It allows one who wants to say skip all of the discussion to go directly to the updates.
Twilight of the Red Tsar
- Thread starter Napoleon IV
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How have Nixon's Civil Rights efforts gone down? He's likely popular and Anti-Communist enough that he should be able to pass some things. This, of course, would have the effect of keeping the South Democrat, potentially leading to the Dixiecrats taking over the Democrats again. This could lead to to a new political alignment in America between an economically right-wing, socially centre Republican Party and an Economically Leftist, socially Conservative Democrat Party (more Scoop Jackson or even George Wallace than George McGovern).
That's the subject of a future update. For now let's just say that Nixon faces the challenge of Congress. Johnson was able to get the Civil Rights Act through in part because of his brilliance at parliamentary politics, something Nixon doesn't have.
If the Dixiecrats stays Dem while Nixon passes his Civil Rights Bill then will the GOP become the party of the minorities identified with civil rights?
Possibly. It's important to remember that African-Americans started voting Democrat during FDR's administration, and from Truman onward the majority of them were Democrats. Of course Civil Rights is a landmark piece of legislation that would attract African-Americans back to the Republican Party, but from there it depends on how the two parties develop.
I don't think the Dems would economically "left" considering that the Dixiecrats were a fundamental part of the Conservative Coalition opposed to the New Deal. Without the Dixiecrats' support, the Conservative coalition would have failed.
The Dixiecrats were never that economically left-wing, they certainly had some populist elements but overall fairly business-friendly which was why it was so easy for them to join forces with Republicans.
Possible US politics realignments (note: none of these are canon yet, all assume a Republican passes Civil Rights, mostly because if a Democrat passes Civil Rights things go as per OTL):
The Republicans become a fiscally conservative, socially liberal party. The Democrats are nationally socially and fiscally liberal, but in the South remain socially and fiscally conservative. This forces them to nominate more moderate members for things like President.
The Republicans become a fiscally conservative, socially liberal party. Northern and Southern Democrats split into a fiscally and socially liberal party (the North), and a fiscally center, socially conservative party (the South).
Northern and Southern Democrats split. After a couple of elections Northern Democrats join the Republicans, while very conservative Republicans (think Goldwater) join the Southern Democrats. The Republican Party thus becomes fiscally center, but socially liberal, while a new socially and fiscally conservative party forms.
The Republicans become a fiscally conservative, socially liberal party. The Democrats are nationally socially and fiscally liberal, but in the South remain socially and fiscally conservative. This forces them to nominate more moderate members for things like President.
The Republicans become a fiscally conservative, socially liberal party. Northern and Southern Democrats split into a fiscally and socially liberal party (the North), and a fiscally center, socially conservative party (the South).
Northern and Southern Democrats split. After a couple of elections Northern Democrats join the Republicans, while very conservative Republicans (think Goldwater) join the Southern Democrats. The Republican Party thus becomes fiscally center, but socially liberal, while a new socially and fiscally conservative party forms.
All except the first realignment are horrifying and the first one is not that good.
Goddammit Stalin.
Lost Freeway
Banned
It wasn't uniform. Some did support the New Deal-as long as only whites benefited.
Civil Rights
Merry Christmas everyone:
President Nixon had promised to make civil rights a priority of his second term, however for the first two years of his term foreign policy matters took up most of his time[1].That all changed in 1962, with James Meredith’s fight. Meredith, a black man, applied to the University of Mississippi, which at the time was segregated. After being rejected Meredith filed suit, claiming that the school had only rejected him because of his race. Even after he won the case Governor Ross Barnett refused to let him in, promising “no school will be integrated in Mississippi while I am your Governor[2].” At this point Nixon stepped in, ordering Attorney General William P. Rogers[3] to send US Marshals to attend Meredith’s registration and arrival[4]. Nixon took the opportunity to focus on Civil Rights, and on January 1st, 1963 he delivered his famous “Civil Rights Address.” In the speech Nixon declared that “Civil Rights is not just a legal issue, it is a moral issue. Since the days of President Lincoln the American Negro, while free, has faced a system designed to deny them their basic humanity. All thinking men recognize that this system is wrong, and that change must come through.” This was the most wide-ranging speech on Civil Rights by a President up to this point, and it was followed by Nixon’s proposed Civil Rights Act.
Almost immediately after the Civil Rights Act reached the House it faced a challenge. Howard Smith, the segregationist chairman of the Rules Committee, decided to keep the bill bottled up forever. Nixon was furious, calling Smith “that cocksucker” and at one point even asking FBI Director Hoover to dig up dirt on him. The solution to the problem came when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Emanuel Celler trying to gather a petition to discharge the bill from the Rules Committee. This rarely used practice required the majority of Representatives to back it; this process took until after the 1963 winter recess, when it was clear that public opinion in the North was behind the bill. Smith relented, and the bill passed the House 290-130[5].
