President Reagan - in 1968

[Historico]

In Bright Days: The First Term of Edward M. Kennedy

On January 20th 1981, the last son of the late Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr, Edward M. Kennedy was sworn in as the nation’s 39th President. Kennedy would hark back to the very same day twenty years hence when his brother Jack had asked for Americans to take a more active role in their government.” In his powerful inauguration speech; one of Ted’s most memorable lines “I hope for an America where we can all contend freely and vigorously, but where we will treasure and guard those standards of civility which alone make this nation safe for both democracy and diversity.” This promise for a new America that embraced its diversity was widely expressed in his cabinet. His ‘rainbow coalition’ as some would come to call it, were all hailed as popular and fitting choices, and many of the candidates were confirmed by the new Democratic majority-Senate without any delay. Later that day after the Inauguration ceremony, President Kennedy announced that all of the American Hostages in Iran had been freed.

President Kennedy meeting with former President Reagan after the Inauguration.

Secretary of State: Zbigniew Brzezinski
Secretary of Treasury: Russell B. Long
Secretary of Defense: Benjamin O’ Davis Jr.
Attorney General: Roger Wilkins
Secretary of Interior: Juan Lujan Jr.
National Security Advisor: Jeane Kirkpatrick
Secretary of Commerce: Daniel Inouye
Secretary of Labor: Ray Marshall
Secretary of Agriculture: Frances “Sissy” Farenthold
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare: LaDonna Harris
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia Roberts Harris
Secretary of Energy: R. Sargent Shriver Jr.
Secretary of Transportation: Geraldine Ferraro

The most dynamic part of the Kennedy administration was the strength of his foreign policy team. In his’ Secretary of State, Kennedy chose foreign policy Realist, and Kennedy Ally…Zbigniew Brzezinski as the nation’s chief diplomat. After 12 years of Kissinger’s dominance of American Foreign Relations, Brzeninski would take the focus off arms control and détente. Brzeniski instead shifted more toward of a human rights focus with increased military build up in order to deal with the weekend Soviet empire. For Defense Secretary, Kennedy tapped retired Air Force General, Benjamin O Davis Jr... African American and seen as extremely well qualified; he passed quick nomination hearings. Due to him being a relative nonentity on his foreign policy views, his relationship with Brzezinski would come to be fairly cordial. Although not official members of Cabinet, Kennedy chose life-long AFL-CIO Democrat Jeane Kirkpatrick as his National Security Advisor and Senate colleague/leader of the Hawkish wing of the Democratic Party…Henry “Scoop” M. Jackson as his UN Ambassador.

Although the Peace wing of the Democratic Party had showed some initial dismay at Kennedy’s Hawkish choices, Ted was able to placate the liberals in his party with his Domestic policy choices. Ted would pick another Senate Colleague in Louisiana Senator Russell B. Long as his Treasury Secretary, for his long-term service as Senate Finance Committee Chairman as well as his extensive knowledge of Tax Law. For the position of Attorney General, Ted chose former Johnson Administration Assistant AG and Civil Rights Activist Roger Wilkins as the first African American appointed to that position. The token Republican in the cabinet came in the form of Latino New Mexico Congressman Manuel Lujan Jr. who was appointed to the post of Secretary of Interior. Kennedy also pulled Dan Inouye from the Senate, still remembered for his Keynote Address at the chaotic 1968 Convention, as his Secretary of Commerce. The number of Women in the Kennedy administration was also unprecedented; Texas Lieutenant Governor Sissy Farenthold for Agriculture, Wife of former Oklahoma Senator and staunch Native American/Women’s rights activist LaDonna Harris for HEW, Kennedy Ally and IBM director Patricia Roberts Harris for HUD, and New York Congresswoman and Tip O’Neil protégé Geraldine Ferraro for Transportation. Last but certainly not least, Ted brought in his brother-in-law Sargent Shriver as the new Secretary of Energy, would serve in a more personal advisor role similar to that of Bobby Kennedy in the JFK Administration.

After securing the release of the American Hostages from the Ayatollah, President Kennedy’s most pressing issue was on how to solve the rapidly growing Savings and Loan crisis. After weeks of deliberating and hammering out the details, with Treasury Secretary Long, FED Chairman Paul Volcker and Congressional Leadership, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1980 (FIRREA) was submitted to Congress by late February. After a few outcries from Republican Congressmen and Senators for the massive Regulatory overhaul, the act was presented to President Kennedy by March 15th 1981 for signing without any major significant changes. The act was largely seen as a direct change from the deregulatory policies pursued by the Reagan and Volpe Administrations.

