Why do I get the feeling that Atwood's conspiracy theories are going to cause major trouble down the line?
Anyway, nice lineup for the primaries.
Anyway, nice lineup for the primaries.
America's Silver Era, The Story of William Jennings Bryan
- Thread starter CELTICEMPIRE
- Start date
March 9, 1964
Wisconsin’s primaries were comfortably won by Al Valenti on the Democrat side, despite almost 30% of voters supporting Andrews. On the Republican side, Herman won the state with 33%, Bird received 28% and Wagner received 25%. When March came around, the first primary was New York. Bird won his home state easily with 60% of the vote. Herman had barely won Iowa in 1960 but won by a ten-point margin in 1964. In Arkansas, the majority of black Republicans supported Bird while the majority of white Republicans backed Herman. Bird won the state, but it was close. Minnesota was won by Herman. Illinois was a three way contest between Herman, Bird, and Wagner. Herman won. New Jersey was a contest between Wagner and Bird, and Bird won. Bird also defeated Herman in Pennsylvania. Camilla Grey was unable to use her momentum from her victory in New Hampshire. She was able to get 30% of the vote in Massachusetts, but lost the state to Bird. By the end of March, she had dropped out. Actor Kyle Jameson was unable to get much support, so he dropped out as well.
Valenti cruised to victory in all of those states. At the same time, events in Ukraine captured the attention of the administration. Hardline Ukrainian nationalists, emboldened by the coup, began attacking German businesses. The deposed King Otto II, himself a Hapsburg, decided to flee the country with his family and go to Vienna. Austria-Hungary could not allow its puppet state to fall so easily, so an army was gathered to put Otto back on the throne. On March 3, Austria-Hungary invaded Ukraine. The Austro-Hungarian government did not declare war on Ukraine, as it did not view the newly formed Republic of Ukraine as legitimate. There was one country that did view it as legitimate: Russia. And the Russian Duma declared its support for Ukraine. Austria-Hungary was issued an ultimatum on the 6th, leave Ukraine or prepare for war. The Austro-Hungarian government, convinced that Germany would come to her aid, refused. On March 9, 1964, Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary.
Valenti cruised to victory in all of those states. At the same time, events in Ukraine captured the attention of the administration. Hardline Ukrainian nationalists, emboldened by the coup, began attacking German businesses. The deposed King Otto II, himself a Hapsburg, decided to flee the country with his family and go to Vienna. Austria-Hungary could not allow its puppet state to fall so easily, so an army was gathered to put Otto back on the throne. On March 3, Austria-Hungary invaded Ukraine. The Austro-Hungarian government did not declare war on Ukraine, as it did not view the newly formed Republic of Ukraine as legitimate. There was one country that did view it as legitimate: Russia. And the Russian Duma declared its support for Ukraine. Austria-Hungary was issued an ultimatum on the 6th, leave Ukraine or prepare for war. The Austro-Hungarian government, convinced that Germany would come to her aid, refused. On March 9, 1964, Russia declared war on Austria-Hungary.
So, another Great War? That should be exciting, and I look forward to seeing how it affects the election.
War in Europe
War had broken out in Europe. This would be the first war between European powers since 1940. In the hours leading up to the declaration of war Chancellor Adenauer tried to get Austria-Hungary and Russia to come to a peaceful resolution. He was unsuccessful and Germany soon declared war on Russia. Adenauer resigned his position, and was replaced by a young hardliner militarist named Johan Landau. Austria-Hungary’s satellite states, Bosnia, Montenegro, and Serbia were called into the war. Germany had satellite states in Eastern Europe as well, but they would not all be called into the war just yet. Belgium was called into the war, but Finland, Poland, and Lithuania were not. Germany was not interested in widening the front with Russia, at least not at this time. On March 15, the first engagement of the war came when Austro-Hungarian military bases in Ukraine came under attack by the Ukrainian Army. Some Ukrainian soldiers were loyal to Otto II’s government and fought alongside the Austro-Hungarians. On the 18th Austro-Hungarian troops attacked the Ukrainian city of Ternopil. On the 20th the city fell.
The United Kingdom quickly declared its neutrality in the conflict. The United States made no such declaration, but took no military action. In April, Japan and Romania declared war on Russia as part of their alliances with Germany and Austria-Hungary respectively. Russia was on its own, surrounded by enemies (with the exceptions of its puppet state of Mongolia and the newly formed Republic of Ukraine). Russia reached out to other countries. Russia hoped that the French could be convinced to join the war in order to avenge their defeat in the Second Great War, but France was militarily weak and their government was still ruled by hardcore Catholic conservatives who went out of their way to avoid any association with the Cartier regime. Some French men, including some Second Great War veterans, would volunteer to fight in the Russian army. China was reached out to as well, but declined. American President Al Valenti was pro-Russian and anti-Japanese but it was unclear if congress would be willing to declare war.
