Keys to the White House: 1960

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Smith for the Republicans, Johnson for the Democrats.

While Jackson had indeed been friends with Senator Kennedy years prior, the man was too different ideologically for him to support and he was, in Jackson's eyes, too green to be President. He instead pushed for Senator Lyndon Baines Johnson of Texas, a powerful man with a lot of powerful friends, he was a very big influence in the party and had been for quite some time ever since his election to the senate, in a speech, Jackson spoke "Senator Johnson is everything that we need to continue the policies of the late President Eisenhower and President Kefauver. He is a man of experience. He has been in Congress since the mid 30s and will be able to get the job done with his many friends that he gained. He has the experience that will not allow those in the Soviet Union to push us, as Experience is a good deterrence for evil. He will also bring together a party that seems divided, for it seems that we are splitting the party between North and South, Conservative and Liberal lines, something that President Eisenhower would not want us to be doing. Johnson, as a New Dealer, will be able to bring all sides into one party once again and together, we will continue the policies of Eisenhower and Kefauver and we will win the election in November!"

Proud that his brother was able to win the Democratic Primary for Governor easily even if he was facing some troubles against a potential Republican, with many claiming that Florida was starting to look like a Dynasty State for the Jackson family. However, at the same time, Senator Jackson's second eldest brother, Arnold Jackson, announced he was running for South Carolina's 6th Congressional District against well entrenched incumbent John L. McMillian. Arnold, a veteran of World War 2 and the Korean War, is a staunch interventionist, anti-communist man who only retired from the military in November of 1959, most likely to run for the House. While Marcus has given his brother a tacit endorsement due to family ties and it being clear that the Florida Senator doesn't feel much for the members of the House from States like Alabama, Mississippi, or South Carolina as they currently are. His brother has shrugged off his endorsement however and ordered the youngest Jackson to not campaign for him, as he is his own person.

And so, currently, Marcus Jackson II, while not having to face re-election himself, now has to deal with a potential issue of his family becoming a political dynasty in several states despite all three men making it clear that they are Independent of each and run their own campaigns. At the same time, Marcus' nephews remain in the Senate, biding their time to run for higher office while gaining a name for themselves separate from their southern uncles. As for what the Senator is currently doing, while campaigning for his brother in his gubernatorial campaign, offers to meet with Speaker Gerry O'Connor, Representative Anton Jepsen, and Senator Kenway to create a possible Amendment that would see the appointment of a Vice President should the office become vacant for any reason in the future. 1960 is set to be a busy year for the Senator and he'll be lucky if by the end of it, he doesn't pull his hair out.
1 Point for Arnold Jackson to run in the SC-06 Democratic Primary
OOC : As Political Dynasties that spanned multiple states were common in this period (Kennedies, Lodges, Rockefellers), I'm assuming this is ok. However, if Jackson himself has issue with it, I'll remove Arnold.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

While recovering from his slight cold, the Senator decides to meet with the Delegates from the States of California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to try and bring them over to Senator Johnson's side in the hopes that he can get the Nomination over them. Deciding to make a grand speech to show this, he stood to many Delegates and spoke : "Right now, we are on the verge of continuing President Eisenhower's and Kefauver's legacies, with Senator Johnson being the man that is leading everyone in the pack. For his entire life, Senator Johnson has worked for the betterment of every man, woman, and child in the state of Texas and the country as a whole. He was once a teacher, yet his coalition is filled with Teachers, Farmers, Veterans, Laborers, and so many other wonderful people. Senator Kennedy, who I hold in some high regard, I believe does not hold the experience necessary to be President, for if he is challenged by the Soviet Union, then how will he react? How will he handle a crisis when it is unclear how proven he really is? The man's folly is inexperience, not his faith. And, because of this inexperience, he might cost us this election to the Republicans as a veteran like Lodge will not make the same mistakes of 1952, not on the national level!

As for Hubert Humphrey, while I do hold respect for the man for what he's doing for labor unions and his policies against antisemitism that he enacted while Mayor of Minneapolis, I fear he sames many of the same faults of Senator Kennedy. Both men, I consider to be inexperienced to be President at the Present, both men are from northern states, which could see a sudden split of our party between regional lines, which we don't need as of now, and both men will likely be unable to handle the experience of whoever is the Republican Nominee, such as Lodge or Nixon. Johnson, however, will keep the party together, he has enough experience for the job, and he has a fantastic chance of beating the Republican Nominee, whoever it may be, come the fall!"

Following the speech, Senator Jackson decided to meet with Speaker O'Connor on a plan.
"Alright, Gerald," the Senator began, but the Speaker raised a hand and politely shook his head.

"Please, if you'd like, call me Gerry." Senator Jackson nodded before continuing.

"Alright, Gerry, I think we can both agree that the convention is at a stalemate." The Speaker of the House nodded, his eyes watching the Senator like a hawk. Both men were becoming quick veterans of Congress, with O'Connor already as Speaker, though it was unclear if Jackson was looking for any Leadership opportunities himself. "The front-runners as of right now are Johnson, Humphrey, Stevenson, and Morse, a darn Republican turncoat, even with Senator Kennedy maybe still in the running."

"Yeah, I agree. We have the quite the strange array of Candidates for the nomination." Jackson continued to speak, as if the Speaker had remained silent.

"You and I both know this can't go on forever. Jack and Humphrey simply aren't ready and we can't let a former Republican take charge of the Party." The Speaker hmm'd in silent agreement and Senator Jackson gave a small smile. He had the man's attention, now he had to reel him in for the kill.

"That leaves Johnson and Stevenson."

"Correct, Gerry. And both of these men have our support, though the two of us disagree on who should be the Nominee."

