Fear and Loathing in Nixonland (Gameplay Thread)
Lumine:
Fear and Loathing in Nixonland
A 1972 Political Simulation
Players:
Democratic Party Candidates
Governor George Wallace (D-AL): ChairmanSanchez
Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-MN): KaiserDave
Mayor Sam Yorty (D-CA): Spiral
Mayor John Lindsay (D-NY): Mr. X
Former Senator Eugene McCarthy (D-MN): FalterinArc
Senator Vance Hartke (D-IN): Carolyn
Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV): Prez_zf
Democratic Party Officeholders
Withdrawn from the race but active, or reserved
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA): Dkrol
Senator Scoop Jackson (D-WA): OBD
Senator Philip Hart (D-MI): GoTfan
Senator George McGovern (D-SD): Kuumo
Republican Party
NSA Henry Kissinger: S019
Senator James Buckley (C/R-NY): Ishan
White House COS H. R. Haldeman: DevoutCentrist
1972 Democratic Primary Calendar
Jan. 25 Iowa Caucus (44 del.)Jan. 29 Arizona Caucus (25 del.)Feb. 27 Mississippi Caucus (25 del.)Mar. 7 New Hampshire Primary (20 del.)Mar. 11 Georgia Caucus (40 del.)Mar. 14 - Florida Primary (81 del.)Mar. 21 Illinois Primary (160 del.)Mar. 29 South Carolina Caucus (32 del.)Apr. 4 Wisconsin Primary (67 del.)Apr. 17 Idaho Caucus (17 del.)Apr. 20 Vermont Caucus (12 del.)Apr. 25 Pennsylvania (182 del.) and Massachusetts (102 del.) PrimariesApr. 28-30 Nevada (11 del.) and Kentucky (47 del.) CaucusesMay 2 Alabama (37 del.), Indiana (76 del.), Ohio (153 del.) and DC (20 del.) PrimariesMay 4 Tennessee Primary (49 del.)May 5 Minnesota Caucus (64 del.)May 6 North Carolina Primary (57 del.)May 9 Nebraska (22 del.) and West Virginia Primaries (35 del.)May 12 Wyoming Caucus (11 del.)May 13 Canal Zone (3 del.), Kansas (35 del.) and Louisiana (44 del.) CaucusesMay 16 Maryland (53 del.) and Michigan (132 del.) PrimariesMay 19 Maine (20 del.), Washington (52 del.) and Hawaii (17 del.) CaucusMay 23 Missouri Caucus (73 del.), Oregon (34 del.) and Rhode Island (22 del.) PrimariesMay 26 Alaska (10 del.), Guam (3 del.) and Virgin Islands (3 del.) CaucusesJun. 2 Connecticut (51 del.) and Oklahoma (39 del.) CaucusesJun. 6 California (271 del.)*, South Dakota (17 del.), New Jersey (109 del.) and New Mexico 18 del.) Primaries, Virginia Caucus (53 del.)Jun. 13 Texas Caucus (130 del.)Jun. 16 Colorado (36 del.), North Dakota (14 del.), Utah (19 del.), Montana (17 del.), Puerto Rico (7 del.) CaucusesJun. 20 New York Delegate Primary (305 del.)Jun. 24 Arkansas (27 del.) and Delaware (13 del.) CaucusesJul. 10 to 13 Democratic National Convention, Miami3016 delegates total, 1509 required for nomination
* For the purposes of simplicity, delegates will be allocated proportionally after a 15% threshold. The only exceptions are the California Primary (winner takes all as in RL) and the New York Delegate Primary (which operated under special rules).
Lumine:
Stage One
A storm over Nixonland
December 1971 - January 1972
GALLUP POLL: President Nixon's Approval Rating
Approve: 49%
Disapprove: 39%
Undecided: 12%
POLLING RANGE: Democratic Nomination
(regarding potential candidates)
Ted Kennedy: 25-30%
Ed Muskie: 24-29%
Hubert Humphrey: 17-19%
George Wallace: 11-12%
George McGovern: 5-7%
John Lindsay: 5-7%
Eugene McCarthy: 4-6%
Scoop Jackson: 3-5%
Sam Yorty: 2-3%
Philip Hart: 1-2%
Wilbur Mills: 1-2%
Shirley Chisholm: 1-2%
Other: 2-3%
Richard Nixon's 3rd State of the Union, Jan. 1972
Quote
Four years from now, America will celebrate the 200th anniversary of its founding as a Nation. There are those who say that the old Spirit of '76 is dead--that we no longer have the strength of character, the idealism, the faith in our founding purposes that that spirit represents.