The bill then passed to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like the House Rules Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee was chaired by an ardent segregationist: James Eastland of Mississippi. To get the bill to the Senate floor Nixon met with Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson. Johnson informed Nixon that there was nothing he could do. This was false, and Johnson knew it. According to many of his aides Johnson was in the middle of his own run for President, and didn’t want to give the Republicans a major legislative success before the election or face angry Southern Democrats. Nixon was eventually able to get a bill passed, but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was very weak, mostly concerned with voting rights and ending discrimination based on national origin[6].
Election of 1964: The election of 1964 was the 45th Presidential election in US history. Incumbent President Richard Nixon was unable to run due to term limits, leaving the Republican field wide open. The two main contenders that emerged were Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York and Senate Minority Leader William Knowland of California[7]. Rockefeller faced major challenges due to his divorce and remarriage to Margarita “Happy” Murphy, which cost him the support of social conservatives. As a result, Knowland was able to win the nomination, choosing Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton as his running mate. On the Democratic side the main contenders were Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and Senator John F. Kennedy, with Governor George Wallace of Alabama winning several Southern states. Johnson won a narrow victory, and in a surprising twist chose Kennedy as his running mate. The main issues of the general election were the economy, Civil Rights, and foreign affairs. Despite his personal distaste for President Nixon[8] Knowland was able to use the President’s success in the economy and foreign policy to his advantage, winning the election 310 electoral votes to Johnson’s 228.
Although Knowland was a conservative he was strongly in favor of Civil Rights, even breaking into tears after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 due to how weak the law was. As such, it was only natural that he would pick up where Nixon had left off. By the end of 1965 Knowland felt ready, and a bill was submitted to Congress, where it again passed the House. In the weeks leading up to it entering the Senate Knowland met with Johnson to discuss how to get the bill passed the Judiciary Committee. Johnson eventually agreed to work with Knowland. Several explanations have been proposed for this. Some argue that Johnson’s friendship with Knowland allowed the latter to better influence him, while others argue that Johnson was no longer in election mode, and thus was willing to work with the Republicans. Whatever the reason Johnson proposed a novel tactic: he waived a second reading of the bill, then used the absence of precedent for a bill’s second reading not immediately following the first to argue that the bill should be sent to the floor for debate[9]. Southern Senators, led by Strom Thurmond, immediately started a filibuster. This forced the bill’s defenders to draft a compromise bill, and after some horse trading they were able to break the filibuster on May 5th, 1966. The Civil Rights Act of 1966 passed the Senate shortly thereafter and was signed into law by President Knowland on May 22nd.
[1] This is unsurprising. Nixon far preferred dealing with foreign affairs to dealing with domestic policy.
[2] Barnett said this IOTL as well.
[3] Rogers was Eisenhower's last AG IOTL, and a close associate of Nixon's.
[4] There were negotiations to send the Marshals in IOTL between Kennedy and Governor Barnett. ITTL Nixon doesn't negotiate, in part because he doesn't have to worry about the opinion of Southern Democrats.
[5] This happened IOTL as well.
[6] Ending discrimination based on national origin had been one of the goals of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, although it ultimately didn't happen during that bill.
[7] IOTL Knowland ran for (and lost) Governor of California in 1958, in part so that he could build a political machine there to deny Nixon the Presidency. With Nixon as President Knowland elects to stay in the Senate ITTL.
[8] Distaste is a mild way of putting it. Nixon and Knowland despised each other and fought for control of the California GOP.
[9] IOTL this is how Mike Mansfield got the Civil Rights Act passed the Judiciary Committee.
Civil Rights
Excerpt from The Civil Rights Movement by Edward Jones
President Nixon had promised to make civil rights a priority of his second term, however for the first two years of his term foreign policy matters took up most of his time[1].That all changed in 1962, with James Meredith’s fight. Meredith, a black man, applied to the University of Mississippi, which at the time was segregated. After being rejected Meredith filed suit, claiming that the school had only rejected him because of his race. Even after he won the case Governor Ross Barnett refused to let him in, promising “no school will be integrated in Mississippi while I am your Governor[2].” At this point Nixon stepped in, ordering Attorney General William P. Rogers[3] to send US Marshals to attend Meredith’s registration and arrival[4]. Nixon took the opportunity to focus on Civil Rights, and on January 1st, 1963 he delivered his famous “Civil Rights Address.” In the speech Nixon declared that “Civil Rights is not just a legal issue, it is a moral issue. Since the days of President Lincoln the American Negro, while free, has faced a system designed to deny them their basic humanity. All thinking men recognize that this system is wrong, and that change must come through.” This was the most wide-ranging speech on Civil Rights by a President up to this point, and it was followed by Nixon’s proposed Civil Rights Act.
