Say What?!: A President Barry Goldwater Timeline 2.0

Han · Dec 23, 2010

Hey guys, I was looking at my old Goldwater TL and I decided to redo it, as I was unsatisfied with parts of it. There will be elements of my old Goldwater timeline (some parts are straight up copied and pasted from the original Goldwater TL), but I hope that you will all find this version more realistic and enjoyable.

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Say What?: A President Barry Goldwater Timeline 2.0[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]By Han[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]TIME Magazine
[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]Friday, May 10, 1963[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republicans: A Most Important Marriage[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
A joyous occasion occurred on May 4, when New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, 54, and Margaretta (“Happy”) Murphy, 36, were wed at the home of Laurence S. Rockefeller (the brother of the Governor) in Pocantico Hills, New York…[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Although Rockefeller is widely seen as the Republican establishment favorite to run against President Kennedy in 1964, political pundits and Republican Party politicians have already begun to question Rockefeller’s electability. Former [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Senator Prescott Bush (R-CT), a liberal Republican in the vein of Rockefeller, asks: "Have we come to the point in our life as a nation where the governor of a great state- one who won our party's nomination for president of the United States- can desert a good wife, mother of his grown children, divorce her, then persuade a young mother of four youngsters to abandon her husband and their four children and marry the governor?" [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite the love between Rockefeller and his bride, Rockefeller confided that he and Margaretta have decided that they will not be having children in the near future.[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]Republican Party Presidential Primaries In California, 1964[/FONT]
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Nelson A. Rockefeller (NY): 50.45%[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Barry M. Goldwater (AZ): 49.55%[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“We have won a momentous victory against extremists who deserve to be repudiated. If the extremists want to take over the Republican Party, they’re going to have to go through me.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Nelson Rockefeller, at his victory celebration in California[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Damn, we could’ve snatched the nomination tonight if I had won. We’ll have to put up a huge fight at the convention if we wanna win this thing. At least it was close.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Barry Goldwater Journal Entry written on June 2, 1964
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[FONT=&quot]******************************[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Event Date: 7-9-1964
Event Description: California actor Ronald Reagan feels very ill, and checks in with his doctor. The doctor diagnoses Reagan with the flu, and although Reagan will be all right, he will need to rest for several days. Reagan had been planning to attend the 1964 Republican National Convention to give a nomination speech for Barry Goldwater, and must change his plans. Reagan will not attend the Republican National Convention, but still hopes that his endorsement, Barry Goldwater, will carry the day.

Event Date: 7-13-1964
Event Description: The Republican National Convention begins, held in the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California. The mood is tense, with liberals and conservatives within the party reading to come to blows. No candidate has the 654 delegates needed to clinch the nomination, leading to the necessity of balloting. Before the first ballot is held, Nelson Rockefeller campaigns privately among liberal delegates, moderate delegates, and favorite sons, telling them that with their support, he can stop Barry Goldwater from winning the Republican nomination. With the Republican establishment solidly behind him, and Nelson Rockefeller wins the Republican nomination on the first ballot with 701 delegates, followed by Barry Goldwater's 331. As Nelson Rockefeller gives his acceptance speech, conservatives within the party show their distaste for the Governor by booing him. Even Barry Goldwater refuses to endorse Rockefeller. Rockefeller chooses Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton as his running mate. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-From American History: A Date By Date Account, by P.B. Runsel[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The New York Times[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]August 28, 1964[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]President Johnson Picks Hubert Humphrey As Running Mate[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]At the 1964 Democratic National Convention held at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the Democratic Party nominated incumbent President Lyndon Johnson and Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey for President and Vice-President, respectively. On the last day of the convention, former Attorney General and New York Senate candidate Robert F. Kennedy gave an emotional speech, honoring his late brother’s memory. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite speculation that Alabama Governor George Wallace, who challenged Johnson for the Democratic nomination, would run a third party campaign, Wallace has declined. Perhaps Wallace was wise to stay out of this election: Gallup polling shows Lyndon Johnson winning 57% to Rockefeller’s 39%, and it seems very unlikely that Wallace would be able to make a dent with a third party candidacy. [/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]“Nelson Rockefeller actually called me in October, asking for my endorsement. I plainly told him no, and before hanging up, I asked him to consider whether he’d endorse me if I was in his position. I don’t think I’ll be voting anybody for President: but I will vote straight Republican for all other positions on the ballot. Maybe I’ll write myself in for President.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Barry Goldwater Journal Entry written on September 1, 1964[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]Associated Press, 1964:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Johnson-Humphrey defeat Rockefeller-Scranton in a landslide![/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]On November 3, 1964, President Johnson defeated Nelson Rockefeller in a landslide. The election was called early in the night, and Rockefeller conceded gracefully. Johnson’s electoral victory had coattails too, with the Democrats making gains in the House of Representatives. Ultimately, Johnson won because of the sympathy vote and the good economy. Not everybody is enthused about a full term for Johnson, as four Southern states voted for unpledged electors, demonstrating the huge unpopularity of both Johnson and Rockefeller in the South. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite the overall Democratic wave, Democrats were unable to pickup Senator Barry Goldwater’s Senate seat in Arizona, winning re-election by a 53%-47% margin. However, a major pickup for the Democratic Party was the election of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in New York. Kennedy defeated incumbent Senator Kenneth Keating by a 53%-46% margin. In a surprise to many Democrats, Senator-Elect Kennedy campaigned on a moderate platform, decrying the welfare state and promising to end poverty through the free market, with government as a last resort. “We are going to help the poor with a hand up, not a handout,” said Kennedy in his victory speech. [/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX)/Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN): 55.3% PV, 444 EV[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nelson A. Rockefeller (R-NY)/William W. Scranton (R-PA): 42.4% PV, 61 EV[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Unpledged Electors: 33 EV[/FONT]

