Keys to the White House: 1960

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1960 primaries

The passing of the Family Farm Act was a big boon to Thomas, and not a moment too soon. His advocation of Civil Rights had made him anathema to many southern Democrats, something which was naturally going to damage his Presidential ambitions. Not that it mattered. The future of the Democratic Party, as he saw it, was in the Midwest and Plains states, not the South.

Despite his best attempts at dissuading his friend, Tom threw his weight behind Kennedy when the announcement was made. Assuming his familiar role as liberal bomb-thrower, Kenway campaigned across the Plains states for JFK. At one campaign event, he was questioned about Kennedy's Catholicism, and whether it would mean rule from Rome. Kenway, in a calm but clearly incensed voice replied "Jack supports separation of Church and state. The idea that the United States would be governed by the Catholic Church under his Presidency is, in a word, ridiculous".

Doubtless it would win him no favours in the South, but it needed to be said.

Tom continued his work turning the Plains delegations to Kennedy. Symington was an overly ambitious wet blanket, he remarked to Bobby in private, eliciting a laugh from the middle Kennedy. Speaking of Bobby, Tom began to plant the idea in his head of running for Governor of Massachusetts in 1962. he had to be careful of course, but Tom deftly manuevered his way around the prickly RFK.

Finally, he also met with his allies in the Iowa Democratic Party about bringing the 1968 convention to Des Moines. Iowa had become an important swing state in recent years. And besides, there was the possibility that they'd be nominating one of their own that year.

Upon reaching the convention in Los Angeles, he worked the floor with Bobby, trying one last time to win over support from the other delegations, and siphon support away from Symington.

Kennedy and Lodge

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1960 part 2

Kenway stared blankly at the young man opposite him. "Are you serious, Bobby?"

"Deadly serious. Your usefulness to the campaign has run its course." Bobby replied. Tom felt his anger rising. He had basically sunk his own ambitions for jack's campaign, now he didn't even have the guts to say this to his face? He sent his snot-nosed brat of a little brother to do it for him!?

"Until now I don't think I'd fully taken Jack's measure. Now I see what he is: he's a coward who talks big then hides behind others." Tom snarled. He was not going to be talked down to by this self-important boy.

"Careful, Senator. You'll sink your career here."

"I don't think so. Iowans are smarter than you think we are. I know you think we're a bunch of hicks who do nothing but farm all day, but we know a buls**t artist when we see one. I've put my own re-election in jeopardy for Jack, and in return, you tell me to f**k off?!" He was yelling now, not that he cared.

"Some of us help in quieter ways." Bobby replied sternly. "I put my career on hold fr Jack as well-"

"At least one of us had a career instead of hiding in their brother's shadow." Tom replied angrily, storming out.

"Don't you walk out on me!"

"You always were a son of a b***h, Bobby. What goes around, comes around. I'm leaving."

It was a giant media storm when word reached down that Kenway had stormed out of his meeting with Bobby. Rumours flew. Among them was the somewhat colourful suggestion that he and Bbby had gotten into a physical altercation. That amused him somewhat. What the only certain thing was now was that he had cut ties with the Kennedys for good.

That was why he now found himself trying to decide who to support. Humphrey? The man was the leading liberal in the party, but there was minimal support for him elsewhere. Johnson was anathema to the liberal wing, so he was out. Stevenson? The man was a strong liberal and internationalist, but his main issue with Stevenson was that he was not cut out for the modern TV era, and his floundering with the cameras in the 1958 Senate race was still in the back of Tom's mind.

In the end, he decided simply to focus on his re-election bid and bringing the 1968 Convention to Des Moines.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1960 part 3

"that son of a b***h!" Kenway said, slamming the door shut behind him. He'd put his own presidential ambitions on hold, and now the Kennedys told him that he wasn't useful anymore?! Well, he had his own friends as well, and karma was one cruel mistress.

"You alright there, Tommy?" Gerry asked. The two had become acquainted during the battles to get Medicare and the Family Farm Act passed, as well as the recent Speaker election. Tom had done his part, whipping the Iowa delegation for the new Speaker.

