The Long National Nightmare.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Whoawhoawhoa- pretty sure William Borah was R-ID and died in the late thirties, bud. Do you mean Burton Wheeler?

You are correct. Borah and Wheeler kind of blend together in my head for some reason.

DELLUMS ‘76!

I feel like Dellums is an underused candidate in Nixon/Ford/Carter/Reagan era timelines.

[Cold War Liberal]

DELLUMS ‘76!

I feel like Dellums is an underused candidate in Nixon/Ford/Carter/Reagan era timelines.

I agree! There are a lot of interesting politicians from this era, and only a few get used. Glad to see you seem to be going a different route (especially if Bayh gains momentum, he's a rather enormously influential figure in recent US history and yet I guarantee most Americans have never heard of him).

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Ted.

Thursday, March 6th, 1975:

10:10 AM, Palm Beach, FL.

The Kennedy compound in West Palm remained their primary getaway location; complete with high walls, a pool, and a beachfront behind the mansion, it was a haven for Senator Kennedy when he needed to escape the rigors of Washington life. He walked up the beach a ways with his chief confidante, Paul Kirk, knowing that by the time the sun set, they'd already be back in Washington, facing the pressures of politics.

"I was nice to get down here" said Kennedy, "'because, 'er, because Joan's really been hitting the sauce." Kirk grimaced; he had seen Joan at her best but he had also seen her at her worst. Then again, was that any different from what he had witnessed in Ted over the years? "If you run, the public is going to want to know her. But they can't see her like this" Kirk advised, "I think you'd be best off trying to get her some treatment. "She'd never agree to go" sighed Ted, "and I don't blame her..,,,besides, what about the kids?

The conversation soon turned from personal concerns to political ones. The President - who was once very popular in the wake of Watergate - now enjoyed an approval rating of merely 35%. The second oil crisis was hitting American's hard, but not as hard as the previous embargo. Prices were going up, but the country was still moving forward as it had before, if only at a slower pace.

"Helms is bring up Chappaquiddick every chance he can" groaned Ted, "it's only a matter of time before he brings it up on the floor and gets reprimanded. But that won't stop him." Paul was not deterred by Helms. "He's a bircher, nobody takes him seriously anyway" said Paul, "besides, he isn't the type who makes any real impact.

"I'm leading in the polls. I know Helms isn't having impact. Not on Democrats at least. It's after the convention that I'm worried about" said the Senator, "money isn't an issue either. It's just....reputation that is holding me back." Kirk understood the challenges Kennedy would face following the incident in Chappaquiddick, but he was surprised that the Senator was hesitant to embrace the challenge. "Ted, if you run, then you win. We can make this happen. We can have a return to Camelot." The mythology of the slain JFK continued well into the next decade after he was struck down in Dallas, and Kennedy was in a prime position to capitalize on the nostalgia.

"I just....I'm not entirely sure if this is my time" said Ted, "we should turn back Paul, we're going to have to catch that flight at in a few hours and if we go any further down the shore, we'll be in a major rush when we get back." Kirk agreed, and they turned around, returning to the discussion they had earlier about Joan's drinking. "I'll think about our options on the flight though" the Senator affirmed. Kirk was satisfied; "just think about it, Ted, just think about it."
Friday, March 7th, 1975: Negotiations between Iran and Iraq break down over several relatively minor disagreements. Iran refuses to quit arming Kurdish separatists where as Iraq continues to insist that they receive at least a quarter of the disputed territory.

In Tel Aviv, the Savoy Hotel is seized by eight Al-Fatah commandos after they rowed ashore to Israel from the Mediterranean Sea. Thirteen persons were taken hostage in the early morning hours, resulting in the Israeli counter-terrorism unit Sayeret Matkal storming the hotel later in the day. Seven of the eight guerrillas. Eight hostages and three of the Israeli soldiers died in the operation

The Zapruder film, which depicted the assassination of JFK as it happened, is aired on ABC for the first time on television. Host Geraldo Rivera is stunned and shocked by the graphic footage, as was the studio audience who collectively gasped at the gory film.
Monday, March 10th, 1975: As the sun rises over South Vietnam, the North Vietnamese pounce. Tens of thousands of soldiers come down the Ho Chi Minh trail and regroup with local Viet Cong guerrillas before pouring over the borders and launching multiple attacks on South Vietnamese forces in the southwestern highlands. President Thieu calls the invasion "the ultimate betrayal" and urges the United States to intervene. However, there is little appetite for a second war in Indochina after the 1973 Paris Peace Accords.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Nancy.

