Changing the Dial: A TLIAD

The Man with no Marker​

The 1960 Election was tight from the beginning. Every single waking moment of the campaign would have an effect on the result. It was notable for the first use of a televised debate format between the two candidates. VP Nixon was preparing against Kennedy ever since he wrapped up the nomination. He looked like he had it, and it seemed as if he did. Kennedy did look his best, and delivered some burning zingers, sure, but Tricky Dick took the cake, winning the debate 47-44 in a Gallup poll taken shortly after. Nixon went into election night with the best of hopes, his own pollsters showing him ahead 50-45 against the Senator. While a 5 point lead definitely wasn't happening, as the results poured in, it was apparent that Nixon would win. But an interesting development came - He had lost the popular vote by .05% to Senator Kennedy. Considering that the election was super close (New Jersey won by a thousand votes, ditto for Illinois and Hawaii), it was understandable. While Lyndon Johnson kept on arguing with Kennedy on the issue of conceding, it took 3 hours for Kennedy to pick up the phone and concede the election.

President Nixon's first concern were the two Vietnams. While the countries were ignored by Eisenhower, they became too much of a problem to look away for Nixon. His Secretary of State - James Wadsworth, and his Ambassador to South Vietnam - Elbridge Durbrow, both agreed that sending "advisors" to South Vietnam would improve the situation on that front. While Nixon hesitantly agreed, he also would try to distance the US from the dictatorship in South Vietnam by cutting some trade relations as well as planning his assasination. He signed the plan, and it would go into action a day later.

Another issue that gripped the Nixon administration was Civil Rights. He campaigned on dismantling desegregation after all, and he did say in his inauguration speech that "No person, regardless of gender or race, shall be excluded from the American Dream". How exactly he could follow up on that, he was not sure. He decided to issue Executive Order 10924, which would try to force employers to not profile potential employees based on race. He furthered this with his co sponsoring of the Civil Rights Act, introduced in the Senate by John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey. It was a controversial move, as the act was introduced by Democrats. However, before it could be signed, a massive movement by Southern Democrats was started to get the act blocked. Senator John C. Stennis took on the role of filibustering. He spent 7 and a half hours on the Senate floor defending Segregation, his lasts words before leaving the podium being "Seperate But Equal". An hour before voting took place, President Nixon gave a speech on live television about the need for Civil Rights, a memorable quote being "There is no Separation in Equality". Luckily for Northern Democrats and Republicans, the act passed 70-30.

The third major issue was Cuba. In the middle of 1959, Fidel Castro overthrew the Government, led by Fulgencio Batista, and declared himself Prime Minister. Since then, he was making increasingly worrying threats towards the US. So in 1961, Nixon, in a secret meeting with his Cabinet, announced his support of a secret invasion, using rebels from Cuba. His crew were unsure about it, but they later folded. It was to be known as the "Bay of Pigs" invasion. The plan was dating back to Eisenhower, but Nixon made a few changes, such as including air strikes and making it a more direct "intervention". It started smoothly, with Havana being overrun within a week, but that's when things got bad. Fidel was enraged by the death of his brother, Raul, so he declared an all out Guerilla War on the US. Cuba was soon cut into two areas (with the US taking the south-west), even if the Cuban Airforce was able to drive the US back a mile or two. It was a stalemate, and many, even within Nixon's staff, regarded the operation as a failure.

In 1964, President Nixon lost the election narrowly to an up and coming young Democrat, who was able to win an upset over Senator Johnson and Fmr. Governor Pat Brown at the DNC. No man saw him coming.​

The New Democrat​

Being a budding young Senator from Florida with a handsome face, Smathers seemed destined to be president at some point. But no one thought he was destined to beat out the establishment picks at the Convention in 1964. As a peace offering to the North, he slotted Maine Senator Edmund Muskie to be his running mate. Nixon received embarrassment when he spent 2 weeks looking for a new running mate after VP Lodge announced that he was retiring. Nixon originally wanted Nelson Rockefeller, but he turned it down, wanting to remain as New York Governor. This forced Nixon to scrounge about for names. He eventually managed to get William Scranton to accept and be on the ticket. Smathers looked excellent in the debates, giving some well timed and executed zingers against the President. The last Gallup poll had him leading Nixon 45-42, despite trailing with Blacks. Smathers narrowly took the election, winning 49.5 to 48.6 in the popular vote, even though he lost the Black vote by 5% due to his stance on Civil Rights.

