Summer TL: President Henry Wallace
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  Summer TL: President Henry Wallace
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Author Topic: Summer TL: President Henry Wallace  (Read 69285 times)
Historico
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« Reply #75 on: June 20, 2009, 03:12:12 PM »

Hmm President Smathers seems to be favoring his home region quite a bit lol, might he try to try to get a form of OTL 25th amendment passed so it would allow an ascendent President to be able to nominate his vice president. If he doesn't face a serious challenge in the Primaries, Reagan, Wagner, or Humphrey would be some good choices for a running mate. the 72 Election should be pretty intersting.
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hcallega
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« Reply #76 on: June 21, 2009, 04:29:54 PM »

1972 Democratic Primaries and Nomination
One of the issues in the 1972 Democratic Convention was the issue of Abortion. The Party would not take an official position in the platform.

Despite President Smathers' incumbency, several high profile Democrats rose to challenge the conservative southerner. The first to throw his hat into the ring was Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey. A well known liberal, Humphrey was critical of Smathers deescalation of civil rights and conservative governing style. Humphrey's biggest support typically came from organized labor, perhaps the most powerful group in the Democratic Party. However this time around Humphrey received a cool reception from labor. The AFL-CIO's head, George Meany, always a political pragmatist, recognized the slim chances of a Humphrey victory. Thus he decided to hold off on an official endorsement, though many of the member unions did.
The Common Candidate: Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota

Smathers' other major opponents were Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, Representative Shirley Chisholm of New York, former Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina, and Senator Fred Harris of Oklahoma. All but Sanford challenged Smathers from the left, generally on only on or two specific issues. For instance, McGovern focused on his opposition to universal health care and greater welfare programs, Chisholm on civil rights, women's issues, and bussing, and Harris rural poverty and foreign policy. Sanford on the other hand tried to appeal to voters as a more moderate southerner than the conservative Smathers.
Senator George McGovern of South Dakota ran a progressive campaign that drew support from young voters.

However for the most part the race was between Smathers and Humphrey. With the bipartisan senate committee on presidential nominations releasing it's results in 1971, both party's adopted the practice of having more presidential primaries. 1972 would be the first time that this many states had the opportunity to directly vote for the candidates. This helped Humphrey, as it gave him the opportunity to go to the voters rather than just the party bosses who certainly would have backed Smathers.
President Smathers at the White House Correspondents Dinner

The first primary was in late January in Iowa. This "caucus" received little true attention, with Smathers beating out Humphrey, with a strong third place showing by McGovern. However the real race would begin in New Hampshire just over a month later. After developing a solid campaign organization, Humphrey was able to increase turnout among elderly voters and blue-collar voters, two groups he did naturally well in. However Smathers was still able to edge the insurgent senator, 42%-39%. Yet Humphrey and his team hit the airwaves, making it clear that New Hampshire was a "moral victory" for the senator and that his campaign was energized by the results. Following New Hampshire was Smathers' home state of Florida, a primary that Humphrey did not even enter. However after that was Illinois, a state that both campaigns fought hard for. It was here that Humphrey would score his biggest victory, defeating Smathers' by a shocking eight point margin. That victory was credited to his large support among blacks and union workers, as well as the Smathers campaign ignoring Chicago.
Hubert Humphrey with one of the few men to officially endorse his candidacy: Senator Ed Muskie of Maine. The two are campaigning in nearby New Hampshire.