"Quite the dilemma we find ourselves in, Mark."

"I can't agree more, Mr. Speaker, which is why I offer up a solution." The speaker's eye brow raised in apprehension, likely already knowing what the Senator was about to say. "It's clear that of the two men, Johnson has a better chance of getting the Nomination and winning the Election in the fall, My suggestion is you convince Stevenson to drop out for the Presidential Nomination and go for the Vice Presidential Nomination. From there, we work to get a Johnson/Stevenson ticket nominated and after that, we see how it goes. If they win, then we'll hold the White House for another 4 years and Stevenson will be in it, and if they lose, Stevenson will be in a prime position for the Nomination in 1964 and unless my state's current Governor is running, I'll back him and work my tail off to get the Southern Delegates to support him. God knows I have way too much influence over them ever since that speech for Pepper."

"Indeed, you've proven yourself to be an expert at speaking, Mark. I'll try and talk to Stevenson after I think about your plan for a little while. I'll give you my response and his response later. Until then, anything you'd like?"

"Yes, just help my brother Louis in winning the Gubernatorial Election. As for Arnold, do whatever you want for him. He's on his own little vanity project in South Carolina and I'd much rather see him run for Governor there instead of trying to oust a bloody incumbent."

"I'll do what I can to help Louis. You take care in meantime."

"Thanks, you as well."
Even with the war for the convention ongoing, the Senator remained ever prevalent and mostly focused his efforts on seeing his brother Louis win the 1960 Gubernatorial Election in a landslide. Speaking to a crowd in Miami, he said "For the last 11 years, I have served you dutifully in Congress. I've worked to give financial aid to the farmers and veterans of this state, I've worked to help families get aid. However, I am but one man out of 435 in Congress and there is only so much one man can do. My brother, however, has served this state dutifully from the State Senate since being elected there in 1946 and shares many of my views and some ideas of his own that he'll implement to make Florida one of the greatest states in the country. So, come November, remember, the Jackson family will always be there for Florida and when we get into office, we get things done!"

However, the days spent not rallying delegates to Johnson and not campaigning for Louis was spent with his wife, Elizabeth, and his 3 sons, Marcus III (b. 1947), Phillip (b. 1950), and Andrew (b. 1957), and his 2 daughters, Anna (b. 1947), and Agnes (b. 1951). While he is a busy man, the Senator enjoys anytime he can get with his family and with Marcus III taking a keen interest in the military, the Senator has planned for him to inevitably sign up for the service, not allowing him to be disqualified simply because of who his father is. Louis and Arnold even spend time with them as Jackson relaxes.
Johnson and Smith again!

[Huey Long is a Republican]

"Well, Jack, it looks like this race isn't looking so good for you." The Florida Senator smiled knowingly as the Jack and Bobby Kennedy stared at him, Jack with fatigue and Bobby with white hot anger.

"Why the hell are you here, you slime ball?" Bobby roared angrily, balling his fists as Jackson looked on with a small trace of interest. Jack held up a hand for his brother to stop.

"Bobby, no. I want to hear what he has to say. We were friends a while ago, after all, even if he chose his path." with that, the younger Kennedy brother sat down, his fingers twitching bitterly the longer Jackson was in their presence.

"Thanks Jack. Now, as I was saying, things aren't looking so good for you in this convention, don't you agree?" The Massachusettsan nodded reluctantly, even while his brother continued to glare daggers into the Floridian. "My question is, why stay in this race when you know you don't have a chance anymore? We can't let a Republican turncoat like Morse get the Nomination ever and Humphrey might split the party in two just like 1948, which is something Ike wouldn't want for us."

"How dare you bring up his name!" Bobby spat viciously as Jackson's gaze turned to him. "Ike was a great man and he would be against any of the ideas you're speaking about!"

"Really, Bobby? Then tell me, where were you during the War? Because I served in Europe under him and nearly died several times. Where were you in 1952 and 1956, because I made sure he was elected when it looked like some people not support him? Where were you in Congress, because I was fighting to help get legislation passed for Farmers and Veterans, legislation he eagerly signed into law. Senator Kenway and I were the ones given the invitation by Mamie to give his eulogy. He trusted me and Kenway the most out of everyone and believed we were the future of the party. So, with all this information in hand, tell me Bobby, why wouldn't he agree that we should remain united as a party and choosing a candidate as divisive as Humphrey or as poor a choice as Morse could ruin our chances of victory come this fall." Robert could only mutter quietly under his breath about how he hated Jackson's words held some modicum of truth to it.

"Then what are you suggesting, Mark?"

"I think you already know."

"I can't drop out, not without a potential reward. I've put too much time and resources into this. Plus, what would my father say?"

"Are you that scared of him? He's 72, you morons. He'd keel over in the next few years and then you'd be free of him for good. You've lived your whole lives in his shadow, doing things his way. Now it's time to do things your way, but first, you need to help unite the Party behind Johnson."

"And what's in it for me? Vice President?" For a moment, both brothers looked at Jackson hopefully, thinking he'd help them see Jack become the Running Mate to Johnson.

'Hell no, It'd be a cold day in hell before I see a Kennedy on the Presidential Ticket. I'd rather vote Republican if that was the case.' He thought but only smiled as he shook his, disappointing the two brothers. "Sadly no. Myself, Speaker O'Connor, and Senator Kenway  are discussing a potential unity ticket between Johnson and Stevenson, though the latter has yet to speak of his thoughts for the deal. In any case, should Johnson win the Election this year, I'd have some pull in his cabinet's formation since I was one of the driving forces that helped it come into fruition. In that case, I might be able to see either you, Jack, or Ted be placed in it, being Secretary of State or Secretary of Health, Education, or Welfare. You'll have to decide who's who, though, and what position you'll have."

