Cuban Missile Crisis To War: The Final Updates and the Final Hour - Completed

[sentinel]

Should I continue onto the 1964 election??

[sentinel]

January 1964

   “Mr. Attorney General”
   “Senator, what can I do for you?”
   “I hope everything is going well for you and your family, I just have a question in regards to the special committee that was established after Vice President Johnson’s death and your related testimony…”
   “Senator, are you contacting me on a secure line? After the assassination of Vice President Johnson we can never be too careful.”
   “Uh, well, let me ask my secretary…”
   “I’m sorry Senator something just came up I’ll see you soon at the State of the Union”

President Kennedy’s State of the Union 1964:

“Let this session of Congress be known as the session which did more for civil rights than the last hundred sessions combined; as the session which enacted the most far-reaching tax cut of our time; as the session which declared all-out war on the Soviet Union and fought valiantly against evil and tyranny; as the session which finally recognized the health needs of all our older citizens; as the session which reformed our tangled transportation and transit policies; as the session which achieved the most effective, efficient foreign aid program ever; and as the session which helped to build more homes, more schools, more libraries, and more hospitals than any single session of Congress in the history of our Republic –and our national security is now secure. The enemies of yesterday are no longer in a place to become the enemies of the future…

We will launch a special effort in the chronically distressed areas of Appalachia
.
We must expand our small but our successful area redevelopment program.

We must enact youth employment legislation to put jobless, aimless, hopeless youngsters to work on useful projects.

We must distribute more food to the needy through a broader food stamp program.

We must create a National Service Corps to help the economically handicapped of our own country as the Peace Corps now helps those abroad.

We must modernize our unemployment insurance and establish a high-level commission on automation. If we have the brain power to invent these machines, we have the brain power to make certain that they are a boon and not a bane to humanity.

We must extend the coverage of our minimum wage laws to more than 2 million workers now lacking this basic protection of purchasing power.

We must, by including special school aid funds as part of our education program, improve the quality of teaching, training, and counseling in our hardest hit areas.

We must build more libraries in every area and more hospitals and nursing homes under the Hill-Burton Act, and train more nurses to staff them.

We must provide hospital insurance for our older citizens financed by every worker and his employer under Social Security, contributing no more than $1 a month during the employee's working career to protect him in his old age in a dignified manner without cost to the Treasury, against the devastating hardship of prolonged or repeated illness.

We must, as a part of a revised housing and urban renewal program, give more help to those displaced by slum clearance, provide more housing for our poor and our elderly, and seek as our ultimate goal in our free enterprise system a decent home for every American family.
We must help obtain more modern mass transit within our communities as well as low-cost transportation between them.

We will rebuild Los Angeles and make it grandeur and more majestic than before and we will pay tribute to those who have died for freedom there.

We must give Cuba and Puerto Rico the opportunity to secure their identity and security by joining the Union! …”

President Kennedy’s approval rating, as expecteded, goes up after the State of the Union Address to 62%

2/1/1964

Would you support or oppose Cuban statehood?
Yes: 37%
No: 27%
Not sure: 36%


Would you support or oppose Puerto Rican statehood?
Yes: 55%
No: 17%
Not sure: 28%

Pundits: With Puerto Rico’s population of 2.3 million it would be the 27th largest state between Oklahoma and South Carolina, Cuba with its population of 5 million would be the 18th largest state. Cuba would have 8 representatives in the House and Puerto Rico would have 4.

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

Montana has a population of over 5 million? I guess a lot of people relocated after LA was nuked, but still, how did they keep up with the demand for housing?

I would love for this to continue.

[sentinel]

Montana has a population of over 5 million? I guess a lot of people relocated after LA was nuked, but still, how did they keep up with the demand for housing?

I would love for this to continue.

Yeah, I messed that up. Read the source wrong. It was late so I didn't catch it

[sentinel]

February 1964

In an interview with former Vice President Richard Nixon, Nixon states that he will not challenge Kennedy for the Presidency but he will not rule out another run in the future.
When asked about how Kennedy handled the war with the Soviet Union, Nixon responds “I think he did what he had to do to win the war, and winning the war was getting us out of the war alive.”
March 1964

(Oregon, California, Florida, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, PA, NJ, MA, NH, WV, MD)

The only active candidates for the Republican nomination are perennial candidate and former Governor Harold Stassen of Minnesota, California Senator Thomas H. Kuchel and Senator Hiram Fong of Hawaii.