Following Illinois both campaigns would real off several strings of victories. Humphrey would win the next three in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Washington D.C. At this point it looked like Humphrey might have a chance, but Smathers would respond with a string of his own, capturing Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Nebraska. At this point it was clear that despite his early victories, Humphrey's support was limited and most Democrats still saw Smathers as their President, and thus their nominee. Humphrey would finish with a strong run, winning West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. However Smathers would score a big win in California, essentially knocking Humphrey out of the race, followed by a smaller victory in New Mexico. McGovern would carry the last primary state of South Dakota, his home state.
Senator McGovern fought on too the end and was rewarded as the only candidate not named Smathers or Humphrey to win a primary


Smathers' victory in California sealed the deal for his re-nomination

Despite Smathers' victory, many in the Democratic leadership saw reason for continued reform. The need for more primary states became clear, as was the reality that the Smathers needed to choose a liberal to balance the ticket. At the convention held in Miami Beach, the focus was on unity and remembering the Presidency of John Kennedy. In fact many found the obsession with the former President to be a little much, though for the national TV audience the effect worked. When former First Lady Jaquelin Kennedy took the stage to open the convention, the standing ovation lasted over 15 minutes. The applause was even greater when Attorney General Robert Kennedy rose to nominate Kennedy family friend George Smathers for the Democratic Party's Presidential nomination, lasting well over 20 minutes. In fact, many called for Kennedy to be nominated. However the late President's younger brother made it clear that he was not interested in either the nomination or Vice-Presidential pick. He would however suggest fellow Kennedy ally Birch Bayh of Indiana, who would be chosen by Smathers to complete the ticket.
Attorney General Robert Kennedy: A Favorite of Democrats Young and Old, Black and White
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Historico
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« Reply #77 on: June 21, 2009, 11:07:41 PM »

Hmm, wasn't expecting Smathers to have such a strong Primary challenge, but Bayh is a pretty good choice for Running Mate. He'll allow Smathers to play for the Industrial States, It should be pretty interesting, and I wonder who the GOP muster up to run against the Incumbent?
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Sewer
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« Reply #78 on: June 22, 2009, 12:03:53 AM »

Nelson Rockefeller/Winthrop Rockefeller '72!
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Historico
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« Reply #79 on: June 23, 2009, 10:57:22 AM »

Nelson Rockefeller/Winthrop Rockefeller '72!

It should be an interesting race in the least bit, especially with the failure of the conservative wing in the 1968 race. So the GOP Leaders will look toward to a moderate to contrast against the more conservative President Smathers. So probably former Vice President Nixon, former Governor George Romney of Michigan, Senator Chuck Percy of Illinois, Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon, Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland. However after 8 years of Democratic Administration a Nostalgia driven campaign(Like OTL Hillary's campaign in 2008) could be picked up by Arkansas Governor and President's brother Winthrop Rockefeller and do pretty well in the political climate of 1972.

The Conservatives wont let the nomination go without a fight, A wiser more libertarian Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona might go for the nod or might wait till '76 or 80. Congressman John Ashbrook could be a good sacrifical lamb candidate, if Smathers looks unbeatable. Senator John Tower of Texas or Senator Bob Dole of Kansas would be good picks aswell. Eagerly awaiting the next installment on the 1972 Republican Nomination and General Election HC...Keep it comming
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hcallega
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« Reply #80 on: June 23, 2009, 12:57:12 PM »

1972 Republican Nomination

Eight years of Democratic rule, primarily liberal at that, had demoralized the Grand Old Party. However, with a relatively weak half-term by President Smathers and a party strengthened by recent gains in the Senate (particularly in the upper South and mid-west) many believed that this was a golden oppurtunity to take down an incumbent President and regain the White House. The primary conflict was between the conservative branch and the moderate/liberal branch of the party. The conservative wing had received a demoralizing defeat in 1968, though still believed that their ability to provide a real difference to the Democratic policies. The moderates however believed that the defeat of 1968 proved that the conservative wing was out of touch with the mainstream views of the country. Either way, the race for the nomination in 1972 would be quite exciting.

The first major candidate to declare was Governor Winthtrop Rockefeller of Arkansas. The moderate, reform minded, Governor, was chosen as the Vice-Presidential nominee in 1968. The brother of the former President, Rockefeller had focused his term as Governor on education and prison reform, as well as integrating Arkanasas public schools. A rare southern republican, Rockefeller was smack dab in the middle of the party. However many liberals believed that he was too lackluster of a campaigner and was better suited to run against a northern Democrat, rather than a fellow southerner. Liberals also had their problems, though his brother's endorsement went a long way to settle their concerns over what they called "Democratic Appeasment".