However, any plans that President Kennedy had with dealing with the Soviet Union, Expanding NASA’s budget for continued manned space exploration, or creation of new federal domestic programs was tragically cut short on March 30th 1981. After Ted delivered an brief speech to representatives of the AFL-CIO at The Washington Hilton Hotel, President Kennedy walked the short distance of his armored Presidential Limousine escorted by a Secret Service men. Six shot rang out of the nearby crowd; three bullets from the .22 caliber revolver hit the President in the head, in the throat and the shoulder. The rest of the bullets frayed off and hit a couple of civilians, while the President was shoved into the Limousine and driven to George Washington Hospital. After several hours of Doctors furiously attempted to resuscitate the President, Edward M. Kennedy with his wife Joan and most of his family at his bedside was declared dead by 8:23 pm eastern time. The Assassin was caught at the sight of the shooting, and was revealed to be the insane, Jodie Foster-obsessed 26 year old John Hinckley Jr. Charles C. “Cliff” Finch was sworn in as the nation’s 40th President of the United States

 

[MaskedPickle]

Poor Ted, he didn't lasted long. Hope Finch will do a good job.

 

[Archangel]

It's sad Ted died at the hands of a madman.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

So Teddie dies a few months in and Finch will die of a massive heart attack in 1986 even if he wins in '84...

Here's an image of Finch since they're hard to find.
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/images/304.jpg

 

[Cylon_Number_14]

That was rather unexpected. Sometimes the butterflies just aren't enough to stop the lethal combination of the Kennedy curse and Tecumseh's Curse on the Presidents.

In other news, in your earliest posts, you killed welfare and social security by instituting TEFFA the combined Negative Income Tax and related programs that should have lower administrative costs and fewer loopholes. How do you think that program has faired over the past 13 years? What effects has it had on society or at least on the national debt? So far it seems that it caused almost no perceptible waves...

 

[Historico]

Poor Ted, he didn't lasted long. Hope Finch will do a good job.

I must confess that I had originally planned to have Ted go the way of his brothers after I decided it was he that I wanted to take the DEM nomination in 1980, after a relatively stable 1970's ITTL with 12 years of continued Republican Adminstration. Finch's record for a Southern Populist and Unique Campaign style could really excite Ted's inablity to connect with minorities like Bobby did. So Although Mississippi doesn't bring in a lot of electoral votes, it did balance the ticket quite nicely.

 

[Historico]

It's sad Ted died at the hands of a madman.

Yeah...From what I can discern no major butterflies involving Hinckley and his path, never mind how destructive it was, in life should have been impacted to significantly from different Moderate to Conservative Presidents(Reagan and Volpe instead of Nixon/Ford and Carter).

 

[Historico]

So Teddie dies a few months in and Finch will die of a massive heart attack in 1986 even if he wins in '84...

Here's an image of Finch since they're hard to find.
http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/images/304.jpg

Thanks for the pic Norton(They are ridcuosly hard to find), As for Finch's Presidency...I make no promises

 

[Historico]

That was rather unexpected. Sometimes the butterflies just aren't enough to stop the lethal combination of the Kennedy curse and Tecumseh's Curse on the Presidents.

In other news, in your earliest posts, you killed welfare and social security by instituting TEFFA the combined Negative Income Tax and related programs that should have lower administrative costs and fewer loopholes. How do you think that program has faired over the past 13 years? What effects has it had on society or at least on the national debt? So far it seems that it caused almost no perceptible waves...

Thanks Cy, Sometimes I like to mix things up abit. I thought I had cleared it up though, I didn't kill Social Security, as I feel even with Ronnie's charisma, he wouldn't be stupid enough to try to touch Social Security with such a strong Democratic presence congress. The biggest things is that it was indexed for Inflation, which lifted alot of the financial burden it caused on the US federal government.

Economically, I imagine the US is in simmilar situation as what took place in the late 1980's, with the traditional reduction in federal spending of the Republican adminstrations with that being said, that's why I had the Savings and Loan crisis happen earlier than IOTL. Because with an earlier Volcker at the Fed, the same conditions would probably arise. There were some interesting articles I had read a while aback that talked about the Pro's and Cons, that I need to reread to give a better outlook of the condition of the nation at the start of the Finch Presidency.