Kuchel is seen as the presumptive nominee for the time being. Conservative Republicans are trying to recruit a candidate worthy of their endorsement but no candidate has stepped forward to challenge popular Democratic President John F. Kennedy.
Internationally, the Soviet Union is still struggling with the aftermath of the war. It’s inner regions such as Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine are swarming with dissent due  the lack of proper care for the people of the Soviet Union in their respective regions.

April 1964

President Kennedy calls for a bill that would stop the disenfranchisement of any voters for any reason across the country to be drawn up by Attorney General Bobby Kennedy.

June 1964

The Voting Rights Act of 1964 is introduced into the heavily Democratic Congress.
The Soviet Union expels all Red Cross, UN and American personnel.

July 1964
The National Republican Convention takes place in San Francisco, California. It is remembered as one of the bitterest conventions ever held with the conservative and moderate factions of the party battling over who should be the nominee. The keynote address is given by Governor William Scranton of Pennsylvania. Only two candidates on the ballot actually participated in the Republican primaries.

First Ballot:

Senator Thomas Henry Kuchel: 654

Senator Barry Goldwater: 215

Former Vice President Richard Nixon: 130

Governor James Allen Rhodes: 101

Governor Nelson Rockefellar: 100

Governor William Scranton: 33

Governor George Romney: 30

Unpledged: 31

President John F. Kennedy: 5

Senator Hiram Fong: 2

Thomas Kuchel accepting the nomination after a second ballot.

August 1964

The Democratic National Convention takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey which nominates the Kennedy/Symington ticket by voice acclamation.
General Election Aggregate Polling:
Kennedy: 58%
Kuchel: 18%
Undecided: 24%

September 1964

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, after some speculation, says that he will remain in his capacity as Attorney General and not run for Senate.
President Kennedy proposes an intense infrastructure development plan based on mass transit for his next term in office.

The Voting Rights Act of 1964 passes. South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana immediately challenges the bill’s constitutionality. Arkansas, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina are considering joining the fight against the Voting Rights Act.

October 1964

President Kennedy and Senator Kuchel have one debate and Kennedy is seen by the winner by both TV audiences and radio audiences.
Favorability ratings show that the American people do not have a negative view of Kuchel, but just like Kennedy better.

November 1964

Kennedy Approval Day of Election: 55%

President John F. Kennedy / Vice President Stuart Symington –  68.5% - 491 Electoral Votes
Senator Thomas Kuchel / Governor William Scranton – 31.5% - 47 Electoral Votes

President Kennedy, unsurprisingly, cruises to victory in a huge landslide….but will Kennedy’s second term be as successful as his first?

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

Yay! It's back!

[Captain Chaos]

I have enjoyed reading this TL. Looking at the EV map, unless Kuchel is a vocal opponent of the 1964 Voting Rights Act, I do not see the Republicans winning the Deep South.

Most likely, a slate of unpledged electors would win those states.

[sentinel]

I have enjoyed reading this TL. Looking at the EV map, unless Kuchel is a vocal opponent of the 1964 Voting Rights Act, I do not see the Republicans winning the Deep South.

Most likely, a slate of unpledged electors would win those states.

I sat there for a while thinking about which way to give the south to. In the end I decided in favor of smaller majorities in those southern states for the Republicans, but I generally agree it would be hard for them to win there too...

I'm working on the next installment as we speak

[sentinel]

(Random note, I was searching for images and found another (Robert F) Kennedy/Symington ticket on this forum from 2006: http://www.uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=42586.0 )

Congressional Results from November 1964:

The Democratic Party had a big victory in the midterm elections of 1962 but with the re-election of President John F. Kennedy they gained even more ground graining 4 seats in the Senate increasing their majority to 77 and gaining 5 even in the House increasing their majority to 318.

Thomas P. Gill (D) defeats incumbent Hiram L. Fong (R.) of Hawaii

Elbert N. Carvel (D) defeats incumbent John J. Willians (R.) of Delaware.