Several high profile liberal Republicans also declared their intention to run. New senators Charles Percy and Edward Brooke both ran on campaigns focusing on their ability to win blue states. Percy was able to bring in large sums of money, while Brooke fast became a media darling. However conservative opposition was strong, and their growing influence in the party made it difficult for the two liberals to move up in the polls.

Two prominate, yet very different, conservatives also declared their intentions to run. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas was fast to declare his intention to run. A classic western conservative, Dole was also quite the pragmatist, focusing on practical action in the senate. However he had earned the title of a true conservative. A strong opponent of the Kennedy administrations spending policies, as well as his belief in Keynesian economics. The other, more conservative candidate, was Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona. Despite being in the Senate only for a short time, Goldwater had long been a grassroots leader of the conservative movement. After being defeated in his first Senate run by Earnest McFarland, Goldwater was offered a column in the conservative NATIONAL REVIEW. Goldwater would become a favorite of conservative activists, railing against "the policies of spend, spend, and spend. Well let me tell you: this will lead to debt, debt, debt!" However he become a national icon after appearing on Meet the Press to discuss the American withdrawl from Vietnam:

"Now I've just got to say something now: the President's policy is downright surrender. What he is basically saying is that we're sick of war, even though we are winning. Now because we're sick of it, or rather some ideological liberals are sick of it, we might as well just quit. If you're leading a baseball game in the 7th inning you don't forfeit just because you're pitcher is tired and you're hitters are sore. You just don't do that if you want to win the pennant."

Entering the first caucus in Iowa the field was heavily divided. No one candidate had come out as a frontrunner, and it was obvious that whoever broke out early would have a huge oppurtunity to win the nomination. In Iowa, Bob Dole would prevail fairly easily, with Rockefeller finishing second and Goldwater in third. However in New Hampshire "Rocky the Second" would come roaring back, finishing with a solid victory over Brooke, Percy, and then Goldwater. Brooke would win victories in Vermont and Massachusetts. In the key race in Florida, Goldwater would score the upset victory over Rockefeller, edging him by 2%. Following this it would be a back and forth race between Goldwater and Rockefeller for the nomination, with Rockefeller always stepping one step ahead. In the end, Rockefeller would win the nomination, clearly showing that the moderates were not willing to hand over the power in the party to the conservatives.


At the convention in Miami Beach, the Republicans would nominate Rockefeller on the first ballot. Rockefeller would in turn choose Goldwater as his Vice-Presidential nominee, in part to reach out to conservatives and in part to help in the west. The convention was highlited by speeches by Nelson Rockefeller and Richard Nixon, focusing on changing the tune of domestic and foreign policy, while not using staunch conservative rhetoric. All and all, it looked like a good way for the GOP to start the general election schedule.
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Historico
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« Reply #81 on: June 23, 2009, 01:21:43 PM »

Rockefeller-Goldwater, you got to love it lol...Im assuming the final results of the Republican Primary map was Goldwater:Red, Rocekfeller:Blue, Dole:Light Blue, Brooke:Green, and Percy: Lime Green. Two Southers running head to head, this should make for a very interesting General Election.
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Antonio the Sixth
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« Reply #82 on: June 23, 2009, 01:33:08 PM »

Please, not Goldwater ! Sad
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hcallega
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« Reply #83 on: June 24, 2009, 05:41:33 PM »

1972 General Election

The showdown of 1972 pitted for the first time in generations that two Southerners were on the ticket. Also, for the first time in a many elections the incumbent came into the election down in the polls. Smathers lackluster support from the Democratic leadership lead to some bad fund raising numbers, as well as a sense of ambivalence over his victory. Republicans on the other hand were eager to knock off an incumbent, as well as pick up rare victories in the South.

