Chapter I: August, 1976
Nazi Space Spy
Banned
A while back, I did a timeline covering the post-Watergate years. I have decided to revisit it in a more simplified format.
Wednesday, August 18th, 1976: The first ballot of the Republican National Convention results in former Governor Ronald Reagan of California upending President Gerald Ford of Michigan, defeating the incumbent President by a vote of 1,134 (50.22%) to 1,124 (49.78%) in a stunning upset victory after a divisive primary contest. As a stunned President Ford watches on, the delegates than vote to nominate Reagan's running mate Richard Schweiker almost unanimously as Senator Dole takes his name out of consideration. Despite the last minute efforts of Senators James Buckley (C-NY) and Jesse Helms (R-NC), conservative delegates splinter and their attempt to put forward several alternatives to the reliably pro-labor Schweiker, one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate, fails. Afterwards, Reagan delivers an emotional speech to the convention with President Ford watching on.
Governor Reagan and President Ford onstage after the first ballot.
Friday, August 20th, 1976: Tensions in Korea come to the surface after a deadly incident on the DMZ, in which ax-wielding North Korean soldiers killed two American soldiers attempting to chop down a tree along the highly militarized border between North and South Korea. The incident, which occurred on August 18th, was initially overshadowed by the Republican Convention. Two days later, American soldiers return to recover the bodies and finish the job of chopping down the tree had obstructed a lookout post on the southern side of the DMZ. Despite nearly 200 heavily armed North Korean soldiers arriving, the presence of American jets and helicopters in the skies above ensured that the mission proceeded without further incident.
Saturday, August 21st, 1976: Governor Reagan kicks off his campaign with a tour of the southern states, where he hopes to undercut Governor Carter and put the Democratic ticket on the defensive. However, he immediately generates unwanted controversy when he addresses voters at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he uses the phrase "welfare queen" and speaks in defense of states rights. Reagan brushes off allegations that his rhetoric was racially charged, but Governor Carter uses Reagan's remarks to double down on his argument that the Republican nominee will dramatically roll back civil rights protections.
Sunday, August 22nd, 1976: In his debut as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Richard Schweiker (R-PA) appears on NBC's Meet the Press for his first major televised interview. Schweiker's performance is praised in most quarters of the press, with the Pennsylvania Senator adeptly tackling tough questions. Schweiker uses his long standing ties with the labor movement to present a "bread and butter" alternative, the Senator's economic populism balancing the former Governor's free market platform well. The Senator is also able to deflect questions about Reagan's speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, claiming that the Governor was being misquoted and that Reagan "doesn't have a racist bone in his body."
Monday, August 23rd, 1976: Both the Reagan and Carter campaigns agree to partake in a televised debate, to be held in Philadelphia in September. Hosted by the League of Woman Voters, the debate would be the first of its kind since the 1960 election. A Vice Presidential debate between Senators Schweiker and Mondale will also be held in September.
Tuesday, August 24th, 1976: President Ford sits down with journalists from the New York Times for his first major interview since losing the Republican Presidential nomination the week before. Ford reiterates his endorsement of Governor Reagan and states a willingness to campaign for his one time rival, though in reality, the President has little interest in joining Reagan on the campaign trail and will spend much of the next two months ducking invitations from the Republican ticket to join them at events across the country. Privately, Ford has expressed the same skepticism he shared publicly on the campaign trail in regards to Reagan's electability, telling his Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld that the former actor and California Governor had "missed the starting gun."
Governors Carter and Reagan both address the National Urban League Convention in New York, where Governor Carter calls for further efforts to integrate schools in the south and lays out specific policies designed at abating youth unemployment in predominately black inner-city neighborhoods. Reagan follows Carter, where he receives a much frostier reception, and highlights his own plan to create what he deemed "opportunity zones" in blighted urban areas. Despite Reagan's vehement commitment to "protecting and enforcing legislation that upholds the rights of all Americans," his remarks failed to address the
Wednesday, August 25th, 1976: Jacques Chirac resigns as Prime Minister of France after numerous clashes with President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in order to run for the newly recreated position of Mayor of Paris. Raymond Barre, an economist, succeeds him in the post of Prime Minister.
