What a tackle by Rosey Grier: An Alternate History

[hcallega]

1968
June 4: Senator Robert F. Kennedy wins the California Democratic Presidential Primary against Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota. This is a major victory for Kennedy who needed the Golden State’s large delegate pool to give him a chance for victory at the Democratic Convention at Chicago. The victory also allows Kennedy to claim that he is able to win on a big stage, and thus gives him the potential for greater support from the Democratic Party’s establishment. After the victory celebration at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, Kennedy is badly wounded by would-be assassin Sirhan Sirhan. Sirhan’s arm is broken by Kennedy’s body-guard Roosevelt Grier. Kennedy is rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital where he recovers from a bullet to the arm.

June 10: Senator Kennedy is released from the hospital and resumes campaigning. He campaigns for the rest of the summer with a sling covering his left arm. He would later state that “it had more to do with the pain of shaking hands than the bullet. Honestly I was over the shooting in a month, the grip and grin took years to get over.”

June 11: McCarthy wins the Illinois primaries. Kennedy chose not to contest McCarthy here and instead slog it out at the convention.

June 19: Kennedy appears at the Poor People’s Campaign March in Washington D.C. Some 50,000 protestors arrive, and Kennedy delivers a well-recognized speech about poverty in “all of America. Slums and mine towns, farms and ghettoes. We are one America, and we cannot be divided by the color of our skin.” Reverend Jesse Jackson also delivers a powerful speech and joins the Senator’s campaign.

June 25: Senator Kennedy congratulates new Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau on his “mandate for change and progress” after his victory in the Canadian elections.

June 26: President Johnson announces the resignation of Chief Justice Earl Warren and states that Assosciate Justice Abe Fortas will be his nominee for the spot of Chief Justice. Senator Kennedy states “It is sad to see such a great member of the court as Justice Warren leave. He was a pioneer on the issues race, poverty, and education. While his shoes can never be truly filled, Justice Fortas is a good man and will make a great Chief Justice on our nation’s highest court.”

July 1: The United States and 60 other nations (including the USSR) sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Senator Kennedy applauds the decision, but fears that India’s refusal to sign “shows an archaic reliance in destruction to resolve the conflicts of the future.”

July 30: When asked about the Vatican’s Humunae Vitae (opposition to abortion and birth control) on the campaign trail, Senator Kennedy replies “I’m a Catholic. In many ways I’m bound to what the Church states on these issues. But I doubt it will come into play if I’m elected President. That’s what we have separation of church and state for.”

August 8: Richard Nixon is nominated by the Republican National Convention to be their candidate for President of the United States in Miami.

August 21: Soviet Troops invade Czechoslovakia to end the “Prague Spring”. Senator Kennedy denounces the maneuver as “yet another Soviet attempt to crush democracy and freedom wherever it may stand.”

August 20-25: Senator Kennedy mediates negotiations between SDS Leader Tom Hayden and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Kennedy is able to negotiate a compromise where the SDS is allowed to protest in a designated zone outside of the convention, but is not allowed outside of it. Kennedy also promises to Hayden that “if you keep your kids quite, we may actually win this thing.” Daley also reassures Kennedy “if ya can make it to the second ballot, I’ve got it wrapped up for ya.”

August 26: The SDS has its official protest in front of the DNC Convention in Chicago.  However protests by the Yippies occur throughout the rest of the convention, leading to several instances of conflict with the police.

August 28: After the First Ballot of the Democratic Convention, Senator Kennedy and Vice-President Hubert Humphrey are in a dead heat with Humphrey narrowly leading Kennedy.

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

August 30: Kennedy delivers a prime-time address to the nation in which he declares “it is time to unite behind progress, behind change, and behind the values that this nation was founded on. We must build on what President Johnson has achieved, and we must bring an end to the War in Vietnam. But we cannot do this divided. Whether you are from Kansas or California, Massachusetts or Mississippi, we must stand together. Because together we are strong, and together we will win!” Kennedy selects Texas populist Senator Ralph Yarborough as his VEEP. Together they form a very liberal ticket.

September 11: Soviet forces withdraw from Prague after Czech leaders capitulate.

September 12: The Kennedy and Nixon campaigns agree to a debate shortly before the election. Kennedy wanted Governor George Wallace to take place, but Nixon refused. The agreement is reached after several days of debate.

September 15: Reverend Billy Graham sends word from Nixon to Johnson that Johnson will receive credit when the Vietnam War comes to an end. Johnson grows suspicious that Nixon is using Anna Chennault to persuade President Thieu to sabotage the Paris Peace Talks.