Smathers' first act in office was to sign the Revenue Act, which was a bipartisan effort to control the deficit. But soon after, he was in hot water. Smathers was going to have to deal with Civil Rights, an issue he had tried to stay silent on during the election, even though he had voted against the Civil Rights Act. Congress was not willing to stop the new flow of Rights for Black people, even as Smathers objected. Senator Lyndon Johnson, still bitter about 1964, introduced the Voting Rights Act, which would ban discriminatory voting practices against Blacks in the south. Smathers was at a crossroads, either try to get in the good books of Kennedy and potentially lose the south, or make himself a pariah to everyone but the south. After a week discussing it with leaders of the Democrats and his cabinet, he came to a decision. He would sign it. This provoked outrage from the Southern Democrats as expected, Senator Thurmond called him a "traitor" and Governor Orval Faubus declared that "If George Smathers wants to 'integrate' the negro where the negro is not needed, he is no friend of mine". Smathers felt cast out, but he signed the bill anyway.

On Foreign Policy, oddly enough, he felt more in control and determined. He continued the Nixon policy on Vietnam, though with caution from Secretary Ball. A controversial decision was taken in the form of assassinating the President of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, who was reportedly oppressing Buddhists. This provoked a massive coup led by dissenting generals. Smathers decided to send aid in the form of military weaponry. It was a controversial move, and was derided by Former President Nixon.

Smathers' Foreign Policy was to come under attack as Secretary Ball announced that the US was to be distancing itself from Israel. Ball issued a statement on the matter, saying that "Israel is an independent country, no? Then it should be independent instead of having to rely on the United States to provide for its needs". Critics of the policy slammed it as "Putting Israel among the proverbial cats of the Arabian states", one even calling it "A potentially impeachable offense". Smathers stuck by his Secretary, defending him on all major networks, though he admitted in 1979 that he thought the policy was the wrong move at the time. Another controversial decision was to pull out of Southwest Cuba, and prop up a regime headed by Former President Andrés Agüero, though the country was still tied closely to the US, and troop assistance was provided when necessary.

A major issue to come up during Smathers' time in office was Infrastructure. Democrats and Republicans had suggested a bill which would spend 50 Billion Dollars on Infrastructure and the building of highways. For once, the Southern Democrats agreed, with Senator John C Stennis saying "We cannot just sit back while our cities rot because we couldn't pull ourselves off our collective asses to get up and do something." Finally, Smathers could sit easy and sign a bill without fear of alienating a plurality of the populace.

But it wouldn't be enough to earn him re election. He lost much the same way Nixon lost. To an up and coming Republican who won the nomination in an upset over an establishment choice.​

The Moderate Reformer who Transformed a Generation​

A Michigan Moderate beating Smathers? Unthinkable, according to RNC Chairman Bill Miller in 1966, who rallied the establishment around Governor Reagen, despite the wishes of primary voters. Romney won 70-25 in New Hampshire over Reagen and a number of irrelevant candidates. Reagen pulled ahead 49-48 in Wisconsin by portraying Romney as out of touch and elitist, and also won in Pennsylvania. Romney won Massachusetts 51-47, a massive upset after Pat Caddel showed Reagen ahead 50-45. It was a close fight, until Reagen collapsed the night before the California Primary, and was diagnosed with Liver Failure. He dropped out soon after, allowing Romney to scoop up the nomination easily, despite a spirited challenge from Barry Goldwater at the convention. He then made a controversial pick of Governor Millicent Fenwick, who beat Richard Hughes 49-48 in 1965. A lot of Conservatives were revolted at the pick, as Fenwick was a notable evangelizer of Feminism and Civil Rights. Romney shocked the nation in the Debates, attacking Smathers for "pussyfooting on the world stage". Smathers tried to attack him on his Mormonism, which backfired horribly and made Smathers look petty. Romney would win by a healthy 45-42 margin, with 10% going to a third party headed by Congressman John Schmitz (A major Goldwater supporter) and 2% going to a fourth party "Labor" ticket headed by Benjamin Spock.

