OTL Brother Jim did that in 1980, so it ain't much of a stretch - plus, carpets gotta be bagged in the name of standing on the national stage to spew all sorts of reactionary bile, I suppose
McGoverning
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John Fredrick Parker
Donor
So just to make sure we're counting right -- that's eight races the GOP TTL won that Democrats won OTL, with another three being the reverse; that means instead of the Senate cumulatively gaining four Democrats as OTL, it loses one, giving us a 55-43 split.
God, imagine an OTL administration as radical as McGovern only losing a Senate seat and five House seats.
Some of it here is that (1) in terms of what the McGoverners have accomplished ITTL, in the context of the first half of the Seventies, it's not as radical or rather more of the "radical" ideas (progressive taxation, some kind of form of universal health care) haven't been mau-maued as brutally as they would be later, most of the real palaver here belongs either to unrepentant segregationists who will fume at any liberal administration, and the Goldwater wing of the GOP. Ford dabbled with a kind of purgatory system (in the actual theological sense - a place where you're purged of your sins) for repatriating draft evaders, and MECA is an amped-up version, "liberal-ized" if you will, of a plan out of Nelson Rockefeller's think tank that the unions eyed suspiciously because it's still kind-of/sort-of single payer and they needed to attach their union-contracted supplemental insurance to it. Having cut Earl Butz off at the knees in the '72 cycle they still have space to try and save family farms and a population in the Plains States and some other regions receptive to the idea because they haven't lost their family farms yet.
That said, a few things obtain in this cycle. One is that it's a very messy cycle with a lot of localized characteristics. Some incumbents have sufficiently robust and complex home-base political power bases that they can ride it out, others get swept up and away based on whether their state loathes George McGovern or Richard Nixon more. Actually that's probably a better metric for judging how all this plays out - how much a given state/metro/region/district hates McGovern versus how much it hates Nixon. There's reaction against both that explains the sufficient levels of fratricide for things to wind up roughly level. A number of seats in both chambers change hands, along with governorships likewise, but the net result just happens to work out relatively even. A lot of that is due to the Dems being very, very lucky with the Senate map they've got, in terms of that "who do you hate more, the Hippie-Lover or The Dick?" dynamic. With a different Senate-class map in play things might not have been so tolerable.
At the same time, also, this kind of deadlock isn't so different from Nixon's 1970 midterms. For anyone who wanted a repeat of the bloodbaths of LBJ in '66 or Eisenhower's second term in '58, no such luck. There was a relatively equal amount of fratricide especially in the House.
@mr1940s ,
At this point Bill is (besides wherever he summers) pretty much a full-time Connecticut resident. Also it's a useful way to try and throw a shoe in the Democrats' works without having to drive a path through Jack Javits to do it. (Goodell was a weaker target.)
My condolences to everyone on how bloody long this one'll be, but as consolation, know that I wrote it all while listening to Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love".
It's a big tent. They can handle it, but what's Rove and Atwater without a streak of own-the-libs-before-it-was-cool?
"Lyndon walked so that George could run" is my idealized legacy for this administration, but reality will probably bite plenty hard.
Is there more than one Cow Palace? One in San Fran, and one in Kansas City?
GENE'S BACK, BABY!
*puts this in my back pocket for whenever I get back to writing for The New Order: Last Days of Europe*
Radicals gonna radical. I'm sure that a certain Commentary commentator is going to rear his head soon enough.
This reader also likes that!
I take it you've read Jefferson Cowie's Staying Alive?
I'm going to have to ask to hear more about this particular nugget.
I wonder what Elijah Cummings is up to ITTL, because that sounds like a hilariously familiar setup.
Oh no.
Oh no. (You're truly second-to-none at making me anticipate the subject of the section without giving it a name)
Truly, one of the most cursed subjects imaginable. He should've stuck to dinosaurs. Although if he's reading this (and there's a non-zero chance), DM me. I'm sure we'd have plenty to chat about.
Oh no.
It's so beautiful! In so many ways!
Not that that's a hard thing to do.
And thus, Vermont gains its first and (to this date) only Senate Democrat.
That's the 70s for ya.
OH NO.
Fun fact: I once wrote an abortive TL where Ed becomes governor after Ronny gets shot at the premiere of "Hello, Dolly!" because of People's Park.
*does a little happy dance*
It's a big tent. They can handle it, but what's Rove and Atwater without a streak of own-the-libs-before-it-was-cool?
"Lyndon walked so that George could run" is my idealized legacy for this administration, but reality will probably bite plenty hard.
Is there more than one Cow Palace? One in San Fran, and one in Kansas City?
GENE'S BACK, BABY!
