Willkie win, but he and McNary are both dead before the 1944 elections, which would have been odd.
Excellent point, of course. Thank you for raising that.
Senator Charles McNary was, as you know, the actual Vice Presidential nominee for the GOP in 1940. That's why I used him in this scenario.
Had the Wilkie/McNary ticket won in 1940, the situation would, of course, have been unprecedented.
McNary died in Feb of 1944 and Wilkie died in Oct of 1944. Presumably, early in 1944, President Wilkie would have nominated and had confirmed a new Vice President. The President and new Vice President would likely have become the GOP ticket for the 1944 election. But President Wilkie dies before the 1944 election, making this new Vice President the new President, and presumably the new GOP Presidential candidate. This new President would then have to name a new Vice Presidential candidate, and fast.
Had Wilkie opted not to nominate a new Vice President, but to wait until the GOP convention in 1944 to name a Vice Presidential candidate, which was the option followed by LBJ, then after the death of President Wilkie in Oct, 1944, this would have propelled Democratic Texas Congressman and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn, into the office of President. Rayburn was a very experienced Congressman, having been in the House since 1913, and Speaker since 1940. Rayburn was renowned for his honesty and integrity, and for his fairness in carrying out the duties of Speaker. Rayburn would then serve as President until the winner of the Presidential election was sworn into office after the 1944 election.
Had Wilkie followed this option, likely the GOP Vice Presidential candidate would have become the new Presidential candidate in Oct, 1944, who would then have to pick a new Vice Presidential candidate in a hurry. Either that, or the GOP would have to scramble to to name a new ticket, and there wouldn't be time for that.
All very fascinating stuff, which makes for interesting conjecture.
What a situation these events would have created in 1944.