TL: The South Shall Rise Again

June 6, 1975

At the home of Herbert and Judy Dawkins, residents of Sioux City, Iowa. Herbert is an auto dealer. Judy is an elementary school teacher. Herb and Judy have one son, David, and a daughter, Clara.

It's 6 pm on a Thursday evening.

A knock sounds at the front door.

Herb opens the door to greet a youthful looking man accompanied by one other youthful looking man. The first man flashes a bright smile at Herb, extends his hand, and introduces himself:

"I'm Reuben Askew, and I'm running for President."
 
January 16, 1975:

Jimmy Carter is busily gearing up for a run for President. As the outgoing Governor of Georgia, he had gladly accepted campaign help from George Wallace in his 1970 race, and used arguably some race-baiting tactics to win his party's primary against progressive Lt. Governor Carl Sanders. But he never intended to govern like a white collar George Wallace. Instead, he made it clear he would honor civil rights, and the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

He felt good about his positioning ... the New South leader, and an outsider to the corrupt ways of Washington DC, getting over the terrible hangover left by Vietnam and Watergate.

Carter was a good Christian man. But he expressed some un-Christian views when he heard that another candidate would emerge from right over the state line ... Florida's Governor, Reuben Askew.
 
January 16, 1975:

George Wallace, crippled in body but not in spirit, is gearing up to run, yet again, for President. Maybe the fourth time will be the charm. He's damned if he is going to let Jimmy Carter, who accepted his help when Wallace was useful to him, and then discarded him when no longer useful, run as the candidate of the "New South." How about just the plain "South?"

Then the news came ... just over the state line, another Southern Governor was running, and threatened to take the wind out of both Carter's AND Wallace's sails. They both could kiss Florida goodbye. "Well, isn't that something?" pondered Wallace. "What am I gonna do now?"
 
January 20, 1976:

Two para NY Times Headline:

ASKEW, CARTER, LEAD IN IOWA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUSES

Story: Two candidates from the South lead in the first in the nation contest, the Democratic Party Caucuses in the deep midwestern state of Iowa. While the number of votes cast is small ... under 100,000 ... nonetheless this is the first real electoral test of the 1976 campaign.

In a very close third was the "uncommitted" category.

Indiana Senator Birch Bayh finished what has to be a disappointing fourth, ahead of former Oklahoma Senator Fred Harris, followed by 1972 Vice Presidential candidate Sargent Shriver, with Congressman Morris Udall of Arizona bringing up the rear among the active candidates. There were scattered votes cast for Senator Henry Jackson of Washington.
 
January 25, 1976:

Three para NY Times Headline:

FORD WINS NARROWLY OVER REAGAN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE;
UDALL BEATS ASKEW AND CARTER IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

...In the Democratic race, Arizona Congressman Morris Udall redeemed his very poor Iowa showing by winning the New Hampshire Democratic primary for President. The latest count gives him around 28% of the vote, indicating he may be consolidating more liberal voters on the Democratic side.

On the other hand, more conservative Democrats may be slowly rallying to Governor Reuben Askew of Florida, who has categorically said he opposes abortion and the Roe v Wade decision. Askew managed 19% of the vote, slightly ahead of former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia who collected 17%. Carter was counting on momentum from Iowa to carry him to a victory in New Hampshire, but the virtual tie between him and Askew there has evidently slowed him down.

Candidates thought to have more appeal to the liberal voters in the Democratic Party fared poorly in New Hampshire. Indiana Senator Birch Bayh ended up with 10%, and that was well ahead of Harris and Shriver ... All three candidates are considering whether to continue at this point.
 
February 8, 1976:

Two para NY Times Headline:

ASKEW, CARTER, HARRIS LEAD IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY CAUCUSES;
BENTSEN TRAILS

Attempting one last effort to revive his faltering campaign, Oklahoma's former Senator Fred Harris made a stand in his own state. However, he seems to have done no better than a three-way tie with former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia, who is leading Harris and Askew by a very slight margin in late returns. If Harris cannot win his own state, or even come in second there, his way forward looks increasingly challenging ...
 
February 15, 1976:

Two para NY Times Headline:

ASKEW WINS OVERWHELMINGLY IN MISSISSIPPI;
2-1 MARGIN OVER CARTER

Had he remained in the race for President, Alabama Governor George Wallace would have been expected to dominate Mississippi's county caucuses for the Democratic Party. However, his quick withdrawal from the race shook up the Mississippi contest. Even having withdrawn, he managed to attract 20% of the caucus-goers votes. And while he did not specifically endorse a candidate, it is well known among the Wallace people in the MIssissippi Democratic Party that Wallace preferred Askew over Carter, even though, to use his trademark phrase, "there isn't a dime's worth of difference between them." But sources close to the Alabama Governor say that Wallace begrudgingly preferred Askew because "at least he never treated me like Carter did, smiling in my face and then stabbing me in the back. Hell, even Udall would be better than that."

