1976: A New America- Gameply Thread

[Junkie]

US Ambassador Elliot Richardson recieved the phone call that the President had been shot.  He immediately rushed and called the White House and the State Department to recieve as much information as possible.  He would spend the next few days speaking with the British Prime Minister and the ministers at NATO to reassure them that everything was well in hand.  

Ambassador Richardson would speak to the White House and assist in crafting the message to the European leaders that the White House wanted to present.

He would then sit down and send a letter to Mrs. Ford, expressing his worry for her and her husband and his prayers for a speedy recovery.

[Junkie]

Ambassador Richardson travels to West Point, New York to give a speech to the cadets on leadership.  Later he travels to New York City to meet with Herbert Brownell, Robert Price, and Jock Whitney.  He would finish with a phone call to Representative Jim Leach of Iowa.

[Junkie]

US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Elliot Richardson resigns from his position.  He cites the Administrations confusing messages about the Vietnam and the disaster that resulted.

The next day Citizens for Richardson is created in Boston.

[Junkie]

The Richardson campaign begins with Herbert Brownell as National Chairman and Jock Whitney as Finance chairman.  Richardson starts by campaigning in Iowa with Congressman Jim Leach.  

Richardson accentuates that he is only current candidate with experience in all areas of the government:

-Foreign Affairs: Deputy Undersecretary of State (1969-1970) and Ambassador to the UK (1975)

-Executive: Lt. Governor of Massachusetts (1965-1967)

-Law and Order: US Attorney for Massachusetts (1959-1961) Attorney General of Massachusetts (1967-1969) US Attorney General (1973)

-Domestic Programs: Undersecretary of HEW (1957-1959); Secretary of HEW (1970-1973)

-Military: served in WWII and was decorated at Normandy; Secretary of Defense (1973)

More than anything else, Richardson talks about integrity.  As US Attorney, he prosecuted Republican fundraisers.  As US Attorney General he personally prosecuted Vice President Agnew and resigned rather than follow an illegal order from Nixon to fire the special prosecutor.

"These are troubled times at home and abroad.  I am the only one in either party that has the experience and the judgement required to better serve the American people."

After Iowa, Richardson travels to Vermont and New Hampshire.

[Junkie]

Richardson travels from Boston to Hawaii to campaign.  On the way there he stops and campaigns in New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Oregon.  On the way back he stops and campaigns in California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.  During this swing, Richardson calls for a strong military, a flexible policy in foreign affairs, free trade, and a tough but fair criminal justice system.  More than anything else, Richardson states the need for campaign reform and increased civil service requirement for government positions.

[Junkie]

While campaigning in Oregon, Elliot Richardson agrees with Governor Stassen that the draft needed to be repealed.  He points out that that is why it was repealed in 1972. 

[Junkie]

Richardson points out that the last people drafted were in December, 1972, but agrees that they reported for duty in 1973.  Richardson is not interested in a boxing match with Stassen.

[Junkie]

When he arrives in Hawaii, Richardson spends his time attending town hall meetings accentuating his long history supporting civil rights, his foreign policy experience, and his calls for increased civil service requirements within cabinet departments.

[Junkie]

After campaigning in Hawaii and California, Elliot Richardson travels to Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois.  In Illinois, Richardson states that he agrees with President Lincoln statement over 100 years ago that "the purpose of government is to do what the people can not do or can not do so well for themselves."  He highlights his experience in HEW and Defense.  Richardson calls for a complete overhaul of every department, streamlining the programs, eliminating overlap and reducing the number of political appointed members of an administration.

Richardson responds to Governor Reagan's call for tax cuts, Richardson states that he worries that such cuts would lead to massive deficits.  "I guess I agree for once with Senator Goldwater.  He was against the JFK cuts unless they were coupled with spending restrictions.  First, we must streamline the government and make sure it does not waste money.  Only then can we address tax cuts.  To address the issue in the way Governor Reagan suggests will saddle countless future generations with added debt that will cripple our government."