In Germany, the elderly general Erwin Rommel was taken out of retirement in order to help plan the war against Russia. Kaiser Josef I, an introverted man, was forced into the spotlight as he spoke to the people about German greatness. Josef had very little actual power, especially compared to his grandfather, Wilhelm II. He was more of Germany’s mascot. Across the world, he became the symbol of Germany’s war effort. Germany would defend its border with Russia while sending troops to assist Austria-Hungary in its invasion of Ukraine. Germany and Austria-Hungary would engage in a massive international PR campaign, supervised by Swiss uranium magnate Matteo Gimondi. Though Switzerland remained neutral throughout the war, Gimondi had personal interest in the Austro-Hungarian cause. Much of his wealth came from mines in Ukraine, and the puppet government of Otto II was very favorable to him. In addition to many of the media outlets catering to ethnic Germans around the world, Gimondi would buy new media outlets to spread German propaganda. His particular concern was engendering a pro-German stance or at least a neutral stance in the populations of foreign countries.
In German propaganda, Germany and its allies were portrayed as a bulwark of defense against Russian domination of Europe. They used the term “Grand Alliance” to refer to Germany, Austria-Hungary, Japan, and Romania. This was the same term used by the coalition against Cartier in the Second Great War. If Russia wins the war, they claimed, Russia would be the undisputed power of all of Europe and much of Asia. Americans were warned that Russia might then turn its sights towards the Americas. This was a common view in the US, espoused by former President George Patton. Russian propaganda, on the other hand, portrayed Russia as a liberating force from the imperialist Germans. Russia was also portrayed as the defender against Japanese expansionism (and Japan was significantly less popular in the English-speaking world than Germany). The populations of US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were divided between pro-German, pro-Russian, and pro-neutrality camps.
Meanwhile, the war raged on. The war at sea was going terribly for Russia. Germany destroyed Russia’s Baltic fleet while Russia’s Pacific fleet was being hunted down by the Japanese. In the Black Sea things were better. On March 21, pro-Republic Ukrainian sailors mutinied against their pro-Monarchy captains. After taking over their own ships, they turned their guns on the Austro-Hungarian ships stationed outside of Sevastopol. Austria-Hungary could not send any more ships into the Black Sea as Greece closed off the Bosporus to fleets from either side. The remaining Austro-Hungarian ships would retreat to the Romanian port of Constanta. Russia would begin to rely on submarine warfare, taking a cue from Germany during the Great Wars. Greece had a habit of letting Russian submarines go through the Bosporus strait and pretending not to notice, infuriating the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. On land, the Austro-Hungarian army continued to advance though Ukraine. Pro-Republic forces were actually being diverted from the defense of Ukrainian cities and sent to Crimea. Crimea was part of Austria-Hungary, not the Ukrainian puppet state, and the new government wanted to ensure that Ukrainian boots were on the ground there before Russian boots were.
(Ukrainian partisans worked with the Army of the Ukrainian Republic in the early days of the war)
The United Kingdom quickly declared its neutrality in the conflict. The United States made no such declaration, but took no military action. In April, Japan and Romania declared war on Russia as part of their alliances with Germany and Austria-Hungary respectively. Russia was on its own, surrounded by enemies (with the exceptions of its puppet state of Mongolia and the newly formed Republic of Ukraine). Russia reached out to other countries. Russia hoped that the French could be convinced to join the war in order to avenge their defeat in the Second Great War, but France was militarily weak and their government was still ruled by hardcore Catholic conservatives who went out of their way to avoid any association with the Cartier regime. Some French men, including some Second Great War veterans, would volunteer to fight in the Russian army. China was reached out to as well, but declined. American President Al Valenti was pro-Russian and anti-Japanese but it was unclear if congress would be willing to declare war.
In Germany, the elderly general Erwin Rommel was taken out of retirement in order to help plan the war against Russia. Kaiser Josef I, an introverted man, was forced into the spotlight as he spoke to the people about German greatness. Josef had very little actual power, especially compared to his grandfather, Wilhelm II. He was more of Germany’s mascot. Across the world, he became the symbol of Germany’s war effort. Germany would defend its border with Russia while sending troops to assist Austria-Hungary in its invasion of Ukraine. Germany and Austria-Hungary would engage in a massive international PR campaign, supervised by Swiss uranium magnate Matteo Gimondi. Though Switzerland remained neutral throughout the war, Gimondi had personal interest in the Austro-Hungarian cause. Much of his wealth came from mines in Ukraine, and the puppet government of Otto II was very favorable to him. In addition to many of the media outlets catering to ethnic Germans around the world, Gimondi would buy new media outlets to spread German propaganda. His particular concern was engendering a pro-German stance or at least a neutral stance in the populations of foreign countries.
