A More Perfect Union

[DKrol]

Author’s Note: I want to give credit to NHI for giving me the inspiration for the way elections are going to be handled in this TL. I know that the preface seems similar to NHI’s “No On 22” (which is a great TL and I urge everyone to read it) but I assure you all that there will be numerous, major differences between the two TLs.

Preface

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1952 Presidential Election

√ Columbia University President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Senator Richard M. Nixon (R) - 418 (53.6%)
President Harry S Truman/Governor Adlai Stevenson II (D) - 113 (46.4%)

Overview of the Eisenhower Administration (1953-1957)
March, 1953: President Eisenhower presents his first budget to Congress, calling for increased aid to struggling nations in Europe.
June, 1953: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are executed on charges of treason.
August, 1953: U.S. involvement in the Korean War comes to an end.
October, 1953: President Eisenhower decries Communism as “the single greatest threat to our nation since it’s founding”.
January, 1954: The first nuclear powered submarine is launched.
April, 1954: President Eisenhower announces his foreign policy doctrine, stating that “Once one nation falls to Communism, it will cause a domino effect to the surrounding nations”.
May, 1954: The U.S. Supreme Court overturns the idea of separate but equal.
December, 1954: Senator Joseph W. McCarthy (R-WI) is censured in the Senate by a vote of 68-22.
January, 1955: President Eisenhower sends military advisers into South Vietnam in an attempt to help avoid a Communist takeover.
July, 1955: Over 200 are killed by Hurricane Diane.
November, 1955: A terrorist detonates a bomb on a U.S. Airways flight, downing the plane in the Rocky Mountains. All on board are killed.
January, 1956: President Eisenhower announces he will seek a second term as President.
March, 1956: The Dow Jones Industrial Average reaches it’s highest point in history.
June, 1956: The phrase “Under God” is added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
July, 1956: Senator Estes Kefauver (D-TN) wins the Democratic nomination for President and selects Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) to be his running mate.

1956 Presidential Election

√ President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 413 (54.4%)
Senator Estes Kefauver/Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D) - 118 (45.6%)

[OnlyAlb]

Will Follow. Can't see Ike running for a third term though, seems like age would catch up to him.

[NHI]

Look forward to reading this timeline!

[DKrol]

Overview of the Eisenhower Administration (1957-1961)
February, 1957: In his State of the Union, President Eisenhower announces a new push for desegregation in the Armed Forces, the federal government, and in high education.
April, 1957: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is founded.
July, 1957: John Glenn sets a new transcontinental speed record during a flight between California and New York.
September, 1957: President Eisenhower announces a 3-year freeze on the testing of nuclear weapons.
November, 1957: The Civil Rights Act of 1957 is signed into law. The bill creates The Presidential Commission on Desegregation to “form a policy about, and serve as the primary adviser to the President on, matters of Civil Rights and Desegregation”. Former President Harry S Truman is picked to serve as the Chairman.
March, 1958: Elvis Presley is sworn in to the U.S. Army.
June, 1958: Unemployment rises to 6.4%, starting the first recession since the end of World War II.
August, 1958: Vice President Nixon is injured by protesters while on a state visit to Venezuela.
December, 1958: President Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meet, in Bern, for the first time. They speak in private for almost 5 hours but leave the conference without a major announcement.
January, 1959: Alaska is admitted to the Union as the 49th State.
April, 1959: A mass strike of the U.S. steel industry begins in Philadelphia and quickly spreads across the nation.
August, 1959: NASA announces that 7 pilots have been hired to become the first astronauts of the U.S.
January, 1960: President Eisenhower uses the National Guard to force the steel industry strike to end.
February, 1960: President Eisenhower announces he will seek a third term as president.
May, 1960: Hawaii is admitted to the Union as the 50th state.
June, 1960: Senator Hubert H. Humphrey (D-MN) wins the Democratic nomination for President, selecting Senator John F. Kennedy (D-MA) as his running mate.