 

[Historico]

Hey...I forgot I didn't make an update on the 1980 Congressional/Gubnetorial Elections, so here it is lol. Also my next update on President Finch's term should be finished within the next couple of days, so be on the look out

************

1980 US Congressional/Gubernatorial Elections

In the Senate, largely due to Senator Kennedy’s coattails and the public unhappiness with the Volpe administration, the Democrats are almost able to push their numbers to a filibuster proof majority. Senator’s Talmadge, Bayh, Culver, Durkin, Morgan, McGovern, Magnuson, and Nelson were all able to keep their seats. New Gains came in the form of Jim Folsom Jr. in Alabama, Bill Schulz in Arizona, Pete Flaherty in Pennsylvania, and Elizabeth Holtzman in New York. In the House of Representatives, Tip ‘O” Neil’s Democrats increased their majority significantly taking full advantage of the malaise against the Republicans. In the gubernatorial elections, Incumbent’s William J. Clinton in Arkansas, Dixie Lee Ray in Washington, and Joseph P. Teasdale in Missouri were able to hold on to their office. The Democratic sweep gave President-elect Ted Kennedy a clear mandate that would enable him to get a majority of his legislation passed

 

[Historico]

In Dark Passages: The 1st term of Charles C. Finch

At Nine O’clock pm Eastern time, Charles C. Finch of Pope, Mississippi and the 40th President of the United States addressed the nation via television in the Oval Office. With a face full of grief, and even what some would call bewilderment, President Finch said “Good evening America, Tonight with a heavy heart I announce that President Kennedy has indeed succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died at George Washington Hospital with his family at his bedside. In my first official act as President, I am declaring tomorrow to be a day of mourning for all Americans. I ask you all to keep the Kennedy family in your prayers. Thank all of you, and may you have a blessed night.” After a stirring funeral at Saint Matthew’s Cathedral, where Energy Secretary Sargent Shriver gave an outstanding Eulogy for his brother-in-law, with one of the more memorable lines being “In these Dark Passages, Ted would want us to continue to fight for those issues he championed, whether it was ensuring every American had Healthcare, Campaign Finance Reform or the ban on nuclear weapons to guarantee our children a bright future. We must look in to our own hearts to look for that badge of courage worn proudly by that magnificent Lion named Edward Moore Kennedy.” The funeral was attended by distinguished guests such as President Reagan, President Volpe, former Vice President Nixon, former Vice President Baker, Coretta Scott King, many other foreign dignitaries, Senators and others.

Former Vice President Richard M. Nixon at President Kennedy's funeral.

In a manner extremely similar to his Brother Jack’s funeral, the body of Ted Kennedy was carried via horse drawn carriage to the U.S. Capitol to lie in state. The entire day following the funeral, hundreds of thousands came to view the guarded casket. President Kennedy’s coffin was finally laid to rest near his brothers in Arlington Cemetery. For most of the month of April, all was quiet coming out of the White House while President Finch was getting accustomed to the reigns of power. On May 1st, Cliff Finch for the first time as President would address a joint session of Congress, in which he called for major programs including an increased defense budget, a return to manned space exploration, continued extension of AMTRAK/High Speed Rail, A new energy initiative, Healthcare reform, A new regulatory framework for the TERFA system, and reform of the American Educational system. It would be the end of his address that got standing ovations from both sides of the isle, when Finch said “And with your help America, and God’s will…I will do everything within my power to ensure that indeed the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die!” After Speech, polling would confirm what many American’s already knew, as his approval ratings stood at a remarkable 85% approval rating.

President Finch’s first order of business was to select a new Vice President to occupy the now vacated office. Like President Volpe and President Kennedy before him, Cliff Finch was determined to make history with his pick and rally the base of his party. Two weeks after his address, President Finch released his shortlist of potential candidates: Senator Shirley Chisholm of New York, Congressman Eligio “Kika” de la Garza II of Texas, Senator Thomas Bradley of California, Governor Dixie Lee Ray of Washington, former Secretary of State Edward Brooke, and Congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawii. From his brief experience in the role of the Vice-Presidency, Finch knew that he would have to choose someone who wouldn’t chafe under the mundane world of the office. His first choice was that of the Unbought and Unbossed Senator from New York Shirley Chisholm, however after a meeting in the oval office with President Finch, she thankfully declined the offer as she said “With Ted gone, someone in the Senate has got to stay and continue to fight for the causes that we believe in.”. President Finch agreed, as along with Chisholm both de la Garza and Mink decided to ultimately stay in Congress, where they believed they could exert more influence. The bow-outs left President Finch with three potential Candidates; former State Secretary Brooke, Senator Bradley and Governor Ray. Although Dixie Lee Ray knowledge on nuclear power was impressive, The Governor was not to fairly popular within her home state of Washington, as she distanced many of her initial supporters with her conservative views. As for former Secretary of State Edward Brooke, many within the party were unsure of picking a Republican for the number two job. President Finch saw the potential pick as an attempt to gain Moderate Republican voters in the Northeast. But ultimately Secretary of State Brzezinski convinced Finch against Brooke, as he felt that Brooke would be seen as a relapse back to the Kissingerian era of détente. President Finch agreed, and made his decision public to the American People on May 22nd 1981.

