(Can't sleep, and I managed to finish this early, so here ya go!):
Chapter 21: November 1964 – January 1965
“Many a true word is spoken in jest”
– Geoffrey Chaucer, 1390
[pic:
imgur.com/OvZyYup.png ]
All other votes: 290,186 (0.4%)
Total votes: 72,546,545
– clickipedia.usa.org
SANDERS BEATS JOHNSON; GOP GAINS SEATS IN HOUSE, SENATE: With Turnout Heavy, Sanders Projected to Win Plurality of Pop. Vote
– The New York Times, 11/4/1964
“Well if that don’t beat all…we did it. Ha-ha! We did it!”
– Colonel Sanders reacting to the election results, 11/4/1964
“Hello?”
“[sigh] Congratulations, Colonel.”
“Oh, uh, thanks, um, how do?”
“I’ve had better days.”
“Well, uh, gee, Mr. President, I really don’t know what you’re supposed to say in a situation like this. Um…I’m sorry you lose your job.”
“Heh. Well, it’s not entirely your fault.”
“I just wanted to fix – ”
“It’s alright, I get it. You know, maybe if I’d loosened up some of the red tape, you’d be spending your time right now opening up that airport in Corbin.”
“No, that was only a tiny little piece of what got me to run. No bigger than a duckling’s eye.”
“I probably would have won it anyway if it hadn’t been for Bryant and his damn state-splittin’. And all the people in my party stirring up divisiveness. I didn’t have their support this time.”
“Well, Mr. President, there’s no use lookin’ behind you when your horse always walks forward. You just got to figure out what you’re going to do next.”
“Yeah, you’re right, crying – uh, crying out about it, uh, it won’t change it. Besides, those are probably the same people that’ll now come to blamin’ you whenever something like don’t like happens. Remember that.”
“Don’t worry about me none, Mr. President.”
“Oh, trust me Colonel, you don’t know what you’ve signed up for. The Presidency changes you. It wears you down.”
“Ah, you’re just trying to wig me out is all.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Colonel, because I’m telling you, if you don’t want to be on this end on this kind of phone call in four years, you’ll learn fast, because the Presidency, well, it’s the most consequential on-the-job training there is.”
“Well thank you, Mr. President for the heads-up, and while I have your ear let me tell you that I commend you for all the great things you did do for this country during your many decades of national service. It’s quite a legacy, sir.”
“Yeah, thanks, Colonel.”
– Sanders and Johnson in a recorded telephone conversation, 11/4/1964 [1]
And I remember, I looked over as he slammed the phone down and he muttered, “my legacy is not over yet, Colonel” and before I knew it he was pushing everyone out the door, even me. Asked him “What’s going on?” He glanced at me, then the windows, then me again: “We’re going all in.”
– Bobby Baker, RNN interview, 1979
Will? It’s Lyndon! …Okay, okay, save your condolences for when I’m dead, but for now, shut up and listen. How’s the search for Cienfuegos coming?... That’s exactly what I’m calling about. I’m right now making it official: I’m increasing the flow of troops into Cuba for you… Double… Yes, that’s right. … Yeah, that’s correct… because-well… Listen, Westmoreland, I’m still the President until the twentieth of January, and I’m not going out without a bang. I’m also ordering an increase in ammo… Yeah, whatever you need to wrap things up down there before I leave office, I’ll get ya… okay… eh–hey just shut up and find and kill the bastard! Burn all their jungles to the ground if you have to! The Colonel might have stolen my job, but I’ll be damned if I let him steal this victory from me, too!
[2]
– Transcript of Johnson’s dialogue from a secured telephone conversation with General Westmoreland, 11/5/1965, declassified and disclosed in 1991
United States Senate election results, 1964
Date: November 3, 1964
Seats: 36 of 100
Seats needed for majority: 51
Senate majority leader: Mike Mansfield (D-MT)
Senate minority leader: Everett Dirksen (R-IL)
Seats before election: 62 (D), 38 (R)
Seats after election: 55 (D), 45 (R)
Seat change: D v 7, R ^ 7
Full list:
Arizona: incumbent Barry Goldwater (R) over Roy Elson (D)
California: Richard Nixon (R) over incumbent Alan Cranston (D)
Connecticut: incumbent Thomas J. Dodd (D) over John Davis Lodge (R)
Delaware: incumbent John J. Williams (R) over Elbert N. Carvel (D)
Florida: incumbent Spessard Holland (D) over Claude R. Kirk Jr. (R)
Hawaii: incumbent Hiram L. Fong (R) over Thomas Ponce Gill (D)
Idaho (special): Len Jordan (R) over Vernon K. Smith (D)
Indiana: incumbent Vance Hartke (D) over D. Russell Bontrager (R)
Maine: incumbent Edmund S. Muskie (D) over Clifford McIntire (R)
Maryland: incumbent James Glenn Beall (R) over Joseph D. Tydings (D)
Massachusetts: incumbent Eunice Kennedy Shriver (D) over Howard Whitmore Jr. (R)
Michigan: incumbent Philip A. Hart (D) over Elly M. Peterson (R)
Minnesota: incumbent Eugene McCarthy (D) over Wheelock Whitney (R)
Mississippi: incumbent John C. Stennis (D) unopposed
Missouri: incumbent Stuart Symington (D) over Jean P. Bradshaw (R)
Montana: incumbent Mike Mansfield (D) over Alex Blewett (R)
Nebraska: incumbent Roman L. Hruska (R) over Raymond W. Arndt (D)
Nevada: Paul Laxalt (R) over incumbent Howard W. Cannon (D)
New Jersey: incumbent Harrison A. Williams Jr. (D) over Bernard M. Shanley (R)
New Mexico (special): Joseph Montoya (D) over incumbent Edwin L. Mechem (R)
New York: incumbent Kenneth B. Keating (R) over Samuel S. Stratton (D)
North Dakota: Thomas S. Kleppe (R) over incumbent Quentin N. Burdick (D)
Ohio: Robert A. Taft Jr. (R) over incumbent Stephen M. Young (D)
Oklahoma (special): Bud Wilkinson (R) over incumbent J. Howard Edmondson (D)
Pennsylvania: incumbent Hugh Scott (R) over Genevieve Blatt (D)
Rhode Island: incumbent John O. Pastore (D) over Ronald R. Lageux (R)
Tennessee: incumbent Albert Gore Sr. (D) over Dan H. Kuykendall (R)
Tennessee (special): Howard H. Baker Jr. (R) over Ross Bass (D)
Texas: incumbent Ralph Yarborough (D) over George H. W. Bush (R) and Bruce Alger (HIP)
Utah: incumbent Frank E. Moss (D) over Ernest L. Wilkinson (R)
Vermont: incumbent Winston L. Prouty (R) over Frederick J. Fayette (D)
Virginia: incumbent Harry F. Byrd (D) over Richard A. May (R) and James W. Respess (Independent)
Washington: incumbent Henry M. Jackson (D) over Lloyd J. Andrews (R)
West Virginia: incumbent Robert C. Byrd (D) over Cooper P. Benedict (R)
Wisconsin: incumbent William Proxmire (D) over Wilbur N. Renk (R)
Wyoming: John S. Wold (R) over incumbent Gale McGee (D)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa [3]
Walter CRONKITE: “So which victors in tonight’s Senate races do you think are going to significantly impact and effect things on Capitol Hill starting in January 1965?”