*puts this in my back pocket for whenever I get back to writing for The New Order: Last Days of Europe*
Radicals gonna radical. I'm sure that a certain Commentary commentator is going to rear his head soon enough.
This reader also likes that!
I take it you've read Jefferson Cowie's Staying Alive?
I'm going to have to ask to hear more about this particular nugget.
I wonder what Elijah Cummings is up to ITTL, because that sounds like a hilariously familiar setup.
Oh no.
Oh no. (You're truly second-to-none at making me anticipate the subject of the section without giving it a name)
Truly, one of the most cursed subjects imaginable. He should've stuck to dinosaurs. Although if he's reading this (and there's a non-zero chance), DM me. I'm sure we'd have plenty to chat about.
Oh no.
It's so beautiful! In so many ways!
Not that that's a hard thing to do.
And thus, Vermont gains its first and (to this date) only Senate Democrat.
That's the 70s for ya.
OH NO.
Fun fact: I once wrote an abortive TL where Ed becomes governor after Ronny gets shot at the premiere of "Hello, Dolly!" because of People's Park.
*does a little happy dance*
John Fredrick Parker
Donor
In the context of the time period, the heyday of the New Deal Coaltion, it's actually not a good look for the Democrats -- remember, between 1959 and 1994 OTL, that the lowest point for the House Democratic Caucus was 242, which these results have just pushed below; meanwhile, the Democratic Senate Caucus had recently, following 1970, found a low-point since 1958, which TTL it has done effectively nothing to pull itself back from.
It may not be enough to derail McGovern's liberal agenda in the short term, but it can absolutely pave the way for an earlier Gopper Congressional majority, possibly even as early as 1979 or 1981.
I found a pic of him, and while he's sadly clean-lipped he has something I'd argue is just as good/evocative:
For the record, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune article this is from described it as his "ever-present cowboy hat" because he absolutely needed to fit his name to a T.
Again with the good taste. Grace might - might - eventually get to play a White House gig ITTL, with a little more distance/mileage forward from the Summer of Love. She and some aggregate of the several McGovern daughters can go toke up on the East Wing roof like JIMMEH's son and Willie Nelson IOTL.
They probably can. Although at that point there were even folk in the McGovern camp hemming and hawing about "purists" *coughFrankcough* so there's always a chance for the Democrats to find their way back into internecine combat with their ancient enemy, the Democrats. At the same time, yeah, there's some overestimation from these two Formula 1 drivers of polarization - hammers, things that look like nails, that sort of thing.
He's trying, he's trying. The thing about partisan politics is that it's often Newtonian, in that actions produce reactions. Strong actions incur what we could call a "reaction debt" and eventually someone usually shows up with the bill.
We love us some gene, he's the Good Blonde Bill Gates every political op should know and love (seriously, check out that mug shot in Campaign Trail '72, separated at birth.) Plus he's serious about the job. This is not a young man who intends to waste daylight.
It's shareware, please do.
Kristol the Elder is aware of all ATL tropes.
Oh good.
Very familiar. HST is laying it on a bit thick, but that's his way.
I'll see if I can run down some good sources on The Milk Money in all its many permutations, @Wolfram has some good ones esp. on Big Bad John's OTL legal woes.
And we thank you.
I'd like to take a Very Special Moment with this, because not everyone among the Careful Readers, or a wider audience, may be fully aware.
Y'see, this fucking guy
while in grad school, applied for and received grant money to do overseas research for his doctoral dissertation. He took that money, found a nice little Brussels pied a terre, burrowed into the Belgian national archives, and then wrote his thesis.
About Belgian colonial education policy.
In the Congo.
From the Belgian point of view.
It explains so much. The more you know.
Why thank you.
Oh fun!
MIIIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLT
I found a pic of him, and while he's sadly clean-lipped he has something I'd argue is just as good/evocative:
For the record, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune article this is from described it as his "ever-present cowboy hat" because he absolutely needed to fit his name to a T.
Godspeed, Old Man Lovingood.
My Pop-Pop worked a hump yard, and my house is within earshot of the Norfolk Southern's Lehigh Line, so I guess I've had a certain appreciation for the things since I was a tyke. Not the eidetic memory of some folks I know, but still, it's an instinct that I reckon comes from prehistoric megafauna.
Has Pennsylvania had better governors? Maybe. Has Pennsylvania had more iconic governors? Certainly. But has Pennsylvania produced a governor who was quite as delightful as Milton Shapp? I think not.
Reading the updates and I just have a few things to say:
With regards to Newt Gingrich, my uncle called him a bottom-feeder, because, in nature, newts are bottom feeders--it's quite appropriate for Mr. Gingrich...
