The Party Left Me

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 4: Election Night, '68, Camelot Reborn or Reaganlution 12 Years Early? Pt II

10:00

Cronkite: "It's 10 PM and we have some more projections. Senator Kennedy thought the West was in play and attempted to campaign there for a few days before giving up as Ronald Reagan will now carry the states of Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. a few of those States are usually Democratic strongholds but today they are going Republican. We can also call the state of Florida, with most of the vote in, for Robert Kennedy. Despite thoughts from everyone, Robert Kennedy campaigned long and hard here and won the state, a victory that he needed. Senator Kennedy is back leading the Popular Vote with 43% of it to Reagan's 41% and Wallace's 15% of it and the Senator is still in the lead with 197 to Governor Reagan's 148 and First Gentleman Wallace's 53. Only 140 Electoral Votes left to be called and it seems that there is still no clear winner in sight. Reagan is in the lead in both Illinois and Texas while Senator Kennedy is leading in Tennessee and North Carolina. These two candidates are showing how strong they are as it is very rare for states to be called when their polls first close."

Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 197/43%
Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 148/41%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/15%

Hillary Clinton: "It was close and we even thought we might lose. Then, 40 minutes later, 3 more states were called and we won of the three. We were ecstatic about it...in hindsight, we probably celebrated way too early."

10:40

Cronkite: "It's 10:40 and we have three more projections. Governor Reagan will carry the 26 Electoral Votes in Illinois as he wins it by 5 points. Ford's appeal and Senator Percy's Endorsement probably aided the California Governor in winning this state. In North Carolina, Senator Kennedy Barely wins as he leads with only a few dozen precincts left in the entire state. In Tennessee, Senator Kennedy will also win as he leads Regan by 4 points and Wallace by 6 points with most of the vote in. This means that Senator Kennedy is at 221 Electoral Votes to Governor Reagan's 174 and First Gentleman Wallace's 53. Reagan has regained the lead in the National Popular vote, however."

Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 221/42.7%
Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 174/42.9%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/13.4%

Ford: "We all thought it was over. I even thought it was over. But Trump kept saying "Something's up, keep watching Tennessee. Tennessee has something tricky going on." Many of us listened to him but we had little hope. Sure enough though, as if by some miracle of god, just 15 minutes later, Something amazing happened."

10:55

Cronkite: "It's 10:55 PM and we have something to state before we make a projection. In the state of Tennessee, Kennedy is no longer the winner with Reagan leading him by 3 points after a bunch of votes were counted in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Nashville. In the state of Texas, however, Ronald Reagan narrowly beats Wallace and wins it's 25 Electoral Votes. I repeat, Reagan has just won the key state of Texas over Wallace."

Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 210/42.8%
Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 199/43.1%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/14%

Bobby: "I broke out the Champagne...I guess I did it a bit too early."

11:05

Cronkite: "It's 11:05 PM and we have 4 new projections. In the state of Oregon, Reagan wins it handedly by 15 points. In Nevada and Colorado, both are almost close, with Reagan having a moderate lead in both states. Finally, in his home state of California, leading by 21%, Governor Reagan ends Kennedy's lead himself as he now takes the lead in both the Electoral Vote and the Popular vote. I repeat, Reagan is at 245 to Kennedy's 210 and Wallace's 53."

Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 245/43.8%
Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 210/42.1%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/14%

Giuliani: "In that very moment, with us leading in Tennessee, Washington, and Nevada, we believed that we were going to win. Nothing was certain, though. We still needed 25 Electoral Votes in order to win. Alaska was a given for us so that means that we needed to win in Tennessee or we were done for."

12:02

Cronkite: "It's now 12:02 AM and in the states of Nevada and Washington, Governor Reagan wins, bringing him to 257 Electoral Votes, meaning he is only 13 Electoral Votes away from being elected President. Reagan is leading Kennedy by 2 points in the Popular vote with 42% to Kennedy's 40% and Wallace's 17%. Alaska is guaranteed for the Republicans so now it all relies on Tennessee, which is essentially tied, for Reagan to win."

Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 257/42%
Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 210/40%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/17%

Bayh: "Everyone was biting their nails. Ted was. Bobby was. I was. It all depended on Tennessee. Tennessee, Tennessee, Tennessee. That state, while not important in any other election, could mean win or lose here. Finally, at 12:43, we had our answer."

12:43

Cronkite: "It's 12:43 and we can project that the state of Tennessee and it's 11 Electoral Votes will go to Governor Reagan, placing him at 268 Electoral Votes. Bobby had hoped to win here as his running mate was from this State but the key state of Tennessee will go to Governor Reagan. Reagan is only 2 Electoral Votes away from winning and with Alaska already expected to go to him, Reagan will most likely be elected the 37th President of the United States."

Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 268/43%
Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 210/41%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/15%

Atwater: "It became a zoo, but who could blame us? We [expletive] won and showed those [expletive] scumbags what for! Trump was saying "Congratulations, Mr. President", we received a message from Bobby Kennedy conceding the race, and Ford was breaking out champagne. Reagan won and Bobby didn't get to go to the House. In that one moment, we felt like we were on top of the [expletive] world."

1:11

Cronkite: "It's 1:11 AM and we can project that last two states in this Election. the state of Hawaii, with its 4 Electoral Votes will go to Senator Kennedy while the state of Alaska, with its 3 Electoral Votes, has solidly chosen Reagan. This means, with 271 Electoral Votes, Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan of California will be the 37th President of the United States and his Running Mate Gerald Rudolph Ford will be the 39th Vice President of the United States."

Governor Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Representative Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr (R-MI): 271/42.6% √
Senator Robert Francis Kennedy (D-NY)/Governor Earl Buford Ellington (D-TN): 210/42.1%
First Gentleman George Corely Wallace Jr. (I-AL)/Former United States Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis Emerson LeMay (I-OH): 53/15.2%



GOVERNOR RONALD WILSON REAGAN OF CALIFORNIA ELECTED 37TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Bobby: "I messaged him "Congratulations on winning" and then I ended it and gave my concession speech. It was a fun ride by I have a feeling Reagan knew he had me beat."

"...I think it's safe to say that this was a victory for everyone. For the working class, to those who know that Vietnam is winnable. For the Working Class and the common Conservatism. We were given a hand of Liberalism and instead of being forced to swallow another four years of it, America choose the ideas of Conservatism, ideas they hadn't seen for 40 years. I promise you, I will be President for those at the top and those at the bottom. And I swear to you, AMERICA WILL BE GREAT AGAIN!!!..."

