For whoever suggested DPM as a Republican, let's try this out...
1970: In the New York Senate election, Conservative candidate James L. Buckley comes in second to his Democratic opponent, Richard Ottinger, who is the victor.
1972
With President Nixon's re-election, HUD Secretary George Romney prepares to resign. To replace him, the President in December 1972 selects non-partisan Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan--who's already been one of his assistants and advisers--to the position.
1973
Moynihan works much better with Nixon and manages to tackle problems related to funding and creates a number of much better and much more efficient systems than were in place since the Johnson days.
1974
President Nixon resigns, Ford takes his place, etc. Meanwhile, in the ensuing reshuffle, Moynihan finds himself now in a foreign policy position, Ambassador to the United Nations in June, 1974. As opposed to OTL where Moynihan worked as a maverick and against the administration, Moynihan instead (not having served as Ambassador to India and thus still hawkish) works somewhat to the administration's right.
1975
With Conservatives rising in opposition to NSA and State Secretary Henry Kissinger, Moynihan is appointed in November as a competent and able substitute. A formidable opponent of Kissinger who retains his position as Secretary of State, Moynihan and new Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld make up the hawkish wing of Ford's cabinet (as opposed to the
detente wing, headed by VP Rockefeller and SoS Kissinger).
1976
Having by now become an independent and seen as a conservative (if not a reasonable and intelligent one), Moynihan is called upon by the NY GOP to run in their Senate primary. Right now the battle is between the "Buckley wing" and the "Javits wing" and it threatens to tear the party apart. With Moynihan entering at the last minute, he is nominated. In a lone Senate debate, Moynihan greatly outpaces the liberal Ottinger and in the general election, despite New York going to Carter, manages to win a comfortable 54% majority.
1977-1980
Things go as OTL in Carter's term, which is, to be frank, disastrous. Moynihan becomes an outspoken opponent of Carter's foreign policy, but helps to pass a number of Carter's de-regulation bills and even some environmental projects.
1980
The race for the Republican nomination is made up of many colorful and qualified characters. Among them are former CA Governor Ronald Reagan, Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker of TN, KS Senator Bob Dole, Rep. John Anderson of IL, and even former DCI George Bush of Texas. Despite some calls for Moynihan to step into the field, Moynihan refuses, saying in private "I'd never be elected in these times". Reagan easily sows up the nomination after fending off a challenge from Bush who won the Iowa Caucuses.
At the 1980 RNC, Reagan goes into negotiations with former President Ford over the possibility of a "dream ticket", where Reagan is the nominee for President and Ford runs for Vice President. While negotiations fall through, one of Ford's demands, that he be able to choose cabinet nominees (including his suggestion of Moynihan to head a high level department), gets the Governor thinking. Moynihan is after all, perceived as moderate. He is intelligent. He's Catholic and yet can appeal to a number of North-Eastern moderate Republicans. A call to Moynihan's suite (where he heads the New York delegation) makes the final decision.
Ronald Reagan (R-CA)/Daniel Patrick Moynihan (R-NY) 477 electoral votes, 52%
Jimmy Carter (D-GA)/Walter Mondale (D-MN) 61 electoral votes, 43%
John Anderson (I-IL)/Patrick Lucey (I-WI) 0 electoral votes, 3%
1981
Reagan and Moynihan are sworn in. However, on his 69th day in office, Reagan falls prey to an assassin's bullet and also falls victim to the 20-year curse. Moynihan takes office and presides over the economic recovery (though a much different one at that). His term includes further deregulation, a number of urban-concentrated proposals (aided in Congress by Jack Kemp), socially conservative policies (though for much more secular reasons than his contemporaries), and an active foreign policy focused on rolling back communism (such as the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) but also working with the Soviet government (post-Brezhnev) to lower ICBM count.
For Vice President, Moynihan chose the experienced John Tower of Texas. In the special election to replace him, held in September, former presidential candidate and Ford administration DCI George Bush was elected.
1984
President Moynihan's declaration of his intent to seek re-election came relatively late. With that, a number of small, insurgent candidates had attempted to dethrone the largely popular president. Among them were Reverend Pat Robertson and former Congressman John Anderson. With them barnstorming and the Moynihan campaign gearing up relatively late, as well as very low turnout, Robertson was able to win a few states. However, with the Moynihan campaign in full gear by March, any attempts to primary the incumbent were crushed.
In the Democratic primaries, Colorado Senator Gary Hart, riding an anti-establishment wave, was able to narrowly beat former Vice President Walter Mondale.
Blue-Senator Gary Hart (CO)
Red-former Vice President Walter Mondale (MN)
Green-Reverend Jesse Jackson (IL)
Hart would choose Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas in order to solidify his "centrist" appeal and win moderates. However, the union vote in many northern states would be severely depressed.
In the debates, meanwhile, Moynihan was able to do very well. However, Hart's youth and energy as opposed to Moynihan's complicated an intellectual answers managed to even out. On election night, America would vote Moynihan a second and final term.
(map later)