wi 1968 October Surprises

[Derek Jackson]

Suppose Nixon's efforts to undermine Vietnam Peace efforts and Agnew's crimes were to come out in the weekd before poling day.

I think that Humphey wins by A LOT.

I think that the US withdraws support for South Vietnam.

I think that Republican would run someone like Reagan who would seem to want to go further on Vietnam,. I think Democrats will win in 1972.

Any thoughts?

 

[LoftonHenderson]

If Johnson had leaked that the Nixon campaign was colluding with a foreign government to prolong an unpopular war for electoral advantage (treason), I believe Humphrey would have wiped the floor with him. The US phase of the war would have ended by 1969, I think Humphrey would have won a second term in '72, a republican is therefore almost guaranteed to win the poisoned chalice in 1976, leading to likely democratic dominance 1980-92 at least. Although Humphrey winning '72 would mean 4-terms of uninterrupted democratic administrations, but even had he lost reelection, a GOP admin 1972-80 would still end in disaster – enduring both oil shocks – and guarantee a Democrat in office during the prosperity of the long '80s.

Basically this is the "blessed" timeline and leads to a much more prosperous U.S. If only Johnson had done it.

 

[Aisha Clan-Clan]

HHH wins. Ds are in power until 1976 or 1980 as a result. US bordering on unrecognizable culturally by 2024 bc of getting national healthcare+unconditional basic income under HHH really reducing the incentives to be white collar/middle class puritanical. Essentially, the US over the course of the next few generations post-adoption of UHC converges with normal western countries in level ofvprudery/willingness to START moral panics. Anglosphere does the same too, taking less time than the US. US most likely still sees a milder neoliberlaism after '76 or '80 but less damage to the economy and oscial fabric from it.