A Rendevous with Destiny: The Election of Barry Goldwater

[Mechaman]

Not so fast Barry........



However, with just two months before the new Congress were to be sworn in, President Johnson and the liberal controlled Congress would not dare waste a single second to push through major legislation, namely the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to get rid of discriminatory voting practices responsible for the disenfranchisement of African Americans in the Deep South.  President Johnson had discussed such a bill with Senate leader Mike Mansfield and Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. going through Congress after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 hopefully in 1965, however President Johnson's surprise defeat at the hands of Senator Goldwater would have to speed up such plans.  So on November 5th, 1964, two days after the election, President Johnson would appear before Congress with a rushed version of the Voting Rights Act of 1964 before Congress.  Time was of great importance, since what the President thought would be an easy Act to pass just a few months before might go down in flames in two months if Goldwater had enough Dixiecrat and conservative/libertarian Republican votes to water down the Act.  Although Barry Goldwater was no racist, it would come as no surprise to Johnson if he and his fellow conservative libertarian allies opposed the Voting Rights Act of 1964 on grounds that it could possibly lead to "forcing every man to go through the Judiciary just to move polling places or even hiring practices".  In other words, while the Act would likely pass even in the conservative controlled 89th US Congress, it would be a greatly watered down version of the bill that might be as effectless as the 1957 Civil Rights Act, becoming ineffective in both it's scope and it's enforcement.
Furthermore, passing such an act in little time could give a future boost to liberal Democrats, especially amongst minorities who would then see the Democrats as the party of Civil Rights.  A victory with such legislation in such a time would be as much of a moral victory as a legislative victory for the Democrats.
After his proposition to the Congress, he urged that Congress "waste as little time in the passing of this act of the utmost importance."  Not surprisingly, a token number of conservative Democrats and Republicans spoke out against the vote, citing the fear of possible "racial gerrymandering" that would result from such an act.  However, what President Johnson didn't expect was the "nay" vote from Minnesota Democratic Senator Eugene McCarthy, who though an advocate for Civil Rights agreed with Barry Goldwater on the possibility of "this act, good in intent it may be, has the possibility of further separating American men and women of all races and creeds through the guise of gerrymander."


Senator Eugene McCarthy, the surprise "nay" vote.

Thanks to efforts by Senate Leader Mike Mansfield to speed up discussion on the bill, the Voting Rights Act of 1964 managed to pass the House on December 17th, 1964 with 308 votes in favor and 115 votes against and 12 "absent" votes.  The next day it would pass the US Senate with 68 "aye" votes, 31 "nay" votes, and 1 "absent" vote (US Senator Albert Gore Sr. of Tennessee).  President Johnson would have the last laugh over Barry Goldwater.



Partisan Breakdown:

House:

Democrats: 172-78-8
Republicans: 136-37-4

Senate:

Democrats: 39-26-1
Republicans: 29-5

[Historico]

Yeah I knew 'ol Landslide Lyndon would made sure to get the Voting Rights Act passed just to piss Barry off tremendously, and the Republicans doen't have the numbers to overturn. Can't wait to see what happens in Barry's first term...Keep it comming!!!

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, Johnson screwed them all !

[Mechaman]

The Inauguration of President Barry Goldwater:


” Our Republican cause is not to level out the world or make its people conform in computer-regimented sameness. Our Republican cause is to free our people and light the way for liberty throughout the world. Ours is a very human cause for very humane goals. This party, its good people, and its unquestionable devotion to freedom will not fulfill the purposes of this campaign which we launch here now until our cause has won the day, inspired the world, and shown the way to a tomorrow worthy of all our yesteryears.”
-Barry Goldwater
On January 20, 1965 US Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren swore in Barry Goldwater as the 37th President of the United States of America.  A few of the keypoints of Goldwater’s Inaugural Address:
•   The level of taxation is excessive and burdensome.  The Kennedy Administration should be applauded for lowering income taxes on the uppermost income earners down to 70%, however 70% is still excessive and unnecessary and shall be cut even further along with federal government spending.
•   Our Healthcare system is in a crisis and millions of elderly Americans can not afford healthcare.  The problem isn’t that there is no “safety net” for elder Americans, the problem is excessive taxation and regulation of doctors.  Lower taxes and get bureaucracy out of the medical industry to make healthcare cheaper and more efficient.
•   Make no mistake: WE ARE AT WAR IN  SOUTHEAST ASIA.  Previous administrations didn’t tell the American people this, we are telling them now.  We will win the war in Vietnam quickly using any and all methods at our disposal.
•   No war shall be waged without the explicit approval of Congress, NO EXCEPTIONS.
•   The draft is a grievous threat to the liberty of all able body men.  The American army should have professionals who excel at the art of combat, not an institution of modern day slavery.
•   All who are willing and able to join, of their own volition, the United States Armed Services regardless of sex, race, orientation, socioeconomic background should be allowed as long as they meet the physical requirements.
•   There needs to be a private alternative to Social Security.
•   The recently passed Voting Rights Act of 1965 goes too far and needs to be reformed lest the Congressional system becomes corrupted by racial gerrymandering.

Goldwater’s Inaugural Address would catch many Americans off guard who didn’t expect such an assertive outline of what he planned on doing once in office.  In the words of Richard Nixon "most presidents offer pretty words, Goldwater however provided specific policy outlines with no vague rhetoric."

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

GO BARRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mechaman]

UPDATE:

First off, after the last few weeks I've come to the conclusion that hantheguitarman is the biggest Goldwater nerd here, so I dedicate this TL to him.

Second, I have updated the election map on the first page to have the percentages that Goldwater and Johnson had per state in the election.  Since Goldwater focuses less on state's rights in the election I made him do less well in Mississippi (he gets 68% of the vote in this TL, I believe 20% less than he did IRL).  Someday I might (as well as for my other timelines) make a post showing how well each candidate did in each state.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

UPDATE:

First off, after the last few weeks I've come to the conclusion that hantheguitarman is the biggest Goldwater nerd here, so I dedicate this TL to him.

I AM! I'M HONORED!

[Mechaman]

COMING SOON!

Another long needed update!

[Goldwater]

YAY GOLDWATER!

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Is "Mechaman", "Tits McGrr", or "Boffer Flaps" permanently gone from this forum?

No, he was active today.

Sadly, Mechaman has the distinction of being one of the most lazy people when it comes to updating his timelines.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This TL'sbeen dead for months

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

This TL'sbeen dead for months

That's typical for Mechaman.

[Mechaman]

The Cabinet of Barry Goldwater:

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The cabinet of Barry Goldwater would (not surprisingly) run the gamut of American conservatism.  Some of his choices would evoke great controversy and end up failing confirmation by the US Senate:
Vice President: William E. Miller (Republican-New York) (not subject to Senate Confirmation, just put here to make the list look cooler )

An unabashed conservative Catholic (and the first one nominated on a Republican Presidential ticket as well as the first Catholic Vice President), William E. Miller was well known for his outspokenness, making Goldwater look “tactful” in comparison.  Some liberals would even go as far as calling Goldwater and Miller “Good Cop, Bad Cop” with Miller being the “Bad Cop”.  However, with Miller as Vice President the administration would become more and more popular amongst Catholics, which would inevitably cause William E. Miller to become “a true pain in the ass” to Democrats (who used to have Catholics, especially Irish Catholics, as a solid voting bloc).
Secretary of State: Richard M. Nixon (Republican-California)

Goldwater’s choice for Secretary of State would be former Vice President Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon of California.  According to many historians this would be “by far” Goldwater’s least controversial pick.  In fact, the only person who would be cautious about Nixon as Secretary of State would be Nixon himself.  In Nixon’s memoirs he recalls:

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Secretary of Treasury: Milton Friedman (Independent-California)

An avowed supporter of laissez-faire economics, Milton Friedman would encounter strong resistance from liberals in the US Senate upon his nomination by Goldwater.  Of note was a quote from the California economist where he voices “support for experimenting anarcho capitalistic systems in third world nations and the overthrow of communistic/statist governments to advance such goals”.  Friedman would decry the statements, calling them “blown out of proportion”.  However, due to great reduction of liberal power in Senate he would be confirmed by a vote of 62-35-3
Secretary of Defense: William F. Buckley (Republican-New York)
.
For the position of Secretary of Defense moderate/liberal Republicans approached Goldwater and tried to appeal that incumbent Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara stay on as Secretary.  Goldwater would refuse, justifying the unpopularity of the Johnson Cabinet due to the revelations that Robert Kennedy carried out wiretapping on Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.  Therefore, Goldwater confided with Vice President elect Miller as to who he thought would make a good Secretary.  Miller's advice:

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So after listening to his VP's advice about how sex appeal and religious identification can go a long way in winning over certain demographics for the next election, Goldwater took his advice and announced his pick before the US Senate.  Surprisingly Buckley would not face much opposition during the confirmation vote, winning the nomination 72-26-2.  Many would say that the reason why Buckley was passed through the Senate was because of a "Forgiveness Vote": that a majority of liberals and moderates approved of him (and Southern Democrats didn't) because he renounced his support of segregation in the South after hearing about the tactics used by white supremacists.
Attorney General: Roy Cohn (Republican-New York)
Goldwater’s first pick for Attorney General was Roy Cohn, who became famous during the Army-McCarthy Hearings for his aggressive tactics against suspected American “Communists and Insurgents”.  Due to the controversial nature of the hearings, as well as Cohn’s participation in gathering questionable evidence his nomination faced a lot of opposition from not just liberals, but also a few conservatives who voiced concern that “such a man might hold himself above constitutional grounds.”  After much deliberation, Goldwater dropped Cohn’s name from the list.
 William Rehnquist (Republican-Arizona)