- President-Elect Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA) giving his victory speech on November 6th, 1968 at 1:13 AM, after having barely won the election with 271 Electoral Votes

Next Chapter: Ronnie's first days in the Oval Office

[OSR stands with Israel]

I think Kennedy would have won IL while Reagan wins VA and FL

[Huey Long is a Republican]

I think Kennedy would have won IL while Reagan wins VA and FL

It was close but Bobby won VA and FL because of Wallace splitting the Vote and Reagan not really campaigning in those two states. Reagan knew the East Coast was Bobby territory so he didn't even bother. Plus, Buford helped him win in those states (and NC) but Reagan won IL due to a large a mount of factors, including but not limited to:

- Heavy focus on Campaigning in Springfield

- Charles Percy's Endorsement

- No States Rights stuff when it comes to the CRA

- Gerald Ford

- Bobby's lack of enthusiasm in IL following the debate (would you want to visit the very same state you were whooped really good by your opponent in?)

- The Reagan campaign getting Turnout in the state for the GOP higher than in 1960.

Anyways, other than that, thoughts on the direction of this TL?

[Huey Long is a Republican]

which would you want to see first?

The House and Senate or Ronnie's first days in Office?

[Huey Long is a Republican]

House of Representatives, 1968

238-197

Senate, 1968

50-50 (Republican VP [+1])

* - Incumbent Senator/Party

+ - Gain

Senate Seats (flips from OTL)

Arkansas Senatorial Election

Charles T. Bernard: 51.3% √+
J. William Fulbright: 48.7%*

California Senatorial Election

Max Rafferty: 52.5% √*
Alan Cranston: 47.5%

Connecticut Senatorial Election

Edwin H. May Jr: 50.4% √+
Abraham A. Ribicoff: 49.6%*

Indiana Senatorial Election

William Ruckelshaus: 53.4% √+
Birch Bay: 46.6%*

Iowa Senatorial Election

David M. Stanley: 54.2% √*
Harold Hughes: 45.8%

Missouri Senatorial Election

Thomas B. Curtis: 52.6% √+
Thomas Eagleton: 47.4%*

South Dakota Senatorial Election

Archie M. Gubbrud: 50.2% √+
George McGovern: 49.8%*

Republicans gain 13 seats
Democrats lose 13 seats

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Full Election Result:

[Huey Long is a Republican]

The Reagan Administration

President: Ronald W. Reagan (R-CA)
Vice President: Gerald R. Ford (R-MI)
Secretary of State: Richard M. Nixon (R-NY) [1]
Secretary of Treasury: Robert B. Anderson (R-TX)
Secretary of Defense: Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) [2]
Attorney General: Bob J. Dole (R-KS)
Secretary of the Interior: Clifford Case (R-NJ)
Secretary of Urban Housing and Development: James Rhodes (R-OH)
Secretary of Agriculture: Carl Curtis (R-NE)
Secretary of Commerce: Robert P. Griffin (R-MI)
Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare: Ralph Bunche (R-MI)
Secretary of Transportation: Mark Hatfield (R-OR)
Chief of Staff: Hugh Scott (R-PA)
Press Secretary: Herbert G. Klein (R-CA)

All Special elections end with Republicans winning with ease.

[1] - Retcon #1
[2] - Retcon #2

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 5: Ronnie's First 9 months

"I, Ronald Wilson Reagan, 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."

"The first thing the President wanted to do was get his Tax Cuts pushed through Congress. He worked day and night with Secretary Anderson to make sure it was perfect."

"I was Ronald's Vice President, so he already had my vote and due to it technically being tied in the Senate, I could potentially have these said Tax cuts pass."

"Of course, giving Tax Cuts wasn't the President's only concern. Inflation was rising, though the Tax Bill might be able to decrease the deficit. But Reagan's main concern was Vietnam. In October of last year, North and South Vietnam couldn't find good terms to agree to peace on and so they both walked out. The President knew this was going to happen, so he called General Abrams."

"I remember the President calling me and he asked me, "I want no Bull, Creighton. Be honest with me. How is the war going?" I told him the truth, though I didn't want to. I told him "It's going as well as it can but without Rolling Thunder and extra troops, we're loosing badly." There was silence before I heard the President curse. A few seconds of silence followed before he said "I have my hands full with the Tax Bill but how would Rolling Thunder II and an extra 150,000 Troops for an Invasion of North Vietnam sound?" I grinned, though the President wasn't able to see that, and I said "Sir, that sounds like a late Christmas Present." Reagan told me he would see what he could do and hung up."

"The President had his hands very full and he asked me what I think he should handle first: Vietnam or the Tax Cuts. I told him he to do what he thinks is best. He didn't like that answer very much but he spent hours in the Oval Office thinking. Finally, he came out and told me he knew what he would do."

"Border conflicts was happening between the Soviets and China. It wouldn't take long to remember that North Korea didn't fall to a liberation because the Chinese got involved. It will only take a moron to not know that Reagan was doing something so simple yet so easy by not getting involved in the conflict and just letting both countries rip one another's resources while we liberated all of Vietnam. Then, something remarkable happened."

"It was remakable for us. Not so much for the Chinese or Soviets. On March 2nd, a group of People’s Liberation Army troops ambushed Soviet border guards on Zhenbao Island. The Soviets suffered 58 dead, including a senior colonel, and 94 wounded. The Chinese suffered 29 dead. They retaliated on March 15th by bombarding Chinese troop concentrations on the Chinese bank of the Ussuri River and by storming Zhenbao Island, sending four then-secret T-62 tanks to attack the Chinese patrols on the island from the other side of the river. One of the leading tanks was hit and the tank commander was killed. On March 16th, the Soviets entered the island to collect their dead and at that point a Chinese soldier’s weapon misfired, prompting the Soviets to start shooting, believing they’d been fired upon first. That's what started the war. That was when the War began and it allowed us to be able to kill two birds with one stone."

"The President called me at 5 AM on March 21st. I asked him what's up and he told me what he needed: "Everett, I want to do three things: First, I want to give Tax Cuts. 22% Taxes for the Low Class, 24% for the Middle Class, and 26% for the Upper Classes. Then, I want to get Rolling Thunder II up and running. Finally, I plan on sending 150,000 extra troops for an offensive in Vietnam. Do you have ideas to make sure we at least have some Democrats vote for this?" I thought for a minute. It took me a while before I said: "Create a 2 year guaranteed annual income. Many won't read the fine print though the Kennedies might but once those two years are up, it'll be too late for them to do anything." Reagan smiled and said: Everett, thank you." before he hung up. Another bomb shell hit just a few days before it was brought to the Senate for a vote. It was amazing news."

"If the People's Republic of China or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics use any sort of Nuclear Weapons in this war, they will both receive sanctions and be removed from the United Nations!"