"And of Bobby?"

"Sadly, he's made too many enemies. He was foolish in how he handled Kenway's reaction. Neither of you are in the right, but neither of you are in the wrong either. You should have just remained calm and not go down to insults."

"Go die in a ditch, slime." The Florida Senator could only roll his eyes in exasperation at Bobby's statement before looking back at Jack.

"Well, what do you say, Jack?"

"I say no."

"I wasn't speaking to you, Bobby."

"Jack doesn't care!"

"Enough, Bobby. Enough." Jack looked from his brother to Mark and gave a slight nod. "I'll consider it." This startled Bobby as Marcus nodded in acceptance.

"But Jack, this'll be a deal with the devil!"

"Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil to prevent an even greater evil from rising, Bobby. That's what we did in the War when we allied with Stalin against Hitler. Also, I said I'd consider it, not if I agree or not. Give me some time to think it over, alone." With a slight bow, Marcus left the office, saying :

"Of course, Jack. Just come to my office or call me when you've thought it over, alright?" And with that, the door to Jack's office closed behind him and who was beside the door but Jackson's Protege, Tommy Lee Alndquist, waiting patiently.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

"Better than expected, honestly. Bobby's a rabid dog like what Kenway said, but Jack was able to listen and hear what I had to say."

"So that means that Kennedy is in?" Jackson shook his head no.

"No, at least, for now, that isn't certain. He's just considering it. In the meantime, think you can get Kenway and Speaker O'Connor to come over to my office, as well as Lou? I need to speak to them about this potential development and something else." His aide nodded but stayed a second longer. "Yes, what is it?"

"Well, sir, it's just, for these past few years, I've learned quite a bit from you and I'd like you to know that I plan to run for your old seat in 2 years and see what I can do to help you in Congress." Jackson smiled at that.

"Well, expect my full endorsement when you announce you're running. I'll miss you being here, Tommy, but you deserve to make your own destiny, not live in my shadow." With a final bow, Jackson's protege left and the Senator walked back into his office and began to work on several ideas for Infrastructure and Foreign Aid legislation as well as his other plan that he planned to introduce sometime into the future. As of right now, baby steps were required.


"YOU DID WHAT?!" to say Tom's anger was unjustified was a lie, as the three men had agreed to keep the Kennedies out of Washington no matter what and yet, Marcus had went behind their backs and offered this deal to the Kennedy brothers.

"You godd**n fool! Why did we trust you with this?!"

"This entire plan was my idea, gentlemen. I will mold it to make sure the best path for our party is present." Tom slammed his fists on Marcus' desk.

"I thought we agreed : No. Kennedies. In. the. WHITE. HOUSE!" the Iowan's face got even redder as he continued to yell at Jackson, who was sitting calmly.

"This plan is only possible because of my support, Mark! Don't forget that. You aren't the only one making deals here." the Speaker spoke.

"But of course. I merely said that should Johnson win the Election, I can get him to consider one of the Kennedy brothers for his Cabinet, but not that the choice will be 100% for them." At that, the room went silent as they realized what Marcus was saying.

"You slippery weasel!" the Speaker found himself muttering as Jackson continued on, absent-minded.

"How does Fulbright sound for Secretary of State and and Hill for Health, Education, and Welfare? They chair their respective committees in the Senate and would be perfect for the job." A sly grin was on the Senator's face.

"You lied to them...That's good, I guess." Thomas slowly began to calm down from his rage but still spoke. "And you do have good ideas for cabinet choices, even if they're both from the South, but how do we know your conversation won't come back to bite you in the rear?"

"As far as I can tell, there exists no official record of my conversation with Jack. So if the Kennedies say publicly that I promised them something, I can simply say they're lying or the President's choices are his own. And should Johnson lose in the fall, I can simply tell them that I can't help them as the American people decided they didn't want another Democratic Administration. Any way you slice it, it's a win for us and a lose for them."

"And this Alndquist? You sure you can trust him?"

"Tommy? Definitely, he's my protege after all and would rather die before revealing my plans to anyone without my permission." The Speaker and Kenway nodded in silent approval.

"I don't like this, all this backroom politicking. It's too stressful on us." Kenway said as he shook his head once everything sunk in.

"Neither do I, which is why I proposed the Popular Nomination Amendment sometime ago, though I think having the President being able to appoint the Vice President seem much more necessary for the time being. We can get back to the PNA at another date, however, as now Johnson has the South, much of the Midwest, and New England in support of him should both Stevenson and Jack agree. We only need to deal with Jepsen, him and Humphrey seem to be more trouble than their worth and could throw a gosh darned wrench into everything due to his talks with the President. Think you can deal with him, Mr. Speaker?" The man smirked viciously.

"I didn't get this job by being nice. I'll do what I can to see this plan to fruition and make sure Jepsen doesn't muck it up."

"Thank you. If you can get this to fruition, the Southern Delegates will be delivered to Stevenson on a Silver Platter in 1964 or 1968, depending on who wins the election. That's a promise I intend to deliver." And with that, Kenway spoke, tilting his head in slight impatience.

"You wanted us for something else?"

"Oh, yes. Well, my brother, Lou, will be here to speak. Me and him have had this idea in our mind for years, me, him, and Arnie."

"Where's Arnold then?"

"Campaigning. I told you, he's on a vanity trip when he should've ran for Governor in two years and then Senator against Thurmond in six. But, back to the matter at hand. Lou, if you may." With that, Louis Jackson, Marcus' eldest brother, veteran of WW2, Florida State Senate Majority Leader, and current Democratic Nominee for Governor of Florida, stepped into the light. While dressed up in a tuxedo, he had bright green eyes, a scar or two on his face, and his hair was dark brown. To be quite honest, he looked somewhat like Marcus except for one or two features.