Roger MUDD: “Well, Walter, the night was really good for Republicans, so there are several incoming Senators from that party that could certainly shake things up with either new ideas, fresh perspectives and experience, or with their presence and prestige. For example, Richard Nixon, the former Vice President of the United States, has been elected back to the US Senate, marking the first time that such a thing has happened since former Vice President Alben Barkley was elected back to the US Senate in 1954. The elections of Republicans Len Jordan of Idaho, John Wold of Wyoming, and Paul Laxalt of Nevada could signal that the party is rising in popularity out west, while the sole incoming Democratic freshman, Joseph Montoya of New Mexico, was elected thanks to high voter turnout among Hispanic voters in his home state. That could suggest a rise in Hispanic voter influence in the southwest. Now, Republicans Thomas S. Kleppe of North Dakota and Robert A. Taft Jr. of Ohio – a relative of President Taft, mind you – they narrowly won their respective races, and that could be because of the presence of Hubert Humphrey on tonight’s Presidential ticket. Humphrey campaigned hard for President Johnson across the Midwest, and this could have inhibited Taft and Kleppe’s margins of support. One rising star in the GOP that I think we might want to keep our eyes on is Bud Wilkinson of Oklahoma, who is a former professional football quarterback. Another Republican I think we should watch is Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee…”
– CBS Evening News, 11/3/1964 broadcast
United States House of Representatives results, 1964
Date: November 3, 1964
Seats: All 437
Seats needed for majority: 218
House majority leader: John McCormack (D-MA)
House minority leader: Charles Halleck (R-IN)
Last election: 254 (D), 183 (R)
Seats won: 224 (D), 213 (R)
Seat change: D v 30, R ^ 30
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa [4]
...Bryant's poor performance, demonstrating a public rejection of his rhetoric and policies, was reflected in races beyond his stronghold in the South. For instance, in the state of New Jersey, Robert John Morris was running for the Garden State's 1st U.S. Congressional District on the American Values Party, a state affiliate of the national Heritage and Independence Party. Our correspondents over in that state have confirmed that Morris just conceded that race, after receiving less than half of one percent despite being one of the better-known and better-funded Bryant allies on a ballot somewhere tonight...
– NBC News, 11/3/1964 broadcast
FROM COP TO LAWYER TO CONGRESSMAN IN JUST FOUR YEARS: MARIO BIAGGI AND HIS SUDDEN RISE TO FAME
NYC, NY – Mario Biaggi knows a thing or two about law and order. A police officer for more than twenty years, Biaggi, a Detective Lieutenant, joined the NYPD in 1942, and has in the line of duty been wounded 11 times and received dozens of citations for valor, making him one of the department’s most decorated officers. He has a permanent limp from an incident in which he saved a woman from a runaway horse, which he reflects on as “a sort of battle scar, a sign of the kind of work I’m in.” Biaggi, 47, was inspired by the war efforts in Cuba to become politically active – working with local Democratic organizations to the point that he was convinced to run for Congress in late 1963 – while also seeking to compliment his resume with a law degree. Starting in 1962, he attended the New York Law School, taking classes on nights and weekends, and he completed the three-year law degree program in only two-and-a-half years; demonstrating his ability to multitask, Biaggi was admitted to the New York Bar just weeks before winning the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat. Biaggi defeated liberal incumbent Democrat John M. Murphy of the 16th district in the primary in an upset and then defeated David D. Smith in the general by a 10% margin, in a night not too kind to the Democratic Party. “Only in America could I go from where I was to where I’m now heading so quickly,” Biaggi notes as he hands in his letter of resignation at the station. His coworkers celebrate his job change with a simple cake and good-luck cards.
– The New York Post, side article, 11/3/1964
United States Governor election results, 1964
Date: November 3, 1964
State governorship elections held: 25
Seats before: 36 (D), 14 (R)
Seats after: 29 (D), 21 (R)
Seat change: D v 7, R ^ 7
Full List:
Arizona: incumbent Paul Fannin (R) over Art Brock (D)
Arkansas: Winthrop Rockefeller (R) over incumbent Orval Faubus (D)
Delaware: David P. Buckson (R) over Charles L. Terry Jr. (D)
Florida: LeRoy Collins (D) over Charles R. Holley (R)
Illinois: Charles Percy (R) over incumbent Otto Kerner Jr. (D)
Indiana: Richard O. Ristine (R) over Roger D. Branigin (D)
Iowa: incumbent Harold Hughes (D) over Evan L. “Curly” Hultman (R) and Robert Dilley (HIP)
Kansas: William H. Avery (R) over Harry G. Wiles (D) and Kenneth L. Myers (HIP)
Massachusetts: John A. Volpe (R) over incumbent Endicott Peabody (D) and Francis X. Bellotti (Independent)
Michigan: incumbent George W. Romney (R) over Neil O. Staebler (D)
Missouri: Ethan Shipley (R) over Warren E. Hearnes (D)
Montana: Tim M. Babcock (R) over Roland Renne (D)
Nebraska: incumbent Frank B. Morrison (D) over Dwight W. Burney (R)
New Hampshire: incumbent John W. King (D) over John Pillsbury (R)
New Mexico: incumbent Jack M. Campbell (D) over Merle H. Tucker (R)
North Carolina: Dan K. Moore (D) over Robert L. Gavin (R)
North Dakota: incumbent William L. Guy (D-NPL) over Donald M. Halcrow (R)
Rhode Island: John Chafee (R) over incumbent John A. Norte Jr. (D) (rematch)
South Dakota: incumbent Ralph Herseth (D) over Nils Boe (R) and john F. Lindley (Independent)
Texas: incumbent Price Daniel (D) over Jack Crichton (R) and John C. Williams (HIP)
Utah: Mitchell Melich (R) over Calvin L. Rampton (D)
Vermont: incumbent Philip H. Hoff (D) over Ralph A. Foote (R)
Washington: Daniel J. Evans (R) over incumbent Albert Rossellini (D)
West Virginia: Cecil Underwood (R) over Hulett C. Smith (D)
Wisconsin: Warren P. Knowles (R) over incumbent John W. Reynolds (D)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
…Several notable Governors rode The Colonel’s coattails into office. …Winthrop Rockefeller became the first Republican elected Governor of Arkansas since the Reconstruction Era, winning on a platform calling for the complete racial integration of the state’s schools and addressing low-income issues with deregulation and creating jobs. …Republicans David P. Buckson of Delaware, John Chafee of Rhode Island, John A. Volpe of Massachusetts, and Charles Percy of Illinois were elected on platforms to the left of The Colonel, while Republicans Richard Ristine of Indiana, Ethan Shipley of Missouri, and William H. Avery of Kansas were elected on platforms to the right of The Colonel; all seven of them had strongly endorsed their party’s unexpected national standard-bearer. Meanwhile, Republicans Tim Babcock of Montana and Mitchell Melich of Utah had embraced The Colonel’s populist talking points and had added them to their respective campaigns... Even Republican gubernatorial candidates who were not very much affiliated with Sanders, such as Daniel J. Evans of Washington, Cecil J. Underwood of West Virginia, and Warren P. Knowles of Wisconsin, won their respective races due to the “R” next to their names on the ballot in what turned out to be a very good night for the Grand Old Party…
– Josh Ozersky’s Sanders in 1964: An American Discovering America, University of Texas Press, 2012
“Now, I just want to remind everyone that the President is President of all of us, of each and every citizen of the U.S.A., not just the ones that voted for him. That’s why my administration will work with Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, and everyone in between to ensure the security and prosperity of each and every American. …I can’t thank y’all enough for giving me your votes, because your vote is a symbol of your trust and faith in my abilities, in the idea that I will be an excellent President. I will keep my end of it; I’ll prove y’all were right in voting for me! I will not let you down!”