"Everything was going great. Then Justice Earl Warren announces that he'll resign his post in the Supreme Court in a few months. Normally, this would cause panic among a President as he searched for a replacement but Reagan knew exactly who he wanted: William Rehnquist. A staunch conservative. A law clerk, he was an amazing choice. Of course, the public didn't know Warren was retiring in the summer."

"There was some in the Administration who were afraid that the Northern Liberals would filibuster him due to his conservatism. They tried to, mainly Bobby and Ted Kennedy, but many other Democrats didn't listen to them and voted for his appointment anyways."

"What came next was simple, effective. We needed the four plans to pass the Senate and the House and it was easy to do so. Turns out that the Guaranteed Annual Income convinced 7 Liberal Senators to vote Yes on the Vietnam reinforcements, Yes on Rolling Thunder II, and Yes on Tax Cuts on April 7th and it passed the House and was signed into the Law days later. Suckers were too excited for the Annual Income that they didn't read the fine print."

"In July, A giant bombing of North Vietnam happened and in August, I received an additional 150,000 troops. The President told me that he would not send any reinforcements unless results were shown from a direct invasion of North Vietnam. I talked with the generals of South Vietnam and American Generals in Saigon and they agreed that an offensive of at least 200,000 troops would put North Vietnam on high alert. On September 2nd, the very same day that the [expletive] Ho Chi Minh died, we launched Operation Water Buffalo, sending 200,000 troops into North Vietnam and almost immediately, Minh Binh and Mai Chau fell to us and Hanoi was in sight but we decided against it and would just have the forces in the area secure the region from the communists before we pushed further. Fears of Chinese intervention ended almost as soon they began when news arrived that the Chinese had already put in 3.1 million troops into Fighting the Soviets while the Soviets had 800,000 fighting. As long as they continued to fight, we could rest easy. After all, the North Vietnamese were devastated. We had only lost 5,000 compared to their 25,000. It devastated them greatly and made Hanoi think."

"Then on September 17th, amazing news came."

"After only a few days of fighting in an offensive, the North Vietnamese government was suing for Peace. They had lost two cities within a few days and it was a big humiliation to Hanoi. They decided to meet us in Bangkok as Hong Kong was too close to China."

"I went to Bangkok, seeing as I was Secretary of State and it was my job to be top diplomat at the time. I met with the North Vietnamese and South Vietnamese ambassadors there and we began to discuss Peace talks. It felt like the longest days in my life."

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 6: One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Reagan's Presidency

"The President had to do a few things before he went to Bangkok with Nixon. One of the first things was his promise to visit Illinois, Texas, and Tennessee to build a connection with them. Before that though, there was one thing he had to do."

"That's One small step for Man...One Giant Leap for Mankind."

"To say that the President was ecstatic is an understatement. He was amazed that Humans were finally on the moon and he wouldn't shut up about. He was like a kid in a Candy Shop *chuckles* I think that's the reason why the Department of Space and the Future of Man was created and of course, Gene Kranz was put in as Secretary of the Department. Its goal was very simple: Research Technology and find a way to make Mankind more successful in space in the future."

"I was very honored to be put in that position. It wasn't much but to be kept in that post for over 40 years. *laughs* I'm still very honored to this day"

"Reagan spent a few days in Illinois, Texas, and Tennessee and talking with people then, on the very same day Operation Water Buffalo began, Me and him met and we discussed how to create a Healthcare system that would help the United States because the Great Society was a disaster for many Republicans due to the federalized take over of Healthcare and making medicine socialized. I agreed and we cut that away. He then spliced Healthcare into a bunch of different companies with 5 companies per state so the competition would drive prices up or down. We were able to get it to the Senate and despite Ted Kennedy's best attempts, it was a 50-50 tie in the Senate, and President Ford gave the vote passing it. It passed the House easily and it was signed into law on October 7th. Americare was now the Healthcare program and it would be until the President left office."

"Finally, on October 21st, the President arrived in Bangkok to help me with the Bangkok peace accords there. It took a few days but we finally we able to hammer a deal that everyone agreed on: 1. the 18th Parallel North Latitude line would become a DeMilitarized Zone, just like Korea, where no forces of either country was to ever cross. 2. Those damn Viet Cong rebels were to officially put down their weapons and accept exile out of the South for their actions to try and take it over. Their party, the Communist Party, was also to be banned in South Vietnam for a decade. 3. The North would have an election in 1975 to determine if they want to reunite or stay as separate countries. 4. All South Vietnamese and American POWs was to be released and Vice Versa. 5. Finally, and this was a bit tricky to relay to the Public, 48,000 American troops would stay in South Vietnam to make sure that if North Vietnam invades, the US can easily push them back. Every 6 months, we would pull out 3,000 troops until only 12,000 remained. This meant that in 6 years, our military presence in South Vietnam would fall by 36,000. Many of the Democrats didn't like that but we were able to get many of our boys home. It was a massive success, all things considered."

"To return the way I did and to learn the war had ended in a practical victory, I was happy and excited. A 14 year long war was finally, FINALLY, over and the Democracy we fought very hard to defend had remained in power over Communist bastards."

"In January, the final part was accomplished. The Parliamentary elections on that day made it clear that South Vietnam wan an ally and would not turn its back on Democracy."

"Good evening tonight, I'm Walter Cronkite, and this is CBS Evening News. Yesterday, Elections in the nascent Republic of Vietnam were held and the Pro US and Roman Catholic National Union Party has won in a massive victory over the Buddhist People's Party. The new members of Parliament are expected to take their seats Next Month."

Results of the January 11th, 1970 Election in South Vietnam
National Union (Liên Minh Quốc Gia) - 75.6%; 310 Seats
The Buddhist People's Party (Đảng Nhân Dân Phật Giáo) - 20.4%; 19 Seats
Others & Independents: 4%; 0 seats

"Healthcare was done. Vietnam was done. Tax Cuts were done. It seemed like all of President Reagan's promises had been accomplished in the first year. We had the midterms in November and already, President Reagan's popularity was in the low 70s. Reagan's International trip across Israel, South Africa, and several other allies of ours to reassure them of our support for them was well received as well. 1970 was pretty much an easy year for the administration and nothing really big or scandalous happened. Edmund Muskie, a Senator from Maine, was a very major critic of the President but he announced that he wouldn't run for the Democratic Nomination in 1972 nor did Ted Kennedy in the Summer. Because of that, attitudes was running high. Re-election was in the air and we all knew it. The midterms confirmed that."

