Summer TL: President Henry Wallace

[Historico]

Nice update, Can't wait to see "The New Wallace" against Stassen...btw, google in partnership with Life has some good pics of Wallace in the '50's if he indeed becomes the 35th POTUS...Keep it comming.

[hcallega]

The 1956 Republican Convention

Whereas the 1956 Democratic Convention was an intense and surprising event, the 1956 Republican Convention was almost boring. However those involved would tell you that it was just as fierce and just as turbulent. There were only two main candidates for the GOP nomination that year; Vice-President Harold Stassen of Minnesota and Senator Richard Nixon of California. The two men represented the two major sides of the Republican party, and the fight would be divisive and dividing.

Stassen was the man of the GOP's liberal wing. Supportive of the New Deal and Dewey's right hand man, Stassen represented in many ways a dying breed. He believed in good government rather than big government or small government. He believed in containment, not confrontation or disarmament. He supported civil rights and believed that policy should be driven by morality, and not necessarily practicality. He was a very religious man as well, and believed that his faith would be a positive in the Southern states.

Richard Nixon was not like Harold Stassen. A rough and tough politician of the old school, Nixon was perhaps better suited to the days when backroom wheeling and dealing was not looked down upon. However his immense political savvy had led him to the position of Minority Whip in the US Senate, as well as one of the faces of anti-communism. Many considered him a more palatable version of McCarthy, however many of his views were just as conservative. A strong anti-communist and internationalist, Nixon also supported reeling back many more of the New Deal and Dewey-era programs, as well as taking more pro-business views. His wing of the party was growing, and it was clear that Nixon was one to watch.

Neither candidates competed in the primaries, instead preferring to build up support among the party's base. Stassen had the strong support of Dewey, as well as much of the northern Republican establishment that included big business. Nixon got much of his support from the west and south, but also drew support from the mid-west, Stassen's home region. His strong anti-communist views brought out McCarthy to campaign on his behalf, as well as drawing the support from many mid-western industrialists. Heading into the convention it was sure to be a close one.

Heading into San Francisco no one was really sure how the convention would break. The Stassen campaign believed that Dewey's support would convince many moderates and conservatives to wait until 1960 to field a conservative, while Nixon believed that he had the votes to win on the first ballot. However the key ended up being Dewey.

With his major push on civil rights legislation earlier that year (a bill Nixon supported), Dewey had used up much of his political capital. He had called in favor after favor, while also working hard to convince legislators on both sides of the aisle to support him. In many ways however, Dewey had hurt his party. He had doomed it for at least another generation in the South, while also alienating many of his party's conservatives. But it was his ability to bring in moderates that had been key, and in many ways he had worn out his welcome. When he went to many in the mid-western delegations he was received warmly, yet was unable to once again bring over the votes to his man. Thus, on the first ballot, Nixon defeated Stassen by a narrow margin and majority. At his acceptance speech Nixon would call on "the party to unite around an ideology, a platform, and, hopefully, a candidate." Nixon would choose liberal Republican Governor Christian Herter of Massachusetts as his Vice-President.

[Historico]

Good update HC, Wasn't expecting old Tricky dick to pull off a win at the convention. With his paranoia it should turn out to be a very interesting race. Im not sure about the pick of Wayne Morse for Nixon's running mate. Although it balances out the ticket ideologically, having two Senators from the West Coast. To balance the ticket more Geographically I would have went with Governor Christian A. Herter of Massaschusetts or Senator Prescott S. Bush of Conneticut. Anyways...Cant wait to see what Wallace V. Nixon looks like...Keep it comming

[hcallega]

Bush was defeated in his bid for the senate by Abraham Ribicoff. It was a very close race, but Ribicoff narowly pulled off the victory. I agree that the regionality is a little close, but at the same time I felt that Morse would be a very valuable campaigner.

[Psychic Octopus]

Nixon/Morse '56

[Historico]

Bush was defeated in his bid for the senate by Abraham Ribicoff. It was a very close race, but Ribicoff narowly pulled off the victory. I agree that the regionality is a little close, but at the same time I felt that Morse would be a very valuable campaigner.

I still think Governor Herter of Massachusetts would have been a much better choice than Morse...who In OTL 1952 left the GOP in protest because he disliked Nixon so much and hated that he was chosen as Ike's running mate. I do agree he does have an wealth of expierence but Nixon was never one to promote a team of rivals and having a realtivley loyal runningmate would be essential for Tricky Dick.