September 18: Johnson calls Kennedy to the White House to disclose to him that he believes that Nixon is sabotaging the Peace Talks. Kennedy later states that “it was obviously difficult for the President to help me. But it was better than seeing Dick Nixon in the Oval Office.”

October 1: Justice Abe Fortas’s confirmation is blocked by a conservative filibuster. Senator Kennedy states “Justice Fortas is a good man and a good justice. I question the reasoning for blocking a nomination to the Supreme Court, though I understand it is allowed by Senate rules.” Kennedy misses the vote due to campaigning.

October 3: George Wallace chooses retired Air Force Chief Of Staff Curtis Lemay as his VEEP.

October 20: Senator Kennedy attends his sister-in-laws wedding to shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in Greece. He flies back that night to continue the campaign. The polls show a dead-heat between Kennedy and Nixon, with George Wallace’s support tapering off after a high of approximately 20% in the late summer.

October 25: The first of two free-flowing debates between Senator Kennedy and Mr. Nixon take place. This one focuses on domestic policy, and is considered a draw. Both candidates take a “law-and-order” stance on race riots and inner city crime, though Nixon focuses more on punishment while Kennedy focuses more on prevention. On the economy both men agree that government intervention is sometimes necessary to control unemployment and inflation, though Mr. Nixon is quick to add “but I assure you, the policies of my administration will be far different than the previous eight years when it comes to the economy.”

October 30: The second debate occurs. The focus is on foreign policy, in particular Vietnam. The debate grows heated early on when Mr. Nixon accuses Senator Kennedy of “attempting to tarnish the legacy of our proud fighting men by withdrawing before the job is done.” Senator Kennedy retorts “Mr. Nixon that is a downright lie. I support the efforts of our fighting men, and nothing they have done has been done so in vain. But it is time that we give them the respect they deserve and bring them home.” The issue of the Paris Peace Negotiations becomes the highlight of the debate and possibly the campaign. When asked about the negotiations, Mr. Nixon states “Frankly I would scrap the whole thing and start over again. We haven’t accomplished anything, I know it, you know it, Senator Kennedy knows it.” When Kennedy was asked if he believes that anything was being gained from the negotiations, Senator Kennedy states “I believe there is, in spite of my opponent’s best intentions. It’s clear that he wants this to fail, and I many sources inside the government who believe that he wants these negotiations to fail until he walks into the Oval Office. This is true. It is sad, but it is true.” Mr. Nixon is noticeably taken aback and unable to come up with a valid response “That’s….that’s just not the case. I’m appalled that you would say that. I’m a patriot…I want to win…I want peace.” The perception among some is that Kennedy was too harsh, but many see this as a major coup de tat in favor of the Senator.

October 31: President Johnson ends the bombing of North Vietnam. Although he despises Kennedy, he sees the debate exchange as forcing his hand. He feels that if he does not react it will appear that all is good. Instead, Johnson announces that “Tonight I will bring in end to the bombings of North Vietnam. The failures to reach an agreement in Paris are a factor in my decision, and I hope that this will be a motivator to reach a peaceful result.”

[hcallega]

November 5: In a narrow-result, Senator Kennedy defeats Mr. Nixon and Gov. Wallace. He is now the next President of the United States of America

Kennedy/Yarborough (D) 320 EV, 46% of the PV
Nixon/Agnew (R) 173 EV, 40% of the PV
Wallace/LeMay (I) 45 EV, 14% of the PV

[Sewer]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

Hell no, McCarthy supporters hated Kennedy.

[Bo]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

Hell no, McCarthy supporters hated Kennedy.

Why? Both candidates strongly opposed the Vietnam War.

[Lahbas]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

Hell no, McCarthy supporters hated Kennedy.

Why? Both candidates strongly opposed the Vietnam War.

It wasn't so much the issues than the long drawn out battle between McCarthy and Kennedy. Likewise, Kennedy supporters refused to aid McCarthy after the former's assasination.

[President Mitt]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

I don't see this happening.

[Bo]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

I don't see this happening.

It's not supposed to be 100% realistic.

[hcallega]

August 29: On the second ballot, most of McCarthy’s supporters and many of Humphrey’s supporters bolt to Kennedy’s candidacy. Much of the credit is given to Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong Kennedy supporter who brought in much of the Humphrey vote from fellow big-city mayors. Kennedy wins a narrow-majority.

I don't see this happening.

It's not supposed to be 100% realistic.

Exactly. This is essentially a best-case scenario for RFK. Daley did indeed offer him support after California, and I believe that many McCarthy supporters would flee his candidacy to support RFK.