The race itself was fairly anti-climatic compared to past elections. Smathers focused his campaign on toning down his conservative voting record in the Senate and relatively moderate presidency so far. Rockefeller on the other hand focused on appealing both to the GOP base of westerners and north easterners, as well as running hard in the upper south in an attempt to peel away some of the Democratic firewall. A major factor in the race was the black vote. Rockefeller had worked to desegregate Arkansas public schools as governor, while Smathers had strong opposed civil rights legislation in the Senate. Many Democratic leaders feared that their recent gains among blacks in the south would be neutralized. However Republicans also faced a challenge: balancing Rockefeller's southern appeal while trying to brand Smathers as an opponent of civil rights. Thus while Rockefeller rarely mentioned civil rights on the campaign trail, his surrogates (including his brother and former President Nelson) emphasized the issue while campaigning in the north.

The early polls showed Rockefeller with an early lead, and Smathers lackluster campaigning did little to help. It soon became clear that it would take an election day miracle to continue the Democratic control over the White House. Optimism still ran high in the Smathers camp, yet many national Democrats simply hoped that it wouldn't be a landslide. For the Republicans, the hope was that for the first time since Tom Dewey they would score a knockout punch and send the Democrats reeling. Of course that would take a lot, but the hope was still there. But there was still one more curve ball in this relatively slow game.
An Image of Smathers with the late President. This was a recurring theme of symbolism on the campaign.

Three weeks before the election the Supreme Court decision Roe vs. Wade was decided on by the court. Rulling in favor of Roe, the court stated that it was unconstitutional for any state to deny a woman the right to an abortion. Democrats, recognizing an opportunity to weaken Rockefeller's support in the South and Midwest, played up his support of abortion rights, while emphasizing Smathers' consistent opposition. While the issue had little electoral effect, it would set a new low for last minute campaign adds that ran on election eve:

Announcer: Recently the United States Supreme Court made a decision that many have found both unconstitutional and downright immoral. They made it clear that states did not have the right to stop the termination of unborn life. The next President will be faced head on with this issue, and will have to make key decisions in regards to the issue of life; when it begins, and what role the government plays in it. President Smathers has made it clear that he supports the inalienable right to life, Governor Rockefeller has not. No, the Governor has made it clear that he believes that the right to a burden free life is more important then the right to live and prosper. The difference is clear. And so is what is right. Vote Smathers, vote life.
An image shown at the beginning of the "Abortion Ad"

The add ran only in certain states in the south and the Midwest, though it would receive national attention. The plan was that Rockefeller already had the support of women and many liberals, while Smathers needed to shore up support in the South and do better among blue-collar whites skeptical of his views on the economy. However the later ramifications of the ad were that Smathers was viewed nationally as using a dirty ploy on a deeply personal issue to gain votes. Even Vice-Presidential nominee Birch Bayh was said to be personally disgusted by the ad.



Rockefeller/Goldwater (R) 57% of the PV, 399 EVs
Smathers/Bayh (D) 41% of the PV, 139 EVs
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Sewer
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« Reply #84 on: June 24, 2009, 05:47:57 PM »

Goldwater will be president soon. Cry
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Historico
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« Reply #85 on: June 24, 2009, 08:45:35 PM »

Wow, wasn't expecting Smathers to go for such a low blow during the campaign. The Rockefeller Presidency should be pretty interesting to see, with Rockesque Reforms in the sour economic times of the '70's. Keep it comming.
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hcallega
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« Reply #86 on: June 25, 2009, 10:51:29 AM »

1972 Senate Elections
Despite the solid victory of Governor Rockefeller, the Democrats would make substantial gains in the US Senate. Much of this was attributed to the improving view of the Democratic Party nationally, despite personall dislike of President Smathers. The elections would leave the Senate at 58-42, Democratic Majority. In one of the more interesting Senate races, B. Everett Jordan was defeated in his run for the Democratic nomination by Nick Galifianikis, a moderate. However independent Jesse Helms would run with the endorsement of Jordan, defeating Galifianikis and the Republican nominee. Once in the Senate Helms would join the Democratic Caucus.
Democratic Gains
-Colorado: Floyd Haskell
-Delaware: Joe Biden
-Iowa: Dick Clark
-Kentucky: Walter D. Huddleston
-Maine: William Hathaway
-South Dakota: James Abourezk