"Kennedy sold me downriver." Tom said, still seething with rage. "Didn't even have the guts to say it to my face. he had Robert tell me that 'I had outlived my usefuless to the campaign'." He snarled. "I was stupid to align myself with him. I told him to wait for '64, and he didn't listen!"

"Well be careful of the door." The Speaker deadpanned. Tom cracked a smile, despite himself.

"I'm aware you have a deal with Jackson going regarding Johnson." He said. That caught the Speaker off guard. "Don't look so surprised. The Iowa delegates are divided three ways, s i was bound to hear about it eventually. I have a proposal: I'll deliver Iowa to Johnson now and in the general, but I want one thing: I want your help in bringing the convention to Iowa in 1968."
It was strange; a leading light of the northern liberals meeting with a conservative southerner, especially given Kenway's strong advocacy of civil rights, but needs must. THey had a common enemy in Senator John F. Kennedy.

"I thought he was a friend of yours?" Jackson said, offering the younger man a drink. Kenway shook his head, teetotaller that he was.

"He was. I wanted to run this year, but I put that on hold to get Jack elected, then he sent his brother to tell me that I was of no use to them anymore." Tom said, anger still boiling in him.

"So you want to get back at them?"

"I'll give Iowa to Johnson if you can promise that you'll work to help isolate the Kennedys. They think the White House is theirs by right. If they have no allies or friends in national politics, there goes the ballgame for them."

Johnson if the deal is taken, uncommitted if not.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway 1960, Part 4

He'd had it.

Why the hell had his own delegates completely misunderstood what he said?! He said back Johnson if the deal was accepted! Heads were going to roll when he got back home to Iowa. After he'd screamed at the chair of the Iowa delegation; a meek County Executive, for completely misunderstanding what he'd said.

This wasn't what he was used to. His party was tearing itself apart with all this backroom dealing. If only the general hadn't passed away. His endorsement could've swung the nomination and prevented this . . . pseudo-civil war. After proclaiming his disgust with the 'smoke-filled backrooms that I was suckered into' to the media, he promptly retired to his hotel room with Leah and little Archie.

Then he had an idea. It took a phonecall to George, then to Frank, but soon the three senators arranged to meet later that evening in the bar.
"Why did you give Iowa to Johnson, Tommy?" George McGovern asked. "He's the arch-Southerner. He goes against everything we stand for."

"The delegation chair was either noit listening or just didn't care. There was supposed to be a deal that would make Stevenson his running mate, and somehow he misinterpreted that to mean support Johnson no matter what." Kenway replied glumly.

"And now, this entire fiasco has ensured Lodge wins." Frank Church added, voicing what they all knew to be true. If the Convention had lasted two ballots at most, then it would have been acceptable. But now they were on a third . . . it was impossible for the party to be firmly united around a single candidate now.

"If Stevenson is nominated and he loses, that damages everything we're fighting for. Farm relief, union rights, civil rights . . . if he loses, the Southerners will control the party for the next 20 years." Kenway said. Church and McGovern exchanged a look.

"So what are you proposing?" McGovern asked.

"We need to put an end to this backroom dealing for good. Reform the party's nominating process. Make sure the state bosses can't just pick whoever the hell they want." He said. "Assign delegates based on a proportion of the vote won in a state primary."

"It's a solid idea." Church replied. "But the south will never go for it. Hell, outside Jim Crow, supporting civil rights is pretty mainstream."

"We don't need the south. We just need most of the Committee to agree." George said, catching on.

"I'll talk to Scoop. He's chairing the Committee right now." Kneway said.
"Reforming the primaries?" Scoop Jackson said. He and Kenway had met up in the former's hotel room to discuss the latter's proposals. The two were solid friends, despite them disagreeing over foreign policy.

"Primaries held in each state, with delegates from the state assigned proportionately. Get 25% of the vote in California, you get 25% of the delegates. Whoever gets two thirds of the delegates is the nominee. It democratises the nominating process and stops this fiasco from ever happening again."

