Chapter 42: January 1977 – February 1978
“If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.”
– Matthew 5:44-48
“Vice President Gravel, Speaker Udall, Mr. Chief Justice, President Sanders, Vice President Humphrey, Vice President Scranton, Reverend, Clergymen, and all my fellow citizens: Today does not mark a personal or political victory, but a celebration of the best qualities of America. …The American people overseas and at home are working to break the bonds of mass misery both abroad and at home, from humid jungles to urban cities. No matter where they come from, the cries for freedom cannot ever go unanswered. …America is resilient. When push comes to shove, and disasters and emergencies occur, we all put our differences and prejudices aside to carry out our collective instinct to assist those around us who are suffering. This is the integrity of both the human spirit and the American way. …Not only do I accept the difficulties, obstacles, and adversities that I will face in the coming years, but I also welcome them with open arms. May God continue to bless the United States of America with pride, humility, toleration and freedom, and may He bless the rest of the world with such indispensable qualities of prosperity and greatness.”
– President Mondale’s second inauguration address, 1/20/1977
WALTER MONDALE’S ADMINISTRATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 1977
Cabinet:
Secretary of State: US Senator
James Carter of Georgia (incumbent Philleo Nash retired)
Secretary of the Treasury: former Undersecretary of the Treasury for Monetary Affairs
Robert Vincent Roosa of New York
Secretary of Defense: outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired US Air Force General
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. of Washington, D.C
Attorney General: attorney and former Deputy Attorney General
Ramsey Clark of Texas
Postmaster General: former US Senator
Maurine Neuberger of Oregon
Secretary of the Interior: former state senator
Fred R. Harris of Oklahoma
Secretary of Agriculture: outgoing Governor
K. Gunn McKay of Utah (incumbent Ryan DeGreffenried Sr. retired)
Secretary of Commerce: US Congressman
John Emerson Moss of California
Secretary of Labor: former Undersecretary of State
Robert F. Kennedy Sr. of Virginia
Secretary of Health and Welfare: Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare
Albert Rossellini of Washington state
Secretary of Education: Governor
Pierre Salinger of Massachusetts (incumbent F. Grant Sawyer resigned)
Secretary of Transportation: US Representative
T. Ashton Thompson of Louisiana (incumbent Ralph Nader retired)
The President’s Executive Office:
White House Chief of Staff: Chief of Staff to Senator Mondale
Richard Moe of Minnesota
Chief Domestic Policy Advisor: former State Secretary of State
Gloria Schaffer of Connecticut (incumbent Julia Butler Hansen retired)
Chief Economic Policy Advisor: former President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States
Harold F. Linder of New York
Chief Foreign Policy Advisor: Columbia University political science professor
Samuel P. Huntington of New York (incumbent Robert Dale Maxwell retired)
Chief National Security Advisor: attorney and assistant to the Secretary of Defense
Togo D. West Jr. of North Carolina (incumbent Sam Huntington retired)
Director of the Office of Management and Budget: former First Lady of Florida
Mary Call Darby Collins of Washington, D.C.
White House Communications Director: political activist and campaign organizer
Sam W. Brown Jr. of California
White House Press Secretary: Press Secretary for Senator Kennedy-Shriver
Mary Jo Kopechne of Massachusetts (incumbent Mac Kilduff retired)
Administrator of the Small Business Administration: businessman
Alexander Buell “Sandy” Trowbridge III of New Jersey
– MondalePresidentialLibrary.org.usa/cabinet_members/1973
…in other news, former Secretary of Transportation Ralph Nader became the inaugural holder of the office of Administrator of the newly-formed Environmental Protection Agency, a federal agency meant to oversee the conservation of America’s ecosystems. At the swearing-in ceremony held earlier today, Mr. Nader said, quote, “There’s more than enough room on Earth for man and nature to co-exist,”…
– NBC News, 1/24/1977 broadcast
MONDALE ENDS FIRST WEEK OF NEW TERM WITH AMBITIOUS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA PUT FORWARD
Washington, DC – Emboldened by the Democratic and liberal gains in November’s election, President Mondale has announced several specific legislation endeavors this week, with the biggest ones concerning his planned massive tax overhaul and a shift in federal spending. On the 21st, Mondale said “
The key to this nation's future is a healthy growing economy -- an economy that provides jobs and opportunities for all Americans, and not just profits for the rich. We will work to put
limits on how much the doctors and the hospitals can gouge Medicare and Medicaid and the public. Nobody should have to pay $700 a day for a hospital room or $65 to walk into a doctor's office.”
In regards to social politics, the President vowed on the 22nd to further
“enforce the civil rights laws so that women and minorities have a fair chance to get and keep a good job.” Additionally, Mondale called for legislation that will aim to
“improve education for all children, and to strengthen families with nutrition programs and day care centers. As a member of the influential Finance Committee I
fought for fairness and equity in our tax laws. I continued fighting in my first term and I will continue to fight in my second term.”
Mondale has also alluded to economic concerns brought up during his re-election campaign, saying on the 23rd, “We are going to
give smaller, creative companies an even break instead of passing out all the goodies to the big corporations. Big business doesn't need public assistance. We are going to
see to it that American exporters don't get shortchanged by other countries' unfair trading practices. We also are going to
give family farmers a fighting chance against the giants of agribusiness, and
bring the nation's governors and mayors together to forge a real partnership with the federal government to make this nation's cities good places to live.”
Finally, earlier today, Mondale re-confirmed that he retains his position that “we should
help poorer nations stand on their own feet. Democracy will never grow in the soil of poverty, oppression, and despair. We have to
attract the people of other countries
with our values, instead of scaring them with our weapons.” Specifically, the President announced a very ambitious goal: a call for a
“senate resolution to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.” [1]
– The Washington Post, 1/27/1977
THE GREAT LAKES BLIZZARD OF 1977: The Deadly Cold That Surprised Millions 40 Years Ago Today
[pic:
imgur.com/F2Wm3SH ]
..If you didn’t experience it firsthand, you will never fully comprehend just how bad winter weather can get. Forty years ago this week, residents of the Niagara Region in southern Ontario and western New York (including the city of Buffalo) found themselves in the midst of one of the most infamous blizzards in either region’s history. A blizzard so intense that people literally froze to death in their vehicles because they couldn’t make it to safety. A blizzard so powerful that it created nine-metre snow drifts, completely burying cars and making snowmobiles the only possible means of transport for days, if not weeks
What makes the Blizzard of ’77 so unique is the fact that this storm did not by itself produce the copious amounts of snow that led to the aforementioned nine metre snow drifts famously photographed after the event.
…Succeeding but unrelated to another historic meteorological event – snow falling in Miami, for the first time in recorded history, on January 19 –
the Blizzard of ’77 would likely not have happened at all if it were not for the anomalously cold conditions toward the last quarter of 1976; the average air temperature during the months of November and December, for example, was 6˚C colder than the climatological normal, breaking records that went back to the 1880s. Because of these cold temperatures, Lake Erie froze over completely by December 14th, 1976 – the earliest it had ever done so on record. …Now normally if a Great Lake freezes over, this reduces the likelihood of experiencing a significant snowfall downwind, as lake-effect snow no longer becomes a concern; moisture can no longer be readily picked up by the winds, hindering the development of lake effect snow squalls. But in this particular case, the Blizzard of ’77 largely happened because the lake froze over so early. Meteorological reports…indicate that up until the blizzard began…it had snowed every day since Christmas of 1976, leading to a whopping 150 cm of snow falling prior to the blizzard in January alone.
…Stranded motorists quite literally froze to death in their vehicles, as engines failed to ignite or ran out of gas. A state of emergency was declared in western New York by then-President Walter Mondale, in collaboration with then-Governor of New York Mario Biaggi
, while the Canadian Forces were sent out to assist in Canada. Without exaggeration, the only reliable means of transportation in the region became snowmobiles, which were used extensively by local police and RCMP in the Niagara Region to provide aid for as many as they could.
…Gradually, by February 1st, the winds diminished as the system departed …Slowly but surely, with the help of the Armed Forces and local police, people dug themselves out, although some report being trapped in their homes for weeks; perhaps unsurprisingly, the Niagara Region reported an 18 per cent increase in births in the fall of 1977 as a result! The final price tag for this event on both sides of the border is an estimated $300 million, and led to a total of twenty nine storm-related deaths in the Buffalo area, and at least two in Canada. …While it is clear that a very specific combination of anomalous conditions led to this extraordinary event, the Blizzard of ’77 highlights the importance of winter preparedness. [2]
– theweathernetwrok.co.usa, 2017 article
MONDALE DECLARES I.S.F. VIRUS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AFTER TENTH B.L.U.T.A.G. AMERICAN DIES
– The Los Angeles Times, 2/1/1977
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE “SECOND SPACE RACE”!: USSR’s Soyuz 24 Docks With Salyut 5 Space Station
...with the Soviets continuing their space station program, one wonders when the US will launch one of its own…
– The Houston Chronicle, 2/7/1977 broadcast
Atlas Shrugged (TV miniseries)
Broadcast: February 1-8, 1977
[snip]
PRODUCTION
…Efforts to turn Ayn Rand’s 1957 novel “Atlas Shrugged” into a theatrical film began in the early 1960s but dragged on without progress for the rest of the decade. After several individuals attached to a proposed two-hours-long film withdrew from the project, Albert S. Ruddy approached Rand with a new and more comprehensive proposal of producing a two-and-a-hours-long film version of her book in 1972, but he refused to let her have final script approval.
