A Second Chance

A Second Chance
A Timeline by Cathcon​

August 9th, 1968
The Oval Office, where President Kennedy's best political friends and most trusted advisors are milling around the Oval Office, while a frustrated President Kennedy sits behind his desk, seething. Vice-President Terry Sanford is not present at the time, as he is busy campaigning in the South, making sure that it, like every year, goes Democratic. Secretary of the Treasury Robert McNamara sits, reading a newspaper loudly. Secretary of Defense Connally leans against a wall, listening.
McNamara: 'Following his post convention bump, Republican nominee Michigan Governor George Romney is now leading President Kennedy by a narrow 48 to 47%, with five percent undecided. It is yet to be seen whether former Alabama Governor George Wallace, or some other Southerner will run on a third party ticket. It was expected that his selection of Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon would harm Romney with Conservatives, however Romney's definitve anti-war stance has expanded Republican ranks into the youth vote, which went by a large amount for Kennedy only four years ago.' This is unaccaptable, dammit! The most powerful man in the world is being beaten in the polls by some bumbling Governor that can't get half his words right!
Bobby: Well, it's obvious we need to step up the campaign, but I think we can hammer Romney in the debates. Did you see his speech last night? If this were football, and his words were the ball, we'd have scored big by now.
Jack: I'm listening. It's this war that Nixon got us into that's put us in this position. If we had pulled out, we'd be in the clear right now, leading by seven points.
Connally: It's not just 'blame the war', the fact is that we have to win this, otherwise, America will come across as weak, and the Soviets will only expand their influence. We have to set forth an agenda for victory.
McNamara: Now listen, you've already had a couple years to set 'and agenda for victory'! Why didn't you? You don't think that we all want to win this war and go home? The President's been practically trapped in the Whitehouse since 1967!
Bobby: Look, now settle down. It's bad enough that we're losing in the polls, at least for the moment, but we can't have this pointless infighting.
Jack: Well, obviously, we have to do something. I'll get Shriver on the phone after this. As of now, I want scheduled appointments with McCarthy and McGovern. If Romney wants to go anti-war, we'll give him anti-war.
Bobby: And, you, John, we're relying on people like you, Lyndon, and Sanford to help hold down the South. That's it, we also have to talk to Lydon about this.
Connally: Sure thing. Lyndon and I can guarantee you at least Texas. As long as Wallace, Faubus, or Thurmond doesn't run, we can also guarantee a Solid South.
Jack: Good. You can all go now. Bobby, on your way out, tell my secretary to get Senator McCarthy of Minnesota on the phone.
Bobby: Sure.

In the upcoming election, who would you vote for?
Michigan Governor George Romney/Oregon Senator Mark Hatfiel: 48%
President John F Kennedy/Vice-President Terry Sanford: 47%
Undecided/Other: 5%
 
Hey y'all, this is a timeline I've been working on on the atlas forum for quite a while, since before I joined here. I didn't introduce it then because I was several pages in and didn't want to repost. However, while mowing the lawn today, I got the idea of posting it a bit differently. I originally told it with detailed headlines for different dates and tons of tiny updates as well, so much, I'd never want to repost. I also included excerpts from books of the period as well as wikipedia. This will be a bit different, going date-by-date from election night 1960 to where I am now, in the middle of the 1980 Presidential campaign. Once I catch up there, I'll go back to the format I've used for the original version.

The original version can be found here.
 
November 9th, 1960
The Kennedy home in Hyannisport, Massachusetts, 5:00 AM, EST, Senator John F Kennedy's bedroom.
Jacky: Honey, wake up.
Jack: **Groan**
Jacky: Jack, you have to wake up!
Jack: Not another day on that campaign trail...
Jacky: No, yesterday was the election.
Jack: How much did we wallop Nixon by, honey?
Jacky: Honey, you lost...
Jack: what?
genusmap.php

Vice-President Richard M Nixon (R-CA)/Ambassador to the United Nations Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (R-MA); 270 electoral votes, 49.9% of the popular vote
Senator John F Kennedy (D-MA)/Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B Johnson (D-TX); 248 electoral votes, 49.6% of the popular votes
Unpledged Electors; 13 electoral votes; .5% of the popular vote
Jacky: It took a very long time to find out who won. You should be proud of yourself.
Jack: Well, I guess it's time to concede. I'll get dressed.
Jacky: Oh, Bobby already called and conceded, but they're waiting for your official announcement.
Jack: **Sigh**......
 
