Nixon 1960!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

In the year 1960, Vice-President Richard Nixon was preparing for his own Presidential bid. He had waited eight years for his, which had seen him grow with experience at home and abroad. Now, because President Eisenhower was term limited, he would run. However, there was the possibility that he could face Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York, the party's leading Liberal. In order to put down a Rockefeller challenge, Nixon flew to New York to work out the party platform, the major point of which would be defense spending which Eisenhower had kept low and both Nixon and Rockefeller wanted raised. They ended up with a very vague party platform that could be interpreted however one wanted it. At the Republican Nation Convention in Chicago, Nixon, after long talks with him, nominated Michigan Congressman Gerald R Ford for Vice-President. It was hoped that he could draw in moderates and also bring Michigan and Illinois into play.

In the general election, Massachusetts Senator John F Kennedy chose DNC Chairman and Washington Senator Henry M Jackson for Vice-President. He had originally talked to Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B Johnson, however, Johnson had turned him down, seeing the closeness of the race and thinking that Kennedy would fail without Texas' votes. With that, Johnson planned to win the nomination and the Presidency in 1964. Nixon had thought about promising to visit all fifty states, however, he realized that that would be impractical and decided against it focusing on holding down the West and working on campaigning in the Mid West. He realized later that if he had made the promise to visit all fifty states, he wouldn't have been able to do as well in the debates. He, for the years ahead, always looked back on that election and wondered.

Despite President Eisenhower's advice of not accepting Kennedy's challenge to debates, Nixon accepted. However, he did follow Eisenhower's advice on using a make up artist that Eisenhower recommended, and thus, on television he was able to perform better than he would without it, and make the debates a tie on television, and a win on radio. On election night, it still would be close becauseof Kennedy's charisma and good looks.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

For the zero people that have read this so far anyway, how do you post maps?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

For the zero people that have read this so far anyway, how do you post maps?

https://uselectionatlas.org/TOOLS/evcalc.php

Then click "show map link" and just post here

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This timeline wil have to wait for tommorow given that I haven't posted the required 20 times and my time right now is limited.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

(hoping for a good outcome for the first time I try to post a map)

On election night, the results would be close, however, with Ford carrying Michigan and helping to carry Illinois, and without Johnson to make Texas go for Kennedy,the state narrowly went for Nixon. With the addition of Nevada and New Mexico going for Nixon, he had the Presidency.

Nixon/Ford: 302 electoral votes; 49.8%
Kennedy/Jackson: 234 electoral votes; 49.3%
Unpledged:19 electoral votes; .5%

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Yeah! The map worked! (Hope I got the EV totals right)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Given that noone is replying to this, I'll pass the time by updating.

The First term of Richard M Nixon Part One

On January 20, 1961, Vice-President Richard Nixon was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America. HIs cabinet would include:

Vice-President: Gerald R Ford
Secretary of State: Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
Secretary of the Treasury: Philip Willkie
Secretary of Defense: Barry Goldwater
Attorney General: William Rogers
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Prescott Bush
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Charles H Percy
Ambassador to France: John Eisenhower
Deputy Secretary of State: Robert Finch
Director of Central Intelliegence: E Howard Hunt
Press Secretary: Ronald Reagan

The most unusual of choice Nixon made was not for any important cabinet position, but for Press Secretary, which he gave to actor and Democrat Ronald Reagan who had endorsed him in 1960. While Reagan would only keep the position for a short while, he would make friends with Defense Secretary Barry Goldwater.

Nixon's first act as President was to cut taxes, a goal he accomplished on a narrow margin. After that small victory, he would turn outward, focusing on Cuba. In Operation Bay of Pigs, the CIA with Cuban refugees would successfully lead a coup against Cuban Leader Fidel Castro in an initial invasion that lasted only a few hours, and the overthrow of the Communist Government that took only a few days. It was a great victory for the new Admisnitration, and it built up momentum that they hoped they could use in the mid-terms. As for Vietnam, Nixon had, as Vice-President, considered dropping a nuclear bomb in the North Vietnamese. However, with the Russians gaining power and influence, he wasn't so sure. In the end, after talking with his CIA director E Howard Hunt who had scouted out the Russians' activities in Vietnam, he decided to go for it, and in the biggest shock to much of the civilized world, North Vietnam was flattened on June 13, 1961. Many Democrats, including Massachusetts Senator John F Kennedy objected to this, but they were too late to stop an event that ahd already happened.