In German propaganda, Germany and its allies were portrayed as a bulwark of defense against Russian domination of Europe. They used the term “Grand Alliance” to refer to Germany, Austria-Hungary, Japan, and Romania. This was the same term used by the coalition against Cartier in the Second Great War. If Russia wins the war, they claimed, Russia would be the undisputed power of all of Europe and much of Asia. Americans were warned that Russia might then turn its sights towards the Americas. This was a common view in the US, espoused by former President George Patton. Russian propaganda, on the other hand, portrayed Russia as a liberating force from the imperialist Germans. Russia was also portrayed as the defender against Japanese expansionism (and Japan was significantly less popular in the English-speaking world than Germany). The populations of US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa were divided between pro-German, pro-Russian, and pro-neutrality camps.
Meanwhile, the war raged on. The war at sea was going terribly for Russia. Germany destroyed Russia’s Baltic fleet while Russia’s Pacific fleet was being hunted down by the Japanese. In the Black Sea things were better. On March 21, pro-Republic Ukrainian sailors mutinied against their pro-Monarchy captains. After taking over their own ships, they turned their guns on the Austro-Hungarian ships stationed outside of Sevastopol. Austria-Hungary could not send any more ships into the Black Sea as Greece closed off the Bosporus to fleets from either side. The remaining Austro-Hungarian ships would retreat to the Romanian port of Constanta. Russia would begin to rely on submarine warfare, taking a cue from Germany during the Great Wars. Greece had a habit of letting Russian submarines go through the Bosporus strait and pretending not to notice, infuriating the Germans and Austro-Hungarians. On land, the Austro-Hungarian army continued to advance though Ukraine. Pro-Republic forces were actually being diverted from the defense of Ukrainian cities and sent to Crimea. Crimea was part of Austria-Hungary, not the Ukrainian puppet state, and the new government wanted to ensure that Ukrainian boots were on the ground there before Russian boots were.
(Ukrainian partisans worked with the Army of the Ukrainian Republic in the early days of the war)
The Third Great War has started. Very original, not many CP wins WWI TLs have it.
Liking how the war has unfolded so far, and can't wait to see how it affects the US election and vice versa.
Thanks! There's also an 87 year old man who will witness all three during his reign as king. In fact, this man was coronated before the events of this TL even began.
Thanks! Both parties are divided between pro-German, pro-Russian, and pro-neutrality factions, with the GOP having a small pro-Japanese faction as well.
Died ITTL in 1950.
The man I'm thinking of is Alexander I of Serbia, who was assassinated at the age of 26 OTL in 1903.
A 74-year reign in the Balkans? And of the Balkan countries, Serbia? Alexander of Serbia just became the longest-serving monarch in European history and would definitely have a great national, European and historiographical reputation ITTL.
1964 Conventions
The outbreak of war in Europe opened a debate in America. Should the US get involved? The United States had generally taken a non-interventionist approach to foreign policy since the 1920s, with notable exceptions such as the Second Great War and the War in Peru. This was largely what the public wanted. Most Americans were not pacifists, but they were wary of foreign entanglements. There were those who disagreed, of course, many thought that the Taft and Savage administrations were overly isolationist and squandered a potential for a strong, internationally influential America. President Valenti was one of them. Valenti had already abandoned the hardcore non-interventionism that characterized US foreign policy throughout most of the 50s. Theresa Valenti, his daughter, would say in 1997 that her father wanted to declare war on Japan from the beginning. House Speaker John W. McCormack also was in favor of intervention. Democrat Senate Leader Joseph Lister Hill was on the fence, but had been a supporter of military intervention in the past.
Support for war was strongest among congressman from urban districts, especially in the East. The reason for this was those districts had high Eastern European immigrant populations. Immigrants from Eastern Europe generally sympathized with Russia over Germany and Austria-Hungary, which they viewed as oppressive. Opposition to war was strongest in the West, especially in areas with high German populations. Hawaii, due to its high Japanese population, was also opposed to war. Because German-Americans were so numerous and influential, a declaration of war on Germany was off the table. Any war would need to be limited to Japan, a much less popular country in America. Sebastian Andrews, Valenti’s left-wing challenger, opposed war with either Germany or Japan. Erick Harrison, the right-wing challenger, talked of America needing to be prepared for the possibility of war, but did not endorse intervention. On the Republican side, only Representative Walter Jackson and Governor Kirk Wagner endorsed war against Japan.