Later that year, Henry and Michael Jaffe proposed to Rand that they produce a TV miniseries adaptation with her having final say over the script and 75% of the casting, but not over the set design, editing, or cinematography, though she would have a say in them all. After weeks of negotiations, she agreed to the deal after Rand was impressed by Jaffe’s handling of several prior productions for TV and film in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The negotiated plan for an 8-hour series to air on The Overmyer Network was greenlit in 1973. Screenwriter Stirling Silliphant and Ed Snider joined the crew in 1974. John Aglialoro, a TV technology investor, businessman, and entrepreneur, was signed on to co-produce later that year…
[snip]
CASTING
The miniseries featured a large ensemble cast, with the main roles of Dagny Taggart and Hank Reardon being portrayed by Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrooke, respectively. Richard Lynch played James Taggart and Arthur O’Connell played oil tycoon Ellis Wyatt. Lawrence Dobkin portrayed Wesley Mouch, with James Cromwell and Sorrell Booke appearing as two of the character’s supporters. Ronald N. Sobe portrayed scientist Quentin Daniels, while Stefan Gierasch played the elusive John Galt. Additionally, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood, Will Geer, Ryan O’Neal and multiple B-list actors and actresses appear in smaller roles. Furthermore, after failing to have Colonel Sanders make a small appearance in the film due to scheduling conflicts, the cameo role went to US Senator Barry Goldwater instead; Goldwater was running for President at the time his single scene was filmed.
[snip]
RECEPTION
The first episode’s original air date was set for the spring of 1976, but due to rewrites meant to satisfy Rand, its release was delayed several times. The miniseries did not air until after the 1976 election; years later, US Senator Ron Paul alleged “had the series come out before the election, Reagan would have won,” a claim with which most scholars and psephologist disagree.
The series aired from February 1 to February 8, 1977. It received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Rand blamed the harsh reviews on the aspects of the series that she no final say over, despite most the blame being directed towards her and her “inability to collaborate and listen to the professional opinions of others,” as one critic put it. Another critic at the time wrote that “nearly 30 years after The Fountainhead, Rand still doesn’t get that creative output requires more than just one person’s narrow and inexperienced vantage point being used for a project that is clearly out of their professional field.” Audiences overall found the series to be lackluster, with even openly conservative viewers finding the story “hard to follow” and the characters “uninspiring, unrelatable to the Average Joe, and self-absorbed,” as Variety magazine put it.
Contrary to popular belief, Rand was not arrested attempting to set fire to the T.O.N. primary studio in May 1977 – she was arrested for striking the assistant director in a public setting after beginning a heated argument with him over a more edit in the third episode. Rand was released without charges, only to sue the network for breach of contract a month later. However, Rand dropped the matter after being countersued for assault and battery, and for allegedly violating workplace pestering rules established in 1971, after the “Ms. Arkansas Wave” (the claim being that she “bullied” set directors and other crew members).
Rand passed away in 1982 having never again spoken to anyone involved in the series and refusing to talk about the miniseries in interviews…
[snip]
LEGACY
…In recent years, the miniseries has grown a small but noticeable “cult following” among wealthy libertarian-leaning celebrities who praise the themes of the series but are also critical of certain aspects of the writing, directing, and acting…
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 2011
HAILE SELASSIE, EMPEROR OF ETHIOPIA, DIES IN LONDON HOSPITAL
Suffered Pneumonia and Heart Problems In Final Years On The Throne
– The Guardian, 2/8/1977
The 84-year-old monarch left behind a nation tearing itself apart. His son, the new emperor, the 62-year-old Amha Selassie I, called for an end to the fighting with the promise of massive reform and a renewed focus on feeding the poor and providing basic needs to rural communities. Not all believed the new ruler would be a change of pace, a break from the years of there being a stark gap between Ethiopia’s haves and have-nots. More believed there would be no amnesty for their betrayal of the monarchy, and thus they continued to fight on, especially in the northern and eastern sections. But the new monarch persisted, as it was his father’s final wish that he “save Ethiopia.” Taking the dangerous trip to the frontlines outside of Jima on February 20th to re-announce his wish for a ceasefire, Amha Selassie I subsequently partook in a tour of the region’s less fortunate areas, shaking hands and conversing with village farmers and elders to prove himself to be a man of the people. The activities were captured on camera, and the film was spread across the nation’s war-torn spots over the next several days and weeks, while the new emperor hoped he could keep the nation together, to make it strong enough to outlive the memories of the bloodshed experienced by all within its borders.
Speaking of which, the Somalian natives of Ethiopia’s Ogaden region were becoming increasingly preferential to breaking off and joining the nation of Somalia, while diehard Derg followers saw an independent state born out of Ethiopia’s north would be better than staying under the Ethiopian throne…
– Saheed A. Adejumobi’s The History of Ethiopia, Greenwood Press, 2007
United States treasury bonds are reliable, low-risk investments. However, the yield, also known as the return, on the bonds in low, meaning investors do not invest in them unless they believe the economic future ahead of them will be less-than-desirable. Thus, nervous investors’ demand for bonds rises during times of uncertainty. …The US Treasury reported a drop in interest rates on the bonds, leading to an inverted treasury yield curve, on February 12, 1977…
– clickopedia.co.usa
HOUSE, SENATE AGREE TO “HISTORIC” SPENDING BILL
…After weeks of committee meetings, hearings, and cross-aisle discussions, a massive spending package meant to fund a plethora of programs – mainly ones concerning worker and family assistance – is set to pass in congress “within a few weeks”...
– The Washington Times, 2/14/1977
US, SOVIET LEADERS AGREE TO BEGIN NUCLEAR FREEZE TALKS THIS APRIL
…In the announcement, Mondale noted that,
"In this, the nuclear age of doomsday weapons, we have to do everything in our power to ensure peace. The most awesome responsibility of the President is not only to keep us strong so that we don't invite attack, but to use all of our physical and moral strength to keep the peace and spare the world from holocaust." The President took the moment to reiterate his campaign pledge to
“put this nation out front again in the effort to halt the spread of nuclear weapons -- and the threat of doomsday blackmail. …It is imperative for us to
sit down with the Russians and work out a mutual and verifiable freeze on nuclear weapons.” [1]
– The Guardian, 15/2/1977
Social Services
Benefit increases legislated by Congress accelerated sharply in the early 1970s, which when combined with projected
economic conditions and a fully mature Social Security program caused concern about the program’s financial status.
[3] This development led to House Republicans opposing House Democrats attempting to expand the program. However, with Democrats holding a majority in the House, President Mondale was successfully in increasing general benefits to 16 percent in February 1977.
– Gary C. Jacobson’s The Power and the Politics of Congressional Elections, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2015
COLONEL SANDERS DONATES US$10MILLION TO SALVATION ARMY
– The Advocate-Messenger, KY newspaper, 3/1/1977
[pic:
imgur.com/NdQjZFz.png ]
– US Secretary of State Jimmy Carter, US Vice President Mike Gravel, and US President Walter Mondale (just out of frame) discussing foreign policy matters in the Oval Office, 3/3/1977
On March 7, 1977, Marley was involved in an accident while practicing on a stage in Kingston for a concert. According to the official report, a stagehand left an empty bucket of KFC on the side of the stage, which eventually tipped over onto a lever that caused the trapdoor to collapse, causing Marley to sprain his foot. Upon closer inspection at the hospital, doctors discovered cancer under one of the toe nail. Doctors quickly removed the cancerous part of the toe. Not wanting to disappoint fans, Marley performed on stage as was scheduled. Nevertheless, the partial amputation, done without Marley’s permission, negatively affected his short-term dancing abilities on stage, causing him to adopt a “hopping kick-dance” form of dance style to compensate.
– clickopedia.co.usa/Bob_Marley
Nikolai Tikhonov’s Premiership was short-lived as conservatives decided to rally around a single figure. In March 12, 1977, after only four months in power, the politburo waited until he was visiting relatives in his home city of Kharkiv, Ukraine. Upon his attempt to return to the Kremlin, Brezhnev informed him he had been forced out of power, simply saying, “you’ve been forced into retirement, my friend.” Brezhnev then told Tikhonov that, while he had wanted to succeed him, his health was still in decline, and the politburo had chosen a man physically healthier, but even older than both Tikhonow and Brezhnev.
Soviet statesman and longtime Second Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov was, at the age of 75, an experienced politician, beginning his career as an ardent Stalinist before losing influence under Khrushchev but regaining it under Shelepin. After limited influence under Inauri and Kosygin, Suslov allied with Andropov to oppose Kosygin’s forward-thinking programs. Suslov’s hardline orthodox attitude meant détente with the US had almost certainly come to a sudden end, drastically altering US-Soviet relations...
– Victor Cherkashin’s Adamant: The Rulers of the USSR and the KGB, Basic Books, 2005
Margaret was put in charge of the KFC delegation that went to Hong Kong. The British had been wary of doing business so geographically close to the Chinese maintain, but with the success of KFC outlets in neighboring Philippines and the Indochinese subcontinent, and Deng Xiaoping being even more friendly with western investors than his predecessor, Hong Kong officials finally welcomed us in.
Margaret oversaw not just the handling of the local meat itself, but the treatment of the animals, too. Whatever the chicken eats, whatever enters its stomach and its system, affects the taste of the meat. The same goes for its environment – chickens need running room to be healthy, as cramped corners lead to them pecking at each other and becoming less inclined to eat more, leading to scrawny, course meat on their bones. Thus, Margaret was adamant that the local chicken farmers provide each chicken a minimum of 15 square feet of foaming room, and at least 10 inches of roosting space per chicken.
Like with neighboring China, we adapted KFC’s façade to be more familiar to locals, and over time converted the menu to reflect local tastes. We soon added rice congee and egg custard tarts to the menu; we began offering Soy Sauce Chicken in 1985 and Duck Sauce Chicken in 1989.
…Because Hong Kong was still a British colony at the time, it was much easier to do business with them than the PRC. However, Margaret reported back to me that she picked up on “very sexist vibes” from the British, but less so during her 1976 trip to Shanghai. However, though that was just her experience; mine was actually quite the opposite, with the British treating with as an equal, while during my visit to Beijing in late 1974, Chinese businessmen only acknowledged my presence if we were in the presence of Mao’s wife. Regardless, both of us came to conclude that it was possible that the introduction of western cuisine and culture could lead to the introduction of modern western social views, would could considerably curtail what we saw was a high amount of sexism in Asia…
– Mildred Sanders Ruggles’ My Father, The Colonel: A Life of Love, Politics, and KFC, StarGroup International, 2000
SENATOR KENNEDY-SHRIVER CALLS FOR HEALTHCARE COST REFORM
– The Washington Post, 4/2/1977
On April 4, 1977, Grundy, Virginia suffered yet another major flood of the Levisa Fork River. Businesses were affected more so than houses. The state and federal governments were hailed for their immediate responding to the millions of dollars in damage. Grundy took decades to recover from the flood damage, but some economics have taken note to how the town’s economic strength and growth has still not returned to pre-1977 levels.