The man nominated as the nation’s 42nd Vice President of the United States would be…Senator Thomas J. “Tom” Bradley of California. The first African American to ever be chosen, the former Los Angeles Mayor, unhappy with being the voice of one in a hundred before the Kennedy assassination had begun to show interest in succeeding Jerry Brown as Governor California in 1982. Eager to get back into the executive role, Bradley accepted President Finch’s offer as he became a symbol to the socially liberal yet pro-business urban blacks who dominated America’s cities at the time. Yet, many of Finch’s southern supporters were quite angry at pick of a black man, which would be translated into the extended hearings before congress. A conservative charge led by Senator Jesse Helms with his not so thinly veiled racism was thrown at Bradley, especially when he said “That this is Affirmative Action at its worst…Never before a man so unqualified and so unrepresentative of mainstream America been put only a heartbeat away from the Presidency!” Yet many Southern Democratic Senators not wanting to seem stuck in the past supported their President, and with no illegalities being found…Tom Bradley was confirmed on June 11th 1981 by a large majority of the Senate. Bradley was sworn in as the nation’s 42nd Vice President and the first African American later that day.

Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley...The first African American Vice-President of the United States.

With his cabinet intact, President Finch set out to meld together Kennedy’s vision of America with his own. In a manner not seen in the White House since President Johnson in the months following Jack Kennedy’s death, Cliff Finch introduced a majority of domestic and foreign related issues at congress. His first major piece of legislation would the Growth, Expansion and Development Act or GED. This would be the largest public works act since possibly the New Deal, as he poured millions of dollars into funding of building new schools, roads, Urban renewal, as well as promoting beautification all in order to stimulate the American Economy and the provide jobs. However the GED would face stiff opposition from Senator Herman Talmadge and other Conservative senators, who only saw the program as expensive and unnecessary ways to spend taxpayer money. After a month long filibuster, the senate granted the GED cloture and it is passed to a 65-35 vote. The House passed the GED with ease, and it’s presented for President Finch to sign by September 11th 1981. It was also during this time, that President Finch nominated Rose Bird, Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court, in order to fill seat of the retiring Associate Justice Potter Stewart. After a tough a nomination battle over her staunch opposition to the Death Penalty, Bird narrowly won confirmation and on September 25th she took her seat as the first female justice of the United States.

Rose Elizabeth Bird...First Female Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

By the time of the his first State of the Union Address, in January of 1982 despite taking few hits for the Bradley and Bird nominations, President Finch’s overall approval ratings stood around 65%. In his speech to Congress, he outlined his plan for a new Regulatory Bi-partisan committee to look at the rising inefficiencies of the TERFA System. Yet it when he laid out the foundations for a manned mission to Mars by the end of the Decade, when Finch said “We must not hesitate to funnel that great American Spirit into something for the benefit of all of mankind. For it is in our nature to continue to venture out and explore to find new experiences. Mars might represent a chance for us to finally answer the question of whether or not we are alone in the Universe. For us to be coy and not seek out the answer would be totally unacceptable!” As money allocated from his 1982 budget pumped new life into NASA, focused first on how to solve the biggest obstacles to manned Mars space flight included; physical effects of exposure to high-energy cosmic rays and other ionizing radiation, physical effects of a prolonged low-gravity environment, physical effects of a prolonged low-light environment, psychological effects of isolation from Earth psychological effects of lack of community due to lack of real-time connections with Earth, social effects of several humans living under crowded conditions for over one Earth year, and the inaccessibility of terrestrial medical facilities. Not since the Apollo project had there been such an assemblage of the US Scientific community working together to reach a common goal, this being The Case for Mars.

Artist Conception of a 1980's Manned Mission to the Red Planet.

On Foreign Policy, President Finch became even more of a student of Brzezinski’s “realist” approach than was the late President Ted Kennedy. On the surface many Americans were unsure about how this “Good Ol’ Boy” from Mississippi might deal with the Soviets. Yet it soon became clear in the early months of his military that Finch planned to drastically escalate the Cold War, as he ordered a massive build up of the United States Military sold to Congress as a way to decrease unemployment. Finch would also bring back online the B-1 bomber program, which had been cancelled during the crunch of the Volpe Administration. President Finch would also articulate Brzeziniski’s belief of using Human Rights to erode to the Soviet Union, especially when He announced in 1982, that the only way nuclear arms reduction could continue if Soviet repression in Poland ceased. Brezhnev would scoff at his fifth American President, since his reign as General Secretary in 1964, and things would remain particularly frosty between the United States and the Soviet Union up until his death of a massive heart attack on November 10th 1982.