Jeremiah Denton in the Senate--I'm getting Kentucky Fried Politics flashbacks (he got elected President and, well, to say his second term as President ITTL didn't go well is like saying the Titanic had a minor leak). And, yes, Strom needs to see a doctor about that--maybe a specialist (the thought of him having something like that makes me want to reach for the brain bleach)...
Frank Rizzo losing--yeah, that's really a big loss (I'm being sarcastic)...
Sissy Farenthold I remember (in addition for being a woman politician in Texas) because her step-grandson, Blake Farenthold, was my Congressional representative (he defeated Solomon Ortiz--my late mom hated him for that in part) until he had to step down due to sexual harassment allegations--he also was notorious for being in a photo wearing ducky pajamas standing next to a woman in lingerie...
I hope Barbara Jordan goes far--having an African-American woman from Texas succeed would be something...
As for Bob Dole, Bob Dole can't deny that Bob Dole lost, but Bob Dole is not done. Bob Dole will be back again, Bob Dole can guarantee that...
Good chapters, and waiting for more, @Yes; you have a way with words...
With regards to Newt Gingrich, my uncle called him a bottom-feeder, because, in nature, newts are bottom feeders--it's quite appropriate for Mr. Gingrich...
Jeremiah Denton in the Senate--I'm getting Kentucky Fried Politics flashbacks (he got elected President and, well, to say his second term as President ITTL didn't go well is like saying the Titanic had a minor leak). And, yes, Strom needs to see a doctor about that--maybe a specialist (the thought of him having something like that makes me want to reach for the brain bleach)...
Frank Rizzo losing--yeah, that's really a big loss (I'm being sarcastic)...
Sissy Farenthold I remember (in addition for being a woman politician in Texas) because her step-grandson, Blake Farenthold, was my Congressional representative (he defeated Solomon Ortiz--my late mom hated him for that in part) until he had to step down due to sexual harassment allegations--he also was notorious for being in a photo wearing ducky pajamas standing next to a woman in lingerie...
I hope Barbara Jordan goes far--having an African-American woman from Texas succeed would be something...
As for Bob Dole, Bob Dole can't deny that Bob Dole lost, but Bob Dole is not done. Bob Dole will be back again, Bob Dole can guarantee that...
Good chapters, and waiting for more, @Yes; you have a way with words...
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He was Rumsfeld's second VP in Rumsfeldia, so naturally, his presence in this update left my brain going Full Klaxon.
John Fredrick Parker
Donor
My impression, based on back and forth with @Yes, is that the 1980 GOP Candidate is going to be someone looking to bring Rockefeller Republicans, Nixon Apologists, and Wallace Voters, all under one roof -- in contrast to Reagan's OTL strategy selling an ever more increasingly bolder Right Wing to the White Backlash and other nervous populations -- though I've never really been sure who the best fit for that would be.
I'll admit, I hadn't considered John Connolly, much less Denton...
I'll admit, I hadn't considered John Connolly, much less Denton...
Denton wouldn't be a bad pick. He's green, though. As to 'Ol Johnny, well, it'd be interesting to see him as the Republican nominee, but it might look too... slippery, shall we say, to the viewers at home.
What It Takes did more to explain the complicated psychology of Gary Hart to me than anything else written about him. It also did yeoman's work in explaining Joe Biden's and Michael Dukakis's...missteps in 1987-88. In so many ways, Dukakis laid the track for Clinton to drive in 1992, the neoliberal policies behind a genial face, the thought that Democrats needed to be more like Republicans instead of recognizing what really drove all those GOP presidential wins from Nixon to Bush peré. HST got it, always did, and a shame that Dems didn't listen and realize that it wasn't some great love for GOP economics that drove their voters, but the hate in their hearts, hate fueled by fear of not holding the upper hand, fear of not being above others. That hate would likely have been tempered if the economy had been better, but there were a million misses along the way that caused that to happen--a failure to heed Robert McNamara's 1960 warning about the compact cars of West Germany and Japan gaining footholds in America and so Detroit needed to start shrinking cars down to compete; Vietnam taking money and focus from the Great Society, which made it the worst of sins: the half-measure, allowing conservatives to attack its failures and reinforcing the idea that spending money to help the poor and minorities was wasteful; The Dick's goosing of the economy via the pliant Arthur Burns at the Fed; Alan Greenspan and Bill Simon, terrible people with terrible ideas, being the driving force of Ford's misguided WIN campaign; Jimmy Carter's micromanaging missing the forest for the trees; the Reaganauts deliberately setting America on culture war fire--all of this led to the now, and the now is not a good place because of it.
Anyway, thrilled this is back.