1964 United States Presidential Election

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

You all know the story. President Eisenhower was tragically assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas on October 22nd, 1962. Since then, Smith has maintained popularity, has increased US involvement in the Vietnam War, has poured more money than ever into space exploration in its short history, and has refused to oppose the status quo on economics. She survived a re-nomination challenge from Barry Goldwater and in order to unite the party behind her and cajole the Western and Southern factions, has nominated Goldwater for Vice President.

Blue - President Margaret Chase Smith of Maine
Red - Senator Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona
Green - Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York
Yellow - Governor James J. Rhodes of Ohio

Meanwhile, Democratic Senate leader Lyndon Johnson was easily nominated by the Democrats and has reluctantly chosen John F. Kennedy for Vice President. There are few differences between the two candidates, Johnson and Smith, and their Vice Presidential nominees--both friends in the Senate--have been set up as their parties' attack dogs.

Green - Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas
Red - Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama
Blue - Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts
Yellow - Governor Matthew E. Walsh of Indiana

The economy is doing well for the moment and few people, if any, are aware that there are problems going on in Vietnam.

--Primary maps to come later, have to leave for work--

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'd like to note a few things.

First off, whoever said I accidentally let you see the results due to my being in a hurry, correct. You get a gold star.

Secondly, in all likelihood, a Smith presidency would've been about, if not at times moreso, liberal/progressive than a Johnson presidency, and in all likelihood, I believe Johnson would've kept the status quo on Vietnam in this scenario.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I'd like to note a few things.

First off, whoever said I accidentally let you see the results due to my being in a hurry, correct. You get a gold star.

Secondly, in all likelihood, a Smith presidency would've been about, if not at times moreso, liberal/progressive than a Johnson presidency, and in all likelihood, I believe Johnson would've kept the status quo on Vietnam in this scenario.

That'd be me.  What can I turn these gold stars in for?

Bonus points of course!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Hmm... I'll give the vague answer that it'll depend on the geographic location of said electors.

Also, another note and this goes out to the people getting all hot over LBJ's candidacy: a number, if not nearly all, of his real life accomplishments have already been seen to.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Can you stop having unpledged as an option?

I assume he will win such stops being an option IRL.

Mhm. George Wallace will take their place in 1968, John Schmitz in '72, and it'll end there unless there's a popular mandate for having Lester Maddox in '76 and so on.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

We need a tie-breaker (in favor of Smith)!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

FYI, if LBJ does pull off a win, he'll have to fend off a challenge from the Vice President's brother. As well, who knows? The Vice President himself may be running.

Also, why the hate for McCarthy? He's the coolest of those guys.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The 1964 United States Presidential Election
Despite the geographic and party differences between the two major party candidates, an New England Republican and a Texas Democrat, and the differences between their two running mates, a Western conservative and a Northeastern liberal, the two campaigns would be run in largely the same fashion and on the same issues. Both Smith and Johnson supported what amounted to the economic status quo of the time: a strong Socialist Party-crafted welfare state, with little change. Despite the fading of the Socialists from power, they'd left a long legacy and their programs had proved popular and long lasting. On foreign policy, both candidates agreed on a diplomatic yet tough foreign policy, and little, if any, was discussed of the growing American involvement in Vietnam. The real campaigning would instead be left to the running mates. Goldwater and Kennedy were Senate friends despite their ideological and geographic differences and were loath to have to attack each other in such a manner. However, they both went about their jobs fairly well. Goldwater on one hand claimed that the election of Johnson would produce a "reinvigorated growth of government that will crush private enterprise and economic individualism throughout the country" while Kennedy claimed that "Smith and her party's conservatives, once given a mandate, will seek to dismantle this nation's economy in a way that has never been seen before." Despite these two's vicious attacks, there was a large amount of voter apathy due to the time of peace and prosperity the nation was in and thus there was a large movement in many states for unpledged electors and third parties. This made the election extremely close and destroyed the electoral foundation of Johnson's campaign, leaving him a few Northern states but little else. With that, Margaret Chase Smith became the second elected female President. Of note in this election was the first time that Washington D.C. cast any vote. With Smith touting her pro-civil rights record in the nation's capitol, she was able to win easily there. However, the African-American vote would in the future not go so easily for the Republicans.

President Margaret Chase Smith (Republican-Maine)/Senator Barry Morris Goldwater (Republican-Arizona) 271 electoral votes, 40.3% of the popular vote
Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson (Democrat-Texas)/Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy (Democrat-Massachusetts) 167 electoral votes, 39% of the popular vote
Senator J. William Fulbright (Democrat-Arkansas)/Governor George C. Wallace (Democrat-Alabama) [Unpledged Electors] 100 electoral votes, 19.2% of the popular vote
Others: 0 electoral votes, 1.6% of the popular vote