Senate Results

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[FONT=&quot]Democrats ([/FONT]±[FONT=&quot]0): 66[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republicans ([/FONT]±[FONT=&quot]0): 34[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]House Results:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Democrats (+13): 272[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republicans (-13): 163 [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Don’t worry, Barry. The Democrats will be unpopular in four years, and without Rockefeller in the running, you’ll be able to win the Republican nomination and the election.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Peggy Goldwater to Barry on Election Night, 1964[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]“I, Lyndon Baines Johnson, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-January 20, 1965[/FONT]

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glenn67 · Dec 23, 2010

Just read your revamped TL. I like that you are incorporating newspaper headlines with a formal time line format. Keep it coming.

RogueBeaver · Dec 23, 2010

In 1964 RFK was campaigning on nostalgia and New York having a national figure as a senator, not on any particular ideological platforms. NYT criticism for "sounding like a reconditioned Barry Goldwater" will not come for another 3 years. Keating's RL trolling vis-a-vis General Aniline is applicable though.

historybuff · Dec 23, 2010

Like the new set up. If you take suggestions for new stuff, I'd be happy to give you new ideas.

peasandcarrots84 · Dec 23, 2010

http://www.4president.org/image/1968/georgewallace1968.gif

Han · Dec 24, 2010

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[FONT=&quot]“I’m missing being AG. Ted enjoys the Senate, and always has, but I’m not loving it. I was able to run a secret war against Cuba and privately negotiate with the Kremlin, but here I don’t have enough seniority to gain a seat on the Foreign Relations committee. To be honest, it’s odd that Ted has seniority over me when he’s always had to defer to his elder brothers in the past. I’m not really into LBJ’s agenda: it’s going to make the poor way too reliant on the welfare state, and I don’t think it’s going to turn out very well. Welfare programs destroy self-respect and lower incentive. Barry Goldwater’s been the one the most opposed to LBJ’s Great Society, but I don’t like Barry very much, and he doesn’t like me either.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-The RFK Diaries[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“The LBJ administration has to be the most offensively liberal administration that I’ve ever worked with. I’m trying to stand up to Johnson and his goddamned big government agenda, but I’m pretty much alone: I’m probably the most conservative member of the Senate. That being said, I’ll be able to vote for a few of his initiatives: not too many, but I’ll be able to vote for the VRA and the Immigration Act. I also disapprove of the no-win war Johnson's been fighting in Vietnam. Either win or get out, that's what I've said from day one. The no-win way LBJ's fighting the war essentially ensures that the public will turn against the war. He's not going to invest enough time on the war to ensure victory though. I can see it right now: he'll dedicate more his time on the Great Society while our soldiers die in Vietnam, and the public will slowly but surely turn against the war. I might run for President in 1968, but it’ll be hard. I’ll have to win the hearts and minds of the American people, and convince them that I'm not a nutjob. LBJ uses every dirty trick in the bag, so that might be quite difficult.” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-Barry Goldwater Journal Entry Written On February 25, 1965[/FONT]

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Event Date: 3-12-1965
Event Description: Happy Rockefeller discovers that she is pregnant. This is great news for the Rockefeller family, but Nelson Rockefeller understands that outside of New York politics, his political career is over. Rockefeller knows that when the news breaks out, women and social conservatives within the GOP will see him unfavorably. Not only that, but Rockefeller will be perceived as a loser due to his massive loss in 1964, so there is no hope that he could possibly win the nomination, let alone the election, in 1968. Nevertheless, Nelson Rockefeller is excited to have a child with his wife, and in his words: "My political life may be over, but my new life has just begun."