1970 House

295-145

1970 Senate results

57-42-1

* - Incumbent Senator/Party

+ - Gain

Flips from OTL

California Senatorial Election

George Murphy: 52.7% √*
John V. Tunney: 47.3%

Florida Senatorial Election

William C. Cramer: 54.1% √+
Lawton Chiles: 45.9%

Indiana Senatorial Election

Richard L. Roudebush: 56.7% √+
Vance Hartke: 43.3%

Michigan Senatorial Election

George W. Romney: 53.1% √+
Phillip Hart: 46.9%

Missouri Senatorial Election

John Danforth: 52.1% √+
Stuart Symington: 47.8%

New Mexico Senatorial Election

Anderson Carter: 51.7% √+
Joseph Montoya: 48.3%

New York Senatorial Election

Robert F. Kennedy: 61.2% √*
Charles Goodell: 30.7%
James L. Buckley: 8.1%

Texas Senatorial Election

George H.W. Bush: 50.9% √+
Lloyd Bentsen: 49.1%

Utah Senatorial Election

Lawrence J. Burton: 51.8% √+
Frank Moss: 48.2%

Illinois Senatorial Election (Special)

Ralph Tyler Smith: 55.1% √*
Adlai Stevenson III: 44.9%

"I think it was a major time for celebration. For the first time since the 20s, The Republicans held control of not just both chambers of Congress, but also the White, AND the President was popular. The new Senate Majority leader, Paul Fannin, was extremely pleased and we believed that, for at least the next two years it would be easy. It turns out that no one could stop Reagan. He was called the Great Communicator for a reason."

Next Chapter: 1971-1972: Ronnie before re-election.

[terp40hitch]

Vermont would have gone Reagan, in 1968 it was a very conservative state

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Vermont would have gone Reagan, in 1968 it was a very conservative state

Reagan didn't even touch Vermont while Bobby touched it a few times. It went to Bobby but once all the votes are counted, Bobby barely wins both it and New Hampshire simply because Conservative turnout is lower than OTL in those two states.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 7: 1971-1972: Ronnie before re-election.

"In April 1971, John Harlan was totally blind and very ill. That convinced him to call it a career. He retired May 1st. We all believed that James Stuart Holden, chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, was a shoe in for the replacement but Reagan pulled me aside one day and stated "Bob, I want a woman on the Supreme Court. They are just as good at law as men.". Judge Burnita Shelton Matthews from the Court of the District of Columbia. She was quite qualified. A good Conservative. She was old, in her 70s, but that was overlooked by how great she was. Hugo Black later retired and we had Strom Thurmond replace him. There it was. 6-3 Conservatives on the Supreme Court."

"With that all said and done, President Reagan brought to Congress his biggest hope. He called it "America's New Frontier" and it had the goal of getting Men on the planet Mars by the end of the decade. It would be tough to do that, especially considering how long it took us to go to the moon."

"On July 12th, the President came to me and said: "Gene, I would like to see a man on Mars by the end of the decade. What is required to get this goal done?" I gulped. Something like that was only in Science Fiction, after all. I told him "Mr. President, such an idea, it would take tens of millions of dollars to fund, not to mention all the resources needed and all the planning and calculations and we also have to training the men and women to be there. Finally, there is the fact that we just don't have the technology y-" He cut me off and said "Say no more, Gene. I'll try and secure everything and get Congress to help us, you just get the team, technology, and plans ready." he gave me a wink and left me. I didn't know until 1974 that my career had forever changed because of that meeting."

"Congress wasn't so hot on the idea of giving a lot of funding to a plan that might greatly fail and backfire on us. Both the House and Senate had a majority of unbelievers and naysayers that would vote "NAY" on the plan and President Reagan didn't know that. I told him and he decided to call Bobby and Ted Kennedy as well as George Romney for a meeting. All three was powerful in the Senate, even Romney despite him having served for only a few months at that point. They met in a secret meeting on July 17th."

"That day was...interesting, to say the least. Me and the President, both Republicans, were meeting with two democratic Kennedies, one of whom being Ronnie's opponent in 1968. He told us that he was planning to get ANF up and running by September and have the project send a man on the Mars by the end of the decade. He asked us to secure votes in the Senate and me and Ted both said we'll see what we can do but it would be difficult to convince firm unbelievers because their minds were already made up. Bobby spoke up just then however. "Talk to the people." The President looked at him and asked "What do you mean, Bobby?" and thus Bobby explained "Ronnie, if I can call you that, I see your plan as very ambitious but I also see it as an ideal way to show how great America really is. A man on Mars just a few years after putting man on the Moon, the soviets would be shaking in their boots. But Congress has multiple naysayers and these people only listen to one thing and one thing only: The People. Talk to the people. Get them behind this idea. Tell them to call their Senators and Representatives to vote in favor of the Plan. Tell them that America will be truly great if this plan is unleashed. If it matters, I'll help." Reagan smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Bobby. I appreciate it Bobby told him to not mention it and the meeting ended just like that. President Reagan and Bobby would begin what they called the American Frontier Express with Bobby traversing the East Coast, Midwest, and even the Upper South and the President traversing the rest of the Country except the Deep South, which disliked the idea no matter how hard we tried."

"America is strong and America is magnificent and nothing will prove it more than landing a Man on Mars. 2 Years ago, when we landed a man on the Moon, we proved that America was more advanced than the Soviets. Now, it's time to make sure that the world knows America is the Technological and Military superpower that cannot be challenged. Call of your Representatives and Senators and tell them that if they want America to be strong and America to be powerful that they should vote for this Plan because if it passes, America will be an amazing country that none can-"

*GUNSHOTS FIRED*

*CROWD SCREAMING*

- President Reagan at a rally on July 24th, 1971 in Sacramento, California. It was a rally to make sure the public encouraged Congress to vote for the President's newest plan, "America's New Frontier", before an assassination attempt happened on the President, though he would survive and continue with the journey to get people rallied behind the idea of ANF before both chambers of Congress voted on it.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 8: Ronnie's Next Frontier and A New Challenger Approaches

"Good evening. The President was attacked while campaigning for his Space Plan in Sacramento, California. The Assailant was identified as Jimmy Nueron of Madison County, Mississippi. According to reports, He was a former Communist who heavily believed in the USSR and has been a major voice against President Reagan. He fired 5 shots into the crowd, wounding 2 people, though neither of them have been given life threatening injuries. Sacramento police apprehended Mr. Nueron at the scene while the secret service tackled the President and attempted to take him to a secure location though he finished his speech first and then visited the injured."

"That's what was needed. Literally almost every Senator and Representative was called to accept the plan and pass it and it passed the Senate 69-31 and House 400-35. It was later signed into law by Reagan. By the end of the year, the DosatFoM received an extra $812 Million in funding for the next decade. By December, they launched a probe to Mars and it was determined that it would land just a few days before the 1972 Election actually took place. Reagan's approval rating was in the very low 80s at 80.1% by the start of 1972, The Space Plan  had an approval in the 70s and Reagan did not have one single challenger."