Genevieve Blatt (D) defeats incumbent Hugh Scott (R.) of Pennsylvania.

Frederick J. Fayette (D) defeats incumbent Winston L. Prouty (R.) of Vermont.

Charles Brown (D) wins election to the Senate in Missouri replacing former Senator Stuart Symington.

Pundits say that the past two elections weren’t as much of a reprimand to the Republicans but an approval of President Kennedy and by extension the Democratic Party. The question is will President Kennedy be able to keep his huge majorities in both Houses together? Will they vote with what will surely be a more liberal agenda?

January 1965

President Kennedy is inaugurated for his second and last term as President of the United States.

Stuart Symington is sworn in as Vice President of the United States.

The President and Vice President

In his State of the Union he promises, once again, to give Puerto Rico and Cuba the options of joining the United States under a cautious plan proposed by Minority Leader Everett Dirksen who is clinging to his position as Minority Leader due to unhappiness amongst Senate Republicans with his performance.

Kennedy says that a new health care system for America is what he wants to accomplish in his next term and says it will be tough but “Americans will have what Americans want.”
There is only one new cabinet member in President Kennedy’s second term who is approved by the Senate quickly.

Secretary of State Dean Rusk is replaced by Ambassador to the Soviet Union Llewellyn Thompson.

Also in January, the Supreme Court upholds the Voting Rights Act of 1964.

January is a big month for the President, the Supreme Court upholds the Voting Rights Act of 1964 and Tennessee ratifies the 24th Amendment, codifying the Tyler precedent, thereby making it law.

Blue = Approved
Red = Rejected
Green = Introduced in the State Legislature

President Kennedy’s approval at the time of his inauguration is 76%

February 1965

President Kennedy, having already sent advisors to Vietnam in his first term, in private with members of his cabinet says that “Even with the Soviet Union still looming, I know that any commitment to Vietnam will only be a disaster…” This conversation was sparked by ongoing conflict between communist and democratic factions in Indochina.

Reports are coming in from intelligence that the Soviet Union’s population has dropped between 5 and 10 percent since the war ended due to refugees leaving the country.  There is also more military presence from the Soviet Union in the major population centers (that weren’t already destroyed).

March 1965

A Southern coalition of 7 Democrat put together a bill that would severely limit the ability of the Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act which passed in Kennedy’s previous term. The bill never makes it to the floor and even though the 7 Democrats are vocal about it, they are ignored by the White House and the Senate Majority Leader.

May 1965

Many of the “little things” in President Kennedy’s agenda have passed without a problem, but Southern Democrats are increasingly vocal about the lack of support they feel from the White House. President Kennedy’s approval in the south is in the mid 50’s while his approval nationwide is in the mid to upper 60’s.


August 1965

“Mr. President.”

“Bobby, you don’t have to call me that in private.”

“I know, look I wanted to talk to you about something. I’ve been getting calls from Senator Dirksen about the situation…”

“You mean that particular one?”

“Yes, and I think it won’t be long before the public hears about it. When it does, I’m going to be blamed. I don’t want to tarnish your reputation or your Presidency; I can step down.”

“No, you’re not resigning. We’ll make sure we handle it properly when the time comes. I’m confident the American people will understand why we did it this way.”

“John, the war is over. Are you sure?”

“Very.”

September 1965

President Kennedy announces that Puerto Rico and Cuba will be voting on Statehood in January 1966. If approved they will vote for their representatives in November 1966 if all goes well. Kennedy lays out the path to citizenship for their respective populations. The path to citizenship is much simpler for Puerto Ricans than it is for Cubans.
President Kennedy’s approval has declined to 60% nationally. Low 50’s in the South.

October 1965

The Department of Justice announces the states that will have Federal Election Polling Monitors for 1966 due to reports of discrimination: South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana and Tennessee.

November 1965

President Kennedy assigns Senator Ted Kennedy to lead a taskforce on health care that will propose substantial health care legislation to him in 1966.

December 1965

“Mr. Attorney General.”

“How can I help you Senator?”

“We need to talk, I want to know when and how you’re going to come out about the hearings on the death of…”

“National security does not permit us to do so right now. We –“

“The war is over. We need to expose the enemy for what they did to us. We are weaker for hiding it –“

“Senator, this is the President’s decision.”