Republican Gains
-New Mexico: Pete Domenici
-Oklahoma: Dewey Bartlett
-Virginia: William Scott

However in the House the Republican Party would make slight gains, though the Democrats still heald the majority.
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hcallega
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« Reply #87 on: June 25, 2009, 12:51:15 PM »

The First Term of President Winthrop Rockefeller

Entering the White House, the new Republican President was presented with several pressing issues. All of these had to do with domestic issues: the area of the President's specialty. The most pressing issue was inflation, which had spiraled out of control do to the extensive domestic spending and tax of the Kennedy and Rockefeller administrations. Other focuses were the sputtering economy and the burgoning energy crisis. On all of these issues and more Rockefeller released the "Report on America" just after his innaguration. The brochure listed the President's proposals and the issues themselves, while stating that he would love to answer the questions of the people. In a national press conference he answered selected questions on the issues, further reinforcing his view as a more folksy President.

Specifically the President presented a budget to congress that would reduce spending across the board, and would slightly increase personal income tax. The plan was generally supported, though ran into some opposition from politicians on the ideological extremes. Rockefeller spoke quiet highly of the plan during his press conference: "The budget that I have submitted before congress is really quite simple. The budget will cut spending on many programs that we have become accustomed to in America, and, to be honest are deperately needed by many in America. However during difficult times we need to make difficult sacrifices. And today, for this crisis we must cut funding to many important programs because it will lead to reduced inflation, which in turn will lead to reduced prices. This is the goal. I'm not going to lie to you our beat around the bush." Rockefeller would continue to push for more inflation reduction throughout his first term, although the sucesses would not be as sucessfull as the President hoped for.

On the economy, President Rockefeller was able to pass a program that would increase federal funds to cities if they increased the number of "free enterprise zones" within the city limits. The idea was that these zones would lead to increased economic growth and recovery among the poor and working class. He also passed a stimulus package in 1975 that did increase speding, primarily due to a small economic recovery. However his plans were popular, even if they did not lead to immediate results.

On the enviroment Rockefeller increased regulations on carbon gass emisions, as well as increasing funds for alternative fuels. Rockefeller was praised by liberals for increasing enviromental regulation, while conservatives chided him for putting undo regulation on buisness. On foreign policy, Rockefeller increased talks between the US and other nations, while keeping the USSR at arm's length. Despite meeting with the Soviet premier several times, little was accomplished and tensions remained somewhat high, though significantly less so than in the 1950s.

Rockefeller also took a middle of the road approach to intellenge issues. The left had been pushing for greater disclosure of the actions of the CIA and FBI both at home, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Under Kennedy and Smathers there had been very little support for this disclosure, but the left was reluctant to take on fellow Democrats and generally quited down. However when Rockefeller took office they pushed even harder for disclosure, lead by Idaho Senator Frank Church. Rockefeller opposed full disclosure, but worked with congressional Democrats to create a compromise Freedom of Information Act which would disclose any records from the CIA on domestic spying, while also releasing details on CIA opperations in conflicts "where there is no longer any United States involvement." Essentially this released information of CIA involvement in Vietnam, but covered little else because, as was later stated in many books by former CIA agents, the US was never active in countries like Cambodia and Nicarauga and thus they did not apply to the FOIA. The FBI was not seriously affected at all.

An interesting note about Rockefeller's presidency is the extraordinary ammount of tension within the cabinet. Vice-President Goldwater was generally excluded from cabinet deelings and had a strained personal relaitionship with Rockefeller as well. Rockefeller's national security advisor, Donald Rumsfeld, was very influential on the President's handlings, leading to tension between the Joint Chiefs and the White House. Rockefeller's Chief of Staff, George Bush, also had a great deal of tension with Goldwater, as the two had significantly different views on everything from taxes to military spending. The best selling book THE DYSFUNCTIONAL GANG OF ROCKEFELLER detailed this, and has become one of the top political books of all-time.