"Thanks, Mark. Now, as he just said, me, him, and Arnie have been planning something for a long time, something that was almost blown in the 1950s with Brown v Board."

"The Southern manifesto that your brother signed?" Kenway spoke impatiently, remembering all to well what happened.

"Yes, well, Mark signed it as a means of political survival, as did many others in the deep south. If he didn't, he would've been kicked out in a primary. If he had been kicked out, what would've happened to his pushes for veterans and farmers financial aid or his push to see Ike get re-elected, or his influence in certain house seats, or even the formation of this plan to break any deadlock at the convention this year? All of it wouldn't exist. Listen, Mark, myself, and Arnie has never agreed with men like Thurmond or Stennis, we have nothing but hate for them. We're planning to take out Thurmond with Arnie in 1966 as he'll be viewed as a traitor by the Democrats for becoming Independent and for his 1948 bid that made us lose, and the Republicans won't take him because of his segregationist ideas, especially if Lodge is the Party's nominee or President. While we can't do anything else outside South Carolina and Florida, we can try and change the opinions of these states to be much more favorable to Civil Rights. In Florida, we've had a streak of men like that, such as Warren and Collins while Johns disgusted all of us. I'll continue the policies of men like Warren and Collins when I'm elected to the office in November and hopefully, we can get this to continue. I think, at the latest, Florida will be pro-civil rights by 1968 or the 70s, to the point where Mark can openly talk about his support for it without facing a primary challenge. Keep off any Civil Rights bill until then or let us know in advance when the vote is being held so Mark can be absent in the vote and claim he neither supported nor rejected it. It's the best we got."

"Interesting plan, but I see your point, I suppose."

"Thank you. Now, if you may, please leave so all of us can continue our work. We need to make sure this doesn't fall apart or we could see the party be divided once again and I don't think any of us wants to see that." The two other men gave a firm shake of their heads and with that, left. Jackson shook his head. Those two men were interesting figures and he and Kenway were two shining beacons in the Senate for the Democrats. He could only hope the future gave bright paths to all of them.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Jackson couldn't help but look at Gerry with a slight grin and gave a small chuckle before speaking. "Well, Mr. Speaker, it seems my hands are tied and the positions are reversed from the First Ballot." The Illinoisan nodded, smiling ear to ear as he did so. The man had Jackson beat, the Senator wasn't afraid to admit that. "Did you hear the recent rumors?"

"They want to draft you to be Stevenson's Vice Presidential Nominee, right?" The Senator nodded. "Honestly, I couldn't come up something more ironic than that. The man who attempted to get Stevenson to bail out of the balloting for the Presidential Nomination will be a draftee to be his running mate in November."

"Yeah. Seems like the Universe loves playing tricks on me." Silence reigned for a few minutes before Senator Kenway spoke up, his eyes giving the Floridian a questioning glare.

"Will you accept?"

Jackson only shrugged. "I don't know, really...I was considering on staying until I gain some support to become Senate Majority Leader one day, but if the party wants to choose me over any other candidate, I say go ahead. It's their choice."

"And your Senate seat if you win?"

"If I win, believe it or not, my wife, Elizabeth, has shown some interest in taking over the seat. I'll talk to Lou about it during the campaign if I really am the Vice Presidential Nominee."

"So what now?" Came the speaker's sole question and silence once more reigned. While they had indeed gotten far and Kennedy was nearly completely out of the balloting with how badly he was suffering in terms of losses. However, Humphrey was still a dangerous candidate on the rise, along with Representative Jepsen. They needed to put a muzzle on that fool before he cost the party yet another Election as what had happen 12 years prior.

"Gerry, think you can convince Jack to support Adlai and try and shut up Jepsen? I don't care what you do for Jepsen, but Jack, maybe you can try the same tactic I did? He seems to have believed me when I suggested it. Kenway, try and Rally every last Iowa Delegate you can around Stevenson. I can't really reneg on my endorsement of Johnson because that might cost me politically. However, I'll try and bring over a few Florida Delegates from Johnson to Stevenson privately for the Third Ballot. I'll dip my toe into a potential Draft campaign for the Vice Presidency. It'd be best to unite the Party behind a Midwestern and Southern Ticket, but I'll be damned if I was offered the Vice Presidential Spot on an Independent ticket. I'm a Democrat through and through." Both Kenway and O'Connor nodded and with that, they all began to go their separate ways. However, just before they left the door, he said quite simply "If we don't find a Candidate by the Third Ballot, Than I think we need to agree to Draft A Candidate the whole party can get behind, as this won't be able to last much longer." and with that, the informal meeting between the three men ended.
To say Jackson was saddened by the results of the Second Ballot would be an understatement, after all, he was a proud Supporter of Senator Johnson and his campaign for President, but now it seemed like that opportunity was slipping away. However, a bright spot had emerged in that he heard rumors that there were those who were considering on drafting him to be a running mate to the Presidential Nominee, who at the time seems most likely to be Adlai Stevenson. He decided to address this issue head on in a speech directly at the convention hall.