1982 US Congressional/Gubernatorial Elections

President Finch would spend a majority of his time in the fall of 1982 out on the stump for Democratic congressional candidates in an attempt to keep his Democratic majority. Cliff’s trek across the nation, proved to be largely successful as party balance remained unchanged from the previous election in the Senate. Senator Mervyn M. Dymally of California was able to beat off challenger Pete Wilson in a close election, as Dymally was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to fill Vice President Bradley’s vacated seat. Tip O’Neil maintained the Democratic majority in the House, although the Republican’s had maid some gains in The South and the Mountain West. The most exciting races came from the gubernatorial elections, where former Senator and Former Treasury Secretary Lloyd M. Bentsen returned to Austin to beat the incumbent and first Republican Governor since Reconstruction…Bill Clements. Lieutenant Governor Mario Cuomo succeeded popular Governor Daniel Patrick Moynihan against 1980 Conservative Party Vice-Presidential running mate and former Senator, James L. Buckley in a close election. Former Senator Adlai E. Stevenson III of Illinois successfully routed incumbent Republican Governor James R. Thompson in a razor thin victory. However many Americans eagerly watched, the California Gubernatorial race as Former First Daughter and Congresswoman Maureen Reagan ousted state Attorney General George Deukmejian in the primaries. Maureen would thin win an incredibly narrow victory over incumbent Governor Jerry Brown, largely due to last minute campaign drive done by her father, President Reagan.

 

[Paul V McNutt]

Actullay I agree with much of the article, regarding Wallace , I would say that of Wallace 9 million votes, Reagan would have say got 6 million, Humphrey 3 million, and still had given Reagan a easy victory. VP who knows.

The important thing to remember is Wallace the candidate with Reagan´s views on Vietnam got 13% of the vote. Wallace would not drop out in Reagan´s favor and his anti civil rights views give him a strong support in the South. I haven´t read much of this, so I don´t know who else has said this but I see a clear Humphrey majority. I also see Reagan as a candidate who was not only defeated but stomped, losing credibility for a future run. With two Conservatives defeated in a row, this is a real plus for the moderate wing of the Republican party.

 

[Historico]

The important thing to remember is Wallace the candidate with Reagan´s views on Vietnam got 13% of the vote. Wallace would not drop out in Reagan´s favor and his anti civil rights views give him a strong support in the South. I haven´t read much of this, so I don´t know who else has said this but I see a clear Humphrey majority. I also see Reagan as a candidate who was not only defeated but stomped, losing credibility for a future run. With two Conservatives defeated in a row, this is a real plus for the moderate wing of the Republican party.

Thanks Paul for the Reply, Yeah I understood that the country wasn't really to sure about Reagan's coservatisim but it was a bit softer than Goldwater's in TTL's 1968. He barely won the presidency, only scrapping up 270 Electoral votes. Humphrey still had the problem of Johnson having him by the balls till really to late in the campaign. By the time, HHH was able to find his voice, Nixon IOTL had negotiated with the Vietnamese to wait untill January to sign any new treaty. The same thing happens in my tl...I hope you get caught up and become an avid reader Paul

Any other comments, suggestions, thoughts...Stock tips?lol

 

[Emperor Norton I]

A Black VP and a man who will die in his second term? I know how this'll play out.

Any other comments, suggestions, thoughts...Stock tips?lol

By Waffles. Tasty, tasty waffles.

 

[Historico]

In Dark Passages: Part 2

In 1983, President Finch in his second State of the Union address stirred many liberals within his own party, when he quoted the late Minnesota Senator and former Vice President, Hubert H. Humphrey, in his speech. “It was once said by a great man in this hollow chamber that that the moral test of Government is how that Government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. Today, with your help America, I challenge us to pass this test!”. Cliff knew if he could either get a CHIA reform or possibly a full employment act passed in 1983, it would lock up his re-nomination in 1984. During the months following the address, President Finch attempted to negotiate with congressional Republicans about co-sponsoring an alteration to CHIA, where instead of the present HMO/employer based program a new Single-Payer option would take its place.

The Republican Party after the disastrous split of the 1980 Election during Finch’s 1st term struggled to reunify and a return to the core fiscal conservatism that was shared by all spectrums of the party. Due to his Democratic Majority in Congress, many Republicans such as Senator George H.W. Bush of Texas and Senator Bob Kasten of Wisconsin decried President Finch’s relentless spending. As Senate Minority leader Bush was able to cajole most of his Senators into shooting down any attempt at CHIA Reform. CHIA was still seen as one of the few bright spots in the Volpe Administration, and they were not going to give it up without a fight. Temporarily defeated on Health Care Reform, President Finch would focus his energies into re-introducing the Humphrey Hawkins Full Employment Act to Congress.