– excerpt from Colonel Sanders’ victory speech, Florence, KY, 11/4/1964
HOWARD: Walter, this election cycle saw an unprecedented number of African-Americans run for public office, in both the north and the south… City Councilman-elect Edwin King of Jackson, Mississippi, has stated he is not surprised by the state Democratic Party challenges the election results… The rise in African-American political involvement could be compared it to the number of African-Americans serving public offices after the Civil War, and Reverend Martin Luther King warned earlier tonight that a drop in vigilance of rights can lead to this ending in the same way that the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era ended, with one form of injustice being replaced by another.
FILM CLIP: “We must not let history repeat itself and allow anyone to suppress anyone else’s civil rights if we are to move forward and beyond racism in this country.”
[snip]
CRONKITE: After a swell in participation in the Presidential primaries, young voters either stayed at home in protest, or voted for Sanders or wrote in Senator Morse to protest President Johnson… The Colonel won more counties in the South and more of the Black vote than anticipated.
HOWARD: Yes, he also possibly won over Arkansas despite it bordering President Johnson’s home state thanks to a televised speech he gave at Little Rock a week before the election, where he pointed out his connection to the state. Here is some footage from it:
SANDERS IN CLIP: “At age 21, I began a law correspondence course, and I studied in a judge’s office in Little Rock. I eventually found work in the justice of the peace court, hoping to bring some justice to the long-abused poor of the region. I’m particularly proud of the time I was able to negotiate better settlements for the mostly-black victims of a train wreck, and my efforts to stop courts from pressuring defendants into settlements.”
[5]
HOWARD: …While Republicans narrowed the gap in both chambers of congress, many G.O.P. leaders such as House Minority Leader Charles Halleck are blaming the presence of many “H.I.P.py” candidates spoiling several races where the Republican candidate was more not more liberal than the Democratic opponent… The Heritage-Independence Party failed in its endeavor to win any Seats in the House…
– CBS Evening News, 11/4/1964 broadcast
The next several hours of that busy Wednesday saw Sanders receive congratulations from heads of state around the world. President de Gaulle of France seemed to be the most enthusiastic for the upcoming Sanders administration, expressing interest in working with the Colonel on resolving international conflicts in Southeast Asia during a private phone call to The Colonel and in a public statement de Gaulle gave in Paris the next day. The leaders of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the Philippines also expressed similar sentiments in regard to US involvement in the region.
In the rest of western Europe, the PM of the UK was surprised by the results, as he had expected Lyndon Johnson to narrowly prevail and had been looking forward to working with him on future international issues such a trade and NATO defense. Nevertheless, the PM was cordial to Sanders, as were the leaders of Italy, West Germany, and even Spain and Portugal.
Canada, Mexico, and most of Latin America had mixed views on Sanders’ election victory. Because of Johnson’s work on immigration reform, many feared the more conservative Sanders would reverse many of Johnson’s policies and program. Still, the leaders of these countries congratulates Sanders, almost as a type of common courtesy.
Behind the iron curtain, Communist leaders looked on with confusion and hatred – confusion over not being sure how aggressive The Colonel would be against them, but hating him blindly nevertheless…
...Amid the press coverage and everyone wanting to chat away into the Colonel's ear and shake his hand, The Colonel became overwhelmed and had to sneak off to the ticket for a glass of water. "Whoo-wee!" He exclaimed, before taking a deep breath and happily walking - almost skipping - back to his adoring public...
– Josh Ozersky’s Sanders in 1964: An American Discovering America, University of Texas Press, 2012
…It seemed that all of our family members were both shocked and elated by how Father had gone from a businessman to President-Elect in just a decade of time. I was ecstatic, as were Mags and Millie. Our stepsiblings Billie and Elvis were delighted that their mother hadn’t gotten remarried to, to use Billie’s words from when Claudia and Father got engaged, “a hick” after all. Father’s siblings, Uncle Clarence and Aunt Violet, were more elated than shocked. Ma, on the other hand, was more shocked than elated that her ex-husband was moving into the White House.
“I don’t think he’ll accept it,” I remember her telling me over the phone when I informed her from the summer convention that Father was being considered as a compromise candidate, someone with Nelson’s grace and Barry’s commitment to conservative ideals. “He’ll chicken out like he chickened out of his lawyering career. He won’t commit to a commitment as big as the Presidency.”
Of course, Ma denied such uncertainty come the November results, instead coolly congratulating Father over the phone; but according to Father, she was just hiding anger and outrage. “I can tell when something’s eatin’ away at her,” he told me, “And right now, she’s real jealous – more sour than a lemon patch!” According to Elvis, his and Billie’s father, Charles Howard Price, was in a similar mood after realizing that his ex-wife would soon become the next First Lady of the United States.
Each time Father became more famous, more relatives – distant cousins and nieces and nephews and many, many in-laws – came out of the woodwork, with many asking for favors. The first “wave” of these relatives showed up after Father was elected to the governorship. The second “wave” arrived more gradually after he was nominated for President. The third “wave,” though, hit like a tsunami. All five of Claudia’s siblings, two of whom were younger than Margaret and I, started to drop in all the time, sometimes even wanting to spend the night. Same went for the three half-siblings of Mildred’s husband [John F. Rugged Jr.]. While Margaret’s husband [James Trigg Adams] had been involved in the company since the 1940s, his two siblings had not been, and yet, they soon showed up out of the blue, too. And don’t even get me started on the members of my ex-wife’s family!