As Rockefeller entered his last year, much of the countries support of him began to fall out. His reluctance to provide relief to New York drew much critiscm as well as his general frustration that "this damn country won't pull itself together" (quote from White House tapes). Rockefeller also angered Unions when he vetoed the Common Situs Picket bill. However the bicentenial proved a golden oppurtunity to Rockefeller. Appearing at many, many, events wearing his classic cow boy hat and jeans. The President's approval improved during these events. What may have been even better was the first landing on the Moon on July 4th, 1976. The Valliant 11 spacecraft carrying the Virgo 2 Lunar Lander, piloted by Captain Richard Wade, Captain Mark Garris, and Captain Michael Hagen, landed saftely on the Moon. These entire events lead to a solid poll bump for Rockefeller, who despite a rough first term still felt good about his chances for reelection.

1974 Congressional Elections
The Senate's composition did not shift after the 1974 elections, proving the point that Rockefeller didn't have a great or terrible first term. This left the Senate at 58-42. In the House the Democrats made slight gains.
Democratic Gains
-Colorado: Gary Hart
-Kentucky: Wendell Ford
Republican Gains
-Indiana: Richard Lugar
-Nevada: Paul Laxalt

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Historico
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« Reply #88 on: June 25, 2009, 01:49:23 PM »

Hmm...That was quite a bumpy ride for Winthrop's 1st term but his 1976 rebound will make him appear stronger than he was earlier in his 1st term and probably wont recieve any serious challenge for the nomination. Goldwater's unhappiness within the adminstration will be interesting to see if he's dropped from the ticket for a younger, quiter VP...Congressman Donald Rumsfeld of Illinois, Robert Finch of California, or even John Tower of Texas could be good loyal picks.

On the Democratic Side, we will probably see another slew of candidates and probably the same ones that showed up in OTL.  And what about former Democratic Govenor Ronald Reagan of California(Taking on the role of the Tax Cutter-Era of limits Jerry Brown from OTL).. But I would also like to see Shirley Chisolm get the nomination as well...Can't wait to see what you come up with...

Reagan/Chisholm...The're the Jive Pick of '76!!!
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Sewer
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« Reply #89 on: June 25, 2009, 01:55:38 PM »

Udall/Bentsen '76!!

or

Church/Bentsen '76!!

or

Udall/Church '76??

...

Church/Udall '76??

Fred Harris is good too...
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« Reply #90 on: June 25, 2009, 04:09:34 PM »

Wow, wasn't expecting Smathers to go for such a low blow during the campaign. The Rockefeller Presidency should be pretty interesting to see, with Rockesque Reforms in the sour economic times of the '70's. Keep it comming.

My grandfather personally knew Smathers in real life. He was close friends with him.
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hcallega
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« Reply #91 on: June 26, 2009, 04:54:03 PM »

1976 Democratic Nomination
[/b]
Following the disaster of 1972, the Democratic Party looked to rebuild and retool going forward. However the direction of the party was not quite clear. Liberals looked for a candidate like JFK who could unite the party and drive it to victory. Moderates wanted someone who could counter the middle of the road appeal of Rockefeller, while southerners looked to regroup and field a more palatable candidate. However with the continued growth of the primary system the party bosses no longer had the same power and control that they once did. It would be up to the voters to decide who would lead them with "The Spirit of '76".

Several liberal candidates jumped into the race early, but none had the sort of name recognition many on the left were looking for. Representative Mo Udall of Arizona was the biggest name, drawing support from environmentalists and Hispanics. Senator Frank Church also drew much support from the grassroots, primarily due to his high-profile role in creating the Freedom of Information Act. The 1972 Vice-Presidential nominee, Birch Bayh, also ran, but drew little support due in large part to his failed bid for reelection in 1974. Former Senator Fred Harris and former Chief of Staff to President Kennedy Sargent Shriver threw their hats into the gauntlet, but received little support. None of these candidates seemed to unite the party however, and party leaders looked to former Attorney General and current Harvard Professor Robert Kennedy and Senator Hubert Humphrey to run. However both men respectfully declined.