The plan is to not have every update involved a conversation, news release, etc due to how much material there is and that some of it is complete crap.
 
Bump! Sorry, school started a couple days ago & I've been trying to pretty much redo the tl from scratch given I gave barely anything on 1950-1967.
 
Man, this one sounds pretty cool. Kennedy wins in '64' instead of '60, LBJ isn't VP in Kennedy's term, I'll just wait to see what else is new.
 
The problem here is that I'm not really sure when to say "Okay, I'm done" with a certain space of time. Especially in this given that I have just a few updates with actual dates in the very early stages of the tl and that most of the 1960's are in flashback. That said, part of 1961 will be out today. Not quite sure on all of it, but I think it staisfies.
 
December 18th, 1960:
President-Elect Richard Nixon releases names of likely nominees to cabinet positions. A number are surprises.
-Secretary of the Treasury: Charles Halleck (R-IN)
-Secretary of Defense Douglas MacArthur (R-NY)
-Attorney General: John V Lindsay (R-NY)
-Postmaster General: Prescott Bush (R-CT)
-Secretary of the Interior: Harold Stassen (R-MN)
-Secretary of Agriculture: Fred A Seaton (R-NE)
-Secretary of Commerce: Ronald Reagan (D-CA)
-Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: William G Stratton (R-IL)
-White House Chief of Staff: Robert Finch (R-CA)
-National Security Adviser: Henry Kissinger (I-NY)
-United States Permanent Representative to NATO: Alfred M Greunther (R-NE)
-Secretary of the Army: John Eisenhower (R-NY)
-Secretary of the Air Force: Curtis LeMay (R-CA)
-Secretary of the Navy: Robert P Anderson (D-TX)

Certain surprises are his picks for National Security Adviser, Attorney General, and Commerce Secretary. Professor Henry Kissinger, a friend of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, will become the nation's 6th National Security Adviser. One-term Congressman and Liberal Republican John Lindsay will become the nation's 64th Attorney General. Lastly, actor, Democrat, and Nixon supporter Ronald Reagan of California will become the nation's 15th Secretary of Commerce. His work as General Electric Spokesman inspired this pick. Noticably empty on the list of cabinet picks is Secretary of State.


January 13th, 1961
Nixon announces his choice for Secretary of State. Senator Margaret Chase Smith of Maine will become the nation's 54th Secretary of State and of course the first female Secretary of State.

January 20th, 1961:
Richard M Nixon is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America.
nix-port.jpg


January 22nd, 1961:
In his first chance to meet with Congressional leaders as President, Nixon, in talks with Senate leaders Lyndon B Johnson (D-TX) and Everett Dirksen (R-IL), House leaders Sam Rayburn (D-TX), John McCormack (D-MA), and Leslie C Arends (R-IL), as well as Treasury Secretary Charles Halleck, President Nixon states that he would dearly like to pass a significant tax cut within his first one hundred days to stimulate the economy. In order to attempt to appease all sides of the aisle, it is agreed that there shall be no major cuts in defense spending or poverty fighting initiatives, but also cuts in the State, Post, Interior, and Commerce departments in order to attempt to continue Ike's record of fiscal discipline. It is agreed that it could be accomplished.

January 23rd, 1961:
"Mr. President, on the issue of Vietnam, I strongly encourage de-escalation. That one war has the potentiality to turn into a quagmire that would be incredibly hard to win." states Defense Secretary Douglas MacArthur. Over his time as Defense Secretary, MacArthur will grow angered as his advice goes unheeded inside and outside the Pentagon.

January 24th, 1961:
Margaret Chase Smith is confirmed as Secretary of State. She resignes her Senate position to take her new office.
margaretchasesmith.jpg


February 13th, 1961:
The American Economic Management Act of 1961 is introduced in the House of Representatives by Nixon friend Congressman Gerald Ford of Michigan. Debate immediately begins though the bill itself is fairly non-partisan and has been set up in an "everybody wins" situation, something that will not occur very often in the next few years. Privately, Secretaries Smith, Stassen, and Reagan aren't very supportive of the bill due to cuts in their departments, though they each decide individually to not voice much complaint over the bill.