Mother’s side of the family, though, saw many stick to their guns that continue to believe that Father was still “no good.” Only some of them swallowed the bitterness and grinned warmly to lie and tell Father, “I always knew you had it in you.” A more honest statement would have had “…somewhere” at the end of the sentiment. Ma’s Aunt, Mary Alice Alventine Ables (1878-1966), and her own kids and their families, were the biggest committers of this shallow attitude-changing. And, unsurprisingly, it came before so many requests – for help with businesses or paying for things or making connections to people; it was really quite shameless, if I do say so.
Mother’s three siblings, Uncles James Clyde King and John Preston King, and Aunt Grace Olivia King Poole, and their adult children, and those children’s spouses, and those in-laws, and our nephews (who were our father’s grandnephew) practically overwhelmed central northern Kentucky. At one point, Margaret spend an entire evening telephoning political allies to warn them of relatives coming around to congressional and senatorial offices in Frankfort and DC trying to work their way in to positions and bank loans or out of parking and speeding tickets through unsanctioned nepotism. Father acted soon after by meeting with many of these more opportunistic relatives and “setting them straight.” I think it is safe to say that, due to these preventative actions, Margaret and Father avoided any sort of scandal regarding nepotism allegations from occurring, showing off both of their skills at damage control before Father had even entered office.
In the business side of things, Uncle Clarence’s sons James and Chuck, who were in their 40s at the time, suddenly showed up expressing interested in getting involved in KFC, with James even going so far as to begin to dress in white suits
[6]. At first, I was offended by this, as I felt that it was a shallow and somewhat desperate attempt to win over Father in order to get some sort of favor done for him. As I just said, lots of relatives were doing that; when “The Godfather” came out in the 1970s, people discussing the opening scene gave me a sense of déjà vu. However, years later, James became an actual Kentucky Colonel because of his success in entrepreneurial work and business achievements. Looking back on Father’s time as President-Elect, I now see that James was donning the getup as his way of showing how Father had truly become an inspiration for him.
Other relatives became legitimately involved in the company, and more directly, too. For example, Aunt Violet’s son Aaron married Jean Starnes, whose younger sister Mary Lolita Starnes Hannon, currently works for KFC.
[7] Furthermore, Aunt Violet’s daughter, Violet Lou, married Harold Kenneth Omer, who also ended up working at several high-ranking positions with KFC
[8] and its parent company…
– Harland David “Harley” Sanders Jr., In the Thick of It: The Story of The Colonel and His Son, Sunrise Publishing, 1991
7 November 1964: On this day in history, at an annual parade for new weapons held in Moscow’s Red Square, the USSR’s military displays the first anti-ballistic missile, referred to as the ABM-1 Galosh by NATO and the A-350 by the Soviet military; the new weapon is 18m (60 feet) long, 2.4m (8 feet) in diameter, and driven by four motors; described as being capable of destroying incoming missiles at great distances, the unveiled was an unexpected surprise to American and Western intelligence analysts; the unveiling influenced how President-Elect Sanders viewed US-Soviet relations ahead of him entering office in January 1965…
– onthisday.co.uk
SANDERS MEETS WITH GOVERNORS IN POSSIBLE CABINET DISCUSSIONS
…the outgoing Governor of Utah was today seen walking into Sanders campaign headquarters in Kentucky… According to trusted sources, Walter Judd is being considered for a position concerning foreign policy or international diplomacy… “The President-Elect was to build coalition that reaches across all internal party factions to united the GOP like he did in this election.” While it has not been confirmed that a Democrat will serve in the administration, Sanders has reportedly met with Governor Wallace of Alabama, a Democrat that Sanders has held in high regard in the past, more than once since Sanders was officially declared to be the President-Elect. …“The Colonel seems to be relying heavily on the thoughts and opinions of Senator Goldwater,” Senator Thurmond alleges, “Sanders has met with him at Barry’s office several times, and they apparently spend a lot of time talking to each other over the phone,”…
– The Washington Post, 11/12/1964
…A French student was killed by police earlier today when an anti-de Gaulle protest turns violent. After months of tension between student workers, leftist organizations and unions over President De Gaulle’s unwavering support for French funds being used to support the States’ Involvement in Cuba, this deadly incident has led to infuriated protestors taking to the streets once more. Even with the upcoming changing of the guard in the United States as American voters elect Harland Sanders to the Presidency on an anti-war platform, riots are still escalating across the French countryside…
– BBC broadcast, 11/14/1964
The French activist group “Les Jeunes Pour la Justice,” or “Youth For Justice,” has the anti-de Gaulle movement on the warpath: students are occupying buildings, and production has come to an abrupt halt across the nation, with further investigative reports suggesting that “at least” 2-and-a-half million workers, or roughly 5% of the total population of France, are currently on strike over “misuse” of their taxpayer money. …a French university administrator is facing pressure to resign for saying “they should bring back the guillotine,” while police officers beating a student in Paris in front of a tourist couple from Manchester highlights the threats of the student-worker actions on the nation’s tourism industry... French President Charles De Gaulle has yet to openly respond to these recent developments…
– BBC special report, 11/16/1964
…Kentucky Fried Chicken opened up another outlet in Australia on 17 November 1964. This one opened in Guildford, in Sydney’s western suburbs, with a staff of 25. It was operated at first by a Canadian KFC manager named Bob Lapointe. The advertising line at the launching was the classic “Finger-Lickin’ Good,” and the launch commercial, which was shot at the Guildford store, featured marching girls and all the fun of the fair. KFC-Australia outlets were controlled by franchise holders. Mildred Sanders and John Y. Brown Jr. of the parent company, FLG Inc., were at the time enthusiastic about the idea of Kentucky Fried Chicken becoming the very first billion-dollar food organization in the world by the start of the 1970s.
The offerings on the Kentucky Fried Chicken menu in Australia ranged from one “piece” of chicken and chips (they were not called fries at this point) or a “barrel” of 21 pieces of chicken. Today’s menu is considerably more diverse. Back then there were no sliders or burgers – just fried chicken, chips, and, a bit later, apple pie and coleslaw. …Not too long after, Canadian-born Jack Cowin bought the right to open ten KFC franchises in Western Australia. His business, Competitive Foods Australia, went on to own around 50 KFC outlets in Western Australia and the Northern Territory…
[9]
– AustralianKFC.co.au/history
21 November 1964: On this day in history, the Verrazano Narrows Bridge opens to traffic in New York City, NY, US; at 4,200 meters (13,700 feet), it is the world's longest suspension bridge at the time, crossing over "The Narrows" (the tidal strait separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City) between the Upper and Lower sections of the New York Bay, the bridge directly links Staten Island and Brooklyn for the first time (more specifically, at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island and at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn); prior to the bridge opening, direct access between the two boroughs was on the 69th Street Ferry; over 100,000 cars cross the bridge during the first 24 hours of it being open...