Congressman Augustus Hawkins of California and Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota re-introduced the bill in September to congress after reconvened on the behalf of his late friend Senator Humphrey. There weren’t any significant changes to the original act, as it still was a bill that established and translated into practical reality the right of all adult Americans able, willing, and seeking to work to full opportunity for useful paid employment at fair rates of compensation; to combine full employment, production, and purchasing power goals with proper attention to balanced growth and national priorities; to mandate such national economic policies and programs as are necessary to achieve full employment, production, and purchasing power; to restrain inflation; and to provide explicit machinery for the development and implementation of such economic policies and programs. Finch also knew that Congressional Opposition would be thick, largely led by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah and Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Thurmond, during the reading of the bill said “This is blatant communism…No make that fascism, maybe that boy from Mississippi should have been fighting for Mussolini instead of against!” However, Both Gallup and Rasmussen show similar poll numbers of American public support around 65% backed their President. On November 21st, The Act passed the Senate with a 61 to 33 margin and is sent to the House. After a week of vigorous debate, The House passed the Full Employment Act. The Act is signed along with a bill to make every third Monday in the month of January a federal holiday to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, in the White House Rose Garden by President Finch on November 2nd.

On Foreign Policy, President Finch would continue to follow the Brzezinski Doctrine when he dealt with the frail General Secretary Yuri Andropov. Although Cliff continued to press the Soviets into bilateral arms reductions, Andropov did not respond well to the President’s stubbornness on the issue and ordered for all negotiations to be shut by December of 1983. Andropov eagerly watched as the growing Nuclear Freeze movements were gathering storm and He felt that eventually, Finch would have to give into their demands. Yet, President Finch stood strong in his conviction even against those in his own party. In the Senate, a bi-partisan coalition led by George McGovern of South Dakota and Mark Hatfield of Oregon introduced legislation that articulated the same points that were presented in Dr. Randall Forsberg’s proposal in the “Call to Halt the Nuclear Arms Race,” specifically for a "mutual freeze on the testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons and of missiles and new aircraft designed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons." Massive Demonstrations not seen since the early years of the Reagan Presidency took to the streets in favor of the legislation. Yet, President Finch was able to muster enough support from conservative congressional Democrats and Republicans to force the bill into committee.

Dr. Randall Forsberg, leader of the Nuclear Freeze Movement

With his Domestic agenda largely completed for his first term in office, and with his approval ratings held particularly high around 65%...President Finch declared his attention to seek out a Second Term on December 26th 1983. A vigorous campaigner, Cliff Finch looked forward to winning the Presidency in his own right in 1984 and he would pull out all the stops to so.

 

[Historico]

Dynamic: The 1984 US Presidential Election

The 1984 Democratic Nomination

With his Approval Ratings in the mid ‘60’s, and the public generally behind his Domestic Agenda, the question was during the last months of 1983 were if President Finch would indeed face a challenger in the primaries? Several remnants of the New Left in the party toyed with the idea of an Presidential run including Senator George McGovern of South Dakota, Reverend Jesse Jackson of Illinois and Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona largely due to his escalation of the Cold War and his opposition to the Nuclear Freeze. They would all ultimately decide against it, as Senator McGovern said “Although He is a stubborn as a Mississippi Mule, Cliff Finch is my President…We may disagree about some of the issues, but I would rather try to work things out with him then some Republican.” The 1984 Democratic Convention was held in the new Moscone Center, in San Francisco, where key-note speaker…New York Governor Mario Cuomo delivered the most powerful speech of his career. Former First Lady Joan Kennedy wasn’t even allowed to speak by after the crowd roared in tribute to a video which looked back at the life of her late husband. After she was able to say a few words, President Charles C. Finch and Vice President Thomas J. Bradley were re-nominated by acclamation. The Finch/Ticket promised a continuation of the policies presented in their first term and victory in November.


