A Time For Greatness: The Alternate Presidency of John F. Kennedy and beyond
- Thread starter PickledFish
- Start date
I must say, I absolutely loved reading your timeline, and I am very disappointed to see it end. I really wanted to see Bobby Kennedy as President, as well as how all the other events turned out.
Will you ever start a successor timeline that picks up where this one left off - if not right now, then maybe several months in the future? I know I remember seeing one of your earlier posts that you would continue this timeline (or a successor) through 1989, if not later. Regardless, I’m not ready to see this series of events end - and I probably speak for many of your readers when I say that. Please don’t leave us hanging, PickledFish!
Will you ever start a successor timeline that picks up where this one left off - if not right now, then maybe several months in the future? I know I remember seeing one of your earlier posts that you would continue this timeline (or a successor) through 1989, if not later. Regardless, I’m not ready to see this series of events end - and I probably speak for many of your readers when I say that. Please don’t leave us hanging, PickledFish!
I do have vague plans/ideas for a sequel, entitled “A Time For Gonzo” which focuses on the incredibly chaotic and difficult 70s in the wake of all the insanity of the 60s. It will mostly centre around the life and career of Hunter S. Thompson in that decade. A third story would take place in the 80s, from a different angle I haven’t thought of yet. But I may not ever get to these, we shall see.
However, my main focus is on my Mondale TL, and after that, a project I am excited for called “Mr Clinton Goes To War”.
Hahaha I will keep the exact location/nature of the conflict in question close to my chest for now 😎
Epilouge: A Time For Gonzo?
Epilogue
On January 20th, 1973, Bobby Kennedy was sworn in as America’s 37th President. His inauguration was met with fanfare by many, and his rousing speech touched on many of the things that his brother had spoken of in his own inaugural address 12 years prior.
He spoke of progress. The future. The willingness to stand firm against enemies with a courage to seek peace. There was a call to service for America’s young.
There was nothing quite as memorable as Kennedy’s “ask not” but it was the speech that Kennedy’s diehard supporters were hoping for. Camelot was back.
Or at least, that’s what people wanted to believe.
Sheriff Hunter S. Thompson was not so sure. He’d seen the chaos of the last decade. More than that, he’d lived it, and rode the wave into elected office as a law enforcement officer.
The People’s Republic of China was vanquished in nuclear fire, and in its place was a nation being born of conflict. Chiang Kai Shek’s forces were still waging bloody war against the splintered and fragmented remains of the communist government. No one had any idea how this would end.
Cuba and Vietnam were firmly in America’s camp, but between American adventurism of the past decade and the Soviet Union’s war with China, much of the rest of the world was sick of the two great powers. No one had seen Brezhnev in months – was he alive or dead?
In the year 1973, there were questions than answers. The Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado thought he had the only solution. In a rare guest article for the Rolling Stone, Thompson made his thoughts clear. Shortly after proclaiming that he would arrest former President Barry Goldwater on charges of "mass murder, trespassing, and general insanity" if he ever stepped foot in Aspen, Colorado, Thompson delivered this warning to the readership of the Rolling Stone:
“President Kennedy, the Second, seems to believe that we are in a new Time For Greatness. This elected official is not so sure. What we’re seeing from middle America, from Fat City, tells a different story. Not the kind of story you’ll hear on the Thursday Evening News, but one you’ll hear if you go down to the nearest dive bar or small town diner – a story of Fear and Loathing. The American Dream is dead, and we should not expect Bobby Kennedy to revive it. We’re in a whole new era, far from greatness. The blackened soul of Richard Nixon leaked out from his corpse and poisoned the whole world and we’re left to breath in the toxic fumes and drink from the foul waters.
There’s madness throughout the land and the only way to understand it is with a handful of the most potent psychedelic mushrooms money can buy and a bottle of Wild Turkey. Strap yourselves in, ladies, gentlemen and acid freaks of all kinds. We’re in A Time for Gonzo now.”
This article would be shared repeatedly in the years and decades following the 1973 election. In a sea of optimism following Kennedy's inauguration, Thompson's drug and alcohol fueled warning proved more prescient than few could've ever predicted.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The End.
Last edited:
Congratulations on completing this outstanding TL👏👏 Loved reading every minute of it. Kudos to you and the amount of energy and effort you put into writing it 
Thank you! My interest waned a bit after I got the urge to do the Mondale TL but I was determined to at least end the Kennedy-Goldwater arc and give people a sense of conclusion while leaving the door open for a sequel if I choose to go down that route.Congratulations on completing this outstanding TL👏👏 Loved reading every minute of it. Kudos to you and the amount of energy and effort you put into writing it
No worries I understand. I too am excited for you to return to the Mondale TL but I think you ended this Kennedy one very well. That hint of a sequel is also exciting
Very interesting ending- it would be nice to think that Thompson was wrong, but I suspect if the ITTL 70's turn out to be a tumultuous as the OTL one's then Prez Kennedy II is in for a much wilder ride than his brother. Perhaps, maybe Bobby can forge a better world.
Nice work in finishing this timeline, I hope you publish the finished version on the completed thread.
Looking forward to reading other things from you.
Nice work in finishing this timeline, I hope you publish the finished version on the completed thread.
Looking forward to reading other things from you.
And so this tale of an alternate JFK presidency finally comes to it's conclusion - Congratulations on creating such an interesting timeline! I started reading it when the first chapter was posted and was immediately hooked, and I've followed it all the way to it's final part today... Job very well done!
Very impressive. I'd love to see more about KMT China. Chang has learned not to rely on corrupt elites.
I may continue this TL is a sequel one day, perhaps in a collaboration with someone else. In general though, the outcome of the war is uncertain. Chiang’s victory is far from a guarantee.