Those who say this do not know America.
We have been undergoing self-doubts and self-criticism. But these are only the other side of our growing sensitivity to the persistence of want in the midst of plenty, of our impatience with the slowness with which age-old ills are being overcome.
If we were indifferent to the shortcomings of our society, or complacent about our institutions, or blind to the lingering inequities--then we would have lost our way.
But the fact that we have those concerns is evidence that our ideals, deep down, are still strong. Indeed, they remind us that what is really best about America is its compassion. They remind us that in the final analysis, America is great not because it is strong, not because it is rich, but because this is a good country.
Let us reject the narrow visions of those who would tell us that we are evil because we are not yet perfect, that we are corrupt because we are not yet pure, that all the sweat and toil and sacrifice that have gone into the building of America were for naught because the building is not yet done.
Let us see that the path we are traveling is wide, with room in it for all of us, and that its direction is toward a better Nation and a more peaceful world.
Excerpt from the Nixon tapes, 1972
Quote
"Never forget: the press is the enemy, the press is the enemy. The establishment is the enemy, the professors are the enemy, the professors are the enemy. Write that on a blackboard 100 times."
Lumine:
Turn Overview
For the purposes of this turn, Democratic players are expected, if that is their plan, to announce their presidential bids for the 1972 primaries, to make the initial case for your campaign, and lay the groundwork for the future contests. You are also expected to make a strategic decision regarding your approach to the primary, as the new primary system remains untested and open for much speculation.
Because of that, candidates will have to decide whether they will contest the primaries, or whether to keep the powder dry and go straight for the DNC (Humphrey 68' style) and/or the caucuses, in which votes will not be recorded. Participation in the primaries will give you visibility or delegates, but it may also leave you bruised. Poor showing in the primaries may also cripple your bid entirely. Next turn, you will be faced with a specific decision surrounding which of the three key early primaries (NH, FL, IL) to enter.
This is expected to run for four days, until Friday midnight.
Player Dilemmas
George Wallace
Despite a close scare in your 1970 primary match with Governor Brewer, it seems your national popularity has been preserved since the 1968' campaign. And yet, as Tom Turnipseed and the rest of your staff laments, the American Independent Party struggles to survive, dragged down by a fair share of what you call "third-party kooks". Thus the stage is set for a key strategic decision: will you run in the Democratic primary, and attempt a hostile takeover of the party?
Hubert Humphrey
Whatever became of Hubert? sang Tom Lehrer once, lamenting your fall from public view. Not anymore. You're back in the Senate - holding McCarthy's seat no less -, and free once again to be the Happy Warrior. To your serious concern, however, the party remains unstable and in need of a unifier if it is to successfully take on Richard Nixon. After two previous campaigns, will third time prove the charm? And if you do, will you bother with the primaries this time?
Sam Yorty
Against all the wailing and whining of the liberal left, "Saigon Sam" remains undefeated as master of Los Angeles. Your other pursuits, however, have been less successful, with a recent failed bid for Governor and a lack of reciprocity from President Nixon after twice endorsing him. And as you see the hippies and the pinkos threatening to take over the party, an idea starts to form in your head. Should you dare to take a step forward and give them something to cry about?
Ted Kennedy
In many ways, your removal as Majority Whip by Senator Byrd's challenge has been a blessing in disguise. You have far more time now to move around in the Senate, and as the primaries approach, the endless speculation on whether you'll step into Jack and Bobby's shoes seems to be everywhere. Should you? Many see the nomination as ripe for the taking, but others fear what may come from a bruising primary. Should you stand and save the party from itself? Or should you keep the powder dry in hopes of being drafted later?
