Out of the Shadow

[Cold War Liberal]

A Different Path, Chapter 3:
Out of the Shadow
The Humphrey Administration and Beyond

  

Coming soon...
(after finals week)

In the meantime, get caught up:
A Different Path, Chapter 1: The New Frontier
A Different Path, Chapter 2: Vice, Virtue, and Independence

[Cold War Liberal]

November 8, 1972
IT’S PRESIDENT HUMPHREY
Nation Rejects Goldwater as Liberal Icon Wins in 50-State Sweep;
Democrats Make Gains in House, Senate, Governorships

Sen. Hubert Humphrey/Sen. Henry Jackson: ~62%, 537* Electoral Votes ✓
Pres. Barry Goldwater/Fmr. Sen. Hiram Fong: ~37%, 1* Electoral Vote

*One Arizona faithless elector voted for Barry Goldwater and Hiram Fong to keep Washington as the only President to win 100% of the electoral vote; the other 5 Arizona electors voted for Humphrey, to whom they were pledged.
House Elections
1972
Democrats: 321 ( 25), ~58% of the vote
Republicans: 114 ( 25), ~41% of the vote

House Speaker: Carl Albert
Majority Leader: Phillip Burton
Majority Whip: John J. McFall

Minority Leader: Gerald Ford
Minority Whip: Bob Michel
Senate Elections
1972

Democrats: 69 ( 13)
Republicans: 31 ( 13)
Senate Makeup
93rd Congress

Red = 2 Democrats, Blue = 2 Republicans, Purple = 1 Democrat, 1 Republican
Governors’ Elections
1972

Governors’ Party
1973

Marshall Court
1973

Chief Justice
Thurgood Marshall (b. 1908, liberal, appointed by Kennedy in 1965)

Associate Justices
Harry Blackmun (b. 1908, moderate, appointed by Goldwater in 1971)
Byron White (b. 1917, moderate, appointed by Kennedy in 1962)
Arthur Goldberg (b. 1908, liberal, appointed by Kennedy in 1962)
Robert Bork (b. 1927, conservative, appointed by Goldwater in 1970)
G. Harrold Carswell (b. 1919, conservative, appointed by Goldwater in 1969)
Potter Stewart (b. 1915, moderate, appointed by Eisenhower in 1958)
Tom C. Clark (b. 1899, moderate, appointed by Truman in 1949)
William J. Brennan, Jr. (b. 1906, liberal, appointed by Eisenhower in 1956)
List of Presidents of the United States
As of Jan. 1, 1973

35. John F. Kennedy/Lyndon B. Johnson (1961-1964)
      John F. Kennedy/[vacant] (1964-1965)
      John F. Kennedy/Morris K. Udall (1965-1969)
36. Barry M. Goldwater/Ronald W. Reagan (1969-1973)
37. Hubert H. Humphrey/Henry M. Jackson (1973-19??)*

*President and Vice President-elect

[Cold War Liberal]

Update: I'm taking the time to go back and actually calculate the result of every single house race from 1964-1974 before I post the first chapter of this. I've already done 1964-1968 and am working on 1970. I'll finish 1970 tomorrow, then do 1972 and 1974, and then post the first chapter by the end of the week (hopefully).

Numbers for the house will change because they're based on actual (rough) math instead of a random guessing like they used to be. Also two Senate races in 1968 didn't make much sense in hindsight so I retconned them. Welcome Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT) and Wayne Morse (D-OR) back to the Senate.

Also I found out Hale Boggs loses in 1968 which has this knock-on effect: Tip O'Neill (D-MA-08) becomes Majority Leader early and is the one on the plane with Rep. Nick Begich (D-AK-AL) in 1972 when it goes down. Oops. Phillip Burton (D-CA-05) is the new Majority Leader after becoming Whip following O'Neill's ascension to Majority Leader in 1969.

[Cold War Liberal]

Also, really hoping for President Scoop Jackson in this TL even though I know it's unlikely

[Cold War Liberal]

Fun fact: Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-23), elected in 1972 at age 26, is the youngest House member ever elected.

[Cold War Liberal]

November 9, 1972

THE DEATH OF THE GOP?

   With the landslide loss of President Goldwater to Hubert Humphrey and the incoming Democratic supermajorities in the House and Senate, some are speculating that the Goldwater Administration may just be what kills the Republican party. The outgoing President, currently sitting at around 30% approval, became the only sitting President to ever lose all 50 states. President Goldwater was the champion of the conservative movement in the late 50’s and throughout the 1960’s, and rode to victory in 1968 amid a wave of conservative anger at the Kennedy Administration’s expansion of civil rights and government antipoverty programs.

   After a rebuke of the Goldwater Administration in the 1970 midterms, the Democratic wave crashed down hard upon President Goldwater and his wing of the GOP. Democrats gained 25 House seats, 13 seats in the Senate, and won all but three of the state governorships up for election in 1972 (additionally, incoming independent Governor McLane of New Hampshire is a moderate liberal as well, though not affiliated with the Democratic party). The Democrats have the largest House majority since 1935 and are just two members shy of setting a new record. Some new Congressmen, such as Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-23), Rep. Bernard Sanders (D-VT-AL), and Rep. Allard Lowenstein (D-NY-04) are very liberal, a stark contrast to Goldwater’s conservatism. Many blame these new supermajorities on anger at Goldwater’s handling of the Vietnam War and the recent fall of Saigon, his ending of farm subsidies, and his unsuccessful attempts at privatizing Social Security. Democrats successfully mobilized their base against the incumbent government, and had success reaching out across the aisle as well, leading to a massive win in what is sure to be recorded as one of the lowest turnout Presidential elections in American history.

   The GOP is now left without a clear leader who is unaffiliated with Goldwater or his unpopular Administration. Without a radical shift in ideology, it is hard to see how the Republicans can rebound in time to win in 1974, 1976, or possibly even 1978. However, politics is usually full of surprises, and only time will tell what lies in the future of the Republican party.

November 29, 1972

Humphrey Names More Cabinet Picks

   President-elect Hubert Humphrey has announced three new Cabinet appointments today, following last week’s announcement that former Transportation Secretary Alan Boyd would be renominated to his old position, Joseph Barr would be nominated to the Treasury Department, and that Mark Felt would remain FBI Director.

   First was the announcement that Florida congressman and former Senator Claude Pepper will be the nation’s next Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Congressman Pepper has made issues of Social Security, healthcare, and old age major focuses of his, and is now expected to work with President Humphrey to make progress on those fronts as HEW Secretary.

   The next nominee to be announced was that of Idaho Senator Frank Church to the Interior Department. While Senator Church was rumored to have been considered for the position of Secretary of State due to his foreign policy chops, President-elect Humphrey apparently decided that Interior would be a better fit for Church, who also has a strong conservationist record. Governor Andrus has announced that Idaho State Senator John V. Evans will be Church’s replacement in the US Senate.

   And finally, for now, is the announcement that one of President Kennedy’s Deputy Secretary of Defense, Cyrus Vance, will be nominated to the position of Defense Secretary in the incoming Humphrey Administration. Vance was widely expected to be nominated, as he has years of experience in the Department of Defense. Vance also spoke out in the press against the war in Vietnam back in the middle of 1969, when the war was still popular, and warned that the war was not going to be easily winnable.

   Humphrey also announced yesterday that his campaign manager, Gary Hart, will be the next White House Chief of Staff.

December 18, 1972

The Electoral College officially meets and elects Hubert Humphrey and Henry Jackson President and Vice President, respectively. One Arizona elector votes for Goldwater at Humphrey's request, to preserve Washington as the only US President to win 100% of the electoral vote.

December 26, 1972

Harry S Truman, the 33rd President of the United States (1945-1953) passes away at age 88.

January 1, 1973
Gallup Poll
President Goldwater Approval Rating
Disapprove: 70%
Approve: 27%
Not sure: 2%
Didn’t answer: 1%
President-elect Humphrey Approval Rating
Approve: 71%
Disapprove: 15%
Not sure: 11%
Didn’t answer: 3%

[Cold War Liberal]

January 4, 1973
George Ball to be Secretary of State; Clark to be Attorney General

President-elect Hubert Humphrey announced this morning that former Under Secretary of State George Ball is his pick to run the State Department. His appointment was sent to the 93rd Congress, which convened for the first time yesterday. A liberal on foreign policy, Ball was the man in Kennedy’s ear most fervently against escalating Vietnam. He is expected to easily sail to nomination, as the Democrats hold a supermajority in the Senate.

Additionally, Ramsey Clark, the very pro-civil rights former Deputy Attorney General, will be Humphrey’s nominee for Attorney General. Humphrey has appointed a very liberal Cabinet so far, and his pick for DOJ is no different. Clark’s father, Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark, announced immediately after the nomination of his son that he would be retiring at the end of this judicial term. Humphrey will begin meeting with potential replacements for Clark after his inauguration.

The new Senate has been hard at work confirming Humphrey’s Cabinet. Cyrus Vance was confirmed to Defense, Claude Pepper was confirmed to HEW, and John Connally was confirmed to Commerce. Frank Church sailed through his hearings to become the next Interior Secretary, and Alan Boyd easily got approved to his old post at Transportation. Cesar Chavez, having been persuaded by Humphrey that he could help migrant workers more as a Cabinet member than a grassroots activist, was confirmed to head up the Agriculture Department, mostly along ideological (though not party) lines. Labor Secretary nominee Walter Reuther’s hearings are still ongoing, as he is one of the more controversial nominees. Head of the United Automobile Workers’ union, Reuther is unpopular among Southern conservative Democrats, though with the overwhelming Democratic majority it is quite likely Reuther will be confirmed anyway. The President-elect made history by nominating the first African-American woman to a Cabinet post when he nominated Patricia Roberts Harris to the Housing Department (which Humphrey has vowed to make more powerful); Harris was confirmed this morning. And finally (so far), Kennedy in-law Sargent Shriver got confirmed to his new post as UN Ambassador.

January 15, 1973
President Goldwater Gives Farewell Address

Speaking from Phoenix, Arizona, outgoing President Goldwater gave the last major speech of his administration this evening. In it, he took a more combative stance than most farewell speeches. "America will not forever succumb to the dangers of rampant liberalism," cried the President; "one day, conservatism will rise again in this country."

