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Nixon Presidency

First Term, 1961-1965

After winning one of the closest elections in history, Richard Milhous Nixon is sworn in as the 35th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Nixon promises an era of American renewal.

1961

The major issue facing the Nixon administration this year is the Bay of Pigs and its aftermath. Although the invasion, backed with American air support, has some initial success, many of the Cuban exiles are captured or killed as Nixon holds off on a direct U.S. invasion of Cuba.

1962

The Cuban Missile Crisis. Nixon maintains a firm line against the Soviets while promising that there will be no attack on Cuba. When Russian missile sites are discovered on the island, he orders a blockade and the world breathes a sigh of relief as Soviet ships headed for Cuba turn around.

1963

Nixon survives an assassination attempt in Dallas while on a campaign tour. The would-be assassin is a former Marine named Lee Harvey Oswald. At his trial, Oswald claims that the C.I.A. and then the KGB hired him due to the Cuban Missile Crisis. He eventually commits suicide in a mental hospital.

1964

Nixon signs the Civil Rights Act into law, and orders air strikes against targets in North Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. He holds off on sending additional U.S. troops to Vietnam, however. Nixon’s re-election campaign is tainted by the trial and conviction of Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa, who was a major Nixon supporter. While Hoffa’s corruption is not linked to Nixon directly, it proves embarrassing and Nixon wins by a smaller than expected margin against Democratic challenger Lyndon Baines Johnson.

The Beatles make their first American tour. Although popular, they are regarded mostly as a fad.

Second Term, 1965-1969

1965

Nixon is sworn in for a second term. He orders more strikes against North Vietnam, but keeps troop levels steady, believing that Vietnam must be won by the Vietnamese themselves. Nixon signs Medicare and the Voting Rights Act into law. He also announces plans to withdraw most American troops from South Vietnam by the end of his second term.

1966

Nixon orders U.S. troops sent to the Philippines following an assassination attempt against Ferdinand Marcos. The Philippine Intervention, although it lasts for less than a year, proves controversial as Democrats accuse the administration of taking sides in a Philippine civil war.

After failing to expand their initial popularity beyond their native England over the past two years, the Beatles break up. Their final album, Revolver, is ironically their most successful release in the United States.

1967

The planned withdrawal of troops from South Vietnam is completed. Nixon makes history as the first American president to visit Communist China this year. He also nominates Solicitor General Thurgood Marshall for Attorney General, fulfilling an earlier campaign promise to name at least one black person to his cabinet.

1968

This year sees Frank Borman become the first man to set foot on the surface of the Moon, fulfilling another earlier campaign promise.

Nixon’s main focus during his final year in office is the economy. Nixon introduces Supplemental Security Income, creates the Environmental Protection Agency, eradicates the Gold Standard, and introduces a revenue-sharing program for the states. He also proposes-but is unable to get passed-a universal minimum wage and universal health care. He continues to take a middle path on civil rights, opposing forced busing but enforcing the law after the Supreme Court prohibits further delays in desegregation.

In a dull convention, the Democrats nominate former California governor Pat Brown as their candidate. Despite a strong economy and no major foreign crisis abroad, Vice President Lodge lacks support from some conservative Republicans, who favor Ronald Reagan in the primaries. As a result, Governor Brown defeats Lodge by a larger than expected margin.

Nixon ends his second term with relatively high approval ratings, a healthy economy, and a favorable record on civil rights. As the Seventies begin, President-elect Brown pledges to continue the overall peace and prosperity of the Nixon years while promising to be more proactive in the growing areas of women’s rights and environmental issues.

A note on Vietnam: While it's possible that Nixon might have sent more troops, it's also possible that he might have been more cautious a la Eisenhower. Remember that Johnson listened to Kennedy's former advisors when it came to Vietnam and they wouldn't have been part of a Nixon cabinet.

Also, with no Vietnam war, what would ther be to riot about at the Democratic convention? In a more conservative climate, Brown might have been seen as an acceptable "Established" candidate, although its possible that Humphrey might still have run, as well. Just my 2 cents...
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