Anyone think its' possible he would choose Senator Edward Brooke?
Texas Two-Step: Nixon nominates Connally as VP in 1973
- Thread starter wolverinethad
- Start date
I don’t know which way Connally wants to take it, but I think he’d not be an extreme Reaganite and he’d want to appeal to the center to win an election, even if he is ideologically closer to Reagan than Ford.
The flip side of my own remark that in 1974, no one knows the OTL destiny of the New Right, is that a moderate might think it is strategic to rely on themselves as the moderate face of their administration, and promote a conservative as VP as a cheap trick to nail down right wing support at a low cost, on the theory the radical right guy is not going anywhere electorally speaking. An important sector to pander to--with cheap tokenism, to be thrown under the bus as needed. He might do this not realizing he is splashing accelerant on a fire that is already set and smoldering. Part of the "accelerant" is that in general, and in this case in particular, groups that are being patronized know it. A politician who does not understand their point of view might assume gratitude where actually they are fueling resentment--and carving a channel for it to be expressed through.
Having written that, my impression is that Connally is definitely the kind of politician who understands that kind of thing, and so if he chooses a rightist, it is because he does want to promote that wing. One could square that with being a moderate if he fears that the "far left" which from his perspective would include very mainstream Democrats all the way out to imagined (they exist but not on the scale rightists feared) hippie and radical hordes multiplying and taking the country in some ultraradical direction. Very easy to imagine and fear, if one is at all conservative, in the mid-70s! Then in a less patronizing, more sincere reprisal of tokenism, one might judge that the conservative movement is inherently limited and cannot take over, but should be encouraged for precisely the reason that American conservatism is an endangered species and provides much needed ballast against leftist extremism, anchoring US politics around sensible moderation.
Or he could actually look forward to something like the Reagan-Gingrich surge and like it. I haven't recalled anything shown about him here or elsewhere to totally dismiss that!
Random fun fact:
Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Six letters in each name.
Just saying....
Ronald Wilson Reagan.
Six letters in each name.
Just saying....
While I'm on the subject, there's one thing that anyone should keep in mind: Connally only gets one bite at an election. If he wins in 1976, he cannot legally run in 1980, part of the post-FDR amendment. He's a bit of a carpetbagger to the party. He'll want to shore up his position in it.
So, he's got a year and change to clear the field. How can he do that?
So, while we get closer to
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Strange.
I had finished that sentence.
The Spoiler Police must've deemed it too spoilery to be printed.
I'm caught up and I'm really enjoying this TL so far, it's absolutely amazing!
PSA
Hi all. You're probably wondering what happened to the next chapter. It was close to being done. I was on a roll.
And then my wife ended up in the ICU, days after the last post.
She was there right after Christmas, through New Year's, and nearly until the Super Bowl when I finally got to bring her home. But it was close, far too close for my liking. She was on a ventilator (nope, not COVID, though). She's had memory issues. It's getting better, but it's been tough, and I just couldn't bring myself to write for a long time. I'm sorry, I feel like I let everyone down, and while I know I shouldn't blame myself, it's hard not to.
Anyway, I'm about ready to dive back in soon. And while I am sad I lost momentum, the break gave me a chance to come up with a fun new plot twist in the near future.
So sit back, buckle in, and get ready for the verdict of history...and the Senate.
And then my wife ended up in the ICU, days after the last post.
She was there right after Christmas, through New Year's, and nearly until the Super Bowl when I finally got to bring her home. But it was close, far too close for my liking. She was on a ventilator (nope, not COVID, though). She's had memory issues. It's getting better, but it's been tough, and I just couldn't bring myself to write for a long time. I'm sorry, I feel like I let everyone down, and while I know I shouldn't blame myself, it's hard not to.
Anyway, I'm about ready to dive back in soon. And while I am sad I lost momentum, the break gave me a chance to come up with a fun new plot twist in the near future.
So sit back, buckle in, and get ready for the verdict of history...and the Senate.
We completely understand. You needed to be there for your wife and you were. I'm glad to hear that you avoided tragedy. I hope everything is okay now.
No need to apologize. Your wife is more important. Hope she gets better
Best wishes to your wife 
, don’t worry about us we’ll be here when you get back.
I’ve been reading Caro’s LBJ books. They almost make me feel bad for Connally… almost.
, don’t worry about us we’ll be here when you get back.I’ve been reading Caro’s LBJ books. They almost make me feel bad for Connally… almost.
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Hey, your wife is much more important than an online althist forum. Take as much time as you need, we’ll be waiting anxiously
deeply grateful you are ok. So sorry about your wives struggles We are deeply grateful for your contribution. The last thing any of us would want to do is pressure you. May God bless you