January 20, 1973

President Humphrey and Vice President Jackson are sworn in at the Capitol.

“Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Kennedy, President Goldwater, Vice President Reagan, Senator Fong, my fellow Americans.”

“...the America of four years ago was a better one by nearly every metric. Unemployment was down. Inflation was down. The dollar was more robust and America’s image around the world was better. We must take care in the coming days, months, and years to remedy these mistakes and fight the problems of the 1970’s with the solutions of the 1970’s, and not those solutions found in an idyllic myth of some bygone past…”

“...our great nation, which has withstood great troubles in the past, has once again proven that it can withstand great troubles in the present. We are a resilient people, a people which takes matters into our own hands not by revolution or violent uprising but by peaceful protest and diligence at the ballot box…”

“...we must provide for those who are poor, protect the rights of those who are oppressed, and preserve America's place as a superpower on the world stage. These are the guiding principles of this new administration. In the next hundred days and the next four years, we will pass civil rights legislation; protect workers, farmers, and everyday Americans; and ensure all Americans have easier access to common-sense government programs designed to help all of us…”

“...America’s promise has never dulled nor retreated into the shadows, and today, it shines bright like a beacon pointing us away from yesterday and towards tomorrow!”

Humphrey Cabinet
President: Hubert Humphrey
Vice President: Henry M. Jackson
-------
Secretary of State: George Ball
Secretary of the Treasury: Joseph Barr
Secretary of Defense: Cyrus Vance
Attorney General: Ramsey Clark
Secretary of the Interior: Frank Church
Secretary of Agriculture: Cesar Chavez
Secretary of Commerce: John Connally
Secretary of Labor: Walter Reuther
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Claude Pepper
Secretary of Housing: Patricia Roberts Harris
Secretary of Transportation: Alan Boyd
-------
FBI Director: Mark Felt
Director of Central Intelligence: Hugh B. Hester
-------
Chief of Staff: Gary Hart
Press Secretary: Frank Mankiewicz
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Robert Coldwell Wood
United States Trade Representative: Robert Strauss
United States Ambassador to the United Nations: Sargent Shriver
Gallup Poll
January 20, 1973
President Goldwater Approval Rating
Disapprove: 70%
Approve: 27%
Not sure: 2%
Didn’t answer: 1%
President Humphrey Approval Rating
Approve: 71%
Disapprove: 15%
Not sure: 11%
Didn’t answer: 3%
Should the Equal Rights Amendment be ratified?
Yes: 76%
No: 20%
Not sure: 3%
Didn’t answer: 1%

[Cold War Liberal]

January 20, 1973

Humphrey officially appoints his Cabinet following the inauguration, and publicly urges Congress to send him bills on civil rights and welfare.

January 22, 1973

ROE V. WADE: Supreme Court decides 6-3 (Bork, White, Carswell dissenting) that abortion is a Constitutional right.

January 29, 1973

The Housing Rights Act of 1973, a bill which allows the Housing Department to “strictly enforce” anti-discrimination policies, passes the House 297-136.

January 30, 1973

The HRA passes the Senate 65-35. President Humphrey proclaims “the era of housing discrimination ends now” when signing the bill into law.

February 2, 1973

President Humphrey addresses Congress for the first time. In his first unofficial “state of the union,” the President proudly points to the recently enacted Housing Rights Act as a “great piece of legislation” and states that it is only the beginning of the extensive agenda of the Humphrey Administration.

February 5, 1973

Associate Justice Tom C. Clark confirms that he will retire at the end of the Supreme Court term, as expected. This is apparently due to a deal between Clark and Humphrey reached before the inauguration; in return for allowing the new President to appoint a younger new justice, he would appoint Clark’s son, Ramsey, Attorney General. Humphrey is alleged to be considering a young candidate who would be a “first” for the Court.

February 12, 1973

The Voting Rights Act of 1973 is passed in the House 322-113. The VRA, which initially failed under the Kennedy Administration, would protect the right to vote for all Americans, including millions of African-Americans, and give the government renewed powers to enforce the 14th Amendment.

February 17, 1973

Florida becomes the 35th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Governor Askew calls this a “victory for all Americans, regardless of their sex.”

February 19, 1973

The Senate passes the VRA 72-28. President Humphrey signs it into law and says that “it’s about time we ensure the Constitution applies to everyone!” The President celebrates with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife Coretta in the White House.

March 2, 1973

Washington and Idaho special Senate elections are scheduled for November 6.

March 7, 1973

President Humphrey sets up a commission, lead by Senator LeRoy Collins (D-FL) and Governor Ivan Allen, Jr. (D-GA), to assess the state of desegregation in the South and measures the Humphrey Administration can take to improve race relations, promote integration, and help black Americans build wealth.

March 20, 1973

Former President John F. Kennedy announces he is funding a new initiative to help research Addison’s disease, a chronic endocrine disorder. The popular former President, 55, was noticeably thinner, stiffer, and more pained than he appeared during his Presidency, leading to speculation that Kennedy himself has the disease. The Kennedy family denied these claims, stating that President Kennedy was simply suffering from a flaring-up of a back injury sustained during his time in the Navy during World War II.

March 21, 1973

In San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the Supreme Court rules that funding schools via property taxes is an unconstitutional violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment because it gives an unfair advantage to the wealthy. Justices Marshall, Clark, Brennan, White, and Goldberg were the majority, with Blackmun, Bork, Carswell, and Stewart dissenting.

March 22, 1973

A group of Chinese and Soviet soldiers get into an altercation on the border of the PRC and USSR. No one is injured, but the dispute threatens to reignite tensions between the two Communist countries, which had somewhat settled since the border conflicts of the late 1960’s. New Chairwoman Jiang Qing, who came to power after the assassination of her late husband Mao Zedong in 1972, has been aggressive in her foreign policy.

April 4, 1973

President Humphrey, Governor Kennedy, former Secretary Rockefeller, and Senators Javits and Harriman attend ribbon-cutting for the newly-finished World Trade Center in New York City, the tallest buildings in the world.

April 10, 1973

President Humphrey reaches out to Chairwoman Jiang Qing about taking steps towards improving relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China. Jiang flatly rejected Humphrey’s proposals.

April 27, 1973

A WOMAN ON THE COURT?

  Today, President Humphrey nominated the honorable Judge Shirley Hufstedler to the Supreme Court seat being vacated by Associate Justice Tom C. Clark. Hufstedler was appointed by President Kennedy to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1968, and would be the first woman in history to serve on the Supreme Court. Liberal Senators such as Walter Mondale (DFL-MN) and George McGovern (D-SD) have praised the choice, while some conservatives such as Bob Dole (R-KS) and Spiro Agnew (R-MD) have raised concerns over her qualifications.

Gallup Poll
April 30, 1973
President Humphrey Approval Rating
Approve: 67%
Disapprove: 26%
Not sure: 7%

[Cold War Liberal]

Scoop Jackson is quite a hawk, and moderate compared to other Democrats, and would be vulnerable to a primary challenge from someone like George McGovern or Robert Kennedy (though RFK would have some of the same problems as Ted would, minus the womanizing).

Ol' Scoop is very hawkish on foreign policy. That's not gonna change. If he becomes president, he'll have been VP to Humphrey, who has the potential to be the most liberal president since at least FDR on domestic policy, which could conceivably have an impact on Jackson's domestic policy. However, though he wasn't McGovern by any stretch of the imagination, OTL Jackson was solidly in favor of unions and civil rights; ITTL America is even more liberal so we'll see what Jackson is capable of - if he's given the reigns of power, that is. A lot can happen before he runs for president himself in, say, 1980. McGovern, his greatest adversary within the party, likely won't be a major player after losing narrowly in the 1968 primaries and surprisingly badly in the 1972 primaries. Maybe a more dovish Democrat could challenge him in '80?

(Of course, I already have all of 1973-1985 planned out fairly extensively and have for a while now, I know exactly what happens )

As for the Republicans, I'll bet they'll gain seats in 1974... And I'll be bold and predict on a primary battle between Richard Nixon (you've certainly foreshadowed that he'll run again) and Bob Dole in 1976.

Former Vice/Acting President Reagan is by far the most popular Republican in the country, but he's so far definitively ruled out a run. There are a bunch of big names that could run, but will they? Humphrey's pretty strong ATM, though again, there's a political eternity between April 1973 and January 1976.

SENATOR LEROY COLLINS

His nephew was my Government teacher in HS!

Oh that's really cool!

LeRoy Collins is by far the best thing to come out of George Wallace's 1968 coattails, and is possibly my favorite alternate senator ITTL.

Except Spiro Agnew, I love having him in the Senate to comment on current events once in a while.

[Cold War Liberal]

May 2, 1973

The “Hanoi Report” Released

  The UN Special Committee on Nuclear War releases its finished report on the US nuclear attack on Hanoi that took place on June 1, 1971. The UN sets the official death toll at around 500,000 people who were instantly vaporized; 750,000 more died from radiation sickness or other injury over the next year and a half. In Vietnam, Cambodia, and a swath of the southern PRC, the effects of nuclear fallout are beginning to show. Pregnancy rates have dropped slightly but noticeably, while cancer rates have ticked up. Current data cannot conclude with absolute certainty that this is due to the fallout, but experts both at the UN and elsewhere agree that the attacks are likely the cause.

May 6, 1973

US intelligence shows 30,000 Chinese troops moving towards the Manchurian border with the USSR. The troops stop in Jiamusi. Leaders around the world are concerned that Chairwoman Jiang’s foreign policy is more bellicose than that of her late husband.

May 14, 1973

Ruth B. Ginsburg delivers the ACLU a win with the Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision in favor of Sharron Frontiero in Frontiero v. Richardson. The US military must give benefits out to military spouses of both genders, the Court decided. Justices Bork and Carswell dissented.

May 25, 1973

President Humphrey declares that, “just as John F. Kennedy said we must go to the moon, I stand before you to declare that humanity must forge a path to the next frontier: the planet Mars.” Humphrey announces a bill will be introduced to double NASA’s budget to achieve this goal by 2000. “Man should set foot on another planet in little more than a quarter century,” Humphrey stated, “and I should hope to live to see it.”

May 27, 1973

The Next Frontier Act of 1973 passes with 251 votes in the House.