George McGovern
You have surveyed the field, and found it most wanting on anti-war candidates. McCarthy seems sto have lost his fire, and the rest, while open to eventual withdrawal, don't appear to grasp that the war, unnecessarily prolonged by President Nixon, is tearing America's soul apart. It may be the longest of the long shots, but as Gary Hart keeps telling you, you designed the new primary system and know it better than anymore. Is it time for George McGovern to hell America to come home?
Eugene McCarthy
If there's one certain thing in life, is that you'll never be able to forget Chicago in 68'. And neither will you be able to forgive them for bashing the skulls of those kids as they took the nomination away from you. But the road ahead is uncertain after giving up your Senate seat. There are others who wish to lead the anti-war cause now, and they take you as a spent force. But if you could summon the spirit of 68', you could well strike lightning in a bottle twice. And if all else fails, there's always running for a third party...
Philip Hart
The conscience of the Senate, they call you. Few men have a similar reputation for courage and principle, and, though your name is not particularly known to the voters, it could well be that what America hungers for is a man of integrity. After all, you herald from a key primary state, and there are labor connections to be found even in the shadow of Hubert Humphrey. Above all, the party runs the risk of nominating someone who equivocates on Vietnam. Will you run? Or will you focus your efforts elsewhere?
Shirley Chisholm
In many ways, it seems glaringly obvious that the Democratic Party is neither ready for a woman or an African American. And yet, at some point someone will have to take a stand and see if that barrier can be broken one day. After two terms of passionate fight against injustice from the House, and having seen - and suffered - discrimination at every stage, you feel a duty to give a voice to all those who have been left behind. Will you take your case to the Democratic primaries?
Scoop Jackson
Even the suggestion that you may consider running for President has been enough to have the peaceniks crying foul, a sentiment nonetheless tempered by a wave of early enthusiasm in Washington state proper. After twenty years in the Senate, and having a record that not even Nixon could decry as soft, your staff seems to think it's time to move to greener pastures, particularly since the controversy over busing seems to offer a tantalizing opening to speak your mind. Will you set your sights on the White House?
Ed Muskie
Four years after serving as Hubert's running mate, your intense schedule has bear fruit, showing you to be either the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, or at the very least tied with Ted Kennedy himself. This, in turn, raises the tantalizing prospect of being able to rack up establishment support. And yet... such apparent dominance also makes you a prisoner of expectations, particularly in neighboring New Hampshire. Will you run in 72'? And will you go straight for the primaries?
John Lindsay
After two years of agony, you have finally unshackled yourself from the Republican Party, no longer a home - so you feel - to liberal-minded men such as you. This, in turn, has vaulted you into the polls for the Democratic nomination, with hopes that your charisma and good lucks can produce another JFK. The reality, of course, is a bit more mixed, as New York City is not exactly pleased with the current state of affairs. And yet the Democratic nomination beckons, a unique opportunity to bring urban issues to the forefront. Will you run?
Henry Kissinger
For three years the Paris Peace Talks have stalled, making it impossible to end the Vietnam War as Hanoi proves utterly unwilling to give an inch on their demand that South Vietnam President Thieu be removed, among other demands. Alongside President Nixon you have tried almost everything - including a technically illegal invasion of Cambodia -, and the strain is starting to show as Nixon starts to talk of blowing the dykes (an act that would kill hundreds of thousands of civilians) or even of the "big bomb". And yet the grand visit to China awaits, something that cannot be ruined by even the slightest provocation. What will you advise the President regarding Vietnam?
James Buckley
Your first year as a Senator is over, and what a year it has been. You have found a way to work with your Republican colleagues despite technically being elected as a Conservative, quickly becoming something a darling in conservative cycles while still building ties to the White House. But now is decision time. Nixon has angered some of the John Birch types by being soft on China, and there's talk of a potential primary challenge from the right. Should you stand by Nixon and seek to contain right-wing dissent... or should you take the plunge and actually lead the conservative revolt?