[Historico]

Awesome, nice to see you taking another crack at a Bobby lives TL HC, and I guess my biggest question will be whether he becomes a one term president or not? Keep it comming buddy

[hcallega]

1968-1969

November 6: A 167-day strike begins at SF State, led by leftist radicals.

November 12: In Epson v. Arkansas, the Supreme Court upholds the teaching of evolution in public schools.

November 14: “National Turn in Your Draft Card Day” features the burning of draft cards as the death toll in Vietnam reaches 30,000 with 550,000 troops on the ground.

November 22: The Beatles release the White Album.

November 25: President-elect Kennedy announces the holdovers from the Johnson administration: Dean Rusk (State), Stewart Udall (Interior), Orville Freedman (Agriculture), W. Willard Wirtz (Labor), Allen Stephenson Boyd (Transportation). The decision is based on Kennedy’s strong belief that the party must unite to govern effectively.

November: A series of American planes are hijacked by Cubans.

December 2: President-elect Kennedy completes the naming of his cabinet with the announcement that Republican Senator Edward Brooke of Masschusetts will be his Attorney General. The full list of his cabinet follows:
Vice-President: Ralph Yarborough
Secretary of State: Dean Rusk
Secretary of the Treasury: John Connally
Secretary of Defense: George Smathers
Attorney General: Edward Brooke
Postmaster General: Frank Mankiewicz
Secretary of the Interior: Stewart Udall
Secretary of Agriculture: Orville Freedman
Secretary of Commerce: John Kenneth Galbraith
Secretary of Labor: W. Willard Wirtz
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: Kenneth O’Donnell
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Julian Bond
Secretary of Transportation: Allen Stephenson Boyd

December 4: The Stock Market begins a 44% decline over the next 18 months.

December 8: Vice-President Ky of South Vietnam arrives in Paris for the Peace Talks.

December 21: The Apollo 8 launches with the mission to orbit the moon.

December 23: The USS Pueblo’s crew is released 11 months after being captured by North Korea.

December 24: The Apollo 8 orbits the moon, with the astronauts reading passages from Genesis during the Christmas Eve broadcast. The first pictures of an Earth-rise over the moon are taken.

December 27: With the support of President-elect Kennedy, the US sells fifty F-4 Phantoms to Israel.

December 27: The Apollo 8 lands safely.

January 1: President-elect Kennedy nominates Sargent Shriver to be the chief negotiator at the Paris Peace Accords.

January 5: Shriver replaces Harriman as chief negotiator.

January 12: In Super Bowl III, the AFL’s New York Jets upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts of the NFL.

January 20: Robert Kennedy is inaugurated President of the United States. In his address he promises to “bring America home from the tragedy of Vietnam”, “create economic justice for all”, and “walk united into the future, not divided as a nation of haves and have-nots, black and white, or urban and rural. We must be together as one. Because divided we will fall, and together we cannot fail.”

January 21: The Senate confirms John Conally, the first cabinet secretary to be confirmed.

January 25: The Paris Peace Talks begin again, this time with the stated goal of the United States to reach a settlement where “US troops will withdraw, South Vietnam will be allowed to survive, and the region will have greater autonomy.” The biggest obstacle for the US is South Vietnam, which refuses to agree to any deal that includes the withdrawal of US troops.

February 4: Yassir Arafat becomes the leader of the PLO.

February 7: After a long process of delaying tactics and threatened filibuster, the Senate confirms Edward Brooke as United States Attorney General. The primary opposition was led by Senator Jim Eastland (D-MS) who stated “Senator Brooke lacks the judicial experience necessary to be a successful attorney general. He is in the same mold of liberal activists as we have seen for the past eight years, and that is unacceptable.” However enough moderate Republicans join with Democrats to break the conservative bloc.

February 8: Governor John Volpe (R-MA) appoints Rep. Silvio Conte (R-MA 1) to fill the seat of Edward Brooke. Conte is a liberal Republican and seen as someone who can win reelection in a trending Democratic state.

February 13: At Duke University, the Afro-American Student Society takes over a building to bring attention to the lack of respect for black students. The university corrects the problems, paving the way for many other universities.

February 24: In Tinker v. Des Moines School District, the Supreme Court rules that students can express views at odds with the government.

February 25: Lt. Bob Kerrey takes place in a controversial raid in Vietnam.

February 27: President Kennedy begins a tour of Western Europe amid cheering crowds.

March 1: Mickey Mantle retires from baseball.

March 3: The trial of would-be assassin Sirhan Sirhan begins in Los Angeles.