"And what if we have no candidate with two thirds of the delegates?" Jackson said. It was a legitimate question.

"Then we progressively eliminate the lower candidates until we get a nominee."

Scoop thought it over. It was something of an idea for sure. "Alright, start putting a plan together"
Many in the Iowa delegation wanted Kenway's support known before the next ballot, but the Iowa Senator had had enough of the backroom dealing. He repeatedly said that he was just an observer now.

Unbeknownst to anyone but his family, he began to think about removing his name from the Democratic primary ballot for the Senate in Iowa. If this is what federal politics was like, he wanted no part of it.

[GoTfan]

Thmas Kenway 1960, Part 5

He had begun drafting his plans to reform the nominating process it was still in its very, very early stages, but it would bear fruit in time. Much like the civil rights bill he was working on. Or had been anyway. He'd pass it on to George soon enough. Mainly because he was still uncertain as to whether he should run for re-election.

It was playing on his mind. Was he too idealistic for the Senate? For politics? Was he just better suited to the Army, where he knew what he was going after at any given moment? The Dixiecrats had a stranglehold on the party, and would bolt at the first sign of progress on issues of race.

And the backroom politicking . . . it completely disgusted him. If you couldn't win the delegates on your own, why bother even running at all? The bosses would just pick whoever they preferred. Whoever would give them the best jobs, the best patronage.

It sounded an awful lot like the Spoils System come again.

That was why he'd surrendered his control over the liberal delegates, and over the Iowa delegation. It didn't sit right with him. He'd won his 1954 campaign by going out on the road and asking people for their support, not by meeting in the shadows and backstabbing his rivals. Hell, the grassroots campaign was something he held close to his heart.

He shook himself from his thoughts and continued work on the plan.
"You're just an observer now?" Gerry asked, a skeptical look on his face. Well earned skepticism, Tom knew; he wasn't exactly quiet about his views.

"Yeah." Tom replied quietly. "These backroom deals, they . . . they just don't sit right with me Gerry."

"This is how things are done, Tommy. I know it's distasteful, but this is what politics is like."

"Then politics needs to change." Tom shot back. "The entire damn system needs to change." He continued. "And until it does, I'm not sure I belong it." He muttered quietly. That got the Speaker's attention. His head snapped up.

"Tommy, are you . . . are you not running this year?" He asked. Tom mumbled an answer under his breath before leaving.

This entire farce of a Convention had shattered his idealism, and he wasn't sure he wanted to keep this career anymore.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway 1960, Part 6

More phonecalls from Democrats urging him to keep his place in the Senate. At first it had been a handful of Plains congressmen, then came Johnson, Stevenson, and Kennedy, surprisingly enough. Tom ignored all of them. This entire 'Convention' had been a farce from start to finish. Was this what politics was at its heart? Backroom dealing and cynical power plays?

"Are you okay Tommy?" Leah asked when he arrived at their hotel room.

"I think my kind of politics is dead." He replied, slumping dejectedly into a chair. "I mean, is this what it's come to? Smoke-filled backrooms and smacking each other in the press? It's the Spoils System come again." He added. The analogy wasn't 100% accurate but it meant the same.

"You shouldn't let a couple f bad days ruin your career." His wife said. Intellectually, Tommy knew she was right, but he couldn't do much.

"I can set up a legal practice back home. Work as a civil rights lawyer." He thought out loud. The cause of civil rights was close to his heart. Hell, without the black drivers of the Red Ball Express, there was no way he and 101st would've gotten to Bastogne in time.

"It's your decision, love. You know I'll support you no matter what."
Three copies of the letter were made. One was dispatched to Johnson, another to O'Connor, and the final one to Scoop. None of them would be happy about his decision, but his time in politics was at an end. Tom's idealism was gone. His unyielding optimism was gone. He was past caring.