Thursday, August 26th, 1976: Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, resigns under pressure from the Dutch government from his various posts over a scandal involving alleged corruption involving his business dealings with the Lockheed Corporation.
Friday, August 27th, 1976: At a speech in Canton, Ohio, Governor Reagan quips “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' It seems those are the words Governor Carter likes the best.” The Reagan/Schweiker ticket increasingly is blending populist rhetoric with Reagan's free market ideals, arguing to working class, blue collar voters that growing government involvement in the economy is a threat to their work and way of life. Schweiker's addition to the ticket seems to be a success despite conservative opposition, and Governor Carter and Mondale are increasingly alarmed by the Reagan campaign's "triangulation" (in the words of Carter pollster Pat Cadell) on these issues.
Saturday, August 28th, 1976: Senator Charles Mathias (R-MD), a progressive Republican, tells a reporter from the Washington Post that he is talking to potential donors and campaign strategists about entering the race as an independent candidate.
Sunday, August 29th, 1976: On CBS's "Face the Nation," Governor Carter goes on the offensive against Governor Reagan. "In the first week of this campaign, my opponent has demonstrated his complete ignorance of the realities that many Americans, particularly those who are poorer and live in the major cities of this country, face on a daily basis," argued Governor Carter, concluding "he needs better writers, because this script he's reading doesn't make for a compelling plot."
Monday, August 30th, 1976: New polling from Gallup shows a steady, if slightly narrowed lead for Governor Carter.
1976 Presidential Election (Gallup - Nationwide)
(D) James Carter: 53%
(R) Ronald Reagan: 29%
Undecided: 16%
Independent/Other: 2%
Wednesday, August 18th, 1976: The first ballot of the Republican National Convention results in former Governor Ronald Reagan of California upending President Gerald Ford of Michigan, defeating the incumbent President by a vote of 1,134 (50.22%) to 1,124 (49.78%) in a stunning upset victory after a divisive primary contest. As a stunned President Ford watches on, the delegates than vote to nominate Reagan's running mate Richard Schweiker almost unanimously as Senator Dole takes his name out of consideration. Despite the last minute efforts of Senators James Buckley (C-NY) and Jesse Helms (R-NC), conservative delegates splinter and their attempt to put forward several alternatives to the reliably pro-labor Schweiker, one of the most liberal Republicans in the Senate, fails. Afterwards, Reagan delivers an emotional speech to the convention with President Ford watching on.
Governor Reagan and President Ford onstage after the first ballot.
Thursday, August 19th, 1976: The Reagan/Schweiker ticket limps out of the Republican Party; despite President Ford's call for unity in the wake of his defeat, there are many moderate and liberal Republicans who remain uncomfortable with the fiercely conservative nominee. Worse yet is the fact that the Republican ticket is trailing Governor Carter by 33 points in the polls. While these polls were conducted before the Republican convention, the numbers for the once hypothetical Reagan - Carter matchup are a grim start for the campaign.
Friday, August 20th, 1976: Tensions in Korea come to the surface after a deadly incident on the DMZ, in which ax-wielding North Korean soldiers killed two American soldiers attempting to chop down a tree along the highly militarized border between North and South Korea. The incident, which occurred on August 18th, was initially overshadowed by the Republican Convention. Two days later, American soldiers return to recover the bodies and finish the job of chopping down the tree had obstructed a lookout post on the southern side of the DMZ. Despite nearly 200 heavily armed North Korean soldiers arriving, the presence of American jets and helicopters in the skies above ensured that the mission proceeded without further incident.
Saturday, August 21st, 1976: Governor Reagan kicks off his campaign with a tour of the southern states, where he hopes to undercut Governor Carter and put the Democratic ticket on the defensive. However, he immediately generates unwanted controversy when he addresses voters at the Neshoba County Fair in Philadelphia, Mississippi, where he uses the phrase "welfare queen" and speaks in defense of states rights. Reagan brushes off allegations that his rhetoric was racially charged, but Governor Carter uses Reagan's remarks to double down on his argument that the Republican nominee will dramatically roll back civil rights protections.