Welcome to NBC’s coverage of the 1960 Presidential election. President Dwight Eisenhower is aiming to capture his third term in office. However, he is facing a serious challenge from the young, liberal Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. Polls show that President Eisenhower’s age is a concern for some voters and may allow Senator Humphrey to score an upset victory. Let’s go to the results. - Chet Huntley

New Hampshire - 24% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.9%)

Indiana - >5% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (51.3%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.7%)

South Carolina - 10% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (51.1%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.9%)

Kentucky - 21% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (54.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (46.7%)

President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 14 (52.7%)
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 0 (48.3%)

This is shaping up to be a very interesting election. Senator Humphrey is making a much stronger showing in the South than many expected, given his Northern, liberal positions. President Eisenhower may be in for a run for his money tonight. - Chet Huntley

[OnlyAlb]

Tough choice. I'm a Kennedy fan, but it's hard to say no to a Ike/Nixon ticket.

[Enderman]

Tough choice. I'm a Kennedy fan, but it's hard to say no to a Ike/Nixon ticket.

[DKrol]

Welcome back to NBC’s coverage of the 1960 Presidential election. We’ve made two calls at this hour, and a slew of results are coming in. Let’s go to David Brinkley with these new results. - Chet Huntley

Indiana - 48% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (52.5%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.5%)

South Carolina - 54% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (50.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.8%)

Vermont - 20% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.7%)

Massachusetts - 68% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (58.3%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (42.7%)

Ohio - 17% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (51.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.5%)

Georgia - >5% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (52.6%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.4%)

New Jersey - 27% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (52.3%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.7%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 28 (49.4%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 17 (51.6%)

It’s still very early, but the President has lost his lead in the Electoral College. Although still holding a slim lead in the popular vote, Eisenhower should be worried if he’s watching these returns come in. It’s just breaking 9 PM on the East Coast, we’ll be back once we have more results to report. - Chet Huntley

[DKrol]

Indiana - 63% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (52.6%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.4%)

South Carolina - 67% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (50.1%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.9%)

Ohio - 39% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (52.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.7%)

New Jersey - 52% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (53.7%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (42.3%)

Pennsylvania - 30% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.1%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.9%)

Maine - 34% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.9%)

Virginia - 41% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (51.4%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.6%)

West Virginia - 17% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (53.4%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.6%)

Tennessee - 32% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (52.0%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.0%)

New York - 24% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (53.4%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.6%)

Connecticut - 37% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (55.2%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (45.8%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 103 (52.2%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 35 (48.8%)

This race continues to pull away from the President. Still, we have to stress that this quite early. We have very few numbers from the Midwest and almost none from the West. We expect the President to start pulling away once the Western results start coming in. - Chet Huntley

[DKrol]

South Carolina - 83% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (50.6%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.4%)

Ohio - 52% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (52.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.5%)

Maryland - 51% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.6%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.4%)

North Carolina - 43% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.2%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.8%)

Illinois - 48% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (53.9%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.1%)

Virginia - 69% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (50.9%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.1%)

Alabama - 34% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.6%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.4%)

Michigan - 48% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (52.0%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.0%)

New York - 54% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.7%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.3%)

Delaware - 20% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (53.2%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.8%)

Arkansas - 39% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (51.3%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.7%)

Florida - 41% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (51.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.7%)

Missouri - 37% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (52.4%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.6%)

Rhode Island - 19% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.9%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.1%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 186 (52.7%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 80 (48.3%)

[DKrol]

Missouri - 58% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (52.4%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.6%)

Lousiana - 50% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.1%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.9%)

Mississippi - 51% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (53.7%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.3%)

Wisconsin - 47% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (52.8%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.2%)

North Dakota - 37% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (54.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (46.7%)

Minnesota - 41% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (59.2%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (41.8%)

Nebraska - 30% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (54.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (46.7%)

Michigan - 55% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.8%)

Oklahoma - 48% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (51.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.7%)

Delaware - 52% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.3%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.7%)

Iowa - 29% In
Humphrey/Kennedy (51.6%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (49.3%)

Kansas - 38% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (53.6%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.4%)

Texas - 28% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (51.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.7%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 218 (52.2%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 143 (48.8%)

This race is truly up in the air. President Eisenhower has had a strong showing in the traditionally Democratic states, but Senator Humphrey is using his union ties to pull in support from across the nation. There is still the question of how the President’s age is affecting his electoral odds. - Chet Huntley

[DKrol]

Florida- 67% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.5%)

Arkansas - 59% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (52.1%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (48.9%)

South Dakota - 47% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (56.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (44.9%)

Colorado - 50% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.9%)

Kansas - 43% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (55.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (45.8%)

Montana - 55% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (56.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (44.5%)

California - 51% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.4%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.6%)

Oregon - 47% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (51.3%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.7%)

Illinois - 62% In
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (54.8.%)
Eisenhower/Nixon (46.2%)

Wyoming - 51% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (54.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (46.8%)

Nevada - 41% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (47.1%)
√ Humphrey/Kennedy (53.9%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 256 (51.7%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 216 (49.3%)

[Potatoe]

Why aren't third Parties getting any share of the vote?

