American Gold

[Nagas]

Author's Note: I'll be simultaneously working on this and "Paradigm Shift." This idea came to me the other night. It's a little silly, but should be fun. I'll be alternating between the two.

Nobody expected one single state to be such a breadbasket of presidential candidates, especially over the course of nearly half a century. Perhaps it was the difficulty of managing a state of rapid economic and political growth, coupled with some charismatic luck, that made its politicians juggernauts in the political arena. To think it all started with a simple vice presidential pick...
-Excerpt from Historian Newt Gingrich's The Golden State

The Democratic Vice Presidential nominee for the 1964 election...

Governor Pat Brown

[Senator Napoleon]

Cool! How often will you be updating?

[Jerseyrules]

Why does everyone have Newt as a historian in atls?  It's a great start, but I don't understand.  Was he a professor?

[Nagas]

Why does everyone have Newt as a historian in atls?  It's a great start, but I don't understand.  Was he a professor?

Gingrich was a history professor and will still lecture from time to time. He's an easy historian to create and it make him a more exalted and honorable figure, in addition to adding butterflies for TLs.

[Senator Napoleon]

The idea of Newt as an historian is much easier to stomach than Newt in political office.

[Jerseyrules]

Why does everyone have Newt as a historian in atls?  It's a great start, but I don't understand.  Was he a professor?

Gingrich was a history professor and will still lecture from time to time. He's an easy historian to create and it make him a more exalted and honorable figure, in addition to adding butterflies for TLs.

Ah.  Makes sense.  Now please, continue! 

[Nagas]

Brown was a solid pick for President Johnson. He was a popular Democratic governor in a state that had a long Republican streak, especially on the local level. He was an energetic and effective campaigner, dispatched by the Johnson campaign throughout the Southwest. While Johnson's victory was assured, as he had successfully painted Goldwater as an extremist early in the campaign, his presence helped increase Democratic turnout throughout the region, which was a boon down ballot. - Robert Caro's The Years of Lyndon Johnson

The 1964 Election:



President Lyndon Johnson (D-TX)/Governor Pat Brown (D-CA) - 491 Electoral Votes, 62.2%
Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ)/Congressman William Miller (R-NY) - 47 Electoral Votes, 37.2%
Others - 0 Electoral Votes, 0.6%


Democrats were able to pick up four seats in the Senate, commanding an unprecedented majority of 70 seats. Montoya was expected to win in New Mexico and Robert Kennedy was a sure thing in New York, but the boost in Democratic turnout enabled Senator Salinger to keep his seat by a narrow 50.6-49.4% margin in California. Salinger's win was possible only with the gravitas Brown brought to the ticket. The win was good for the Democrats but even better for Brown; Salinger was Brown's appointee. Governor Fannin lost to Roy Elson in an upset by an even smaller margin: 50.1-49.9%; a margin of 1,312 votes out of over 500,000 cast.

Democrats also received a nice bump in the house. With a large mandate in the legislative and presidential elections, the Democrats were ready to lead.


Senate
Democrats (+4) - 70 Seats
Republicans (-4) - 30 Seats

House
Democrats (+38) - 296 Seats
Republicans (-38) - 139 Seats

With Brown's ascendancy to the Vice Presidency. Lt. Governor Glenn M. Anderson is now the 33rd Governor of California.

[Nagas]

Author's Note: As the story continues to diverge from the OTL, presidential elections will become more drawn out and exciting. The story will move quickly until 1968.

[CathKhan]

Goldy loses AZ!? (FTR, I get why he does, but that doesn't make me any happier)

[Nagas]

Goldy loses AZ!? (FTR, I get why he does, but that doesn't make me any happier)

Well, I don't think the Senate seat could flip while Barry holds AZ in the general. While he did suffer a narrow loss against LBJ, he'll be holding on to his Senate seat for awhile. He'll be a big influence on a later California Senator. And you can't win them all, unfortunately.

[Nagas]

The war in Vietnam slowly took it's toll on the American people, and opposition increased. The most adamant protest occurred in the cities and universities across America; California was no exception. However, California was not prepared for the spark that would light the keg.