Event Date: 5-3-1965
Event Description: Ronald Reagan auditions for a part in a Stanley Kubrick film that will be titled "2001: A Space Odyssey." Although Reagan is unsure of how well the film will do, he is excited to be acting again, and hopes that this film will revitalize his flagging career. "Well, it's not like I'm going to run for President or anything," says Ronald Reagan to Nancy. "I might as well give this acting thing another try."

Event Date: 8-27-1965
Event Description: Ronald Reagan receives a call from Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick wishes for Reagan to be the voice of the HAL-9000. Reagan graciously accepts, and will receive the script in the mail in a few days. Reagan will practice his lines very thoughtfully and carefully.

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[FONT=&quot]Event Date: 9-30-1965[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]
Event Description: Happy Rockefeller gives birth to a baby girl, who the Rockefeller family will name Rosemary. Although he thought he would have preferred a boy, Nelson Rockefeller is nevertheless elated at his daughter's birth, and cries tears of joy. Although the Rockefellers are happy, the GOP is not. The press, as expected, has published the news about Nelson Rockefeller's new daughter, and conservatives are irate. Several former Rockefeller supporters come out and publicly say that had Nelson Rockefeller had his baby a year earlier, they would not have voted for the Governor. Despite all this criticism, the Rockefeller family is happy. [/FONT]
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Event Date: 12-29-1965
Event Description: Filming of "2001: A Space Odyssey" begins in Shepperton Studios in Shepperton, England.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
-From American History: A Date By Date Account by P.B. Runsel[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]“I’m enjoying being HAL-9000 and getting back into acting. I made a small mistake when I was recording my lines though. When Keir says: ‘Open the doors HAL,’ I’m supposed to say ‘I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.’ Without realizing it, I said ‘There you go again Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.’ But it turns out that Kubrick liked me saying ‘There you go again,” and he’s keeping it in. I also said ‘well’ a lot by mistake, but Kubrick wants to keep all those ‘wells’ in as well. He thinks it adds an extra depth of character to HAL-9000. I'm really getting along well with Stanley Kubrick. He's a good man and maybe I'll be able to work with him on more films. Hopefully my acting career will bounce again after this film, though I know not to expect much.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-The Ronald Reagan Diaries[/FONT]

“Remember that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take away everything you have.”
-Barry Goldwater on the Senate floor

"My Dad passionately hated what Johnson was doing, whether it be domestic policy or economic policy. I was getting into politics at the time so I was talking to him a lot about it. He really saw Johnson's policies as encroaching liberty. He felt that Johnson was taking away economic liberty and was placing Americans on the dole of the government, and he saw Johnson's Vietnam policies as jeopardizing South Vietnamese abroad. The problem was, not everybody saw Johnson's policies as a threat to liberty."
-Decisions From The Shadows: The Memoirs of Barry Goldwater Jr.

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[FONT=&quot]The New York Times[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]July 30, 1965[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Medicare and Medicaid Established
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[FONT=&quot]The Chicago Tribune[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]August 6, 1965[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]President Johnson Signs The Voting Rights Act[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]The Washington Post[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]October 3, 1965[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Immigration And Nationality Act Signed Into Law[/FONT]

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Event Date: 1-1-1966
Event Description: Former Vice President Richard Nixon announces his candidacy for Governor of California. He promises to bring law and order to the Golden State, and campaigns for a balanced budget. Although Pat Brown defeated Nixon four years ago, Brown is now unpopular due to various race riots and anti-war demonstrations. The Pat Brown campaign is worried at Nixon's formidably, and they would've preferred a weaker candidate.

Event Date: 3-15-1966
Event Description: Ronald Reagan has finished recording his lines for the HAL-9000, and Stanley Kubrick is immensely satisfied with Reagan's voice. However, other parts of the film still need to be completed, and the film will need to be massively edited. It will take at least a year for "2001: A Space Odyssey" to be completed. Nevertheless, Stanley Kubrick is impressed with Ronald Reagan, and will forward his name to other directors.

Event Date: 6-7-1966
Event Description: California's primaries are held today. Nixon receives 61% of the vote over George Christopher, the former mayor of San Francisco. Pat Brown receives 52% over Sam Yorty, the major of Los Angeles. Nixon has a lot of momentum, and all polls show Nixon with a slim but decisive lead.