"After what happened with Chappaquiddick...I couldn't run."

"I had a career and I loved it a lot so I wouldn't risk it by facing Reagan."

"I was not going to run. I didn't want to be seen as a sore loser not to mention me and the President were friends."

"It all fell to Humphrey to do it."

"I AM RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES!"

"Oh, we took Humphrey as a good challenger, but we weren't terrified of him. We were leading him by 30 points in the polls. Liberals also weren't also in love with Hubert as well, that's for sure. Then Eugene McCarthy joined and it became a real party."

"This country can't have two war hawks fighting for its future. That's way, today, I am announcing my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States, today, as an independent."

"Its safe to say that Gene screwed Humphrey that year. After he entered, I believed that we had a chance of taking all 50 states. The Democrats had to give someone that would help them, so they had no choice but to choose a safe person for running mate though."

"My fellow Americans, I accept your nomination for Vice President."

"The campaign was a disaster."

"We really crushed Humphrey. We only had to make appearances in the Northeast and Minnesota. Gene ran as an independent so he could show the Democrats that War Hawks shouldn't be leading their party. Humphrey and Symington...it was too easy."

"The only debate was boring, boring, boring. Reagan made sure Humphrey was destroyed and Eugene helped with that. I respect Hubert for the Campaign he ran but it simply wasn't enough at the end of the day."

"On Election Night, there was no way that Humphrey would win. Reagan's giant lead made sure of that. We all went to the White House and had a pre-election party and when the results came in...it was done. We ended Humphrey's career and everyone knew Humphrey was gone for good."

Chapter 9: Election Night '72: Ronnie's 4 Extra Years or Humphrey's Return!

[MAINEiac4434]

Part I: Los Angeles and the Aftermath

“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.”

Chapter 2: It's Time for Bobby!

"We’re getting some extremely disturbing news here...Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York 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."

- CBS News Anchor

One of these things is not exactly like the other

I have listened to the report of Kennedy dying and adjusted accordingly and the image is of course the best I could find but any correlation between my TL and yours is completely by coincidence. Is there a chance that stuff like this can overlap? Yes, but I didn't read your TL (considering my hatred for the Kennedies IRL) so it's by coincidence.

Anyways, thoughts on the TL?

I mean, I'm sorry, but this is exactly the same text. It can't be a coincidence, especially considering the fact that I do recall your using parts of UWS's TL in the past. Frankly, this is intellectual dishonesty, it would've been better to just admit it (still not really good though, plagiarism is bad).

Well, I didn't know it was the same text. I looked at his TL, read it, saw how similar it looked, and now I've changed it accordingly. I do apologize for thoughts of plagiarism and I shall be more careful with how I write specific scenes from here forth

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Thank you for changing it. I trust this won't happen again.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 9: Election Night '72: Ronnie's 4 Extra Years or Humphrey's Return!

Cronkite: "Good evening everyone and welcome to Election Night 1972. I'm Walter Cronkite of CBS news. Tonight, President Ronald W. Reagan is very likely to win re-election to the Nation's highest office. Citing great Conservative reforms, a strong economy, Low unemployment and a great foreign policy, President Reagan and his team think they're win very handedly and easily and force us to go to bed early. Standing against him, Senator of Minnesota and Former Vice President Hubert Humphrey, a remnant of the Johnson administration. It's been a very uphill climb for the Senator with miniature crowds and even tinier polling numbers and a Candidate running to his left being Eugene McCarthy. McCarthy, much like Humphrey, ran in 1968 for the Democratic Nomination. Tonight, Eugene is the Independent. McCarthy holds no hopes of winning, explicitly saying his candidacy is to remind the Democratic establishment not to forget the Liberal wing he represents.

It's currently 8 PM and Reagan is already leading Humphrey by 110 Electoral Votes as he wins in the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Vermont, the latter 4 being flips from 1968. Meanwhile, Humphrey only wins the District of Columbia. There is no surprise from the so-called rust belt states because of Vice President Ford's large presence there. We thought it would be a quick night and so far, we were right."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 113/58.7%
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/40.2%

Ted: "When the first results came in...we knew it was all over for us"

8:09

Cronkite: "It's 8:09 and we now have new projections as President Reagan wins in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, New Hampshire, All of Maine, as it has 2 separate Electoral Votes and Georgia, all being flips from 1968."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 191/59.3%
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/39.4%

Bill Haslam: "I was 14 years old at the time and I campaigned for the President. The Family was staying up to see if Reagan could pass the record for fastest re-election in US History so when we saw the first results, we were all happy. He still needed to win another 79 Electoral Votes, though."

8:24

Cronkite: "It's 8:24 and we have more projections as President Reagan wins in New York, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He is now just 13 Electoral Votes away from winning Re-election and with his lead in Massachusetts not shrinking but instead growing, it's likely that he'll be re-elected before the rest of the country even begins to close their polls."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 257/60.1%
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/38.4%

Bill Clinton: "I turned the TV off at that moment...it was horrible and an absolute slaughter for Humphrey."

8:41

Cronkite: "It's 8:41 now and President Reagan has won the quickest re-election in US History as he takes the state of Massachusetts. Despite everyone most likely going to bed now, there is still the rest of the country left to be called."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 271/62.3% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/36.2%



PRESIDENT RONALD WILSON REAGAN OF CALIFORNIA RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Atwater: "Everyone congratulated Reagan and went back to sleep. It was done and we didn't even care. Reagan needed to sleep for the following day."

9:02

Cronkite: "It's 9:02 and we can project that the states of North and South Dakota, Tennessee, Iowa, Wisconsin, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois while Humphrey's home state of Minnesota is too early to call. It's a very clear blowout for Reagan."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 423/59.3% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/39.2%

9:23

Cronkite: "It's 9:23 and President Reagan wins the 10 Electoral Votes in Minnesota."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 433/60.7% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/36.1%

10:04

Cronkite: "It's 10:04 and we can project that the states of Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah will go to President Reagan, brining his total to 465 Electoral Votes, which shows an absolute mastery over the country."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 465/63.8% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/31.3%

Cronkite: "We are just now getting word that Hubert Humphrey is giving his concession speech. Let's tune in."

Humphrey: "Thank you, thank you. I want to give some brief remarks.

