Camelot Anew, Chapter Two: The Reagan Revolution

[MAINEiac4434]

Camelot Anew
Chapter Two
The Reagan Revolution

Coming Soon

[MAINEiac4434]

Previously on Camelot Anew

“We’re getting some extremely disturbing news here...Senator Kennedy has reportedly been shot at the Ambassador Hot--I’m sorry, the Senator is apparently unharmed, and the assailant has been pacified. Senator Kennedy has been shot AT, but he has not been wounded, thank God.”

"It was the most remarkable thing I’d ever seen. Bobby grabbed a megaphone, got on top of a police car, and asked everyone to be calm. And they listened. Both the protesters and the police."
-excerpt from an interview with Richard Daley, July 10, 1998

"I know that many of you feel like your voices are not being heard, that no one truly represents you. I understand. The war in Vietnam is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions. I know many of you are angry that nothing seems to be done about it, that the Democratic Party's establishment is committed to continuing the war. But I'm here to tell you, that as long as I'm standing I will oppose this war. And if I'm lucky enough to be elected your president, then I promise you, the war will be over before the next presidential election.

"I also have a message for the police officers. I know that you are under orders to suppress this demonstration. But I beg of you, let them hold a nonviolent march. It reflects poorly, not only on your department or your city but our great nation in its entirety to see unarmed young people being harassed by police. As a nation, we must be better than that. I beg of you, officers, from the bottom of my heart: allow them to protest unmolested!"

"All those who wish to nominate Senator Robert Francis Kennedy of New York as the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States, say aye! All opposed say nay! The ayes have it!!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, we can call the Presidency. Robert F. Kennedy has won California and its 40 electoral votes. With California, he's on 286 electoral college votes, 16 over the bare minimum of 270. Robert F. Kennedy has been elected President of the United States!

"I Robert Francis Kennedy do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"Ted, this is Bobby. You still have that single payer plan, right? Do it."

"Ultimately, what we have done here, is mirror the Korean agreement. We've established a demilitarized zone in between North and South Vietnam, an international monitoring committee nearly identical to the one set up in Korea, staffed by military services of nations neutral in the conflict."
-excerpt from an interview with Secretary Vance Hartke, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, July 14, 1969.

July 20, 1969

That's one small step for man...one giant leap for mankind.

President Kennedy had a brief, interplanetary conversation with Commander Armstrong.
-Pierre Salinger during an impromptu press conference, the evening of July 20, 1969

[MAINEiac4434]

"I am extremely proud to sign this bill to establish a free, national healthcare system for all Americans...this means all Americans, young and old, rich and poor, can have access to high quality, life saving treatment. This bill will save lives, and America will be better for it."

Imperceptible though they may seem, the Ripples of Hope are turning into giant waves, and one day the wave will crash down on this government, and a government by the people from the people and for the people, all the people, shall ring from the cliffs of the Cape to the plains of Highveld, from the farms of Gauteng to the streets of Port Elizabeth, from the sands of the Karoo to the forests of Natal!

If we want an end to violence, if we want an end to crime, if we want to truly solve these problems, radical measures must be taken. No one needs to have an assault rifle, used only on the battlefields. These weapons are used only to maim and kill other human beings, and terrify the people of this nation. No one needs a sniper rifle like the one that took Martin Luther King's life in Memphis that fateful day, or the one that took my brother's life in Dallas. If you want to protect your home and your livelihood and go hunting, you still can. The tiered weapons system will make everyone safer, prevent a criminal or an imbalanced person from acquiring something which could cause major damage. I implore congress to pass my bill.

July 9, 1971

"The time is now, to make our streets safe again! The time is now to fight for average Americans! The time is now-"

Gunshots

"It is 9:04 in the east, and we can call the Presidency.

"Robert F. Kennedy has been reelected president of the United States.