– onthisday.co.uk
…On November 22, the People's Republic of China proposed a "no first use" agreement to the United States government. However, at the time, the two superpowers had no diplomatic relations. In order to maneuver around this, discussions were held in Warsaw, Poland between the two nations' ambassadors to Poland, with John M. Cabot representing the U.S. and Wang Guoquan making the proposal on behalf of China. US President Lyndon Johnson enthusiastically supported the secret, behind-the-scenes agreement due to him seeking to salvage his Presidential legacy before leaving office on January 20th…
– Yafeng Xia’s Negotiating With Enemies: U.S.-China Talks During The Cold War Part I: 1949–1968, Indiana University Press, 2006, p. 124 [10]
[pic:
imgur.com/HW7rgfu.png ]
“This isn’t from K.F.C., is it?”
– Outgoing President Johnson attending a public function, 11/25/1964 (the day before Thanksgiving)
1,000 SERENADE WINSTON AT 90
…Sir Winston Churchill celebrated his 90th birthday today…the festivities honoring the occasion including “at least” one thousand well-wishers standing outside his home in Hyde Park, London to sing “Happy Birthday to You" and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow” to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom…
– The Chicago Tribune, 11/30/1964
1 December 1964: On this day in history, Gustavo Díaz Ordaz entered office as the 49th president of Mexico, succeeding the term-limited incumbent President, Adolfo López Mateos; having been elected to, and being limited to serving, a single six-year term, Díaz Ordaz serves until December 1, 1970…
– onthisday.co.uk
POLICE BRUTALITY “MAKING THINGS WORSE” IN FRANCE
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 12/2/1964
EARL WARREN: WHY HE TRIED TO RETIRE AHEAD OF SANDERS INAUGURATION
…Following the clearly politically-oriented move shunned by Republicans and even several Democrats, Chief Justice Earl Warren rescinded his letter of resignation on December the third…
– The National Review, early December 1964 issue
Warren feared that Colonel Sanders would appoint a conservative successor if the Chief Justice vacated the seat during his administration. In mid-November, Warren submitted a letter of resignation to President Johnson, which stated it would become effective upon the confirmation of his successor. Upon the letter becoming public information, Senate Republicans derided the act as a last-minute power grab – as the Senate was in its winter recess, a successor could be confirmed without Senate approval. Such a successor would then have to face confirmation hearing during the next Senate session, which would allow for the successor to have at the very least several weeks or even months to participate in any rulings that came before the court. Under bipartisan political pressure, in which Republicans threatened “retribution,” i.e. opposition to laws passed under Johnson, Warren withdrew his letter after realizing that it would prove his resignation was politically-motivated.
– Ed Cray’s Chief Justice: A Biography on Earl Warren, University of South Carolina Press, 1997
In mid-December, de Gaulle appeared to flee the capital, which in retrospect was a poor move – it made him seem cowardly, and de Gaulle claiming the “trip” to Nice was an early Christmas vacation made the situation worse, as it made it seem like he was enjoying himself while France’s people took to the streets in what had started as an anti-war protest but had evolved into something more. Ultimately de Gaulle returned to Paris 15 days later, on the 28th of December. The fact that his leadership was so unpopular that he had to flee in the night led to comparisons to King Louis XVI, an image that lingered in the French peoples’ minds…
– Jean-Pierre Rioux’s De Gaulle’s Republic, 1989 (English translation edition)
11 December 1964: On this day in history, 33-year-old African-American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke is arrested at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California; the motel’s manager called police claiming Cooke had tried to kick in her office door in attempt to assault her in response to her accusing him of hiding a prostitute in his motel room, but was stopped by a lock on the door that the manager had installed after a Cuban refugee had been arrested for attempt theft at the motel just three months earlier; the manager also confessed to firing a gun at Cooke through her door, but “I missed him twice”; at the subsequent trial in 1965, the jury acquitted Cooke due to the lack of forced entry (which was due to the motel’s non-English-speaking cleaning staff cleaning the crime scene before police could study it, for which the staff received a fine for accidently destroying evidence); the court case sullied Cooke’s reputation and effectively killed his career; Cooke would die from the effects of alcohol poising 31 years later, in 1995, at the age of 64.
– onthisday.co.uk
“France is falling to fate.”
– American historian Samuel Flagg Bemis, 12/13/1964
…Take the case of another victim of the civil conflict here in Indonesia. Lolo Soetoro, a recent graduate from the States’ University of Hawaii, was summoned home in September upon the outbreak of the war. His family sided with new regime and for that Lolo was killed later that month for helping his family reach the American embassy. Here was a man whom gave his life for his family’s safety in a situation that has only arisen due to the lack of the UN doing its intended purpose of maintaining peace via mediation…
– The Guardian, opinion article written by Asia correspondent, 12/14/1964
BURNHAM TAKES OVER AS GUIANA PREMIER: Queen Approves Change in Law; Jagan Out
…Forbes Burnham has been sworn in as the new Premier of British Guiana after the British colonial government was forced to remove his predecessor, Cheddi Jagan, from office following the December 7 assembly elections. Jagan, who had held office for 11 years, had refused to resign, charging that the election was fraudulent. Queen Elizabeth II signed a parliamentary order amending British Guiana's constitution to allow the colonial governor to remove the premier. The new law provided that "if any time before the House of Assembly meets the Governor informs the Premier that he is about to reappoint him or to appoint another person as Premier, then the Premier, and all other ministers and parliamentary secretaries, are forthwith to vacate their offices." The Governor, Sir Richard Luyt, then informed Jagan that Burnham would be appointed as the new Premier, and Burnham was sworn into the office a few hours later that same day…
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, side article, 15/12/1964 [11]
[pic:
imgur.com/TcR11M0.png ]
– President-Elect Colonel Sanders (R) meets with Alabama Governor George Wallace (D) in the latter’s office in Birmingham, Alabama, c. December 15, 1964; the two discussed the possibility of Wallace vacating the Governor’s seat to serve somewhere in Sanders’ cabinet; Wallace, seated in a wheelchair due to him recovering from back surgery after falling in his home several weeks earlier, declined interest in serving in any “lower level” position, considering his gubernatorial seat to be more powerful and influential (he also may have wanted to stay politically relevant, and was concerned that he would lose political momentum in a cabinet role that had “low visibility”); however, Wallace was “enthusiastic” about working with The Colonel on policies to promote racial reconciliation
Before The Colonel even entered office, his election had a positive effect on the economy. With his touting of pro-businesses policies, Wall Street reported Stock Market conditions improving in the days that immediately followed his victory being declared and confirmed. The business community was excited to welcome the next President, as they expected him to pass laws that would greatly benefit his fellow “captains of industry,” as Nelson Rockefeller’s brother David called him during one friendly visit to The Colonel’s homestead in December 1964. …Even KFC’s rivals such as McDonald’s looked forward to the new administration, albeit for a different reason – they privately hoped that the competition that was KFC would fall apart with The Colonel at the helm of a different ship…
– Anne Meagher Northup’s Chicken and Politickin’: the Rise of Colonel Sanders and Rational Conservatism in the Republican Party, 2015
On December 22, some drama unfolded in the Electoral College count when faithless electors in Georgia and Louisiana defected to Bryant, narrowing Sanders’ lead by seven votes, dropping his count to 279 – just ten votes away from a deadlocked college. Sanders supporters immediately sought contact with the remaining states, particularly North Carolina and Virginia. Fortunately, the chaos and trepidation was momentary, as the only other electors to defect were two of Lyndon Johnson’s votes from the state of Oregon, whom voted for Senator Morse.