"Recently, I have heard rumors and ideas circulating on this convention hall that I would make the perfect running mate to a Candidate like Adlai Steven, who now appears to be our front-runner for the Nomination. I am indeed a supporter of Senator Johnson for the Presidency, but he has made it clear that he intends to get the Presidential Nomination and not the Vice Presidential one. As for my thoughts on these rumors, after discussing long and hard with my lovely wife Elizabeth, I have come to the conclusion that it should be up to everyone here on the convention hall when it is time, but please know that I'll only accept a draft movement if Stevenson or Douglas becomes the Nominee. If Johnson is to become the Nominee, I'll support a Northerner to balance him out, because the Democratic Party is a Party of Balance. For many of our tickets and administrations, one of them have been from a Northern State and the other from a southern state, as it keeps our party strong and united. Under those conditions, we represent the northern and southern parts of American. The Democratic Party is the Party for all of America, from coast to coast, no matter the state, region, city, or wherever you may be as a citizen, you are a citizen in the United States and will always be represented and supported fairly by the Democratic Party. Thus, if you want me to be your vice presidential nominee should Stevenson get the Nomination, I will gladly accept and will work my tail off to make sure the ticket wins in November. Now, you may hear this speech and question the thoughts on me not mentioning Hubert Humphrey and I'll say it simply that Humphrey will not allow us a chance of winning the Presidency as the South will be in open revolt of his nomination and will not be happy no matter who his running mate is. We cannot afford to divide the Party like this as there has never been a single Democratic President in our history to have won without the South's support. They have a combined 179 Electoral Votes, which is more than half the amount we need in order to win in November. Will the entire South vote against the Party, I don't know, but I do know a significant chunk of it will. However, if you're curious about whether I'd support an Independent campaign from the traitors known as Eastland or Thurmond, than I'd like to make it clear : I will never in 100 years support or join such men. I do not support them and I do not like their divisive ideals just as much as I dislike Humphrey's own divisive ideals. I am a pureblood Democrat through and through and while I probably won't vote at all if Humphrey is on the ticket, I plead with all of you to decide for yourselves that Party Unity must triumph over Humphrey's ideas. I have said it once and I'll continue to say it : president Eisenhower would not want us to be divided and if he saw us right now, bickering amongst ourselves, unsure of what to do, he'd tell us to go for the option that keeps us the most together and the best unified out of everyone. That is all I have to say on this matter, but I hope you all will consider it and understand. Thank you."

The crowd was left in an uproar at the speech, with many wondering what the reactions would be to it later on down the line. However, Jackson could care less and instead focused more or less on getting his brother elected to the Governor's Mansion and even spent some political capital by raising the profile of his brother Arnold in his own Congressional Race, though he made sure to not give him an endorsement for the campaign. Most of the time, however, he spent with his family while speaking to several Floridian, Georgian, South Carolinan, and Alabaman Delegates to convince them to switch their support from Johnson over to Stevenson, knowing he held significant sway over the South. It was best for Party Unity, after all, and Jackson was determined, above everything, to keep the Democratic Party united and everyone agreed with that.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

He knew the Iowa Senator, seeing as they had risen to prominence around the same time period, so he knew that Thomas could do what he believed was possible and whatever he'd wanted. Of course, given Jackson had a loyal following of aides and colleagues across several staffs, he knew all about the Iowa Senator's plans to reform the Nominating process. "Thomas, It's Mark. I've heard all about your idea to reform the Nomination process. You forget I was the one who originally proposed it with the Popular Nomination Amendment, but you and others didn't exactly push for it. However, I don't feel any ill will. I'll contact Fulbright and the moderates in the South. Warren will support any idea you have in mind, seeing as he's like you and is progressive for the State. You'll have my support as well. Just be sure to explain everything to your friends so they know there is honor among southerners, even if they don't think it possible." And with that, he ended the phone call, knowing a staffer for the Iowa Senator had already recorded it for him to listen to. That was just how things worked in the senate. Giving a sigh, he looked at the ceiling. Oh, he wouldn't give to be back in Florida, in his hometown. He just couldn't wait until Christmas.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

"It seems Representative Jepsen forgets something about the Party. In 1940, President Roosevelt running for a Third Term and he was incredibly popular, far more so than Mr. Willkie, so it was obvious would win the election regardless of who his running mate was. He also happens to forget that for the 8 years before Wallace was chosen, John Nance Garner, a Southerner who is currently in attendance as a Delegate from Texas, was Roosevelt's Vice President and so was Roosevelt's immediate successor, President Truman. Me, Truman, and Garner don't see eye to eye on some things, and on others we most certainly agree, but we are all Southerners. And now, the Representative conveniently forgets the current Democratic President right now is from the South himself and that President Eisenhower had befriended several southerners over his lifetime. It seems the Representative from Minnesota wants to paint all Southerners as evil beings, completely unable of being redeemed despite the fact that some of the greatest men in this country have been from the South, such as Oscar Underwood of Alabama, who fought tooth and nail against the Klan, or Former Speaker Rayburn who helped ensure the Democrats had a firm base to build the nation up on. If he is speaking about men like Strom Thurmond and Eastland, then I say we can both speak in agreement these two men are completely vile and no Democrat should ever have any form of major support for them whatsoever. Until the Representative clears his statements, however, I will think he was representing all men from the South as evil and he wants to characterize me as such despite the efforts I have put in to ensure that our nation's Veterans and Farmers get proper financial support. I await the Representative's response."
"What the...?" What the Florida Senator had just listened to made his eyes bulge out in shock. This could be incredibly damaging to one man that the Party had no love for, especially himself or Gerry. He looked back at the man who had given this recording to him. A fired staffer of Representative Jepsen. "I knew he wanted Humphrey to get the Nomination, but to try this while the Convention was under way?" That reeked of someone overstretching their abilities.

"He told us to keep everything to ourselves and not tell anyone about any meetings or calls, but after I was fired, I believed I had to do the right thing. I don't like trying to influence the Convention by influencing the President a certain way. That's not how America was meant to be run." Jackson could only find himself nodding in approval, still absorbing what he had just heard.

