The Winds of Change: The Presidency of Eugene Joseph McCarthy

[Don Vito Corleone]

I skipped ahead to right before the election. My apologies if you really wanted to see the rest of the campaign, but I really want to get the election over with so I can start writing about the actual Presidency of Eugene McCarthy.
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McCarthy Visits California, Nixon Wisconsin, as Election Nears

Excerpt from the Los Angeles Times from the day of November 4th, 1968

With the election less then 24 hours away, and with McCarthy and Nixon locked in a tight race (Yesterday's Gallup Poll had the 2 men tied with 42% each), both men visited crucial swing states last night. Specifically, Eugene McCarthy visited California, where he restated his promise to eliminate poverty and to negotiate a peace in Vietnam within six months of taking office, and Richard Nixon visited Wisconsin, where he restated his promise to bring law and order to the streets of the cities, and to withdraw form Vietnam with "Peace and Honor".

Pictures of Eugene McCarthy and Richard Nixon campaigning, in Sacramento and Waukesha respectively

[Don Vito Corleone]

Final State of the Race Breakdown: Both Candidates Have a Path to Victory

Excerpt from the Boston Globe from the day of November 5th, 1968

With the first election polls closing in a few hours, we can say the election is a tossup, Senator McCarthy and Vice President Nixon both have paths to victory, as can be seen below in our pre-election predections map:

Safe McCarthy: Minnesota, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii, DC; 35 EV
Likely McCarthy: Washington, Michigan, West Virginia, New York; 80 EV
Leaning McCarthy: Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut; 47 EV
Tossup: California, Ohio, Illinois, Oregon, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Missouri; 130 EV
Leaning Nixon: Alaska, New Jersey, Tennessee, North Carolina; 44 EV
Likely Nixon: New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Nevada, Montana, Kentucky, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Florida, Delware; 79 EV
Safe Nixon: Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Indiana, Virginia; 78 EV
Lean Wallace: Arkansas; 6 EV
Safe Wallace: Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia; 39 EV

States to Watch

Kentucky

Kentucky is not a tossup, however, it is indicative of nation trends in a separate way. If George Wallace wins Kentucky, or even comes within a few points, then that's your heads up that the Governor of Alabama is in for a good night, and that the election will almost definitely be thrown to the house. If Wallace wins Kentucky, it's not impossible for him to sweep the south, giving him 145 Electoral Votes, which might even be enough to finish 2nd if either Senator McCarthy or Vice President Nixon severely under perform. Also, in the event that McCarthy wins Kentucky, that's the first sign we are on our way to a McCarthy blowout.

Michigan and Pennsylvania

These states are grouped together because they are on this list for similar reasons. Namely, that they are indicators as to whether not the union vote has by and large stuck by Senator McCarthy or not. If it has not, then any chance of Senator McCarthy winning go out the window.

New Jersey

Richard Nixon's campaign emphasizing law and order was designed specifically to appeal to states like New Jersey, where a large percentage of the population lives in suburbs. If he doesn't win New Jersey by several points, it's evidence that he won't be winning places like Alaska, Wisconsin, California, Illinois, Missouri or Ohio, and it is almost impossible for him to be elected President without winning those states.

Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and California

And of course, who could forget these states, Senator McCarthy and Vice President Nixon didn't campaign so heavily in these states for nothing, for they are what will decide the election, they will decide who the next President will be, and they are states you should watch this evening.

[TheSaint250]

This is looking great!

[Don Vito Corleone]

This is looking great!

Thanks for the kind words. The Next update should be up soon.

[Don Vito Corleone]

November 5th, 1968

6:58

Good Evening. Tonight, America will elect a new president, a new leader to lead us into the New Frontier of the 1970's. On the one hand, you have Senator Eugene McCarthy, who shocked not just the nation but the world when he unseated a sitting President in a Presidential primary, and true to his anti-war credentials, he has promised to reach a Vietnam peace agreement within six months of taking office. On the other hand, you have Former Vice President Richard Nixon, a fixture of the political scene for nearly 2 decades, who won his party's nomination with ease. He has promised to win with "peace and honor" in Vietnam and to restore law and order to the city streets. And of course, you have Governor George Wallace, who is running not to win, but to throw the election to the house. Whatever happens, the next President will be a stark contrast to the current administration. Before we begin, I would like to thank you for choosing CBS News. The first polls will close momentarily, in the states of Vermont, Indiana and Kentucky.

