For Want of a Sore Throat

[Captain Chaos]

1952
On the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois develops a sore throat and can only speak above a whisper. On his doctor's orders, Stevenson cancels his opening greeting to the convention delegates. This disappoints President Harry S Truman because Stevenson was his first choice as the Democratic nominee for President. In his place, Mayor Martin Kennelly of Chicago gives the opening address, a wooden speech in contrast to the flowing oratory of Stevenson.

After eight ballots, the Democrats nominate W. Averill Harriman for President. His running mate is Senator John Sparkman of Alabama.

Dwight Eisenhower is elected President of the United States with 59% of the popular vote. Harriman wins every Southern state, except Texas, Florida and Virginia. Eisenhower wins those states and every state outside the South.

Governor Stevenson, fortunate to get his voice back, is re-elected to a second term. He easily defeats State Treasurer William Stratton.

1954
Eager to win back the New York Governor's mansion, Democratic county leaders endorse New York County District Attorney Frank Hogan instead of unsuccessful Presidential nominee W. Averill Harriman. Rep Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. is nominated for state Attorney General.

In the November elections, the Democrats win back majorities in the House and Senate. But in New York, the Republicans win two of the three statewide races. Senator Irving Ives is elected to succeed Thomas Dewey as Governor and Rep Jacob Javits is elected Attorney General. Democrat Arthur Levitt is elected State Comptroller.

1955
Martin Kennelly announces that he will not seek a third term as mayor of Chicago. Privately, he confides to Governor Stevenson that Richard J. Daley promised to return the favor if Kennelly did not seek re-election.

1956
Governor Adlai Stevenson announces that he will not seek a third term and endorses his Lt Governor Sherwood Dixon as his successor. Despite Stevenson's backing, Dixon loses his race to William Stratton.

President Eisenhower is easily re-elected over his Democratic opponent, Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee and his running mate Governor Ernest McFarland of Arizona.

Senator Everett Dirksen is re-elected to his second term with 55% of the vote against former Chicago mayor Martin Kennelly.

Whitney North Seymour, appointed to Irving Ives Senate seat in 1954, wins the special election to hold the seat with his victory over 65 year old Averill Harriman. Jacob Javits defeats New York City mayor Robert Wagner in the regular election to succeed retiring Senator Herbert Lehman.

1957
Adlai Stevenson is elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

1958
Riding voter anger over the poor economy, the Democrats make tremendous gains in House and Senate races. Plagued with a recession upstate and unable to pass annual budgets on time, Governor Irving Ives of New York is defeated for re-election by Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr.

Senator Seymour also does not survive the voters' wrath. He loses re-election to Robert Morgenthau.

1960
In a meeting at Senator John F. Kennedy's hotel suite on the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Lyndon Johnson tells Kennedy, “I would nominate myself for Vice President but you and I know that we both don't get along. I can best serve you by remaining in my current position as Senate Majority Leader.” LBJ recommends Adlai Stevenson for Vice President.

Kennedy offers the VP slot to Stevenson and he accepts. The Kennedy-Stevenson ticket defeats the Republican ticket of Vice President Nixon and his running mate Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. The presence of Stevenson helps JFK win Illinois by over 200,000 votes (Governor Stratton was defeated for re-election by Otto Kerner).

There were also unsubstantiated reports that Kennedy’s victory in Texas was “stolen” by the Democrats in charge of the state. However, Nixon chooses not to contest the results in Texas.

1962
On October 15, United States reconnaissance photographs taken by an American U-2 spy plane reveal missile bases being built in Cuba; this marks the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On the recommendation of Vice President Stevenson and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a blocakde is placed on all ships sailing to Cuba.

On October 25, Vice President Stevenson and Secretary of State Dean Rusk attend an emergency meeting of the Security Council at the United Nations with Ambassador Averill Harriman. He forcefully asks the Soviet representative, Valerian Zorin, if his country was installing missiles in Cuba, punctuated with the famous demand "Don't wait for the translation, answer 'yes' or 'no'!" Following Zorin's refusal to answer the abrupt question, Stevenson retorts, "I am prepared to wait for my answer until Hell freezes over." In a diplomatic coup, Stevenson then shows the photographs that proved the existence of missiles in Cuba, just after the Soviet ambassador had implied they did not exist.

On October 28, President Kennedy and United Nations Secretary-General U Thant reach an agreement with the Soviets to dismantle the missiles in Cuba in exchange for a no invasion agreement and a secret removal of the Jupiter and Thor missiles in Turkey.