The Virginia state Democratic Party was one of the most conservative in the nation. Thus, it was perfect ground for Harrison’s pro-gun and anti-universal healthcare campaign. He even got endorsements from some local Democrat officials. He won 35% of the vote. He did significantly worse in Tennessee and North Carolina, after which he dropped out. Sebastian Andrews stayed in the race, but like Harrison, he wouldn’t come close to winning a single state. On the Republican side, Virginia was won by Brandon Bird in a close race against Herman and Wagner. Indiana was won handily by Herman, along with Ohio. Walter Jackson lost his home state of Tennessee to Brandon Bird, then suspended his campaign. North Carolina narrowly voted for Herman, the first Southern state to not vote for Bird. Bird would win Maryland, however. Herman then won Michigan as well as his home state of Nebraska. Kirk Wagner finally suspended his campaign after narrowly losing West Virginia to Herman. Wagner did not win a single state, though he came close. The race was between Herman and Bird (Atwood was still running, but he failed to crack double digits in most states).
In May, Herman won Idaho, Oregon, and Kentucky with ease. Momentum was on his side and Bird was running out of states that he could win. Herman focused his efforts on winning over black voters, who generally preferred the more fiscally centrist policies of Governor Bird. Hannah Johnson-Smith, daughter of the late Nahum Johnson, campaigned for Carl Herman in Alabama. He won that state, though Florida voted for Bird. Vermont went for Bird 51-44%. Bird won Maine with only 48% of the vote, if 6% of Maine Republicans hadn’t voted for Atwood, Herman would have won. Then Hawaii, a state with a moderate GOP, voted for Herman 57-40% because he was seen as the most anti-war candidate. After California voted for Herman, Bird suspended his campaign. Atwood stayed in, continuing to campaign. He didn’t win a single state, but he did get 19% of the vote in New Mexico. When the Republican delegates met in Cincinnati, there would be a clear nominee.
At the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Valenti met with delegates in secret to get Christian Peterson replaced on the ticket with an ally of his. Valenti would not publicly back these efforts, however. They couldn’t agree on a single candidate and thus their efforts were unsuccessful. Peterson would stay on the ticket. At the convention, the language about opposing “forced integration” was finally removed from the platform. The platform would say nothing about the war, considering how divisive it was. Despite this, Congress had recently approved shipments of weapons to Russia, at the request of the President. By contrast, the Republican platform took an official position of neutrality. Herman won the nomination and reiterated that if he won the election, “No Americans will be sent to Europe or Asia.” For Vice President, it was determined that a moderate Republican should be chosen. In the end, the delegates went with Representative Lucas Collins of Ohio, a moderate Republican with a strong record on Civil Rights (an issue that Herman dealt with very little as governor of Nebraska). Most importantly, Collins opposed war with Japan.
The Socialist Labor Party delegates met in Denver. Norman Thomas was very old and would not be running again. His 1960 running mate, William Daniel of Florida, won the nomination. He was the first black man nominated for president by a significant political party in American history. Many southern Republicans saw this as a threat to their voting base. His running mate would be Ben Anderson, a state representative from Oklahoma. The Prohibition Party was taken over by Porcherites, with long-time member of the party breaking away to nominate a traditional Protestant candidate. Porcherite leader and self-proclaimed Prophet Rowland Dale of Louisiana was nominated for President and another Porcherite leader, Bishop Earl Paris of Kentucky was nominated for Vice President. The American Worker’s Party nominated their 1960 Vice Presidential nominee for President, former Los Angeles Mayor Eugene Bell. His running mate would be John Rose of Virginia, a state Senator. Bell would put less emphasis on segregation, instead focusing on law and order and calling for immediate military action against Japan. Finally, the Conservative Party, formed in 1960, endorsed the Republican nominee.
Support for war was strongest among congressman from urban districts, especially in the East. The reason for this was those districts had high Eastern European immigrant populations. Immigrants from Eastern Europe generally sympathized with Russia over Germany and Austria-Hungary, which they viewed as oppressive. Opposition to war was strongest in the West, especially in areas with high German populations. Hawaii, due to its high Japanese population, was also opposed to war. Because German-Americans were so numerous and influential, a declaration of war on Germany was off the table. Any war would need to be limited to Japan, a much less popular country in America. Sebastian Andrews, Valenti’s left-wing challenger, opposed war with either Germany or Japan. Erick Harrison, the right-wing challenger, talked of America needing to be prepared for the possibility of war, but did not endorse intervention. On the Republican side, only Representative Walter Jackson and Governor Kirk Wagner endorsed war against Japan.