"You did good kid. If I was doing the same thing as Anton, I would have wanted you to do this. We need more people like you to cleanse this country of corrupt men." He looked to a nearby staffer and pointed before motioning to the door. "Get this recording to Gerry as soon as possible. He needs to hear it and give his opinion on the whole thing. I won't make any movements unless he gives the affirmative on it." The staffer nodded, grabbed the recording from the desk, and ran as quickly as possible to where the Speaker would be. With this new information at hand, the convention could turn very much on a dime.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Private Call between Senator Jackson and Representative Jepsen, written down by Jackson staffers

Jackson : "Hello, Anton."

Jepsen : "Mark, what the hell do you want?"

Jackson : "Come now, is that a way to speak to someone in a higher chamber than you?"

Jepsen : "Go to hell. I have half a mind to hang up right now."

Jackson : "Well, I need to clear the air between us."

Jepsen : "What do you mean by that?"

Jackson : "You keep insinuating I'm against Brown v Board and Civil Rights, but I think the covert and Public Actions have shown that I am for it without speaking about it publicly."

Jepsen : "Don't go bull****ing me, Mark. You signed the Manifesto!"

Jackson : "And I was being threatened by a Primary Challenge if I didn't. If I was primaried, my ideas for Veterans and Farmers would've been left at the wayside for years to come because the idiots in the Senate care for only one thing, and that's power. I only want to serve my state and nation to the best of its ability."

Jepsen : "I can see your point there. Congress has always been an ineffective hellhole where everything gets bogged down. But that still doesn't excuse the Manifesto!"

Jackson : "I was getting to that. Let me finish. Look at how I've acted when it comes to Civil Rights throughout my career as of right now? My brother, Lou, is secretly very pro Civil Rights and plans to push for massive legislation that'll change a lot of Florida's Civil Rights laws, Collins is a Governor I am great friends with despite his pro-civil rights stance, and I helped make sure that Warren, someone who is for Civil Rights, defeats Holland in the Senate Primary in 1958. I am anything but an ally to men like Thurmond, Stennis, or Eastland."

Jepsen : "Then why all the secrecy? Why don't you stand up for your morals here and now and announce it to the world?"

Jackson : "I'll do that after I win re-election in 1962. By then, I have a feeling the State will be on the side of Civil Rights enough to where I won't face bad backlash for announcing it. If I'm nominated for the Vice Presidency, I'll do it immediately following Election Day if me and the Nominee wins. Otherwise, my 1962 promise stands."

Jepsen : "So, you're doing this to stay in the Senate not to further your career, but because you know you'd be facing a difficult renomination for Senate and you want to continue to help people in the Country?"

Jackson : "Yes, I am. This is why I'm clearing this up for you. My son, Marcus, is planning on joining the Military and I have a feeling if you didn't know this, you would slander him with my name in any future political career he has."

Jepsen : "...I see...Anything else you want to discuss?"

Jackson : "Several things. I don't expect to be nominated for the Vice Presidency at all. Hell, I was shocked at the idea being floated in the news too. However, I don't want to have it, to be honest. I don't feel nearly experienced enough and my wife doesn't enjoy the idea either as it'd only double the stress I'd be going through. But you have to understand, every time you attack me, I have to defend my honor."

Jepsen : "Fine...What do you suggest doing?"

Jackson : "A joint press conference between me and you, calling one another fine gentlemen that share certain disagreements, shake hands, and then walk away. How does that sound?"

Jepsen : "I'll...consider it."

Jackson : "Thanks, Anton. As for legislation ideas, maybe we could do something about infrastructure, immigration..."

[Call goes on for another 15 minutes before ending, The only record of the call ever taking place is sealed in an envelope that'll be in Mrs. Jackson's possession at all times].

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Did Anton agree to that message?

OOC : I'm letting RepresentativeElcaspar decide what to do himself, hence why I leave player character interactions sometimes open ended. I'm not really doing much else besides telling Anton information that is already on this page and has been given to Gerry and Thomas. Apologies if I'm not making sense and if Elcaspar wants it removed, he can ask me privately and I'll delete the post.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Oh, this was making him boiling mad. He could take whatever Johnson was sending his way, he was a man, he expected to take hits like that, but when he got a call from nervous Elizabeth about how some Texan thugs harassed her and tried to get information out of her, that was when he decided enough was enough. While his press conference with Representative Jepsen had gone smoothly enough, with both men stating that they agreed to disagree, recognized one another as fine gentlemen, and shaking hands at the hand, signifying their feud during the convention had ended. He was actually planning on meeting with Jenson later to discuss how to settle this whole convention fiasco, but right now, he had bigger fish to fry.

"That Godd***n son of a b***h! How dare he threaten my wife to get to me?!" He had told the Speaker, Kenway, and Jepsen all about what had happened and they all agreed to speak out against what Johnson had done. Even worse, the Texan had sent spies to try and dig up dirt on him. Alndquist was able to sniff them out thankfully and obtain everything they had gotten before Lyndon could get his grubby mitts on anything. Jackson was a good man, but no one threatened his wife and got away with it. Later in the day, he gave a loathing speech in which he revealed all the people Johnson had sent to investigate and dig dirt up on him and even speaking about the harassing of Elizabeth. "Is this how the loyal support I have given to Senator Johnson throughout the Convention to be rewarded? My wife is to be threatened by his goons and I am to be spied on?! Is this how Senator Johnson treats those who support him? Well, I say it is time to move away from supporting such a morally bankrupt and corrupt individual, as what he has done I can only imagine is illegal in most respects across the country and if not, that should most definitely change! As of right now, consider my support for Senator Johnson null and void and henceforth, my support shall go to Senator Stevenson! While he and I disagree on some things, it is clear he and I share more things in common than myself and Humphrey ever could and at the same time, I can no longer bring myself to support Johnson any longer for what he has attempted to done. To my fellow Delegates from Florida, Tennessee, and may other Southern States, I ask if you want this morally bankrupt, power hungry man to be your choice for this election or do you want a man who, while you might not agree with on the issues, is certainly the better in terms of character? I implore you to choose right, because I know I will. My vote is for Stevenson!"
"So mind telling me what this meeting is all about?" Jepsen was drinking a glass of bourbon that the Senator had poured for him. The Floridian had contacted him the day before to set up a meeting in regards to the convention and now here they were. Jackson let his own glass go down his gullet before speaking himself.