– weather.gov.usa, c. 2011
THE CASE FOR MEDICARE/MEDICAID PRICE CAPS
– Ted Kennedy’s op-ed in the Sacramento Union, Ted Kennedy’s newspaper, 4/8/1977
[pic:
imgur.com/UJo4wvs.png ],
– cover of former US President Colonel Sanders’ mini-cookbook “Twenty Favorite Recipes,” first published c. April 1977
NARRATOR: For much of the ’70s, times were great in the United States. Marginalized groups were on their way; détente kept the thought of atomic holocaust at bay, for the most part; unions remained strong under the pro-labor administration of Walter Mondale. Despite warfare tearing up land far overseas and the fearful possibility of a US-Soviet nuclear exchange still lingering in the air, American pop culture concerned the nation’s splendor – Star Wars captivated audiences; American youth listened to lively, bass-based optimistic music derived from the soul, rock-n-roll and ambient rock tunes of the previous decades; the new wave of teenagers had expendable income and the roaring economy of the time gave them the ability to buy things like never before.
ROBERT REICH: It was like a more socially progressive version of the 1950s. You had people celebrating nuclear energy again. And you had the middle class being strong enough for a family of five to survive handsomely on one paycheck. But you also had women pursuing careers, going to college at a then-unprecedented rate. After many tumultuous years, things were finally going right for millions of Americans.
NARRATOR: And with the splendor came a renewed confidence in banks, and a huge increase in consumer good production…
– History Channel documentary “the Roarin’ ’70s,” 2002
The years of agricultural neglect under the pro-urban Kosygin years led to deplorable conditions for Soviet farmers nationwide – decaying roads, outdated machinery, under-rewarded laborers, and a ruined rural work culture plagued the countryside. Making matters worse was Suslov’s rejection of any assistance from any non-Western Pact nation, sparking international condemnation. Suslov’s hardline orthodox attitude also made him against change and opposed to Kosygin’s forward-thinking programs, leading to a decrease in the quality of life in more developed areas too. In fact, it seemed as if Suslov did not promote any specific alternatives to the reforms of Kosygin other than raising the budget of the Soviet military and space program…
– Alexander Korzhakov’s autobiography From Dawn to Dusk: A Cutthroat Career, St. Petersburg Press, 1997
…earlier today, President Mondale signed the Federal Campaign Spending Act into law, setting a cap on the amount of money that can be spent on federal campaigns. When it was a bill, it was narrowly approved after facing bipartisan opposition in both chambers of congress...
– ABC News, 4/27/1977 broadcast
[vid:
youtube.com/watch?v=THHTOSxY3Ws ]
– KFC commercial, first aired 4/30/1977
WA GOV. JULIA HANSEN SIGNS “UNIVERSAL” HEALTH CARE INTO STATE LAW: State Joins MA, VT, Others In Unofficial Multistate “Healthcare Pact”
– The Sacramento Union, 5/5/1977
...as the investigations into allegations of violating campaign finance laws continue to mount against him, Georgia Governor Bert Lance has resigned from office, effective immediately. The resignation comes only one week after Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor, a one George T. Smith, had died from pneumonia after visiting Washington, DC. In accordance with state law, the person next in line for Governor is the state Secretary of State. This means Georgia’s new Governor is 72-year-old Benjamin W. Fortson Jr., a Democrat. Fortson, who has been paralyzed from the waist down since 1928, has served as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 1946, and was involved in the Three Governors Controversy of 1947 and played a central role in finding superior storage for state archives…
– The Overmyer Network, 5/10/1977 broadcast
…In the national elections the nation of Israel held earlier today, the Likud party, led by Menachem Begin, has achieved victory by obtaining a hefty plurality of seats in the state’s Knesset, or legislative body. The election ends roughly thirty years of the opposing Labor party’s dominance in Israel’s national elections...
– BBC World News, 5/17/1977 report
In May 1977, the Sultan of Oman made a historic shift in diplomacy when he began the warming of relations with Israel. The sultan, Qaboos bin Said al Said (b. 1940) came to power in 1970 when he overthrew his paranoid and dictatorial father, quickly repealed many of his restrictive laws (which included bans on playing football, wearing sunglasses, and speaking to anyone for more than 15 minutes), and went to work decreasing his country’s infant mortality rate and illiteracy rate
[4]. Qaboos distanced himself from his father even further by offering to host “the famous Colonel’s Chicken Peace Dinners” in 1976. In 1977, the Sultan offered to sign a bilateral agreement with Israel in on sharing water and helping each other improve water and road supplies, as Oman, a nation with a total land area of 119,500 square miles, had only 6 miles of paved roads in 1970
[4]. Momentum from the successful negotiations lead to further rumbling on other deals such as an education-based foreign exchange student program being set up in the near future. The success of Oman opening up to Israel was inspiring to Osama El-Baz (b. 1931), an important Egyptian diplomat during the late 1970s and a senior advisor to Egyptian Vice President Hosni, who believed that if Qaboos could place the chance for profit and political popularity on the global stage above religion, perhaps Sadat could as well.
– Martin van Creveld’s Defending Israel: A Controversial Plan Toward Peace, Thomas Dunne Books, 2004
But by 1977, the dream of overpowering KFC Inc. in the burger business had faded. KFC Inc.’s Wendy’s continued to be among the nation’s leading burger franchises, while Ollie’s offerings had found a home in the niche of exotic artisanal-yet-hearty foods. And John Y. Brown Jr. was not the type of businessman to keep his dingy tied to what he believed was just as good as a sinking ship.
[5]
“You’ll be fine without me,” he assured Ollie, giving a speech he likely worked on to make it sound sincere.
“And what of your plan to make the Colonel rue the day he had you fired?” Ollie asked.
Brwon sighed, “I wanted to have my revenge, but that injustice happened – shoot – almost a decade ago. And you know what, if I stay hung up on yesterday, I’ll end up doing nothing today! We’ve turned quite a pretty penny over the past six years; turns out, that’s good enough for me.”
Brown then offered to sell his interest in Ollie’s Trolley to the Heublein Corporation, but Ollie wouldn’t have it. “I’ve always had the final say around here, and I always will. I won’t have some bigwig a$$#oles telling me how to run my own business. I’ll buy back your shares and then you can get out of my sight.” After completing the transaction, Ollie’s last comment to his disheartened former business partner was a curt “Now get out, traitor.”
“Don’t be like that, Ollie,” was Brown’s alleged reaction. But there was no use convincing Ol’ Gleichenhaus otherwise.
While Brown left to pursue other interests, Ollie stuck to what he did best – seasoning a third of a pound of lean beef with a blend of 32 spices for his delicious Ollieburgers…
[6]
– proudsoutherner.co.usa/food/ollies-trolley/you-could-be-the-next-colonel-sanders
…After months of South Dakota’s Governor Reifel and Senator James Abourezk lobbying alongside Secretary of the Interior Fred Harris for an improvement on the quality of life on Native American reservations, President Mondale signs into law today the Native American Rights and Utilities Access Act, which extends previous civil rights legislation to apply to residents of Native American reservations, specifically in regards to access to things such as clean drinking water and education resources such as updated textbooks and other school supplies…
– NBC News, 5/29/1977 broadcast
Restauranteur-businessman John Y. Brown Jr. entered the world of sports in a big way when he purchased the Buffalo Braves
[7] basketball team just prior to the 1977 season, affecting the careers of Moses Malone, Adrian Dantley and Dennis Johnson…
[pic:
imgur.com/Oziv2Pf. ]
Above: the Colonel reading about the June 4, 1977 NBA championships.
The Colonel’s attitude to Brown entering the world of sports management was one of indifference, and reportedly had to ask upon learning of it “Don’t we know him?”
“He tried to take over McDonald’s with our approval, Pop,” was the gist of his daughter Margaret’s reply.
“Oh yeah. Well, at least he ain’t bothering' us no more,” he concluded.
[snip] …The Jazz’s Gail Goodrich improved his stats… [snip] …Milwaukee Brewers were all set to enter the American League along with Washington, with Seattle and Toronto set to entering the A.L. as well…
– Joe Zagorski’s American Sports in the 1970s: A Most Important Decade, Critical Publishing, 2018 edition
WASHINGTON TO BECOME WINDY CITY’S FIRST BLACK MAYOR
…Harold Washington, an African-American politician who has served as a member of state congress since 1965, defeated Republican nominee Dennis H. Bloc by a 50% margin… …City councilman Wilson Frost, after agreeing to not run in tonight’s election, has served as interim mayor since Mayor Daley’s death late last year…
– The Chicago Tribune, 6/7/1977
…Apart from Chicago’s Mayoral election, tonight saw another major political election in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, FL, where voters narrowly voted to repeal the county’s BLUTAG rights ordinance in the wake of weeks of singer Anita Bryant campaigning against the ordinance in her “Save Our Children” crusade…
– ABC News broadcast, 6/7/1977
The 37-spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus Commission and Oklahoma-based country music singer Anita Bryant
led a highly publicized campaign to repeal county ordinances protecting BLUTAGs from discrimination
as the leader of a coalition named “Save Our Children”. The campaign was based on conservative Christian beliefs regarding the sinfulness of homosexuality and the perceived threat of homosexual recruitment of children and child molestation… The campaign marked the beginning of an organized opposition to gay rights that found support among many prominent figures such as Reverend Jerry Falwell. During her hateful crusade against the BLUTAG community, she espoused hateful rhetoric such as
"As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children" and "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards,” [8] that last bit being an oddly specific claim to make. Subsequently, people opposed to her words protested by boycotting the products Bryant was promoting, such as orange juice and Coca-Cola; she soon became the face of bigotry in the eyes millions of Americans. To this, Sal Mineo (1939-2018) famously stated “not everyone hates her – the makers of Pepsi must
love her!”