The Virginia state Democratic Party was one of the most conservative in the nation. Thus, it was perfect ground for Harrison’s pro-gun and anti-universal healthcare campaign. He even got endorsements from some local Democrat officials. He won 35% of the vote. He did significantly worse in Tennessee and North Carolina, after which he dropped out. Sebastian Andrews stayed in the race, but like Harrison, he wouldn’t come close to winning a single state. On the Republican side, Virginia was won by Brandon Bird in a close race against Herman and Wagner. Indiana was won handily by Herman, along with Ohio. Walter Jackson lost his home state of Tennessee to Brandon Bird, then suspended his campaign. North Carolina narrowly voted for Herman, the first Southern state to not vote for Bird. Bird would win Maryland, however. Herman then won Michigan as well as his home state of Nebraska. Kirk Wagner finally suspended his campaign after narrowly losing West Virginia to Herman. Wagner did not win a single state, though he came close. The race was between Herman and Bird (Atwood was still running, but he failed to crack double digits in most states).
In May, Herman won Idaho, Oregon, and Kentucky with ease. Momentum was on his side and Bird was running out of states that he could win. Herman focused his efforts on winning over black voters, who generally preferred the more fiscally centrist policies of Governor Bird. Hannah Johnson-Smith, daughter of the late Nahum Johnson, campaigned for Carl Herman in Alabama. He won that state, though Florida voted for Bird. Vermont went for Bird 51-44%. Bird won Maine with only 48% of the vote, if 6% of Maine Republicans hadn’t voted for Atwood, Herman would have won. Then Hawaii, a state with a moderate GOP, voted for Herman 57-40% because he was seen as the most anti-war candidate. After California voted for Herman, Bird suspended his campaign. Atwood stayed in, continuing to campaign. He didn’t win a single state, but he did get 19% of the vote in New Mexico. When the Republican delegates met in Cincinnati, there would be a clear nominee.
Blue: Herman
Red: Bird
Yellow: Grey
Red: Bird
Yellow: Grey
At the Democratic convention in Philadelphia, Valenti met with delegates in secret to get Christian Peterson replaced on the ticket with an ally of his. Valenti would not publicly back these efforts, however. They couldn’t agree on a single candidate and thus their efforts were unsuccessful. Peterson would stay on the ticket. At the convention, the language about opposing “forced integration” was finally removed from the platform. The platform would say nothing about the war, considering how divisive it was. Despite this, Congress had recently approved shipments of weapons to Russia, at the request of the President. By contrast, the Republican platform took an official position of neutrality. Herman won the nomination and reiterated that if he won the election, “No Americans will be sent to Europe or Asia.” For Vice President, it was determined that a moderate Republican should be chosen. In the end, the delegates went with Representative Lucas Collins of Ohio, a moderate Republican with a strong record on Civil Rights (an issue that Herman dealt with very little as governor of Nebraska). Most importantly, Collins opposed war with Japan.
The Socialist Labor Party delegates met in Denver. Norman Thomas was very old and would not be running again. His 1960 running mate, William Daniel of Florida, won the nomination. He was the first black man nominated for president by a significant political party in American history. Many southern Republicans saw this as a threat to their voting base. His running mate would be Ben Anderson, a state representative from Oklahoma. The Prohibition Party was taken over by Porcherites, with long-time member of the party breaking away to nominate a traditional Protestant candidate. Porcherite leader and self-proclaimed Prophet Rowland Dale of Louisiana was nominated for President and another Porcherite leader, Bishop Earl Paris of Kentucky was nominated for Vice President. The American Worker’s Party nominated their 1960 Vice Presidential nominee for President, former Los Angeles Mayor Eugene Bell. His running mate would be John Rose of Virginia, a state Senator. Bell would put less emphasis on segregation, instead focusing on law and order and calling for immediate military action against Japan. Finally, the Conservative Party, formed in 1960, endorsed the Republican nominee.