Tuesday, March 11th, 1975:

12:42 PM, Las Angeles, CA.

King Faisal of Arabia's death shocked the world.

Wednesday, March 26th, 1975: In a White House press briefing, Press Secretary Jerry terHorst confirms the President will be attending the annual NATO summit in Brussels, Belgium, before making stops in Austria, Italy, the Vatican, and Spain in June.

Senator William Roth (R-DE) and Congressman Jack Kemp (R-NY) announce their intention to introduce the Tax Reduction Act of 1975; the bill would give each American a 10% rebate from their taxed income, as well as creating several new reductions. Though the bill is championed by the conservative wings of both major parties, it is strongly criticized by the left for creating what they see as loopholes designed to benefit the rich.
Thursday, March 27th, 1975: Former White House Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman appears on the first of two interviews by Mike Wallace on the CBS news program 60 Minutes. The appearance, and Haldeman's answers to questions about ex-President Richard M. Nixon and the Watergate scandal, were divulged by Haldeman for a payment of $25,000.
Friday, March 28th, 1975: South Vietnamese forces hunker down in Saigon as the invading North begins to encircle the city. Within a matter of hours, the NVA is bombaring the outskirts of the city, forcing throngs of terrified residents into the city center.
Monday, March 31st, 1976: With the help of the North Vietnamese forces active in their country (due in part to the Ho Chi Minh trail's route), Khmer Rouge forces rapidly break through the last line of defense of the capitol of Phnom Penh. President Lon Nol announces that all Khmer Republic forces are to surrender at midnight before he too fled the country alongside the US Ambassador.

Gallup releases their second poll ahead of the 1976 elections.

1976 Democratic Primary.
Ted Kennedy: 30%
Birch Bayh: 14%
George Wallace: 14%
Hubert Humphrey: 11%
Henry Jackson: 9%
Reuben Askew: 6%
Lloyd Bentsen: 5%
Frank Church: 5%
Fred Harris: 1%
Jerry Brown: 1%
Ron Dellums: 1%
Eugene McCarthy: 1%

1976 Republican Primaries
Gerald Ford: 49%
Ronald Reagan: 46%
Charles Percy: 4%
Harold Stassen: 1%

Gerald Ford Approval Rating
Disapprove: 59%
Approve: 29%
Neutral: 12%
Tuesday, April 1st, 1975: Chiang Kai-shek dies in Taipei aged 87; the longtime leader of Nationalist China is succeeded by Vice President Yen Chia-kan. His death marks the end of an era in China, which is still held in the absolute control of his dying rival Mao Zedong for several decades.

Neak Leung, an important supply depot near Phnom Penh, falls to the Khmer Rouge. With President Lon Nol fleeing the country, Senate President Saukam Khoy becomes acting President of the Khmer Republic. Within hours of assuming office, he begins organizing the surrender of republican forces to the communist rebels.

The first license ever issued in the United States for a same-sex marriage was issued by Clela Rorex, the County Clerk for Boulder County, Colorado. Dave McCord and Dave Zamora had consulted with the county's District Attorney, who decided that there was nothing in Colorado law that prohibited same sex marriage, and Rorex gave approval for the two men to marry. However, the couple's license was invalidated by Colorado's Attorney General J.D. MacFarlane.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 1975: As North Vietnam's army advances on Da Nang, a World Airways Boeing 727 which had been evacuating refugees lands again to find an even larger crowd than before; though the plane is only capable of carrying 150 passengers, over 400 South Vietnamese soldiers forcibly took control of the sitaution and forced the pilot to evacuate them first, fearing that VNA or Viet Cong will persecute, imprison, or execute them after the war. The plane was so overloaded that it had to take off with the back stairs down, with other soldiers even cramming themselves into thee wheelwells or the undercarriage of the jet.

President Ford meanwhile orders the evacuation of all Americans from Cambodia, which goes into action immediately. American special forces are sent into more isolated parts of the country to rescue American citizens in the region.
Friday, April 4th, 1975: Bill Gates and Paul Allen incorporate Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