“So be it.”


Two Senators from the Democratic Party, one from Alabama and another from Mississippi switch their allegiance to the Republican Party as a “New Years Gift” for President Kennedy.

Kennedy Approval (National): 58%

Kennedy Approval (South): 49%

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

Very interesting update. Keep it coming!

[sentinel]

January 18th 1966

President Kennedy gives his State of the Union Address outlining his plans, thanks to the Taskforce on Health Care, for a universal health care system in the United States. He says it will lower costs and put people’s lives and health back into their own hands instead of the insurance companies; however, this is not what the front page of the New York Times is the next day.

January 19th 1966

“This isn’t how I wanted this to come out. How the hell did we let this happen?”
“Mr. President, we can get through this. We did the right thing. Like you said, the American people will understand.”

President Kennedy’s press secretary says the following remarks “This report was not released at the President’s discretion nor at the discretion of anyone in the President’s cabinet. This is an issue of national security, therefore, the Administration will not be commenting on the report at this time.”

January 20th 1966

Headline across the US:

JFK REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE SPY KILLED LBJ

LBJ ASSASSINATED, NOT “HEART FAILURE”

SOVIET SPIES IN THE WHITE HOUSE: ARE WE SAFE?

KBG OP KILLED LBJ

KENNEDY DUO COVER UP SCANDAL

Governor Nelson Rockefellar of New York calls for President Kennedy to “Do the rational thing and recognize the report. The President is going to look foolish ignoring it.”

Southern Democrats cry out against the President’s hiding of the report (at least the ones who weren’t in on the secret hearing.)


Senate and House Republicans seize the opportunity to label the administration as untrustworthy as they take to their local news and radio stations.

[sentinel]

January 25th 1966

   21 Southern Democratic Senators (Missouri, Arkansas, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi) and all 25 Republican Senators call for an investigation into the LBJ Assassination. Al Gore  of Tennessee does not publicly call for an investigation

Kennedy’s approval has dropped to 46%
Kennedy’s disapproval is at 30%
His approval in the South is 37%

January 27th 1966

Puerto Rico votes 57% in favor of Statehood, while Cuba votes 53% against statehood.
Headline the next day: “CUBA SAYS NO TO KENNEDY”

The President announces that he will make sure Congress admit Puerto Rico into the Union as fast as possible and that he respects the people of Cuba’s decision. The United States will continue its efforts to rebuild Cuba’s infrastructure and economy.

January 30th 1966

The Kennedy Administration is still not commenting on the LBJ issue citing that this issue is a national security issue.  Senator Majority Leader Mikes Mansfield publicly says that he thinks an investigation is “imminent”

February 3rd 1966

The United States Senate begins to investigate the LBJ Assassination. Some media groups are calling for the eventual hearings to be public.

February 8th 1966

Governor Nelson Rockefellar of New York announces that he will not be seeking another term as Governor of New York.

February 14th 1966

   President Kennedy in a prime time press conference, after seeing his approval drop to 40% within a month, apologizes for keeping the LBJ Assassination under wraps for so long after the war. He says he cannot divulge details of what happened but it was an assassination and appropriate defenses have been set up in wake of the tragic event. Even though Kennedy apologizes for keeping the secret for so long after the war, he defends his record on how the war was fought, the outcome, and his reasoning for keeping the assassination secret during the war.

March 1st 1966

Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy announces that he will be resigning from his post as Attorney General effective immediately.
President Kennedy’s approval has gone back up to 50% following his prime time press conference but his disapproval has stayed around 30%.
The Judiciary Committee in the Senate calls several aides to the President to testify in April.
President Kennedy reclaims positive headlines after announcing his taskforce on health care.

April 1966

   President Kennedy allows his aides to testify under strict orders from White House Counsel and National Security advisors. The aftermath of the hearings is that Democrats are generally pleased while Republicans feel that the President is not allowing them to speak truthfully or fully.

During an interview in New York City Robert Kennedy announces that he intends on running for Governor of New York.