– Josh Ozersky’s Sanders in 1964: An American Discovering America, University of Texas Press, 2012
[ pic:
imgur.com/Jx0eJl1.png ]
– President-Elect Colonel Sanders visiting the White House Grounds, c. late 1964
On January 1, for the second time in his life, Colonel Sanders divested his investments and personal business from KFC, and returned operations to Mildred. The Colonel, remember his son’s job performance as his right-hand man from 1957 to 1959, asked Harley to join him in the White House as his Chief of Staff. According to Lee Cummings, a relative of the Colonel in charge of KFC’s Midwestern franchises, Harley accepted despite knowing it would lead to accusations of nepotism.
– Josh Ozersky’s Sanders in 1964: An American Discovering America, University of Texas Press, 2012
2 January 1965: On this day in history, American footballer Joe Namath, quarterback for the University of Alabama, signs a three-year contract with the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) for an unprecedented $400,000 – the highest amount ever paid to a professional football player at the time; Namath signs the contract at a hotel in Miami, the day after completing his college football career in the Orange Bowl; the deal proves to be a breakthrough for the AFL in its attempt to compete with the established NFL, and would be a major reason for a major contract offer by the NBC television network for the rights to broadcast the newer league's games.
[12]
– onthisday.co.uk
“The U.S. executive branch is organized much better than Kentucky’s is. My home state has so many commissions and departments it was almost overwhelming a times. This, though, I can work with so much better.”
“Colonel Sanders, can you tell us how you are going about picking people for your cabinet.”
“Well, when I sold my chicken to franchisees it was with a handshake instead of a contract. The fact that I was never once swindled by any of them proves that I am an excellent judge of character. So I’m meeting with many fine folks and pretty soon y’all will get to see which character’s will be choosin’ to work with.”
– President-Elect Sanders and a reporter at a press briefing at KFC headquarters, Florence, KY, 1/3/1965
JOHNSON GIVES HOPEFUL FAREWELL IN FINAL STATE-OF-THE-UNION ADDRESS
– The Washington Post, 1/4/1965
Throughout this past year Cam has survived multiple assassination attempts; so I couldn’t see why see was so nervous.
“Are you blind?!” he shouted to me, “Look at all those helicopters circling around us like vultures!” he remarked as he gestured to the makeshift window. “And you’ve seen the reports – they’re closing in!”
I approached him, “Camilo, what are you saying?”
He sat down and sighed, “I am afraid that we have run out of options.”
“Don’t think like that! We can still repel them.”
Cam looked at me, the way a teacher looks at a student trying and failing to prove wrong the instructor, “Care to explain how?”
I thought for a second, “We could sneak past them and regroup – ”
“With who? Everyone’s gone. Apart from a few uncaptured operatives, there’s only you, me, Vilma and Rafael [del Pino]. From millions to 200 or so.”
Recruiting had been slow; most people are stuck, too afraid to resume the warfare, resigned to defeat at the hands of the American pigs and the traitorous collaborators. They have killed the island. “Well, then we can sneak away and continue the fight from abroad. Go to Haiti or Russia or – ”
“
Padre… supplies are low. We’re surrounded, and nobody is coming for us.”
“This…this can’t be the end, spending our last meals holed up in this mountainside…”
He sat closer to me, “Don’t feel bad; you’ve been a most loyal compatriot,” and then he called me by my first name. Finally. “We gave a noble stand and it was the reluctance of the Russians to help more that has led us to this place. You could not have done more, dear friend.”
It’s now or never, then, I thought. Just as I was turning to lean closer to him, a blinding roar threw us down.
“This is it!” Vilma ran past us from her post, “Grab a gun! They’ll never take us alive!” Then a second grenade killed her.
A swarm of Americans invaded our location. Grabbing an automatic, I crawled to the nearest exit. I charged down the south tunnel with Cam right behind me, and we tried to make it out but the bastards kept coming, like cockroaches in the night. At the clearing at the mountain’s edge, one of them got me twice in the shoulder.
But they didn’t pay attention to me once they recognized the man behind me.
I screamed in horror as Cam – oh, my dear Cam – he was cut down by the bastards.
In the chaos of their sadistic destruction I slipped away into the underbrush. I could hear the gunfire being replaced with faint cheers as I made my escape.
I am now by a river and I think the bullet wounds are infected. It is getting dark.
I am alone.
– 5 January 1965, final entry of The Diary of the Unknown Fighter (1958-1965), published 1996
Johnson was sure to have all the major news sources cover the announcement that the last of the Communist Cubans had been “found, trialed and executed by firing squad” over the weekend. …Johnson would continually mentions this during the 1966 midterms, attempting to salvage his legacy by crediting himself for “ending” The Cuban War.
– Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon: Book Four: The Power of the Presidency, A. A. Knopf Inc., 2018
“Charles Halleck was a moderate who in his many years as House party leader had failed to lead the party back to majority rule. Prior to the election, I planned on running against him to his right. But when we gained all those seats in 1964 – though we still lost, it was an amazing increase in seats – Halleck was untouchable. Still, the fact remains that I had not exactly been quiet over my discontent with Halleck, and that came back to bite me. The party bosses hadn’t appreciate it and they didn’t forget about it. Soon enough, I sensed that my time in public service would be of better use to the American people elsewhere.”