– Brandon Teena’s The Rise of BLUTAG Rights: The Story of the Bi-Lesbian-Undefined-Trans-Asexual-Gay Movement, Scholastic, 2019
[pic:
imgur.com/dutWlSn ]
– Colonel Sanders cameos in the film “Love at First Sight,” premiered 6/17/1977 [9]
…The rate of farmers joining unions steadily rose 5% between 1972 and 1978. While Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers union butted heads with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters over lettuce farms and grape farms, other unions such as the National Farmers Union filled the void, developing rural health systems and mobilizing their growing number of members to demand better treatment and legal protection – especially in the wake of the pro-labor victories of the 1976 congressional elections. Others still maintained focus on state-by-state immigration reform, often receiving the backing of the White House. …Overall, unions retained strong positions in the goings-on of the American workplace. …As union membership rose, income inequality decreased. …Union membership numbers reached an all-time high of 22,000,000 in the late 1970s.
[10]
– clickopedia.co.usa/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States#The_1970s
I wanted to call in “KFC University,” or “KFCU” for short, but the Colonel thought that sounded too formal, too imposing and intimidating, so when we officially founded the “institution” it was named “KFC College.” Set to open in September of 1978, Mildred’s announcement of its creation met backlash from folks who compared it to the training facility of McDonald’s employees – Hamburger University, founded in 1961
[11]. Like Kroc’s campus, KFC College gave employees dozens upon dozens of hours of training over the course of three months. The Colonel would visit at the start, middle and end of the course to oversee progress and approve “graduation” of the students, but he also popped in on classes whenever he could. A brainchild of Maggie, the campus officially opened near Paducah, in western Kentucky. The location was chosen because, while still staying inside of Kentucky, it was closer to being in the middle of country, increasing employment opportunities in the region and lowering travel time and expenses for prospective employees out west.
– Dave Thomas’ Under the Colonel’s Wing, Mosaic Publishing, 1982
“WOMEN MARINES” FINALLY DISBANDED
…The members of the US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve will now be integrated into the regular Marine Corps, in compliance with the Equal Rights Amendment ratified two years ago. The move follows the Navy’s disbanding of the W.A.V.E.S. late last year...
– The Los Angeles Times, 6/28/1977
…Secretary of State Carter was an unashamedly active promoter of Colonel Sanders’s Annual Chicken Dinner Summit, which he famously called a “Pieces for Peace” drive in July 1977...
– David Frum’s political textbook How We Got Here: The ’70s, Basic Books NY, 2000, p. 298
Some major news coming in from the nation of Pakistan, where the Prime Minister, a one Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, has been overthrown in a military coup. The coup comes after months of social unrest and civil disobedience in Pakistan over allegations that Prime Minister, uh, Bhutto, had committed voter fraud to win the country’s general elections held back in March. We’ll have more information as the story develops… [SNIP] The new leader, and the new government in fact, uh, in Pakistan seems to now be of the military kind. The new leader, or at least the leader of the bloodless coup over there, is General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the Chief of Pakistan’s Army Staff, uh, um, who has announced that “free and fair elections” will be held in 90 days…
– The Overmyer Network Special News Bulletin, 7/5/1977
“Homosexuality is a foreign plot cooked up by the Reds; it’s a form of sex segregation, as it separates the two genders so they can have even less in common, hindering reproduction levels in America. The Reds are trying to pull a long con, here!”
– political activist J. B. Stoner to a reporter, CBS News, 7/10/1977
THE JOHN AMOS SHOW: Interview: Amos Talks About Getting His Own TV Series
…Amos, who played Gordy Howard the Weatherman on MTM from 1970 to 1973, was also on Good Times from 1974 to 1976, but left that show over writing style conflicts. With his new series, Amos plans to address serious issues affecting African-Americans in today’s society and portray humorous situations. …“I want it to be a show that everyone can enjoy, but I’m not going to act like everything is all hunky-dory and white and black problems are one and the same.” …Amos admits that the “mission statement for this show will require a delicate balancing act and fun but careful writing, but that’s why we’ve got some of the best writers in Hollywood working on this.” …the John Amos Show will premier in September…
– People Magazine, mid-July issue
…Former Governor Bert Lance has been arrested over new charges uncovered during investigations… This development coming in the same week as Governor Mandel of Maryland being removed from office, in this reporter’s opinion, demonstrates the scope of corruption in American politics, and the need for serious reform to address it…
– Linda Ellerbee, NBC News’ Weekend program, Saturday 7/16/1977
The flood began on the night of July 19, 1977 when a stalled thunder storm system created flash floods that inundated the region around Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Roughly 12 inches of rain fell over the course of 24 hours. Due to the region having a history of flood problems dating back in 1889, flood control dams were constructed in the area beginning in 1938. Public outrage at the collapse of dams in California and Idaho is recent years led to the state’s Governor Martin P. Mullen calling for a re-examination of all of the state’s dams and flood control measures in late 1976. The statewide review led to repairs and improvements being done to several such features, including six dams in and close to the Johnstown area. Just weeks after the completion of these updates, the flood overran rivers but its deadly forces was held back by the improved control systems. Unfortunately, such measures were not enough to prevent the largest of the dams in question, the Laurel Run Dam of West Taylor Township, Cambria County, from failing. Over 101 million gallons of water overpowered the construction and enveloped the downriver community of Tanneryville. Fortunately, early warning systems put in place during Mullen’s re-examination endeavor allowed dozens to escape with their lives. Including the 12 people killed in Tanneryville, the total number of deaths in the Johnstown Flood of 1977 was 29.
– clickopedia.co.usa/Johnstown_Flood_of_1977
REPORTER: …the Department of the Interior is set to raise safety standards on the construction of river dams over recent concerns of both environmental and human health and safety activities. When asked, the department’s Undersecretary had this to say:
UNDERSECRETARY (in recording): “…we’re raising the level of scrutiny for newer and also older constructions. Just earlier today, for instance, we began a second review of Georgia’s Kelly Barnes Dam. Repairs are set to begin on a few minor concerns there within the month, and it should be better than ever before the start of the rain season later this year down there. We, uh, we are more than aware that safety is imperative when it comes to new, environmentally-conscious forms of energy. We will take no exceptions to this…”
– ABC News, 7/30/1977 report
The recent rise in Colorado Potato Beetle infestation has caught the attention of the department. The cause of their rising numbers is being investigated. In the meantime, the extent of the insects’ devastation to farms in the several western states will likely lead to a rise in the prices of domestically-grown tomatoes, eggplants, and potatoes. The Department advises against illegal practices and advises all consumers to maintain awareness of the farms from which they acquire their products, even products from states and overseas areas not affected by this recent agricultural development.
– US Department of Agriculture Special Announcement, 7/31/1977
…The Huntsman Container Corporation’s containers deal with us was so financially profitable for them, they were soon successful enough to begin making containers and other products for other food chains like Burger Chef and Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips by, I’d say, the start of August 1977…
– Pete Harman, 60 Minutes interview, early 1992
MONDALE SIGNS SURFACE MINING CONTROL AND RECLAMATION BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 8/3/1977
…After weeks of the conflict seemingly winding down in some parts of Ethiopia, in the face of monarchists showing a united front against pro-communist Derg forces in the south and central parts of the country, a major development is unfolding on the diplomatic side of things. With the support and assistance of elements of the United Nations, Emperor Amha Selassie I has called for secretary-general of the Eritrean Liberation Front Isaias Afwerki and Somalian President Siad Barre to agree to an armistice so the three leaders can sit down and negotiate terms for a peace treaty...
– CBS News report, 8/9/1977
10 August 1977: the comedic anthology film “Kentucky Fried Movie” premiers; while former US President Colonel Sanders had cameoed in independent films in the past, Sanders refused to cameo in this movie due to its script, which the Colonel reportedly called “perverse.”
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
STATE OF NEVADA POLICE INCIDENT REPORT
Case No.: 120416479
Date of Incident: 8/12/1977
Location: near border of Washoe People Reservation, Lake Tahoe/south of Pyramid Lake, Washoe County
Summary (Detail of Event/Actions Taken):
A pickup truck was pulled over for erratic driving. The First Officer noticed the driver, Sacramento resident Richard Trenton Chase, was drenched in blood, had a bucket with a bloodied liver in the back of the truck, and had a threatening look on his face. When asked, Chase stated the blood was cow’s blood. In compliance with the 1976 executive order issued by Governor Rex Bell Jr. concerning suspicious activities, the officer ordered the individual to step out of the vehicle in order for said officer to inspect if the blood was human or bovine. Chase complied. Upon noticing officer reach for his firearm in his holster, which, again, was in compliance with Governor Bell’s 1976 order in regards to suspicious behavior, Chase assaulted the officer, running to him and jumping onto him before attempting to bite him in the neck. In self-defense, the second officer immediately left their police vehicle and fired one warning shot into the air. Chase was unresponsive to this warning shot. This inaction on Chase’s part prompted the second officer to fire at Chase in order to stop him from continuing to assault the first officer. The officer fired once; the bullet hit Chase in the stomach and grazed the first officer’s arm. The second officer immediately requested backup, requesting an ambulance. Chase succumbed to his wound on route to the hospital.
Case Status: Pending. The two officers involved are to be questioned concerning a possible violation of protocol per an 8/13/1977 request from the Sacramento Police Department in California.
Additional Specifics: (see below)
– Nevada State Police Report, updated 8/15/1977
NEW AGENCY AIMS TO BETTER COORDINATE FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSES
…Late last year, by executive order, President Mondale created the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency, or “ODERCA,” to improve federal responses to crises such as hurricanes, forest fires, floods and other natural and man-made disasters that overwhelm local and state authorities, in response to years of oil spills and dam collapses capturing public attention. …The purpose of this new federal-level agency, which focuses on helping people during major incidents, is not to be confused with EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, which focuses on protecting the environment in general…
– Associated Press, 8/23/1977
PAYMENT TO INTERNED JAPANESE-AMERICANS GETS MONDALE’S OK
By W. Dale Nelson
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Mondale today signed a bill into law that will provide $20,000 reparations to Japanese-American US citizens who were interned during World War II. Conceding that “no payment can make up for the injustice, the indignity, and the lost years.”