H. R. Haldeman
Other than Dr. Kissinger, you may just be the second most powerful man in all of Washington DC by virtue of being "the President's SOB". As the gatekeeper, it's your task - alongside Ehrlichman - to keep the President safe and at ease. And that is no simple task. Even now Nixon rages at the thought of Ted Kennedy running for President or from internal primary challengers, and orders you to "take care of it". You know Colson and Chapin are down for any unsavory stuff, but it's really up to you how CRP/CREEP ought to be used... and how far the Administration is willing to go.
GoTfan:
The American Conscience
By Phillip A. Hart
Quote
Politics is often seen as the pursuit of power no matter the result. An attempt to increase one's own profile to gain headlines or perhaps prepare themselves for a post-political business career. Some even say it is a life chosen by those who care little for the nation the rest of America inhabits.
Maybe this is a reputation we have brought upon ourselves; there is a marked cynicism in our poor and black communities. Indeed, many of these communities view politicians as simply not caring about them; some may argue that politicians only care about them as much as it takes to win their votes. This is an incredibly dangerous mindset that has been allowed to grow and foster.
Our nation has always been at its best when we work with our conscience. Our national conscience, born in that hall in Philadelphia nearly two hundred years ago, has always guided us to stand up for what is right, whether that has been abolishing slavery or defending the world from the tide of fascism. We have always been at our best when we stand by our ideals.
Unfortunately, these ideals have seen abandonment in the name of political expediency. We now face the very real prospect of these ideals being erased from national politics completely, all because it may be better in the short-term to avoid controversial topics in order to win a few more votes.
This pursuit of votes at the expense of our ideals is morally bankrupt. It is not a position that can be defend in any way. Above all, it goes against the American Conscience.
Our Conscience demands that we look out for the less fortunate; those who have been dealt an unfortunate hand by virtue of their birth. It demands that we try to build a better future for everyone in this nation and indeed, the whole world. It demands that stand steadfast in pursuit of those ideals that our Declaration of Independence stated: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
It is our purpose as Americans to ensure that all citizens of our nation can enjoy these unalienable rights. These days, it is a fight that is harder than ever, but it not one that we can simply surrender, for the inevitable conclusion of surrendering our ideals is something that we cannot contemplate.
The American Conscience demands our defence of our ideals.
It is perhaps one that all of us could benefit from listening to.
DKrol:
Speech by Senator Ted Kennedy
Delivered outside Faneuil Hall, in Boston
Quote
My fellow Americans, thank you for joining me here today.
America is at a precipice, an inflection point. 1972 will be the deciding moment in the course of our nation. Will we continue down the road of conservatism, division, and mediocrity? Or will we turn back to the path of growth, unity, and prosperity? Will we forever align ourselves with Mr. Nixon and his malaise, or will we return to the New Deal of Franklin Roosevelt, the Moon Shot of my late brother, and the Great Society of Lyndon Johnson?
Will America do great things? Will America continue to divide our people along racial lines in housing, schooling, and society? Will America continue to pollute our air and our water? Will America continue to look on as citizens die for lack of health care and livable wages while corporate profits soar? These are the questions Americans must ask themselves at the polling booth.
There are some in this country today who want to bring us back. Back to the days when a man could not walk into a lunch counter and be served simply for the color of his skin. Back to the days when a woman could not hold a job outside of the home. Back to the days when an education was something for the elite to have, and the common man to yearn for.
My friends, I tell you today: America cannot go back. And America will not go back.
Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States of America. I will lead America forward - towards a brighter and bolder tomorrow.
My campaign will be built on Four Promises. A clean environment. A fair wage. An honest democracy. Accessible healthcare for every American. I look forward to speaking with you in the union halls, class rooms, factory floors, and public spaces all across the country to spread this message of hope and possibility.
There are some who have urged me not to present myself on the ballots for the American people. Instead, they would have me meet in smoke-filled rooms in the back of social clubs and beg for the support of party bosses.
Any man or woman who cannot stand in front of the American people and say Im Ted Kennedy, Im running for President, and Id like your vote should not be running for President! If I am elected President, I will ensure that in 1976 the Democratic Party holds primaries in all 50 states - with bound delegates from each. The Democratic nominee should be selected by the Democratic voters in a democratic manner.
Im Ted Kennedy, Im running for President, and Id like your vote.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.
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