March 3: Apollo 9 blasts off from Cape Kennedy.

March 10: James Earl Ray pleads guilty to the murder of Martin Luther King Jr.

March 14: Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigns after allegations of corruption.

March 17: Golda Meir becomes PM of Israel.

March 20: Senator Ted Kennedy calls on the US to close all military bases in Taiwan. The President does not oblige.

March 28: former President Dwight D. Eisenhower dies.

April 9: SDS leaders occupy a building in Harvard’s campus.

April 17: North Vietnam rejects the US proposal for mutual troop withdrawals.

April 17: Prague Spring comes to an end with the resignation of the Czech leader.

May 15: Governor Reagan orders a tough response to protestors, leaving one man dead and another blind.

June 8: President Kennedy announces to the American people that “peace negotiations in Paris have ended. The North Vietnamese have refused to end their offensive against the South, and made clear that they will not stop until they capture Saigon. Therefore it is my decision that the United States will begin withdrawing troops immediately, and by the end of the year no ground troops will be on Vietnamese soil.”

July 18: Senator Ted Kennedy spends the night at home with his wife Joan and his children.

July 20: Neil Armstrong steps foot on the moon.

August 8-10: The Tate-LaBianca murders are carried out by the Manson Family.

August 15-18: The Woodstock Music Festival takes place in upstate New York.

September 1: A coup occurs in Libya, ending with Colonel Mummar al-Gadaffi proclaiming himself the Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution and taking power.

September 2: Ho Chi Minh dies.

August 8: The Weatherman rampage through downtown Chicago.

October 4: Several deaths are blamed on LSD.

October 21: A Marxist coup begins in Somalia.

October 21: Jack Kerouac dies.

November 3: President Kennedy announces the “Kennedy Doctrine”: The US will provide financial and military aide to nations fighting communism, but will only intervene militarily in cases of humanitarian crisis or direct confrontation.

November 12: The US army admits that there was a massacre at My Lai.

November 20: The use of DDT is banned.

December 16: The British House of Commons bans the Death Penalty.

[James Rivington]

Ugh, I hate Robert Kennedy, but this is a good time line so far.

[hcallega]

Ugh, I hate Robert Kennedy, but this is a good time line so far.

Thank you. To give you some solace, I would like you to know that by no means will his legacy be that of a saint. Reality has a way of smashing that.

[hcallega]

1970

January 1: President Kennedy signs the Environmental Protection Agency into creation.

January 8: The last US ground forces leave South Vietnam. Two aircraft carriers will be stationed around the country to provide air support, while three airbases will still be used by the US on the ground to support ARVN operations. US guards are still posted at the embassy.

January 12: The civil war in Nigeria comes to an end.

January 19: President Kennedy nominates Griffin Bell to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. This is his second appointee to the high court, with the first being Luther Mirritt Swygert in 1969. These appointees would continue the activist legacy of the Warren Court.

February 13: GM comes up with a design for cars with unleaded fuel.

February 26: The Beatles "Hey Jude" is released.

March 1: The US declares commercial whale hunting illegal.

March 1: Rhodesia declares independence from the UK

March 5: 43 nations have ratified the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty.

March 6: A bomb explodes in a Greenwich Village townhouse, killing several Weathermen.

March 13: Cambodia orders Hanoi to withdraw their troops from the nation.

March 17: The UN Security Council passes a resolution condemning Great Britain for not attempting to overthrow the white dominated Rhodesian government. While President Kennedy opposes the Rhodesian government, he is personally undecided over the British response, or lack thereof.

March 17: The US Army charges 14 soldiers for suppression of facts relating to the My Lai massacre.

March 18: General Lon Nol takes power in Cambodia and aligns himself with the United States.

March 20: In response to the mild recession that the US is experiencing, President Kennedy announces a "jobs bill". The bill will expand federal public works projects, using much of the money from the Vietnam War. The bill receives opposition from conservatives and the AFL-CIO, which fears the unskilled and non-union laborers. However the bill passes with strong support.

March 29: The North Vietnamese Army invades Cambodia.

April 1: President Kennedy signs into law a bill banning cigarette ads on TV and radio.

April 1: Captain Ernest Medina is charged in the My Lai case.

April 8: The Senate approves President Kennedy's appointment of Griffin Bell to the Supreme Court.

April 10: Prominent California Grape Grower Lionel Steiberg signs an agreement with Caesar Chavez.

April 11: The Beatles release "Let it Be"

April 11: Apollo 13 blasts off. It will return on April 17 after a dangerous equipment failure.

