The Second Term of Gerald Ford (No Reagan) TL

The conservative movement just got a serious blow. The inflation of the 1970s meant that tax brackets that were for the well-off in the 1950s and 1960s started being the middle class rates. Gerald Ford just averted the OTL tax revolts. The GOP won't be able to rail against taxes even close to how effective they did IOTL, and do today.
 

katchen

Banned
Gerald Ford still has to deal with the "Business Revolt" that retired Justice Lewis Powell spearheaded in 1978. The major players of the Conservative Movement, including the think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Scaife Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute and Paul Weyrich are still out there even if they don't have Ronald Reagan as their standard bearer. Who else will they find? Charlton Heston? They will surely find somebody. The tax revolt may have been attenuated, but it hasn't gone away. Inflation is still a problem and it's still eating up the savings of the elderly and the soon to retire. And huge numbers of those older Americans (who have since passed on) are very angry about the 60s and Civil Rights and women's rights and think it all to have been a mistake. They are a bigger electoral tinderbox then ATTL then they are now ITTL simply because in the 1970s they make up a larger segment of the population.
 
Gerald Ford still has to deal with the "Business Revolt" that retired Justice Lewis Powell spearheaded in 1978. The major players of the Conservative Movement, including the think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Scaife Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute and Paul Weyrich are still out there even if they don't have Ronald Reagan as their standard bearer. Who else will they find? Charlton Heston? They will surely find somebody. The tax revolt may have been attenuated, but it hasn't gone away. Inflation is still a problem and it's still eating up the savings of the elderly and the soon to retire. And huge numbers of those older Americans (who have since passed on) are very angry about the 60s and Civil Rights and women's rights and think it all to have been a mistake. They are a bigger electoral tinderbox then ATTL then they are now ITTL simply because in the 1970s they make up a larger segment of the population.

Given that Congress shifted to the right significantly over the 1970s (in 1978, an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress passed the first tax cuts that primarily helped upper classes instead of everyone), Ford should have a fine hand. Though in 1978 the election that sharply turned things rightward is likely to be a plump Democratic victory, which could arrest the rightward drift.
 
1977 Part II will be up soon, I again am dealing with some family issues - but I have been working on the Timeline. Expect a good deal of stuff to come on here over the next three weeks.
 
1977 PART II

The House of Representatives narrowly passes the Tax Reform Act and the bill moves to the Senate. President Ford taps Senator Bob Dole of Kansas to sponsor the bill. The bill is met with a lukewarm response at best in the Senate. In what many have called a bold and genius move, Senator Dole is able to persuade a majority of the Democrats in the Senate to vote in favor of the bill:

"I want to know why you Democrats here in the Senate don't support the Tax Reform Act. Sixteen years ago, President Kennedy presented the same bill and all of you whole heartily supported it. Did you support it then because it was beneficial to the American Economy, the American People and American Business? Or did you simply support it in '61 because the President was a member of your party? I know that Jack would say to support it because it's beneficial to America. So if for no other reason, support this bill to carry on Jack's values and beliefs."

Dole's speech worked, and a majority of the Democrats supported the Tax Reform act. President Ford signed the bill with Senator Dole, Senator Ted Kennedy and Rep. Jim Jeffords all present.

Meanwhile in Tennessee, the GOP Primary showdown between Lamar Alexander and Attorney Fred Thompson happens in April. In the final tally, Thompson edges Alexander by 5500 votes - sparking a recount, which still results in a victory for Fred Thompson. The stage is set for the showdown between Democrat Harold Ford, the African American to seek the Senate from Tennessee, and Republican Attorney Fred Thompson.


COMING UP:

1977 PART III
 
I'd definitely like to see how international relations plays out, as well as the domestic effects of the laws passed under Ford's reign. :)
 
1977 PART III

On June 14th, in one of the closest elections in the State of Tennessee, Fred Thompson defeats Harold Ford for the open Senate Seat.


In mid October, Secretary of State Bush has asked the President to meet with him in the Oval Office for a private conference on foreign affairs.

BUSH: Jerry, there's a situation unfolding in the Middle East. Namely Iran.

PRESIDENT FORD: Is it a National Emergency?

BUSH: Not at the moment, but it could easily escalate into one if we don't address it.

PRESIDENT FORD: I prided myself during the election that I was the first President since Ike to serve the people during peace time and I want to keep it that way. We cannot afford to dive into another full blown, long term war.

BUSH: We may not have to go to that extreme, but the situation could get ugly. Hell, it's already ugly.

PRESIDENT FORD: What's the situation?

BUSH: Houchang Nahvandi, the Shah's closest advisor, has made it known that there is overwhelming support not only from the mullah's, but from Soviet Insurgents as well as Britain and the Council of Foreign Relations to overthrow the Shah. The National Security Council is said to be involved as well.

PRESIDENT FORD: Kissinger?

BUSH: It looks that way. We need to let Nahavandi know if we stand with the Shah or against him.

PRESIDENT FORD: Get Howard in here, we'll discuss it in further detail with him.
 
Hey gang, I had to create a new profile because I couldn't remember my old password for Republican Jim and yahoo deleted the account I had for it because of inactivity.... So I'll have another update soon.
 
It could be the case where the National Security Council is trying to game out the situation to present Ford with some options and also some additional information, or it could be the case that they are exceeding their authority, or it could be one of these confused situations where one aspect is starting to blur and blend into the other, at least in part.

I await further developments!

PS I'd also like to see what President Ford is starting to do regarding energy issues.
 
Hey folks, I'm back. Finally got my desktop fixed. Been working on updates in long hand, so I'll be posting more on the Iran situation and other events of 1977 and early 1978 in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
 
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