When asked about the LBJ Assassination Scandal he responds “Maybe we shouldn’t have kept it under wraps as long but we’re safer as a result of the President’s actions.”
“Mr. Kennedy, did you give the President counsel on this matter?”

“When the President asked for my counsel I gave it and I fully support the decision that President Kennedy made as a result of my counsel, regardless if he heeded my counsel or not.”

Former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy at a press conference later that month.
Health care legislation is stalled in Congress due to blockage from Southern Democrats and Republicans.

June 1966

President Kennedy’s approvals have slightly increased to the mid 50’s and various aides including White House Counsel have now testified in front of Congress. Congress has yet to find any illegal activities of the Kennedy Administration. Many Democratic Senators are calling for the end of “wasting taxpayer money on a useless investigation”

July 1966
Investigation into the LBJ scandal comes to a close finding nothing.
Favorable/unfavorable

Democratic Party: 47//40
Republican Party: 35//10

Pundits: People seem to be angry at the Democratic Party for one of two things: leading the investigation of the LBJ scandal or not investigating enough into the LBJ scandal enough.

The rest of the summer and fall Kennedy goes into a campaigning mode. Many Democrats are on the defense after an unusual 3 great elections in a row (1960, 1962, 1964).  Democrats are increasingly vulnerable in the south for their association with the party that passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. Democrats who are seen as “close” to the leadership in Congress or to President are being accused of helping them “deceive the American people” and helping “create a false sense of security for Americans.”  Southern Democrats become increasingly resistant to President Kennedy’s agenda including the stalled health care legislation.

November 1966 Election Results

Important Gubernatorial Elections:

Former Attorney General defeats Lt. Governor Malcolm Wilson for Governor of New York.
Republican George Christopher defeats Democrat Pat Brown for Governor of California.

United States Senate:

Democratic Party: 69 (-6)
Republican Party: 31 (+6)

Paul Douglas (D) is defeated by Charles Percy (R.) in Illinois

Mark Hatfield (R.) defeats Robert Duncan in Oregon

Marshall Parker (R.) defeats Ernest Hollings in South Carolina
Howard Baker (R.) defeats Frank Clement in Tennessee

B. Everett Jordan is defeated by John Shallcross (R.) in North Carolina

In a shake up, David Treen (R.) defeats incumbent Senator Allen Ellender, unexpectedly, in Louisiana.

United States House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 298 (-20)
Republican Party: 137 (+20)

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

About California: Is Reagan dead because of the bombings? Is that why he isn't elected Governor of California?

[sentinel]

About California: Is Reagan dead because of the bombings? Is that why he isn't elected Governor of California?

Its a butterfly I put in. Due to the events that happened he never speaks at the Republican National Convention and thus never runs for Governor.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

^^ Do people usually credit that with why Reagan got into politics?

[sentinel]

^^ Do people usually credit that with why Reagan got into politics?

Yeah, he really got involved once Goldwater ran and people wanted him to run after his "Time for Choosing" speech. Goldwater doesn't run in this, the Republicans nominate a moderate instead, Reagan never gives that speech or anything on that level.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Will we see Goldwater, or someone like him in the future?

[MorningInAmerica]

Any time line involving nuclear destruction is cool in my book. Great job at keeping me reading! Hope to see this one updates soon.

[sentinel]

I'm only going to do one or two more fast updates on this time-line; however, I will give it a proper send off when I bring it to a close. I really would like to get started on America in 2050 (I already did )

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

I'm only going to do one or two more fast updates on this time-line; however, I will give it a proper send off when I bring it to a close. I really would like to get started on America in 2050 (I already did )

It's nice to see a timeline actually reach a conclusion. I'm looking forward to 2050.

[sentinel]

So, I'm about to update a few times in a row. I think I'll end the timeline tonight.


January 1967

President Kennedy gives his second to last State of the Union Address, but on the day of, one Senator from the South switches his party to the Republican Party saying that “the Democratic Party has left me.”