Excerpt from The Struggle for Civil Rights by Meredith Rogers
Almost immediately after the Civil Rights Act reached the House it faced a challenge. Howard Smith, the segregationist chairman of the Rules Committee, decided to keep the bill bottled up forever. Nixon was furious, calling Smith “that cocksucker” and at one point even asking FBI Director Hoover to dig up dirt on him. The solution to the problem came when House Judiciary Committee Chairman Emanuel Celler trying to gather a petition to discharge the bill from the Rules Committee. This rarely used practice required the majority of Representatives to back it; this process took until after the 1963 winter recess, when it was clear that public opinion in the North was behind the bill. Smith relented, and the bill passed the House 290-130[5].
The bill then passed to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like the House Rules Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee was chaired by an ardent segregationist: James Eastland of Mississippi. To get the bill to the Senate floor Nixon met with Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson. Johnson informed Nixon that there was nothing he could do. This was false, and Johnson knew it. According to many of his aides Johnson was in the middle of his own run for President, and didn’t want to give the Republicans a major legislative success before the election or face angry Southern Democrats. Nixon was eventually able to get a bill passed, but the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was very weak, mostly concerned with voting rights and ending discrimination based on national origin[6].
Excerpt from The Encyclopedia of US Elections
Election of 1964: The election of 1964 was the 45th Presidential election in US history. Incumbent President Richard Nixon was unable to run due to term limits, leaving the Republican field wide open. The two main contenders that emerged were Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York and Senate Minority Leader William Knowland of California[7]. Rockefeller faced major challenges due to his divorce and remarriage to Margarita “Happy” Murphy, which cost him the support of social conservatives. As a result, Knowland was able to win the nomination, choosing Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton as his running mate. On the Democratic side the main contenders were Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and Senator John F. Kennedy, with Governor George Wallace of Alabama winning several Southern states. Johnson won a narrow victory, and in a surprising twist chose Kennedy as his running mate. The main issues of the general election were the economy, Civil Rights, and foreign affairs. Despite his personal distaste for President Nixon[8] Knowland was able to use the President’s success in the economy and foreign policy to his advantage, winning the election 310 electoral votes to Johnson’s 228.
Excerpt from Knowland by Edmund Morris
Although Knowland was a conservative he was strongly in favor of Civil Rights, even breaking into tears after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 due to how weak the law was. As such, it was only natural that he would pick up where Nixon had left off. By the end of 1965 Knowland felt ready, and a bill was submitted to Congress, where it again passed the House. In the weeks leading up to it entering the Senate Knowland met with Johnson to discuss how to get the bill passed the Judiciary Committee. Johnson eventually agreed to work with Knowland. Several explanations have been proposed for this. Some argue that Johnson’s friendship with Knowland allowed the latter to better influence him, while others argue that Johnson was no longer in election mode, and thus was willing to work with the Republicans. Whatever the reason Johnson proposed a novel tactic: he waived a second reading of the bill, then used the absence of precedent for a bill’s second reading not immediately following the first to argue that the bill should be sent to the floor for debate[9]. Southern Senators, led by Strom Thurmond, immediately started a filibuster. This forced the bill’s defenders to draft a compromise bill, and after some horse trading they were able to break the filibuster on May 5th, 1966. The Civil Rights Act of 1966 passed the Senate shortly thereafter and was signed into law by President Knowland on May 22nd.
[1] This is unsurprising. Nixon far preferred dealing with foreign affairs to dealing with domestic policy.
[2] Barnett said this IOTL as well.
[3] Rogers was Eisenhower's last AG IOTL, and a close associate of Nixon's.
[4] There were negotiations to send the Marshals in IOTL between Kennedy and Governor Barnett. ITTL Nixon doesn't negotiate, in part because he doesn't have to worry about the opinion of Southern Democrats.
[5] This happened IOTL as well.
[6] Ending discrimination based on national origin had been one of the goals of the Civil Rights Act of 1960, although it ultimately didn't happen during that bill.
[7] IOTL Knowland ran for (and lost) Governor of California in 1958, in part so that he could build a political machine there to deny Nixon the Presidency. With Nixon as President Knowland elects to stay in the Senate ITTL.
[8] Distaste is a mild way of putting it. Nixon and Knowland despised each other and fought for control of the California GOP.
[9] IOTL this is how Mike Mansfield got the Civil Rights Act passed the Judiciary Committee.
Merry Christmas to you too, I made a flag for the Yellow Banners as a gift, I hope you like it:
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So, from what I can gather, the Republicans are going to get at least sixteen years in the White House (maybe twenty owing to the incumbency effect of sitting Presidents, and the serious fissures dividing the Democrats, even if Knowland's OTL mental health and suicide is an issue). No way they could pull off anything more than twenty; people are going to get sick of one of the two of them eventually. Heck, maybe Knowland could be the Reagan of this universe that pulls America to the Right (this before any Great Society began).
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