Romney took office promising to work with both parties, and it seemed that from the onset, that would be happening. He signed an economic recovery act which would both cut taxes on businesses, and create the HUD department. It would also borrow heavily from the Smathers endorsed Infrastructure Act by providing 400 Billion in funds to each of the Cabinet Departments and provide temporary relief programs to those under the poverty line. It was signed into law a week later, even if some complained that Businesses weren't given enough of a fair share. The president was amused by this argument, considering his own business background.

Romney's Foreign Policy was surprising. He kept on George Ball as Secretary of State in a show of bipartisan support, and he seemed to be more in agreement with Ball than Smathers. Romney would completely withdraw assistance to South Vietnam and mostly cut military assistance to Cuba, claiming that "while my political conscience informs me that we must continue to support Cuba, my moral conscience says that it just isn't right to give arms to prop up a regime in an essentially regional conflict". This move drew very sharp criticism from everyone, from Strom Thurmond to Richard Nixon bashed the decision, with the main line of attack being "we can't isolate ourselves with the Soviets on the horizon". Romney shrugged this off and continued to work with Ball. He took trips to Moscow and Bejing to try to normalize relations with the USSR and PRC. They worked, kind of. New USSR Premier Mikhail Suslov expanded relations with the US by opening up trade routes and allowing Moscow to be on the Stock Market. China was liberalizing fast, and had agreed to normalize relations with the US. Romney returned with results from his trip, leaving his enemies embarrassed.

He was incredibly popular, and won re election over Former Vice President Ed Muskie 50-40 with Congressman Jesse Helms pulling an impressive 8%. Many credit his crushing victory with Muskie's poor veep choice (Albert Brewer), as well as new reports of unemployment dropping to 5.6% coming out in October.

The rest of Romney's term went brilliantly, as he signed more tax reform and a rollback of CIA powers following the arrest of Richard Helms and the revelation of MKULTRA. However, VP Fenwick would lose an ultra tight election to a notable Southern Democrat in the mold of Smathers in 1976.​

The Schemer who lost his Power​

The thought of George Corley Wallace as President frightened many, but it definitely wasn't going to happen. Senator Jackson had the nomination locked up. Wallace was just some firebrand Governor from some State no one could pronounce correctly. Cast him off, the primaries were a done deal.

Or were they?

Senator Henry Jackson, while backed by unions and big money, was actually pretty unpopular with the grassroots, who saw him as just another intellectual elitist like that loser Muskie. Wallace was talking about the real issues, according to his supporters at least. He managed to upset Jackson and Humphrey in Iowa 47-40-12. Humphrey dropped out and endorsed Jackson after this. Jackson won Arizona 54-46. The Wallace-Jackson fight continued to the convention, where Wallace had an advantage. Both DNC Chairman John Kennedy, and his brother, Governor Ted Kennedy, considered running, but ruled it out. Wallace won handily on the third ballot, with the backing of Southern leaders. As a peace offering to the Jackson camp, Wallace chose a relatively Liberal Governor of a swing state, which Jackson accepted. The General was a big fistfight between Fenwick and Wallace, with Wallace campaigning on a "State's Rights" platform, and Fenwick pointing out the successes if the Romney presidency. The regular Debates between the two were heated and tied in the eyes of many, while the VP Debate between Wallace's VP and Paul were mainly boring and bland. Wallace pulled ahead on election night by 0.1%, winning Iowa by 1000 votes.

Wallace was focused on pushing his agenda through, none of this "compromise" bullshit. He started with a rollback of Federal Powers, "returning" them to the states. It was controversial, but expected of a Southroner like Wallace. Then, before he could actually do anything else, he suddenly fell ill with a severe case of Lou Gehrig's Disease, crippling him. Soon, he became a latter-day Woodrow Wilson as his wife Lurleen took on the role of Edith, co operating with his advisers and cabinet to pass legislation, while Wallace was powerless and reduced to nothing more than a figurehead. Lurleen Wallace was the "secret president", addressing Congress and telling them to get their "business together". The last act in 1978 was the "Highway Restoration Act", which would expand on the reforms of Eisenhower and Smathers, and provide funding for highways.

Wallace passed away due to complications with Lou Gehrig's Disease in 1978, leaving his vice president to take over. A monument to him now stands in Birmingham, Alabama.​