1968 scenario.
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  Past Election What-ifs (US) (Moderator: Dereich)
  1968 scenario.
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Author Topic: 1968 scenario.  (Read 1379 times)
WalterMitty
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« on: November 13, 2005, 02:05:43 PM »

after defeating liberal icon pat brown in 1966, california governor ronald reagan becomes an instant favorite with goldwater fans.   after much pleading, governor reagan decides to mount an insurgent campaign for president in 1968 against the establishment republican candidates (romney, rockefeller, scranton, nixon et al)

with great grassroots organization and fundraising, reagan coasts to win the nomination.

at the republican convention, reagan shocks the party and the country by picking democrat governor of alabama, george wallace, for the vp slot.

the democrat contest is thrown into complete chaos after lbj decides not to run for relelection and the rfk assassination.

the convention is deadlocked.  after 35 ballots, a consensus candidate finally emerges.  senate majority leader mike masfield from montana agrees to have in name placed into nomination and he easily wins the nomination at 3am from wearing convention delagates.

mansfield is relatively conservative.  he has loads of washington experience (rep from 1943-53, senator since 1953 and majority leader since 1961).  despite his moderate credentials, mansfield is a vocal vietnam war critic.

for vp, mansfield nabs representative carl albert of oklahoma.  albert is 60 years old and has represented southeast oklahoma in the us house since 1947,

how would a reagan/wallace vs. mansfield/albert race shape up?
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Winfield
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« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2005, 04:49:45 PM »
« Edited: November 13, 2005, 07:41:14 PM by Winfield »

The statement that a Vice Presidential candidate can't help you but they can hurt you comes back to haunt Ronald Reagan.

Reagan's ill thought out decision to put George Wallace on the ticket proves to be devastating to Governor Reagan's hopes of becoming President, in 1968, or at any time in the future.   

Outside the south, the only states to support the Reagan/Wallace ticket were those states in which Reagan's own popularity put him over the top.

Senator Mike Mansfield and Congressman Carl Albert win the 1968 election by a large margin, run a very successful administration, and go on to be re-elected by a landslide in 1972.

Mike Mansfield/Carl Albert            386
Ronald Reagan/George Wallace   152
 



Ronald Reagan completes his term as Governor of California, then leaves public life, never again to re-enter the public arena.  Years later, Reagan remarked his biggest mistake in public life was choosing George Wallace as his running mate in 1968.

The Republicans took back the white house in 1976 when the Republican ticket of 84 year old Senator George Aiken of Vermont/76 year old Senator Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania defeated the Democratic ticket of  80 year old Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina/69 year old Senator John Pastore of Rhode Island in the famous "Geriatric Campaign" of 1976.

Upon taking office, President Aiken immediately named 72 year old Senator Jake Javits of New York as Secretary of State, with instructions to begin immediately on working out a plan for peace in the Middle East.     
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A18
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« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2005, 04:55:24 PM »

A two year governor with no other political experience becoming president is hard enough. With Wallace as VP, forget it.
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