The 1984 Republican Nomination

Things on the other side of aisle were a little less clear cut for the Republican Party. With President Finch’s enormous popularity, many of the leaders in the party including Senate Minority leader George H.W. Bush, former Vice President Howard Baker, Senator Bob Dole, Senator Mark Hatfield and Senator Chuck Percy decide against seeking the Presidency. This allowed for a field of Second-tier candidates to throw their hats in the rings, with the three most prominent being 1st term Senator Robert W. “Bob” Kasten Jr. of Wisconsin, Governor Pierre S. “Pete” du Pont IV of Delaware,, and the evangelical Reverend and son of Senator Absalom Robertson…Marion G. “Pat” Robertson of Virginia. Each of the three candidates attempted to appeal to different factions of the party, with Kasten attracting traditional small government yet progressive voters in the Midwest, Pete du Pont ran as a traditional Rockefeller Republican, whose push for Social Security reform attracted/freighted many voters outside his home region of the Northeast and Robertson attracted evangelical voters in the South.

The Reverend Pat Robertson at an Iowa Town Hall Debate

The month of February would primarily be a shoot out between Kasten and du Pont as Robertson focused his efforts in the South Carolina primary. The 41 year old Senator from Wisconsin would score the 1st victory in the Iowa Caucus, winning a striking 55% of the vote. Governor du Pont would score a not too surprising victory in the snow covered hills of New Hampshire. His New Hampshire victory was followed by a strong Kasten win in South Dakota and a du Pont wins in Maine and Vermont. By March, Pat Robertson heavy campaign efforts in the state of South Carolina were largely successful as he stomped both the Wisconsin Senator and the Delaware Governor on an incredible margin. Robertson followed his South Carolina victory, with an almost complete sweep of Super Tuesday on March 13th, as he picked up the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and his home state of Virginia. Pete du Pont would only walk away with the states of Maryland, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.

Governor Pierre S. "Pete" du Pont IV of Delaware campaining in New Hampshire

Yet, Senator Bob Kasten was far from finished, and after an incredibly narrow victory of Governor du Pont in the Illinois Primary, Kasten earned the aptly nickname of the “comeback kid”. After a du Pont victory in Connecticut, the last primary in the month of March, Kasten started April off with a bang with a resounding victory in his home state of Wisconsin. All of the three candidates would invest a majority of their time, money and effort into the state of Pennsylvania which in turn would narrowly go for Governor du Pont on April 24th. The month of May would be crucial largely between du Pont and Kasten as Robertson evangelical support largely dried up after Super Tuesday. Blue Collar workers although drawn to du Pont’s record of lowered taxes in his home state of Delaware, they were largely uncomfortable with Pete’s plan to reform Social security. Thus on May 1st, Senator Kasten would walk away with the delegate rich states of Ohio and Indiana while du Pont gained DC. The rest of the May contests would go mainly to the “boy wonder” of Bob Kasten with wins Nebraska, Oregon and Idaho and Robertson would pick up his final primary victory in the states of Alaska and West Virginia.

Senator Robert W. "Bob" Kasten Jr. of Wisconsin, aka The Comeback Kid.

On June 5th, the last round of primaries were held as Kasten took the states of California, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota along with du Pont picking up the states of Hawaii, New Jersey and Michigan on an incredibly narrow margin.

The Final 1984 Republican Primary Results

Going into the Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas none of the three candidates held an absolute majority. Pete du Pont narrowly had the lead with 705 delegates, with Kasten close behind 650 delegates and Robertson placed third 580 delegates, with 987 delegates needed for victory. On the first ballot the results remained the same as when the candidates walked into the convention. Yet, after several backroom discussions with several of the top GOP Leaders, Rev Robertson was convinced that the Party could not allow another Rockefeller Republican to be nominated after the disastrous Volpe candidacy four years earlier. Robertson agreed to release his delegates to Kasten on one condition which was for the young Senator pick a Southern Conservative running mate. Kasten promised to so, and with Robertson’s supporters now with him, was able to overtake du Pont’s lead and clinch the nomination. After he reviewed several candidates, Kasten announced that former Senator and former Secretary of Defense John Tower of Texas as his running mate. John Tower brought with him considerable foreign policy experience, and although Pro-Choice, his conservative legislative record largely overweighed that perceived negative. Pete du Pont were shocked for the lack of a true moderate on the ticket, and most of the delegates privately talked about supporting the Finch/Bradley ticket come November.

The 1984 General Election

Initial poll numbers coming out of the nail-baiter Republican Nation Convention had the Finch/Bradley ticket leading the Kasten/Tower ticket nearly 2 to 1. The Wisconsin Senator had no choice but to go negative, as he attempted to paint the President as the classic Tax and Spend liberal who wanted to return the country to the “Welfare State” of the ‘60’s. Kasten also took many pages out of primary rival Governor Pete du Pont’s book as he promised to have an across the board tax cut, and a constitutional amendment would limit future tax increases/government spending. This more libertarian idea proved largely popular in the Midwest where voters typically believed that “the government that governs the least governs best”. Kasten would also attempt to reach out to voters outside the traditional voters; the Senator came out in Support of the Hatfield-McGovern Nuclear Freeze amendment much to the dismay of Conservatives within his own party. His Running Mate John Tower along with high level surrogates such as Senators Bush, Dole and Percy attacked President Finch for not being willing to talk with the Soviets in hopes of getting ending the Cold War rather than prolonging it.