On April 12, 1966, Noble Peace Prize winner Ralph Bunche spoke out at a rally at UCLA against the Draft and escalating the Vietnam War. As his speech reached its climax, the unthinkable happened: the bullet of an anarchist rang out of the crowd and struck Bunche square in the chest. He was pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital; he had simply lost too much blood.


Ralph Bunche - August 7, 1903 -  April 12, 1966

Pandemonium quickly ensured. Students and faculty at UCLA quickly took to the streets, joined by Black Americans throughout Western Los Angeles, who were angered at the loss of one of the most respectable members of their community. While the exact perpetrator is unknown, fires began to spark up in Lynwood and Inglewood, that spread and raged through the night. On April 13, Governor Anderson dispatched the national guard to restore order.

Governor Anderson underestimated the size and scope of the ensuing riot. The initial 3,000 dispatched national guard troops found themselves overwhelmed. By the 16th, over 27,000 national guard and police were on the ground attempting to quell the violence. The amount of rioters was estimated to be in excess of 68,000.



By the time the riots had been squashed on the 20th, 132 were dead, including a dozen students from the campus. 3,000+ injuries were reported, and property damage was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. The fires raged for 2 more days, not being extinguished until the late evening on the 22nd. Parts of Western Los Angeles looked like a war zone.

The riots did not bode well for Governor Anderson, who was viewed at large to have mismanaged the response to the crisis. In early May, Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty and San Francisco Mayor John Shelley both announced their intentions to run against Anderson in the Democratic primary in June.

The California Republican party quickly scrambled to find a candidate that could win the governorship. On May 11, it appeared that they had found their man, when popular actor Ronald Reagan announced his intention to run for Governor.



"We will not let ourselves be ruled by these so called free speech advocates that run amok in the streets of Los Angeles, that cause injuries to the innocent and damage to private property. Governor Anderson has failed the first priority of any public servant: the safety of his constituents. We must restore peace to our state. It is time for law and order to be restored in the great state California! I look forward to your vote in June and again in November! Thank you! And God Bless America!"


After his announcement, it seemed that Reagan would win the primary against token opposition and crush any Democratic challenger in November. He, and many others, would be shocked when another man made his announcement two days later...

[Captain Chaos]

I think I know who it is.

[Nagas]

"I told you I'd be back!"


"This was my chance. I had lost to then Governor Brown by a hair in 1962, and Governor Anderson was at his weakest point in his political career. No matter what Democrat won the nomination, it would have been a cakewalk. California needed experience to restore civility and if I could make it work there I could make it work anywhere in the nation. As Governor, I could create the solutions America would so desperately need in the coming years..." -Memoirs of Richard Nixon - Richard Nixon






Indeed, Nixon came through on his promise from four years earlier: "...this won't be the last time you'll see Richard Nixon!" at his election night concession in 1962. Nixon represented the establishment and old guard of California Republican party, contrasting sharply with the up-and-coming Reagan. Both men had higher ambitions, and sought to use the governorship to lead California and springboard to lofty places.

It was a battle of two Californian titans, locked in a tight race, and only one would emerge as the winner.

NBC Poll
900 Registered Republicans. May 19, 1966
MoE +/- 3.2%
Who do you support in the Republican primary?
Ronald Reagan: 43%
Richard Nixon: 41%
Other/Undecided: 16%

[Gass3268]

Go Nixon!

[Jerseyrules]

Go Nixon!

I SAY NO!  REAGAN 66!!!!!!