February 19th, 1961:
The American Economic Management Act of 1961, by now termed "Aim61" by insiders, is passed by the House of Representatives by a large margin. Nixon, a man who had intended to become a foreign policy President, has experienced a small domestic achievment in the passing of Aim61.

February 20th, 1961:
Edward M Kennedy, brother to the popular Senator and 1960 Democratic Presidential nominee John F Kennedy, begins work as Assistant District Attorney for Suffolk County, Massachusetts. During his time in the job he will develop a hard-nosed attitude towards crime.

February 27th, 1961:
The American Economic Management Act of 1961 is introduced in the Senate by Senator Thurston B Morton (R-KY). The only protest is from Westerners who protest the cuts to the Interior Department. Agriculture Secretary Fred Seaton (R-NE) speaks before the Senate, attempting to assure Westerners that it will in no way endanger their interests as the Department of Agriculture will still perform its tasks.

March 4th, 1961:
The American Economic Management Act of 1961 is passed by the Senate, thus giving President Nixon his first domestic policy success.

April 12th, 1961:
The Soviet Union's launch of Vostok I, containing Kosmonaut Yuri Gargin marks the first time a human being will be in space. President Nixon neither congratulates Nikita Kruschev on the accomplishment, nor pushes for more NASA funding, as he is apathetic towards the Space Race, focusing much more on earth-bound affairs.

April 14th, 1961:
The actions that will lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion begin as a diversionary landing planned for the night is aborted.

April 15th, 1961:
Air strikes on Cuban air fields begin as eight Douglas B-26B Invader bombers in three groups simultaneously attack three Cuban airfields at San Antonio de Los Banos and at Ciudad Libertad, both near Havana, plus the Antonio Maceo International Airport at Santiago de Cuba. The planes are disguised to look like part of the Cuban Air Force. At the United Nations, Cuba attempts to accuse the United States in having a hand in the situation going on in Cuba. Secretary of State Margaret Chase Smith firmly denies the accusations, herself not being informed by the rather secretive President Nixon, on the situation.

April 16th, 1961:
During the night, a diversionary landing takes place near Bahia Honda. It contains boats twoing rafts carrying sound broadcasting equipment imitating a shipborne invasion landing.

April 17th, 1961:
The official Bay of Pigs Invasion takes place as troops begin unloading from transports on Cuban shores. Landing was delayed due to unseen coral reefs. Cuban Airforce planes begin attacking ships unloading troops at approximately 06:30. This results in the damaging of the USS Houston. At approximately 07:30, paratrooped soldiers fail in their attempt to block the road to Playa Larga and Palpite due to equipment being lost in a swamp. Other troops elsewhere are able to maintain their positions for the few days of the invasion. Different failures and difficulties occur throughout the day, mixed with events that go more smoothly. On the same day, Osvaldo Ramirez, leader of the rural resistance to Castro, is located and executed by Castro's forces. A night airstrike on San Antonio de Los Banos fails, reportedly due to incompetence and bad weather.

April 19th, 1961:
On D-Day +2, Fighting continues. A final air attack mission, titled Mad Dog Flight, end in failure as Cuban Air Force planes shoot down two of the five B-26's. Meanwhile, without direct air support, and short of ammunition, Brigade 2506 ground forces retreats to the beaches in the face of considerable onslaught from Cuban government artillery, tanks and infantry. While President Nixon agrees with Defense Secretary MacArthur to send air support, it is too late for that. Later that night, American ships scour the coast looking for the remains of forces before Cuban fire forces the ships to withdraw.

April 20th, 1961:
D-Day +3, the last day of the field Bay of Pigs Invasion, searches begin for survivors along the coast line, reefs, and islands for scattered survivors of the brigade. Also, reconaissance flights are flown over areas that were formely battlefields looking for further troops.

April 22nd, 1961:
Searches have finally ended for any remaining survivors. Around 25 people are rescued.

April 25th, 1961:
Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), at a press conference, proclaims "Bay of Pigs is the most disgraceful military actions I've seen or heard of in a long while, and I hope to God we don't get anything worse!" Draft Goldwater movements have existed since 1959, and now, even with a Republican incumbent who will likely run for re-election, Goldwater seems to be building more and more steam.