"The deadlock has been going on for too long. At this point, it's clear a Lodge victory will happen." Jackson stated and Jepsen nodded somberly in agreement. Several ballots and still no Presidential Nominee. While it was likely it wouldn't be 1924 all over again, there was still a growing fear among many that this could lead to something like it. "I think we can just agree to unify behind a Stevenson Ticket, have him lose to Lodge in a landslide this year, then we focus on 1964. You can use that to get Humphrey and I'll offer myself as a Running Mate to him in that year. I won't officially give my support to him though and instead I'll push for someone like Fulbright to run, considering he's a moderate on most issues, it won't make me look like an idiotic segregationist, but I'll try and rally a few upper south moderate delegates to Humphrey. Does that sound like a good plan?" At this point, both men were exhausted as the convention was taking a lot out of the two of them, but Jepsen was still unsure of the idea.

"I have to ask Hubert his thoughts on this and I need time to think on your idea. I'll contact you after I thought about it, alright?" Jackson nodded and with that, Jepsen turned to leave, but the Floridan stopped him and simply said :

"This conversation never happened." And with that, Anton nodded and left the room into the empty hallway, leaving Jackson alone with his thoughts. Everything he had said there was true, but he knew Humphrey was likely going to lose, and lose big, to Lodge in '64. Maybe Jepsen knew too and was going to push Humphrey to run in 1968 instead. However, Jackson himself had sights on that year. It was clear Kenway did too. Simply put, He'd have to go through 8 years of President Lodge so he could challenge the Republican Nominee at the end. One could only hope everything worked as planned.
Jackson publicly switches his support over to Stevenson after releasing everything Johnson had on him; Will begin to actively push for Southern Delegates from most states to support Stevenson over Johnson.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

The Meeting with Tom couldn't have gone any better than it had. Yes, it had taken longer than expected, but after some time, he had been able to convince the Iowan to run for Governor in 2 years and told him his plans for 1968, stating that he was planning on running for President at that point by then, even if he was or wasn't Douglas' running mate. He had told Tom to tell the Iowan Delegates about his true feelings about segregation and how he abhorred it before telling them to keep it secret, for now, at least.However, now he had to make a phone call to Jepsen about something important. After a few seconds of silence on the phone, a voice was heard on the other end. "Hello?"

"Anton, glad to hear from you." Jackson said happily as he sat his legs on his desk, ready to speak about something important. "That was an unexpected result."

"Indeed it was, Mark. I honestly thought for a minute that we'd have more deadlock." Silence reigned before he started to speak. "What is this phone call about?"

"Well, we now have a liberal at the top of the ticket and someone with enough support that we may have a chance in November, however slim it may be. It may not be Humphrey, but I have no doubt you're still gleeful nonetheless. However, now it is the time to talk about Balance."

"Balance?"

"Balance. You and I both know the voters won't accept a Liberal/Liberal ticket and the Republicans have already caught on to that with their choice of Lodge and Nixon and Johnson is too much of an untrustworthy snake to be anywhere near the Vice Presidency. And Gore, I'd rather die than allow him to come anywhere close to the nomination." It was with this sentence that Anton began to catch on.

"Leaving you and Docking as the only remaining choices." Anton's voice was calm, cold, and yet, both men knew what this would mean.

"I doubt Docking's abilities to help the Ticket in the fall."

"I don't blame you. So do I. That leaves you."

"Exactly. If you're able to, without being caught by Johnson and his cronies, speak to as many Delegates as possible from across the country, tell them my actual beliefs, and try and convince them to support me for the Vice Presidency. Do you think you could do that?"

"I'll consider it. Good talking to you, Mark."

"Right back at you, Anton." And now, with that call done, Jackson made a move to do his speech at the National Convention.

"...And so, I am greatly honored to see Justice Douglas become our Party's Nominee for the fall. Indeed, he may not have been my first or second choice, but he was most definitely my third choice in the case that Senator Stevenson's support had fallen through. Justice Douglas has served admirably since his appointment to the court by President Roosevelt in 1939, making sure the New Deal and the many ideas and Policies of Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, and Kefauver were passed. Thus, it is clear my support falls behind him completely and utterly.

However, when it comes to his potential running mate, I begin to feel a bad taste in my mouth. Realizing that he has ruined any chances of getting the Presidential Nomination, Johnson has decided to put his efforts to running for the Vice Presidency. Have we forgotten what he did to try and force me to support him during the balloting even though I was? How do we not know that he will not simply abuse the office of the Vice Presidency upon entering the office and search for stuff on his political enemies to ruin them? Simply put, I do not believe Johnson to be a trustworthy enough man to be the Vice President and I highly encourage each of you to not support him as well. Then we have Senator Stuart Symington, who, while I respect as a fellow Southerner, I disagree with ideologically. Already, there is a liberal on our party's presidential ticket, Justice Douglas, and I believe it is time we balance out our party's ticket as the Republican ticket has done. How will many voters feel when they look to us and see a dual Liberal Ticket and then look to see a Moderate and Conservative ticket opposing us, bringing ideological balance to the White House and their administration should Lodge win? What will the South do upon the news of that Symington has been selected? Like it or not, the South is a critical part of our party's victory, and always has been, this was proven in 1948. Like it or not, the South is a part of our party that must be listened to and respected, like it or not, both the Northern and Southern wings of the party must come together, united, for all to see and appreciate! I believe our vice Presidential nominee needs experience, enough that will make sure they know how to handle the future should President Douglas require their assistance. They'll need to know how to handle things should the President be unable to, they should be experienced in both foreign and domestic issues and have more than four years of experience so we can know they are ready should the task fall into their lap should the worst come to pass! And today, we must decide to choose our nominee not after 2 or 3 ballots, but one and one ballot alone, or this convention will never end! It is time to end the division this convention of our party and bring it together, bring Unity for Victory!"