[Nagas]

"...I will not hesitate to deploy the national guard en masse if necessary to restore law and order to the streets of Berkeley and Los Angeles. Governor Anderson is the perfect example of what happens when you hesitate to keep the peace; furthermore, it will take months to fix all of the damage in Los Angeles from his Inglewood riots... It is these riots that clearly demonstrate the need for a man with experience, not a third-rate Hollywood actor!... The men in Hollywood have made it very clear that they want to further the agenda of this drug and riot craze..." - excerpts from a Nixon campaign stop in Orange, CA



Polling remained tight and within the margin of error between Nixon and Reagan. Fearing another narrow and bitter loss; one that could permanently ruin his political career, Nixon turned up the heat against Anderson and Reagan. He began running to Reagan's right on restoring order, and made it clear that he would do what it takes to establish it. Nixon's loss in 1962 had made him bitter, and he attacked anybody who he perceived as an opponent. Historian Newt Gingrich would later call his campaign "one of the dirtiest in American history. He had a very Machiavellian approach; he would do whatever it would take to win."

[Nagas]

California Primary - June 6, 1966
Democrats



Governor Glenn Anderson - 831,277 - 36.3%
Mayor Sam Yorty - 793,930 - 34.7%
Mayor John Shelley - 571,705 - 25.0%
Others - 92,381 - 4%


Returns initially favored Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty. Despite the opposition vote splitting from Mayor Shelley, it appeared he would eek out a narrow win over Governor Anderson. To the surprise of many, later returns from Northern California largely put him over the top. At 12:30AM, Governor Anderson was declared the winner of the primary. Despite his narrow win, it was apparent that he was a dead man walking. He was unpopular with his party and with the citizens of California at large.

[Nagas]

Just read through this one (not sure how I had missed it before). Well-written and interesting. Always thought a Nixon-Reagan battle in '66 for GOP nod in CA would have been epic.

Thanks! Coming from one of my favorite TL-writers on the site, this means a lot. If you have any advice, I would gladly welcome it.

[Jerseyrules]

Just read through this one (not sure how I had missed it before). Well-written and interesting. Always thought a Nixon-Reagan battle in '66 for GOP nod in CA would have been epic.

Thanks! Coming from one of my favorite TL-writers on the site, this means a lot. If you have any advice, I would gladly welcome it.

Make Ronny win

[Nagas]

Republicans


Vice President Richard Nixon - 1,129,900 - 51.2%
Mr. Ronald Reagan - 1,061,875 - 48.2%
Others - 12,318 - 0.6%

Nixon took an early lead in the polls. As returns came in, the margin would fluctuate but Nixon would hold his lead over Reagan. His no holds barred campaign was successful, and he was able to triumph over the charismatic Reagan. His strategy was not without its weaknesses; Reagan won over moderates in the primary, who told exit pollers that they felt "Nixon would go to lengths too extreme for California."




Reagan address supporters at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles

"... I would like to thank everyone who supported our campaign over the past few weeks. The challenge facing our state is great and the stakes are high. I wish Mr. Nixon luck come November and with good grace restore peace and stability amicably between our dear communities. Thank you all, and God Bless America!"


"The defeat was a hard blow, but Reagan remained standing. He had gone toe to toe with what may have been the strongest political figure not just in California, but in the nation. Unlike Nixon, he wasn't damaged from the primary fight. The voters across the spectrum still had a highly favorable perception of Ronald Reagan, especially when he ended up as being perceived as the more moderate candidate. It was there in that Hotel that he decided that his loss to Nixon was not the end; it was just the beginning for Ronald Reagan." - The Golden State by Newt Gingrich

[Jerseyrules]

Let's go Ronny!  Run for senator or something!

[Nagas]

Even before assuming their respective offices, Vice President Brown and Senator Robert Kennedy had coveted what was not only a political alliance but a deep friendship. As Governor, Brown had been an ardent supporter and strong friend of the late President John F. Kennedy. With his passing, the torch had been handed to Robert, and it still burned brightly.

Not popular with President Johnson, the Brown/Kennedy friendship allowed the Senator with a backdoor to interact with the President's inner circle and have knowledge of proposed Great Society legislation before it reached the halls of Congress. The exchanged worked in reverse as well: with the liberal wing of the Democratic party becoming wary of the war in Vietnam, Kennedy provided the administration with the knowledge of where key Senators stood on foreign affairs.

This information was invaluable for President Johnson, and was believed to have affected some of his war decisions. After returning from a visit to Vietnam in September of 1966 where he met with General Westmoreland, Johnson made a surprise announcement declaring that the General would be replaced with General Lewis Walt, effective January 1967.



