Author's Note: This timeline is dedicated to recently deceased Senator Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy, also known as Uncle Teddy and Ted Kennedy and EMK. R.I.P.
PART ONE:
THE ELECTION OF 1968
"On June 20, 1968, fourteen days after his brother's assassination by Sirhan Sirhan in California, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley met each other in Daley's office. They talked about the 1968 Democratic National Convention, a little bit about how nice it would have been to have Robert F. Kennedy be nominated and run against the Republican nominee, and then Daley asked him the big question: 'What would you say if I told you that I thought you should run for the Democratic nomination?' Kennedy was silent for a few minutes, and then he officially responded. 'I would on a few certain exceptions,' he said. 'First, would you give me your delegates?'
'Certainly,' Daley responded.
'I will only run if drafted. Would you start a draft movement, to see if the people want me to run?'
'Of course.'
'As long as it is in the memory of my brothers Jack and Bobby, I'll do it, as long as I'm drafted.'
On June 23, 1968, Mayor Daley began the 'Draft Ted Kennedy for President' movement."
- The Dirty Campaign: The Election of 1968 by Jean Edward Smith[1]
"After about a month, we had gotten 5,912,215 signatures in the 'Draft Kennedy' movement, from all over the nation. Our goal was around 4,000,000. That was good enough to convince me. You know, once you get a feeling that people like you, you really want to do something for them. That's the feeling I got, and that's what convinced me to run for president in 1968."
- True Compass by Ted Kennedy, posthumously published 2009[2]
Ted Kennedy Announcing his candidacy, July 26, 1968
"This November, on the 22nd, it will be the fifth anniversary of my brother's, your president's, John F. Kennedy's, assassination. This August, on the sixth, it will be the two month anniversary of my brother Bobby's assassination. I have lost two great brothers, and two great leaders. Bobby was running for my party's nomination this year, and I feel that his campaign should not go to waste. Therefore, I am announcing my candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, the year we hold the White House, the year we accept change. I will be open for receiving delegates, and I hope for the best this year. America needs change, and I feel that I must carry on my brother's flag to bring that change for the better. God bless the United States!"
- Sen. Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy's Candidacy Announcement, Boston, Massachusetts, July 26, 1968
OTHER CANDIDATES FOR THE 1968 DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT
Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, of Minnesota, candidate for the Democratic nomination of 1968
Senator Eugene McCarthy, of Minnesota, candidate for the Democratic nomination of 1968
"After Senator Kennedy declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, a lot of the Republican delegates that were about to meet at their national convention in Miami were scared of the idea of the Democrats running Ted Kennedy against whoever they nominated. The thing about Ted Kennedy was that he could really unite a faction, in this case, the liberal faction. Along with the memory of his famous martyred brothers, it wouldn't take too much to get the liberals overwhelming the moderate conservative & conservative faction that Richard Nixon represented. At the Republican National Convention, there were actually two great movements both aimed at stopping Richard Nixon from being nominated; the pure conservative Stop Nixon movement, which was a movement aimed at nominating California Governor Ronald Reagan; and the liberal Republican Stop Nixon movement, which aimed at nominating New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. And of course, there was the majority of the delegates that still wanted Richard Nixon as the nominee. But even so, there was so many delegates Nixon had, it overpowered both movements, and Richard Nixon was nominated by the Republican Party for president on the first ballot. Then, there was the mess that was the vice presidential nomination ballot."
- The Dirty Campaign: The Election of 1968
"Before the vice presidential ballot, there was lots of delegates that spoke, and all of them stated that they either wanted Nelson Rockefeller or Ronald Reagan to put their name in the ballot to be Nixon's running mate. Due to the massive number of delegates that said this, both of them did declare their candidacy for vice president. On the vice presidential ballot at the Republican National Convention, it was really close, but in the end, Governor Rockefeller was able to convince a few in-the-middle delegates to vote for him, and on the third vice presidential ballot, Nelson Rockefeller was nominated for vice president. Of course, Ronald Reagan and George Romney - who got a few delegates anyhow - were not happy, but what could they do? We were only a little afraid of them declaring an independent campaign, but they didn't. Nowadays, we know they never would have done that."
Former Vice President Richard Nixon, Republican presidential nominee for 1968
Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the Republican vice presidential nominee, 1968[3]
"I went to lots of Democratic National Conventions in my life, but the most confusing and disastrous one I ever went to was the one in 1968. Only Humphrey, McCarthy, and I were the candidates when we walked in, but the later the convention went on, the more disastrous it got."
- True Compass
[1] Jean Edward Smith is a real author on politics and is a professor at Marshall University. However, her book ITTL is not real, obviously.
[2] True Compass, coincidentally, got published just today. It's a real book, and it's out now, and it's the posthumous memoirs of Ted Kennedy. I know I'm going to read it. Anyhow, of course, the quote from TTL's True Compass is fictional.
[3] All these pictures are from Google Images. I didn't use any photo editing. I don't know how. I might need to later, though, so any volunteers with photo editing skills would be nice. Also, I've written this timeline all the way up until November 1968, and liking it so far, so no chance of it getting canceled. Thanks for reading! Update soon.