[hcallega]

That makes sense Historico, I'll change it.

[hcallega]

The 1956 Presidential Election

VS
With the nominees of both parties set, the question now was who would win the White House. While many southerners complained about Wallace's liberal leanings, Senator Russell quickly squashed any potential for a "Dixiecrat" candidacy:

"The Democratic Party must stand united around one candidate. While for some this man may lack certain traits or views, he is our party's nominee and I will support. I hope that my colleagues in the Senate will do so as well. The important thing to do know is to focus on winning the Presidency and defeating the Republican Party which, as I often remind many of my disgruntled colleagues, has never stood for what we believe in."

However there was concern among some in the Wallace campaign that Nixon would contest the South, something a Republican hadn't done since Reconstruction. Nixon's record in the Senate as a conservative and anti-communist appealed to many Southerners who were skeptical of Wallace's liberal views and socialist-friendly past. However Nixon's support of the Civil Rights Act and general support of Dewey's big government and generally liberal policies did not endear him to those south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

The real fight would be in the Midwest. Wallace's obvious appeal with farmers was a major boost, as he was able to portray himself as "the logical choice" for rural voters. He also touted his support for unions and opposition to Taft-Hartley, criticizing Nixon for voting in lockstep with the more conservative members of his party. Wallace also slammed communism and came out as the more hawkish candidate using such harsh rhetoric as:

"The current administration has allowed the Soviet Union to expand without recourse. They have let a evil, totalitarian empire grow and expand without the slightest bit of recourse. If we as a nation call ourselves the land of the free, then we must once again act like it!"

Nixon on the other hand spent most of the race walking a tight-rope act. Attempting to keep support from both the conservatives that had lead him to the nomination and bring in more moderate and liberal members of the party, Nixon found himself in a difficult position. Attempting to portray himself as the candidate of growth and prosperity, as well as emphasizing his work on taking on communism at home, Nixon was often hit with charges of hypocrisy. In a speech in regards to talking communism at home, a heckler asked "then why did u let the negroes vote. They'll just vote in commies and liberals so they won't have to work!" While this may have seemed minor, it did underscore much of the problem with Nixon's campaign. While he was a conservative at heart and a strong anti-communist, he wasn't opposed to big government in some cases or helping those who he viewed as mistreated. In many ways neither conservatives nor liberals truly embraced him, leaving him without the same energizing core that Wallace had.

Nonetheless, the campaign was an intense one of fierce campaigning and tough rhetoric. The polls showed a close race throughout, with Nixon's early lead slowly shrinking. Wallace ran a blitzkrieg of a campaign, barnstorming through the Midwest and northeast in an attempt to get out the vote and win key states which Kefauver and Kerr had lost, in part due to their southern twang and rural values. Wallace was sure not to let that happen to him. He sent Chandler into the south to campaign with local politicians such as Senators Thurmond, Russell, and Eastland for the "Democratic Ticket". Herter campaigned little, focusing on working with the GOP establishment to ensure Nixon's support.

The final results on Election Day were too close to call until the next morning. In the end it was Wallace's support among farmers that sealed the deal in the mid-west, while the powerful support of labor helped deliver him several rust-belt states. Nixon would also leave the senate, having not been able to run for reelection. However he made it clear that he would not leave Republican Party politics.

Wallace/Chandler (D) 312 EVs, 50% of the PV
Nixon/Herter (R) 219 EVs, 50% of the PV

1956 Congressional Elections

Due to the even nature of the Presidential Election, the Senate Races were very even as well. With no net changes, the Senate Remained at 57-39, giving Wallace a nice majority.
Democratic Gains
-Colorado: John A. Carroll
-Idaho: Frank Church
-Ohio: Frank J. Lausche
Republican Gains
-Kentucky: Thomas B. Morton
-Kentucky: John S. Cooper
-New York: Jacob K. Javits
In the House the Democrats gained several seats, keeping them in the Majority.

[Barnes]

Wallace! Since he served almost all of Roosevelt's term, this is his last term right?

[hcallega]

Yes it is. Many, many Republicans are happy about that.

[Sewer]

Anti-communist Wallace FTW!