May 29, 1973

The Next Frontier Act of 1973 passes with 62 votes in the Senate, and is signed into law by President Humphrey. NASA’s budget for FY 1974 will be slightly over $7 million, with a new focus on putting a man on Mars by 1990.

June 7, 1973

The leaders of North and South Vietnam, along with Premier Zhou Enlai of the PRC and USSR Second Secretary Mikhail Suslov, meet in Saigon to discuss plans for the new Vietnam and how it fits into the world order. President Humphrey requested a place for himself, Secretary Ball, Secretary Vance, or some other representative of the US at the metaphorical table, but the request was denied.

June 9, 1973

The McGovern Amendment, a proposed Constitutional Amendment to require the US to call for a national referendum before declaring war, is voted on in the US Senate. It fails, with only 56 Senators voting for it and 44 Senators voting against it, well short of the 67 votes needed to send it to the House. Senator George McGovern (D-SD) states he will not reintroduce his eponymous amendment; this is the second time it has failed to pass.

June 10, 1973

Illinois becomes the 36th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

June 13, 1973

A national referendum is scheduled in Vietnam as a result of the recent summit. It will take place on November 1. Voters will be able to choose from uniting Vietnam under communism, uniting Vietnam under capitalist democracy, and keeping the pre-war North/South Vietnam divide.

June 15, 1973

Shirley Hufstedler’s confirmation hearing scheduled for the beginning of August.

June 27, 1973

President Humphrey and General Secretary Brezhnev meet in Vienna for what will be the first of several arms limitation talks between the two world leaders over the course of the following couple of years. Secretary Brezhnev was open to such talks earlier, but former President Goldwater was not. President Humphrey campaigned on repairing the US-Soviet relationship, and he saw an end to the arms race as the start of fulfilling those promises.

July 6, 1973

The House passes the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1973, which would, if signed into law, provide free or subsidized day care to single, working parents across the country. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (D-NY-12), the sponsor of the bill in the House, called the Act a victory for women and poor Americans.

July 13, 1973

In a primetime speech, President Humphrey calls on Congress to pass not only the Child Development Act, but environmental protection legislation as well. The Clean Air Act and National Environmental Protection Act had both passed despite Goldwater’s veto in 1971, but Humphrey called for a Cabinet-level position to more effectively carry out the protection and conservation of the American environment.

July 22, 1973

Special Senate elections: Senator Tom Foley (D) to face former Governor Daniel Evans (R) in Washington; Senator John V. Evans (D) and former Congressman James A. McClure (R) fight for the seat in Idaho.

July 27, 1973

After much debate, the Senate passes the Comprehensive Child Development Act of 1973 with a vote of 65 to 35. President Humphrey signs it into law in the presence of a collection of lower-and-middle class working women from around the country, and the bill’s sponsors, including Rep. Chisholm, Rep. Andrew Young (D-GA-05) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA).

August 6 - 10, 1973

Shirley Hufstedler appears before Congress for a series of confirmation hearings. Despite the monumental prospect of the first permanent female member of the Supreme court (President Goldwater appointed Phyllis Schlafly to the Court in 1970 during a Congressional recess, but she was voted down in 1971), the hearings are fairly boring. Hufstedler proves to be a reserved, competent jurist, and is widely seen to likely be a moderate vote on the Court. At 48 years old, Hufstedler could easily serve on the Court for three decades of more.

August 14, 1973

The Judiciary Committee sends Hufstedler’s nomination to the floor on a unanimous vote. The full Senate votes to confirm her to the Court, with the only Senator voting no being Strom Thurmond (R-SC). Associate Justice Shirley Hufstedler is sworn in the following afternoon.

Marshall Court, 1973

Chief Justice
Thurgood Marshall (b. 1908, liberal, appointed by Kennedy in 1965)

Associate Justices
Harry Blackmun (b. 1908, moderate, appointed by Goldwater in 1971)
Byron White (b. 1917, moderate, appointed by Kennedy in 1962)
Arthur Goldberg (b. 1908, liberal, appointed by Kennedy in 1962)
Robert Bork (b. 1927, conservative, appointed by Goldwater in 1970)
G. Harrold Carswell (b. 1919, conservative, appointed by Goldwater in 1969)
Potter Stewart (b. 1915, moderate, appointed by Eisenhower in 1958)
Shirley Hufstedler (b. 1925, moderate, appointed by Humphrey in 1973)
William J. Brennan, Jr. (b. 1906, liberal, appointed by Eisenhower in 1956)

September 9, 1973

President Humphrey meets with Senator Kennedy and HEW Secretary Claude Pepper at the White House to discuss proposals for comprehensive healthcare reform. The Administration sets the goal to overhaul the nation’s healthcare system by the 1976 elections.

September 24, 1973

Significantly more Chinese troops are moved towards Kashmir. India and Pakistan get nervous and move more troops towards the region as well; the CIA reports to President Humphrey that India and Pakistan have also increased spending on developing nuclear capabilities. This concerns the President.

October 3, 1973

After months of debate, the Environmental Protection and Conservation Act of 1973 (EPCA) passes the House with 259 votes in its favor. The bill would create a Cabinet-level Department of Environmental Affairs, which would be tasked with protecting and conserving America’s environment. The DoEA would research the environment, conduct studies, and provide solutions to environmental problems. In addition to these new functions, various environment-focused functions of other Cabinet departments would be folded into the DoEA as well.

October 8, 1973

The EPCA passes the Senate with 73 votes. President Humphrey signs it into law, and announces that he will choose a nominee to be the DoEA Secretary within two weeks.

October 20, 1973

President Humphrey announces Douglas Costle, a vocal environmentalist who pushed for the EPCA, will be his choice for DoEA Secretary.

October 22, 1973

Missouri becomes the 37th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment.

October 24, 1973

The Senate unanimously confirms Douglas Costle as the first Secretary of Environmental Affairs.

November 1, 1973

Vietnam Referendum, 1973:
Reunite Under Communism: 55.19% ✓
Reunite Under Capitalism: 35.76%
Stay Divided: 7.79%
None of the Above: 1.26%

Despite the best (covert) efforts of the CIA, the Vietnamese people choose communism, creating an air of doom and gloom among Western observers who subscribe to the domino theory.

November 6, 1973
U.S. ELECTION SPECIAL: Democrats Run the Table
New Jersey Gubernatorial Election, 1973
Brendan Byrne: 67.22% ✓
Charles Sandman, Jr.: 31.05%

Virginia Gubernatorial Election, 1973
Henry Howell: 50.34% ✓
Mills Godwin: 49.66%

Idaho Special Senate Election, 1973
John Evans*: 54.91% ✓
James McClure: 45.09%

Washington Special Senate Election, 1973
Tom Foley*: 57.25% ✓
Daniel Evans: 42.75%

New York City Mayoral Election, 1973
Herman Badillo: 37.71% ✓
Allard Lowenstein: 34.18
John Marchi: 15.99%
Mario Biaggi: 11.02%

November 24, 1973

President Humphrey meets with several congressmen and Senators about possible education policies that could be pursued in 1974.

December 6, 1973

Following another round of border skirmishes, Soviet leader Brezhnev warns that if war breaks out between the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, he fears that the use of nuclear weapons would be “inevitable, if not immediate.” In response, Chairwoman Jiang says that “would be a pity,” which stikes an ominous tone on the world stage. President Humphrey calls this exchange “troubling” in a press conference.

Gallup Poll
January 1, 1974
Do you approve of the job President Humphrey is doing as President?
Yes: 64%
No: 33%
No opinion: 2%
Not sure: 1%
Didn't answer: 0%
Do you approve of President Humphrey personally?
Yes: 82%
No: 8%
No opinion: 8%
Not sure: 1%
Didn't answer: 1%
If the 1974 midterms were held today, who would you vote for?
Democrats: 44%
Republicans: 42%
Others: 1%
Not sure: 12%
Didn't answer: 1%
Should the Equal Rights Amendment become a part of the US Constitution?
Yes: 87%
No: 8%
Not sure: 4%
Didn't answer: 1%
If the 1976 Presidential election were held today, who would you vote for?
President Hubert Humphrey/Vice President Henry Jackson: 42%
Generic Republicans: 21%
Others: 2%
Not sure: 36%
Didn't answer: 1%

[Cold War Liberal]

Glad to see so much progress! One thing though, isn’t 1990 only 17 years (not more than a quarter century) from 1973?

Oops basic arithmetic isn't my forte. I'll change it to 2000

[Cold War Liberal]

January 8, 1974

EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT RATIFIED

   This afternoon, North Carolina Governor Skipper Bowles and millions of American feminists celebrated as his state became the 38th to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. There was initially opposition from conservatives in the state legislature, but since the 1970 midterms brought a number of ERA supporters into both chambers, and after Bowles won the 1972 gubernatorial election, the chances of North Carolina ratifying the Amendment increased. Governor Bowles pushed hard for the Amendment, and now his work has paid off: thanks to this ratification, the ERA will now just be known as the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

   Famed ACLU attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg made a statement congratulating Governor Bowles and the North Carolina state legislatures, while President Goldwater and his outspoken former Attorney General Phyllis Schlafly both condemned the Amendment’s ratification as “a legislative overreach that is sadly now enshrined in our Constitution” and “a dark day for women,” respectively.

   The Amendment, which guarantees equal treatment regardless of sex, goes into effect two years from today.

Green = ratified, blue = passed in one chamber, red = voted down

January 30, 1974

President Hubert Humphrey delivers the 1974 State of the Union address to Congress. Humphrey calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the public education system. Humphrey’s plan, which is basically a revamped version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that failed in 1965, is the farthest reaching education legislation ever proposed. Millions of dollars in federal money would be put into primary and secondary education. New instructional material would be commissioned, new educational standards would be implemented, and school libraries would get much more funding. Teachers’ pay would also be increased, and new grants to low-income prospective college students would be created.

Desegregation and improved race relations are the next issues to be brought up. Humphrey calls for “total equality among the races, not only under the law but in practice.” The President congratulated Congress for its passing of laws outlawing housing discrimination and protecting black people’s right to the vote, but said they still had work to do. More stringent employment discrimination laws, more efforts to end de facto school segregation, and fostering better employment prospects in urban areas were the three points Humphrey hit upon the hardest.