"CBS News can project the President has won Virginia, 12 electoral votes, Wisconsin, 11 electoral votes, and Minnesota, 10 electoral votes. That is the bare minimum needed to be elected President. It was thought to be a short night, and it is a short night. Polls have not even closed in physically half the country, and we have called the presidency. Astonishing."

[MAINEiac4434]

Admired by young and old. The President in Los Angeles, March 27, 1976.

[MAINEiac4434]

Part I: Welcome to the Reagan Show

"Me? President? [laughter]"

[MAINEiac4434]

8 years of Reagan. Should be interesting.

lol

[MAINEiac4434]

Alright, since you’re all about to find out anyway: Reagan is this timeline’s Carter.

[MAINEiac4434]

Get out!

[MAINEiac4434]

Wait so there's an EVEN BIGGER D Realignment?

Reagan's problems are largely outside of his control, having to do with Iran, energy and a slowing economy. He also seeks to cut many of the social programs Kennedy enacted, which make him unpopular among rural poor people.

Fundamentally, Kennedy's survival made the United States of America significantly more liberal than it is in the real world. Because of the social programs he enacted, rural poors never defect the party as they did in our world, which combined with the Democrats' advantage with minorities and in the cities gives them a large advantage in most presidential elections.

There are three more Republican presidents after Reagan, though, and one wins the popular vote while losing the electoral college.

Each President until the 1996 election is a real-world foil.

[MAINEiac4434]

"I [expletive] love Ronnie Thompson. First GOP governor of Georgia since reconstruction. Hardcore righty. Made Reagan look like Nixon. Made Nixon look like Rocky. Made Rocky look like Mao."

[MAINEiac4434]

Wait so there's an EVEN BIGGER D Realignment?

Reagan's problems are largely outside of his control, having to do with Iran, energy and a slowing economy. He also seeks to cut many of the social programs Kennedy enacted, which make him unpopular among rural poor people.

Fundamentally, Kennedy's survival made the United States of America significantly more liberal than it is in the real world. Because of the social programs he enacted, rural poors never defect the party as they did in our world, which combined with the Democrats' advantage with minorities and in the cities gives them a large advantage in most presidential elections.

There are three more Republican presidents after Reagan, though, and one wins the popular vote while losing the electoral college.

Each President until the 1996 election is a real-world foil.

I hope that one who wins the Popular Vote but loses the EC is a certain Republican Senator from California. 

I've already said too much!

[MAINEiac4434]

Sooo hyped! I know Reagan (and McGovern for the primaries) will win, but go Bayh!
So the Democrats are McGovern, Chisolm, Bayh, Jackson, Hartke and Wallace, while the Republicans are Reagan, Thompson, Smith and Lindsay?
Also, who are the last two who declared they won't run after Teddy?

Edmund Muskie, Kennedy’s Secretary of State after Hartke, and Cesar Chavez, Kennedy’s Agriculture Secretary.

[MAINEiac4434]

“Bobby’s problem is that he left no clear successor. McGovern was out there on the nightly news every night talking up Bobby’s proposals. While Bayh and Hartke actually served quite closely with the President, McGovern was often the face of the President’s agenda in the Senate - even moreso than Teddy. Scoop, Wallace, Chisholm never really stood a chance. Personally I wanted Mo Udall or Ed Muskie to jump in...”

[MAINEiac4434]

"Heading into Super Tuesday, Reagan had a commanding lead. There was no question he was gonna win the nominaton. Smith and Lindsay had both left. Thompson was giving Ron headaches, but nothing too bad. The Dems, though, heading into Super Tuesday, were just [expletive] divided."

Senator George McGovern (SD), 31.8%
Vice President Birch Bayh (IN), 28.2%
Former Secretary Vance Hartke (IN), 22.6%
Governor George Wallace (AL), 12.8%
Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson (WA), 2.1%
Secretary Shirley Chisholm (NY), 1.9%
Uncommitted: 0.6%

"George had kind of been able to score these narrow victories because me and Vance kept splitting the vote - that's why McGovern won Indiana. I was riding high on big wins in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, Vance on Wisconsin and Texas, where George Wallace was disqualified from the ballot. But McGovern won big in West Virginia - the biggest win for anyone thus far - and then won Maryland and Michigan, and we felt like he was gonna sweep the nomination. Super Tuesday was here, and he had just scooped up Church's endorsement. By the time the night was over, we had our nominee."