[Historico]

Nice update...Hmm Tricky Dick being so young, he's definatley not over with his political career and well probably be involved with the big switch of 1958. But his candidacy well open the door up for Rocky in 1960(Rocky vs Happy will be a intriguing race in its own). But I am definatley can't wait to see who's in Wallace's second cabinent and how his Second Term goes. Keep it comming

[Historico]

Also one thing I just noticed about your electoral map, is that Wallace Carried Indiana but failed to carry Illinois. Indiana has been a solid GOP Stronghold before even Wallace's time. Illinois was more or less the swing state, especially if Stevenson campaigns hard for the Wallace/Chandler ticket.

[hcallega]

The Presidency of Henry A. Wallace

President Wallace began his second, yet non-consecutive, term in the White House with strong majorities in both houses of congress. His two major focuses were on support for agricultural reform, and a strong anti-communist and anti-soviet foreign policy. In both cases, President Wallace would gain strong support from Congress.


On domestic issues, the President would embark upon a threefold fact. The first part was a reduction on many of the New Deal programs, which Wallace deemed to have run their course and filling "an archaic vain in our budget." While the President supported keeping these programs in place, he also believed that by slowly reducing their expenditures he could do a better job of keeping the budget in line. The second part of his plan involved raising taxes on wealthy individuals while reducing them on buisnesses. The goal of both of these plans was to help balance the budget, as the President would put a large burden with the third part of his plan. This called for the major overhall of the farm subsidy system. The President devised a lenghty system which would appropriate different ammounts of subsidies to farmers growing different crops. It would also give the federal government the final say on subsidies, thus giving the Department of Agriculture a great degree more of power. All three of these plans would pass Congress, however each plan would have different areas of support. The most contentious vote was the farm overhall, which a strange coalition of industrial-state Democrats (fearing cuts to subsidies for their states) and conservative Republicans (opposing the increased size of government.) However it was Senator Richard Russell who would unite Dixiecrats in support of the plan that would attain it's passage.


On foreign policy President Wallace would focus on stopping the spread of Communism. This meant increased defense spending, including top-secret research on atomic weapons in case of a Soviet invasion of Western Europe. The President would also make space research a top priority following the Sputnik sattelite. Wallace would pursue a hard-line against Kruschev, refusing to talk to him, even when the U2 was shot down. In most of these cases it would not be a serious negative, though it did make Wallace look like a idealogue at times. The most important foreign policy initiative of Wallace was the invasion of Cuba. Following Castro's rebellion, Wallace would order strategic aerial bombings and a Marine invasion at the Bay of Pigs. The bombs would kill Castro, leading to chaos. US troops would arrive in Havana, and nine months later elections were heald. The socialist party would defeat the communists and democrats, establishing a Socialist Democracy that was neutral in the Cold War. Yet the President was criticzed by both liberals and conservatives, for different reasons, in his response.

1958 Congressional Elections

With President Wallace's popularity, the Democrats would make large gains in the Senate, adding 8 seats, six taken from Republicans, giving them a 65-33 majority. However Richard Nixon would return to the Senate, gaining the title "the Comeback Kid" and receiving a rare standing ovation as he was sworn in. In the House the Democrats would also make gains, furthering their majority.

Democratic Gains
-Alaska: Bob Bartlett
-Alaska: Ernest Gruening
-Connecticut: Thomas Dodd
-Indiana: Vance Hartke
-Maine: Ed Muskie
-Michigan: Philip Hart
-West Virginia: Robert Byrd
-West Virginia: Jennings Randolph

[Historico]

Nice update on the Wallace Presidency...How did Wallace handle the Suez Crisis and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956? Is he going to get us involved in Vietnam, and send in Military advisors like OTL Ike did? Keep it comming

[hcallega]

In regard to Historico's post:
Suez Crisis: President Wallace did not send troops to the conflict, as he believed that it was not a direct confrontation with Communism, and thus not a battle of what he called in his inaugural address "true right vs. evil might" However he offered strong verbal support to the Coalition.

Hungarian Revolution: Again, strongly supportive of the Hungarian rebels but not willing to go to war with the Soviets. For all of his posturing, Wallace recognized that the US would likely be at a large numerical disadvantage against the Soviets and loose more than they would start with.

Vietnam: Yes the President sent advisers. While he supported elections, he also recognized that it was not practical to abandon South Vietnam to likely defeat. He is handling it much like Ike did.

[Psychic Octopus]

What are Wallace's poll numbers?