We came up short and we really didn't do much tonight. Hell, I think we made a new record. We knew it would be tough. We knew it would be brutal. I just got off the phone with President Reagan and I wished him and Nancy, Vice President Ford, and Betty all the best of luck as they continue on with another 4 years in the office of President. I congratulate them, and all of their supporters nationwide. They've won a tremendous victory, and they deserve to celebrate it.

I want to thank everyone who campaigned with me, from William, to my wife Muriel for being with through this tough campaign and being my constant friends. The defeat tonight is my own and I want to make that absolutely clear tonight and I want to thank the Democrats for Nominating me. It has been both an honor and a privilege to be your nominee. Now we all must united around out current President. Ronald Reagan. Thank you all. Have a pleasant rest."

11:07

Cronkite: "It's 11:07 and we can project that the states of Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and the President's home state of California will solidly go to the President, meaning President Reagan has won all 48 contiguous states with only Alaska and Hawaii left to be called."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 528/65.1% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 3/30.7%

12:46

Cronkite: "It's 12:46 and Senator Humphrey wins his first and very likely only state tonight in Hawaii, meaning President Reagan has won in the biggest landslide this country has ever seen."

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 528/59.1% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 7/36.2%

2:01

Cronkite: "It's 2:01 and we can project that the country's final state of Alaska will finalize tonight's result with President Reagan now having more than half of the Popular Vote and 531 Electoral Votes while Humphrey has under 35% of the popular Vote and only 7 Electoral Votes, meaning that President Reagan has absolutely ended the Democrats for good here. The Popular Vote stands 32,912,314 for President Reagan, 16,189,913 for Senator Humphrey, and 7,816,112 for McCarthy"

President Ronald Wilson Reagan (R-CA)/Vice President Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr: 532/63.5% √
Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Horatio Humphrey (D-MN)/Former Senator William Stuart Symington (D-MO): 7/33.1%

[Huey Long is a Republican]

House of Representatives, 1972

365-70

Senate, 1972

66-33-1

Flips from OTL

* - Incumbent/Party Hold

+ - Gain

Georgia Senatorial Race

Thompson: 51.3% √+
Nunn: 47.6%

Colorado Senatorial Race

Allot: 54.6% √*
Haskell: 44.2%

Delaware Senatorial Election

Boggs: 51.2% √*
Biden: 48.8%

Iowa Senatorial Election

Miller: 57.8% √*
Clark: 41.1%

Kentucky Senatorial Election

Nunn: 51.3% √*
Huddleston: 48.6%

Maine Senatorial Election

Smith: 53.4% √*
Hathaway: 46.5%

Minnesota Senatorial Election

Hansen: 54.1% √+
Mondale: 45.8%

Montana Senatorial Election

Hibbard: 54.3% √+
Metcalf: 45.6%

New Hampshire Senatorial Election

Powell: 51.2% √+
McIntyre: 48.7%

Rhode Island Senatorial Election

Chafee: 53.1% √+
Pell: 46.8%

South Dakota Senatorial Election

Hirsch: 56.1% √*
Abourezk: 43.8%

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 10: Ronnie's Last Years in Office

"After he won re-election in that Landslide, well, the President had begun to prepare for the Next 4 Years though we all knew it wouldn't be as active as the Last one."

"There was a major concern about the Sino-Soviet War waging in East Asia. The Soviets had made a breakthrough in Northern Manchuria and they were starting to push into Xinjiang. It got so bad that the People's Republic of China ordered North Korea of all countries to join the war. The Koreans were put on the Manchurian border and they stopped the Soviet advance...at that moment. We all knew that China would be in dire straits but we had more, erm, important things to deal with."

"President Tôn Đức Thắng of North Vietnam had contacted us. He stated that the PRC had tried to force North Vietnam to send troops but he rejected and the Chinese couldn't really do anything. Still, he didn't want to wait until they could and thus he told us that he would allow a Referendum to either unite with South Vietnam or stay Independent and all we had to do was keep China busy. So, President Reagan sent me to China while Vice President Ford went to Taiwan. Both were to distract China from knowing about the North Vietnam referendum."

"It worked. I don't know how but Mao never found out. The Referendum was set up to be on August 12th, 1973. It was only three months away but it was a successful three months as the Results happened. We were surprised by the results. I mean, we expected North Vietnam to support Reunification but not by that margin."

"Hello, I'm Walter Cronkite and tonight we have a special report as the Re-unification referendum of North Vietnam to reunite with South Vietnam was held last night. The Result: 96.71% Yes and 3.29% No. It is good to note that a total of 61% of North Vietnam's population voted in this referendum, meaning a solid majority of the population of North Vietnam supports Re-Unification."

"Everyone was happy about the result. The two Vietnams agreed to have a meeting on September 13th and on that day, they agreed to have their capital be the City of Dong Ha, which was in between the two countries, as a symbol of Unity between the two countries. President Reagan's Approval was sky high and then great news arrived."

The 1973 Mars Rover taking the first pictures of the red planet Humanity was able to see up close.

"News came about that. President Reagan called me and asked if I needed more funding for the plan to send a manned mission to Mars. I said to him that while we had enough, more would be appreciated. He told me to say no more and a few days later, Congress passed the Space Exploration by Mankind Act which basically gave us more funding than some other programs. Now, I don't know much about Politic things but I do know that 1974 was a Republican Year, especially after the Launch of Reagan I in September of 1974."

"Five...Four...Three...Two...One...Houston, we have lift-off."

"Those were the first people going to Mars for the first but not the last time in Human History. Joshua Mcdonald, a Physics Teacher from Minnesota, Michael Valenzuela, an engineer from New Mexico, Courtney White, a biologist from Iowa, and Dahlia Newman, a Technology professor from Maryland. We wouldn't see them again for 8 years but we knew they had enough supplies to last them that long. Just the sight of it gave the Republican Party a huge advantage. Hell, the night before Election Night, RFK came to us and tried to bring up the GAC but we shut him out. The Night after, we had a 70-29-1 Super Majority in both chambers of Congress, after we flipped California, Idaho, Illinois,
and Ohio. With two supermajorities in Congress, President Reagan was able to pass Conservative Reforms galore. The biggest was the "New States Rights Act". It was destined to be a major success the moment it was first announced in January of 1975."

"The New States Rights Act was simple yet very effective. It basically stated that for 20 years, The Federal Government was not allowed to intervene in anything related to the States and that the States were to enforce their own laws in their own time. It was a very Conservative Law but it passed with every Republican voting yes and even a few Democrats and Bryd voting yes in the Senate while it passed the House with Great Ease. By June of 1975, almost everything Reagan had wanted to accomplish was done. He just wanted to do one last thing."

"I visited Henry Lawson in prison not because I wanted to know why or ask who he was, I just wanted to tell him that I forgave him. My administration begged me not to go but I did anyways. It wasn't very much and I had a feeling he felt a tad bit ashamed."