"Thank you Oregon! When this campaign started, no one gave us a chance. But we've fought like hell, and now we stand here, ready to win the Democratic nomination! Not bad for a little boy from South Dakota!"

[MAINEiac4434]

Alright, since you’re all about to find out anyway: Reagan is this timeline’s Carter.

Does that mean Carter will be this timeline's Reagan?

No, another Democrat emerges in 1980. Someone very near to my heart...

[MAINEiac4434]

No, another Democrat emerges in 1980. Someone very near to my heart...

Gary Hart?

Nah. Probably Ted Kennedy

Even if you guys guess right I wouldn’t confirm it.

But I love the speculation!

[MAINEiac4434]

Since you appear to be a Maine Liberal,

Feel the Ed?

Good guess. But like I said, even if you did get it, I wouldn't confirm it.

Remember, George Mitchell's in the Senate at this point, too...

[MAINEiac4434]

"We were not afraid of McGovern. Paradoxically, I don't think McGovern was afraid of us. He thought he could wrap himself in Bobby, carry the Kennedy banner forward. We thought because we had a literal actor as our candidate, we could look polished, experienced and presidential before we even got to the White House. The campaign was close. We were afraid it would come down to a couple thousand votes in one state, like California. Before the conventions we were literally neck-and-neck, with a huge number of undecideds."

Gallup poll, July 30, 1976
Who do you support in the 1976 Presidential election?
Senator George McGovern (D-SD): 42.6%
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (R-CA): 42.3%
Other/Undecided: 15.1%

[MAINEiac4434]

[MAINEiac4434]

Alright, since you’re all about to find out anyway: Reagan is this timeline’s Carter.

Never give this crap away!

Anyway, who was the ‘72 nominee?

Rockefeller.

[MAINEiac4434]

Alright, since you’re all about to find out anyway: Reagan is this timeline’s Carter.

Never give this crap away!

Anyway, who was the ‘72 nominee?

Rockefeller.

ew

Barry Goldwater ran as the American Independent candidate and took a decent percentage of the popular vote but won no electoral votes.

[MAINEiac4434]

Yo this is gonna be embarrassing but who's the GOP VP nominee? The Dems is a representative from North Carolina but dang I thought I knew most politicians Bc I'm a geek for this stuff 😂, this is a truly amazing TL tho!

Ronnie Thompson, Governor of Georgia

So, being the creator of this TL, I made 1974 a small Republican wave. Normally, I would've kept the Georgia gubernatorial election the same. But I became infatuated with the story of Ronnie Thompson, the arch-conservative Republican who lost to George Busbee in 1974. I thought he complimented Reagan nicely, and Thompson's meteoric rise sets him up for a nice fall later on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_gubernatorial_election,_1974

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Thompson_(Georgia_politician)

[MAINEiac4434]

I love when modern politicians like Hillary get cameos here

IRL Hillary and Bill ran McGovern's campaign in Texas, so I'm shouting them out for the McGovern campaign.

[MAINEiac4434]

You got any a’ those primary maps?

Former Governor Ronald Reagan (CA) - 67.82%
Governor Ronnie Thompson (GA) - 20.15%
Former Senator Margaret Chase Smith (ME) - 10.02
Others: 2.01%

Senator George McGovern (SD) - 45.18%
Vice President Birch Bayh (IN) - 21.92%
Former Secretary Vance Hartke (IN) - 19.45%
Governor George Wallace (AL) - 11.78%
Others: 1.67%

[MAINEiac4434]

Bayh won South Dakota :0

Mistake!