A month after assuming the Presidency after Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal, Gerald Ford pardoned him for all crimes he might have committed. Ford claimed he issued it because 70% (in his words) of this new President's work was being taken up dealing with Watergate. Also that the inevitable Nixon trial would've continued to distract the nation (and government) as a media sideshow.

I've heard since forever how this fateful decision allegedly cost Ford re-election in '76.

But I ask all those who were around back then: Did it really? I covered that election's WHAT IF? in another thread awhile back. From what I understand of that election, the economy was sorta going down the shitter (and even more later that decade), the stench of Watergate still in the air, Ford had a bruising primary fight against Reagan, Ford fucked up in the debate regarding Soviet domination of Poland (or claiming they didn't), and Jimmy Carter the first potentially Southern elected President since Andrew Jackson seemed to be the perfect counterstrike to Nixon's Southern Strategy

Yet in spite of all that, Ford almost won. Maybe another week or two, he might've prevailed since he was coming back strong at the tail end. In a way he reminds one of Hubert Humphrey's near comeback against the incredible odds stacked against him in '68.

Anyway, Unstated it seemes very obvious Ford wanted to get rid of this Nixon mess ASAP so to immunize the Republicans in '76 and try to move on from that scandal. Nixon in the courtroom in '76 would've been the worst possible election ad. Bite the bullet now and you'll recover by 2 years later. Of course it can be argued if he thought this, this sorta backfired with the public perception that this pardoned was part of some shadey deal to coerce Nixon to resign. Not to mention I've read arguments that the pardon was too broad for a politician-turned-civilian who wasn't charged with a crime yet (much less convicted), which did Ford no favors regarding that alleged storyline. If Ford had attached specific conditions to that pardon, maybe a Henry Hill deal of you tell us the whole truth and cooperate. One lie and you go to jail?

Of course, would Nixon have accepted that pardon? (Believe it or not, the Supreme Court ruled that you're not required to accept Presidential pardons if offered.) Also if he was charged with crimes and went to trial, what would've he been charged with? Obstruction of Justice seems the most obvious, and on the Federal level that carries what? I've read 5 years but I don't know these things. Would he have negotiated a plea bargain with the prosecutors, or would his personality have prevented him from giving up/admitting guilt? I could even see a convicted Nixon be issued Clemency by Ford (or whoever is President in the late 70s) before serving hardtime. I'm reminded of George W. Bush giving Dick Cheney's former aide "Scooter" Libby clemency (instead of the pardon Cheney wanted) after his conviction but before going to jail.

Better yet, would Nixon have lived to see a verdict? The Watergate scandal took a massive toll (according to anecdotal evidence) on his physical and mental health, didn't help this happened to a guy notably fatalist in the first place. Several close confidants were even afraid he might contemplate suicide. I don't believe this hypothetical trial circus would've made him do that, but I could easily see the stress and worry of jailtime (and further disgrace) killing him.

But lets say Ford doesn't pardon Nixon. Fuck him, let him eat the broth he cooked. Does this improve or decrease his electoral chances in '76? Does he even win his party's nomination? Would he even try? What about the GOP as a whole that year? Would Jimmy Carter have even been the Democratic candidate that year? (Jerry Brown instead?)

Imagine if Nixon did go to jail, him in his orange jumpsuit. He wouldn't be in maximum security obviously, but imagine if he did. Flacked by U.S. Marshals as the only U.S. President to ever go to jail, he could even start up his own prison gang with black gangbangers, Latino hustlers, the local gay dragqueen inmates. They would be the Silent Minority, and rule that jail.

"You aint got Dick Nixon to kick around anymore, bitch!"