In Domestic affairs, Nixon decided to create a private, optional, program that would help fund healthcare for the elderly. This, after some negotiation, would pass Congress and come to be called "Eldercare". This would prompt Press Secretary Reagan's leaving Washington and moving back to California. Though leaving the Whitehouse, he had had fun as a politician, and was thinking about running for Governor in 1962, even though the seat was held by Democrat Pat Brown.

[tmthforu94]

This is a good start! Keep it up.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Awesome start, Cathcon! It should be interesting to see what effect the Nixon Presidency has on the Republican and Democratic Parties.

What's Bobby Kennedy doing right now in this TL? He must be crushed his brother lost. Might he pursue elected office in the near future?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

^ Yeah. If you'll notice, Reagan remains a Democrat in this timeline. As for the Kennedy's, Robert's planning on running for Governor in '62, and Ted intends to enter politics in '64.

I'm glad to seee that this Timeline finally has a third and fourth poster.

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

This is good so far. Keep it coming.

What opinions does the international community have on the nuclear strike in Vietnam?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

^^
Russia and America experienced a stand off for twelve hours or so before Russia backed down. With defeats in both Vietnam and Cuba, they are working on trying to secure the American missiles in Turkey.

As far as our allies are taking the nuclear strike, they're talking about it like they talked about Reagan and Bush, calling him "trigger happy" and such. The Americans themselves are shocked by it, but get used to it pretty quickly. In real life, as Vice-President, Nixon took a trip to Vietnam and recommended Eisenhower solve the problem with a couple (nuclear or atomic) bombs. With Goldwater as Secretary of Defense, this also makes the idea almost realistic.

Next up on this timeline in 1962 and maybe 1963. I'm wondering about wether Nixon will survive his first term. After all, there are probably some pretty angry refugees of Cuba or Vietnam that migh want to somehitng horrible to him in Dallas.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The First Term of Richard M Nixon Part Two

In 1962, with a good economy and a popular incumbent President who had cut taxes, helped provide healthcare for the elderly, and defeated two potential enemies, Republicans made gains in Congress, going fro 37 to 40, and getting within one seat of breaking the Demcrats' filibuster-proof majority.

In Governor's races of 1962, former Press Secretary Ronald Reagan won election to the California Governor's seat as an Independent, defeating popular incumbent, Democrat Pat Brown. In Massachusetts, Robert Kennedy, brother to Massachusetts Senator John F Kennedy, won election to his state's Governor's seat as well. The patriarch of the Kennedy Clan, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, would be proud of his sons despite Jack's losing in 1960 by a narrow margin. "There'll be a Kennedy in the Whitehouse yet!" he exclaimed the night of his son's victory.

As for Richard Nixon, he was successfully able to usher in a spending cuts bill that would make welfare more efficient. This was not appreciated by several Democrats, however, working with Congress' Conservative Coalition, he was able to pass his bill in both the House and the Senate by a narrow margin. Nixon, being a President more focused on international affairs, woudl meet with several world leaders and travel abroad. This would help America's image overseas and give him more clout at the United Nations. However, overseas, the United States experienced a temporary set back as United States missiles were taken out in Turkey. This, however, was compensated for by the United States managing to hold down rebellions in Cuba and by sending more missiles to allies in less vulnerable spots.

Because of unrest in Cuba, Nixon realized that he couldn't see to the day-to-day affairs of the country that the US was working on reconstructing. Because of that, Nixon appointed former Treasury Secretary Robert P Anderson to the newly created and hopefully temporary post of Head of the Department of Cuban Reconstruction which was based in Havana. Anderson was chosen because of his work for the War and Navy Departments, and as a tribute to Eisenhower, who had preffered Anderson over Nixon for Vice-President and thought that Anderson should have been President instead of himself.

Even though Anderson was appointed and he did his job well, that didn't stop Cuba from making the headlines. In the biggest piece of news since North Vietnam was decimated, Cuban refugee Che Guevara attempted to assassinate President Nixon in February of 1963. On a trip to Cuba to meet with Anderson, Guevara, one of the last Cuban communists that had survived continual purges by US troops, had stationed himself on top of a building with a good angle to kill Nixon. However, his first shot had missed, and by that time, the Secret Service had become aware of Guevara and had defended the President. In the next few minutes, Guevara had been disarmed and the last leading Communist in Cuba had been killed. "Just to think!", the President exclaimed, "I could've been a victim of the 20 year curse!"