In terms of President Ford's recent remarks about former President Nixon, Richardson reminds the crowd that he resigned rather than follow an illegal order of the then President.  Richardson also states that he believed that the investigation should have continued and that if he had been President, he would have resolved the issue in a way that did not include a pardon.

[Junkie]

The Richardson campaign was quietly happy.  It had previously looked like the entry of Reagan into the campaign would turn the race into a two man contest between Ford and the former California Governor.  Richardson was worried that he would be confined to the old Yankee Republicans of New England.

However, the new polls appeared to show to the Richardson campaign to reveal that Reagan was more a symptom of "anybody but Ford." Richardson had retaken the lead in Delaware and West Virginia.  More interesting was Stassen taking Minnesota and Nebraska from Reagan.  Ford was now up in Florida, while Reagan had taken the lead in Texas and Colorado.

The Richardson campaign believed that this showed that there was opportunity within the midwest and the west coast.  All they needed to do was stay alive long enough for Ford to falter.  Then they to become the alternative to Reagan, and the moderates, remembering Goldwater, would flock to the campaign.

The Richardson campaign attempted to take advantage of their advantage in the early states.  Richardson would attend a fundraiser in New York.  He would then fly to Iowa, where he would campaign with Representative Jim Leach for two days.  He would stop in Minnesota, before heading to Pennsylvania where he campaigned with Hugh Scott.  After that, he campaigned with Henry Cabot Lodge in Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine.

[Junkie]

The Richardson campaign was pretty happy at the numbers.  It was true that Richardson fared the worst of the three Republicans against both Carter and Wallace, but that did not matter as all three Republicans beat the two Southern Democrats.  In the case of Wallace, soundly so.  Ford and Reagan appeared to do better due to some strength in the south.  Probably because of southern democrats not happy with Richardson's history of aggressive support of civil rights.

In the case of Brown and Kennedy, the more likely Democratic candidates in Richardson opinion, it was more interesting.  Ford lost badly to both.  Most importantly he put at risk Republican seats in the west, midwest, and New England.  Reagan appeared able to beat Brown and barely lose to Kennedy.  Reagan put the areas at risk as Ford.  Reagan was only in the running due to winning California.  If he lost there, it would be a rout.

Richardson believed that his poll numbers offered the best hope for the party.  Brown was barely up in California.  If Richardson could win there, he would beat Brown by a larger margin than Reagan.  He did worse against Kennedy, but kept Republican numbers up in several areas of worry.  He also believed than in a one on one match up, his experience would swamp Kennedy.

Richardson began a new strategy.  He would continue to campaign on his reputation as an ethical politician beyond repute and being the only candidate with the experience required for the job.  Additionally, he would continue to call for civil service and campaign reform, as well as a balanced budget and strong yet reasoned foreign policy.

He would campaign in Hawaii, Oregon, California, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Maine.  A lot of his attention would be in New Hampshire and Iowa.

However, in addition to these campaign stops, he would spend a lot of time with the party leaders.  Richardson would point out that Reagan would put too many Republican seats at risk.  At the same time, Richardson would say that Ford did not appear cut out for the job.  On the one hand, he attacked Nixon, while at the same time seeking his endorsement.  In terms of foreign policy, he seemed to believe that an abandonment of allies would lead to a peace treaty.  The pictures of helicopters taking people off the embassy roof were proof of that.

The message the campaign pushed was clear: Richardson was the only experienced and reasonable Republican in the race.

[Junkie]

While campaigning in New Hampshire with Henry Cabot Lodge, Richardson attacks Ford different positions on Nixon.  Richardson asks, do you remeber when Ford campaigned against Nixon:

Gerald Ford travels to NYC where he talks about he was furious at Nixon doing the things he did

Apparently that all changed once Nixon endorsed Ford.  Now Ford is saying:

Gerald Ford in California:

"...We need to move ahead and not make the past make us look bad, Gerald Ford for President"

Henry Cabot Lodge says, "with Richardson, you will have a President with integrity, not someone who changes their opinion based upon who endorses them."