[Don Vito Corleone]

7:00

Polls have just closed in Indiana, Vermont, and Kentucky, and CBS News is ready to make the first call of the evening. We can project that Richard Nixon will win Vermont and it's 3 Electoral Votes. Vermont is a historically very Republican state, voting Republican in every election from 1856 to 1960, even in 1912 when the Republican party was split and William Howard Taft only won 8 Electoral votes, Vermont stayed loyal to it's Republican roots. However in 1964 that changed and Vermont voted for Lyndon Johnson over Barry Goldwater in a landslide. It returns to it's roots tonight. This leaves Richard Nixon leading with 3 Electoral votes, and Eugene McCarthy and George Wallace tied with 0 each. We can also Project that incumbent Republican Senator George Aiken from Vermont will win re-election. This leaves the Party Standings in the Senate as 40 Democrats and 27 Republicans.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 3 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis Lemay (AI-CA) - 0 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 40 Seats
Republicans - 27 Seats

7:05

We can project that Indiana will be won Richard Nixon. Indiana is also a historically very Republican state, having voted Republican in all but 6 elections since 1860, one of them being 1964. This gives Richard Nixon an additional 13 Electoral Votes. The electoral standings are now Richard Nixon leading with 16 Electoral Votes, and Eugene McCarthy and George Wallace tied with zero.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 16 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis Lemay (AI-CA) - 0 Electoral Votes

7:09

We have a call to make. We can project that Richard Nixon will win the state of Kentucky. George Wallace is expected to get less then 20% of the vote in Kentucky, and that is important because the thought was that if Wallace won Kentucky or got anywhere close, that he would be in for a very good night, possibly sweeping the south. As it turns out, he has not won Kentucky, or come anywhere close. This is not a good sign for George Wallace, but you don't want to count your chickens before they hatch, and it's still very possible for Governor Wallace to achieve his goal of throwing the election to the house.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 25 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis Lemay (AI-CA) - 0 Electoral Votes

7:20

We can project that Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana will win re-election. The Republicans looked at this seat as a potential pickup opportunity, but it didn't come to pass, and the Democrats have held the seat.

Democrats - 41 Seats
Republicans - 27 Seats

7:37

We have a Senate call to make. In Kentucky, the incumbent Republican Thurston Morton retired, seemingly out of nowhere, and we can project that the Democratic Nominee Kathrine Peden will pick up the seat for the Democrats.

Democrats - 42 Seats
Republicans - 27 Seats

[Don Vito Corleone]

8:00

It's 8 O'Clock on the east coast, and polls have just closed in Virginia, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. We can project that the the Democrats will hold the Senate seats in Georgia and South Carolina. This leaves the Party standings in the Senate as 44 Democrats and 27 Republicans.

Democrats - 44 Seats
Republicans - 27 Seats

8:04

We have two calls to make. George Wallace will carry Georgia and it's 12 Electoral Votes, and Richard Nixon will win Virginia and it's 12 Electoral Votes. This leaves Richard Nixon in first place with 37 Electoral Votes, Governor Wallace second with 12, and Senator McCarthy, who has yet to win a state, last.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 37 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 12 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes

8:07

In Florida, incumbent Senator George Smathers retired to run for President, and the Republican Nominee Edward Gurney has won the seat for the Republicans, and he's won by quite a big margin too, right now he is leading by 9 points, in the end he may end up winning by over 10 points. He will be the first Republican Senator from Florida since 1879, back when Rutherford B. Hayes was president.

Democrats - 44 Seats
Republicans - 28 Seats

8:11

NBC News projects that Florida and it's 14 Electoral Votes will go to Richard Nixon. He's crossed the 50 vote barrier, now he has 51 Electoral Votes to George Wallace's 12 and Eugene McCarthy's 0.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 51 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 12 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes

8:29

We have good news for those in the George Wallace camp, George Wallace will win South Carolina. This was one of the states that George Wallace absolutely had to carry if he wanted to throw the election to the house, along with Tennessee and North Carolina, and he has carried South Carolina. It remains to be seen if he will carry Tennessee and North Carolina.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 51 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 20 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 0 Electoral Votes

[Don Vito Corleone]

8:30

It's 8:30 on the east coast, and polls have just closed in West Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina. We can project that in North Carolina, incumbent Democratic Senator Sam Ervin will be re-elected to another term. That leaves the party standings in the Senate as 45 Democrats and 27 Republicans.

Democrats - 45 Seats
Republicans - 27 Seats

8:32

We can project that Eugene McCarthy will win the Democratic stronghold of West Virginia. This is the first state that Eugene McCarthy has won, and it grants him his first 7 electoral votes on the board. 

