, at least to me, between being overwhelmed by circumstance and beginning one's political life-from the onset-as a knowing puppet. More specifically I'm referring to the tense relationship between Daley and Governor Walker. Granted, I do not think Shriver was inclined, based on what you've said, to have that kind of adversarial relationship. But despite appearances, the political situation in Illinois between 1957 and the death of Mayor Daley was a bit more complicated than a remote control, particularly towards the end of Daley's reign. Of course I'm basing this comment on my reading of the period which may well be slight next to yours.