[Junkie]

Richardson campaigns in Iowa where he recieves the endorsement of Iowa Robert Ray as the "the person with the experience and vision that we need to lead this country."  Richardson, Governor Ray, and Congressman Jim Leach then campaign throughout Iowa, especially in the center where Richardson enjoys much support, as well as Lee, Howard, Winneshiek, and Allamakee counties.

[Junkie]

Campaigning in Iowa with Governor Ray and Congressman Leach, Elliot Richardson agrees to participate in a forum with the other Republican candidates.

[Junkie]

Elliot Richardson flies to Hawaii to accept the endorsement of former Hawaii Governor William Quinn and Senator Hiram Fong.  The three campaign for two days.  Richardson then leaves to resume campaigning in Iowa.  Quinn and Fong remain in Hawaii to rally delegates for the caucuses.

[Junkie]

Elliot Richardson campaigns throughout Iowa with Governor Ray and Congressman Leach.  He accentuates his "proven and sound leadership in times of crises."

[Junkie]

Elliot Richardson could not believe it.  They had come in second in Iowa.  Sure, they had lost by 5 points but they had been in third almost the entire time.  Nobody understood why Ford had collapsed, but it could be a boost for the Richardson campaign.  He thanked Governor Ray and Congressman Leach.

The next day he boarded a plane for Hawaii where he would spend the entire week campaigning with Senator Fong.

The message being sent out by the Richardson campaign to every Republican party leader was the same: Ford could not win, and Reagan was just a Hollywood version of Goldwater.  Richardson believed he was now the moderate alternative to Reagan.

He would campaign in Hawaii until the caucuses.  He would then campaign for two days each in Minnesota and Wyoming before heading to New Hampshire.  The plan was to stay there until the primary.

[Junkie]

At his victory rally, Richardson thanked Senator Fong and former Governor Quinn.  Richardson continued to campaign for reformed government, unveiling continued plans to streamline government.  Richardson would fly to Wyoming to campaign for two days and then onto New Hampshire to continue campaiging in New Hampshire.

The Richardson camp believed Ford to be mortally wounded.  Reagan would win in Wyoming.  Richardson wanted to pick up enough votes there to deny Ford any delegates.  Richardson believed that constant campaiging in New Hampshire with the popular Henry Cabot Lodge would be enough to keep his lead and deal Ford 5 consecutive losses and drive him out of the race.

Then, it would be between Reagan and Richardson.  Moderates would flock to him to avoid a repeat of 1964.  With Ford out of the way, the Northeast, Midwest, and West would go for Richardson.  That might be enough.

[Junkie]

It was only three weeks until the Minnesota Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary.  Both seemed to be good ground for Richardson to fight on.  In the National polls, Stassen had led in two, while Ford in one.  Stassen was not much of a factor and Ford had been hurt.

Richardson had pulled enough votes from Ford in Wyoming to deliver a third loss to the current President.  The Minnesota Party leaders would not back him now.  Just one year before, the Minnesota Republican Party had become the Independant-Republicans after moderate leadership had taken over and wanted to distance itself from the Goldwater wing.  Richardson increased his time in the state.  He would spend one week of the remaining three in Gopher State campaigning with Minnesota Representatives Bill Frenzel and Al Quie, both moderates.  They accentuated Richardson's long experience, consitent support of civil rights, and plan to reform and streamline government.

Richardson would then campaign in New Hampshire, where he had led since the beginning.  There were strong conservatives currents in the state.  Richardson was worried that Ford might pull enough votes to swing it to Reagan.  He campaigned hard with Henry Cabot Lodge, the winner in 1964.  Also joining him were his former number 2 at the Justice Department.  Together the two hoped to remind the voters of New Hampshire that they had resigned rather than follow Nixon's unlawful order.

It would a long three weeks.

[Junkie]

Too bad this did not continue.  If it gets going again I am in.