Same here. Good update. Interesting to see how America will vote with a new world war brewing in the background of the election
1964
As Japan was preoccupied with war against Russia, Nicaraguan revolutionaries saw it as their time to strike. Across the country, people rose up against the Japanese puppet government. Al Valenti gave a speech before Congress, calling upon lawmakers to support the people of Nicaragua. Valenti did not call for a declaration of war, just a deployment of troops. This annoyed some of the stricter constitutionalist members of Congress. Congress approved the deployment of troops, though many voted against it, including many Democrats. Republican nominee Carl Herman condemned the intervention in Nicaragua, and was in turn denounced by many pro-war Republicans. Actor Kyle Jameson of California, who was a minor candidate in the 1964 Republican primaries. He created an organization called “Republicans for Valenti.” Foreign policy quickly became the main issue of the election. Throughout the Midwest, German-American newspapers endorsed the Herman/Collins ticket. Japanese newspapers, mainly in California and Hawaii, enthusiastically endorsed the Republican ticket as well.
Many of these newspapers were influenced by foreign money. Thus, congress passed a bill establishing a committee to investigate foreign-language media. At the state level, many politicians took action to shut down German or Japanese-language publications. At the same time, Russian-language publications were largely untouched. Spanish-language media was divided on intervention in Nicaragua. New Mexico Governor Kirk Wagner, a Republican who was not supporting Herman, had dozens of Spanish newspapers and magazines forced to stop printing. Herman’s main rival for the nomination, Brandon Bird, urged Republicans to stay united and support the nominee. Oddly enough, Bill Atwood declined to run third party for president, instead running for the US House of Representatives. This was seen by some as an implicit endorsement of Herman. Valenti’s primary challengers did not endorse him. Sebastian Andrews endorsed the Socialist Labor candidate and Erick Harrison endorsed Carl Herman. Harrison, who worked hard to keep Texas Democrat in 1960, would now work to flip the state the GOP.
Herman was strong in many traditionally Democrat areas of the country. The West was generally anti-war, and Herman was a Westerner. In addition, many conservative Southern Democrats were willing to give him a chance. Conversely, many in the traditionally Republican Northeast supported the war. And Valenti was from New England. The Democratic National convention would put a considerable amount of money into trying to win Vermont. The state had never voted Democrat before, and Valenti wanted to be the first to win it. The other state that had never voted Democrat, Hawaii, was highly unlikely to vote for Valenti. Herman would campaign heavily in the Midwest, a region traditionally known for its isolationism. He travelled to Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Depending on the location, he would emphasize his conservatism or his opposition to the war. Valenti focused large Eastern cities like Boston, New York, and the traditional Republican bastion of Philadelphia.
The election of 1964 took on a religious nature unlike that of any election before it as both candidates competed for the support of clergy. Valenti appealed to Catholics as he sought to liberate Nicaraguans from a Nicaraguan government that was an enemy of the Catholic Church. Many Orthodox clergy supported Valenti for his pro-Russian stance. The Democrats made use of the fact that the Japanese government was harassing Christians in order to appeal to all denominations. Herman won the support of many Lutherans due to his perceived pro-German stance. He criticized Valenti for aiding the Hejaz government in the Middle East, which restricted the rights of non-Muslims. Republicans appealed to Jews by bringing up Russia’s anti-Semitic past, contrasting it with the more tolerant Germany. Republicans also made use of black Protestant ministers to keep black voters away from the Socialist Labor Party. And of course, there was the Prohibition Party, which had nominated ministers in the past. But in 1964, they nominated a man who claimed to be a prophet.
Rowland Dale of Louisiana was the leader of the largest Porcherite faction. And he won the nomination of the Prohibition Party in 1964. The Porcherites had been losing members after the death of Arnold Porcher in 1962. However, the outbreak of war in Europe convinced many that the end was actually just around the corner and more people joined. Dale traveled around the country, mixing campaigning and preaching. According to him, Valenti was a secret Catholic who planned on forcibly converting America to Catholicism. He opposed US involvement in the war. He spoke out against racism, which put him in conflict with the American Worker’s Party. He wanted to ban alcohol as well, but he spoke little on that subject. The other two people claiming to be Porcherite prophets, Arthur Porcher in Pennsylvania and Bruce Antonov in Manitoba, told their followers to not vote. Arthur Porcher said that the end would come before the next inauguration, and thus voting was pointless.
In October, the first US troops arrived in Nicaragua. There they were aided by rebels. Valenti hoped that the capital of Managua would fall before the election, but that appeared unlikely. Back in Europe, the Ukrainians put up a brave defense at Kiev, but the city eventually fell in July. The Austrian advance was halted soon afterwards as Russian troops arrived in large number to assist the Ukrainians. In Asia, the Japanese took Vladivostok in August. Japanese soldiers, along with some Chinese soldiers, began their invasion of Mongolia in October. Back in America, opponents of the war organized a march in Milwaukee. The organizers of the march were socialists, but invited people of all political persuasions to join. Republicans, anti-war Democrats, and others would march against the war that day. Most would keep their message simple: America should not declare war on either Germany or Japan. But some were unable or unwilling to keep on message.