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 51 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 20 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 7 Electoral Votes

8:47

We have a important projection to make. Richard Nixon will carry North Carolina. As I said earlier, North Carolina was a state George Wallace absolutely had to carry if he wanted to throw the election to the house. Now that Nixon has carried the state, it's very unlikely the election will be thrown to the house, even if Wallace wins Tennessee.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 64 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 20 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 7 Electoral Votes

[Bidenworth2020]

this was already my favorite tl, but it is just so much better with the senate calls!

PS-why did katherine peden do better in this tl then in rl?(kentucky dem senate candidate)

[Don Vito Corleone]

9:00

Polls have just closed in 19 states, and we have some projections to make. Richard Nixon will win the states of New Hampshire, Maine, Oklahoma, Kansas and South Dakota, Eugene McCarthy will win the states of Massachusetts, D.C. and Rhode Island, and George Wallace will win his home state of Alabama and the neighboring state of Mississippi. We cannot yet project a winner in Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Texas, Michigan or Connecticut. So let's see where that leaves the candidates. Richard Nixon still leads the pack with 91 Electoral Votes, George Wallace is second with 37 Electoral Votes, and Eugene McCarthy is third with 28 Electoral Votes. We can also project that the Republicans will win the Senate races in New Hampshire and Kansas, and the Democrats will win in Alabama, Connecticut, and South Dakota. That leaves the Democrats with 48 Senate Seats and the Republicans with 29.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 91 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 37 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 28 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 48 Seats
Republicans - 29 Seats

9:03

We can say that Republican Senate Leader Everett Dirksen will win re-election in Illinois. No surprise there. We can also project that the Republicans will the Maryland Senate seat, unseating the incumbent Daniel Brewster.

Democrats - 48 Seats
Republicans - 31 Seats

9:06

We have three calls to make. Richard Nixon will carry the states of New Jersey and Delaware, and Eugene McCarthy will carry the states of Pennsylvania and Michigan. The fact that McCarthy has won Pennsylvania and Michigan is a good sign for his support among labor, but then those were states he was expected to win anyway. If we look at the standings now, we see that Eugene McCarthy has now moved into second place, he now holds 78 Electoral Votes. Richard Nixon is still first with 111 Electoral Votes, and George Wallace is now third with 37.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 111 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 78 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 37 Electoral Votes

9:11

We have a big call to make, and it's terrible news for those who support George Wallace. Richard Nixon will win Tennessee and it's 11 Electoral Votes. This further reduces the chances this election will be thrown to the house.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 122 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 78 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 37 Electoral Votes

9:18

Eugene McCarthy will win the state of Maryland and it's 10 Electoral Votes. That brings him up to 87 Electoral Votes. We can also say that the Democrats will the Senate races in Ohio and Missouri. Two very interesting races; in Ohio, the incumbent Democrat Frank Lausche lost in the primary to John Gilligan, who has now election to a term of his own, and in Missouri, the incumbent Democrat Edward Long also lost renomination, to Thomas Eagleton, who has also now won election to a term of his own.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 122 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 87 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 37 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 50 Seats
Republicans - 31 Seats

9:24

It's 9:24 on the east coast and we can say that Connecticut and it's 8 Electoral Votes will vote for Eugene McCarthy. Senator McCarthy now has 96 Electoral Votes to Richard Nixon's 122, and George Wallace's 37.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 122 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 96 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 37 Electoral Votes

[Don Vito Corleone]

this was already my favorite tl, but it is just so much better with the senate calls!

PS-why did katherine peden do better in this tl then in rl?(kentucky dem senate candidate)

Democrats all over the Country are doing better then they did in OTL, and Katherine Peden is no exception. Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you like about this TL? Feedback is always appreciated.

[Bidenworth2020]

this was already my favorite tl, but it is just so much better with the senate calls!

PS-why did katherine peden do better in this tl then in rl?(kentucky dem senate candidate)

Democrats all over the Country are doing better then they did in OTL, and Katherine Peden is no exception. Also, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you like about this TL? Feedback is always appreciated.

i really like how you do the debate scripts, and TBH, a lot of the reason is just i like eugene mccarthy. Other things, your writing is nice.