Continuing the jobs theme, Humphrey also announces that he intends to push for a federal jobs program for veterans of the war in Vietnam, in order to keep recently returned veterans off the streets. “There is nothing more honorable than fighting for your country,” declares the President, “and it is only right that the government repay the favor by providing for those who answered the call of duty.”

Humphrey’s second State of the Union speech is well received. Senator Bob Dole (R-KS) gives the Republican response, mostly railing against the call by Humphrey to attempt to use the government to change societal attitudes regarding race; referencing George Orwell’s 1984, Dole states that “short of creating a thought police to stamp out ‘crimethink,’ that goal [of eliminating racism], while noble, is not possible solely through government intervention.” Senator Dole, who is up for reelection in 1974, is regarded as a potential Presidential candidate for 1976 and a rising star of the party.

February 7, 1974

Mel Brooks’ controversial Western satire Blazing Saddles, starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, premiers. Its vulgarity raises eyebrows, but its critique of racism both in 1874 and 1974 earn it critical praise and cult classic status for decades.

February 10, 1974

President Humphrey meets with Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Charles Percy (R-IL), Katherine Peden (D-KY), Jacob Javits (R-NY), and Mike Mansfield (D-MT), along with a number of congresspeople from both parties, to discuss the American Education Act of 1974, the landmark education bill which is making its way through committee. The bill would secure funding for public schooling from kindergarten through high school for schools across the country, in addition to funding school libraries; creating grants for poor students, including those in college; increasing school teachers’ pay; and expanding the National School Lunch Program. Humphrey states that he would “love” the AEA to be put on his desk before the midterms. Speaker Carl Albert (D-OK-3) and Senate Majority Leader Mansfield assure the President that they would have a bill out of committee by the end of the month, and that they hope to have it passed by the midterms as well.

February 28, 1974

Harold Wilson’s Labour party keeps their majority in the British parliament, with their coalition holding a razor thin majority of 322 seats, four more than the 318 needed for a majority. Harold Wilson, who has been the British Prime Minister since 1964, will likely remain as leader for the foreseeable future.

March 6, 1974

The American Education Act is successfully voted out of the House Committee on Education and Labor, a few days behind the informal goal set by Speaker Albert a month prior.

March 15, 1974

A severely depressed man by the name of Samuel Byck assassinates renowned composer Leonard Bernstein outside Lincoln Center with a stolen .22 caliber revolver. Byck reportedly yells “die, queer” as he shoots, referencing rumors the composer is gay. U.S. Secret Service had previously been tipped off about Byck, as he previously made threats against Presidents Goldwater and Humphrey, virologist Jonas Salk, and Senator Abraham Ribicoff (D-CT); however, they failed to see him as a serious threat. Bernstein takes a bullet to the chest and two to the head, killing him nearly instantly. President Humphrey’s office releases a statement “mourn[ing] the loss of one of the nation’s great artistic talents.”

March 22, 1974

After some debate, education reform passes the House of Representatives with 245 votes in its favor. The Senate begins its debate on the AEA.

April 1, 1974

NBC’s Barbara Walters does a live interview with the late Leonard Bernstein’s widow, Felicia Montealegre. After discussing her anti-Vietnam activism, Montealegre states that “sometimes [Leonard] would be homosexual,” which sparks controversy among the general public. Montealegre states that she loved and supported her late husband in everything he did, even though, in her opinion, “when he was holding back the homosexual part, he did some of his best work.” She also expresses support for the gay rights movement, a fringe position at the time. The nascent movement, which started gaining national attention in 1969 after the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City, quickly adopts Leonard Bernstein and Felicia Montealegre as icons within their subculture. Meanwhile, Governor Kennedy passes stronger gun control in the state of New York, and pushes for the national government to take action as well.

April 15, 1974

After three weeks of debate, the American Education Act passes the Senate with 62 votes. The sweeping education reform bill is opposed by all conservatives in both parties, most moderate Republicans, and a few moderate Democrats; however, the Democratic majority is big enough that the nay votes of conservative Democrats such as Herman Talmadge (D-GA) and James Eastland (D-MS) are cancelled out by the affirmative votes of a few moderate Republicans, such as Jacob Javits (R-NY) and Charles Percy (R-IL).

President Humphrey signs the bill into law later that evening.

April 18, 1974

Conservative icon William F. Buckley announces that he will run as a Conservative party candidate for US Senate against Senator Javits and the Democratic nominee, likely to be Rep. Shirley Chisholm, in New York. Buckley states that Javits’ vote for the education reform bill is what spurred him to make the announcement, but also calls Javits “generally out of touch” with the state of New York. With Republicans divided between Javits and Buckley, the Democrats should be in a good position to pick up this seat if their candidate is strong enough. Congresswoman Chisholm has been making noise about running, though she has not officially announced her campaign. The only other major Democrat looking at running is Lt. Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr., who has also not announced his intentions for 1974. Governor Robert F. Kennedy is expected to run for another term, and seeing as his latest approval rating sits at 64%, he is likely to win reelection.

May 5, 1974

François Mitterrand and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing win the first round of the French Presidential election, with 44% and 32% of the vote, respectively. The second round will be held on May 19th.

May 16, 1974
Hubert

President Humphrey about to get bad news, May 16, 1974

Hubert had enjoyed the first year and a half of his presidency, and with his high approval ratings, it appeared he could look forward to another six and a half. Still, he felt a pang of worry as he responded to his personal physician’s summons by walking down to his office himself.

General Tkach, the Physician to the President, had conducted a routine yearly physical on President Humphrey a week before. The urgency conveyed in the summons was not comforting to Hubert, who at that moment arrived in Tkach’s office. “You wanted to see me?” he asked. “Yes, Mr. President. We just got some tests back from the lab, and we think we found something…” the General trailed off.

“What kind of something?”

Tkach hesitated. “Bladder cancer, sir.”

Hubert was silent for a while. He didn’t feel sick. Finally, he feebly asked “are you sure?”

“Well, we’ll need to run a few more tests, but the signs don’t look encouraging, sir. If we’ve caught it early enough there may be some treatment options available, but if it’s been hiding for a while then treatment might be a hindrance to your office. Once we do a few more tests - x-rays, MRIs, stuff like that - you’ll have more information, and then you can make political decisions from there.”

Hubert knew it was early in the diagnosis - hell, he might not even have cancer - but those political decisions immediately started weighing on him. Should he run for reelection in 1976? Should he resign if treating cancer meant neglecting his responsibilities? Should he even seek treatment; was the lack of alertness that’d bring be a national security risk? And then there were the other, personal questions: when would he tell his family? When would he tell the rest of America? If he was only given a few more years to live, where did he want to go to die? What did he want to do before then? These thoughts swirled in his head as he left the physician’s office and returned to the Oval.

May 18, 1974

India tests “Smiling Buddha,” the nation’s first successful nuclear bomb. The government calls it “peaceful” but Pakistan and China do not take it that way. Pakistan further accelerates their nuclear program in response.

May 19, 1974

François Mitterrand wins the second round of the French Presidential election with 50.2% of the vote to Valéry Giscard d'Estaing’s 49.8%. This is the closest French Presidential election in history at the time.

May 24, 1974

Former Vice President Morris Udall (serving under President Kennedy from 1965-1969) announces a run for the Arizona Senate seat currently held by Sen. Paul Fannin (R).

June 1, 1974

After narrowly losing the Democratic Senate primary, Governor Ivan Allen Jr. of Georgia announces a run for Georgia’s Senate election as a “New South Democrat,” a more progressive alternative to the more conservative Democratic alternative, Sen. Herman Talmadge. Allen and Talmadge will go against the Republican nominee, likely Macon Mayor Ronnie Thompson. In the event that none of the candidates in the general election receives 50% + 1 of the votes, there will be a runoff held at a later date between the top two vote getters. Governor Allen is popular, but taking out an entrenched incumbent like Senator Talmadge will be an uphill battle.

June 4, 1974

California Secretary of State Jerry Brown wins the Democratic nomination for US Senate to run against incumbent Republican Senator Charleton Heston.

June 20, 1974

Secretary Brezhnev and President Humphrey meet again for another round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks.

July 1, 1974
Gallup Poll
Do you approve of the job President Humphrey is doing as President?
Yes: 60%
No: 35%
No opinion: 3%
Not sure: 2%
Didn't answer: 0%

If the 1974 midterms were held today, who would you vote for?
Democrats: 45%
Republicans: 45%
Others: 1%
Not sure: 8%
Didn't answer: 1%

July 2, 1974

Chinese and Soviet troops continue their standoff at the Sino-Soviet border. Secretary Brezhnev schedules a meeting with Chairwoman Jiang of the People’s Republic of China for August 1 to discuss ways to de-escalate tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations. Meanwhile, Chinese, Indian, and Pakistani troop presence in the disputed Kashmir region has increased dramatically. India and Pakistan have both fast-tracked their nuclear programs as well, to be able to compete with China if need be. These developments worry many in the West, and many hope that the next month’s meeting between Brezhnev and Jiang reduces tensions.

July 16, 1974

President Goldwater’s former Army Chief of Staff and Vietnam War strategic architect, General William Westmoreland, narrowly beats State Sen. James Edwards for the Republican nomination for Governor of South Carolina. The GOP hopes Westmoreland can become the first Republican Governor of South Carolina since Reconstruction.

President Goldwater helped General Westmoreland win the nomination, appearing with “Westy,” as he is nicknamed, at multiple campaign rallies across the state. Those close to the ostensibly disgraced former President say Goldwater is testing the waters for a wider campaign across the South ahead of this year’s midterms. Goldwater is still reasonably popular, if still controversial, in the South, and has been drumming up support for conservative Republicans in the region, such as Georgia Senate candidate Ronnie Thompson.

July 21, 1974
BREZHNEV DEAD
Soviet Leader Has Heart Attack at 67



Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev
December 19, 1906 - July 21, 1974

The world is shocked this morning as the latest news blasts out of Moscow: Leonid Brezhnev, the leader of the Soviet Union since Nikita Khrushchev's 1964 ouster, has had a fatal heart attack. A central figure in world politics for over a decade, Brezhnev brought relative political stability to the USSR and made strides towards a more peaceful relationship with the other side of the Cold War, led by the United States. Rumors have recently begun circulating that Brezhnev’s health was in decline, and this morning they seem to have been proven correct.