President Kennedy outlines his ideas for the next year including substantial immigration reform
Kennedy Approval:  54%

Disapproval: 40%

Kennedy Approval in South: 37%

Green (or darker green): Shows approval of Kennedy
Red (or darker red): Shows disapproval of Kennedy
(Reminder of the last election results)

United States Senate:

Democratic Party: 68
Republican Party: 32

United States House of Representatives:

Democratic Party: 298
Republican Party: 137

Through 1967 President Kennedy Is able to pass some legislation but after a botched incident where an American Battleship, under a mischievous American Commander off the coast of North Korea, came into conflict with a Soviet and North Korean flotilla. Kennedy ordered the battleship to redirect as to avoid the flotilla since he had not responded to his other superiors but the battleship ignored President Kennedy’s orders until another Admiral on the boat to discharge the mischievous officer. This incident made Kennedy, who was seen as strong leader by many, look incompetent to many Americans. His approval rating began to sink from there.

The rest of the year no substantial legislation is passed due to increasing dissatisfaction with trajectory of the Democratic Party –especially in the House of Representatives. Most of the dissenting Democratic Senators have either become Republicans or were voted out in the previous election cycle.

Late in the year Michigan Governor George Romney, New York Governor Nelson Rockefellar and Kansas Senator Frank Carlson announce that they will be candidates for the Republican nomination in 1968. Frank Carlson is running from the right as the conservative candidate.
Vice President Stuart Symington, Alabama Governor George Wallace, South Dakota Senator George McGovern and Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine announce that they will seek the Democratic nomination for President in 1968.

1968

Governor George Romney and Frank Carlson are soundly defeated in the first primary in New Hampshire by Governor Nelson Rockefellar. After losing the following primary Romney stops actively campaigning for the nomination in the primaries.

Final Primary Results:

Gov. Nelson Rockefellar – 9 states 44.753% 1,145,676 votes
Senator Frank Carlson – 8 states 43.247% 1,107,123 votes
Gov. George Romney – 12% 307,200 votes

Before the convention, former President Dwight D. Eisenhower and former Vice President Richard Nixon, who was widely expected to run but declined, endorsed Nelson Rockefeller.
At the Republican National Convention, Governor George Romney pledges his support for Governor Nelson Rockefeller. In return, George Romney is picked as the Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States.

Governor Nelson Rockefellar after his nomination.

Vice Presidential Nominee Governor George Romney with his son Mitt Romney after the convention.

On the Democratic side, in an upset, Senator Edmund Muskie wins in New Hampshire and eventually in New Jersey and Maryland. California, Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin all go for Symington. South Dakota and Nebraska fall in the McGovern camp. Wallace grabs Florida but fails to gain traction in other states.


At the convention, Symington is nominated but there are huge segregated protests outside. There are whites protestors arguing for Wallace to be given the nomination while black protestors want more representation at the nomination, and want a black nominee. There is a third group, that is largely ostracized from both protests, which are protesting against capitalism and “the man.” These people don’t like Wallace either.


The day Symington is supposed to be nominated violence ensues between the two groups of protestors and police. President Kennedy had been on his way to the convention to speak before the nomination but he is delayed due to the violence. Many delegates believe that Kennedy might be able to appeal to the protestors to stop the violence but he was unable to reach the convention safely.

Vice President Symington

Senator Edmund Muskie

In the end, the police make many arrests but not while looking horrible on national television. Americans see images of blacks and whites fighting and police beatings on protestors.
Symington is nominated and Edmund Muskie is nominated for Vice President for the Democratic Party. George Wallace announces that he will run as a third party.


Simultaneously, the Soviet Union and President Kennedy have been working together on negotiating a nuclear arms reduction treaty. Governor Rockefeller and Vice President Symington both pledge to continue President Kennedy’s work on this if it is not finished by the end of his term. It is also becoming clear that the remainder of President Kennedy’s agenda will not get through Congress, however; small reforms are possible.

[sentinel]

During the Presidential debate of 1968, Governor George Wallace is not allowed to debate with Vice President Symington and Governor Rockefeller. Rockefeller during the debate bluntly says that he doesn’t know how much he can trust the Vice President for being part of cover-up of the assassination of Vice President Johnson. Rockefeller explains that he agrees that it was necessary to keep secret until after the war ended but not for years after the war ended. Rockefeller says the next line, which will haunt him down the road, “It is clear who won the war.

