AHC: at 1964 Democratic Convention, a real compromise in which MFDP (Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party) gets 50% of the state’s seats.

GeographyDude

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The MFDP had both logic and emotion on its side.

The bodies of the three murdered civil rights workers — Andrew Goodman, James Cheney, and Michael Schwerner — were discovered in an earthen dam in Neshoba County, Mississippi, on Aug. 4, 1964. And then, less than three weeks later, the Democratic National Convention starts on Monday, Aug. 24, 1964 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Of course, members of the MFDP delegation show pictures of three activists.

I would have showed their pictures, too.

In OTL, the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party was given the “compromise” of two at-large, non-voting seats. Find a way in which there’s a real compromise in which MFDP delegates get half the seats for the state of Mississippi.

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New Edit: Open Timeline. Please feel free to jump in! Thanks.
 
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GeographyDude

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The 1964 Democratic National Convention and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party – the DLG B

blog.dlg.galileo.usg.edu blog.dlg.galileo.usg.edu
“ . . . were elected at MFDP’s state convention in Jackson on August 6, 1964. Because African Americans in Mississippi were denied admittance to state Democratic party meetings, MFDP followed the state Democratic party’s official procedures to the letter . . . ”
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To me, this makes a difference. And makes splitting the seats 50-50 much easier to defend.
 
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GeographyDude

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marktaha said:
Considering that all the delegates were pledged to LBJ, did it matter?
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Funny you should mention that!

As part of the “compromise,” Mississippi’s “regular” delegates were asked to commit themselves to the Convention’s nominees, but out of 60-something delegates, only three or four agreed to make such a commitment! The rest walked.

Now, as a person who generally does not like loyalty oaths, I kind of understand. It’s generally an insult to ask for some public commitment for something I’m going to do anyway.

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The “compromise” was still considered a success for the establishment since the delegates of other southern states did not also walk.
 

GeographyDude

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Fannie Lou Hamer

“ . . . On Saturday, August 22nd, the MFDP presents its case to the Credentials Committee. Johnson and Humphrey have eroded the MFDP's support. Hope that the committee will reject the all-white Mississippi delegates and seat the MFDP in their place fades. But it only takes 10% of the Credentials Committee members (11 votes) to issue a ‘minority report’ supporting the MFDP's challenge. Eight state delegations can then demand that the minority report be debated and voted on by the entire convention before the eyes of the world. They know — as does LBJ — that the MFDP might very well win such a floor fight. Winning 11 votes for a minority report becomes the crux of the battle. . . ”
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Okay, so the Saturday before the Convention starts.

‘ . . . With tears welling in her eyes — with tears filling the eyes of almost everyone watching — she asked, in the unrehearsed, down-to-earth, plain language of an everyday American, the question we all wanted answered:

“If the Freedom party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America, the land of the free and the home of the brave, where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hooks because our lives be threatened daily, because we want to live as decent human beings, in America?”​

‘Watching TV coverage of the hearings in the Oval Office, LBJ realizes how powerful Mrs. Hamer's testimony is. To divert the cameras, he calls a spur-of-the-moment live press conference to announce nothing of any great importance, and the networks cut away from the conclusion of her statement. But that evening the networks replay her words to a prime-time audience, and next day the Sunday papers feature the story with photographs and quotes. Friends of SNCC and CORE chapters mobilize Movement supporters to flood the White House and convention headquarters with telegrams. They swamp the operators with phone calls. . . ’
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Problem is, Saturday is a slow day for TV news. But Sunday is a good day for the newspaper.

But if Lyndon Johnson could have found a way to support these mostly black folks from Mississippi, it might . . . almost . . . have been as valuable as his signature on the Voting Rights Act a year later ? ! ?

You know, at the end of the day, I think it’s the people in charge fearing chaos and not being in control.

Years ago, I read about a teenage girl having vascular problems with one foot, so that she could sometimes go to school and sometimes not. Okay, this is pretty straightforward, you’d think the school officials could understand. But no, they didn’t. In fact, one assistant principal was really mean to her. So, I think the school was scared to death, well, if we let this girl decide for herself when to go to school and when not to, where’s it all going to end? Are we going to have students deciding for themselves, etc, etc, it’s going to be chaos, etc, etc.