As the Soviet Union mourns, political jockeying to succeed Brezhnev has already begun. Two major candidates have instantly been considered the most likely next Soviet leader: Second Secretary Mikhail Suslov, and Fyodor Kulakov, a member of the Politburo that was reportedly in Brezhnev’s good graces.

The status of the scheduled meeting between the Soviet leader and Chairwoman Jiang of China is undetermined.

President Humphrey has offered his condolences to the people of the USSR for the loss of their leader.

July 22, 1974

Senator Wayne Morse (D-OR) dies at age 73. Sen. Morse was retiring this year; an election between Governor McCall and state Sen. Betty Roberts is scheduled for this November. The seat will be vacant until then.

July 27, 1974

After several days of debate, Fyodor Kulakov is chosen to be the next General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, making him the de facto Soviet leader. This is effective immediately. Mikhail Suslov, considered the other main candidate for the job, will remain Second Secretary. Kulakov’s first order of business is to resolve the Sino-Soviet border tensions, and as such communicates with Chairwoman Jiang regarding the meeting scheduled for August 1. Needing more than five days to get settled into his new government, Kulakov asks to postpone the meeting for two weeks; Jiang agrees and a the meeting is moved to August 15.

August 4, 1974

President Humphrey announces a federal jobs bill for Vietnam veterans will be introduced by Senator Walter Mondale (DFL-MN) in the coming days. Designed to provide veterans with income after many returned without much in the way of job opportunities, the program would allow physically healthy veterans to apply for temporary federal infrastructure jobs to help “build resumes while also building new roads and bridges,” Senator Mondale said at the President’s press conference in the Rose Garden.

August 15, 1974

Secretary Kulakov and Chairwoman Jiang meet in Sochi to discuss ways the two nations could end the recent series of border skirmishes and prevent war between the USSR and PRC. At the end of the meeting, the two world leaders hold a joint press conference wherein Kulakov describes Jiang as “sensible” while Jiang commends Kulakov’s “commitment to peace” and wishes him luck in his new job.

August 17, 1974

Chinese troops start to slowly move away from the Sino-Soviet border. Chinese troop presence in and near the disputed Kashmir territory is set to increase, heightening tensions between India, the PRC, and Pakistan.

August 30, 1974

US Secretary of Agriculture Cesar Chavez announces that some of the farm subsidies cancelled by the Goldwater Administration would be making a return; however, he states that the subsidies will be targeted at smaller farms owned by “average Americans, not corporations.” Goldwater’s Agriculture department under Secretaries Curtis and Butz pushed corporate farms as the future of agriculture, but Secretary Chavez, a former farmer himself, has taken a diametrically oppositional view of how the nation’s farms should operate.

[Cold War Liberal]

September 10, 1974
Kennedy, Chisholm Win Primaries

Is Congresswoman Chisholm about to become Senator Chisholm?

New York, NY - Governor Robert Kennedy was easily renominated for another term as New York’s chief executive tonight, as expected; he only faced token opposition. Lt. Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. did not run for renomination, deciding instead to run for Senate; former Small Business Administration chief Howard Samuels won nomination to that position. Lawyer Mario Cuomo won the party’s nomination for Attorney General.

The Senate primary was where the most attention was focused. Lt. Gov. Roosevelt faced off against Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm (NY-12) and former Labor Secretary Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Chisholm won 48% of the vote, Roosevelt won 40%, and Moynihan, having been a Democrat who served under President Goldwater, only received 12% of the vote. Chisholm will face off against Senator Jacob Javits (R) and conservative icon William F. Buckley (C) in the November 5 election.

September 24, 1974

President Humphrey and Secretary Kulakov meet for the first time in Vienna during one of the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks. While progress on SALT has mostly been headed up by bureaucrats from both the US and USSR with occasional meetings between the two countries’ leaders, following the death of Leonid Brezhnev both Humphrey and Kulakov decided it would be best to meet in person.

September 30, 1974

Secretary Kulakov announces that, like the United States, the USSR would also attempt to reach Mars. The Soviet plan is to successfully send a lander within the next year, and, ambitiously, to send humans to Mars (on a one-way mission) by 1990, undercutting NASA’s goal by a decade.

October 5, 1974

Former President Barry Goldwater begins campaigning for congressional and gubernatorial candidates in select areas. Goldwater, who lost every state to President Humphrey in 1972, is still somewhat popular in the deep South, which is almost exclusively where he will campaign. Candidates Goldwater supports include South Carolina gubernatorial candidate William Westmoreland, Georgia Senate candidate Ronnie Thompson, and Arkansas Senate candidate Maurice Britt. Goldwater will also make appearances with William F. Buckley as he attempts to win a Senate seat in New York, and with Senator Paul Fannin in his attempt to retain his seat against former Vice President Udall in Goldwater’s home state of Arizona. Newt Gingrich (running for GA-06) and Ron Paul (running for TX-22) are two House candidates that Goldwater will campaign with as well.

While Goldwater’s approval rating is still around 30%, he is still widely liked inside the conservative faction of the GOP.

October 14, 1974

The first NASA Mars lander to be sent after President Humphrey restarted the space race, named Prometheus 23, lands successfully on the red planet.

November 4, 1974
Gallup Poll
Do you approve of the job President Humphrey is doing as President?
Yes: 58%
No: 37%
No opinion: 4%
Not sure: 1%
Didn't answer: 0%

If the 1974 midterms were held today, who would you vote for?
Republicans: 48%
Democrats: 47%
Others: 1%
Not sure: 4%
Didn't answer: 0%

[Cold War Liberal]

The 1974 update was so big I had to split it into two parts. Next comes Election Night 1974, which will be presented like I've done Presidential elections in the past.

[Cold War Liberal]

Very good stuff! Is Jiang Qing the leader of China???

Yes, Mao was assassinated in 1972 and Jiang took his place. She may or may not be acting rather aggressive on the world stage to preempt accusations of weakness due to her being a woman.

[President Goldwater's] concern [regarding the Vietnam War] rose due to an event that occured in China: Mao Zedong was assassinated on October 2, and his death was blamed on Lin Biao, who fled to the Soviet Union. Mao’s wife, Jiang Qing, took the reigns of power from her husband, and began to run the government of the PRC with the other members of the “Gang of Four.” Goldwater was wary of Jiang, and while he didn’t want to pull out of Vietnam, he didn’t want to send in more troops either and run the risk of a negative Chinese reaction. Jiang was an unknown factor, unpredictable; Goldwater wasn’t going to take any chances.

[Cold War Liberal]

November 5, 1974
6:00 PM

“Good evening, I’m Walter Cronkite and this is CBS coverage of election night 1974. Polls for these midterm elections have just closed in the states of Indiana and Kentucky. Senator Ruckelshaus is locked in a close battle with Governor Birch Bayh; Indiana is too close to call. In Kentucky, Senator Katherine Peden has a lead over Congressman Gene Snyder of about four points, but this race too is too early to call. Let’s take a look at the maps…”

Senate

Democrats: 52 ( 16)
Republicans: 14 ( 17)
Vacant: 1 (formerly D)

“...so as you can see, we can already project that the Democratic party will hold the US Senate. Even if the GOP sweeps every state, they would only have 48 seats - three short of a majority. This year’s Senate map is rather unfavorable to the GOP; they may even lose a seat or two after the night is done. It is far too early to tell…”

7:00 PM

“...welcome back to election night 1974. Polls have just closed in Virginia, Vermont, South Carolina, Georgia, and most of Florida. In Vermont, incumbent Republican Senator George Aiken is retiring, and the race is a close one between former Rep. Richard Mallary and the man who beat him in an upset last election: Rep. Bernard Sanders. Once a somewhat radical activist - even describing himself as a “democratic socialist” at one point - Congressman Sanders has moderated his views to an extent in his campaign against Mallary, though he is still firmly progressive. The two men are virtually tied in the polls at the moment, even as we can call the governor’s election in that state for Thomas Salmon, the incumbent.

“In South Carolina, incumbent Senator Marshall Parker has beaten back a challenge from outgoing Rep. Thomas Gettys, winning a convincing margin. The governor’s race between Gen. William Westmoreland and Rep. William Dorn is too close to call at this hour, but Westmoreland leads. In Georgia, George Busbee has easily won the Governor’s mansion, while Sen. Herman Talmadge, Governor Ivan Allen, Jr., and Macon mayor Ronnie Thompson are in a three-way dead heat in the Senate race, which will likely go to a runoff. In Florida, both Governor Askew and Senator Collins have won comfortable reelections…”

7:30 PM

“...this is CBS News’ coverage of the 1974 midterms. Polls have now closed in Ohio, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Senator John Ashbrook is facing off against former state senator Howard Metzenbaum in Ohio, which is too early to call. Governor Gilligan and former Governor Rhodes’s race is too early to call as well.

“CBS can project, however, that former Governor Terry Sanford has won the Senate seat of Sam Ervin, who is retiring, in North Carolina. Additionally, Katherine Peden has won reelection in Kentucky. She will be a two term Senator at least.”

Senate

Democrats: 55 ( 13)
Republicans: 15 ( 16)
Vacant: 1
Governors

Democrats: 18 ( 24)
Republicans: 0 ( 7)
Independents: 0 ( 1)

[Cold War Liberal]

November 5, 1974
8:00 PM

“Welcome back to CBS News, this is Walter Cronkite with new returns from the 1974 midterms. A whole host of states closed their polls this hour, and a number of interesting results have come in. First, CBS News can project that the Democrats will maintain their control of the House of Representatives. By how much remains to be seen, but one thing is sure: there will be a Democratic trifecta of control until at least 1977.

“In Alabama, Senator Allen is effectively unopposed, and will win with over 95% of the vote. Bill Baxley will be the next Governor of the state.

“In Connecticut, Abraham Ribicoff has won reelection to the US Senate, while Governor Daddario will be governor for four more years.

“In Illinois, Senator Adlai Stevenson III will easily win reelection.

“In Kansas, the race between Senator Bob Dole and Congressman William Roy is too close to call, as is the governor’s race between Robert Bennett and Vern Miller.