The real race would be decided by those in the middle. Hawkish Senator Scoop Jackson of Washington and former Governor Ronald Reagan both drew substantial support, and early on established themselves as two potential front runners.  Both ran as Cold War Liberals, drawing support from unions and blue-collar whites. The only substantial difference on policy between the two was the issue of how to resolve the inflation crisis. Jackson believed that threw focusing on a balanced budget and economic renewal that inflation would fix itself, while Reagan believed in spending cuts and increased tax breaks. The other major difference came in their personal backgrounds. Jackson was a Washington insider and friend of the Kennedy's, while Reagan was an actor-turned-politician who had taken on party leaders and Democratic special interests in his quest to win elections. After winning election to congress in 1958, Reagan ran against incumbent Governor Pat Brown in 1962. In a fierce primary Reagan would draw strong support from union voters and rural voters as he talked about his opposition to welfare and social liberalism. Reagan would defeat Brown by 2% before winning the general election. In 1966 he would not be opposed in the primary, and was viewed by many as a very good governor. With a solid organization, the support of many unions, and a whole lot of money, Reagan was ready to make 1976 his year.

Two other major candidates also ran for the Presidency in 1976. Governor George Wallace of Alabama, and former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia both made their intentions clear to run for the presidency. Wallace, a strong opponent of civil rights, had moderated his views and changed his focus to issues of the economy. Running as a "ragging populist", Wallace drew strong support from conservatives and southerners, but was unable to branch out to many others. Carter on the other hand represented the "New South". A supporter of integration and a political moderate, Carter's pro-growth policies made him popular among many national Democrats. However with almost no name recognition or fundraising base, it would be difficult for the former peanut farmer to win.

The first contest was in Iowa, where the caucuses were held. Few candidates invested much time here, instead focusing on New Hampshire. Reagan would finish in first, but the major surprise was that Carter finished in second. This put his name on the map, and made him a serious contender. A month later in New Hampshire Reagan would win again, this time with Udall in second, Jackson in third, and Carter in fourth. Jackson's campaign would often suffer from loosing out on blue-collar whites to Reagan. Despite his early front runner status, Jackson was unable to truly contend. In Massachusetts and Vermont Udall would score solid victories, with Reagan and Jackson splitting the blue-collar vote. In Florida Carter would narrowly edge Wallace in a major upset, offsetting Wallace's solid numbers in the northern states and making Carter the "southern candidate". In Illinois Reagan would score another win, while in North Carolina Wallace would fire back and beat Carter. However no one seemed to be able to stop Reagan in the north, as he reeled off back to back victories in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, with Jackson finishing in second both times.

By this point many of the candidates had proceeded to drop out. Bayh, Harris, Shriver, and now Jackson withdrew their names from contention. On May 4th Carter would win his home-state of Georgia, Reagan Indiana, and Udall Washington D.C. In Nebraska Church would upset Reagan in an attempt to use his "Western Wall" to force a stalemate at the convention and be chosen as nominee. However the days of deadlocked conventions were over and Reagan would roar back by winning in West Virginia, Maryland, and Michigan with the full support of organized labor. In Arkansas Wallace would edge Carter, while in Idaho Church would win again. In Kentucky Wallace would win again, while in Nevada Reagan would score a major victory, followed by one in Oregon before Carter's victory in Tennessee. Church's western wall would continue in Montana and South Dakota before Udall's win in Rhode Island. On June 8th Reagan would sweep the last primaries, winning California, New Jersey, and Ohio. That wrapped up the primaries and allowed for a major victory celebration in Sacramento on July 4th.