Senate Minority Leader George H.W. Bush and Wisconsin State Assembly Minority Leader Tommy Thompson on the stump for Senator Kasten in Detroit, Michigan.

However, President Finch never became complacent in his poll numbers, and was determined to outperform in campaign style, funding and rhetoric the political rookie Bob Kasten. He was first determined to lock down Republican leaning voters in the Midwest and in the Industrial states. Cliff resurrected his 1975 Mississippi Gubernatorial Race campaign Slogan of “The Working Man’s friend” and had the letters painted on a black lunchbox adopted as his official campaign symbol. Finch with an aggressive Southern Populist campaign style not seen since LBJ’s race against Goldwater in 1964 traveled to work in the Steel Refineries of Indiana, sacked groceries in Ohio, drove bulldozers in Michigan, harvested corn via Tractor in Kansas, and herded Cattle in Texas. Vice President Bradley, who lacked the personal charisma that Finch possessed, stuck mainly to the Cities as he funneled high black support for his candidacy into record-smashing voter registration numbers. Bradley would also be the representative to talk with the Private sector, as he stressed the needed for the business community to work the Government in spurring economic growth.

The month of October would bring a slue of surprises for the campaign, the first being of the President’s agreement with Senator Kasten for a serious of debates, a rare move done by a popular incumbent. After wrinkling out of the details, there would be two debates; one between President Finch and Senator Kasten and the second between Vice President Bradley and former Secretary Tower. The Vice Presidential debate was held first on October 7th, where Vice President Bradley seemed to have a stronger grip on domestic issues and was better able too articulate his support for President Finch’s policy proposals than Tower. No to surprisingly former Secretary Tower seemed more well versed in foreign affairs and the lackluster debate was largely considered a draw. Yet it would be in the aftermath in a debate, when in a televised interview with Barbara Walters, Tower’s wife Lilla told Barbara about their deteriorating marriage largely due to his alcoholism and excessive womanizing. The public backlash against Tower was enormous especially in those of the evangelical community. Many within the GOP had begun to push for Kasten to drop Tower but the Senator refused. This question of Kasten’s judgment and relative inexperience were raised in the October 21st Presidential Debate, to President Finch when uttered one of the most memorable lines in the political lexicon when he said “Nothing against Bob, but I believe America is like a fine performance car. And now is not the time…to turn this fine vehicle we call America...over to the hands of an amateur.”

America would agree with their President in a big way on November 6th, as Finch won 60% of the popular vote and carried 46 states plus the District of Columbia. Senator Kasten won incredibly narrow victories in the states of Idaho, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. The young Senator couldn’t even bring in his home state of Wisconsin nor could John Tower bring in Texas after the Lilla controversy. At his campaign headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi...President Finch gave a short victory speech to his supporters in which he said “My Thanks to all of you, those who supported my candidacy and those who did not, as I promise to be the President and to be your humble servant… now let’s get to work!”

Charles C. Finch/Thomas J. Bradley: 521 Electoral Votes
Robert W. Kasten/John Tower: 17 Electoral Votes

 

[Emperor Norton I]

The 1980 General Election

I think you mean 1984 General Election.

 

[Historico]

I think you mean 1984 General Election.

Thanks Norton for the look out, btw I decided I want George H.W. Bush to stay in the Senate after being appointed to fill Tower's seat in '69. Always the party loyalist, I think it would be pretty logical for him to be Senate Minority leader by now. Lloyd Bentsen returned home to Texas to win the Governership after beating out Bill Clements...Any other comments, suggestions or ideas, I know people are viewing this thread but just leaving a small line helps me keep this bird going.

 

[Emperor Norton I]

Comments? Well, you could have the term "Bradley Effect" still evolve, but turn it on its ear ironically. That's all I got. Do you plan on having party fatigue happen in the early 90's with the Democrats or no?

 

[Historico]

Comments? Well, you could have the term "Bradley Effect" still evolve, but turn it on its ear ironically. That's all I got. Do you plan on having party fatigue happen in the early 90's with the Democrats or no?

Yes, I can say that the "Bradley Effect" will have a crucial role in the 1988 US Presidential Election, however I can neither confirm nor deny my plans with Democratic Voter Fatigue come the '90's...lol