[DKrol]

Why aren't third Parties getting any share of the vote?

To be perfectly honest, I didn't give third parties a thought with regards to this election. I normally only give third parties a share of the vote if they're running major candidates (ie: Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan, George Wallace) or if I feel that involving a third party will provide for either drama in the election return process or a particularly close election.

[DKrol]

Texas - 87% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.9%)

Arizona - 57% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (54.6%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (46.4%)

New Mexico - 45% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (52.1%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (48.9%)

Idaho - 55% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (55.6%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (45.4%)

Utah - 56% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (53.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (47.8%)

Iowa - 63% In
Eisenhower/Nixon (50.9%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.1%)

Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 256 (52.1%)
President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 256 (48.9%)

The race is now a dead heat. Both candidates hold 256 Electoral votes, with Senator Humphrey holding a slight lead in the popular vote. President Eisenhower’s victory in Texas is what launched him into such a strong position, many attribute his win in Texas to the lack of a Southerner on the Democratic ticket. Four years ago Senator Lyndon Johnson pulled the Lone Star State into the Democratic column and, without him on the ticket, the state has slipped over to the President. - Chet Huntley

[badgate]

Aw, c'mon Humphrey!

[DKrol]

Iowa - 83% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (51.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.5%)

Alaska - 32% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (56.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (44.8%)

Eisenhower Re-Elected President

President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 272 (52.2%)
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 265 (48.8%)

There you have it, folks. President Dwight Eisenhower, now age 70, has become the oldest man elected into the White House. He has spent the campaign assuring the nation that he is in fit health and that he can serve another term. Voters across the nation have agreed, sending the World War II General to Washington for a third term. - Chet Huntley

[DKrol]

Iowa - 83% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (51.5%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (49.5%)

Alaska - 32% In
√ Eisenhower/Nixon (56.2%)
Humphrey/Kennedy (44.8%)

Eisenhower Re-Elected President

President Dwight D. Eisenhower/Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) - 272 (52.2%)
Senator Hubert H. Humphrey/Senator John F. Kennedy (D) - 265 (48.8%)

There you have it, folks. President Dwight Eisenhower, now age 70, has become the oldest man elected into the White House. He has spent the campaign assuring the nation that he is in fit health and that he can serve another term. Voters across the nation have agreed, sending the World War II General to Washington for a third term. - Chet Huntley

[TX Conservative Dem]

What would happen to JFK and LBJ ?

I don't think IKE would survive through a 3rd term.

[DKrol]

What would happen to JFK and LBJ ?

I don't think IKE would survive through a 3rd term.

They're both still Senators. LBJ is the Senate Majority Leader.

[DKrol]

Overview of the Eisenhower Administration (1961-1962)
January, 1961: A chimp is launched into orbit on a NASA Mercury-2 rocket.
April, 1961: President Eisenhower announces the severance of all diplomatic and economic relations with Cuba.
June, 1961: Race riots erupt across the Southern U.S. in response to President Eisenhower's push for desegregation.
September, 1961: Soviet and American tanks stand off in Berlin, but are averted before violence starts.
February, 1962: U.S. Marines surge into the Bay of Pigs in an attempt to wrest power from Fidel Castro. They are defeated in 13 days and forced to withdraw.
July, 1962: The U.S. Supreme Court Rules that mandatory prayer is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment.
August, 1962: President Eisenhower is killed by a heart attack, followed by a stroke. Vice President Nixon assumes office as President six hours later.