(US Navy Destroyers)
Large numbers of Republicans, supported by a state senator, held signs with pictures of the Kaiser with German slogans alongside those with “Herman/Collins ‘64” signs. Bill Atwood made a surprise appearance, speaking out not only against the war but also the union between the US and Canada that he claimed Valenti supported. And finally, some Porcherites went to the rally to hand out religious tracts. There were some counter-protesters as well. There was an altercation between some of the pro and anti-war demonstrators, with many injured as a result. It was a disaster and it damaged both the anti-war movement and Herman’s campaign. His numbers in the polls had been dropping and they continued to drop. At one point he polled as low as 33%. His debates with Valenti were considered a draw. Going into election night, he had very little hope of victory. The best he could hope for was for the election to go to the second round as it had in 1960.
When the results came in, every state on the Eastern coast was quickly called for Valenti except South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Maine, which were still uncertain. In 1920, four states held out against Bryan’s landslide; Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Of these, only Vermont voted for Herman, and only by 2%. Valenti became the first Democrat to win Rhode Island since Franklin Pierce over a century earlier. Some began to call the election right then and there. Others were cautious, waiting to see if Herman would gain in other parts of the country. Herman improved on Baker’s 1960 performance in much of the country. Texas only voted for Valenti by 5%. He also won many of the plains states. But he lost Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, very bad signs for a Republican. After a few days, it was reported that Valenti had barely made it above 50%, enough to prevent a runoff election.
Al Valenti (D-CT)/Christian Peterson (D-ND): 36,058,584 Votes (50.08%)
Carl Herman (R-NE)/Lucas Collins (R-OH): 27,526,351 Votes (38.23%)
William Daniel (S-FL)/Ben Anderson (S-OK): 4,327,318 Votes (6.01%)
Eugene Bell (W-CA)/ John Rose (W-VA): 3,643,299 Votes (5.06%)
Rowland Dale (P-LA)/Earl Paris (P-KY): 230,406 Votes (0.32%)
Others: 216,006 Votes (0.30%)
Many of these newspapers were influenced by foreign money. Thus, congress passed a bill establishing a committee to investigate foreign-language media. At the state level, many politicians took action to shut down German or Japanese-language publications. At the same time, Russian-language publications were largely untouched. Spanish-language media was divided on intervention in Nicaragua. New Mexico Governor Kirk Wagner, a Republican who was not supporting Herman, had dozens of Spanish newspapers and magazines forced to stop printing. Herman’s main rival for the nomination, Brandon Bird, urged Republicans to stay united and support the nominee. Oddly enough, Bill Atwood declined to run third party for president, instead running for the US House of Representatives. This was seen by some as an implicit endorsement of Herman. Valenti’s primary challengers did not endorse him. Sebastian Andrews endorsed the Socialist Labor candidate and Erick Harrison endorsed Carl Herman. Harrison, who worked hard to keep Texas Democrat in 1960, would now work to flip the state the GOP.
Herman was strong in many traditionally Democrat areas of the country. The West was generally anti-war, and Herman was a Westerner. In addition, many conservative Southern Democrats were willing to give him a chance. Conversely, many in the traditionally Republican Northeast supported the war. And Valenti was from New England. The Democratic National convention would put a considerable amount of money into trying to win Vermont. The state had never voted Democrat before, and Valenti wanted to be the first to win it. The other state that had never voted Democrat, Hawaii, was highly unlikely to vote for Valenti. Herman would campaign heavily in the Midwest, a region traditionally known for its isolationism. He travelled to Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Depending on the location, he would emphasize his conservatism or his opposition to the war. Valenti focused large Eastern cities like Boston, New York, and the traditional Republican bastion of Philadelphia.
The election of 1964 took on a religious nature unlike that of any election before it as both candidates competed for the support of clergy. Valenti appealed to Catholics as he sought to liberate Nicaraguans from a Nicaraguan government that was an enemy of the Catholic Church. Many Orthodox clergy supported Valenti for his pro-Russian stance. The Democrats made use of the fact that the Japanese government was harassing Christians in order to appeal to all denominations. Herman won the support of many Lutherans due to his perceived pro-German stance. He criticized Valenti for aiding the Hejaz government in the Middle East, which restricted the rights of non-Muslims. Republicans appealed to Jews by bringing up Russia’s anti-Semitic past, contrasting it with the more tolerant Germany. Republicans also made use of black Protestant ministers to keep black voters away from the Socialist Labor Party. And of course, there was the Prohibition Party, which had nominated ministers in the past. But in 1964, they nominated a man who claimed to be a prophet.