President Ford orders the American Navy, Marine Corp, and Army to assist in he evacuation of Americans from South Vietnam. Crowds in Saigon mass outside many of the foreign embassies, particularly the American compound. An airlift begins to evacuate people from the rooftop by helicopter, but the throngs of people grow larger and larger by the hour.
Sunday, April 6th, 1975: Appearing once again on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN) denies any presidential ambitions and instead endorses his colleague, Senator Humphrey for the nomination. Humphrey is not actively campaigning for the nomination but has signaled that he could enter the race at the Democratic Convention.
Tuesday, April 8th, 1975: Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) appears on CBS's Morning News, where he criticizes Presidents Nixon and Ford for being the "men who lost Vietnam." Goldwater's criticisms are part of a growing current of conservative discontent within the GOP.
Friday, April 11th, 1975: North Vietnam occupies the Spratley Islands, which are claimed by South Vietnam and the China as well. Almost 70% of the country is under the occupation of the communists, with Saigon in chaos as thousands upon thousands attempt to flee in one way or another.
Saturday, April 12th, 1975: The President orders Operation Eagle Pull to commence. The operation is an evacuation mission designed to secure American citizens working or living in Cambodia, but is also viewed as a dry run for a similar but larger in scale rescue mission in the event that Saigon falls.
Sunday, April 13th, 1975: President Francois Tombalbaye of Chad is killed in a bloody coup after fifteen yeas in power; a military junta of lower ranked officers take control of the country for the time being. Many suspect French involvement, as Tombalbaye was pursuing a socialist path and had nationalized several French owned businesses during his rule.
Monday, April 14th, 1975: President Ford addresses the nation from the Oval Office in which he formally requests Congress pass a massive foreign aid package to help relieve some of the strains faced by South Vietnam. His proposal is met with little enthusiasm, however, and both Speaker Albert and Senate Majority Leader Mansfield tell the President that the bill is dead on arrival.
Thursday, April 17th, 1975: At sunrise, the Khmer Republic capitulates to the Khmer Rouge, who enter the city triumphantly and declare the creation of "Democratic Kampuchea." The rebels begin sweeping through the city that very same day, deporting thousands upon thousands to the countryside, where they will be forced to toil in rice paddies as a form of "socialist reeducation."

The funeral of Chiang Kai-shek is held in Taipei, headlined by President Ford and a number of Asian leaders. Noticeably absent is the President of South Vietnam, who is attempting to hold off the overpowering North Vietnamese onslaught.

Former Treasury Secretary John Connally is acquitted in a bribery trial; most observers note the number of prominent character witnesses (including First Ladies Lady Bird Johnson and Jackie Kennedy, Billy Graham, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, and former Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara among others). The verdict sparks speculation that the vindicated Connally might seek the Presidency in 1976 as a Republican, though he denies any interest in a campaign when pressed by reporters as he leaves court.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 1975: With Cambodia now in the hand of the communists, the NVA and the Viet Cong tighten the noose around Saigon.
Tuesday, April 27th, 1975: "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" is played on the radio in South Vietnam, the prearranged single for evacuation. Within minutes, all American citizens remaining in Saigon immediately leave for the American embassy. Operation Frequent Wind begins, with helicopters evacuating scores of American contractors and businessmen as well as thousands of Vietnamese refugees. The Ambassador to South Vietnam, Graham Martin, is the very last person to leave. The last American helicopter lifted off the rooftop as North Vietnamese tanks smashed through the gates of the presidential palace and raised the Yellow Star flag of the now united country over the legislature's building; after almost a decade of brutality, chaos, destruction, and death, the Vietnam War was over.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you've read Drew's Fear, Loathing, and Gumbo on AH.com, you might recognize events in the Mediterranean and Iberia. I actually started this timeline as an authorized spin-off, but dramatically reworked the story to be more original. While this project is no longer a spinoff (hence the OTL start instead Drew's ATL, which resulted in acting President Agnew), I liked a lot of his ideas in other global hot spots.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I recommend adjusting Leo’s death date under that pic.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Church.

Thursday, May 1st, 1975:

2:25 PM, Washington, DC.

It was Senator Bentsen's first trip to New Hampshire, where he was hoping for a warm reception. As a Democratic Senator from the south, he knew he'd have an uphill battle. But over the years, he had successfully held off the label of "segregationist" permanently attached to the likes of George Wallace in order to craft the image of a sober minded, pro-business moderate that represented "the New South." Of course he was not alone in this category. He would have competition from Reuben Askew, and was likewise overshadowed by rising stars such as Congressman Bill Clinton (D-AR), one of the "Watergate babies" sent to Congress in 1974, or Governor Jerry Brown of California, or Jimmy Carter (D-GA), the newly minted Senator from the peach state. But his star power nationally was sufficient, and so was his donor base.