When Richard Nixon assumed the Presidency, America didn’t know what to expect. He had been a quiet Vice President, sticking to foreign policy and administrative affairs. However it became clear, from his first address that evening, that he was not going to be a caretaker President. He had big plans and he was going to execute them. - Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States (1980)

Overview of the Nixon Administration (1962-1965)
September, 1962: The U.S. begins testing nuclear weapons once more, following the lift of a ban put in place by President Eisenhower.
December, 1962: The National Guard is used to escort African American students to the University of Alabama.
January, 1963: President Nixon sends U.S. helicopters and Army Officers into Saigon, to offer more serious aid to the democratic government.
March, 1963: Hundreds of African Americans are beaten by police in Birmingham, Alabama.
June, 1963: Pope John XXIII passes away. He is succeeded by Cardinal Giovanni Montini as Pope Paul VI.
July, 1963: President Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meet in Paris. They talk about the space races and the prospect of an end to the division of Germany.
October, 1963: Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is assassinated in Nashville. Riots break out in African American communities across the nation.
February, 1964: President Nixon announces he’ll seek a first full term as President. He selects Governor George Romney (R-MI) as his running mate.
May, 1964: Ngo Dinh Diem and Ngo Dinh Nhu are assassinated by a Vietnamese General in a coup. Many suspect CIA-backing.
June, 1964: Senator Lyndon B. Johnson (D-TX) wins the Democratic nomination for President, he selects Governor Frank G. Clement (D-TN) as his running mate.
October, 1964: Poll taxes are banned in the U.S. by the 22nd Amendment.

[DKrol]

Welcome to the CBS Evening News and our around-the-clock coverage of the 1964 Presidential election. We have President Richard Nixon, the Republican, running for a mandate from the American people after ascending into the Oval Office two years ago. He’s facing a strong challenge from Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, the powerful Texas Democrat. Polls show President Nixon with a moderate lead but that could mean nothing as Senator Johnson has given it all during these last few days. Let’s go to our first results. - Walter Cronkite

South Carolina - 7% In
√ Johnson/Clement (53.8%)
Nixon/Romney (46.2%)

New Hampshire - 14% In
Nixon/Romney (52.0%)
Johnson/Clement (47.0%)

Indiana - 19% In
Nixon/Romney (51.6%)
Johnson/Clement (48.4%)

Kentucky - 18% In
√ Johnson/Clement (59.3%)
Nixon/Romney (40.7%)

Senator Lyndon B. Johnson/Governor Frank G. Clement (D) - 17 (53.1%)
President Richard M. Nixon/Governor George W. Romney (R) - 0 (47.9%)

[DKrol]

New Hampshire - 39% In
√ Nixon/Romney (53.6%)
Johnson/Clement (46.4%)

Massachusetts - 19% In
Nixon/Romney (55.1%)
Johnson/Clement (44.9%)

Indiana - 34% In
Nixon/Romney (52.5%)
Johnson/Clement (47.5%)

New York - 20% In
√ Nixon/Romney (54.6%)
Johnson/Clement (45.4%)

Ohio - 13% In
Nixon/Romney (53.5%)
Johnson/Clement (46.5%)

New Jersey - 34% In
√ Nixon/Romney (53.9%)
Johnson/Clement (46.1%)

Virginia - 46% In
√ Johnson/Clement (61.2%)
Nixon/Romney (38.8%)

Georgia - 27% In
Johnson/Clement (55.2%)
Nixon/Romney (44.6%)

President Richard M. Nixon/Governor George W. Romney (R) - 64 (52.6%)
Senator Lyndon B. Johnson/Governor Frank G. Clement (D) - 29 (47.4%)

President Nixon is taking a thrashing, at this early hour, in the South but he's doing very well in the North-East. With two Southern Democrats on the ticket there is little doubt that the Solid South will break up. But will the two hold appeal outside of the South? Right now it doesn’t appear so. - Walter Cronkite

[TX Conservative Dem]

So Dr. King gets gunned down 5 years earlier, what would the reaction of Malcolm X be ?

What about the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church and backlash against Alabama Governor George Wallace (D) ?

[DKrol]

So Dr. King gets gunned down 5 years earlier, what would the reaction of Malcolm X be ?

What about the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church and backlash against Alabama Governor George Wallace (D) ?

Following the death of King, X took his place as the leader of the American Civil Rights movement. He left the Nation of Islam much earlier.

The 16th Street Bombing did not happen, as Birmingham, AL fell to Savannah, GA as the center of the Civil Rights fight with King's death, and there therefore was no backlash against Gov. Wallace.

[TX Conservative Dem]

Would Wallace still apologize for his horrific actions like he did in RL ?