The convention, held in New York from July 12-15 was a very patriotic affair. The colors red, white, and blue were everywhere, while spirits were high despite the nomination of a moderate. On the convention floor speakers would praise Reagan as the "common-sense candidate" (AFL-CIO president Lane Kirkland), "the man who can take down communism" (Senator Scoop Jackson), and "a true friend of the working family" (Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts). The real question was who would be chosen as Vice-President. Reagan's team had narrowed it down to a shortlist before settling on Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale. A progressive, Reagan's team hoped that he could bridge the gap to liberals disgruntled with Reagan's populist rhetoric. However when presented with Mondale's name, Reagan nixed the decision. All along he had wanted to choose one man for the role, but until then had wanted the insiders to make the choice. But when he was told that Mondale was the consensus, the Democratic nominee knew he had to go with his gut. Reagan phoned the man to ask him to come to his box suite so the two could talk face-to-face in private. With the curtains drawn no one outside of Reagan's team knew who it was, though they all knew that it was the next Vice-Presidential nominee. After speaking for over an hour, former Senator Ralph Yarborough of Texas walked to the podium to thunderous applause:

"I know that all of us are wondering who Governor Reagan has chosen as his Vice-Presidential nominee, and I am hear to tell you all that. I want to be quite blunt and too the point, because we've all been waiting for so long and I know every second is killing you (this was a quite successful attempt at humor). So, without further ado, Governor Reagan has chosen Mr. Robert Kennedy to be the next Vice-President of the United States of America!"
The crowd roared, Reagan and Kennedy took the stage together, before Kennedy delivered his speech to the convention. He focused on poverty relief and economic recovery for all. The next night Reagan delivered his speech in which he called on "the free people of this nation and the whole world to unite and do something extraordinary."
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Sewer
SpaceCommunistMutant
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« Reply #92 on: June 26, 2009, 05:58:00 PM »

Any third party candidates?
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hcallega
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« Reply #93 on: June 26, 2009, 06:03:52 PM »


Why do you want to vote for them? lol

Anyway yeah former Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy and NY Representative Shirley Chisholm are running on the National Democratic Ticket. That being said they have Nader in 2000 esque support.

Also I feel that this would be a good time to put some of the differences between ATL Reagan and OTL Reagan

Abortion: Reagan is Pro-Choice
Unions: Reagan is very pro-union
Domestic Issues (social security, welfare, healthcare): Reagan is supportive of New Deal-esque programs but supports welfare reform
Civil Rights: Reagan supports civil rights, but not bussing or affirmative action
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Historico
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« Reply #94 on: June 26, 2009, 08:30:15 PM »

Hmm McCarthy/Chisholm should gain alot more support from the New Left especially with two moderate-to-conservative in Ronnie and Winthrop. I think it would be cool to actually see the ticket win a couple of States or atleast pull Perot like numbers to swing a couple of states either way. I know there is alot of old speeches online that Reagan made IOTL when he was a still democrat in support of Truman and why liberal economics work, that could help you when writing for a Democratic Reagan. Even with the bicentennial Rose Garden Strategy working in favor of Winthrop, it's going to be pretty close...Keep it comming HC
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Historico
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« Reply #95 on: June 29, 2009, 12:34:49 PM »

Come on...Rockefeller vs. Reagan vs. McCarthy!!!We havent had a good, brutal, no holds bars, Three-Way General Election campaign in TTL yet lol jk
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hcallega
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« Reply #96 on: June 29, 2009, 01:02:31 PM »

I'm sorry, I'm just really tired from the weekend. Expect an update tonight or tomorow.
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Barnes
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« Reply #97 on: June 29, 2009, 02:51:07 PM »

Who was Smathers's Vice President while in office?
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hcallega
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« Reply #98 on: June 29, 2009, 06:24:24 PM »

Who was Smathers's Vice President while in office?

He didn't choose one, much like LBJ in OTL
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Barnes
Roy Barnes 2010
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« Reply #99 on: June 29, 2009, 06:27:32 PM »

Who was Smathers's Vice President while in office?

He didn't choose one, much like LBJ in OTL

So the 25th Amendment hasn't happened? Smiley
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