“In Maine, George Mitchell has crushed James Erwin by almost 20 points.

“In Maryland, Senator Spiro Agnew has beaten Barbara Mikulski, while Governor Mathias has also won reelection.

“In Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis has won the governorship after John Volpe’s retirement. This is a pickup for the Democrats.

“In Michigan, Governor Sander Levin has won reelection.

“In Missouri, Senator Thomas Curtis has easily won reelection.

“In New Hampshire, the Senate race between Louis Wyman and John Durkin is too close to call, as is the governor’s race. Governor McLane, originally an independent, is running for reelection as a Democrat against Meldrim Thomson Jr.”

“Both races in Ohio are too close to call at the moment.

“In Oklahoma, Senator Harry Bellmon is facing a tough competitor in former Senator Fred Harris. The race is too early to call. David Boren, who successfully primaried Governor Hall, has won his first term as Governor convincingly.

“In Pennsylvania, Senator Richard Schweiker is ahead of Peter Flaherty by almost 5 points, but it is too soon to say who will win. Governor Shapp leads Andrew Lewis by a similar margin, but, like the Senate race, it is too early to call.

“Philip Noel overwhelmingly is reelected Governor of Rhode Island.

“Jacob Butcher will be reelected Governor of Tennessee.

“Barefoot Sanders will be reelected Governor of Texas.”

8:30 PM

“Polls have just closed in Arkansas, where Governor Britt is locked in a close race against Senator Fulbright, and where Dale Bumpers has finally managed to win the Governorship. The Democrats have picked up two governorships already tonight.

“We at CBS can project that Richard Schweiker will win reelection in Pennsylvania, while Governor Milton Shapp will govern Pennsylvania for four more years.

“In Indiana, William Ruckelshaus has narrowly won another Senate term. In a weak prospective field in 1976, Ruckelshaus and Schweiker stand out as moderates who could hypothetically reunite the divided Republican party and make a strong showing against President Humphrey, though it is too early to tell at this point.”

Senate

Democrats: 58 ( 10)
Republicans: 19 ( 12)
Vacant: 1

Governors

Democrats: 29 ( 13)
Republicans: 1 ( 6)
Independents: 0 ( 1)

[Cold War Liberal]

November 5, 1974
9:00 PM

“Good evening, welcome back to election night 1974 on CBS. A number of states have just closed their polls. Let’s run through them all:

“In Arizona, the election is too close to call between Senator Fannin and former Vice President Udall. Raul Hector Castro and Evan Mecham are locked in a close race for the governorship as well.

“In Colorado, unpopular Senator Peter Dominick was successfully primaried by businessman John McCandish King, who seems to have won an easy election. Lt. Gov. John Vanderhoof has beaten former Lt. Gov. Mark Anthony Hogan by several points.

“In Louisiana, Russell B. Long ran unopposed and has been elected by default.

“In Minnesota, Wendell Anderson has been reelected Governor in a landslide.

“J. James Exon has won reelection as Governor of Nebraska.

“New Mexico’s gubernatorial election is too close to call.

“In New York, Shirley Chisholm leads Senator Javits due to a significant amount of the vote - currently around 12% - being taken by Conservative candidate William F. Buckley. However, it is too early to call the race. Governor Robert Kennedy has won another term in office very easily.

“North Dakota’s Senate race is too early to call.

“South Dakota’s Senate race is too early to call. We can project Richard Kneip will be reelected Governor.

“In Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson has won another term in the Senate while Patrick Lucey has been reelected Governor. With this call, Senate Democrats are ensured a filibuster-proof majority until at least 1977.

“Edgar Herschler has won the Wyoming Governorship, the third flip for Democrats tonight.

“We can also now make an interesting call: Gen. William Westmoreland will now be Governor William Westmoreland. Gov.-elect Westmoreland, whose campaign was supported by ostensibly disgraced former President Goldwater, will be the first Republican governor of South Carolina since Reconstruction. This is the first gubernatorial flip for Republicans tonight.

“Additionally, Senator John Ashbrook has been reelected in Ohio by a very narrow margin.”

10:00 PM

“...polls are now closed in all but 5 states, and a few calls can be made at this hour…

“In Idaho, Senator Evans will win a full term of his own. Not a single Senate seat has flipped to or from either party as of yet. Cecil Andrus has been reelected Governor.

“In Iowa, David Stanley has won another term, while Charles Grassley has flipped the Governor’s mansion to the Republicans.

“In Nevada, Lt. Gov. Harry Reid has won the Senate seat Alan Bible is retiring out of. Mike O’Callaghan has won reelection as Governor.

“We’re just getting word that Senator Bob Dole, another potential 1976 candidate, has secured himself another term in the Senate. The same cannot be said of Jacob Javits: Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm has been elected Senator from New York with 42% of the vote to Javits’ 37% and Buckley’s 19%. Chisholm is the first female African-American Senator-elect, and is the first Senate flip of the night.

“Governor Gilligan of Ohio has lost to former Governor Rhodes, we are being informed. Evan Mecham will apparently be the next Governor of Arizona. And Governor McLane will be reelected in New Hampshire as a Democrat.

“Oh, and one more call we can make at this time: Maurice Britt, outgoing Governor of Arkansas, will be the next Senator from that state, defeating the unpopular Senator J. William Fulbright, who narrowly survived a primary challenge from former Governor Orval Faubus. This is the first flip for the Republicans, negating the Democratic victory in New York.”

Senate

Democrats: 63 ( 5)
Republicans: 24 ( 7)
Vacant: 1

Governors

Democrats: 37 ( 5)
Republicans: 6 ( 1)
Independents: 0 ( 1)

[Cold War Liberal]

Also fun thing I thought of while doing some research and decided to add:

March 21, 1973

In San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, the Supreme Court rules that funding schools via property taxes is an unconstitutional violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment because it gives an unfair advantage to the wealthy. Justices Marshall, Clark, Brennan, White, and Goldberg were the majority, with Blackmun, Bork, Carswell, and Stewart dissenting.

Funding schools via property taxes is unconstitutional in this timeline, thanks to JFK convincing Earl Warren to retire early and LBJ not pushing Goldberg and Clark off the Court.

[Cold War Liberal]

November 5, 1974
11:00 PM

“Welcome back to CBS coverage of the midterms. I’m Walter Cronkite, and polls just closed on the West Coast and in Hawaii. Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington has won reelection. In Oregon, Governor McCall and Justice Roberts are neck and neck in the Senate race, while Robert Straub has easily won the gubernatorial race - a flip for Democrats. In California, Senator Charleton Heston is slightly ahead of his challenger Jerry Brown, while Governor Unruh has won reelection handily. And in Hawaii, Daniel Inouye has won another term in an absolute landslide, while Governor Crossley trails George Ariyoshi but has not officially lost yet.

“In New Hampshire, Louis Wyman has beaten John Durkin by a little under a percentage point - 50.1% to 49.5% - to hold that Senate seat for Republicans. In neighboring Vermont, there is a similarly close race we can now call. 33 year old Congressman Bernard Sanders, who won in an absolutely shocking upset just two years ago, has narrowly defeated Richard Mallary - who held Sanders’ seat for ten months before losing to the insurgent activist - for Vermont’s Senate seat 48.2% to 47.6%. This is the second Democratic flip of the night, for a net change of one seat in Democrats’ favor.

“Interesting news out of Georgia: while it has been clear for a few hours now that a runoff was inevitable, it has been confirmed that the runoff will be between conservative firebrand Ronnie Thompson, the Republican, and Governor Ivan Allen Jr., the progressive Democrat. Conservative Democrat Herman Talmadge, the incumbent, is in third place. Thompson has 33.8%, Allen has 33.2%, and Talmadge has 32.3% with an estimated 99% of the vote counted.

“In North Dakota, Milton Young has narrowly won reelection by a little more than half a percentage point. And in a shocking turn of events, it looks like… it looks like George McGovern has seriously underperformed expectations in South Dakota tonight. We can call that Senate race for his challenger, Leo K. Thorsness; he has won by a quarter of a percentage point and will be the second GOP pickup in the Senate tonight. It looks as though Republicans are doing well in a region that was the nail in their electoral coffin two years ago: the Plains. Let’s look at the maps.”

Senate

Democrats: 66 ( 2)
Republicans: 27 ( 4)
Vacant: 1
Headed to runoff: 1

Governors

Democrats: 39 ( 3)
Republicans: 6 ( 1)
Independents: 0 ( 1)

[Cold War Liberal]

November 6, 1974
12:00 AM

“It is now a new day, and some of the races for the midterms have not been resolved, though polls are only still open in Alaska. We do have some calls, however.

“In Kansas, Robert Bennett, the Republican, will defeat Vern Miller, the Democrat, and flip the governorship to the GOP.

“In Oklahoma, Sen. Harry Bellmon will very narrowly defeat former Sen. Fred Harris, keeping this seat in GOP hands.

“In New Mexico, where Democratic Governor King is term-limited, Republican State Sen. Joe Skeen has defeated fellow State Sen. Jerry Apodaca and will be the next Governor of New Mexico, another flip for the GOP.

“In Utah, Jake Garn, the Republican, is the new Senator-elect.

“The Hawaii governor’s race and Arizona, Oregon, and California Senate races are all still too close to call at this hour.”

1:00 AM

“Polls have finally closed in Alaska, where Democrat Mike Gravel has won another term. We can also project that Jay Hammond has narrowly beaten Governor Egan, flipping another governorship to the Republicans.

“In Hawaii, we can project that George Ariyoshi has flipped the governorship to the Democrats by beating Governor Crossley. This was the last Governor’s race which remained uncalled.

“In the Senate, we can project that Governor McCall has beaten Justice Roberts in the Oregon Senate race, filling the seat Wayne Morse (D) held until his death earlier this year. Oregon does not allow its governor to fill Senate vacancies via appointment, so the seat has been empty since this year.

“In California, Senator Heston has lost to his younger opponent, Jerry Brown, which is a flip to the Democrats.

“And finally, in Arizona, former Vice President Morris K. Udall has very narrowly defeated the incumbent Republican, Senator Paul Fannin.

“In the House of Representatives, Democrats have lost 19 seats to Republicans, many of which are in the South. Democrats will hold 302 seats going into the 94th Congress, a very wide margin over their Republican opposition.”