That is, the establishment unfortunately has a real ability to come together, and to treat an “outsider” as an outsider, including in mean fashion.
 
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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
1960_large.png

1960 Election
www.270towin.com

Presidential Election of 1960 - 270toWin

Results of the presidential election of 1960, won by John F. Kennedy with 303 electoral votes
www.270towin.com www.270towin.com

What the hell’s with this light blue with Alabama and Mississippi?

Well, in 1960, 6 electors in Alabama and all 8 electors in Mississippi voted for Robert Harry Byrd! ! So, maybe LBJ plays a little poker and quietly lets Mississippi Democratic leaders hear rumors that he is thoroughly pissed (for our UK friends, that “The Mississippi Democrats are taking the piss,” in this usage, meaning to take advantage and act in an unacceptable manner).

Let them hear that he has described their 1960 behavior as “jumping the ship” and “bailing out.” Let them hear that he wrote on the side of a memo “bunch of damn ingrates.”
 
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GeographyDude

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GeographyDude

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Lyndon Johnson won big in 1964, winning 61% of the popular vote and almost all states. Goldwater, however, did win five southern states (plus his home state of Arizona).

But focusing just on southern states, things got worse.

Therefore, in an ATL in which the Mississippi Freedom Democrats are respectfully offered a real compromise of half the delegation, will this be blamed for “losing” 3 and 1/2 additional states?
 
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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
www.pbs.org

Milestones Of The Civil Rights Movement | American Experience | PBS

Take a closer look at milestones that occured during the civil rights movement.
www.pbs.org
“ . . . After 1966, the civil rights movement began to fracture between those who favored nonviolent means to achieve integration and younger, more radical leaders who wanted to fight for ‘black power.’ . . ”
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So, if the establishment comes through in even a halfway real way in 1964 . . .

Maybe a smaller split and/or a delayed split. And therefore a higher trajectory for the Civil Rights movement.
 
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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
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page 180:

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And the weird thing, Lyndon Johnson is all in favor of civil rights and and incurred political costs for the sake of the cause. There’s even the quote as he signed either Civil Rights or Voting Rights that he realized he was losing the South for the Democratic Party for a generation.

I guess LBJ was a political animal . . . who really loved political intelligence.

And no shit, 30 FBI agents can more valuably use their time elsewhere. For example, doing the legwork and trying to connect mob capos to actual crimes . . . just saying!
 
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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
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I hate this kind of personal, face-to-face bullying. I mean, who doesn’t?

And if you want to decide that Walter Reuther of the UAW was a big, fat bully, well, here’s your chance. Although many of us have probably done something at least somewhat similar for the sake of a job. You kind of have to establish yourself as boss, or people will run all over you. And then:

Really! ?

As far as being on the receiving end, a sincere “Really! ?” can actually be a pretty good response.

And/or a little reverse psychology such as this: “Yes, I think they will fire me, and sooner rather than later. I definitely have a decision to make. That’s for sure.” Notice that it’s also a little bit of a mini-filibuster, with the emphasis on the mini. And then, simply by putting one foot in front of the other, walking away, and preferably to an area with more people.

And talk to your spouse if possible.

Your spouse will certainly appreciate being included in the loop. And if you’re very lucky, the two of you might even end up switching roles in the discussion. For example, “If I don’t get this judgeship, there’ll be another down the road. Plus, I’ve been having some doubts about this particular one anyway.” And she responds, “But you’ve worked so hard for it.” And he responds, “Other people have worked plenty hard, too. Actually, I’ve been slightly dreading it. Almost like I’m obligated to take it because everyone views it as a promotion. I think I enjoy private practice and being my own man more.” —although this particular magic doesn’t always happen! :)
 
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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
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Cuban Missile Crisis, Oct. 1962

This is why you can’t “buckle” to activists. You have to signal to the Soviets that you’re tough. As a new president, LBJ especially has to do this.

Well, I’m not talking about “buckling.” I’m talking about getting in front of the issue, embracing the opportunity, and to some extent helping to sculpt and guide it.

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GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
And two months after . . .

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TIME magazine, October 23, 1964

Again, don’t be weak. Get in front of the issue. It’s something you believe in anyway, right?
 
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