April 28th, 1961:
"We can not allow the United States to be further disgraced by communist nations. While the Soviet Union continues to construct missiles, further outpacing us, ninety miles from our borders lies the communist threat, and we so far have failed to eliminate it!" cries Senator John F Kennedy (D-MA). Having campaigned more hawkishly than Nixon in 1960 and with some swing voters feeling voters' remorse already, it looks like Senator Kennedy could redeem himself in time for the 1964 election. "The man is a damned fool" whispers the Presidents as he views Kennedy's remarks on television.

May 25th, 1961:
Senator John F Kennedy claims "As a nation we should make a commitment to landing a man on the moon before the end of the decade!" His calls are unheeded within the White House.

August 26th, 1961:
In East Germany, the order is given to close the border it shares with Western Germany and erect a wall to permanently separate the two. It is a response to citizens fleeing the country, especially Easter German scientists and philosophers who have fled the Warsaw Pact country.

August 27th, 1961:
The border between East and West Germany is officially closed.

September 1st, 1961:
The first concrete blocks for the so-called Berlin Wall are put in place.

September 2nd, 1961
"One advantage of this situation, Mr. President, is that any potential plans for the taking of West Berlin or all of Western Germany have now been forfeited or proven they were never in the works" drones National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger at a meeting of the National Security Council. Others are not so calm, MacArthur the most obviously concerned about the erection of the wall.
 
I have a number of concerns.
Some choices made by Nixon here make him look foolish. Ronald Reagan for one really doesn't seem qualified enough to become Commerce Secretary because he did a few speeches for GE. In an election this close, Nixon might be forgiven for conceding a few cabinet posts to Democrats, but Reagan- who doesn't have anything close to the national profile he would attain at the 1964 GOP Convention- seems a naive choice given the multitude of alternatives. That, and Nixon's assessment of the man in 1960 wasn't altogether high; when Reagan offered to publicly defect to the GOP while Nixon was on the campaign trail in California, the Vice President instead encouraged him to make merry hell dissenting within the Democratic Party. In other words, sure, say whatever you want, but by God do it on your side of the pitch.

Douglas MacArthur too is...well odd, considering the man was, at around 80 years of age, ailing. Given Cold War tensions at this time, again Nixon would have been torn apart by a press wondering why a Vice President whose very campaign hinged on foreign policy expertise chose a man who many thought might keel over and die at any moment.

Harold Stassen too is unlikely, given Stassen's public opposition to Nixon being renominated for the Vice Presidency in 1956, and Nixon's own capacity to bear a grudge. If Stassen is going to be appointed to anything (and thus raise his profile from 'electoral has-been'), it's going to be far away.

Understood. Whenever there's a Nixon 1960 type timeline, I have this pipe dream that somehow I can get Reagan in the cabinet. It's stupid, I know. I guess I'll have to find some other way to get him elected to the Senate in 1964. As for MacArthur, I wasn't quite sure who would be qualified. I knew that MacArthur wouldn't last through the entire term and had actually decided that after the 1962 mid-terms, MacArthur would resign and Walter Judd would be put in place, realizing how soon I'd have to cut MacArthur's tenure short. As for Stassen, while I'm not a fan of his, I though "Huh." for some people, even politicians I might never vote for, I like to expand their political career beyond what it was in OTL. Such examples might be Herbert Hoover or Henry Wallace, or, considering the subject, Ronald Reagan. I like to pack in lots of experience to some "characters", and that's merely what happened.

No Vienna Summit? Or an analogue thereupon? Both leaders are probably eager to meet again, if only to bolster their positions at home, especially after those famous Kitchen Debates in Moscow. And that might actually help diminish (or conversely escalate) overall tensions between the White House and the Kremlin.

Just goes to show how little I know when I miss something like this when scanning through events to include in Nixon's term. I am willing to consider all your advice and am as of the moment planning a re-write of the update in hopes of making it more realistic. This will include cabinet changes as well as inclusion of things such as the Vienna conference and potentiality for different reactions/foreign policy. Thanks for the suggestions as I hope to make this realistic (granted it won't be the most realistic thing you've ever read, most likely, however, I hope it's still realistic).
 
Bump! I do intend on rebooting this when I have time. I'm hoping on making it even better than the first, which there is a link to. It may include some drastic changes in terms of butterflies, but will still retain its basic shape and direction.
 
Top