[Don Vito Corleone]

9:30

We have a very big call to make. Polls have just closed in Arkansas, and though we cannot project a winner in the Presidential race as of yet, we can project that, in the Senate race, incumbent Democrat James Fulbright will win re-election to a fifth term, which means the Democrats will maintain control of the Senate. The Democrats have held a majority in the Senate since 1954, and they will maintain their majority until at least 1970. Majority Leader Mike Mansfield will keep his title until at least January 3rd, 1971. I will repeat again the statement I said a few seconds ago, the Democrats have maintained control of the senate

Democrats - 51 Seats ✔
Republicans - 31 Seats

9:37

George Wallace will carry the state of Arkansas and it's 6 Electoral Votes. He now has 43 Electoral Votes, and is third in the Presidential race, behind Eugene McCarthy who has 96 Electoral Votes, and Richard Nixon, who has 122 Electoral Votes.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 122 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 96 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 43 Electoral Votes

9:41

Richard Nixon will win the State of Texas, worth 25 Electoral Votes. That brings him up to 147 Electoral Votes, 47 Electoral Votes ahead of Eugene McCarthy, who has 96, and 103 Votes ahead of George Wallace, who has 43.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 147 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 96 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 43 Electoral Votes

9:48

In Oklahoma, we are saying that the incumbent Democrat Mike Monroney has won re-election to a fourth term. This brings the Democrats up to 52 seats in the Senate.

Democrats - 52 Seats ✔
Republicans - 31 Seats

[Don Vito Corleone]

9:56

The Democrats will hold the Pennsylvania Senate Seat. The incumbent Joseph Clark has a poor reputation among the Italian community in Pennsylvania, and the Republicans really thought they could win this seat, but a strong performance in Western Pennsylvania along with some of Eugene McCarthy's coattails has saved Senator Clark.

Democrats - 53 Seats ✔
Republicans - 31 Seats

[Don Vito Corleone]

10:00

Polls have just closed in 10 states, and we have quite a few projections to make. We are projecting that in the Presidential race, Richard Nixon will win the States of Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and North Dakota, that Eugene McCarthy will carry his home state of Minnesota as well as the State of New York, and that George Wallace will carry Louisiana. This brings Richard Nixon up to 174 Electoral Votes, Eugene McCarthy up to 149, and George Wallace up to 53. In the Senate, the Democrats will win Louisiana and Wisconsin, and the Republicans will win in New York, North Dakota, Arizona, and Colorado. That changes the standings in the Senate to 55 Democrats and 34 Republicans.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 174 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-NC) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 149 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 55 Seats ✔
Republicans - 35 Seats

10:23

We have a major projection to make. Eugene McCarthy will win the crucial swing state of Ohio. No Republican has ever won the Presidency while losing Ohio. This means, that for the first time this evening, Eugene McCarthy is in the lead, holding a 175-174-53 lead over Richard Nixon and George Wallace. Richard Nixon put a lot of effort into winning Ohio, and it has not paid off. Is Richard Nixon going to be the first Republican to win while losing Ohio? We shall see.

Eugene McCarthy (D-NC) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 175 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 174 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

[Don Vito Corleone]

11:00

It's 11:00 on the East Coast, and polls have just closed in 5 states. We are calling the states of Montana, Idaho and Utah for Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon has retaken the lead from Eugene McCarthy, and is now leading with 186 Electoral Votes, to McCarthy's 175, and Wallace's 53. We are also saying the Democrats will win the Idaho and Nevada Senate races, and the Republicans will win the Utah Senate race

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 186 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 175 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 57 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats

11:04

Richard Nixon will win the State of Iowa and it's 9 Electoral Votes. He now has 195 Electoral Votes, and holds a 20 Electoral Vote lead over Senator McCarthy.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 195 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 175 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

11:09

Nevada and it's 3 Electoral Votes will vote for Richard Nixon. He's on something of a run here, he's won 5 states in a row.

Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 175 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

11:22

We have a very big projection to make, and it's good news for McCarthy supporters. Illinois and it's 26 Electoral Votes will go to Eugene McCarthy. I repeat, Illinois will vote for McCarthy. With this call, Eugene McCarthy is in spitting distance of the Presidency. He is the first candidate to break the 200 vote threshold. He now leads Richard Nixon and George Wallace 201-198-53.

Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 201 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

11:53

We can project a Senate race. In Iowa, the incumbent Republican Bourke Hickenlooper retired, and the Democrat Harold Hughes has won the election to replace him.

Democrats - 58 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats

12:00

It is now midnight on the east coast, and the first precincts from the West Coast are starting to report, and we have projections to make. Eugene McCarthy will win Hawaii, pushing him to 205 Electoral Votes. In Washington, the incumbent Democratic Senator Warren Magnuson has won re-election overwhelmingly; by a 2-1 margin. In Hawaii the incumbent Democrat has easily won re-election with over 80% of the vote.

Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 205 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 60 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats

12:02

Eugene McCarthy will win Washington and it's 9 Electoral Votes, further extending his Electoral Vote lead over Richard Nixon and George Wallace.

Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 214 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

12:16

In California, we have a very interesting Senate Race to call. Thomas Kuchel, the incumbent Republican, ran for re-election but lost in the primary to Max Rafferty, setting up a general election between Max Rafferty and the Democratic Nominee Alan Cranston. We are calling the race; Alan Cranston has won the seat for the Democrats.

Democrats - 61 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats

[Don Vito Corleone]

12:31

In Oregon, incumbent Republican turned Democrat Senator Wayne Morse has won re-election to a fifth term. He angered a lot of Oregon Democrats when he endorsed Republican Mark Hatfield over Democrat Robert Duncan in 1966, and he very nearly lost in the primary to the same Robert Duncan who ran against him this year, but he ended up winning by 3 points, and now he has won election to another term by a similar margin.

Democrats - 62 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats

12:47

We have an extremely important projection to make. Wisconsin and it's 12 Electoral Votes will go to Eugene McCarthy. To those who aren't very quick in math, this means that no matter what happens in the remaining states, Richard Nixon will fall short of 270. If McCarthy wins California and Oregon, he is the next President. If McCarthy wins California and Missouri, he is the next President. If McCarthy wins California and Alaska, then he wins 269 Electoral Votes, falling just one electoral vote short of being elected, and the election would be thrown to the house. Whatever happens, CBS News will be here to cover it, and we hope that you will be with us.

Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 226 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

[Don Vito Corleone]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

[Kingpoleon]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

I think the debate was written a bit oddly, and I think Eugene McCarthy isn't quite as radical as you portrayed him. He even endorsed Reagan in 1980.

[Don Vito Corleone]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

I think the debate was written a bit oddly, and I think Eugene McCarthy isn't quite as radical as you portrayed him. He even endorsed Reagan in 1980.

I think that was more because he really didn't like Jimmy Carter then because he was a moderate.

[Bidenworth2020]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

i stated most of the reason, but the details are a nice touch

[Don Vito Corleone]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

i stated most of the reason, but the details are a nice touch

Details like what?

[Kingpoleon]

That's gonna be it for today, I need to get to sleep. I'll leave you with this: To the people who like this TL, (and I know you exist), what is it you like about this TL? And if you don't mind me asking, What was your favorite part of the TL, and what do you think I could improve on? Feedback is always appreciated.

I think the debate was written a bit oddly, and I think Eugene McCarthy isn't quite as radical as you portrayed him. He even endorsed Reagan in 1980.

I think that was more because he really didn't like Jimmy Carter then because he was a moderate.

Sure, but his opposition to Southern Democrats - conservatives like Helms and Thurmond, and moderate conservatives like Jimmy Carter and Albert Gore Sr. - mark him better than being extremely radical on most issues. IIRC, he supported the basic income as a replacement to most welfare, but I don't think he suggested a UBI. Or maybe it was some negative income tax. Not so much radical as maverick-y.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Great TL, curious about the rest of the results! My favorite part is probably election night, it's very well-written.

[Don Vito Corleone]

(If you could leave a comment stating whether you can make out all the politicians and quotes in my signature, I'd greatly appreciate it)

You've probably wondering where I've been, and why I haven't updated this TL in a while. The answer is that I felt quite ill over the past week, and so neglected to update this TL. However, I've been feeling a lot better over the past few days (I've actually been meaning to update this since Friday), and so regular updates will start being posted again. And even though it may be hard to get as immersed in this TL as you were when I last updated, try your best alright? With that said, let us continue.

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1:00

It is now 1 AM on the east coast, and the first results are coming in from Alaska. And with that, polls have closed in every single state. The election is now simply a waiting game, to see which candidate will win what state, and to see whether Senator McCarthy will reach 270 Electoral Votes. CBS News will be right here, covering all the action as it happens.

Eugene McCarthy (D-MN) / Terry Sanford (D-NC) - 226 Electoral Votes
Richard Nixon (R-CA) / Spiro Agnew (R-MD) - 198 Electoral Votes
George Wallace (AI-AL) / Curtis LeMay (AI-CA) - 53 Electoral Votes

Democrats - 62 Seats ✔
Republicans - 36 Seats