Johnson declared that the change was to bring about a bottom-up approach to winning the war in Vietnam: “We can only win the war if we win the hearts of the citizens of Vietnam. We must not only contain the spread of Communism; we must contain the spread of death and destruction as well. General Walt is the perfect man for this job. His Combined Action Company program was not only innovative, but highly effective: Dozens of villages and hundreds of thousands of more Vietnamese are now safe due to his great thinking and effective leadership. I can think of no better man to lead us to victory in Vietnam.”

The announcement was a shock, but went over well with the liberal Democrats and the public at large. President Johnson saw his approval rating climb to a modest 54%, after hovering in the mid 40s for months prior. Walt was seen as a man who could maneuver the war to a peaceful conclusion, and clashed greatly with his "victory at all costs" predecessor.  Public opinion on the war was still negative but had temporarily stopped its fall in the polls.

Despite the seemingly good news, some close to Johnson felt that other unmentioned factors were in play behind his decision...

 

[Nagas]

1966 Midterms

President Johnson’s approval rating hovered in the high forties. The approval rating bump from announcing the replacement of General Westmoreland subsided and his decline began again, albeit more gradually compared to earlier in the year. As a result, the Democrats would take some losses in the midterms.

Popular surrogates for both sides barnstormed for various senatorial, gubernatorial and congressional candidates. Despite his earlier primary loss, Reagan would stump in for candidates such as Howard Baker in Tennessee, Robert Griffon in Michigan and Walter Peterson in New Hampshire. Vice President Brown found himself stumping throughout the West, appearing at rallies with Robert Duncan in Oregon. In Wyoming, Brown campaigned with Teno Roncalio, noted to be a friend and ardent supporter of the Kennedy clan. Members of both parties took note of such support; some pundits believed that the candidates swung the outcomes of close races.

While a member of the Johnson administration, Brown’s approvals were not as impacted. He never fell below 50% approval in the eyes of the voters. This enabled him to stump on Johnson's behalf.

Senate



Democrats: 66 (-4)
Republicans: 34 (+4)

House

Democrats: 252 (-43)
Republicans: 183 (+43)

Republicans picked up Tennessee and Illinois by large margins. In Michigan, Griffon was able to defeat the ailing Senator McNamara by a modest six points, despite the polls predicting a toss-up on election day. All other seats held by the respective parties were won with large margins.


Democrats were able to pick up one seat in Wyoming, where Rep. Roncalio squeaked by with 50.3% of the vote.


In Oregon, Hatfield won a narrow victory: 50.2-49.6% over Representative Duncan. Brown and Kennedy both stumped for Duncan, but it wasn’t enough. The moderate Oregonian persevered.


In New Hampshire, the moderate dove, Peterson, triumphed over incumbent Senator McIntyre, an ardent Johnson hawk by a 51-48% margin.


In California, Nixon triumphed over Governor Anderson by a margin of 55-43%. However, this was much narrower than pundits and polls predicted, which routinely gave Nixon in excess of 60% of the vote. Exit polling indicated that many Democrats and independents were turned off by Nixon's rhetoric, fearing that he was too extreme.

[Jerseyrules]

Did Shelley campaign as the liberal alternative?  How did Anderson govern?  Or did he not have enough popular support and time in office to do much (a la David Paterson)?  Sorry for all the questions, but one last one: what's John Shell doing?

Great TL man

[Nagas]

Did Shelley campaign as the liberal alternative?  How did Anderson govern?  Or did he not have enough popular support and time in office to do much (a la David Paterson)?  Sorry for all the questions, but one last one: what's John Shell doing?

Great TL man

Shelley was a liberal alternative while Yates was more moderate and perceived as more electable in the general against either Nixon or Reagan. Anderson governed similar to Brown as OTL, but his inept handling of the Inglewood and Berkeley riots in the Spring/Summer of '66 left him in a position similar to Paterson. Mayor Shelley opted out of running for a second term and has opted to retire from politics.