[hcallega]

He's in the high 50s low 60s. His more moderate policies are very popular, much as Eisenhower was.

[Historico]

I found a good picture of an older Wallace that you could use, cuz most of em floating around the web are from the '40's or early 50's. And since Wallace would be Seventy by his second year in office. I'd like to think he'd be more closer to this...

As for the 1960 Election, with Wallace's popularity and inabillity to run for a third term(Eventhough I think technically under the 22nd he could, and like Truman in 1952 be grandfathered in. If anything his age will probably force him to step down). So Happy should be able to clinch the nomination by Acclamation, running mate wise...Why not go with Jack Kennedy, his strong oratory and appeal in the Northeast would greatly enhance the idea of having a Southerner at the top of the ticket.

As for the GOP, I think the Party Bosses would begrudingly let the moderate wing take a shot at the Presidency. Rocky should be able to clinch the nomination pretty easily, as his crowds were beating JFK's at the time IOTL. But the Conservatives will undoubtly mount a challenge...John Bricker might make one final go at it, or some unbeforementioned Dewey adminstration offical etc. But 1960 could be as competive in the GOP as it was for the DEM's IOTL.

[hcallega]

Yeah I'm thinking Happy vs. Rocky too. I'm still working out the details.

[hcallega]

The 1960 Democratic Convention

The battle for the 1960 Democratic Nomination was a relatively calm and lackluster one. Compared to previous cycles that featured showdowns of north vs. south, liberal vs. conservative, and occasionally the surprise nominee, this years contest featured a clear front runner who won a clear victory. Vice-President Happy Chandler of Kentucky was that man, and once he declared his candidacy it was obvious that he would likely be the nominee. He was popular with both Northerners and Southerners, labor and conservatives, and from a state located smack dab in the middle of the nation. However Chandler was not without challenges.

Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota and former Governor Adlai Stevenson both threw their hats in the ring in an attempt to upset the popular Vice-President. Humphrey ran a campaign critical of the more conservative views of Chandler, as well as running as the true labor candidate who hoped to win another split and brokered convention. Stevenson ran less as a liberal and more as a winnable candidate, claiming that "the mood of the nation is not in favor of a southerner, no matter how northern he is". This quote is still used today in reference to moderate and liberal southerners attempting to win the White House. While Humphrey won victories in Wisconsin and South Dakota, he was unable to win anywhere else, while Stevenson only carried Illinois. This gave Chandler the nomination on the first ballot with a large majority.

The real battle came on the issue of the Vice-Presidential nominee. Many liberals wanted somebody more akin to their beliefs, and rallied behind Humphrey. Hawks and anti-communists supported Scoop Jackson of Washington, while many Southerners favored Lyndon Johnson. However it would be ethnic Catholics that would be key. Catholic support was initially divided between Mayor Robert Wagner of New York City and Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts. Wagner was very well known, yet his defeat at the hands of Jacob Javits in the 1956 Senate race made him a questionable selection to many. Kennedy had a great deal of support from New England, and also had the backing of his father, Joe Kennedy. His mastery of backroom wheeling and dealing lead Chandler to select Kennedy rather than allow a prolonged floor fight.

The other major point of contention was the issue of Civil Rights. In 1956 Civil Rights had been intentionally left off the platform, but Wallace's personal support overshadowed the issue. However this time the nominee was much less supportive, he had even opposed the 1956 Civil Rights Act. This made liberals even more eager to put support and expansion of Civil Rights on the platform. Southerners were hell bent on opposing this, but they also wanted to avoid a messy fight. Ultimately a compromise (lead by Senator Kennedy) would be made that would have the wording state "The Democratic Party supports the enforcement of the laws of the land, though we also recognize the legitimacy of state's rights. We will work to defend the laws as they exist, while also following the Constitution in regards to the reasonable power of the federal government." Nonetheless, the public perception was that the convention had been very successful, as a nominee had been chosen without a fight, and the party looked strong and united going into the General.

[Historico]

Shucks...I was really pulling for Wagner winning the VP slot, but out of all the candidates who threw their hat in the ring for the 1960 DEM nomination, JFK had the most appeal. Eagerly awaiting the GOP side.

[hcallega]

Is anyone else disturbed by the 1960 Democratic Convention brochure?

[Sewer]

For the GOP nomination, I would like to see Rocky.

[pogo stick]

Is anyone else disturbed by the 1960 Democratic Convention brochure?