1968 Presidential Election

*Puerto Rico votes for Symington/Muskie [6 EV]

Kennedy Approval on Election Day: 43%


Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York / Governor George Romney of Michigan – 366 Electoral Votes – 46% Popular Vote

Vice President Stuart Symington of Missouri / Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine – 101 Electoral Votes – 38% Popular vote

Governor George Wallace of Alabama / General Curtis LeMay of Ohio  -- 77 Electoral Votes – 16% Popular Vote

United States Senate:
Democratic Party: 59 (-10)
Republican Party: 43 (+10)

United States House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 241 (-60)
Republican Party: 198 (+60)

*Puerto Rico elects one Democrat Senator and one Republican Senator in addition to 3 Democratic Representatives and 1 Republican. This is not included in the gains/losses for each party.

The Rockefeller Administration

President Rockefeller immediately upon taking office attempts to continue negotiations with the Soviet Union on arms reduction but in a public statement the Soviet Foreign Minister decries Rockefeller’s statement in the debates about “knowing who really won.”  Rockefeller responds to the comments “It was clear. We and our allies helped the Soviet Union rebuild their cities, we and our allies helped feed their people and we and our allies helped care for their people.” The Soviets respond by pulling out of the arms reduction treaty, however; the Soviet Union’s “republics” are increasingly demanding independence as the government becomes unstable due to a power void due to the death of the Soviet Premier.
The United States still occupies Cuba and questions remain as to what the United States will do with Cuba in the future.

Cuba has its own government, set up by the United States, but the current status of its people is complex legally. Some nations have called for the United Nations to step in, but they have no yet (unknowingly to the American people due to Rockefeller’s UN Ambassador’s threat to have the President pull funding for the UN).
Rockefellers first two years in office are very successful domestically, passing comprehensive immigration reform as well as lowering the income tax while adding a Value Added Tax.

 In the November 1970 midterm elections the Republican Party’s losses are minimal.


United States Senate:
Democratic Party: 58 (No Change)
Republican Party: 42

United States House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 243 (+5)
Republican Party: 192 (-5)

Little has charged internationally since Rockefeller took office other than a quietly deteriorating relationship between the US and USSR.

[sentinel]

On the eve of  January 1st 1971, North Korea with the backing of China invades South Korea. Japan and the United States both send military forces to South Korea to repel the invasion. The American people are supportive of South Korea’s defense. The USSR complains of the US interference but does not have the capacity to join in the war with the United States, nor was China backed by the USSR.

By April 1971 President Rockefeller sends 50,000 more American soldiers to South Korea.
By the end of the year, the North Korean government is in exile in China and American, Japanese and South Korean forces are barely holding onto the border between China and former North Korea.

Rockefellers approval rating remains high through the end of 1971.
In 1972, Rockefeller announces that he will run for a second term with Vice President Romney as his running mate.

Senator George McGovern, Governor Terry Sanford of North Carolina, Senator John Lindsay of New York, and Senator Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota announce that they will seek the Democratic nomination for the Presidency.

The primary battle was  a long one with all the candidates winning selective states, but the nomination battle was decided on the convention floor. After a battle between Senator McGovern and Governor Sanford, Sanford emerges as the winner picking Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana to be his running mate.

In summer 1972 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania declare that they are independent of the Soviet Union. The USSR issues a condemning statement but takes no action against them besides cutting off trade and supplies, which the United States and her allies happily provide.
The debates between Rockefeller and Sanford are watched by over 80% of American households with televisions. Gallup found that in two out of the three debates Rockefeller won by a small margin, the other Sanford won within the margin of error.

President Nelson Rockefeller / Vice President George Romney – 480 EV, 58% Popular Vote
*Rockefeller carries Puerto Rico

Governor Terry Sanford / Senator Birch Bayh – 66 EV, 41% Popular Vote

The only surprise of the night was that the Sanford/Bayh ticket carried as many states as they did.

[sentinel]

United States Senate:
Democratic Party: 51 (-7)
Republican Party: 51 (+7)
Republicans now control the Senate (VP cast tie breaking vote)
United States House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 218 (-25)
Republican Party: 210 (+25)

1973

Five days before being inaugurated for a second term, President Nelson Rockefeller is shot by a would-be assassin –who turns out to be a Korean nationalist and party of an underground Korean nationalist organization whose militant based agenda is to get US troops out of Korea. While in the chaos and then surgery, the Rockefeller cabinet enacts the 24th Amendment making Vice President George Romney, Acting President. This is the first time the 24th Amendment is invoked.