The Democrats gain seats in Congress thanks to Kennedy’s high popularity ratings in the aftermath of the crisis. Governor Franklin Roosevelt Jr. of New York wins re-election over Republican Congressman Nelson Rockefeller. Rockefeller was unable to overcome the negative publicity from his divorce or the success Roosevelt had in bringing jobs to upstate New York and creating the state university system.

[Captain Chaos]

1963
President Kennedy is assassinated on November 22 in Dallas. Vice President Stevenson, on vacation at his farm in Libertyville, Illinois is informed of the news. He is driven to O’Hare International Airport where Chief Justice of Illinois Roy Solfisburg swears in Stevenson as President. He arrives at Andrews Air Force Base where he greets Kennedy’s widow Jacqueline and his brother, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy.

In a speech to a joint session of Congress, President Stevenson praises the achievements of his predecessor and promises to finish the work that he started. “On January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy told his countrymen that our national work would not be finished ‘in the first thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But,’ he said, ‘let us begin.’ Today in this moment of new resolve, I would say to all my fellow Americans, let us continue.” He asks Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act and tax cuts proposed by Kennedy.

After Thanksgiving, President Stevenson announces that Chicago lawyer, Abner Mikva will head a commission to investigate Kennedy’s assassination.

1964
On February 10, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passes the House 290 to 130 and is sent to the Senate. Using parliamentary procedures, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson gives the bill a second reading and proposes that the bill bypass the Judiciary Committee chaired by segregationist Senator James Eastland and immediately be sent to the Senate floor for debate.

While Senator Richard Russell of Georgia leads the bloc of Southern Senators to oppose the passage of the bill, Johnson twists as many arms as possible to get the 67 votes needed to end debate and end the fillibuster. The Senate passes the Civil Rights Act 73-27 with amendments. The House passes the Senate’s version 289-126. On July 2, President Stevenson signs the bill into law as he is flanked by House Speaker John McCormack, Senators Johnson, Hubert Humphrey and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen.

The Democratic National Convention meets in Atlantic City, New Jersey. President Stevenson is nominated unanimously by the delegates. Stevenson selects Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas as his running mate. Yarborough and Lyndon Johnson were the only Southern Democrats to vote for the Civil Rights Act. In his acceptance speech, Stevenson touts the accomplishments of his and JFK’s administrations. In reference to Barry Goldwater’s attacks, Stevenson says, “If Senator Goldwater stops lying about my record, I will stop telling the truth about him.”

On the Republican side, Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona clinches the Republican nomination after winning the primary in California over Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton. Goldwater selects Senator Roman Hruska of Nebraska as his running mate. Goldwater’s extremely conservative views and his bombastic statements doom his campaign as he trails far behind Stevenson.

In the November elections, President Stevenson wins a landslide victory over Goldwater who only carries his home state of Arizona, South Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia. Alabama voted for a slate of unpledged electors that ultimately gave their votes to its Governor George Wallace.

Stevenson’s coattails carry Democrats to victory in House and Senate races. In New York, Senator Morgenthau is re-elected over Rep William Miller. Democrats hold Yarborough’s seat when former Rep Lloyd Bentsen easily defeats 1960 Senate candidate John Tower.

Note: In OTL 1960, the Texas legislature passed a law to allow Lyndon Johnson and future candidates to run for the Senate and Vice Presidency at the same time. Since Johnson never became VP in this TL, the “LBJ Law” never passed in Texas.

1965
After President Stevenson is inaugurated, he asks Congress to pass an array of legislation including the creation of Medicaid, a Voting Rights Act, Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), aid to the inner cities, and education reform.

On July 14, President Stevenson suffers a heart attack at his farm in Libertyville. He is rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Stevenson survives and spends three days at the hospital.

On July 30, Stevenson signs the Social Security Act of 1965 providing federal health insurance for the elderly (over 65) and for poor families.

In September, Stevenson signs the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act into law, creating both the National Endowment for the Arts and theNational Endowment for the Humanities as separate, independent agencies.

On November 8, Stevenson signs the Higher Education Act of 1965 which increased federal money given to universities, created scholarships, gave low-interest loans for students, and established a National Teachers Corps.

1966
On March 14, President Stevenson announces the Secretary of State Dean Rusk and Ambassador to South Vietnam Henry Cabot Lodge successfully negotiated a cease fire in the war between North and South Vietnam. By August, a peace treaty will be signed ending the Vietnam War and recognizing the division of North and South Vietnam.

In November, Republicans make small gains in Congressional races but the Democrats retain their majority. Senator Paul Douglas of Illinois is re-elected with 51% against Charles Percy. Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. of New York defeats State Senator Malcolm Wilson to win a third term. So does Edmund G. (Pat) Brown, who survived a primary challenge from Los Angeles mayor Sam Yorty, and defeated Ronald Reagan by over 20,000 votes.