April 12: Rainey Pool, a black Mississippi farmer, is beaten and tortured by a mob.

April 22: The first Earth Day, organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) and Representative Pete McCloskey (R-CA).

April 29: President Kennedy announces that the United States will "provide aid and support for the Government of Cambodia. It stands in the face of Communist aggression and will not fall under our watch." This is one of the first examples of the Kennedy doctrine in action.

May 9: UAW President Walter Reuther dies in a plane crash.

May 12: Six men die in a Georgia race riot. President Kennedy announces "these riots will come to an end. We cannot allow our nation to devolve into chaos."

May 31: Hundreds of Amerindians protest on Alcatraz Island which the Government has cut off water and electricity to. They plan to turn it into a park.

June 5: The North Vietnamese government begins releasing POWs along the lines of a secret agreement made during the Paris Peace Talks. The South Vietnamese government was unaware of this.

June 20: Arab leaders arrive in Libya to take place in a celebration commemorating the US handing over their base in Tripoli to the Libyan government.

June 22: The 26th Amendment is signed into law by President Kennedy, lowering the voting age to 18.

July 4: Riots in New Jersey prompt the President to propose a bill to congress to focus on inner-city rebuilding. The bill will create "free-enterprise zones" in inner cities, provide greater funds for public education, focus on rebuilding government housing, beautification of impoverished areas, and greater pay and funding for the police and national guard. The bill passes congress with substantial support from both parties.

July 21: The Aswan Damn opens in Egypt.

July 24: Freddie Mac is chartered by congress.

August 7: Israel, Jordan, and Egypt agree to a US-proposed ceasefire.

August 25: The US closes all air-bases in South Vietnam as NVA forces begin to rout the ARVN.

September 4: Salvador Allende (a socialist) wins the Presidency in Chile.

September 6: Five airliners are hijacked by the PLO.

September 15: President Kennedy refuses to support a coup in Chile.

September 16: In Jordan a war erupts begin Palestinians and the Jordan military.

September 18: Jimi Hendrix dies.

September 22: A peace conference for the war in Jordan turns into a shouting match.

September 27: A cease-fire ends the Jordan war.

September 28: President Nasser dies in Egypt.

October 1: With the President's strong support, Washington D.C. is given a seat in Congress. Walter Fauntroy will win the seat in the 1970 midterm elections.

October 4: Janis Joplin dies.

November 3: Governor Ronald Reagan wins reelection in California.

November 20: China takes it seat over Taiwan in the UN.

[hcallega]

1970 Midterm Elections

With President Kennedy's approval ratings in the mid-50s, the Democratic Party hoped to withstand the generally rough first midterm elections. They chose to emphasize the end of the Vietnam War and the active role that the President was taking domestically. The Republicans focused their attacks on the continuing urban rioting, as well as the bad economy and growing debt. They shied away from the more radical rhetoric of some within the party, and chose instead to emphasize law and order and fiscal responsibility.

Senate Results
Entering Election: 56 D, 44 R
Democratic Gains
-California: John V. Tunney
-Illinois: Adlai Stevenson III
-New York: Richard Ottinger
Republican Gains
-Connecticut: Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-Indiana: Richard L. Roudebush
-Maryland: John Glenn Beall, Jr.
-Missouri: John Danforth
-Ohio: Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Tennessee: Bill Brock
Following Election: 52 D, 47 R, 1 I


House of Representatives
Entering Election: 243 D, 192 R
Following Election: 237 D, 198 R

[Bo]

Good TL so far. I hope you change around the dates of some events to make the timeline more interesting. For instance, have LBJ die in April 1973 instead of January.

[Historico]

Allthough the withdrawl of the troops put of Vietnam will be seen as pretty popular, It' will also be another major talking point that the GOP could use against Bobby. With the economy in the crapper, It's going to be very hard for the heir to Camelot to win a Second Term. Keep it comming HC

[Bo]

Allthough the withdrawl of the troops put of Vietnam will be seen as pretty popular, It' will also be another major talking point that the GOP could use against Bobby. With the economy in the crapper, It's going to be very hard for the heir to Camelot to win a Second Term. Keep it comming HC

The economy can still recover by 1972. It did the trick for Nixon, didn't it?

[hcallega]

Allthough the withdrawl of the troops put of Vietnam will be seen as pretty popular, It' will also be another major talking point that the GOP could use against Bobby. With the economy in the crapper, It's going to be very hard for the heir to Camelot to win a Second Term. Keep it comming HC

The economy can still recover by 1972. It did the trick for Nixon, didn't it?

Indeed it did.