Roughly 250 survivors of the internment camps attended the signing ceremony, where Mondale described to the audience how “tens of thousands of our fellow Americans were forced to live in internment camps, and for not a matter of weeks or months, but for three long years.”
Strongly supported by US Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), US Representatives Patsy Mink (D-HI) and Norman Mineta (D-CA) (the latter of whom was interned at one of these camps alongside his family), and US Vice President Mike Gravel (D-AS), Japanese-American groups had been lobbying for reparations legislation for years. The bill, after its being proposed in 1971, was finally cleared by the US Senate in a narrow vote May 28 and was approved by the US House in a more comfortable vote on August 27.
The bill will provide a $20,000 tax-free payment to each of the 60,000 survivors of the approximately 120,000 Japanese-Americans who were interned in several camps scattered across the US from 1942 to 1945. Japanese-Americans were rounded up and sent to internment camps after the nation of Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941. The attack plunged the United States into World War II, and created an era of paranoia, as suspicion that spies existed among the Japanese-American community flared calls to watch members of that community more closely.
At the ceremony, Mondale added, “This bill has less to do with property than with honor, for here, with this, the United States government admits to a mistake and confesses to a wrong.″
– Associated Press, 9/1/1977
[pic:
imgur.com/ro6GDwd.png ]
– KFC-Canada poster celebrating Colonel Sanders’ 87th birthday (September 9), first distributed c. late August 1977
…the Aries Program seemed to be falling behind the data-collecting progress of the USSR’s Soyuz and Salyut programs. …Working with the less-than-desirable budget led to the development of orbital space travel vehicles dubbed “shuttleplanes” that could be reused “more than twice” for manned or unmanned missions. Still sticking to his convictions and refusing to risk losing more American lives in space, Mondale greenlit the unmanned model for future orbital and lunar missions in August 1977…
– NASA scientist Farouk El-Baz’s Up and Away: How The Cold War Competition Pushed Us Into The Stars, MacFarland & Company, 1994
At the age of 16, I “
was trying to raise myself to be a black man in America” because I had this fitful interior struggle. I “
was grappling with questions of racial identity, alienation and belonging”
[12] over being a half-Black, half-White American military brat with white parents and no real hometown or long-lasting friends. However, I was not the only member of my family to have so much drama. Mom and Dad argued many times, usually over liberal and conservative values or “how to raise the children.” By the time in was in High School, though, problems for them seemed to be beginning to cool. Mom had finally found a place for herself in government – working at the U.S. Department of Education, she strived to promote universal understanding, and in her position overseeing the organizing of foreign exchange student programs. I remember how she fought valiantly for additional funds in 1977 for the 1978 fiscal year. Father, meanwhile, was approaching 41, and was enjoying promotion to Rear Admiral, which was just short of being a full Admiral. He was content with his performance overseeing a part of American forces along the coast of Ethiopia. Near the end of that summer, Father took us all on a much-needed vacation to Havana, Cuba, where we basked in the sun on the beaches near the newly-built casinos. We even managed to witness a part of the early construction phase of the Havana Adventure Amusement Park, Cuba’s answer to Florida’s Disney World…
– Barack McCain’s Lessons From my Fathers, Sunrise Publishers, 1993
In early September of 1977, Landrum Bolling, an ardent activist for peace in the Middle East, former President of Earlham College, and unofficial channel between the US State Department and the PLO, left the Mondale administration to spend more time working on the third “Sanders Summit” in Jerusalem. Through his connections, several (albeit low-ranking) PLO members had finally agreed to attend the festivities out of goodwill, but declined to give any speeches…
– Martin van Creveld’s Defending Israel: A Controversial Plan Toward Peace, Thomas Dunne Books, 2004
Stephen Hillenburg was born on an army base in Lawton, Oklahoma, in 1961. “My parents told me that over there they make snowmen out of tumbleweeds at Christmas,” he later recalled. His father, Kelly Hillenburg Jr., left the army shortly after Stephen was born, and relocated the family to California. However, as Kelly Hillenburg was in the aerospace industry his whole life, working for McDonnell-Douglas and Rockwell, the family again relocated to Ohio, where Stephen’s father worked as a draftsman for elements of the Apollo program. drafts technician – makes detailed technical drawings or plans for machinery, buildings, electronics, infrastructure, sections, etc. “He was very excited about that. He got to work on the space shuttle with Ed Rockwell, designing details in the interior such as cabinet, seat positions, small things but still important things,” Stephen recalls. Dad moved the family once more, from Ohio to Florida, in 1967, in order to complete a final assignment for NASA’s Apollo designs before entering early retirement in 1968. It was in Florida where Stephen’s love of the ocean blossomed and flourished.
Describing himself as “an ocean freak,” Stephen in his youth liked to explore tide pools, bringing home things that “should have been left there and that ended up dying and smelling really bad,” he says. “Still, I was fascinated by the ocean because of its mystery – it’s a separate world you can’t study alone or visit freely. I think my experience growing up along the coast, north and south of Cape Canaveral, really influenced my interest in the oceans and the creatures found in them.”
When it comes to his artistic abilities, Hillenburg confesses, “Grandma couldn’t afford to go to art school but was always drawing and painting and making tiny detailed finger puppets and Christmas ornaments. It dawned on me that I had artistic skill in the third grade, in 1970, when my art teacher was very complimentary of my drawing of an orange slice.” The teacher was also a peacenik who found another ne of Hillenburg’s drawings – one of two soldiers hugging – to be “wonderful [and] touching.” Stephen admits, “I just thought it was funny,” apparently unaware of American troop presence in Cambodia at the time.
Hillenburg’s interest in seafood, however, didn’t begin until the summer of 1976, when, during a family road trip to Washington, D.C., the Hillenburgs stopped over at Calabash, North Carolina, the Seafood Capital of the World, leaving a “long-lasting impression” on him. Later that year, Hillenburg visited Woodman’s of Essex in Boston, and enjoyed their Fried Clam and their Clambake To Go (a combination of lobster, clams, potatoes and corn), calling it “inspiring.”
In September 1977, at the age of 16, Stephen landed his first job, working as a fry cook at a local McDonald’s. “When I was real little, I would look in the windows and think, ‘Wow, this is the greatest job in the world, making food to make people happy.’ Actually having the job brought me down to Earth and into reality.” But apparently, Hillenburg was undaunted by the negative aspects of the occupation, as the teen-aged Stephen also ended up working at a lobster restaurant in Maine during the summers, its owner reminding him of a pirate via his strong Maine accent…
– The New York Times, 1999 article
September 13, 1977: on this day in history, the American television series “Soap” debuts on ABC. While the sitcom was intended to be a night-time parody of the daytime soap opera genre presented in a serial format, it maintained serious dramatic plot lines (terminal illness, prejudice, war, hostage crises, love triangles, dementia) alongside more melodramatic plot lines (demonic possession, alien abduction, time travel, sentient puppets). Additionally, several scandals pertaining to its content – coarse language, lewd behavior, and situations that conservative groups deemed subversive and suitable for television (though many of these elements are considered quite tame by today’s standards) – impeded the show’s ability to find sponsors, causing ABC to perennially threaten to cancel the series. Its inclusion in Season 1 of Jodie Dallas (portrayed by a young Billy Crystal) as the first openly gay major character in a syndicated TV series added to the show’s controversies, though it was praised years later for this and its addressing of BLUTAG issues...
– onthisdayinhistory.co.uk
MONDALE SIGNS MEDICARE PRICE LIMITS BILL INTO LAW
…The bill places limits on the amount a physician can charge patients for certain basic needs, such as staying in a hospital bed post-surgery, being driven to a hospital in an ambulance, and even simply visiting a doctor’s office…
– The Washington Post, 9/19/1977
WALL STREET WONDERS: WHEN WILL RECESSION RETURN?
By James C. Warren
...recent actions taken by Wall Street investors suggest economic precariousness may arrive in the near future. “It’s the basic nature of capitalism: highs and lows. Good times come and go, and right now the economy has had a good time for almost 14 years – that’s an unprecedented length of growth,” says… Historic market patterns suggest a downturn may be “imminent,” warns businessman and former Ambassador Malcolm Forbes…
– The Chicago Sun-Times, 9/22/1977
In his capitalizing off of the midterm’s liberal legislative gains via getting several laws passed, President Mondale also oversaw a significant improvement in education, and signed into law legislation for a federal breakfast program and a federal day care centers program… On September 30, he signed into law a narrowly-passage bill that amended the US tax system to have more vertical equity, which conservative US Senator Hank Hibbard (R-MT) chastised as being “unnecessary,” and claimed the 1971 Negative Tax Income Rebate law was “more than enough for the poor,” a comment that would come back to haunt him in 1978…
– Rick Perlstein’s Majestic Melees: The Trials and Crises of the Fritz Mondale Presidency, Simon & Schuster, 2019
The
Armed Forces of National Liberation (in Spanish:
Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional, or “
FALN”) was a Venezuelan guerilla group formed by the Communist Party of Venezuela to foment revolution against the democratically elected government…
[13] …FALN’s membership numbers grew in the years succeeding the defeat of the communist regime in Cuba in 1965. At said war’s conclusion, many communist Cuban expatriates escaped persecution by fleeing to South and Central America. Reportedly over 1,000 Cubans found their way to Venezuela and over half of them joined the FALN, influencing their ideology and the group’s methods of attacks against the Venezuelan government. While such actions failed to change minds during the relatively decent years of the late 1960s, said actions increased in the 1970s as economic and political conditions began to decrease...