[Huey Long is a Republican]

MARCUS JACKSON II ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

For the Campaign, Jackson will focus on the Upper South, mostly the states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, and Virginia, and Texas, Alaska, and Oklahoma, trying to deliver the combined 81 Combined Electoral Votes to Douglass on election day as with these Electoral Votes, he will win the election even if he loses every other swing state (the margin being 274 Douglass, 264 Lodge). He will focus primarily on his credentials working for the farmers of the nation for the rural areas as well as his past support for veterans to get them on board for the ticket. Despite there being a slim chance of the ticket winning, he will give the campaigning his all. Furthermore, he will make a campaign stop in Miami and then in Tallahassee for Louis while, depending on whether or not Arnold won his primary, he will make a single stop in South Carolina. On Election Day, he will sit patiently and wait for the results to come in.
Jackson : "Anton, It's Marcus."

Jepson : "Mark, hey. You're doing some great campaigning there. I know I made the right decision letting you loose on the South like that."

Jackson : "Thanks, and I'll stick to my promise. If we win this, I'll renounce the Southern Manifesto as the horrid document it is the day after the results are declared. If we lose, I'll renounce it after my 1962 re-election. Maybe in 1963 or 1964. I'm interested in becoming Senate Majority Leader but I need the report of those slime balls in the Deep South to do it."

Jepson : "Any particular reason you held hands with Strom Thurmond?"

Jackson : "Appearances, nothing more, Anton. The party needs to be united behind Douglass right now and I'm the best chance we have for the South not bolting."

Jepson : "I assume that's fair. So, any particular reason you called?"

Jackson : "I was thinking...the party needs for unity for Douglass cabinet if he wins, that means we need both Northerners and Southerners in the cabinet."

Jepson : "What do you suggest?"

Jackson : "Three Southern Senators and Three Northern Senators are in the cabinet. Fulbright for State, LBJ for Defense, Humphrey for Agriculture, and Hill for Health, Education, and Welfare is my current idea. You can come up with the final two Northern Senators for whatever posts, I don't care, see if Humphrey and Douglass likes the idea."

Jepson : "But don't you hate Johnson?"

Jackson : "I do, oh believe, I want nothing more than him to rot for what he put Elizabeth through, but we need him for Texas. If we can't keep Texas, then this whole ticket doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of doing much of anything."

Jepson : *Sigh* "Alright then, you do what you think is best for the Ticket in the South, I'll keep on working in the North. Will you discussing this to Johnson."

Jackson : "Yeah, I'll do it personally. I want him and me to put our differences aside for this election, but if we lose, I need you to rally support behind me to challenge him for Senate Majority Leader following the midterms."

Jepson : "Alright, I'll try to get everyone on board with the idea. Anything else?"

Jackson : "Nah, not yet, at least. I'll be talking with Fulbright about being the Token Southerner in 1964 if we lose, try and get him to run until Humphrey has a clear lead in Delegates. Talk to you later."

Senator Jackson would later have a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Johnson where the two would discuss for hours about the plan Jackson had for the Douglass cabinet and that they needed Johnson for Texas and Texas was needed in order to ensure that the Democrats have a chance at winning. He hopes Johnson will agree with the plan and actively use his machine in the state to ensure a decent Douglass victory.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Marcus Jackson

Marcus was absolutely ecstatic! Not only had Louis won the Governor's mansion (albeit, closer than expected), and not only had Arnold won against an entrenched Incumbent and was in the House, but now he was perhaps the Democrat with the most news coverage. He had beaten Nixon in the debate, He had ensured the South would go solidly for Douglas, He was a rising star once again in the party and he remembered when he heard people asking if he was going to run in 1964 or 1968 for President. All he needed to do was get re-elected in 1962 then he could reveal how much he hated segregation, how he only met with Thurmond to keep Southerners on the ticket. 1964, however, wouldn't be his year. Unless something went terribly wrong for Lodge, there was no way he was losing. However, in 1968, when Lodge was term-limited and if Nixon was the Nominee...then, then he could have a chance, especially with that picture with Thurmond is gone and away from everyone's memory.

For the next four years, Marcus focuses on building campaign infrastructure across the nation, raising his name recognition by campaigning for Candidates for House, Senate, or Governor, especially in the South, Plains, and Alaska, and especially those who were against Segregation. He would also focus efforts on being re-elected to the Senate in 1962 while pushing for Arnold, now with the name recognition of being a Freshman Representative who had unseated a long-time segregationist incumbent, for re-election to another two terms, then he could go up against that snake Thurmond and hopefully beat him.

These next four years would decide the fate of the Jackson family and rather they continued to burn hot or their fire was snuffed out.

2 points (If I'm able to use them) to have M. Jackson run for re-election in 1962 and another 1 point for A. Jackson to run for re-election to the House (Cancel the last point if he's already set to run for re-election in 1962 without my intervention).