Cuban Communist Che Guevara attempted to shoot and kill President Richard M Nixon February 13th, 1963

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Thoughts, comments, questions, please?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The First Term of Richard M Nixon Part Three

After that assassination attempt on the President's life, his poll numbers rose considerably and he decided to take a break from going abroad and focus more on domestic issues, at least for the time being.

In March, after having gotten back from Cuba and having talked with Congress, he decided to take a tour of the United States, meeting with local leaders and trying to drum up support for his agenda. However, much of his agenda, including Civil Rights and pollution control would wait until his expected second term.

After his tour of the United States, Nixon decided to sit down with Congress and work on his agenda. In what was seen as probably the biggest part of the second half of his first term, he passed the Child Healthcare Assistant Act, which would assist families in paying for the healthcare of children ten and younger. To complement what he had done earlier, this would be called "Minorcare"

Despite what the President had done in North Vietnam, problems in Indochina still seemed to exist. The leader of Cambodia, Sihanouk, was suspected to favor the Communist cause despite the message of total neutrality. Because of that, the Nixon Administration believed it had a vested interest in making sure that Sihanouk either became an allie, or was ousted. In order to get the lay of the land, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Finch was sent to Cambodia in order to meet not only with the heads of state, but with possible rebel leaders. Finch, after returning, recommended that more experienced hands fly down to Vietnam, wo on the second trip to Vietnam, Secretary of State Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. was senat with Finch, as well as Director of Central Intelligence E Howard Hunt. It was decided by June that they realistically could topple Sinahouk and put an American friendly dictator. While both finch and Lodge weren't for it, they didn't voice much opposition, and Secretary of Defense Goldwater wasn't exactly against it. DCI Hunt began sending agents over to Cambodia to meet with refugees and possible rebel leaders. The final decision on Cambodia for the time being was that, unlike Cuba, when they toppled Sinahouk, they shouldn't turn it into a project that could take several years to complete. They chould leave as much of the government and infrastructure intact.

In 1964, the Democrats to run for the nomination would be:
Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson
Washington Senator Henry M Jackson
Minnesota Senator Hubert H Humphrey
Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus
Minnesota Senator Eufene McCarthy

Surprisingly, no other major candidates stepped forward, with Massachusetts Senator John F Kennedy declining to run, Massachusetts Governor Robert F Kennedy declining as well, and with California Governor Ronald Reagan, who had switched back to the Democrats, saying that he should be more focused on California. Despite these three declining to run, they all looked like Presidential contenders in the future.

As for Alabama Governor George Wallace, he had been plannign to run for the nomination, but had declined running once Faubus entered, who was much more experienced and had more name recognition. Wallace too, was planning on running in the future.

In the primaries, both Humphrey and McCarthy did well. However, that was unable to stop Johnson from winning at the convention and selecting John F Kennedy as his running mate. The most famous speech that night was that made by Massachusetts Governor Robert Kennedy as he called on Nixon to stop ignoring the plight of the poor and to stop conitnually frightening America's enemies and allies alike with his "Trigger Happy" foreign policy tactics. His brother, John F Kennedy, was much more reserved in his foreign policy views, which were much more hawkish than those of his brother.

People at the convention had called on California Governor Ronald Reagan to make a speech, but he declined. Many people were wondering where Reagan's loyalties were. They were hoping not with his old boss, Nixon.

As for the Dixiecrats, both Orville Faubus and George Wallace were willing to run third party, but Johnson was a Southerner, despite being a Liberal, and they held their noses to resist going against him in the general election.

In the general election, Johnson and Kennedy were fighting an uphill battle for the Presidency given Nixon's popularity and his accomplishments while in office. By the end of the election, it seemed that Johnson and Kennedy really had nothing to criticize Nixon on except his bombing of North Vietnam which at that point was old news.

Nixon/Ford (Republican): 362 electoral votes; 54.6%
Johnson/Kennedy (Democrat): 176 electoral votes; 45.0%

With that, Republicans won another four years in the Whitehouse. Nixon was elated and felt triumphant. Now, he could move onto the rest of his agenda.