– clickopedia.co.usa
Now for the third summit, we got together a more impressive guest list, got a bigger venue in town, you know, more intimate setting and décor and al that sort of thing. It was starting to look like a real big shindig, so we changed our seating policy. You still have to pay a small entry fee if you wanted to attend, but on top of that, you also had to donate to some charity and prove you’d done it in exchange for a seat. I didn’t need the money, KFC didn’t need the money, but others out there, hungry children, for instance, they needed it, they still do, in fact…
The third summit went very well, I think. No major problems, everyone was civil. And it did a lot of good, I think – the delegates from Egypt were the same fellas who had a constructive talk with President Sadat soon afterward…
– Harland “The Colonel” Sanders, KNN interview, 2/9/1980
…My years of loyalty to Deng was rewarded on October 12, 1977, when Deng appointed fellow reformer Hu Yaobang third in command, and I second in command, making me Deng’s successor. In that same announcement given before the National Congress, Deng proclaimed that he would retire in 1987, after 12 years in charge. He also swore that “when it becomes obvious that it is necessary, I will not refuse the changing of ways if it means improving the way of the nation, the nature of the party, and the quality of the work and lives of the people.” Giving a fixed date like that was an unprecedented move that, while demonstrating his seriousness in calling for political reform, also confined Deng to work in a fixed timetable of sort – he now had ten years to complete his agenda for China…
– Bo Yibo’s The Dragon and The Eagle: Chinese and American Dances, Daggers and Dinners, English translation, 1998
In October 1977, in light of the Alaskan oil pipeline’s successful oil turnout, President Mondale signed a proclamation for a federal rebate for American residents and companies who purchased domestic oil instead of imported oil. This endeavor raised his popularity in northeastern states, as those states tend to be more reliable on foreign oil, and so their rebates were higher upon switching to domestic oil.
– David Frum’s political textbook How We Got Here: The ’70s, Basic Books NY, 2000
[pic:
imgur.com/bfOO6pA. ]
– Governor Hammond with Vice President Gravel and several others at a political function in Washington D.C.; while some pundits criticized Gravel for his informal (i.e., tie-less) attire for the evening, the image of anti-establishment “rebellion” appealed to peaceniks and college students – his core base of political supporters; c. 10/20/1977
W.H.O. DECLARATION: SMALLPOX HAS BEEN ERADICATED!
Deadly Disease Finally Wiped Out Thanks to Modern Science!
– The New York Times, 10/25/1977
COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT BECOMES LAW: Meant to Encourage Bank Activities In Low-Income Communities
– The Washington Post, 10/28/1977
LEADERS OF THREE-SIDED ETHIOPIAN CONFLICT AGREE TO PEACE TREATY!
Geneva, SWITZERLAND – In a stunning development, the Emperor of Ethiopia, Amha Selassie I, has agreed to grant the break-away northern region of Eritrea independence in exchange for an open border and Ethiopian access to Eritrean seaports. Somalia’s President Said Barre has also agreed to end the Ogaden Warfront, and is set to use funds from his country’s treasury to officially purchase conquered Somali-majority land from Ethiopia. The Emperor of Ethiopia has admitted that the resolution “may rub many of my fellow countrymen the wrong way, but I would rather relinquish these slivers of land and let them be, than to continue to hold onto them and to spill the flesh of my fellow man over them. Through peace, Ethiopia and Eritrea and Somalia can grow strong and prosperous.”
[14]
– The Guardian, 10/29/1977
…In New Jersey, the Democratic nominee, state General Assemblyman James J. Florio was just been declared the winner of the Garden State’s gubernatorial election. Florio won over Republican nominee Raymond Bateman by a narrow margin… At 40, Florio will be their youngest Governor, um, in years, and he is also now set to become the state’s first-ever Italian-American Governor. Florio supports the state’s supplemented income law, supported legalizing gambling to generate revenue last year, and ran on a promise to clean up New Jersey’s most polluted and crime-riddled areas…
[snip]
…Tonight’s gubernatorial election in Virginia has finally concluded. With over 98% of the vote counted, we can now confirm that Republican nominee John N. Dalton has won the governorship by a 5% margin over Democratic nominee William Battle...
– ABC News, 11/8/1977 election night coverage
JOEY SECURES FOURTH TERM – BUT WITH ONLY 35% OF THE VOTE
…Incumbent Mayor Joey Periconi ran under the Republican banner in what was essentially a five-man race. …Periconi’s closest opponent was Harrison Jay Goldin, the city’s 41-year-old Comptroller and former state senate, who ran under the Democratic banner and received roughly 29% of the vote. …Also challenging Periconi was talk-radio show host and former one-term US Congressman Barry Farber (under the Conservative banner), who after being endorsed by Governor Biaggi saw a last-minute boost in the polls resulting in him obtaining roughly 18% of the vote; author and former city investigative commission member Edward N. Costikyan (under the Liberal banner), who received roughly 12% of the vote; and 69-year-old Italian immigrant former Republican State Assemblyman Vito P. Battista (under the new United Taxpayers Party), who won roughly 5% of the vote. All together, all the other candidates on the ballot received roughly 1% of the vote…
– The New York Post, 11/8/1977
MILK MAKES MILESTONE BY MAJOR MARGIN: Local BLUTAG Activist Wins Election To Public Office In Near-Landslide
…last night’s election of the openly gay political activist Harvey Milk to city supervisor – he will be sworn in as a Member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from the Fifth District in January – is an impressive milestone for the B.L.U.T.A.G. community. For them, the year began with singer-turned-activist Anita Bryant leading political attacks against their unconventional lifestyle in multiple counties, only for them to proclaim victory in other parts of the country this November. …The revelations brought about by the “outing” of former Presidential aide Walter Jenkins and subsequent counter-outings of 1969 proved “blutagism,” a broad term for various forms of “non-traditional” sexuality, is not a contemporary fad but a long-existing social phenomenon. …Conservative social and political organizations opposing the BLUTAG community, however, are not discouraged by Milk’s election, with Mrs. Bryant telling CBS last night that “real Americans is will not allow this depravity to get out of hand, because
if homosexuality was the normal way God would have made Adam and Bruce.”
[15] Concurrently, Mayor Moscone took a more unimposing position on Milk’s victory, congratulated Milk in a phone call and soon afterwards telling reporters “What’s more important here is not what he does at home but what he does at work – whether or not he’ll be good at this new job of his, that’s what.” …
– The San Francisco Chronicle, 11/9/1977
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat startled the Arab World on November 9, 1977, by announcing to his nation’s parliament his intention to go to Jerusalem and speak before the Knesset. Arrived ten days later for a three-day visit, several observers credited the Third Annual “KFC Dinner” Summit for encouraging Sadat to seek a more peaceful path in the region. On November 19, Sadat met with Israeli Prime Minister Meacham Begin in Israel to seek a permanent peace settlement, setting the stage for bilateral agreements to be hopefully reached between Egypt and Israel in the months ahead. Fearing the move would lead to a grab for land without consideration for the PLO’s wants, the PLO also agreed to meet with Israel’s Defense Minister for a Non-Aggression Treaty to be negotiated and signed in 1978…
[16]
– Martin van Creveld’s Defending Israel: A Controversial Plan Toward Peace, Thomas Dunne Books, 2004
…A local diabetic veteran was shot and killed by police officers earlier today after stealing insulin in an armed robbery of a local pharmacy that ended in the veteran shooting up the store, causing thousands of dollars in damages and injuries three customers hit by broken glass…
– KOAA-TV, Colorado Springs TV station, NBC, 11/21/1977 broadcast
“This violent incident should be an eye-opener to how flawed the American healthcare system truly is. Over the years, we have seen millions of decent Americans take to the streets to vocalize their concerns. But this young man, a veteran of the United States Army, chose to be undemocratic and unpatriotic in what he believed was his only option in a system so deadlocked it cannot even pass laws to ensure quality medicine and healthcare to its own constituents, including its own veterans. As such, I will introduce on Tuesday a strong hospital care reform bill… So such hatred for and disappointment in the healthcare ways of the greatest nation on Earth can never again reach such un-American heights. Thank you.”
– US Rep. Gary Hart, 11/22/1977
SENATOR JOHN L. MCCLELLAN DIES AT 81
– The Texarkana Gazette, 11/28/1977
I had just started working for Texas Commerce Bank’s branch manager at the new bank in Caracas, Venezuela
[17], where I impressed the locals with my fluency in their language. I had just gotten off the phone with Columba, then my wife of only three years, when I heard unsettling commotion in the lobby. I went over and to my shock I saw masked men waving weapons around and ordering all of the money out of the vault. It was my responsibility to confront them, so I did. The attempt to stall for law enforcement to arrive did not exactly go as I had planned it to. Seeing me as a symbol of all they thought was wrong with capitalism, they decided to take me hostage...
– Activist and survivalist expert Jeb Bush’s Perseverance: A Survival Guide, 2016
“I'm sorry, Dorothy, but right now you only know as much as I do about all this.” I told her from the police station in Caracas.
“But you’re a former congressman, Dad” my daughter referred to the four non-consecutive (1967-1971, then 1973-1977) terms that I had spent on Capitol Hill. “Surely one of your connections can tell you something!”
I reiterated, “Only that the kidnappers, these communist F.A.L.N. fanatics, were last seen driving south of Caracas before the police lost them down some backroads.” I then reassured her, “We just have to wait until the ransom note.”
Why else would they have kidnapped him?, I thought,
he’s the son of an ex-Congressman and the brother of an MLB player, for Pete’s sake! [18]
– George H. W. Bush’s autobiography, 2015 edition
[pic:
imgur.com/biGJEdy. ]
– Jeb Bush in his mid-20s
Throughout the Sanders administration, the Colonel failed to oversee the passing of federal anti-lynching legislation, despite efforts being made. In 1977, though, with a large liberal majority in both chambers, Mondale used his high popularity and political capital to pass through congress the Lowenstein-Brooke Anti-Lynching Bill. On December 1, Mondale signed the bill into law, finally making lynching a federal crime in all US states and territories.
– historian Jeff Greenfield’s How Everything Changed: The Effects of 1976, Centurion Publishers, 2023
I never told my captors who I was. They figured that out on their own, in a serendipitous manner – with a baseball card set one of them had. When they connected the dots, they started debating how much of a ransom they should demand from my old man. Then they started arguing how much. Then the more extremist members of the group began calling for my execution. That faction wanted to “make an example” out of me; specifically, they wanted to create “an example of what happens when American pig-dogs try to force the evil capitalism onto the world,” to quote the most passionate, and thus most terrifying, member of the group.