"The Last major thing Reagan passed while in Office was the Conservative Care Package or CCP. It basically gave a bunch more Conservative-like reforms and made sure his other Conservative reforms couldn't be undone for at least a decade. That passed in August. All that was left was ending the Sino-Soviet War"

"That war had hung over the Reagan administration like a cold specter. In May, Taiwan had invaded the PRC with Vietnamese aid while South Korea invaded North Korea. At that Time, Mongolia had been invaded by the Soviets in order to allow them better access to the Center of China. It worked. By October of 1975, the war was all but over, though the Soviets wanted all of China."

"Me and the President went over to Beijing to talk with the Soviets and we did the last major thing of Reagan's administration, the Beijing Peace Agreement. In it, The Soviets acknowledged the Unifications of both Vietnam and Korea, as well as the Independence of Tibet and the creations of the Republic of South China, or the RSC, which was Taiwan with the areas they captured in the Summer. Finally, we began discussion on an Arms Reduction Treaty that would be signed in Moscow only a few weeks later. Finally, Peace had been established and after Reagan met with the new leaders of Vietnam, Korea, and the RSC, everything was done. Reagan had done everything he needed to do and with that, he had become seen as one of the best President in US History, for many reasons."

President Reagan and Secretary Brezhnev signing an arms reduction treaty in Moscow on November 13th, 1975

Next Chapter: Chapter 11: Epilogue and remembering Ronald Reagan

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Chapter 11: Epilogue and remembering Ronald Reagan

"In Late 1975, Justice Douglas announced his resignation. It was very important as he was the last of the Roosevelt Nominees to leave the Court. It didn't even take Reagan a second to think about his replacement. We just chose James Stuart Holden because he was the runner-up in 1971. Just like that, it was 7-2 Conservatives on the Supreme Court."

"Then 1976 dawned. Reagan was a lame duck. New Campaigns kicked off. Reagan went on the last National Tour he ever did visiting anything with children. He was loved by everyone."

President Reagan greets people in Cleveland, Ohio, March 3rd, 1976

"In the end, President Reagan set up the template for the modern presidency. Conservative, Kind, Brilliant. It was an honor to be in the cabinet."

"President Reagan reformed Healthcare entirely. He allowed the States to be more important than the federal government. Allowed School Choice. I like Dick, but Reagan didn't set up the template for the Presidency. It set up the template for Modern America."

"I think it's very obvious that Ronald Wilson Reagan should be in the top 5 of best US Presidents, most likely top 2."

"How he handled the Sino-Soviet War, Vietnam, and the Arms reduction treaty was brilliant. He was able to pin them on the wall and got a deal. Even with Liberals squawking for appeasement, Reagan was able to do well."

"And his space bills. Hell, where would we be if he didn't allow said programs to happen?"

"I'm extremely proud that I was the one to save him from the assassin's bullet all those years ago. If I wasn't there, one of the best Presidents in the History of this country would've been lost. Because of him, America is far better off. No one will ever know all the people he helped with his tax cuts and the future he laid out for us. A brilliant, brilliant man."

"I was only 6 years old when President Reagan was leaving office but I shook his hand and met him personally on September 24th when he visited Miami. I then studied his ideas and modified them for the Modern Day. The Reagan Doctrine is what made me who I am today."

"My fellow Americans, this is the 34th time I'll speak to you from the Oval Office, and the last. We've been together eight years now, and soon it'll be time for me to go. But before I do, I wanted to share some thoughts, some of which I have been saving for a long time.

It's been the honor of my life to be your President. So many of you have written the past few weeks to say thanks, but I could say as much to you. Nancy and I are grateful for the opportunity you gave us to serve.

One of the things about the Presidency is that you're always somewhat apart. You spend a lot of time going by too fast in a car someone else is driving, and seeing the people through tinted glass - the parents holding up a child, and the wave you saw too late and couldn't return. And so many times I wanted to stop, and reach out from behind the glass, and connect. Well, maybe I can do a little of that tonight.

People ask how I feel about leaving, and the fact is parting is "such sweet sorrow." The sweet part is California, and the ranch, and freedom. The sorrow? The goodbyes, of course, and leaving this beautiful place.

You know, down the hall and up the stairs from this office is the part of the White House where the President and his family live. There are a few favorite windows I have up there that I like to stand and look out of early in the morning. The view is over the grounds here to the Washington Monument, and then the Mall, and the Jefferson Memorial. But on mornings when the humidity is low, you can see past the Jefferson to the river, the Potomac, and the Virginia shore. Someone said that's the view Lincoln had when he saw the smoke rising from the battle of Bull Run. Well, I see more prosaic things: the grass on the banks, the morning traffic as people make their way to work, now and then a sailboat on the river. Reflections at a Window

I've been thinking a bit at that window. I've been reflecting on what the past eight years have meant, and mean. And the image that comes to mind like a refrain is a nautical one - a small story about a big ship, and a refugee, and a sailor.

It was back in the early Eighties, at the height of the boat people, and the sailor was hard at work on the carrier Midway, which was patrolling the South China Sea. The sailor, like most American servicemen, was young, smart and fiercely observant. The crew spied on the horizon a leaky little boat - and crammed inside were refugees from Indochina hoping to get to America. The Midway sent a small launch to bring them to the ship, and safety. As the refugees made their way through the choppy seas, one spied the sailor on deck, and stood up and called out to him. He yelled, "Hello, American sailor - Hello, Freedom Man."

A small moment with a big meaning, a moment the sailor, who wrote it in a letter, couldn't get out of his mind. And, when I saw it, neither could I.

Because that's what it has to - it was to be an American in the 1970's; We stood, again, for freedom. I know we always have but in the past few years the world - again, and in a way, we ourselves - rediscovered it.

It's been quite a journey this decade, and we held together through some stormy seas. And at the end, together, we are reaching our destination.

The fact is, from Grenada to the Washington and Moscow summits, from the chaos of '68 to '69 to the expansion that began in late '71 and continues to this day, we've made a difference. Two Great Triumphs

The way I see it, there were two great triumphs, two things that I'm proudest of. One is the economic recovery, in which the people of America created - and filled - 19 million new jobs. The other is the recovery of our morale: America is respected again in the world, and looked to for leadership.

Something that happened to me a few years ago reflects some of this. It was back in 1965, and I was attending my first big economic summit, which was held that year in Canada. The meeting place rotates among the member countries. The opening meeting was a formal dinner for the heads of government of the seven industrialized nations. Well, I sat there like the new kid in school and listened, and it was all Francois this and Helmut that. They dropped titles and spoke to one another on a first-name basis. Well, at one point I sort of leaned in and said, "My name's Ron."