Besides the Presidential election, there were other big wins for Republicans, the biggest was in Texas where George Bush, son of HEW Secretary Prescott Bush, beat incumbent Senator Ralph Yarborough, thus becoming one of the first Republican Senators since Reconstruction.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Can someone please comment on this?

[Yelnoc]

Don't worry about the lack of comments; this is a rather slow board.  Heck, just look at my timeline, three updates in a row and no comments.

Anyway, this is a great story, I'm curious to see where you go with it next.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Second Term of Richard M Nixon Part I

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With the re-electin of Richard M Nixon, some changes would be made, inside and outside his cabinet. First, he would make conservative journalist Patrick J Buchanan, who had worked in St Louis Missouri during the election, Whitehouse Communications Director. Secondly, he would appoint Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Finch to ambassador to the United Nations. In regards to the Chairman of the RNC, Nixon made freshman Texas Senator George Bush Chairman.

In Texas, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson announced that he would not seek re-election in 1966. this left the door wide open for a possible Republican. The most obvious choice was congressman John Tower who had run against Johnson in 1960 and won election to the House of Representatives in 1964. In Massachusetts, Edward M Kennedy won election to the House of Representatives in the same Congressional District that his brother Jack had served in.

As for Nixon's agenda, he passed Legislation creating the Environmental Protection Agency in February of 1965, and in June of 1965, he passed the Civil Rights Act of 1965 which gave people of all races and genders the right to vote. It also outlawed discrimination in hring for Federal and state governemtn jobs. While Southerners attacked this as infringing on states' rights, two people that were surprisingly silent were Secretary of Defense Goldwater and California Governor Ronald Reagan.

Even as the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed, race riots started to develop. The first of these would be in a small Los Angeles neighborhood in California. Governor Reagan would act quickly, supressing the riots, but that did not stop them from appearing elsewhere, like in places such as Detroit and New York.

In 1965, not only would domestic policy change with the Civil Rights Act and the creation of the EPA, Nixon would also change course on foreign policy by bringing on Harvard Professor Henry Kissinger in September as National Security Advisor.



Kissinger would bring into the Nixon Administration the practice of detente which involved diplomacy and treaties more than the Administration's earlier proxy wars in Cuba and North Vietnam, and the quiet rebellion in Cambodia.

This, along with the creation of the EPA, and the creation of Eldercare and Childcare, lead to many Conservatives becoming dissillusioned with Nixon.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Second Term of Richard M Nixon Part Two

As 1965 ended, things were still going well for the Nixon Administration. In 1966, Nixon would continue to change his cabinet as HEW Secretary Prescott Bush retired in June. Nixon selected Secretary of State Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. for the position. With the position of Secretary of State empty, UN ambassador Robert Finch hoped to get the position, because, after all, he had been Deputy Secretary of State for four years and UN Ambassador for a year and a half. However, Nixon appointed National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger to the post, as well as retaining Kissinger as NSA. This put Kissinger in a position of power many Secretary of States have envied since.

In the mid-term elections, Republicans made some vary small losses, however, that was offset by victory in Texas where Congressman John Tower was elected to replace retiring Senator Lyndon B Johnson. In Texas as well, Governor John Connally was re-elected to a third three year term. In Michigan, the same happened with George Romney. In New York, Governor Nelson Rockefeller was re-elected to a third four year term, and in California, Governor Ronald Reagan was elected to a second four year term.

However, in December of 1966, President Nixon received reports from DCI E Howard Hunt that things might soon erupt in Cambodia. In Cambodia, a limited revolt had begun to spread, however, Hunt warned that things might soon start gettign really bloody on both sides. Nixon ordered the shipment of more fire arms as well as troops into Cabmodia without a formal declaration of war or informing Congress. In February of 1967, the conflict in Cabmodia escalated, with the first information leaking to the press about massive slaughters committed by the Cambodian government against a faceless rebel force. No word had yet escaped of American intervention in Cambodia.

In Cuba, the several millions of dollars America was spending were finally paying off with the building of schools and hospitals as well as the allowing of companies into Cuba and the holding of "free" elections, though no-one really knew how free the elections were and if the Nixon Adminsitration had any hand in their outcomes.

Despite his earlier instincts, in May of 1967, Richard Nixon passed a tax cut on the 10% wealthiest in the nation "to make up for the difference in funding the Reconstruction of Cuba and the funding of healthcare for older and younger Americans" This was not well received by Conservatives or by the rich.

Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had taken well to his new job and by August of 1967, after four months of negotiation, had brought home the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty which limited the amount and types of weapons that both sides were allowed to use. This was another move that angered Conservatives, whoc had been some of his original supporters. Whitehouse Communications Director Patrick J Buchanan, who had travelled with Nixon and Kissinger and had some foreign policy experience, had nothing to say on the issue of whether Nixon was betraying Conservatism or not.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Question? Comments? Critques? Complaints?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The Second Term of Richard M Nixon Part Three

In September, a month after Secretary of State Henry Kissinger brought home the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (callted SALT), Secretary of Defense Barry Goldwater announced that he would be leaving his post in October, giving President Nixon time to pick a successor. Goldwater's reasons for leaving included continuing disagreemtns with the Nixon Administration on foreign and domestic policy as well as a desire to get back into electoral politics. Many people wondered if goldwater was planning on running for Governor of Arizona sometime in the future, or for the  Senate in 1968.

Because goldwater was leaving, Nixon had to pick a successor. After going over some names, he turned inward toward his own Adminsitration and selected UN ambassador Robert Finch for Secretary of Defense, and choosing Wisconsin Congressman Melvin R Laird for Ambassador to the United Nations.

In Cambodia, the situation had become a bloodbath and Nixon continually sent more weapons and military advisers over there. However, the rebellion was becoming dis-spirited by continual purges by the Cambodian Governemtn under Sinahouk. In December, Nixon announced that he woudl be sending American troops over to Cambodia in order to "continues the legay of freedom we have leftin Vietnam and Cuba" and to "Fight the continued tyranny of the Cambodian government." For the next year, Nixon would regret ever sending the CIA over there in the first place.

In 1968, there was another Presidential election, with parties having open fields given that Vice-President Ford announced that he would not seek the office of the President of the United States of America. The candidates for the Republican nomination were:

Michigan governor George Romney
Ohio Governor James Rhodes
Texas Senator George Bush
Secretary of Defense Robert Finch

With the backing of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Vice-President Gerald Ford, Michigan governor George Romney was able to win the nomination and he chose Texas Senator George Bush for Vice-President in order to attract Southerners.

Candidates for the Democratic nomination were:

Massachusetts Governor John F Kennedy
Washington Senator Henry M Jackson
California Governor Ronald Reagan
Texas Governor John Connally

Kennedy, surprisingly, won the nomination, choosing Reagan for Vice-President in order to attract Westerners. He promised secretary of Defense to Connally, though, and Secretary of State to Jackson after former Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson turned down the job.

Not suprisingly, former Alabama Governor George Wallace announced his third-party candidacy as an American Independent, with former Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus as his running mate. this took much of the South out of play.

With all of Nixon's accomplishments in office, the advantage would have been with the Republicans. However, with already sixteen years of Republicans in the Whitehouse, a "police action" in Cambodia, and Romney's bad public speaking an inability to capitalize on Nixon's successes, the advantage went to the Democrats. In a surprise, former Defense Secretary and Independent candidate for Senate in Arizona Barry Goldwater endorsed Kennedy and Reagan for President, saying "The Republicans have turned from the party of Conservatism to the party of tax and spend, incredbile social programs, and detente. that is why I endorse Senator John Kennedy and Governor Ronald Reagan for President."

In the general election, after sixteen years of absence, a Democrat one again would win the Whitehouse. As old Joe Kennedy once said "There'll be a Kennedy in the Whitehouse yet!"

Kennedy/Reagan: 292 electoral votes; 44.3%
Romney/Bush: 193 electoral votes; 41.5%
Wallace/Faubus: 53 electoral votes; 14.8%

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The First Term of John F Kennedy Part One

On January 20th, 1969, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States of America. He had been on the Democratic ticket twice before, and, for him, the third time was the charm. His cabinet included:

Vice-President: Ronald Reagan
Secretary of State: Henry M Jackson
Secretary of the Treasury: Hubert H Humphrey
Secretary of Defense: John Connally
Attorney General: Robert Kennedy
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Ambassador to the United Nations: R Sargent Shriver
Chairman of the Federal Reserve: Paul Volcker

One of the things that Kennedy had promised on the campaign trail was to put a man on the moon by 1974, and so he increased funding to NASA which Nixon had kept at moderate but not high levels for eight years.