– retired politician Gerald Ford speaking at Conservatism Calls, a political think tank, 1993
HOUSE RE-AFFIRMS RULE TO PREVENT COMMITTEE BLOCKADE
Washington, D.C. – The United States House of Representatives voted on bipartisan lines, from 221 to 204, to preserve a 1963 Democratic-led change to its legislation-reviewing rules. The alteration in question prevents the House Rules Committee from blocking legislation that the committee opposes. Under the revised system, in place for the past two years, bills must be either cleared or rejected by the Rules Committee within 21 legislative days of it being introduced to the committee. If neither event happens, the Speaker of the House is then authorized to bring the legislation directly before the House for a direct vote to either pass or reject the bill…
– The Chicago Tribune, 1/8/1965
9 January 1965: On this day in history, the “Hope Slide,” the largest landslide in Canada's history, occurred in the Cascade Mountains near Hope, British Columbia, killing free people; the landslide buried British Columbia’s Highway 3 under 47 million cubic meters (1.66 billion cubic feet) of rock at 7:00 in the morning; the four people who died were driving their vehicles, a convertible car and a pickup truck, along the highway and were unable to avoid being buried in the debris; when the landslide enveloped that portion of the highway, a Greyhound bus driver was able to back up quickly before he and his passengers were caught in the avalanche; the driver, David Hughes, put the bus into reverse at full speed for 1 1/2 miles, driving the vehicle backwards along the twisting, dark highway until they were out of danger, all while most of his passengers slept.
[13]
– onthisday.co.uk
COLONEL SANDERS REVEALS POSSIBLE CABINET PICKS: Rocky, Civil Rights Leaders, Many More Weighed
Washington, D.C. – With their boss’s permission, Colonel Sanders’ transition team today released a short “incomplete” list of prominent politicians that he and the team are considering for his Presidential cabinet. The most prominent person on the list is Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, whom is written down as a possible pick for Secretary of Labor, Commerce, or Health, Education and Welfare
[14]. Other prominent politicians included are Senator Carl Curtis and former National Security Advisor Gordon Gray for Secretary of State and former US Congressman Eugene Siler of Kentucky – a “fiscal watchdog” and early opponent of US military actions along the Laos-Vietnam border – for Secretary of the Treasury; Siler, a fiercely conservative politician from Sanders' home state, ran for Governor of Kentucky in 1951 on an anti-corruption campaign. …George Dewey Clyde, the outgoing Governor of Utah, is written down as a possible pick for Secretary of Interior (likely due to his work improving his home state's infrastructure and preservations of natural resources during his two terms), and Senator Hickenlooper is being eyed for Secretary of Agriculture (possibly due to his work on the US Senate Agricultural Committee)… In step with the President-Elect’s style, the list features several less conventional potential nominees as well. State Senator Philip Willkie of Indiana, for instance, is under down under “diplomat.” …In step with his socially liberal strides, US Congresswoman Florence Dwyer is listed under Health, Education and Welfare. Two African-Americans are listed, too – Air Force General Benjamin O. Davis Jr. of DC is written down under “foreign policy,” and civil rights activist and employment reform advocate Whitney Young of Kentucky is written down under “domestic policy”. …while Arleigh Burke is suggested to lead the Navy, the position of Secretary of Defense is noticeably vacant. Nevertheless, the releasing of this list suggests that the upcoming Sanders administration may be more open to the public in regards to the bureaucratic goings-on in the nation’s capital.
– The Washington Post, 1/11/1965
…While Alfred Gruenther declined [the role of Secretary of Defense], he did point us in the direction of US Army General Chuck Bonesteel of Virginia… …After a looking over his reports on American health, a continuation of his predecessor’s 1957 report, I asked US Surgeon General Luther Terry to stay on in that role under my administration – “my administration,” a phrase I was still getting used to if you can believe it – because Terry, like myself, was very critical of all vices, and called for an increase in people understanding the dangerous effects of smoking…
– Colonel Sanders’ Life As I Have Known It Has Been Finger-Lickin’ Good, Creation House publishing, 1974
…Meanwhile in France, de Gaulle’s attempts to talk to protest “leaders” are reportedly failing while attempts to scale back the police hostility are only emboldens the protestor’s spirits. The nation’s industry is continuing to suffer…
– BBC broadcast, 1/12/1965
On January 1, 1965, Malcolm X survived a jail bombing while serving awaiting his trial verdict. Twelve days later, X was acquitted. …Even today, the “self-defense-in-advance” plea is met with either ridicule or understanding, pending which neighborhood you visit…
– Herb Boyd and Ilyasah Shabazz’s Malcolm vs. Martin: Violence and Peace After the End of Segregation, Chicago Third World Press, 2013
DE GAULLE STEPS DOWN!
Paris, France – In a surprising turn of events, Charles de Gaulle, the President of France, has agreed to step down as President in a deal struck with labor leaders. As per the rules of their constitution, the vacancy of the Presidency automatically leads to the implementation of a new Presidential election. De Gaulle will be eligible to run in this election in what is being seen as a test of his political popularity and strength. In exchange, the protest leaders are urging all protestors to return to their classrooms and workplaces as plans for a candidate to oppose de Gaulle are formed. The exact date of this new election has yet to be officially determined…
– The Observer, 1/16/1965
“We have yet to declare war on poverty, illiteracy, and the worst of Earth’s diseases, and are yet to end the threat of nuclear war. But in the past four years we have created programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Head Start, to move America into becoming a truly greater society… I must once again thank all who worked towards making these dreams become realities. Presiding over them has been the greatest honor.”
– Excerpt from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s farewell address, 1/20/1965
And that is how Sanders, a foulmouthed mountain man, a hot-tempered old coot whom once had “an insatiable libido” in his younger years, a sixth-grade dropout who worked as a farmhand, army mule-tender, fireman, railroad hand, lawyer, insurance salesman, ferryboat operator, Chamber of Commerce secretary, tire salesman, midwife, gas station owner, motel owner, and restauranteur because he couldn’t hold down a job, ended up becoming President of the United States.
– narration from political activist Cris Ericson in her allegedly unbiased documentary Feathers and Blood: The Myth of Colonel Sanders, 2016
The Five Best and Five Worst Aspects of the Lyndon Johnson Presidency
The Best Aspects
1
The Civil Rights Act of 1962 – As a master of legislative ways, his Administration ended up doing more for Civil Rights than any Presidency since Lincoln.
2
Gender Wage Gap Narrowed
3
Education Programs Expanded
4
Medicare/Medicaid – The popular expansion of government involvement in healthcare to ensure insurance to the nation’s seniors, disabled, and low-income contributed to the improvement of the quality of life in the United States.
5
The Space Program – Johnson’s passion and generous funding for NASA culminated in the American Moon Landing and launched the U.S. ahead of all other nations in the fields of METS (math-electricity-technology-science) research for years.
The Worst Aspects
1
The Salad Oil Recession – Failure to detect Tino De Angelis’ fraud snowballed into the US entering a recession that contributed to Johnson losing re-election.
2
Rise in Involvement in Indochina – After recovering from warfare in Cuba, Americans were divided over increasing hostilities along the Laos-Vietnam border, and fear another war contributed to Lyndon being a one-term President as well.