President Rockefeller powers devolve back upon him a week later when he left the hospital. The President is expected to make a full recovery.

The United States manages to hold the frontline at the Chinese-Korean border while South Korea begins plans to assimilate North Korea into their society.

1974

Protests begin to take place in Cuba demanding the removal of US troops from the island.
Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine declare independence from the USSR. The USSR loses its satellites in Europe as well.

United States Senate:

Democratic Party: 52 (+1)
Republican Party: 50 (-1)
Democratic control of the Senate

United States House of Representatives:
Democratic Party: 220 (+2)
Republican Party: 210 (-2)

No surprises in the midterm elections. The popular President Rockefeller manages to minimize losses for his party.

1975

In response to taunting by China, Japan announces that even though they “would never use such destructive force” have developed working hydrogen bombs. China had successfully tested several hydrogen bombs.

1976

Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina and Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland will challenge Vice President George Romney for the nomination for the Republican Party.
Governor of New York and former Attorney General Bobby Kennedy announces that he will be running for the Democratic nomination for President. Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana and Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota will also be running.

After a tough primary fight the Republican party shifts right and nominates Senator Jesse Helms to be their nominee. Helms picks Governor James Thompson of Illinois as his running mate.

Bobby Kennedy quickly wins the Democratic nomination picking Former Defense Secretary Robert McNamara as his running mate. This becomes one of the most recent “dual party” tickets in history.

IT is an uphill battle for both parties. Bobby Kennedy apologizes for the Johnson cover-up but Helm’s attacks on Kennedy’s honesty will persist.  Helm’s is running on Rockefeller’s record but says that more conservative views are needed to keep the nation on track and that “President Rockefeller kept the nation from running off the track after the Kennedy years,” however some see Helms as “trying to have his cake and eat it too” while running on the President’s record and trying to be much more conservative than the President.

*Kennedy/McNamara win Puerto Rico’s 6 Electoral Votes

Governor Bobby Kennedy / Secretary Robert McNamara – 275 Electoral Votes – 49% Popular Vote

Senator Jesse Helms / Governor James Thompson – 269 Electoral Votes – 48% Popular Vote
Governor Bobby Kennedy inches out a victory but is clearly hurt by his record as Attorney General.

Inauguration Day 1977

On Inauguration Day in 1977, a nuclear missile is launched at American and Japanese forces in South Korea and it explodes killing thousands. President Rockefeller orders a full retaliation, but no nuclear launches.
Sensing an opportunity, the falling apart Soviet Union, launches a nuclear attack at the United States and her European allies.

France and the United Kingdom respond in the same manner.

A nuclear Soviet submarine off the coast of the United States launches at Washington DC, it misses but the aftershock is felt at the Capitol sending the inauguration into a frenzy around 11:38am.

President Rockefeller orders a nuclear assault against China and the Soviet Union. Intelligence says that the United States will most likely get hit within the next thirty minutes.
In the condominium, no one knows where the limousine with the Vice President-elect, Robert McNamara, has gone.

Secret Service is trying to rush President-elect Kennedy to a secure location but he is refusing and keeps yelling about how he needs to be Rockefeller so he can “put an end to this immediately.”

Very soon after, major US cities are hit. Washington DC is hit square on. The underground bunker that President Rockefeller is in collapses in on itself killing the President...or former President. No one is particularly sure. This attack also kills the entire Rockefeller cabinet and 90% of Congress.

Within minutes of that, while in transit, the car with Bobby Kennedy in it spins out of control due to the aftershock of the attack on DC, killing everyone in the car.

[Former?] Vice President George Romney is betrayed by a Secret Service Agent. Bobby Kennedy was wrong. We never were safe after Vice President Johnson's death.

Within an hour, the leaders of the major world powers were gone. The major urban centers from  New York to London to Tokyo to Beijing were all gone. Millions of lives gone. Within an hour the Armageddon had begun and ended.

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

A chilling end to a chilling timeline. Nice job.