In late returns, Askew was leading with around 50% of the vote to Carter's 25% and Wallace's 20% ...
 
March 3, 1976:

NY Times three column headline:

UDALL WINS MASSACHUSETTS DEMOCRATIC CONTEST;
FORD CRUSHES REAGAN.

Congressman Morris Udall won the Massachusetts Democratic primary last night, edging out Senator Henry Jackson. Jackson was thought to have the edge, as he was expected to dominate the more moderate to conservative Democrats who lost a candidate when Alabama Governor George Wallace withdrew before a single vote was cast. However, Udall has continued to consolidate more liberal voters as his opponents on the left continue to fade and drop out. On the other hand, Jackson has had to contend with Florida Governor Reuben Askew and former Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter, who received 30% between them. Askew finished third after being endorsed by anti-abortion Democratic activist Ellen McCormick. Her relatively small amount of support proved decisive in the race for third ...

In Vermont, the lightly attended Democratic Primary led to a narrow victory for Jimmy Carter over the withdrawn candidate Sargent Shriver ...
 
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March 10, 1976:

REAGAN UPSETS FORD IN FLORIDA GOP PRIMARY;
ASKEW SWEEPS THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY

As expected, Florida Governor Reuben Askew won an overwhelming victory in his home state's primary, rolling up 70% against scattered votes for Jimmy Carter, Henry Jackson (who did not actively campaign in the state), and the withdrawn George Wallace.

However, Wallace may have inadvertently overturned the GOP primary results, as hard core Wallace supporters crossed over to vote in the Republican Presidential primary, and are considered more likely to have voted for former California Governor Ronald Reagan over President Gerald Ford, giving Reagan about 51% in a clear upset ...
 
March 24, 1976:

REAGAN WINS NORTH CAROLINA GOP PRIMARY;
ASKEW BEATS CARTER ON DEMOCRATIC SIDE

...
In their first head to head match-up, Florida Governor Reuben Askew triumphed over former Governor Jimmy Carter. The latest returns give Askew 57% of the vote to Carter's 40% ...
 
April 8, 1976:

JACKSON WINS NEW YORK, UDALL WINS WISCONSIN:

In a split decision yesterday, Senator Henry Jackson of Washington, fighting to save his struggling candidacy, won his first primary election, winning this state over Congressman Morris Udall of Arizona. Jackson, who has raised significant sums and has the backing of organized labor, muscled his way past Udall's liberal voters and won the Empire State with 50%, compared to 40% for Udall, with the other 10% uncommitted. Governor Reuben Askew of Florida did not compete in New York State, saving his efforts for Wisconsin. Former Governor Jimmy Carter had planned to compete in Wisconsin, but withdrew from the race after losing the North Carolina Primary to Askew.

Askew's surging campaign, however, slipped in Wisconsin, a state with a proud progressive tradition. Askew's social conservatism attracted some voters but may have repelled more, as Udall ran up the score in Dane County and other liberal strongholds to win the primary with 52% over Askew's 44% ...
 
Sneak peak ahead:

baf.jpg



Democratic Congresswoman and feminist icon Bella Abzug reacts to comments made by Governor Reuben Askew on abortion
 
April 28, 1976:

ASKEW EDGES JACKSON IN PENNSYLVANIA PRIMARY;
UDALL THIRD


In something of a surprise result, Florida Governor Reuben Askew slipped by Senator Henry Jackson of Washington in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, winning by a narrow 37% to 35% margin, with Arizona Congressman Morris Udall running third at 20%. Jackson had the support of the unions and Mayor Frank Rizzo of Philadelphia. After his decisive win in New York, he also had enough momentum to be competitive. But unfortunately for Jackson, he had relatively little money compared to Askew, who has been receiving a wave of financial support from Democrats in the South since the withdrawals of Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen and former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. In addition, Askew campaigned as the "only pro life" candidate in the race, a message that resonated in Pennsylvania.

Jackson's campaign is still alive given the close finish, but it is getting harder to see a path forward for the Senator from Washington. This may be developing into an Askew-Udall race, in spite of the Arizona Congressman's third place showing last night in the Keystone State ...
 
May 2, 1976:

ASKEW, REAGAN SWEEP TEXAS PRIMARIES

... on the Democratic side, Florida Governor Reuben Askew rolled to a huge victory against nominal opposition from Morris Udall, who did not campaign actively in the state. It is expected that Askew will win all 98 delegates up for grabs ..
 
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