One of the first bills passed by Kennedy was the Modern Housing Act which helped low income families buy homes. Though Vice-President Reagan was opposed to this act, he kept quiet, concentrating on garnering support for the Goldwater/Kennedy Tax Act of 1969 which lowered taxes for middle to low income families, and on businesses. The act was authored by Senator Barry Goldawter of Arizona and Congressman Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.

Other things that President Kennedy passed was the Voting Rights Act of 1969 whic gave voting rights to all Americans above the age of eightenn that were not in prison at the time of voting, the Welfare Reform Act of 1970 which trimmed waste from the system but also helped more people get welfare, the Healthcare Reform Act of 1970 which trimmed waste from the Nixon healthcare bills, and the Pentagon Reform Act which helped to trim waste from the Pentagon by cutting unnecessary archaic programs and trimming waste from other projects.

In Cambodia, when finding out about what Nixon had done, Kennedy was unsure about what to do. After talking with his closest friends and cabinet members, including Reagan, Humphrey, Moynihan, Jackson, and Kennedy's brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, President Kennedy decided to approve more troop shipments but not to pursue a formal declaration of war. "In these times, it is important for America to battle the spread of communism and the choking of freedom"

In the 1970 mid-term elections, dmeocrats made gains in both houses of Congress. However, Seantor George Bush of Texas was able to hold onto his Senate seat despite a strong challenge from former Congressman Lloyd Bentsen. In California, former Secretary of Defense Robert Finch won election to the Governorship.

In 1971, with the death of Director of the FBI J Edgar Hoover, President Kennedy appointed his brother-in-law R Sargent Shriver to the post. To replace Shriver as Ambassador to the United Nations, former Congressman Lloyd Bentsen of Texas, who had just come off of his loss to George Bush in 1970, was selected.

However, despite all he did, President Kennedy's health declined daily because of Attison's disease. By April of 1971, Kennedy's health was so poor, he had to make a huge decision.
On May 1, 1971, President John F Kennedy announced his resignation for the office of the President of the United States of America, citing health concerns and the fact that he had the chance to live out a long life, or have his job kill him. That same day, Vice-President Ronald Reagan too the Oath of Office and became the 37th President of the United States of America.

[tmthforu94]

This is extremely creative and exciting! A great timeline thus far! Glad I didn't have to vote in that election, because those are three extraordinary tickets.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This is extremely creative and exciting! A great timeline thus far! Glad I didn't have to vote in that election, because those are three extraordinary tickets.

Thanks!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

The First Term of Ronald W Reagan Part One

When Ronald Reagan took office, the country had already started to begin with the problem of stagflation. Under Kennedy, Fed Chairman Volcker had begun to create a recession in order to battle stagflation, and that recession had started just as Kennedy was leaving office. However, Reagan continued the recession, which, at the time, was not noticed by many and his approval ratings continued to be high. For vice-President Reagan chose Secretary of State Henry M Jackson. To replace Jackson, Reagan selected UN Ambassador Lloyd Bentsen.

Reagan continued Kennedy's legacy of working towards a good economy and working towards povert reduction. However, he woudl focus more on getting people off welfare and into jobs, and made education the centerpiece of his first term. By 1972, he unveiled the Department of Education, which woudl work to set a general criteria for all schools, and would work to put more funding into poor public schools.

In 1972, No Democrats dared challenge Reagan's nomination, not even alabama Governor George Wallace. As for the Republicans, it was a different story. The Republicans vying for the nomination were:
New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller
Texas Senator George Bush
Congressman John Ashbrook


Many people called on former Vice-President Gerald R Ford to run, who had been elected to the Senate in 1970, but he declined. He, however, endorsed Rockefeler, who won, and chose Illinois Congressman Donald Rumsfeld for Vice-President.

In the general election, Reagan turned out to be a superb campaigner, and Rockefeller was too. However, Reagan seemed more inspirational, and wrapped himself in Kennedy's legacy, who was still seen as popular. When Rockefeller tried to nail Reagan over the small recession, he assured the American people that the recession would doubtlessly end. On election night, Americans hoped he was right.

Reagan/Jackson: 363 electoral votes; 56.3%
Rockefeller/Rumsfeld: 175 electoral votes; 43.1%