[hcallega]

1971

January 5: Lawrence O’Brien is named DNC chairman, while Bob Dole is named RNC chairman.

January 6: Congress officially overturns the Gulf of Tonkin resolution. This symbolic gesture was strongly supported by President Kennedy.

January 18: Saigon falls to the North Vietnamese military. The US embassy evacuates many American allies in some historic images.

January 18: A massive oil tanker collision occurs in San Francisco bay.

January 25: Charles Manson and his “family” are convicted of the Tate-LaBianca murders.

January 25: General Idi Amin leads a coup in Uganda. He receives support from both Great Britain and the United States for replacing a socialist regime.

January 28: Amin releases 55 political prisoners and bans political activities.

January 31: Apollo 14 blasts off for the moon.

February 1-2: Amin fires all mayors linked with the previous regime and closes parliament.

February 3: OPEC decides to set prices without informing consumers.

February 4: Rolls-Royce is nationalized.

February 5: Apollo 14 lands on the moon.

February 6: A brutal arson and shooting occurs in North Carolina.

February 6: Amin kills off political and military opponents.

February 7: Switzerland initiates female suffrage.

February 8: NASDAQ goes live.

February 9: Satchel Pagie is named to the Hall of Fame.

February 11: Treasury Secretary John Connally imposes a 10% surcharge on imports and repudiated fixed exchange rates to deal with the slight recession.

March 8: Ali and Frazier have their first fight and MSG.

March 10: The Senate approves the 18 year old voting amendment.

March 12: The Turkish military initiates a coup to restore order. This is the second time they would do this.

March 25: The Pakistani military aggressively eliminates political resistance in East Pakistan.

March 26: Bangladesh declares independence from Pakistan.

March 27: India proclaims its support for Bangladesh.

March 28: The last new episode of The Ed Sullivan Show airs.

March 29: Lt. William Calley is sentenced to life imprisonment.

April 8: Ping-Pong diplomacy begins as the Chinese team invites the US team to China.

April 9: Charles Manson is sentenced to death.

April 14: Despite pressure from members of his cabinet, President Kennedy refuses to end the blockade with China.

April 19: The Bangladesh government flees to India.

April 20: The US Supreme Court unanimously states that bussing may be used to achieve integration of public schools.

April 28: The US Occupational and Safety Administration is created.

May 1: Amtrak goes into operation.

May 3: “All Things Considered” goes on the air on NPR. White House Press Secretary Pierre Salinger is one of the chief advisers to the new station.

May 14: Pope Paul VI delivers Octagesima Adveniens, a letter in support of democracy and in support of the Rerum Novarum doctrine.

May 18: President Kennedy agrees to accept many of the Black Caucuses demands, including greater funding for education, public housing, and inner city growth. However he refuses to support increased funding for welfare, a program which he sees as inherently flawed.

May 20: Congress cancels the SST supersonic jet program.

June 10: Government officials remove the dozen or so Amerindians from Alcatraz Island.

June 10: President Kennedy refuses to lift the trade embargo on China.

June 13: The New York Times began the printing of the Pentagon Papers.

June 17: The US agrees to return Okinawa to Japan in 1972.

June 28: The Supreme Court overturns Muhammad Ali’s draft order.

June 28: The Supreme Court rules that aid to parochial schools is unconstitutional.

June 29: Senator Mike Gravel enters the Pentagon Papers into public record.

June 30: The 26th Amendment is ratified.

July 3: Jim Morrison dies.

July 6: Louis Armstrong dies.

July 10: A failed coup in Morocco leaves over 100 dead.

July 11: Chile nationalizes its copper mines.

July 26: Apollo 15 launches.

July 30: Apollo 15 lands on the moon.

August 9: India signs a 20-year peace pact with the Soviet Union.

August 9: The British begin a policy of internment without trial in Northern Ireland.

August 14: 12,500 British troops are now in Northern Ireland.

August 15: Inflation is growing in the US, but is still under control due to the end of the Vietnam War.

August 16-17: Strikes begin in Londonderry over the internment policy.

September: President Kennedy nominates James R. Browning and Irving Kaufman to the US Supreme Court. Both men will be confirmed.

September 8: The Kennedy Center is opened.

September 11: Former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev died.

September 13: The Attica Prison revolt is ended.

October 3: Governor Ronald Reagan of California is the first candidate to declare his intention to run for the Presidency in 1972. He will soon be followed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Charles Percy of Illinois, Representative John Ashbrook of Ohio, and Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland. Governor George Wallace of Alabama will challenge President Kennedy for the Democratic nomination.

