No Watergate--where does the GOP go?

[DevotedDemocrat]

Let's say Watergate never happens and Nixon completes his two terms in office, finishing in 1977.

1) Who runs for President in 1976, on both sides? Who wins?

2) Does the GOP still drift hard to the right, or does it remain evenly balanced?

3) Does Detente continue past 1977?

4) Is Nixon held in the same regard in the GOP as Reagan is in real life?

[Assistant to the Regional Manager Cathcon]

Nixon signed too much liberal legislation of note, betrayed the hawks too much, and was just too of a bastard to be praised by many people upon full examination of his presidency. Oh, we can say that about Reagan all the live long day, of course. Did Reagan needlessly extend a war for four years to win re-election? Did Reagan enact policies with the pure intent of temporarily boosting the economy past his re-election and deciding he'd sort it out later? And detente has too much of a controversial past, what with the easily stated argument that it accomplished really nothing. Sure, we can dress up his presidency like folks in my party do with Reagan's, but I think on the whole Reagan's was much better than Nixon's and more accomplished. A number of GOPer's might try to harken back to the 1970's when the GOP was in power, but it'd be even more pathetic than the Reagan nostalgia we have today.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

1976. Reagan wins
1980. Ted Kennedy defeats Reagan

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Assuming there was no Agnew scandal, Spiro would take the GOP nomination in a cakewalk. He was war ahead of Reagan and Co. before the news of him being a corrupt bastard broke out.

It's actually fascinating what-if: Agnew winning in 1976.

Other interesting scenario is Nixon being able to deliver the nod to his prefeered successor, John Connally.