Rowland Dale of Louisiana was the leader of the largest Porcherite faction. And he won the nomination of the Prohibition Party in 1964. The Porcherites had been losing members after the death of Arnold Porcher in 1962. However, the outbreak of war in Europe convinced many that the end was actually just around the corner and more people joined. Dale traveled around the country, mixing campaigning and preaching. According to him, Valenti was a secret Catholic who planned on forcibly converting America to Catholicism. He opposed US involvement in the war. He spoke out against racism, which put him in conflict with the American Worker’s Party. He wanted to ban alcohol as well, but he spoke little on that subject. The other two people claiming to be Porcherite prophets, Arthur Porcher in Pennsylvania and Bruce Antonov in Manitoba, told their followers to not vote. Arthur Porcher said that the end would come before the next inauguration, and thus voting was pointless.
In October, the first US troops arrived in Nicaragua. There they were aided by rebels. Valenti hoped that the capital of Managua would fall before the election, but that appeared unlikely. Back in Europe, the Ukrainians put up a brave defense at Kiev, but the city eventually fell in July. The Austrian advance was halted soon afterwards as Russian troops arrived in large number to assist the Ukrainians. In Asia, the Japanese took Vladivostok in August. Japanese soldiers, along with some Chinese soldiers, began their invasion of Mongolia in October. Back in America, opponents of the war organized a march in Milwaukee. The organizers of the march were socialists, but invited people of all political persuasions to join. Republicans, anti-war Democrats, and others would march against the war that day. Most would keep their message simple: America should not declare war on either Germany or Japan. But some were unable or unwilling to keep on message.
(US Navy Destroyers)
Large numbers of Republicans, supported by a state senator, held signs with pictures of the Kaiser with German slogans alongside those with “Herman/Collins ‘64” signs. Bill Atwood made a surprise appearance, speaking out not only against the war but also the union between the US and Canada that he claimed Valenti supported. And finally, some Porcherites went to the rally to hand out religious tracts. There were some counter-protesters as well. There was an altercation between some of the pro and anti-war demonstrators, with many injured as a result. It was a disaster and it damaged both the anti-war movement and Herman’s campaign. His numbers in the polls had been dropping and they continued to drop. At one point he polled as low as 33%. His debates with Valenti were considered a draw. Going into election night, he had very little hope of victory. The best he could hope for was for the election to go to the second round as it had in 1960.
When the results came in, every state on the Eastern coast was quickly called for Valenti except South Carolina, New Hampshire, and Maine, which were still uncertain. In 1920, four states held out against Bryan’s landslide; Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Of these, only Vermont voted for Herman, and only by 2%. Valenti became the first Democrat to win Rhode Island since Franklin Pierce over a century earlier. Some began to call the election right then and there. Others were cautious, waiting to see if Herman would gain in other parts of the country. Herman improved on Baker’s 1960 performance in much of the country. Texas only voted for Valenti by 5%. He also won many of the plains states. But he lost Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan, very bad signs for a Republican. After a few days, it was reported that Valenti had barely made it above 50%, enough to prevent a runoff election.
Al Valenti (D-CT)/Christian Peterson (D-ND): 36,058,584 Votes (50.08%)
Carl Herman (R-NE)/Lucas Collins (R-OH): 27,526,351 Votes (38.23%)
William Daniel (S-FL)/Ben Anderson (S-OK): 4,327,318 Votes (6.01%)
Eugene Bell (W-CA)/ John Rose (W-VA): 3,643,299 Votes (5.06%)
Rowland Dale (P-LA)/Earl Paris (P-KY): 230,406 Votes (0.32%)
Others: 216,006 Votes (0.30%)
And here I worried for a minute that the Porcherites would see a surge or something from the war. Glad to see that was just a hiccup.
Let's see what happens with Valenti's second term and the ongoing war.
Let's see what happens with Valenti's second term and the ongoing war.
1964 Addendum: Question 9
Voters approved a referendum to enact universal healthcare nationwide. It did not reach the 60% necessary to make the results binding, however.
Shall the United States adopt a system of Universal Healthcare?
Yes: 57.9%
No: 42.1%
Shall the United States adopt a system of Universal Healthcare?
Yes: 57.9%
No: 42.1%
Why did Oregon vote No?Voters approved a referendum to enact universal healthcare nationwide. It did not reach the 60% necessary to make the results binding, however.
Shall the United States adopt a system of Universal Healthcare?
Yes: 57.9%
No: 42.1%
Kinda want an explaination for some other states that voted yes and no as well.