The text of the letter read thusly:

'I have tried since I entered political life to maintain a sense of idealism and optimism for the future of our party and country. This convention has destroyed these ideals for me. I had hoped that we avoid moving under the table, and conduct our business openly.

I see now that I was wrng.

To this end, I will not run for a second term in the US Senate. I believe that Lieutentant-Governor William Nicholls will be able to beat any candidate the Republicans put forward, and will gladly campaign for him.

This was not a decision I made lightly, but it is, I feel, necessary for me and the party.

Thomas Kenway'
He fronted the press mere hours before the fourth ballot. It was the usual gaggle of outlets frm both radio and television. No reason to keep them waiting, he supposed. Best get on with it. He looked down at the prepared speech in his hands before stuffing it into his pocket. He owed people the decency of not working rom rehearsed lines for this.

"Hours ago, I reached a decision made for myself, my family and the party. I began my term as a Senator in 1954. At the time I was an idealist, an eternal optimist. It has been an attitude of mine since i was young. Even through my time in the war, i remained idealistc.

This convention has killed that.

I remain committed to my liberal, progressive beliefs. At the start of my term however, I vwed to myself that if things were sliding back in time, that I would leave politics. This convention, with its backroom polticking and dealmaking, seems more reminiscent of the 1920s than the present.

It is therefore with a heavy heart that I make the following announcement: I will not seek or accept my party's nomination for a second term in the United States Senate. Thank you."

Tommy left the podium, for what seemd like for good. As he left, he could hear many liberals begging him to reconsider, mixed in with the gloating from segregationists.

But that didn't matter anymore.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway 1960, part 7

Well that was that then. His time in public life was basically over. It didn't seem like too big a loss if he was honest. Away from the backstabbing, he felt like a normal person. Not to mention that he'd be able to actually be a part of Archie's childhood and be a proper husband to Leah. he had missed her a lot when in Washington.

And it's not like he was lacking for job offers.

They'd actually started flowing in almost immediately, some of them sorely tempting, but the one that appealed most was from an old friend of his from law school, Eddie Jackson. The two had often talked about setting up their own law firm, and now they had the chance. He could combine that with being a guest lecturer at the University of Iowa.

There had been phonecalls as well, including more than a few angry ones. There were also ones that were sympathetic. Mainly from his liberal friends; Frank, George, Scoop, Hubert and others. Then there were a coupleof surprising ones; the biggest surprise came from none other than Bobby.

"That took a lot f guts. To say something like that." He said over the phone.

"Last time the two of us talked, you said I'd outlived my usefulness." Tom replied through clenched teeth

"I know, and I apologise for it. Look Tommy, I'm ready to bury the hatchet if you are."

Tomy thught it over. It was no use having enemies in this life, and besides, perhaps he could use this. "I am. It's pointless to be at each other's throats."

"Glad to hear it. Have you thought about what you'll do now?"

"Got in touch with an old friend of mine from law school; thinking about setting up our own firm. Say, how would you feel about getting some practical experience as a lawyer. I know you worked for Senate committees in the 50s but you've never actually been a practicing lawyer."

Silence. Tom thought he'd made the middle Kennedy brother irate again, but then he heard him. "Tell you what, I'll come to Iowa in two weeks and we can talk more."

"No problem. See you then Bobby." Tom said as someone knocked on the door. Archie rushed to answer it as the phone was set down.

"Daddy, man's here to see you." The boy said before scurrying off to find his mother.

"What is it Mark?" Tom replied tiredly.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1960: Part 8

It was done and over with. His time in politics was dead. Strangely though, it felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he began to work with Eddie and Bobby on establishing the law firm. Bobby had actually proven quite receptive to the idea of joining up with them as a partner, and the money he broguth with him didn't hurt either. It had been decided that there'd be two offices; one in Iowa City and one in Boston. The plan was close to his heart; they'd focus their work on civil and labour rights, and worked to develop links with the requisite groups in the industrial and southern states.