Not long into his campaign did Bentsen run into trouble. His early trips to Iowa were largely fruitless affairs in which only a few prospective supporters turned out. New Hampshire, he hoped, would be better. The opportunity to attend smaller, more intimate events allowed him to stand out and stand out early. He arrived early at a small house in Exeter, accompanied only by a single staffer. To his shock and horror, only five elderly women had showed up. For the next three hours, he played the role of crusading Washington warrior, fighting for the working people and their quality of life. He argued a much more pragmatic vein of modern liberalism, which he expected would make him a popular candidate in the wake of the 1972 McGovern fiasco.

But this was not to be; as he entertained the women with copious amounts of coffee, he could not help feel bitter about the fate of his candidacy. He was a Senator from Texas, and had a wide array of experience on many policy issues. He was also reasonably charismatic, a bit stiff but not cripplingly so, and had the financial support necessary to mount a long term campaign. He knew he wasn't going to lead in the polls right out of the gate, but it was disappointing that after a successful term in the Senate only resulted in more people having "no opinion" than "negative" or "positive" opinions combined.

"What will you do to protect our Social Security!" asked one woman, the one in the wheelchair and presumably the oldest of the group. "You mean besides beat the Republicans?" laughed Bentsen, who realized that the woman was not joking. That was for certain, as the scowl on her face made apparent.  The Senator followed, "I have a twelve point plan...."

Hours later, Bentsen exploded on his travelling aide; "who put me in there with those old bags! Birch is in Nashua speaking to 200 people. He's not even officially running! I'm here in butt-fuuck nowhere serving coffee!"

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Sunday, June 1st, 1975: President Ford arrives in West Germany's capitol of Bonn after the NATO summit, where he makes a few brief remarks at a press conference about both the result of the Brussels meeting and the fall of Saigon.
Monday, June 2nd, 1975: The Senate votes to confirm Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 52-48; his nomination was able to squeek by after gaining the support of the Dixiecrats who were likewise hawkish on defense, as well as Senator Henry Jackson's (fairly tepid) endorsement.

The Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Committee confirms the nomination of Elliot Richardson by a vote of 11-1. The only dissenter on the Committee was Senator James Buckley (C-NY), who repeatedly inferred that Richardson had demonstrated himself to be a "foe of freedom." His nomination advances to the full Senate for a final vote, where it is widely expected that he is likely to be overwhelmingly confirmed.

Air Force One touches down in Salzburg, Austria. The visit opens on an awkward note when the President takes a tumble down the stairs while leaving Air Force One. This is largely forgotten later on in the day, when President Ford and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat meet quietly to discuss the Middle East peace process. The President describes the discussion as "productive" and praises Sadat as "a true statesman." While in Salzburg, Ford also meets with the Austrian Chancellor.

"Today, I announce my candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination. In doing so, I am aware of the obstacles we face and the challenges that may arise. But I am unbowed, and I am unafraid. I'm going to do something rare in Washington these days - I'm going to tell the truth.

These days, it seems truth is in short supply. The politicians smile and wave and tell us everything is fine, but is it? Rising inflation is eroding away your hard earned savings and making it harder to get food on the table. Oil embargoes are crippling our energy supplies and bringing our economy to a standstill. When is the last time you got a raise? When is the last time you got a tax cut? And why do you have to tighten your belt while the fatcats and the politicians are loosening the buckles on theirs?

Now you and I know the answer to that question. And next November, we're going to answer those questions at the ballot box. So why turn to me you may ask? Well, I've been at the forefront of the progressive movement in Utah. Here in Utah we've built a strong and stable economy in times that have tried our Republic. We have increased opportunities for the many and not just the few. And as Chair of the National Governors Association, I worked with Republicans like Nelson Rockefeller and Democrats like Bobby Kennedy to pursue policies that made the dream of a more united, fairer country a reality.

President Ford has stepped up to the plate at a time of great crisis and has performed admirably; in due time, we will hear from him on his decision as to whether or not he'll seek a full term in his own right. I look forward to having a respectable, earnest dialogue with the President on the campaign trail should he choose to seek a second term and I intend to set a positive example for the politicians to learn from; we're gonna take our Salt Lake City values to the Beltway!

Together, with your help, I believe we can deliver the change America so desperately seeks at this critical juncture of our history. We can restore civic virtues and transparency to Washington, and reign in the special interests that are robbing the people blind. We're going to take our message to every corner of the country, and once heard, I truly believe we will win.

God Bless America and thank you all."
Friday, June 27th, 1975: Portuguese Prime Minister Vasco Goncalves announces in a speech at the University of Lisbon (with the visiting President of Algeria, Houari Boumediène, who is also the Secretary-General of the Non-Aligned Movement, in the audience) that Portugal will be withdrawing from NATO in order to develop closer ties with the non-Aligned movement.