The shouting match, though, provided me with an opportunity for me to escape, and so took it. I pull the pen I had stored in my pants’ back pocket, quietly clicked the tip out, and stabbed it into the rope, thinking it could weaken what was confining me to a chair on the side of the room. The pen snapped, but the remains and the ink loosened up the rope a bit. I used the remains of the pen to loosen them up some more, and soon I felt a loop of fabric slip past my wrist. As quietly as I could, I freed my other hand, slumped down to the floor, untied my legs, and crawled along the wall to the room’s door. At that moment, I rounded the corner, spotted a door out, and hurried through it.
I was at least thirty feet away from their grisly jungle compound before I heard the commotion. One of them fired into the air in an act in intimidation, which worked, by the way. I stopped and turned around.
And then realized they couldn’t see me, not in all that brush.
The one, likely the leader, shouted in Spanish, “come back now and we won’t hurt you, American.”
Another said “But I thought we were gonna f#@k him up – ”
“
Callate!” the first one barked to interject.
I moved further into the jungle, despite the insects being feisty and the possibility of even feistier, larger animals coming around. But first things first – I needed to find help, a friendly way out of there. I was tired, I was worried, and I was thirsty, but I knew the local dialect. [SNIP] I soon found a water source and carefully followed it to a vast lake. There I quenched my thirst, and not too long afterward experienced the reason why you should never drink unpurified water.
One leafy bathroom break and another long walk later, I came by civilization, a tavern, where I drank some clean water, had my mosquito bites looked at, and was informed by friendly locals that I was in Camatagua, a village 50 miles or so south of Caracas. Finally, I knew where I was, and what direction I had to go in. I needed a ride, but too many hearing my request feared retribution from the F.A.L.N. – except for one man with a weathered face and blackened teeth, who showed me the hidden escape hatch built into the back of his truck. If we were ambushed, I would slip out the back.
Fortunately, the roving guerillas overlooked us, most likely because for the entirety of the trip, I sat under a thick tarp, the smell confirming that this disheveled-looking Good Samaritan owned some kind of livestock. By the time we reached the city, my shirt clung to my back like a sticker to scrapbook.
The city was bustling with police asking about “the kidnapped American.” They stopped the questioning once I told one officer who I was.
[snip]
The experience was frightening, but, in a strange way, I found the survivalist aspect of it to be quite exhilarating. It had a lasting effect on my relationship with nature, and the political issues of South America…
– Activist and survivalist expert Jeb Bush’s Perseverance: A Survival Guide, 2016
On December 6, 1977, another section of South Africa broke away – the Bantustan ethic region of Bophuthatswana declared independence, joining other Bantustans Verda and Transkei in mounting a form of strategy that would allow the Black natives to request foreign aid and diplomatic relations with other nations such as Israel and the United States. The strategy would also, potentially, make the South African government address them more directly is the nation did not wish to have uncooperative patches within its borders. While Transkei took up a decent portion of coast and Verda made up a small area near the northern border, Bophuthatswana consisted of eight tracts of land separated from one another by the rest of South Africa, making the defense of its borders a quite difficult task. Activist leaders such as Biko promoted “the three breakaways,” later arguing it added “headache and havoc to the days of the white man’s government.” Of course, riots in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein occurring almost daily as opposition to Apartheid only helped…
– Julian Brown’s The Road to Soweto: Resistance & Revolution in Post-Soweto South Africa, Jacana Publishers, 2016
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER: A Celebration Of The Prosperity Of The 1970s
Upon release on December 16, 1977, “Saturday Night Fever” quickly became the biggest dancing movie of all time, and propelled the Bee Gees and actor John Travolta into national stardom…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, Special 30-year-Anniversary Retrospective Issue, 2007
The
December 19, 1977 Uganda General Elections, which followed the overthrow of Idi Amin the previous year, were the nation’s first general elections since the pre-independence general elections of 1962. The elections resulted in Interim President Paul Ssemogerere’s moderate Democratic Party winning over the Uganda People’s Congress. The UPC accused the DP of voter fraud, only for UN official who had observed the election proceedings to deny such wrongdoing. Political opposition to Ssemogerere, led by Paulo Muwanga, who accused the President of being British PM Dingle Foot’s “puppet,” continued for the rest of Ssemogerere’s time in office.
– clickopedia.co.usa/1977_Ugandan_General_Elections
Mondale and the Congress wrapped up 1977 by passing and signing into law the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act, a new and more detailed Clean Water Act, a Family Farmer Relief act meant to give small farms greater government assistance, and finally, the Urban Transportation Sanitation and Development Act, which was a result of multiple meetings with state and local leaders of numerous metropolitan areas in the US.
In retrospect, 1977 was a fairly easy year for Mondale – at least, when one compares it to the event that unfolded in 1978…
– Rick Perlstein’s Majestic Melees: The Trials and Crises of the Fritz Mondale Presidency, Simon & Schuster, 2019
ERITREA CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE
[pic:
https://imgur.com/enjGvPU. ]
Above: a map showing what the horn of Africa now looks like, after last year’s controversial “partitioning” of Ethiopia that ended the 1974-1977 wars and transferred Ethiopian territory to Somalia in exchange for a “purchasing fee” and a 1-mile-deep demilitarized border zone on the Somalian side of the nations’ new border.
– Associated Press, 1/1/1978
...We can now confirm reports, that a massacre of civilians has unfolded in the city of Multan, in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The story seems to be that workers at the Multan Colony Textile Mills went on strike after the factory management refused to give workers a bonus after an increase in profits, and Pakistan’s leader, Muhamad Zia-ul-Haq, ordered troops to open fire on them to end the strike… Reports estimate the number of the dead is over one hundred, at the very least, and hundreds more have been injured in some way, shape, or form… Nationwide, the people of Pakistan, a nation currently under the control of a military dictatorship, are taking to the streets in outrage at the government’s disregard for the lives of the people. Trade Unions are even calling for worker strikes nationwide…
– BBC World News, 1/2/1978
…In other news, rising interest rates are giving businesses pause over their spending projections for the 1978 fiscal year, out of concerns for earnings and stock price values…
– CBS Evening News, 1/12/1978
“Yeah, that’d be great, but unfortunately, Colonel, this isn’t a social call.”
“Oh?”
“Colonel, the Defense Department’s urging me to send actual troops into Angola.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“We’re making progress, albeit at a snail’s pace. But they think we ourselves can get it done faster. I’m not sure, that’s why I’d like your opinion.”
“How’s that?”
“Well, Indochina’s full of jungle. So’s Angola.”
“Well it’s not just the land, which you really do need to study, and make sure the military know it, too, but it’s not just that. You need to know the people, which people you can trust, and which you can’t.”
“A lot of natives are resilient to even advisory troops down there, but even more directly, I just don’t like the image of American forces plowing down Black people. And on their own continent, no less.”
“Yeah, well, remember – if you disagree with them and they don’t like it, remind them that you are the president, and then go with what your gut and all the data tells you to do. You don’t want to dive into quicksand after being told it’s a gold mine.”
“That’s one way of putting, I guess.”
– Telephone conversation between Colonel Sanders and Walter Mondale, 1/12/1978
MONDALE PAINTS OPTIMISTIC PICTURE OF PROSPERITY IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
…the President was light on foreign policy, only mentioning a planned withdrawal of troops from Ethiopia and not even mentioning the US’s support of anti-communist forces in Angola at all…
– The Washington Times, 1/19/1978
POWERFUL BLIZZARD STRIKES OHIO VALLEY! MILLIONS HIT, OTHERS BRACING FOR IMPACT!
Mondale: “We Learned From Last Year’s Cold Front How To Better Handle These Crises”
…federal and state emergency agencies are already prepping for power outages and rescue operations…
– The Los Angeles Times, 1/25/1978
…A joint resolution is similar to a bill in that both require the approval of both Chambers of Congress. A resolution passed by only one chamber, however, is not binding law, but instead a way of expressing the overall sentiment of the Senate on a certain issue. …On January 30, as Vice President Mike Gravel presided over the Senate, the chamber finally passed a resolution calling for the ending of the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Gravel beamed with pride when Speaker Udall oversaw the resolution’s passage in the House, making for a joint resolution that rejected the opinions of the War-Hawks on the Hill. Naturally, many hawkish politicians and political activists scowls in fury at this development, and swore to reverse it – “for the sake of the nation,” Senator Hibbard assured an ABC reporter on February 3rd…
– New Ideas For Old Problems: The Walter Mondale Presidency, Borderless Books Publishing, 2004
HISTORIC I.R.A. PEACE TREATY SIGNED!
…the 1977-1978 Peace Accords over Northern Ireland may very well mark the end of the Troubles for good… The IRA had increased its violence over the UK’s involvement in the Cuba War and was inspired by the events of France in 1964 to increase their more violent and extremist practices, with 1966 being the most hostile year. Thankfully, the 1970s saw the UK government moderate on the issue of Northern Ireland over international pressure… Years of bilateral and multilateral discussions has culminated in this treaty…
– The Boston Globe, 2/4/1978
[pic:
imgur.com/5srBVP8.png ]
– A painting of Colonel Sanders, painted c. February 1978
…In other news, the government of the southern African nation of Rhodesia has announced that it will accept multiracial democracy by the end of this year – a move that is likely an effort to quell riots in Rhodesia that the government fear will spill into an outright revolution similar to what appears to be unfolding in South Africa…
– BBC World News, 15/2/1978
PUBLISHER TED KENNEDY UNVEILS PLANS FOR NEW “K.N.N.” NETWORK
…newspaper magnate Ted Kennedy, owner of
the Sacramento Union, tonight unveiled his plans for a 24-hour news channel dubbed “Kennedy News Network.” The ambitious endeavor is the brainchild of three influential members of the news/“info-tainment” industry: Kennedy, media executive Reese Schonfeld, and businessman Robert Edward Turner III… Turner, the CEO of Public Television Network (PTN), explained at the announcement, “This is a massive endeavor, we’ve hired a staff of at least 300.” An expensive move as well, a total of roughly $32 million has been poured into KNN’s launch, and the operation is expected to cost millions per month in order to operate… KNN is set to begin operating later this year…
– The Los Angeles Times, 2/22/1978
IS RINGO LEAVING THE BEATLES?!
