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"Is he finished yet?" asked Ted Kennedy impatiently as he finished re-tying his tie after he had taken it off due to heat reasons. Kennedy could not believe what was going to happen in just a matter of a few minutes. After his nephew John Jr. finished warming the crowds up he was then to walk out and officially deliver his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's nomination for his presidential campaign in the critical year of 1980.
It had been an uphill battle during primary season and Kennedy knew it all too well. He could still not believe that he had successfully taken down a sitting President of the same party in the primaries for the first time in one hundred and twenty-four years when James Buchanan stole the nomination from President Franklin Pierce. He had done what not even Theodore Roosevelt or his present opponent only four years ago could not do. He was relishing in this fact and planned to expound upon tonight if his play boy nephew would rap it up.
He could sense John Jr.'s speech begining to close and as it did he began to remember back at the convention nervously sitting in Madison Square Garden with Joan, squeezing her hand as delegate votes were counted up (Although they were separated she agreed to be there for him for such a momentous occasion), he could remember sweating up a storm as the vote counts seem to keep working like a pendulum, at one moment Carter was leading, the next he was and so on and so forth. Then finally after several hours of delegate counting he was pronounced the victor by a slim margin of one hundred votes. He could remember leaping up into the air and roaring with laughter and holding his wife's hand up high so pleased with himself. It was his second most proudest day. This was to be his first but still John Jr. was not done yet.
As Ted heard the people clap loudly for whatever closing point his nephew had made he remembered the people clapping and hooting and hollering for his own spear head remark to President Carter in their one debate of the primaries that he managed to successfully lure the old boy into. How it came about he did not know but having watched the tapes it played out something like this:
Carter: Senator Kennedy has repeatedly during my time in office heckled me into signing his legislation and constantly demanding that I, the President of the United States capitulate to his point of view. The young senator is a bully to me and the American people.
Moderator: Senator, your response?
Kennedy: Mr. President, heckling? Who the hell is heckling, Mr. President you're a mess. *crowds burst into applause* You have lead this nation down a dirt poor track and allowed us to be bullied by Soviet Russia, bullied by Iran while at the same time allowed the American worker to break his back trying to get a job in your poisonous economy while hiding away in the White House. It simply won't do.
That line "Mr. President you're a mess" became vastly popular throughout the nation even amongst Republicans and he remembered himself smiling widely as it worked its way on Saturday Night Live.
Kennedy rocked on his toes nervously as a walrus mustached man whispered in his ears and then walked away. He had come to tell him about the recent ad campaign venture the campaign had taken seemed to be doing well and that he was as of now polling ahead of his opponent. His ads focused on attacking his opponent's tenure as Governor of California as an anti-worker and anti-individual rights candidate and the American people appeared to be responding as he hoped they would.
Suddenly Kennedy heard from outside where he stood his nephew cry out "NOW WITHOUT FURTHER A DO, MY UNCLE, YOUR NOMINEE, SENATOR SOON TO BE PRESIDENT TED KENNEDY!". Kennedy took a deep breath and walked out on to the stage and could see a sea of people all come to see him speak and now even more sat in their homes eagerly to hear him as well. As he came to the podium and passed his nephew he grabbed his shoulder and whispered in his ear "Hey kiddo, good job how you about you consider the job of press secretary if I win, eh?". John Jr. simply shrugged and said "Just knock them dead uncle" and then walked away backstage.
Kennedy took the podium and stood squarely and look down upon his grand audience and beamed. "Thank you" said Kennedy motioning for the applause to die down. "Well you all know my nephew Junior" he said with his thick smile and in his equally thick New England accent. The crowd burst into laughter. "Takes after his Dad in a lot of ways he does. But now onto business. New business that is, not the old business of Presidents Carter, Johnson and Vice President Humphrey. Today we stand upon the precipice of a new Democratic Party" the crowd went into another round of applause after that remark and he politely waited for them to finish. "And I think that this new era is most evident with your nomination of me, and your thunderous applause. To capitalize on this new era and it’s coming I am going to tell you what I am going to do. On day one of my presidency, I will personally call upon congress to develop a plan for a national healthcare law providing universal coverage for every American no matter whether they’re rich or poor. On that same day I will personally demand that Iran come to the peace table immediately no exceptions". After those remarks the audience began applauding once more.
"Peace you see is far more important than who has the biggest bomb or the sharpest sword. I believe that the Iranians know that, that the Soviets know and that you, you wonderful people, you, the American people know that" The audience could not contain themselves after that even his family leaped up. He could see them in the front row. Pat who was the youngest clapped the hardest for his papa which made Kennedy smile even wider. "It is at this point I'd like to thank all of you who stuck with me this past year in what was a long grueling campaign. For staying true even when the going got tough and when we thought all was lost. And now would you put your hands together for my vice presidential nominee who is a true American hero, John Glenn".
The applause roared once again as the patriot John Glenn took the stage. He was tall and looked very official. He had been a last minute pick by Kennedy who had been desperate to find a suitable running mate who clean, had foreign policy experiance and had no ties to President Carter. Kennedy had not personally wanted Glenn feeling he would steal show and was much more favorably towards the veteran senator Frank Church to be his running mate who had boldy stood up to the famous methods of intimidation and manipulation of President Johnson over the Vietnam War. A shining example of what his campaign was all about but unfortunately Church had not made it clear on who he sided with their party's split and there was still the memory for his bid for the vice presidential slot alongside Carter in 1976.
Glenn himself was a bit taken aback at being asked to be potentially the next Vice President of the United States. He had been a good friend of Bobby Kennedy back in the 60s and was there when he was killed by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968. Glenn just like a soldier could not refuse the offer if given. Glenn was a solid running mate and would bring in veterans and voters from the south and west two areas where their opponent could host an upset.
The former astronaut walked onto the stage beaming as he did. He waved to the audience and thanked the Senator for calling him up. Kennedy then said "This man here knows about peace. Two years ago he worked tirelessly to get passed and succeeded as chief author the Non-Nuclear Proliferation Act of 1978. He went to the moon and back, fought in two wars and was a good friend of my brother Bobby. I couldn't ask for a better running mate." Kennedy swallowed and then pressed on "You know my opponent says it's time for America to return to its basic values, wel I say different, I say instead it is high time this country has another President from Massachusetts. Not some southern peanut farmer or California movie star, a person who cares. What do you think?" the audience began to roar again. "President Carter said he'd my whip my ass, Mr. President who is doing the whipping now?".
Kennedy would continue on for hours detailing his goals, dreams and ambitions for the country and the audience ate it up with glee. At the end he called Jimmy Carter who was in attendance up to the stage where he shook his hand however something happend. Carter refused to raise to his hand showing he was with him in the coming election season. As Kennedy's campaign manager Phil Daggart would say as he watching on screen "Looks like the swampfox has something up his sleeve after all" as he scowled at what Carter had done.
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