Vice, Virtue, and Independence (A Different Path, Chapter 2)

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Smith 68!

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Honestly, Johnson might just be the best D candidate here. If I had to rate all the candidates it'd probably be:

1. Chase Smith

2. Romney
3. Johnson (down because of the scandal; otherwise is a bit better than Romney)
4. Udall

5. Nixon
6. McGovern

7. Goldwater

8. Wallace

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Smith is polling well in NH... I hope she stages an upset! Also, this update was great, like always.

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Israel should've fought harder to retain the Golan Heights, the Syrians don't deserve that gem.

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GO SMITH!

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C'mon Maggie, with this Democratic field, you're our only hope!

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Great story! Just a small issue: when you have long headlines, could you make them not marquee'd/moving? It's very hard to read some of it when there are, like, three lines of moving text

Second this. Also, this is great! I have a pretty good prediction on Udall's realization

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Wow, Lyndon. Nontheless, Goldwater will win- but this is fascinating.

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It's unfortunate that he's running with Smathers, but Johnson '68 I guess.

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Wow this is crazy. Since it's not an organized party, I guess Smathers doesn't just assume the top of the ticket. But I also guess they will be on the ballot, so LBJ's independent bid might just be able to be replaced? This is fascinating, can't wait for more.

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Three things:

I like the general story from the campaign and to the administration being spaced out but can the actual election night posts be closer together?

Also, can we get some posts about who JFK endorses or how he feels about this?

Finally, this is terrific!

1) if you mean in time, yes, I try to post 2 a day but I'm getting medical tests done (I may have cancer) so I've been busy. There will be at least one update when I get home later today.

2) JFK made a point of not endorsing anyone. After the election I'll do a Kennedy POV.

3) thanks!

I very much hope you're well.

Also, this is thrilling! I'm already hopeful for Bobby or someone else in the next election, because these two are atrocious. Still rooting for Goldwater because, well, with the exceprion of Maggy Smith, I'd rather have a Democrat beat incumbent Goldwater than a Republican beat Wallace.

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Oh well, at least we have the first kinda-Jewish President of the United States

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Wait, McGovern?!?! He will get beat by even Goldwater!

We don't know why JFK is calling him, do we? Can't wait for more, this is a really good story.

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I wonder if Agnew is going to run for President in 1976.

There's also Ashbrook (who you've forshadowed as a potential contender), Schweiker, Dole, Dirksen and Church all could run in the not too distant future.

I'm not giving anything away except that Dirksen will die at the same time as IRL (September of '69). All of these except him are possible and plausible contenders, along with several elected in '68 (e.g. Collins, McGovern, Packwood, Connally, Ervin, maybe even Javits, Renne, or Peden). Throw in Howard Baker, the Kennedys, Scoop Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, John Glenn, Reagan (regardless of who wins in '72 he'll likely run in '76) and Hatfield and the 70's are sure to be an interesting time!

Also somewhat unrelated but worth mentioning, the butterfly effect will get stronger as time goes on.

And an idea I've been flirting with is attempting (and I do mean attempting, absolutely no promises with how crazy the past few months have been in my personal life + how busy I usually am) to reach 2020 ITTL by the time the RL 2020 election happens, then following that election in "real time." It'll be vastly different circumstances (also an open election) so it should be interesting to compare my TL to RL.

That would be interesting, I appreciate your dedication and wish you luck in this

Also: GLENNNNNNN. I met him irl when he visited my school with Ambassador Shapiro so I'm biased, if he becomes President here I'll be so happy

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Daamn. In this TL I'd probably be a war supporter, but this is going to get dirty. Also RIP Eshkol and Eisenhower, major FFs.

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Oh boy... Serving is gonna change Donald, that's for sure.

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The American offensive in Vietnam started out quite successfully. The North Vietnamese were pushed out of Saigon, and, with time, back up to the DMZ, thus regaining all the land lost during the Tet Offensive. However, past that line, the Viet Cong dug in and turned to guerilla warfare, which was wildly successful on their home turf against their conventionally-trained adversaries. As time went on, Goldwater sent more and more American troops into foreign jungles, and more and more came home - in body bags. College campuses began to see unrest as the younger generation started to turn against Goldwater and the war (to the extent that they had ever been in favor of either in the first place). However, the general public still broadly supported both the President and the war against Communism. The price of dead soldiers’ lives was worth it to stop domino theory from becoming reality - for now.

This is creepily identical to the words used by my International Relations in the 20th Century professor when we learned about the Vietnam War yesterday

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Trump gets taken prisoner WITH McCain?! I love it.

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March 18, 1971
John

“So I am today announcing that I will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 1972.”

Endorsed!

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Couldn't Trump just sit on someone in the helicopter?
But in any case, this is marvelously written.

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Massive FF Reagan ITTL!

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Damn, this is fascinating. I hope the McGovern amendament doesn't pass- it's dangerous and will weaken the U.S. Anyway, go Lindsay! And I hope Chisholm performs better than expected, that would be fitting after Wallace.

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Humphrey/Jackson, let's go!