The Heston Presidency

Teleology

Banned
In 1969 Charlton Heston receives the support of the Democratic Party in running for the U.S. Senate (he was approached OTL and gave it much consideration but ultimately opted not to). He is elected.

From there the goal is for him to become president before he turns 60 in 1983.

An anti-Vietnam-war Democrat who campaigned for JFK in 1960 and joined in Civil Rights causes such as the 1963 'March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom' and with no prior political experience, perhaps it was expected that he'd just be a pretty face and liberal vote in the Senate. However, if he survives Washington long enough to gain political experience, some of his conservative and libertarian views may come to light and allow him to build a broader base of support within the party. Would it be possible for him to turn 10 years in the Senate into a presidential bid?
 
So Heston's elected to the Senate in 1970? Well, assuming he can win re-election in 76, that would give him 10 good years of Senate experience by 1980; OTOH, he may feel confident after just one term to run for the big job after just one term, and take it instead of Carter. (Winning it in 1972 seems ASB)

If you take the former route, it's easy enough to make his winning plausible -- just have Ford win in 76 so the Democrats have the momentum in 80. Either way though, a lot's going to ride on his Senate career (which I imagine is what you're really looking for here :eek:).
 

Teleology

Banned
He publicly spoke for a Gun Control bill in 1968, and along with his activism he had a lot of pre-political-career liberal credentials. If his native libertarianism when it comes to guns and the fact that he wasn't very politically correct, despite apparently having good attitudes as far as equality and so on, he could either alienate his constituency pointlessly or in the process build up support across faction-lines in the party and thus secure enough of the warchest to get reelected.

Someone seen as having a liberal background as pre-70's/80's Heston probably was seen as, who espouses more and more Republican-supported views over time under the justification that he's just applying his belief in civil rights to the second amendment as well as the first.

One one hand that sort of thing could backfire immensely in professional politics, on the other hand I love the idea of a libertarian Democratic POTUS.
 
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