PART ONE:
THE ELECTION OF 1968
"On June 20, 1968, fourteen days after his brother's assassination by Sirhan Sirhan in California, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley met each other in Daley's office. They talked about the 1968 Democratic National Convention, a little bit about how nice it would have been to have Robert F. Kennedy be nominated and run against the Republican nominee, and then Daley asked him the big question: 'What would you say if I told you that I thought you should run for the Democratic nomination?' Kennedy was silent for a few minutes, and then he officially responded. 'I would on a few certain exceptions,' he said. 'First, would you give me your delegates?'
'Certainly,' Daley responded.
'I will only run if drafted. Would you start a draft movement, to see if the people want me to run?'
'Of course.'
'As long as it is in the memory of my brothers Jack and Bobby, I'll do it, as long as I'm drafted.'
On June 23, 1968, Mayor Daley began the 'Draft Ted Kennedy for President' movement."
- The Dirty Campaign: The Election of 1968 by Jean Edward Smith[1]
"After about a month, we had gotten 5,912,215 signatures in the 'Draft Kennedy' movement, from all over the nation. Our goal was around 4,000,000. That was good enough to convince me. You know, once you get a feeling that people like you, you really want to do something for them. That's the feeling I got, and that's what convinced me to run for president in 1968."
- True Compass by Ted Kennedy, posthumously published 2009[2]
Ted Kennedy Announcing his candidacy, July 26, 1968
"This November, on the 22nd, it will be the fifth anniversary of my brother's, your president's, John F. Kennedy's, assassination. This August, on the sixth, it will be the two month anniversary of my brother Bobby's assassination. I have lost two great brothers, and two great leaders. Bobby was running for my party's nomination this year, and I feel that his campaign should not go to waste. Therefore, I am announcing my candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, the year we hold the White House, the year we accept change. I will be open for receiving delegates, and I hope for the best this year. America needs change, and I feel that I must carry on my brother's flag to bring that change for the better. God bless the United States!"
- Sen. Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy's Candidacy Announcement, Boston, Massachusetts, July 26, 1968
OTHER CANDIDATES FOR THE 1968 DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT
Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, of Minnesota, candidate for the Democratic nomination of 1968
Senator Eugene McCarthy, of Minnesota, candidate for the Democratic nomination of 1968
"After Senator Kennedy declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination, a lot of the Republican delegates that were about to meet at their national convention in Miami were scared of the idea of the Democrats running Ted Kennedy against whoever they nominated. The thing about Ted Kennedy was that he could really unite a faction, in this case, the liberal faction. Along with the memory of his famous martyred brothers, it wouldn't take too much to get the liberals overwhelming the moderate conservative & conservative faction that Richard Nixon represented. At the Republican National Convention, there were actually two great movements both aimed at stopping Richard Nixon from being nominated; the pure conservative Stop Nixon movement, which was a movement aimed at nominating California Governor Ronald Reagan; and the liberal Republican Stop Nixon movement, which aimed at nominating New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. And of course, there was the majority of the delegates that still wanted Richard Nixon as the nominee. But even so, there was so many delegates Nixon had, it overpowered both movements, and Richard Nixon was nominated by the Republican Party for president on the first ballot. Then, there was the mess that was the vice presidential nomination ballot."
- The Dirty Campaign: The Election of 1968
"Before the vice presidential ballot, there was lots of delegates that spoke, and all of them stated that they either wanted Nelson Rockefeller or Ronald Reagan to put their name in the ballot to be Nixon's running mate. Due to the massive number of delegates that said this, both of them did declare their candidacy for vice president. On the vice presidential ballot at the Republican National Convention, it was really close, but in the end, Governor Rockefeller was able to convince a few in-the-middle delegates to vote for him, and on the third vice presidential ballot, Nelson Rockefeller was nominated for vice president. Of course, Ronald Reagan and George Romney - who got a few delegates anyhow - were not happy, but what could they do? We were only a little afraid of them declaring an independent campaign, but they didn't. Nowadays, we know they never would have done that."
Former Vice President Richard Nixon, Republican presidential nominee for 1968
Governor Nelson Rockefeller, the Republican vice presidential nominee, 1968[3]
"I went to lots of Democratic National Conventions in my life, but the most confusing and disastrous one I ever went to was the one in 1968. Only Humphrey, McCarthy, and I were the candidates when we walked in, but the later the convention went on, the more disastrous it got."
- True Compass
[1] Jean Edward Smith is a real author on politics and is a professor at Marshall University. However, her book ITTL is not real, obviously.
[2] True Compass, coincidentally, got published just today. It's a real book, and it's out now, and it's the posthumous memoirs of Ted Kennedy. I know I'm going to read it. Anyhow, of course, the quote from TTL's True Compass is fictional.
[3] All these pictures are from Google Images. I didn't use any photo editing. I don't know how. I might need to later, though, so any volunteers with photo editing skills would be nice. Also, I've written this timeline all the way up until November 1968, and liking it so far, so no chance of it getting canceled. Thanks for reading! Update soon.