Event Date: 7-12-1966
Event Description: Ronald Reagan decides to audition for "The Graduate": a motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. He ends up winning the part of Mr. Braddock, the father of Benjamin Braddock (played by Dustin Hoffman). Filming will begin very soon, and Ronald Reagan is excited to film. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-From American History: A Date By Date Account by P.B. Runsel[/FONT]

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“We must remember that we are at a War in Vietnam, and that our soldiers are dying every day at the hands of the Viet Cong. Domestic policies can wait, but we are dealing with the most skilled guerilla army in the world, and we need to devote our time and energy to winning this war. We are fighting gasoline with fire, and we should have made our troop deployment sudden, swift, and ample. Our doctrine of graduated deterrence is the chief contributor of our dilemma in Vietnam, and is allowing our enemies to set the boundaries of this war. To insist on strength is not war-mongering. It is peace-mongering.”
-Barry Goldwater, on the Senate Floor, 1966

[FONT=&quot]“I have been campaigning hard for the Governorship. If I lose, I’ll be seen as a perennial loser, and I’ll have to kiss any chances of winning the Presidency goodbye. The climate seems better for Republicans now than it did four years ago, which is a plus, I suppose. Hell, the latest poll shows me up 48%-44%, and I think that’s making Pat really nervous. LBJ’s really making the Democrats unpopular with civil rights, race riots, the War in Vietnam, the Great Society, and the like. Brown has his record to defend: CA’s been run amok with protests over anything. But I have my own problems too. Californians think I’m using the Governorship as a stepping-stone for the presidency, which is kinda true. Pat’s challenging me to a debate, but I’m declining: I don’t want a repeat of 1960 and all I have to do to win this is hone in on law and order.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-The Nixon Diaries
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[FONT=&quot]Election Night: November 1, 1966[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]TIME Magazine[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republican Resurgence[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Friday, November 4, 1966[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]President Johnson had better appreciate the relative easiness that he had in implementing his legislative agenda, because Republicans have made gains in the House and Senate, potentially compromising any further Great Society programs Johnson has in mind. Already, speculation about Lyndon Johnson’s presumptive re-election bid in 1968 is rampant. Though it was once thought that Johnson could win re-election by a greater margin than his landslide victory in 1964, pundits are beginning to wonder whether a Republican can take the White House for the first time in 8 years.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Former Vice President Richard Nixon rose from the political dead when he beat incumbent Governor Pat Brown for the Governorship of California by a solid margin. Only four years ago did Nixon give a bitter concession speech, blaming the media for his defeat and proclaiming “you won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore. This is my last press conference.” Despite voter fears that Nixon was using the Governorship as a stepping-stone to the presidency, Nixon seems unlikely to run for President in 1968, saying in his victory speech that “for the next four years, you will have a Governor who cares deeply about your concerns and problems.” [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Senate Results:[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Democrats (-3): 62[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republicans (+3): 38 [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]House Results: [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Democrats (-20): 252[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Republicans (+20): 183[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]California Gubernatorial Election, 1966:[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Former Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R): 53.6% [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Incumbent Governor Edmund G. Brown (D): 46.4%[/FONT][FONT=&quot]
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[FONT=&quot]“It feels good to be back in public life, but I still can’t believe I actually said in my victory speech that I’d serve for the next four years. I have no idea how I’d run for the President and not be seen as a hypocrite. Everything that Californian skeptics thought about me would be true. And I was beginning to think that ’68 would be my year. Then again maybe I shouldn’t have run for President anyway. I probably would have to start campaigning in a few weeks. But there’s a lot to be done in California, and I guess I’ll have to focus on that for right now. At the same time, I can’t help but wonder how LBJ’s going to deal with the new Congress, and who on earth is going to be the Republican nominee in ’68 if it isn’t me. Romney’s a gaffe machine, Goldwater’s too extreme to ever be elected nationally, and Rockefeller’s politically damaged after his landslide loss to LBJ four years ago, not to mention his love life.”[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]-The Nixon Diaries

"Well, at least the pundits were wrong about us losing 47 seats. I guess it could be worse. You gotta play with the cards that you're dealt, and I hope that more Republicans in Congress will force Johnson to stop his excessive welfarism and move towards the center."
-The RFK Diaries
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Han · Dec 24, 2010

Starting from here, things are gonna get different from the first version of this TL.

historybuff · Dec 24, 2010

Wonder what's gonna be edifferent. Hope you take my ideas I gave you into consideration.

Thande · Dec 24, 2010

Reagan as HAL is inspired.

Readman · Dec 24, 2010

Haha, yeah.

"Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal!"

"Well..."

Thande · Dec 24, 2010

Readman said:
Haha, yeah.

"Open the Pod Bay doors, Hal!"

"Well..."

"Stop supporting the Contras!"

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that"

bguy · Dec 24, 2010

Han said:
Hey guys, I was looking at my old Goldwater TL and I decided to redo it, as I was unsatisfied with parts of it. There will be elements of my old Goldwater timeline (some parts are straight up copied and pasted from the original Goldwater TL), but I hope that you will all find this version more realistic and enjoyable.

Should be interesting. I enjoyed the original TL, so I'll be looking forward to how this one develops. And one start off question for you about the 1964 Senate elections, how did the Democrats ends up winning the Ohio Senate race? Given how close the race was OTL even with the utter shelacking Goldwater took, I would have thought a slightly stronger Republican performance in '64 would be enough to get Taft across the finish line?

Glass Onion · Dec 24, 2010

In the original version of the timeline, Goldwater seemed to be implausibly successful with the legislature, considering the fact that congress was presumably still under the control of liberal Democrats who would be quite hostile to the President's agenda. Of course, perhaps I was simply misreading things and Goldwater's election also managed to give control of congress to the body's more conservative members. Still, I think some sort of struggle between Goldwater and congress may be warranted. Goldwater will have to pick and choose his battles, just as Ronald Reagan did historically. Reagan did not accomplish everything he promised domestically, and neither will President Goldwater.

RogueBeaver · Dec 24, 2010

As I mentioned to Han before: a centrist Democratic president can always rely on Republican votes (see Clinton, Bill, and Gingrich, Newt) to override his base, a conservative Republican cannot in this era. Even the Dixiecrats are New Dealers on issues other than race.

Han · Dec 24, 2010

bguy said:
Should be interesting. I enjoyed the original TL, so I'll be looking forward to how this one develops. And one start off question for you about the 1964 Senate elections, how did the Democrats ends up winning the Ohio Senate race? Given how close the race was OTL even with the utter shelacking Goldwater took, I would have thought a slightly stronger Republican performance in '64 would be enough to get Taft across the finish line?

Thanks. Yeah you're right, I'm changing the '64 Senate results to reflect this. Thanks for pointing it out.

Han · Dec 24, 2010

Glass Onion said:
In the original version of the timeline, Goldwater seemed to be implausibly successful with the legislature, considering the fact that congress was presumably still under the control of liberal Democrats who would be quite hostile to the President's agenda. Of course, perhaps I was simply misreading things and Goldwater's election also managed to give control of congress to the body's more conservative members. Still, I think some sort of struggle between Goldwater and congress may be warranted. Goldwater will have to pick and choose his battles, just as Ronald Reagan did historically. Reagan did not accomplish everything he promised domestically, and neither will President Goldwater.

This is pretty much the biggest reason why I was dissatisfied with my original version: success came way too easily for Goldwater (especially within his first too years). Also, I made his ascendancy to the presidency way too easy in the original version. This isn't to say that Goldwater will be unsuccessful in this version, but success won't come as easily as it did for him in the original version.

Han · Dec 24, 2010

[FONT=&quot]Head To Head Matchups, Released 1-15-1967[/FONT]

259-244-35
46%-44%
Rockefeller vs. Johnson

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[FONT=&quot]273[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]-220-35
47%-46%
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Romney vs. Johnson[/FONT]

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[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]434[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]-134
46%-35%
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Goldwater vs. Johnson [/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]306-187-45
47%-40%[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Nixon vs. Johnson[/FONT]

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Realize that nobody's actually campaigned yet or even stated that they would pursue the presidency. BTW, Green at this point stands for unpledged electors.

Historico · Dec 25, 2010

Awiesome can't wait to see how this version diverges from OTL, maybe you'll keep the Junior Senator from New York alive and well this time around lol...Keep it comming

bguy · Dec 25, 2010

One other question in regards to the 1964 elections. Specifically how did the Illinois Gubernatorial race turn out? OTL Charles Percy lost that race by less than 1%. Did the slightly stronger GOP performance this time out let him pull out the win? If so (and assuming his Governorship is reasonably successful) he might also be a major candidate for the Republican nomination in '68.

RogueBeaver · Dec 25, 2010

I don't see how Percy becomes anything more than a liberal version of Ronald Reagan, i.e. a first-termer favourite son trying to break out at the last minute even if he wins the governorship. Percy would be instantly vetoed by Strom Thurmond for VP: IOTL there were 5 acceptable nominees: Bush, Baker, Ford, Agnew and Volpe.