Camelot Anew

[Duke of York]

just curious why no women in the cabinet?

After Frances Perkins as Secretary of Labor in 1933, there were no female cabinet secretaries IRL until 1975, with Ford nominating Carla Anderson Hills as HUD Sec.

I took most cabinet secretaries from Congress and there simply weren't a lot of women in Congress at the time. I don't want to spoil anything, but Kennedy's second cabinet will feature Shirley Chisholm (who wasn't elected until 1968 anyway).

Good to know. It would also be cool to see a timeline of successive presidents and vice president along with future elections. This is truly one of the best timelines ever and I look forward to more.

[Kingpoleon]

I can't believe he kicked out Kennedy ally Ramsey Clark, nor did he include Stuart Symington. Of course, Symington might be a better ally in the Senate, and Clark might be appointed to... something else.

[Captain Chaos]

I doubt that RFK would pick Hartke for Secretary of State.

More likely Scoop Jackson, Robert McNamara or Averell Harriman. Probably J. William Fulbright if Kennedy was willing to overlook his votes against the Civil Rights Act.

[MAINEiac4434]

I can't believe he kicked out Kennedy ally Ramsey Clark, nor did he include Stuart Symington. Of course, Symington might be a better ally in the Senate, and Clark might be appointed to... something else.

I intentionally kept Symington in the Senate. Clark remains on as an informal advisor, but Yarborough was given AG due to Kennedy's personal  closeness to him and a desire to have a clean break from the Johnson administration.

I doubt that RFK would pick Hartke for Secretary of State.

More likely Scoop Jackson, Robert McNamara or Averell Harriman. Probably J. William Fulbright if Kennedy was willing to overlook his votes against the Civil Rights Act.

I considered Jackson, but I ultimately thought having an avowed warhawk at State after Kennedy ran a campaign based largely around peace would seem like a slap in the face to many of his supporters. Likewise, McNamara being DefSec for the entirety of the war at that point was also out. I did not consider Harriman, but both JFK and RFK in real life suspected him of disloyalty in regards to Vietnam. I did not consider southerners who were not supportive of civil rights.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Just caught up with this. AWESOME! Can't wait to see the timeline of elections, eventually!

[MAINEiac4434]

Part VII: The First 100 Days

"I Robert Francis Kennedy do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"The State Department was working day and night. I remember asking Vance if I should actually buy an apartment in Hong Kong. But we had a handshake agreement with the North, South and the southern revolutionaries. The North would withdraw from Southern territory, the Revolutionaries would disarm, and the government would hold democratic elections and honor the result - even if it was a victory for the Communists. American, French and Australian troops would withdraw after three months. We made it clear that if democracy in South Vietnam failed, we would not come to rescue them. They'd be left to their own devices."

[MAINEiac4434]

Gerald Heaney, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, 1969-2003. Confirmed June 2, 1969: 86-13-1.

[MAINEiac4434]

"And for Chief Justice...it was obvious who we wanted. And no one was going to stand in his way, not even the southerners."

J. Skelly Wright, Chief Justice of the United States, 1969-1986. Confirmed June 23, 1969, 98-0.

Composition of the Supreme Court, 1969-1970

Chief Justice: J. Skelly Wright (Nominated by R. Kennedy, 1969)
Associate Justice: Hugo Black (Nominated by Roosevelt, 1937)
Associate Justice: William O. Douglas (Nominated by Roosevelt, 1939)
Associate Justice: John Marshall Harlan (Nominated by Eisenhower, 1955)
Associate Justice: William J. Brennan, Jr. (Nominated by Eisenhower, 1956)
Associate Justice: Potter Stewart (Nominated by Eisenhower, 1958)
Associate Justice: Byron White (Nominated by J. Kennedy, 1962)
Associate Justice: Thurgood Marshall (Nominated by Johnson, 1967)
Associate Justice: Gerald Heaney (Nominated by R. Kennedy, 1969)

[MAINEiac4434]

"But the drama on the court was merely a distraction...we were all watching the health bill slowly move though congress. And we had one eye on Vietnam. Many of us were still skeptics on he Hong Kong Accords."