1974 Elections
Final Results
House

Democrats: 302 ( 19)
Republicans: 133 ( 19)

Notable freshmen
William J. Clinton (D-AR-03)
Newton L. Gingrich (R-GA-06)
Samuel A. Nunn, Jr. (D-GA-08)
Phyllis M. Schlafly (R-IL-22)
M. Elizabeth A. H. Dole (R-KS-01)
Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT-02)
James E. Chase (D-WA-05)

Senate

Democrats: 69 ( 1)
Republicans: 30 ( 1)
Headed to runoff: 1

Freshmen
Louis Wyman (R-NH)
Bernard Sanders (D-VT)
Shirley Chisholm (D-NY)
Terry Sanford (D-NC)
Either Ivan Allen Jr. (D-GA) or Ronnie Thompson (R-GA), pending runoff
Maurice Britt (R-AR)
Leo Thorsness (R-SD)
John McCandish King (R-CO)
Morris Udall (D-AZ)
Harry Reid (D-NV)
Tom McCall (R-OR)
Jerry Brown (D-CA)

Governors

Democrats: 41 ( 1)
Republicans: 9 ( 1)
Independents: 0 ( 1)

[Cold War Liberal]

That senate

Awful map for the gop, perhaps on par with OTL 2018 for the Democrats

[Cold War Liberal]

November 6, 1974

Democrats hold their supermajorities in the House and Senate, and, pending the Georgia Senate runoff between Gov. Allen and Mayor Thompson (scheduled for Dec. 3), may actually expand their Senate majority by one seat. The GOP is still in shambles with the Goldwater Administration still fresh in the minds of most of the country; however, the results would seem to suggest that conservatism is still popular in some areas of the country.

In the northeast, Democrats did very well, hanging onto some of the House seats they took by narrow margins in 1972, a Democratic landslide year. Democrats did very well in the Midwest as well, and on the West Coast; Congresswoman Myrlie Evers (D-CA-24), who was elected in a massive upset in 1970 and managed to ride Humphrey’s wave to victory in 1972, was reelected by a narrow margin again in the Humphrey midterm, despite being seen as the Democrats’ most vulnerable seat outside the South.

In the Plains, Republicans have been seen unfavorably in the past several years due to Goldwater’s massive cuts into federal farm subsidies. However, Republicans did well there in the midterm, likely due to Democratic inaction on the issue combined with states implementing their own subsidies. The South, once solidly for the Democrats in every election, seems to have shifted more towards the Republicans, or at least those who ran as conservatives. The only region where Goldwater’s approval is above water and where Humphrey’s is underwater, the South saw a large swing towards conservatives, as Republicans took a number of House seats like GA-06 (Newton Gingrich is Rep.-elect), elected Maurice Britt to the Senate in Arkansas, and sent William Westmoreland to the South Carolina Governor’s mansion. Still, Democrats like LeRoy Collins (FL-SEN), Reubin Askew (FL-GOV), James Allen (AL-SEN), Terry Sanford (NC-SEN-elect), Russell Long (LA-SEN), Katherine Peden (KY-SEN) and William Clinton (AR-03-elect) all still won their races in the South; Democrats should by no means write off the region as the 1976 election approaches.

November 15, 1974

Senator Mondale’s Vietnam Veterans Work Program Act of 1974 clears committee and passes with 71 votes. It is sent to the House for their consideration.

November 17, 1974

The VVWPA passes the House with 297 votes. President Humphrey signs it into law.

November 23, 1974

Attorney General Ramsey Clark sets up an investigation into whether or not voter suppression was an issue in the 1974 midterms. There were scattered reports across the South that African-Americans had voting issues, despite the voting rights legislation passed in 1973. The “Clark Investigation,” as it came to be called, and the man it was named after become very unpopular very quickly among white Southerners, who see it as an insulting witch hunt.

December 3, 1974

Ronnie Thompson, conservative Republican mayor of Macon, GA, wins the state’s Senate election runoff against progressive Democratic Governor Ivan Allen, Jr. Thompson wins 54% to 46%, becoming the first Republican to serve as a Senator from Georgia since Reconstruction. Republicans will hold 31 seats in the Senate come January 3rd, while Democrats will hold 69, a supermajority.

December 5, 1974

The Clark Investigation finds evidence that voter suppression tactics were used against African-Americans in the Georgia Senate runoff. Clark does not make this public immediately, as Thompson’s margin of victory was likely too high for the suppression to have affected the outcome. Instead, Clark alerts President Humphrey and files the evidence away for the investigation’s final report.

December 10, 1974

House Majority Whip John J. McFall (D-CA-14) announces he will not remain as Majority Whip (though he is not resigning from Congress). He suggests Rep. Kika de la Garza (D-TX-15) take his place.

January 3, 1975

The 94th Congress convenes for the first time. Carl Albert is reelected Speaker; Phillip Burton is reelected Majority Leader; Kika de la Garza is elected Majority Whip; Gerald Ford is reelected Minority Leader; and Bob Michel is reelected Minority Whip.

In the Senate, Vice President Henry M. Jackson presides; James Eastland remains President Pro Tempore; Mike Mansfield is reelected Majority Leader; Ted Kennedy is reelected Majority Whip; Hugh Scott is reelected Minority Leader; and Paul Laxalt is reelected Minority Whip.

Gallup Poll
January 5, 1975
Do you approve of the job President Humphrey is doing as President?
Yes: 57%
No: 37%
No opinion: 3%
Not sure: 3%
Who would you vote for in the 1976 primary?
(Democrats only)
Hubert H. Humphrey: 97%
Someone else: 2%
Not sure: 1%
Who would you vote for in the 1976 primary?
(Republicans only)
Ronald W. Reagan: 15%
Richard M. Nixon: 12%
Barry M. Goldwater: 9%
John V. Lindsay: 6%
John M. Ashbrook: 6%
Howard H. Baker: 5%
George H. W. Bush: 4%
Spiro T. Agnew: 4%
Charleton Heston: 4%
Robert J. Dole: 3%
William D. Ruckelshaus: 3%
Charles M. Mathias: 1%
William C. Westmoreland: 1%
A. Linwood Holton: 0%
Someone else: 5%
Not sure: 21%
General Election Matchups
Humphrey: 51%
Reagan: 45%
Not sure: 4%
Humphrey: 53%
Nixon: 44%
Not sure: 3%
Humphrey: 60%
Goldwater: 38%
Not sure: 2%
Humphrey: 56%
Lindsay: 39%
Not sure: 5%
Humphrey: 56%
Ashbrook: 40%
Not sure: 4%
Humphrey: 55%
Baker: 38%
Not sure: 7%
Humphrey: 54%
Bush: 36%
Not sure: 8%
Humphrey: 52%
Agnew: 42%
Not sure: 6%
Humphrey: 54%
Heston: 41%
Not sure: 5%
Humphrey: 54%
Dole: 35%
Not sure: 11%
Humphrey: 55%
Ruckelshaus: 35%
Not sure: 10%

[Cold War Liberal]

Let's do something interesting: look at how Lee Harvey Oswald's better aim changed Elizabeth Hanford's life.

Hanford worked on the Kennedy/Johnson campaign in 1960, and on the Kennedy/Udall '64 reelection campaign. After 1964, she worked in the Kennedy White House for the entirety of JFK's second term. When Goldwater got elected, she left the White House in protest of the new President's views, which she felt were extreme. So, instead, she went to work as a consumer policy adviser to a freshman Senator, Robert J. Dole (R-KS). Hanford and Dole became quite close, and when Dole's marriage fell apart in 1970, they started dating. In 1973, they were married.

Elizabeth Dole enjoyed working for the man she just married, but wanted to get into politics in her own right. She hated Goldwater, but in 1972, she was inspired by the campaign of John Lindsay to join the Republican party (the fact that the man she was soon to marry was a Republican didn't hurt either). In late 1973, "Liddy" Dole announced she would run for Congress in Kansas's first Congressional district. George Meeker, the incumbent Democrat, had narrowly won the seat from Keith Sebelius (who had, in turn succeeded Bob Dole upon his ascension to the Senate in 1968) off the coattails of Humphrey's clean 1972 sweep, and was seen as extremely vulnerable. Being Bob Dole's wife cleared the field for Liddy, though she made it very clear she was seeking to be her own woman, not just a puppet of her husband. Bob was happy to campaign for Elizabeth, but commonly stated that "the people of Kansas's first should elect her for the reasons I married her - her kindness, her smarts, her dedication to public service - not because I married her."

Elizabeth Dole won the seat over Meeker by 7 points, and is a feminist, moderate Republican voice in the 94th Congress.

[Cold War Liberal]

January 8, 1975

Former Vice President Ronald W. Reagan of California holds a press conference on the 1976 election. After being included in polls that showed him leading in the Republican primary, many wondered if he would renege on his promise made several years ago to never seek public office again. However, Vice President Reagan definitively rules out a run in 1976, 1980, 1984, and all other future Presidential elections, stating that his “career in elected office is over, and I'm not sure how much clearer I can make that.” He is expected to remain an important asset for the GOP on the campaign trail; he has a 77% overall approval rating, including a 97% rating among Republicans, 62% among independents, and 51% among Democrats.

January 15, 1975

President Humphrey gives the 1975 State of the Union address. He lauds the things accomplished in the previous year while promising further action on education, healthcare, poverty, and maintaining peace in the world.

February 7, 1975

Senator Jerry Brown (D-CA) and Congressman Allard Lowenstein (D-NY-04) introduce bills into their respective houses of Congress to create a United States Department of Peace. The Peace Act of 1975 would create a separate Cabinet department to work with other governments around the world to tackle significant world issues and create peace agreements, “taking some of the pressure off the Department of State and UN Ambassador,” according to Senator Brown. The Department of Peace would also oversee the Peace Corps and USAID, and would create the “United States Peace Institute” to train Americans seeking to work towards world peace.

President Humphrey did not request this legislation, but would be open to signing the Peace Act if it were sent to his desk.

February 11, 1975

Edward Heath wins re-election as the UK Conservative Party's leader with the support of 152 MPs. This is closer than expected; Margaret Thatcher, called "the UK's Goldwater" by some, got the support of 112 MPs.

February 14, 1975

At a fundraiser for the Barry M. Goldwater Presidential Library, former President Goldwater is asked whether he will run again in 1976. Goldwater curtly answers “no.” His son, Congressman Barry Goldwater Jr. (R-CA-20), also declines interest in seeking the White House in 1976.

February 22, 1975

The Peace Act passes the Senate with 63 votes.

February 24, 1975

The Peace Act passes the House with 259 votes, and is signed into law by President Humphrey. The US Department of Peace and Global Development is founded.

March 1, 1975

The US economy is middling. Inflation rates sit at 5.5%, while the unemployment rate is 6.7%, which is around where it had been for several months.

March 3, 1975

President Humphrey nominates former Senator George McGovern to be the nation’s first Secretary of Peace and Global Development. Hearings begin on March 5, and the confirmation vote is scheduled for March 10; McGovern has wide support for the position and his nomination is expected to easily pass.

March 10, 1975

George McGovern is confirmed 86-12 to the Department of Peace. He is sworn in later in the evening.

March 17, 1975

Senator George Bush (R-TX) denies interest in a run for the Presidency in 1976. “Given the way things look right now,” Senator Bush states, “it wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture.” He will run for reelection in Texas instead.

Also around this time, Senators Howard Baker (R-TN), John Ashbrook (R-OH), and Spiro Agnew (R-MD), along with Governor Charles Mathias (R-MD) all also decline to run for the nomination.

March 26, 1975

The anti-segregation commission set up by President Humphrey in 1973, headed by Sen. LeRoy Collins (D-FL) and former Governor Ivan Allen Jr. (D-GA), concludes. The Collins-Allen Report states that President Humphrey should increase the amount of affordable housing available to African-Americans, increase investment in low income areas, and continue to encourage housing desegregation.

April 3, 1975

President Humphrey acts upon the Collins-Allen Report by pushing for the introduction of the American Housing Act of 1975. The AHA is ambitious and sweeping: first, it creates more housing projects and sets fairly high construction and maintenance standards the projects must adhere to. Second, it creates a voucher program known as “Section 8” which allows low-income families to rent private housing at a subsidized rate. The Humphrey Administration writes this voucher program in such a way that is intended to promote lower-income black families moving into middle-class white neighborhoods, thus attempting to end de facto segregation in housing and having the knock-on effect of lessening school segregation without resorting to controversial programs like busing. Third, the AHA creates the Urban Homesteading Initiative to give vacant homes to people willing to fix them up. Finally, the AHA creates a National Institute of Building Sciences.

At the same time, Humphrey also asks for a Urban Revitalization Act, which would give federal grants to low-income prospective business owners, invest in urban infrastructure, and create the Low-income Energy Assistance Program, or LEAP, to help subsidize home energy for people in poverty.

Both bills have the support of major civil rights leaders such as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, John Lewis, and Jesse Jackson.

April 5, 1975

The American Housing Act is introduced into the Senate by Senator Chisholm (D-NY), while the Urban Revitalization Act is introduced into the House by Majority Leader Phillip Burton (D-CA-06)

April 12, 1975
Richard

Former Vice President Richard Nixon sat and drank his coffee with a number of strategists, including H. R. Haldeman, Roger Ailes, Pat Buchanan, and John Ehrlichman.

“So how’re we gonna do this,” Dick asked.

Roger had a plan. “You’re going to need to beat Lindsay. He’s the only serious candidate the GOP’s got who’s not running for the hills so as to not lose badly in the general.”

“Who else do I have to worry about? I’m glad I don’t have to fight Bush or Agnew, but is Dole gonna be a problem?”

“Dole doesn’t have the experience or charisma to beat you. Besides, we’re not even sure he’s going to run.” Haldeman offered up some more advice: “Announce soon to try to clear the field. Run to Lindsay’s right, but just barely; run too far to the right and you’ll have people comparing you to Goldwater in the general, which will destroy you. Run too far to the left and you’ll be too liberal for the South while also being too similar to Humphrey to sway swing voters. We need to find your happy medium.”

“Sounds like a plan. Haldeman, you lead the campaign. Ailes and Buchanan, you’re in charge of media and messaging. Ehrlichman, you’re our legal counsel.” Nixon smiled. I let that Irishman beat me in ‘60 and that Jew bastard beat me in ‘68. I won’t let anyone beat me in ‘76.

April 15, 1975

Surprising many in the GOP, former Vice President Richard Nixon launches a bid for the 1976 Republican nomination. He is the first candidate to announce, and is an instant frontrunner. In his announcement speech, Nixon speaks more in platitudes, like “now more than ever, we need a united party and a united country if we are going to move into the future” than on specific policies.

April 22, 1975

The Urban Revitalization Act of 1975 passes fairly easily and is signed into law.

April 26, 1975

The American Housing Act of 1975 passes narrowly and is signed into law.

May 1, 1975

“...Four years ago, I ran for President to restore honor, dignity, and progressivism to our party. Well, I stand here today seeking the same goals. We need to take our party out of the past and propel it into the future. That is why I’m here today to announce that I am a candidate for President of the United States in 1976!” -Former Mayor John V. Lindsay (R-NYC)

May 8, 1975

The Federal Campaign Act is signed into law. It sets limits for how much money people, corporations, and political action committees can donate to politicians and campaigns. It also creates the Federal Elections Agency to see that these limits are followed, and to penalize those who do not.

May 19, 1975

President Humphrey is privately frustrated with how his attempt to pass comprehensive healthcare reform is going. The issue of healthcare deeply divides the Democrats in Congress; liberals (including Humphrey) want something similar to a single-payer system; moderates want stricter regulations, subsidies, and a public option, or even just simple expansions of the JFK programs; and conservatives want less government healthcare and cuts to the existing programs. Several different bills have been introduced in the past few months, but Humphrey wants one bill he can support so as to hopefully unite the party.

May 28, 1975

“I’m running for President because I believe we need government to get out of our lives, not further into it.” -Former Senator Charleton Heston (R-CA)

June 7, 1975

Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s investigation of voter suppression in the South comes to an end. The Clark Report recommends an executive order creating a nonpartisan group of federal elections examiners and observers in anticipation of the 1976 elections. President Humphrey signs this executive order on the same day.

June 12, 1975

Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Congressman Ronald Dellums (D-CA-08) introduce the American Health Insurance Act of 1975, which would create a single-payer healthcare system in the United States. President Humphrey voices his support for the bill, but Republicans are in near-universal opposition to it. Democrats could pass any legislation without a single Republican vote in both houses; however, the support of moderate and conservative Democrats is still necessary, and they are generally opposed to or at least wary of the idea of single-payer healthcare.

June 20, 1975

“Bob Dole believes in the promise of the American Dream. America must tackle the slowing economy, prevent Democrat wars, and get the government off the backs of farmers and the middle class. If you agree, vote for Bob Dole in 1976!” -Senator Bob Dole (R-KS)

July 7, 1975

Unbeknownst to the wider world, Pakistan makes a few new hires onto its nuclear program. The “Kashmir situation” - the standoff between India, Pakistan, and the People’s Republic of China regarding territorial claims to the Kashmir region - has become something of a low-grade regional cold war. This cold war has caused all nations involved to speed up their nuclear weapons development programs, to mixed success. China has had nuclear weapons for over a decade, and has increased production and testing; India has conducted several successful tests in the past year, and is considered a nuclear power; Pakistan has had worse luck, and is rapidly trying to get the bomb, as it (perhaps rightly) sees India having WMDs as an existential threat.

Pakistan also conducts an unsuccessful nuclear test around this time.

July 15, 1975

“As Republicans, we must reclaim the moral high ground we have lost in the past few years and stand firmly in our principles of limited government. At the same time, limited government does not mean no government; we must also govern effectively and take care of our citizens. That’s why I’m running for President in 1976.” -Senator William Ruckelshaus (R-IN)

July 26, 1975

In Moscow, President Humphrey and Secretary Kulakov finish the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks by signing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in Helsinki. The ABM Treaty is sent to the Senate for ratification.

July 29, 1975

Former Virginia Governor A. Linwood Holton announces a long-shot run for the presidency, to little fanfare.

August 5, 1975

The House debates a sweeping new Constitutional Amendment, dubbed the “Nuclear Amendment,” which would clearly outline who has control of the nuclear weapons arsenal in times of crisis, and under what circumstances nuclear weapons are legally allowed to be used. This Amendment, a response to the Hanoi Incident of 1971, has been in the works for almost four years; legislators wanted an Amendment that was both effective in preventing another crisis like that of 1971, while also not limiting nuclear weapons to the point that the US could not retaliate in time should a nuclear attack be imminent. The Amendment reads as follows:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

August 7, 1975

The Nuclear Amendment passes the House with 407 votes in the affirmative, and is sent to the Senate.

August 12, 1975

The Nuclear Amendment passes the Senate with 88 votes, and is sent to the states for ratification. 17 states immediately ratify the Amendment, leaving it with 21 more states before it becomes law.

August 13, 1975

The American Health Care Act, dubbed “KennedyCare” after its Senate sponsor, moves out of the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare. Its future is shaky; five Southern Democrats have come out against it: Sparkman (D-AL), Allen (D-AL), McClelland (D-AR), Stennis (D-MS), and Eastland (D-MS). Additionally, Sens. Chiles (D-FL), Carter (D-GA), Huddleston (D-KY), Galifianakis (D-NC), Gore (D-TN), and Byrd (D-WY) are all undecided. Democrats need 60 votes to pass the AHIA; they can spare only four votes after the five conservatives came out against it. The entire Republican caucus is against the “socialized medicine bill,” as they call it.

August 15, 1975

In a blow to Senate Majority Whip Ted Kennedy (D-MA), the American Health Insurance Act fails, after Senators Sparkman, Allen, McClelland, Stennis, Eastland, Chiles, Carter, Huddleston, Gore, and Byrd vote against the bill, killing it with only 59 votes in the affirmative. Out of undecided Senators, only Nick Galifianakis (D-NC) voted in the affirmative. The White House issues a press release that states that President Humphrey is “saddened at the AHCA’s failure in the Senate,” but that he remains “hopeful for a future solution that finds broader support” so as to “improve the lives of every American.”