His decision not to seek a second term didn't win him any favours with Iowa Democrats, but he hoped he'd done enough work for the party during his time in the Senate to tip the balance in his favour. At leah's urging, he hadn't completely ruled out returning to politics yet. Just as he was prepared to go door-to-door for the Douglas/Jackson campaign, his anger was sparked by a photograph.

It was just after lunch in his Senate office in Washington. He and Bobby were discussing some minor arrangements when he saw Marcus, linked in arms with . . . Strom f**king Thurmond?!

"What the hell is this . . ." He said, quietly, clenching his fist.

"Tommy, don't blow a gasket." Bobby warned.

"Strom f**king Thurmond?!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the desk. "That man is the antithesis of everything this nation stands for. He's the one who wrote the Southern Manisfesto! He is the single biggest obstacle to treating blacks equally!"

"Tommy-"

"Bobby, that man represents the worst parts of our society. He doesn't want to treat blacks as equals because of the colour of their skin." He sighed. "The state's right's stuff's just sanitised malarkey; we both know that."

"Of course we know that, but he's still a Democrat, same as us." Bobby insisted. The two had seemingly let go of their old animosity, but there was still some of it there; Eddie once said a blind man could see that the two still had some hard feelings towards each other.

"And people wonder why I didn't run again." Tommy sighed again. Jackson had offered to support him if he ran for governor in '62, but he couldn't reconcile his own stances with someone who had done that with Strom Thurmond of all people. "Let's just . . . let's just go back to the office arrangements."

"Agreed, I was thinking we should . . ."

His campaigning for the Democratic ticket was still there, but it was markedly reduced in enthusiasm compared to the glory days under Eisenhower. Kenway did what he could to drum up support where he was able, and he put on a decent show, but privately, his heart wasn't in it. As the campaign went on, he found it harder and harder to reconcile his own beliefs on civil rights with that of his party.

In his mind, it was just cowardice. Taking a stand mattered a hell of a lot more than just winning votes. he'd aways clung to the belief that a person did what was right because it was right and did it without fear. He'd done that on D-Day, in Holland, at Bastogne, and he'd tried to do that in the Senate, but . . .

Much of his campaigning efforts was focused on cajoling farm groups to the Democratic side, as well as attempting to do the same for labour groups based close by. He particularly attempted to strike up cordial relations with Walter Reuther, and the two agreed on the need for both law firms and labour unions to partner on civil rights issues.

On election day, he voted straight Democrat. Whatever else he may be, he was a loyal party member.

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1960-62

Being back in Iowa City was a wonderful change of pace. Even more wonderful was seeing the sign out the front of the office that Eddie had arranged for them: Jackson, Kenway & Kennedy (Tom had riffed Bobby about his name coming last, but the man took it in good stride). The firm had two offices: one in Iowa City, the other in Boston. the decision was made that Eddie would be the primary partner in Iowa and Bobby in Boston, with Tommy floating between the two places.

Not ten minutes after he'd settled into his office, the secretary informed him that the new intern, Joe Biden, had arrived from Delaware to begin his internship. He was eager to learn, and that was the most important thing. Tommy provided what relocation assistance he could, setting up Biden with accommodation and ensuring that he was getting all the experience he could.
The days in Boston were an odd departure for Iowa City. His hometown, while large, wasn't anywhere near the size of the Massachusetts capital. Not to mention the damn cold. How the hell did they live with it up here?!

"Cold there, Tommy?"

"Geez, Bobby, you really are eagle-eyed." He replied sarcastically. The Kennedy man laughed. It was an odd experience, the two having previously been mortal enemies not that long ago, now partners at the same firm. Tommy would've laughed, if he wasn't so damn cold. "We need to get started as soon as we can. Iowa doesn't even have a damn Civil Rights Act."

"We're lawyers, Tommy. Not much we can do here."

"But we can enforce change. We use the laws in place as a mechanism to force it, and where we don't have laws, apply pressure. Yes, that means joining King's marches and connecting with Reuther. Bobby, these are people like us. They don't deserve to be treated like second-class citizens based on the colour of their skin."

"Alright, what are you taking up first?"