[Kingpoleon]

I guess Clark could still get on the Court...

[MAINEiac4434]

I guess Clark could still get on the Court...

Don't spoil it!

[Kamala]

It would also be cool if Bobby pre-empts Reagan by like 15 years by appointing a woman to SCOTUS - though I don't know many female jurists at the time.

[MAINEiac4434]

It would also be cool if Bobby pre-empts Reagan by like 15 years by appointing a woman to SCOTUS - though I don't know many female jurists at the time.

I have been googling and Wikipedia-ing like no tomorrow but I couldn't find a likely female jurist until the late 70s at the earliest.

[MAINEiac4434]

Part VIII: Selling Health, Selling Peace

"Ted, this is Bobby. You still have that single payer plan, right? Do it."

[Stańczyk]

Isn't J. William Fulbright from Arkansas?

[MAINEiac4434]

Isn't J. William Fulbright from Arkansas?

God damn it. Fixed.

[MAINEiac4434]

"It was just too toxic to stay in Vietnam. We had to leave."

The Hong Kong Accords were ratified by the United States Senate on July 14, 1969, 73-27

[Don Vito Corleone]

I'm a little confused, is Vietnam now 2 countries (North and South Vietnam) or 1 country?

[MAINEiac4434]

I'm a little confused, is Vietnam now 2 countries (North and South Vietnam) or 1 country?

Vietnam continued to be separate with the communist north and western-oriented south, as it had been since 1954. However, the situation is extremely volatile and the peace treaty could collapse at any moment. Because the United States forced fully democratic elections on South Vietnam, the Viet Cong backed Communist Unity Party could win the election and could peacefully unite the country, or the North could invade the south with no guarantee of American defense.

[MAINEiac4434]

July 20, 1969

That's one small step for man...one giant leap for mankind.

President Kennedy had a brief, interplanetary conversation with Commander Armstrong.
-Pierre Salinger during an impromptu press conference, the evening of July 20, 1969

[MAINEiac4434]

"The entire thing could've been avoided -- should've been avoided. But it was over quickly enough. What happened next, though, couldn't have come at a worse time."

[GoTfan]

What's happening with Cesar Chavez?

[MAINEiac4434]

What's happening with Cesar Chavez?

Secretary Chavez is pushing through pro-worker regulation reforms in the farming industry, and has recently pushed ft bans of certain kinds of pesticides. He and President Kennedy are planning on going to a handful of farms and meeting the workers in the spring of 1970.

[MAINEiac4434]

"Good evening tonight, I'm Walter Cronkite, and this is CBS Evening News.

"Riots have swept through the fragile, nascent Republic of Vietnam after the the results of yesterday's election was announced. According to the results, the ruling, US-aligned and majority Roman Catholic party, the National Union, has won an overwhelming victory. But, allegations from the party of the majority-Buddhist working class and the Communist Party has thrown the country into chaos. Members of Parliament elected under the Buddhist Party and Communist Party are refusing to take their seats in the new parliament, which meets for the first time at the end of the month.

"Further, pictures released by the Communist Party purport to show the Army of the Republic of Vietnam destroying bales of votes with flamethrowers.

"Protests have erupted throughout the country, and the Government of North Vietnam is threatening intervention to 'preserve the democratic rights of the peasants.'

"The White House is closely monitoring the situation."

Results of the October 14, 1969 Election in South Vietnam
National Union (Liên Minh Quốc Gia) - 56.8% of the vote, 289 seats
The Buddhist People's Party (Đảng Nhân Dân Phật Giáo) - 17.8% of the vote, 22 seats
Communist Unity Party (Đảng Cộng sản Thống Nhất) - 15.9% of the vote, 18 seats
Others & Independents: 9.5% of the vote, 0 seats

[MAINEiac4434]

Info boxes, courtesy of bruhgmger2: