Changing lives of George Wallace, Jim Folsom, John Patterson and U.S. history

[cpeeks]

How do you know some much about alabama politicians?

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

How do you know some much about alabama politicians?

I really don't know. Beside an interest in U.S. politics in general for some reason I've read a lot about politics of Alabama and Florida.

Really, I don't remember how it started.

[cpeeks]

Well your doing a good job.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Well your doing a good job.

Thanks

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

In his early years on the new path, Reverend George Wallace consistently avoided any political involvement. However, more or less unknowingly to him on that time, he clearly made some choices that would determine a political perception of him.

Shortly, after experiencing his moment of the amazing grace and beginning of the new career, Reverend Wallace used one of his radio auditions to make a touching apology to the Black Alabamans. My arrogant and empty pursing for the power on the earth caused me to lost a sight. We’re all the Children of the God Almighty, whether Black or White, and no politics can change it. I’m deeply sorry for all the people I hurted during my sinful past and I humbly ask, if you can, for forgiveness .

Reverend Wallace during one of his broadcast

That caused a lot of White conservatives, who remembered Wallace as a die hard supporter of the segregationist agenda, and after his “conversion” applauded initiatives, such as making the Barbour County a dry county, to start to distrust him as a traitor, while, at the same time, a gained a popularity, not immediately of course, among Blacks and their religious circles.

Still abstaining from any political activity or making any purely political declarations, Reverend Wallace, who once almost become Governor Wallace, with his renouncing of the past, asking for forgiveness and becoming probably the most friendly toward integration Alabama Baptist preacher, became somehow a symbol.

Of course, beside supporters and opponents, there were sceptics. For example no one else than now Vice President Folsom, once a protector and then an enemy who killed Wallace’s political career laughed when he learned about his new career. That little flipping son of a bitch ain’t gonna foll nobody, even my dead grandma.   

[cpeeks]

So is reverand wallace gonna switch to the gop?

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Well, I'm totally dry from ideas and I'm affraid this may be dead

[JulioMadrid]

I thought your post was an update =(... please, continue! don't leave alabama!!!!!

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

I'll really try to come up with something after I return from Lithuania.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

After Julio's uncalled for accusation that I killed all active TL, I'm doing an update.

You bastard...

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

After Julio's uncalled for accusation that I killed all active TL, I'm doing an update.

You bastard...

Well?

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

For the first year of his administration (1971) President Folsom took more a role of an overseer, patron and a public face of the government, rather than a man running details or coming up with his entirely new strategy.

Folsom gave his full blessing for a continuation of his predecessor, Hubert Humphrey, foreign policy, leaving a team led by Vice President Church, Secretary Scranton and National Security Adviser, Zbigniew Brzezinski, in charge.

The President also was confident with Speaker of the House Carl Albert and Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield as those who were running a legislative process. The President was fully aware of his own limits, especially when it comes to foreign relations knowledge and an inexperience with dealing with an legislators (a famous accident occurred, when during a press conference he called Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott (R-PA) Just as great hardass as those Big Mules fellas down in Birmingham).

With his foreign policy team coming closer to achieve a peace in Vietnam, and Congressional Leaders working on passing Humphrey programs, Folsom has committed himself to an efforts to keep a diverse Democratic base, growing Northern, Urban and Liberal, but still consisting a targeted by the Republicans poor Southern Whites, together.

President Folsom is a pleasant suprise for the Democrats and a certain disappointment for a Republican hopes, the TIME magazine wrote in the late 1971. Realizing his own limits, he's ensuring that his team can do an outstanding job and is keeping the base for a very likely, it seems now, success in 1972 and a continuation.


Meanwhile, Senator Patterson, now slowly gaining a seniority and influence, as a second termer, also started to gain other reputation rather than a former die-hard Dixiecrat. A longtime progressive on economic issues, he cosponsored in a mid-1972, with a Liberal Democratic Senator John V. Tunney of California, a Patterson-Tunney Act, a major antitrust legislation. He also find a common ground with Senator Ted Kennedy, a brother of his former friend, President Kennedy, during a work on health care initiatives.

Yet, the shadow of the past couldn't be erased quickly. Although with a diffrent climate and already done facts, by the 1970, Patterson denounced segregation, for many people he was still a fire-breathing Governor, openly supported by the Ku Klux Klan, who brutally suppressed a civil rights activism in the early 1960s.

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

Yay! Update!

Keep it coming!

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

With a peace talks progressing in Paris regarding Vietnam future and relative peaceful climate domestically, President Folsom has been running practically unopposed (since favorite sons, usually loyal to a national candidate, doesn't really count) for nomination.

Meanwhile, the Republican field, as always when there's no an incumbent in the race, was crowded and essentially became a four-way bloodbath between a Goldwater heir, as a leader of the conservative movement, Governor Ronald Reagan of California, Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, who was a key figure of weakened, yet still present Eastern Establishment, somehow moderate, young and dynamic Senator John Tower of Texas, whose regional appeal posed a problem to Reagan, while less conservative positions threatened Rockefeller, and respected, centrist-leaning Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee.

As the reform movement to institute a nationwide primaries failed in both parties in 1968, after a few contests, with dominating system of back room chosen delegates, the Republican convention in Miami needed a four ballots, before Tower drooped out and endorsed Baker, and two more, before Rockefeller, seeing his chances diminished, withdrew just in order to stop Reagan. Baker became the Republican nominee for President and, to appease Reagan fraction, choose reluctantly his hand-picked, former Governor James A. Rhodes of Ohio, as his running-mate.

Baker was a formidable opponent, who could hold a moderate Republicans and be competitive in the South against the President. However, a bloodbath caused a low turnout among Reagan conservatives. Also, "peace at home and peace at hand abroad" served well popular incumbent, who was viewed favorably by a moderates as well. Thus, Folsom "reelection" never was in a doubt and Baker was just a good candidate in a very bad year.

President James E. Folsom of Alabama/Vice President Frank F. Church of Idaho (Democratic Party): 371 electoral votes, 54% of the popular vote
Senator Howard H. Baker of Tennessee/Former Governor James E. Rhodes of Ohio (Republican Party): 167 electoral votes, 45% of the popular vote
Others: 1% of the popular vote

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Upon being elected to his second, and the first full, term, President Folsom made only a few changes in his cabinet, most notably replacing retiring on his own request Secretary of State William W. Scranton with a fellow moderate-to-liberal Republican, familiar with a foreign affairs area: former Senator Charles Percy of Illinois, who lost in an upset a GOP Illinois primary in 1972.

President: James E. Folsom (D-AL)
Vice President:Frank F. Church (D-ID)

Secretary of State: Charles Percy (R-IL)
Secretary of the Treasury: Wilbur D. Mills (D-AR)
Secretary of Defense: Cyrus Vance (D-NY)
Attorney General: Walter F. Mondale (D-MN)
Secretary of the Interior: Morris K. Udall (D-AZ)
Secretary of Agriculture: Kika de la Garza (D-TX)
Secretary of Commerce: Elmer L. Andersen (R-MN)
Secretary of Labor: J. Lane Kirkland (D-SC)
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Harold E. Hughes (D-IA)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Carl Stokes (D-OH)
Secretary of the Transportation: Alan S. Boyd (D-FL)

United States Senate elections in 1972 results

Democratic pickups:

Colorado: Floyd K. Haskell (D), defeating Gordon L. Allott (R, inc.)
Delaware: Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D), defeating J. Caleb Boggs (R, inc.)
Illinois: Roman Pucinski (D) defeating Governor Richard Ogville (R) with Charles Percy (R, inc.) defeated in primary
Iowa: Dick Clark (D), defeating Jack Miller (R, inc.)
Maine: William Hathaway (D), defeating Margaret Chase Smith (R, inc.)
Oregon: Former Senator Wayne Morse (D) defeating Mark Hatfield (R, inc.)
South Dakota: James Abourezk (D) defeating Robert W. Hirsch (R) with Karl E. Mundt (R, inc.) retiring

Notable Democratic holds:

Georgia: Governor Jimmy Carter (D) defeating Sam Nunn in a primary with an appointed David Grambell (D, inc.) retiring, no R opposition
New Mexico: Jack Daniels (D) defeating Pete Domenici (R), with Clinton P. Anderson (D., inc.) retiring
North Carolina: Nick Galifianakis (D), defeating Jesse Helms (R), after defeating B. Everett Jordan (D, inc.) in primary
Oklahoma: Fred R. Harris (D, inc.), defeating former Governor Dewey Bartlett (R)
Virginia: William B. Spong, Jr. (D, inc.) defeating William L. Scott (R)

Republican pickups:

Mississippi: Gil Carmichael (R), defeating James Eastland (D, inc.)

Notable Republican hold:

Kentucky: Louie B. Nunn (R) defeating Walter Huddelston (D), with John S. Cooper (R, inc.) retiring

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

Very good. I can't wait to see what happens during Folsom's second term.

[Assistant to the Regional Manager Cathcon]

Finally! An update! Why does Chruch lose Idaho and Rhodes lose Ohio?

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Finally! An update! Why does Chruch lose Idaho and Rhodes lose Ohio?

If you're talking about Presidential Church, or rather the ticket, won Idaho. I haven't provided margins, but I suppouse Church himself, plus very good year, might secure ID votes, even if by narrower marigin.

Ohio... in a bad year for the Republicans nationally I don't see Rhodes presence enough to secure Ohio, which is usually voting with a winner. Also, as I stated, he was very accidental VP nominee.

[Assistant to the Regional Manager Cathcon]

Finally! An update! Why does Chruch lose Idaho and Rhodes lose Ohio?

If you're talking about Presidential Church, or rather the ticket, won Idaho. I haven't provided margins, but I suppouse Church himself, plus very good year, might secure ID votes, even if by narrower marigin.

Ohio... in a bad year for the Republicans nationally I don't see Rhodes presence enough to secure Ohio, which is usually voting with a winner. Also, as I stated, he was very accidental VP nominee.

Oh, sorry, I mis-read the map

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Does anyone have a questions regarding an individual fate of certain figures in TL?

[Assistant to the Regional Manager Cathcon]

Spiro T Agnew
Ronald Reagan
Barry Goldwater Jr.
Patrick J Buchanan

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

I'm interested in seeing how Alabama is doing under Dickinson.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Spiro T Agnew
Ronald Reagan
Barry Goldwater Jr.
Patrick J Buchanan

After losing 1968 election with Nixon, Agnew finished his term as Governor of Maryland, not seeking reelection to avoid a certain defeat. He's now thinking about running for something else in future, but there plans are not very certain yet.

Reagan survived a challenge from Jesse Unruh in 1970, although by much slimmer margin than in RL.

Goldwater Jr.: no change so far.

Buchanan is still an executive assistant in Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, Alexander, and Mitchell law firm, with Nixon not getting elected President.

Any more?

I'm interested in seeing how Alabama is doing under Dickinson.

When I do more research.

[Assistant to the Regional Manager Cathcon]

Here's a quircky idea for Pat Buchanan: Since he's living in New York because Nixon lost the 1968 election, it would be interesting to see him run for some sort of elected office (Congressman, most likely) as part of Buckley's New York Conservative Party.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

Here's a quircky idea for Pat Buchanan: Since he's living in New York because Nixon lost the 1968 election, it would be interesting to see him run for some sort of elected office (Congressman, most likely) as part of Buckley's New York Conservative Party.

Thanks