1968It is a tumultuous time for the nation, President Maxwell's (R-OK) approval ratings are so far down that even being in the toilet would be a step up. Why may you ask? Well, there was first rising tensions in Vietnam to the point that many were calling for war. But in spite of the Cold War hysteria, he didn't budge, alienating conservatives and garnering a primary challenge from Washington Senator Harry Goldwater.
A narrow win in New Hampshire, followed by a loss in Wisconsin to the firebrand led to the President dropping out. Fearful of the U.S. going into war and becoming to big in government size, the libertarian wing successfully drafted oil tycoon H. Lester Leinad who only recently switched party allegiances to the GOP from of course the Democrats
But Goldwater still won out the nomination, not that Leinad was so keen on giving up on the fight for small government on ALL counts, so he formed the Libertarian Party to run his bid.
On the Democratic side, the Left were increasingly angry with the President's lackluster civil rights record, while the Right were angered by the lack of government intervention in keeping the status quo. Luckily, Former Vice President V. Portugal Habs managed to pull out a perfect "law-and-order" theme, while simultaneously campaigning for a War on Poverty and an end to the Poll Taxes and Literacy tests.
T. Nalger Fiss, a low-profile attorney once targeted for being a Communist spy was not amused by the growing anti-North 'Nam sentiment, nor was he happy with the seemingly two-faced "law and order" side of Mr. Habs hat he calimed would simply "divide and distract the working people of this country
So.
Former Vice President Habs - 332 EVSenator Goldwater - 126 EVMr. Leinad - 77 EVMr. Fiss - 3 EVA debate happened, and Habs did an excellent job against the firebrand, but negative Goldwater and the lofty, pie-chart focused Leinad. And being reminded of the New Deal-esque politics before Maxwell came in was also an asset. It also did not help that at the RNC Goldwater defended his extremist record rather than try to reconcile with the moderates and doves.
The only reason Habs didn't completely blow it out of the park was because of his implicit appeals to retain the South, which pretty which took DC to TNF and threw a lot of states towards the opposition that wouldn't have necessarily been [such as the Mountain West], while still calling for Federal intervention in Civil Rights where explicit, which gave some of the South to Goldwater anyway.
....Sure it's crazy, but I can't imagine any time other than '68 where something like this would happen.