October 25: Despite US opposition, the UN admits mainland China and expels Taiwan.

November 10: The Khmer Rouge begins an offensive against the Cambodian government.

November 20: A march by women’s rights groups on Washington demands an end to abortion laws.

November 28: The IRA launches rocket attacks on targets in Northern Ireland.

December 3: India and Pakistan go to war in Bangladesh.

December 10: President Kennedy meets with “The Gang of Four” to begin working on universal health care legislation. The group is Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator George McGovern, Representative Carl Perkins, and Senator Harrison Williams.

December 16: The Pakistani military in Bangladesh surrenders after slaughtering Bangladeshi intellectuals.

December 24: President Kennedy announces that he will run for reelection.

[Historico]

Awesome, I forgot about what the reveal about the Pentagon Papers might have on Bobby's Presidency, since he was directly involved with alot of Jack's decision's on Vietnam back when he served as Attorney General. It looks like we will have a fairly crowded GOP Field, with all candidates probably running on..."It's the economy stupid!" campaign theme. Can't wait to see what goes down in '72 and if Bobby can get UHC passed...Keep it comming(btw, do you plan on taking this up to the Present day?)

[hcallega]

Awesome, I forgot about what the reveal about the Pentagon Papers might have on Bobby's Presidency, since he was directly involved with alot of Jack's decision's on Vietnam back when he served as Attorney General. It looks like we will have a fairly crowded GOP Field, with all candidates probably running on..."It's the economy stupid!" campaign theme. Can't wait to see what goes down in '72 and if Bobby can get UHC passed...Keep it comming(btw, do you plan on taking this up to the Present day?)

Yeah the Pentagon Papers are not very good at all for President Kennedy. There are essentially four major wings in the Democratic Party: Southerners, who are quite openly opposed to Kennedy, the liberal wing, which is essentially Kennedy's wing, the bosses, who like him but don't love him, and the "new left", which is a little bit different in this TL. Essentially they are libertarians like Mike Gravel, not in the Ron Paul sense. They are opposed to both the war in Vietnam and the ongoing military industrial complex. On the economy and domestic policy they are essentially in line with Kennedy but see him as more of a monarch than a president. They range from being close allies to Kennedy (McGovern) to being staunch opponents (McCarthy) or somewhere in between (Gravel). As far as continuing it, I think you know very well how i'm quite noncommittal about all of this, but I hope to.

[hcallega]

1972

1972

January 24: Ronald Reagan wins the Iowa caucuses. Governor Rockefeller of New York chooses not to run, and instead invests in his resources in New Hampshire.

January 25: Conservative Senator Barry Goldwater criticizes President Kennedy for supporting India against Pakistan. He calls India “a closet ally of the Soviet Union”.

January 30: Pakistan leaves the Commonwealth, which in turn recognizes Bangladesh.

January 30: In an event immortalized as Bloody Sunday, 13 peaceful protestors are shot by British Paratroopers in Derry, Northern Ireland.

February 1: The first calculator goes on the market.

February 2: Violent reprisals against the British occur in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.

February 18: The California Supreme Court declares the death penalty cruel and unusual. Conservatives including Governor Ronald Reagan criticize the decision, but many liberals including Vice-President Yarborough and Senate Majority Whip Ted Kennedy praise it.

February 22: Vice-President Ralph Yarborough asks President Kennedy if he can travel to China. The President flatly declines.

February 22: The IRA steps up it’s bombing campaign.

March 4: Libya and the Soviet Union sign an alliance.

March 7: Nelson Rockefeller narrowly defeats Ronald Reagan in the New Hampshire primaries. Reagan’s support among conservatives was critical in his surprisingly strong performance; while Rockefeller’s well-oiled campaign was the deciding factor in his victory.

March 14: Reagan upsets Rockefeller in Florida, drawing on the strength of his “Conservative Coalition”. George Wallace defeats President Kennedy here on the Democratic side.

March 20: Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev states that “China is no better an ally to the Soviet Union than America.”

March 21: Reagan defeats Senator Charles Percy in the Illinois primary. He is now seen as the frontrunner. Rockefeller’s decision not to run in Iowa is seen as the principal reason.

March 24: Great Britain takes over Northern Ireland’s government.
April 4: Reagan wins once again in Wisconsin. At this point the field is narrowed to Reagan and Rockefeller.

April 10: The US and the Soviets (among other nations) agree on a ban on biological warfare.

April 21: Secretary of State Dean Rusk arrives in Moscow for a round of discussions with the Soviets.