Goldwater’s second choice for Attorney General would be William Rehnquist, an Arizona lawyer who was a legal advisor to Goldwater’s campaign.  Controversial among his views was his statement that “based on a strict interpretation of Constitutional law, I would have to declare decisions like Plessy vs. Ferguson to be right.”  Like Goldwater himself liberals would rally against Rehnquist, claiming that while he might not be racist he would work into racist hands by “being blinded by strict constitutionalism.  However, a few liberal Democrats and moderate Republicans were convinced that Rehnquist would be a fair enforcer of current Civil Rights Laws, even if he disagreed with them on principle.  He would pass confirmation with a vote of 56-38-2


Whoa what's that?  An update!?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

YEAH!

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Great update, but Curtis  LeMay can't be SecDef because Secretaries of Defense have to have been out of the army for 10 years or more, so he'd have to have been decommissioned by 1955 at the latest (I know this because I tried making LeMay SecDef in my alternatehistory.com TL ). Perhaps National Security Advisor?

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Great update, but Curtis  LeMay can't be SecDef because Secretaries of Defense have to have been out of the army for 10 years or more, so he'd have to have been decommissioned by 1955 at the latest (I know this because I tried making LeMay SecDef in my alternatehistory.com TL ). Perhaps National Security Advisor?

Yeah. Your timeline is where I found that out. Didn't you make him National Security Adviser also?

Yeah, I did. I ended up making Omar Bradley SecDef, because at the time I didn't realize that Five Star Generals never retire. So I ended up saying that the Senate waived the requirement for General Bradley, though I don't think the Senate would've waived the requirement for saber rattler LeMay.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Golwater is gonna have trouble with a Democratic congress...

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Is this ever going to extend beyon three pages?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

"Boffer of the Flaps", in case you're planning on updating this within the next three months, I'm just wondering about what's going to happen with:
1) Ronald Reagan
2) William F Buckley
3) Pat Buchanan
4) Robert F kennedy
5) James L Buckley

[Captain Chaos]

"Boffer of the Flaps", in case you're planning on updating this within the next three months, I'm just wondering about what's going to happen with:
1) Ronald Reagan
2) William F Buckley
3) Pat Buchanan
4) Robert F Kennedy
5) James L Buckley

Here is my three cents:

Ronald Reagan: definitely running for Governor of California because of the popularity of his "Time For Choosing" speech

William F. Buckley: stays at National Review

Pat Buchanan: political commentator, may split from GOP if it sticks to a fiscally conservative, socially libertarian ideology

RFK: He is finished politically

James Buckley: If he runs for US Senate in 1968, he may have a better chace against Senator Jacob Javits if Javits starts to oppose the Goldwater agenda. NYS GOP will still endorse Javits, but Buckley gets state Conservative party backing and private support of President Goldwater. If Buckley wins in '68, this means that Senator Keating most likely seeks reelection in 1970  and wins.

[feeblepizza]

AWESOME timeline so far! Nixon 72!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I just think that it would be sweet to have one of the Buckleys in the cabinet.

Besides, William F ran for New York City Mayor in 1965 (which I mentioned), and if he were to run in this TL, he would have the backing of the President. The Same goes for James L and running for Senate. As for Buchanan, he was a supporter of Goldwater as many Conservatives were until the eighties when they found out about his social views. If Goldwater leaves office before things like abortion come up, Buchanan woudl still stay with the Republicans.

[Mechaman]

Is this ever going to extend beyon three pages?

Yes.
In fact for your annoying bitching I promise an update before November.

EDIT: Something came up, sorry for the delay.

[Mechaman]

I would like to say this to Cathcon:

I'm sorry if I may have seemed a little rough earlier with the whole "due to your bitching" comment.  Don't worry you didn't rile me up or anything, that is just how I talk (seriously ask any of the vets here how vulgar I am on a daily basis).  Thanks for your input, it has proved invaluable in the process of writing this timeline.  William Buckley would be very valuable in a Goldwater presidency.  Thank you.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Is this ever going to extend beyon three pages?

Yes.
In fact for your annoying bitching I promise an update before next Wednesday (along with a re-edit of the entries, due to LeMay being ineligible for whatever role I put him in.

Ha-hah!