3
US Tariffs on European Products – Meant to support the American auto industry, the 1963 “Chicken Tax” instead limited trade between the US and its political allies in Western Europe, which did not exactly help when the Salad Oil Recession occurred
4
Raising the National Debt – While the social programs of his term have remained popular, they came at the cost of adding almost $39 billion, or roughly 12%, to the national budget, creating a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
5
The Cuba War – the most divisive part of his Presidency, Johnson’s decision to oust a Communist dictatorship headed by Fidel Castro (and later, Che Guevara, and later still, Camilo Cienfuegos) led to a war that took much longer than anyone expected it too, and left tens of thousands of Americans dead. Even after the war unofficially ended in 1963, deadly Communist bombings plagued the island, and the US military remaining there ultimately proved too unpopular to too many people.
Overall: Johnson’s legacy is mixed and polarizing; scholars consider him an above-average leader due to domestic achievements, while public opinion is divided over those and his foreign policy. With these consideration combined, Johnson is often placed him in the top and (more-often) middle tier of best US Presidents.
– The President Lyndon B. Johnson National Historic Site website, c. 2025
“Ladies and Gentlemen, I am more than humbled. …We are gathered here to celebrate the peaceful transition of power that is a starling example of the democratic process that we in America relish and enjoy. That same privilege, though, is not shared by our fellow members of mankind the world over, and as the greatest nation on earth, and a testament to democratic ideals, we owe it to ourselves and the earth to fix this injustice and support foreign fights for freedom... Strengthening our allies will strengthen ourselves, and ensure that our free way of life will never disappear... As we start this new administration, we will all remember throughout the next four or even eight years that our strength and unity and love for one another is what makes the United States of America one great big country and not fifty little ones.”
– Sanders inaugural speech, 1/20/1965
Colonel Harland David Sanders, the 36th President of the United States of America
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S):
[1] This interaction was written after listening to how Humphrey talked to Johnson after conceding to Nixon IOTL: ( youtube video: YttmffiWyjA ) Of course, the situation here is different, but it gave me an idea of how Johnson conceding to Sanders would go in terms of what they would possibly say to each other.
[2] Johnson’s unruliness here is based on the testimony on his OTL behavior found here:
https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/21/magazine/president-lyndon-johnson-the-war-within.html
[3] 8 new Republican senators minus 1 new Democratic Senator = a net gain of 7 seats for the GOP. Possibly notable altered results: Conn.: 54%-45%; IN: 50.1%-49.5%; MD: 50.3%-49.7%; Mich.: 54.4%-45.3% as Elly Peterson’s down-to-earth personality was similar to the Colonel’s; MN: 55.3%-44.3%; PA: 57.6%-42.1%; TN: 50.4%-49.6%; TX: Alger split the conservative vote (Yarborough 49.8%, Bush 41.5%, Alger 8.7%); UT: the Colonel’s connections to the state boosted Wilkinson enough for him to win 50.5%-49.5%; Wisc.: 52.2%-47.7%.
[4] Changes from OTL: Due to the Colonel’s rising popularity, the following 61 Republicans won their respective elections: Robert French (AL-5), Lowell Thomas Jr. (Alaska at-large), Sam Steiger (AZ-3), J. E. Hinshaw (Ark.-3), Robert C. Cline (CA-22), Jerry L. Pettis (CA-33), Patrick M. Martin (over John V. Tunney!) (CA-38), Donald G. Brotzman (CO-2), John Chenoweth (CO-3), incumbent Abner W. Sibal (Conn.-4), Roscoe Pickett (GA-4), Edward Y. Chapin (GA-7), John Mattmiller (ID-1), Roger H. Zion (Indiana-8), incumbent Earl Wilson (over Lee H. Hamilton!) (Indiana-9), Don A. Tabbert (Indiana-11), incumbent Fred Schwengel (Iowa-1), incumbent John Henry Kyl (Iowa-4), incumbent Ben F. Jensen (Iowa-7), incumbent Gene Snyder (over HIP candidate Louie Nunn!) (Kentucky-3), Clyde Middleton (KY-4), Walter Clay Vaan Hoose (KY-7), David C. Treen (LA-2), Floyd O. Crawford (LA-6) (after a recount due to narrowness), William S. Walker (LA-8), George Meader (Michigan-2), incumbent August E. Johansen (Michigan-3), incumbent Victor A. Knox (Michigan-11), Richard D. Kuhn (Michigan-19), Robert J. Odegard (MN-6), incumbent Ralph F. Beermann (Neb.-1), incumbent Louis C. Wyman (NH-1), incumbent Milton W. Glenn (NJ-2), Marcus Daly (NJ-3), incumbent Frank C. Osmers Jr. (NJ-9), incumbent Steven Boghos Derounian (NY-3), Luigi R. Marano (NY-15), incumbent Robert R. Barry (NY-25), incumbent Katharine St. George (NY-27), incumbent J. Ernest Wharton (NY-28), incumbent R. Walter Riehlman (NY-34), incumbent John R. Pillion (NY-39), James C. Gardner (NC-4), W. A. Armfield (NC-5), incumbent Don L. Short (ND-2), incumbent Carl W. Rich (OH-1), incumbent Paul F. Schenck (OH-3), incumbent Homer E. Abele (OH-10), Oliver P. Bolton (OH-at large), Bayard C. Auchincloss (OK-6), incumbent George Atlee Goodling (PA-19), incumbent James D. Weaver (PA-24), incumbent Irene Baker (TN-2), Robert B. James (TN-9), Ed Foreman (TX-16), Robert Price (TX-18), incumbent Walt Horan (WA-5), incumbent Thor C. Tollefson (WA-6), incumbent K. William Stinson (WA-7), incumbent Henry C. Schadeberg (Wisc.-1), incumbent William Van Pelt (WA-6), and incumbent "legacy" politician William H. Harrison (WY at-large). 31 incumbents defend their seats, plus 30 more win seats. The presence of H.I.P. candidates on some ballots siphoned off votes from conservative/populist candidates here and there.
[5] This “clip” is a paraphrase of a snippet found here:
https://www.damninteresting.com/colonels-of-truth/ (page 8 when printed out)
[6] Seriously! His tombstone has his face on it and he looks like a stunt double for his famous Uncle Harland!:
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60614535/james-wilbur-sanders
[7] Family connection discovered on findagrave
[8] Ibid.
[9] Much of this section is based on or directly pulled from the OTL information, data, and statistics found here:
https://australianfoodtimeline.com.au/kentucky-fried-chicken-opens/
[10] OTL, and found/pulled from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_1964
[11] Most of this was pulled from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_1964#cite_note-62
[12] Pulled from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_1965#January_2,_1965_(Saturday)
[13] And this was pulled from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_1965#January_9,_1965_(Saturday)
[14] I'm actually uncertain if Rockefeller would go for a cabinet spot or not. Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?