…according to sources close to the legendary band, Ringo Starr’s the years of playing referee over the differing visions of John and Paul have “finally gotten to him.” The claims may explain the prominent use of Billy Preston, the unofficial “fifth Beatle,” on the bands most recent album – the band may be eyeing for a suitable “Replacement Ringo” of sorts…
– The Sun, UK tabloid magazine, 26/2/1978
SOURCE(S)/NOTE(S)
[1] Italicized parts pulled from OTL Mondale’84 campaign brochure:
http://www.4president.org/brochures/1984/mondale1984brochure.htm
[2] Parts that are in italics are from the OTL article:
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/blizzard-of-1977-meteorological-analysis-canada-niagara/78699
[3] Italicized bit from here:
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v66n1/v66n1p1.html
[4] At least, according to Source 5 on Qaboos’s wiki article:
https://books.google.com/books?id=f3pV457NIE4C
[5] Based on his OTL record:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Y._Brown_Jr.#Business_ventures
[6] Just a quick update on this:
https://bittersoutherner.com/ollies-trolley-worlds-greatest-hamburger
[7] So yeah, his unsuccessful revenge quest led to him entering the sports management world later than he did in OTL:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Y._Brown_Jr.#Basketball_ventures
[8] Whole segment is pulled from here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Bryant#Anti-gay_rights_activism
[9] Video of actual scene found here:
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xu8rcm
[10] Info obtained from passages (and graphs) found here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States
[11] Real thing!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_University
[12] Italicized parts are from some article found through Ann Dunham’s wiki page, but I can’t find it now (I’ll keep looking, though!
)
[13] This opening bit is taken from its OTL wiki page…
[14] IOTL, Amha Selassie declined to become king even after the Derg offered the throne to him. This makes me think that either he was reluctant to rule or did not believe he would be accepted as ruler by the people. But ITTL, as was mentioned, his father made him promise to “save Ethiopia,” a vague enough request for Amha to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the country, not so much the monarchy.
[15] OTL quote:
http://www.quotehd.com/quotes/anita-bryant-quote-if-homosexuality-was-the-normal-way-god-would-have-made-adam
[16] Sadat really did do this, and it really did cause the PLO to be open to talks out of fear of being left out of an agreement between just Egypt and Israel!!!
[17] Upon further research, I became unsure if I should make this bit a part of this TL as, according to this source:
https://www.waynemadsenreport.com/articles/20150611_2 , Bush only got the OTL job in Venezuela because of father’s prior position in the CIA, but in this TL, G.H.W.B. never got that job, making me wonder if Bush would have still gone to Venezuela here. I think the CIA connection, though, may have only been a part of it, as Jeb seems qualified for the position.
[18] I (very briefly) mentioned in July/August 1970 that George W. Bush plays for the Houston Astros.
The popular vote percentage is also remarkably close to OTL 1984's, I like that twist a lot, even if it may not have been deliberate.
Is Donald Rumsfeld a Democrat ITTL, or is that just a typo?
Just a typo. EDIT: fixed; good eye, dude!
@gap80 , you okay with the following?
BASEBALL
World Series -- Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 3
EXPANSION
Four new teams in Major League Baseball, two in the AL, two in the NL
The candidate cities:
* Buffalo
* Denver
* Milwaukee
* New Orleans
* Seattle
* Toronto
* Washington
Explored the idea but had no real chance -- Indianapolis, Miami, Norfolk, Portland, Tampa, Vancouver
(maybe the readers should help choose the four)
FOOTBALL
SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS SINCE THE 1970 MERGER
V (1971) - Baltimore Colts
VI (1972) - Dallas Cowboys
VII (1973) - Miami Dolphins
VIII (1974) - Pittsburgh Steelers
IX (1975) - Minnesota Vikings
X (1976) - Dallas Cowboys
EXPANSION
1976 - Seattle and Tampa Bay entered the NFL as its 27th and 28th franchises. The league rejected bids from the six surviving World Football League franchises (Birmingham Vulcans, Hawaiians, Memphis Southmen, Portland Storm, San Antonio Wings, Southern California Sun).
BASKETBALL
1976 NBA final - Phoenix Suns over Boston Celtics, 4 games to 3
1976 ABA final - Kentucky Colonels over New York Nets, 4 games to 2
1976-77 NBA ALIGNMENT
EASTERN CONFERENCE
ATLANTIC DIVISION - Boston Celtics, Buffalo Braves, New York Knicks, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets
CENTRAL DIVISION - Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Kentucky Colonels, Spirits of St. Louis
WESTERN CONFERENCE
MIDWEST DIVISION - Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Kansas City Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
PACIFIC DIVISION - Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics
HOCKEY
1976 STANLEY CUP -- Montreal Canadiens d. Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 0
SOCCER
NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE
Tampa Bay Rowdies beat the Minnesota Kicks 2-1 to win the Soccer Bowl. The league played the season with 20 teams, but two (Boston, Philadelphia) folded at season's end and three more announced relocations for the 1977 season (Miami to Fort Lauderdale, San Antonio to Honolulu, San Diego to Las Vegas).
Nevertheless, the NASL continued to explore potential expansion. A report leaked to the media named potential expansion sites through 1980:
* Anaheim
* Baltimore
* Boston
* Cincinnati
* Cleveland
* Denver
* Detroit
* Houston
* Kansas City
* Louisville
* Memphis
* Montreal
* Norfolk
* Pittsburgh
* San Francisco/Oakland
* Tulsa/Oklahoma City
* Philadelphia
* Phoenix
* San Diego
Yes; this is all great, thanks a bunch!
On a more serious note...
@gap80 how do you see the religious right developing ITTL?
Similar to OTL, though Reagan's defeat here will likely give its political leaders pause. IOTL, the Colonel was on friendly terms with some members of the religious right, but he's a little pre-occupied at the moment with KFC and the annual Chicken Dinner Summit, so we'll see how things develop on that front in the upcoming years/chapters...
1) Boston would work, only because they don't have thec post-'75 letdown of OTL. But they need a few tweaks to make up 14 games int he standings.
2) Loved the first SNL skit, had me laughing out loud. The 2nd was good, I'm not one for scary movies s the Halloween theme wasn't as enjoyable but I still laughed. So, both were enjoyable.
3) Hinckley's end seemed very fitting.
4) Mondale beating Reagan that easily may force a move to the center by the GOP. I predict Howard Baker in '80 - I recall 1980 as the first election I started to follow and I really liked him, IIRC, but he dropped out early.
5) I don't think Gravel can win the primaries, I can see Jimmy Carter coming out on top. (Nice to see him in the Senate.) Or John Glenn.
1) That all sounds right, great analysis
2) Thanks, I'm glad to hear (um, read) it!
3) Yep!
4) Maybe; after all, four years is a lifetime on Planet Politic - a lot can happen prior to the 1980 primaries...
5) We'll see...
Theoretically, renovating the Superdome to configure it to baseball isn't out of the question (as proposed by this site (under baseball hypothetical):
http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Superdome.html#diag)
Cool!
Interesting, though I still think Washington is preferred. Or Denver, the A's almost moved there in 78. (Wouldn't happen TTL with Finley owning the Colonels instead.)
With Clemente living and yet DaveParker a future star in right, Richie Zisk is expendable - he could also replace Dwight Evans in right and is more their type of player, though you could see them, after failing to do it with all sluggers, daring to get a guy who could steal 40 bases a year in Fenway to lead off like Rivers. Or trade Rivers for a 2B or 3B.
Interesting stuff; your knowledge on this subject is practically encyclopedic!
Good update there
@gap80 - Mondale back again.
1) I really hope the Colonel’s Middle Eastern efforts can butterfly the Iranian Revolution- does the Shar like KFC? Perhaps the spotlight being in the region more makes Mondale pay more attention?
2) That dam collapse might put back Alt energy a bit if it’s considered risky making hydroelectric plants. Though Sanders mentioned solar so, maybe it balances out, esp if people remember windmills can make power.
3) Wonder if Tikhonov has a better relationship with China and the West? He’s likely to outlive the ‘old guard’ which us more stable for the USSR.
4) Revolution in South Africa and Amin deposed- could be good. Let’s see what slides in to replace those govt’s.
1) According to the threads I've found on this site pertaining to that subject, by 1976 the situation was ripe for revolution as, by the end of his OTL rule, the Shah had lost all internal support by basically alienating all but the wealthiest members of his country over the years, so the s#!t is still going to hit the fan - the real question, then, is how it's do so...
2) Maybe!
3) We'll see...
4) I'll cover how things are coming along in both nations in the next chapter
Does this have any effect on the Carollton Bus Crash that occurs in 1988?
Probably not directly, since this was the result of the driver not being familiar enough with the vehicle, while that 1988 crash was the result of a drunk driver. Still, the Colonel's temperance, the 1932 POD, and safer cars advocate Nader being in a higher position of power here could lead to butterflies that could see drunk driving levels differ from OTL by then.
Thanks you replying, y'all. I really appreciate the feedback!
You're welcome. I wasn't totally sure about Zisk but thought he might be, I'm wrong on some stuff too.
I did recall that Dave Parker played right and had a rifle arm himself (just not a canon
) so we would see Clemente in left his last few years - the '75 Pirates' outfield might not have anyone taking extra bases on them!
Willie Randolph might be a good 2nd baseman for Boston, to, rather than the Yankees. Their lineup is thus: Rivers, Randolph, Rice, Lynn, Cecil Cooper, Yaz, Fisk, 3B, and SS. But, boy, I was stunned how good the Red Sox' pitching staff was in 1976 given they were in Fenway for half their games! This might be a case where the Big Red Machine outslugs the Red Sox because they *aren't* built as much for Fenway, so while Fisk hits his famous home run in Game 5 to stave off elimination, and Boston then wins Game 6 as well, the Reds finally break through and win Game 7 at home.
Duly noted!
Fun to see Reagan lose in a landslide for once
I'm glad you enjoyed that!