As 1961 came to a close, Tommy became more and more active in civil rights in Iowa. Despite the schools already being desegregated ages ago, there was still work to be done. Now that he was free of politics, he could finally pursue the cause of civil rights. He joined the NAACP and began writing opinion pieces in the Iowa Bystander, calling for the introduction of a statewide civil rights law in Iowa. He began to take up cases where African-Americans had been discriminated against, with one of his core arguments referring back to the case that had desegregated Iowa's schools.

He also began to take up worker's rights cases, hard enough to do in a right-to-work state. He became more and more exposed to the union movement in the process, and found many of their ideas appealing. In particular, he became acquainted with Reuther, and the two struck up a friendship, with the UAW keeping the firm on a retainer.

As 1962 dawned, Tommy celebrated the birth of his second child, a daughter named Kara. At the same time, he had begun to ponder a return to political life at Leah's urging. His wife had his same passion for helping others, and was convinced that lasting change could only be brought from legistlation. Resolved to not return to Washington, Tommy began to weigh whether to run for Attorney-General or Governor. While he was frozen out by the state party, there was nothing a little populist streetfighting couldn't fix . . .

[GoTfan]

Thomas Kenway, 1962

A conversation with Leah had made him reach a decision. Re-entering politics was not something he had originally wanted to do, but she'd convinced him that if he wanted to change something, he had to do it himself. It was therefore with a great amount f trepidation that he announced his return in 1962, declaring his candidacy for Governor of Iowa.

Aware that he was still likely frozen out by the party, Kenway pursued a populist tone in his campaign. Front and centre was his unabashed support of civil and labor rights, as well as the support he'd given to farmers during his time in the Senate. Tommy of course made several attempts to reach out to party heads, but focused his attention on driving out his supporters. He held fire on his fellow Democrats however, reasoning that he'd need t work with them to govern the state.

Among his campaign promises were a Civil Rights Act, a raise in education funding and expansion of infrastructure to drive up economic development (particularly ensuring that all major towns and cities were connected via highways or rail). He was banking on support from labor groups most of all, especially considering the fact he'd taken time to cultivate his relationships with the unions in the state.

Much of the campaign was focused on traditional retail politics, with Kenway making as many stops at places as he could, but he also made significant use of television and radio, blanketing both platforms with advertising. More than that, he accepted every interview request he received; it was free media after all. Kenway's team adopted a full 99-county strategy, with the idea being to rely on small donations and volunteers; campaign wrkers were also permitted to unionise.

Tommy knew he was unlikely to win the nomination, let alone the general election, but at the very least, he'd be able to push his ideas to the front.

2 points for Kenway's gubernatorial campaign

5 points for downballot Iowa Democrats

[GoTfan]

Thomas kenway, 1962 fall campaign

Tommy's union links paid off when Biden was asked to take up an organising role with the AFL-CIO. The hiring of staffers from his law office promised a fruitful partnership between him and the labour leaders in the Great Lakes region and the rest of the Midwest. He formally resigned his position at the firm after the primary, staking everything on winning the governor's mansion.

Among the decisions for the general election campaign he made was bringing Bobby on as an advisor. He'd managed Jack's presidential campaign in 1960 and while unsuccessful, it had been a testament to the man's organisational skills. The experience he brought to the campaign was not to be discounted, especially with what Tommy predicted would be a close race. Iowa had gone Republican in 1960, and there were still more Republican-on-paper voters than Democrats.

Continuing with what had worked during the primary, Tommy continued both his grassroots campaign and his wide usage of radio and television in order to reach as many voters as possible. He camapgined the Democrats down the ballot as well, in order to get asmuch support as possible for his legislative proposals. He again pushed the same lines he had during the primary: Infrastructure development, investment in education and passing a strong Civil Rights Act to enforce by law Iowa's various judicial decisions that had expanded civil rights in the state.

In the privacy of his home however, he expressed some misgivings about the intervention in Cuba, concerned over its legality and the humanitarian disaster he feared would result.