Sunday, August 22nd, 1976: In his debut as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Richard Schweiker (R-PA) appears on NBC's Meet the Press for his first major televised interview. Schweiker's performance is praised in most quarters of the press, with the Pennsylvania Senator adeptly tackling tough questions. Schweiker uses his long standing ties with the labor movement to present a "bread and butter" alternative, the Senator's economic populism balancing the former Governor's free market platform well. The Senator is also able to deflect questions about Reagan's speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, claiming that the Governor was being misquoted and that Reagan "doesn't have a racist bone in his body."
Monday, August 23rd, 1976: Both the Reagan and Carter campaigns agree to partake in a televised debate, to be held in Philadelphia in September. Hosted by the League of Woman Voters, the debate would be the first of its kind since the 1960 election. A Vice Presidential debate between Senators Schweiker and Mondale will also be held in September.
Tuesday, August 24th, 1976: President Ford sits down with journalists from the New York Times for his first major interview since losing the Republican Presidential nomination the week before. Ford reiterates his endorsement of Governor Reagan and states a willingness to campaign for his one time rival, though in reality, the President has little interest in joining Reagan on the campaign trail and will spend much of the next two months ducking invitations from the Republican ticket to join them at events across the country. Privately, Ford has expressed the same skepticism he shared publicly on the campaign trail in regards to Reagan's electability, telling his Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld that the former actor and California Governor had "missed the starting gun."
Governors Carter and Reagan both address the National Urban League Convention in New York, where Governor Carter calls for further efforts to integrate schools in the south and lays out specific policies designed at abating youth unemployment in predominately black inner-city neighborhoods. Reagan follows Carter, where he receives a much frostier reception, and highlights his own plan to create what he deemed "opportunity zones" in blighted urban areas. Despite Reagan's vehement commitment to "protecting and enforcing legislation that upholds the rights of all Americans," his remarks failed to address the
Wednesday, August 25th, 1976: Jacques Chirac resigns as Prime Minister of France after numerous clashes with President Valery Giscard d'Estaing in order to run for the newly recreated position of Mayor of Paris. Raymond Barre, an economist, succeeds him in the post of Prime Minister.
Thursday, August 26th, 1976: Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, resigns under pressure from the Dutch government from his various posts over a scandal involving alleged corruption involving his business dealings with the Lockheed Corporation.
Friday, August 27th, 1976: At a speech in Canton, Ohio, Governor Reagan quips “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' It seems those are the words Governor Carter likes the best.” The Reagan/Schweiker ticket increasingly is blending populist rhetoric with Reagan's free market ideals, arguing to working class, blue collar voters that growing government involvement in the economy is a threat to their work and way of life. Schweiker's addition to the ticket seems to be a success despite conservative opposition, and Governor Carter and Mondale are increasingly alarmed by the Reagan campaign's "triangulation" (in the words of Carter pollster Pat Cadell) on these issues.
Saturday, August 28th, 1976: Senator Charles Mathias (R-MD), a progressive Republican, tells a reporter from the Washington Post that he is talking to potential donors and campaign strategists about entering the race as an independent candidate.
Sunday, August 29th, 1976: On CBS's "Face the Nation," Governor Carter goes on the offensive against Governor Reagan. "In the first week of this campaign, my opponent has demonstrated his complete ignorance of the realities that many Americans, particularly those who are poorer and live in the major cities of this country, face on a daily basis," argued Governor Carter, concluding "he needs better writers, because this script he's reading doesn't make for a compelling plot."
Monday, August 30th, 1976: New polling from Gallup shows a steady, if slightly narrowed lead for Governor Carter.
1976 Presidential Election (Gallup - Nationwide)
(D) James Carter: 53%
(R) Ronald Reagan: 29%
Undecided: 16%
Independent/Other: 2%
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