April 25: Rockefeller wins the Massachusetts primary but looses to Reagan in Pennsylvania.

April 27: A Hutu rebellion erupts in Burundi.

April 30: The Tutsi counterattack leads to the deaths of over 100,000 Hutus.

May 2: Rockefeller wins the Washington D.C. Primaries, but looses Ohio and Indiana to Reagan.

May 3: Rockefeller addresses his campaign team stating, “This race is not over. If we can win the big states we can take this thing to Miami and win it there!” Many in his team believe that he is delusional.

May 4: Reagan wins big in Tennessee, as does George Wallace for the Democrats.

May 6: Reagan and Wallace carry North Carolina.

May 9: Reagan wins Nebraska and West Virginia.

May 16: Reagan wins both Maryland and Michigan by narrow margins. Rockefeller drops out that evening and endorses Reagan. In later years, pundits will say that Rockefeller’s support for many of Kennedy’s policies led to his defeat. George Will: “You can’t run against the incumbent by saying “I like but I’ll do it better.” Reagan pounded him on that. Now they were both good Republicans, but Rocky was simply a moderate who saw eye-to-eye with Kennedy. Reagan was the polar opposite and made sure everyone knew it.”

May 19: The Red Army Faction explodes three bombs in Hamburg, Germany.

May 24: Dean Rusk leaves negotiations with the Soviets, writing that “we are on good terms. We are still in a place of tension, but the odds of war are slim to none at this point.”

May 26: President Kennedy and Brezhnev sign the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT). Reagan states “this is the biggest move to weaken America’s national security since the beginning of the Cold War.”
May 30: The “Angry Brigade” goes on trial in Britain for property damages relating to 30 small bombings.

June 1: Saddam Hussein oversees the nationalization of the oil industry.

June 2: A shootout between the Red Army Faction and the Police ends in the arrest of Faction members.

June 15: Red Army Faction leadership is arrested in West Germany.

June 17: Okinawa is returned to Japan.

July 10: President Kennedy is renominated by the Democratic Party for the Presidency of the United States. Kennedy delivers a speech in which he announces his plan for universal health care stating “Now is the time that we recognize the harsh reality. Hundreds of thousands of Americans are without health care. This is simply unacceptable. And I plan on doing something about it.”

July 21: IRA bombs rip through Belfast, killing nine and injuring over 100.

July 25: President Kennedy states “The British government must recognize that it can no longer continue their dominion over Northern Ireland. It is simply no longer feasible.”

August 4: Idi Amin expels Uganda’s Indian minority to Britain.

August 5: A poll shows that 60% of the American public opposes clemency for draft dodgers. Governor Reagan opposes clemency while President Kennedy remains undecided.

August 23: Ronald Reagan is nominated President of the United States by the Republican Party. Reagan selects Illinois Senator Charles Percy to balance the ticket ideologically and regionally.

September 5-6: Palestinian terrorists capture the Israeli Olympic team in West Germany. The ensuing standoff leaves all of the terrorists and most of the Israeli team dead.

November 7: After a long campaign season, President Kennedy wins reelection over Governor Reagan. President Kennedy’s popularity is not sky-high, but he effectively able to brand Reagan as “simply too reactionary for America.” Another major factor is that Kennedy’s extensive war chest remained un-tapped until the general election, when he launched a massive ad blitz. On the other hand, Reagan failed to effectively label Kennedy as too liberal, and had little money after the long primary campaign.

Kennedy/Yarborough (D) 54% of the PV, 320 EVs
Reagan/Percy (R) 46% of the PV, 218 EVs

1972 Senate Elections
Entering: 52 D, 47 R, 1 I
Democratic Gains
-Colorado: Floyd Haskell
-Delaware: Joe Biden
-Iowa: Dick Clark
-Kentucky: Walter “Dee” Huddleston
-Maine: William Hathaway
-South Dakota: James Abourezk
Republican Gains
-New Mexico: Peter Domenici
-North Carolina: Jesse Helms
Following: 56 D, 43 R, 1 I

1972 House Elections
Entering: 237 D, 198 R
Following: 243 D, 192 R

[Bo]

Good TL. I hope you follow my advice. Yarborough or Rockefeller 1976!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Historico]

Cue Campaign Music "America has big problems that the Democrats, have shown that they can't fix...Vote for Attorney General Edward Brooke in '76!!!"

[Bo]

Cue Campaign Music "America has big problems that the Democrats, have shown that they can't fix...Vote for Attorney General Edward Brooke in '76!!!"

Unfortunately, I don't think American will be ready for a black President in 1976. Of course, that's what many people said about 2008.