Arkansas Supreme Court Justice James D. Johnson is elected to succeed Orval Faubus as Governor. Johnson defeats Nelson Rockefeller’s brother Winthrop by a 2-1 margin.

Abe Fortas, former Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, is elected Attorney General of Texas. Fortas becomes the first Jew elected to statewide office in Texas.

1967
On June 13, President Stevenson appoints Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court following the retirement of Justice Tom C. Clark, saying that this was "the right thing to do, the right time to do it, the right man and the right place."

[Captain Chaos]

1968
After suffering another heart attack last Christmas, President Adlai Stevenson announces at his State of the Union address that he will not seek re-election this year. Vice President Ralph Yarborough becomes the immediate frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

In April, Texas Lt Governor Preston Smith defeats Abe Fortas in the Democratic primary for Governor. Fortas drew controversy when he admitted receiving $15,000 from speaking engagements at the American Univeristy Law School. While not illegal, the size of the fee raised much concern about the the Attorney General’s insulation from private interests, especially as it was funded by Fortas's former clients and partners. Smith will go on to win election as Governor.

In June, Earl Warren retires as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. President Stevenson nominates Associate Justice Arthur Goldberg for Chief Justice and Federal District Judge Sarah Hughes for Associate Justice. Both nominations are confirmed by the Senate. Hughes becomes the first female Supreme Court Justice.

Richard Nixon wins the majority of primaries over his nearest rivals, Governor George Romney of Michigan and Ohio Congressman John Ashbrook, to clinch the GOP nomination. Nixon selects Ashbrook as his running mate.

In a peaceful and united Democratic National Convention in Chicago, President Stevenson speaks to the delegates during the first night of the convention and officially endorses Vice President Yarborough for President. Yarborough selects Senator Hubert Humphrey as his running mate. Disappointed at not being selected by Yarborough, Robert F. Kennedy resigns as Attorney General and moves to New York City where a Congressional seat has opened up in Manhattan’s Silk Stocking District. When he declares his candidacy for the seat, local Democrats immediately line up behind Kennedy much to the dismay of New York City Councilman Edward Koch who had coveted the seat. After meeting privately with Senator Morgenthau, Koch decides not to run for Congress.

Yarborough wins the Presidential election but not by the landslide result of 4 years earlier. Yarborough wins every Southern state except Virginia and South Carolina, which Nixon won; and Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia, won by George Wallace as the candidate of the American Independent Party. Wallace’s law and order and anti-civil rights campaign failed to attract significant support in the north or even the south.

In Illinois, Charles Percy defeats Lt Governor Samuel Shapiro to win election as Governor. Senator Everett Dirksen is elected but by a 52%-48% result over Abner Mikva.

In New York, Bobby Kennedy is elected to Congress with his victory over State Assmblyman Bill Green. He joins a freshman class from the Empire State that includes Mario Biaggi, Allard Lowenstein, and Nelson Rockefeller (winning his first elected office from a district in Westchester County).

On December 12, Bobby Kennedy celebrates the birth of his eleventh child, Rory Elizabeth Katherine Kennedy.

1969
On January 20, Ralph Yarborough is sworn into office as the 37th President of the United States.

In March, Yarborough signs the Environmental Protection Act into law. The legislation creates the Environmental Protection Agency and he appoints Hamilton Fish, a moderate Republican, as the agency’s first head.

Senator Everett Dirksen suffers a heart attack in his Washington, DC office. He dies on September 7 at the age of 73. Former President Adlai Stevenson was unable to attend the funeral due to his declining health. Governor Charles Percy of Illinois appoints Cook County Sheriff Richard Ogilvie to Dirksen’s Senate seat.

In October, US Attorney General Otto Kerner resigns after a race track manager admits to bribing Kerner when he was Governor of Illinois. President Yarborough appoints former New Jersey Governor Robert Meyner as Kerner’s successor.

More bad news comes to the Yarborough administration before Christmas when the US Park Police stop a car with its headlights turned off. It turns out that the driver is Treasury Secretary Wilbur Mills and he is very intoxicated with several cuts on his face. As the police approach the car, Mill’s passenger, an Argentinian stripper named Annabelle Batistella aka Fanny Foxe leaps from the car and jumps into the nearby Tidal Basin. Foxe is taken to St. Elizabeth’s Mental Hospital for Treatment. Mills resigns the next day and is replaced by investment banker Felix Rohatyn.

[Captain Chaos]

I hope you enjoyed reading this TL so far. I intend to add the events from 1970 later this week.

[Хahar 🤔]

Daley didn't need to be nice to Kennelly. He could afford to throw him under the bus (as he did). I can't imagine Kennelly failing to run for a third term.