Well, in that same year, we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback: cut taxes and regulation, started to cut spending. Soon the recovery began.

Two years later, another economic summit, with pretty much the same cast. At the big opening meeting, we all got together, and all of a sudden just for a moment I saw that everyone was just sitting there looking at me. And then one of them broke the silence. "Tell us about the American miracle," he said.

Well, back in 1968, when I was running for President, it was all so different. Some pundits said our programs would result in catastrophe. Our views on foreign affairs would cause war, our plans for the economy would cause inflation to soar and bring about economic collapse. I even remember one highly respected economist saying, back in 1970, that "The engines of economic growth have shut down here and they're likely to stay that way for years to come."

Well, he - and the other "opinion leaders" - were wrong. The fact is, what they called "radical" was really "right"; what they called "dangerous" was just "desperately needed." 'The Great Communicator'

And in all that time I won a nickname - "The Great Communicator." But I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference - it was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation - from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries.

They called it the Reagan Revolution, and I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the Great Rediscovery: a rediscovery of our values and our common sense.

Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it. So we cut the people's tax rates, and the people produced more than ever before. The economy bloomed like a plant that had been cut back and could now grow quicker and stronger. Our economic program brought about the longest peacetime expansion in our history: real family income up, the poverty rate down, entrepreneurship booming and an explosion in research and new technology. We're exporting more now than ever because American industry became more competitive, and at the same time we summoned the national will to knock down protectionist walls abroad instead of erecting them at home.

Common sense also told us that to preserve the peace we'd have to become strong again after years of weakness and confusion. So we rebuilt our defenses - and this New Year we toasted the new peacefulness around the globe. Not only have the superpowers actually begun to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons - and hope for even more progress is bright - but the regional conflicts that rack the globe are also beginning to cease. Vietnam is no longer in a war, Korea is united, Tibet is free, and the people of Southern China will now taste the fruits of liberty. 'We Changed a World'

The lesson of all this was, of course, that because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours.

And something else we learned: once you begin a great movement, there's no telling where it'll end. We meant to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world.

Countries across the globe are turning to free markets and free speech - and turning away from the ideologies of the past. For them, the Great Rediscovery of the 1970's has been that, lo and behold, the moral way of government is the practical way of government. Democracy, the profoundly good, is also the profoundly productive.

When you've got to the point where you can celebrate the anniversaries of your 39th birthday you can sit back sometimes, review your life and see it flowing before you. For me, there was a fork in the river, and it was right in the middle of my life.

I never meant to go into politics: it wasn't my intention when I was young. But I was raised to believe you had to pay your way for the blessings bestowed on you. I was happy with my career in the entertainment world, but I ultimately went into politics because I wanted to protect something precious. 'We the People'

Ours was the first revolution in the history of mankind that truly reversed the course of government, and with three little words: "We the People."

"We the People" tell the Government what to do, it doesn't tell us. "We the people" are the driver - the Government is the car. And we decide where it should go, and by what route, and how fast. Almost all the world's constitutions are documents in which governments tell the people what their privileges are. Our Constitution is a document in which "We the People" tell the Government what it is allowed to do. "We the people" are free.

This belief has been the underlying basis for everything I tried to do these past eight years.

But back in the 1960's when I began, it seemed to me that we'd begun reversing the order of things - that through more and more rules and regulations and confiscatory taxes, the Government was taking more of our freedom. I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say, "Stop!" I was a citizen-politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do.

I think we have stopped a lot of what needed stopping. And I hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts. Actions Based on Deeds

Nothing is less free than pure communism, and yet we have, the past few years, forged a satisfying new closeness with the Soviet Union. I've been asked if this isn't a gamble, and my answer is no, because we're basing our actions not on words but deeds.

The chaos of the 1960's was based not on actions but promises. They'd promise to treat their own people and the people of the world better, but the gulag was still the gulag, and the state was still expansionist, and they still waged proxy wars in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Well, this time, so far, it's different: Secretary Brezhnev has brought about some internal democratic reforms and begun the withdrawal from Afghanistan. He has also freed prisoners whose names I've given him every time we've met.

But life has a way of reminding you of big things through small incidents. Once, during the heady days of the Moscow Summit, Nancy and I decided to break off from the entourage one afternoon to visit the shops on Arbat Street - that's a little street just off Moscow's main shopping area.

Even though our visit was a surprise, every Russian there immediately recognized us, and called out our names and reached for our hands. We were just about swept away by the warmth - you could almost feel the possibilities in all that joy. But within seconds, a K.G.B. detail pushed their way toward us and began pushing and shoving the people in the crowd. It was an interesting moment. It reminded me that while the man on the street in the Soviet Union yearns for peace, the Government is Communist - and those who run it are Communists - and that means we and they view such issues as freedom and human rights very differently. 'Keep Up Our Guard'

We must keep up our guard - but we must also continue to work together to lessen and eliminate tension and mistrust.

My view is that Secretary Brezhnev is different from previous Soviet leaders. I think he knows some of the things wrong with his society and is trying to fix them. We wish him well. And we'll continue to work to make sure that the Soviet Union that eventually emerges from this process is a less threatening one.

What it all boils down to is this: I want the new closeness to continue. And it will as long as we make it clear that we will continue to act in a certain way as long as they continue to act in a helpful manner. If and when they don't - at first pull your punches. If they persist, pull the plug.

It's still trust - but verify.

It's still play - but cut the cards.

It's still watch closely - and don't be afraid to see what you see.

I've been asked if I have any regrets. Well, I do.

The deficit is one. I've been talking a great deal about that lately, but tonight isn't for arguments, and I'm going to hold my tongue.

But an observation: I've had my share of victories in the Congress, but what few people noticed is that I never won anything you didn't win for me. They never saw my troops; they never saw Reagan's Regiments, the American people. You won every battle with every call you made and letter you wrote demanding action. Much to Be Done

Well, action is still needed. If we're to finish the job, of Reagan's Regiments, we'll have to become the Ford Brigades. Soon he'll be the chief, and he'll need you every bit as much as I did.

Finally, there is a great tradition of warnings in Presidential farewells, and I've got one that's been on my mind for some time.

But oddly enough it starts with one of the things I'm proudest of in the past eight years; the resurgence of national pride that I called "the new patriotism." This national feeling is good, but it won't count for much, and it won't last unless it's grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge.

An informed patriotism is what we want. And are we doing a good enough job teaching our children what America is and what she represents in the long history of the world?

Those of us who are over 35 or so years of age grew up in a different America. We were taught, very directly, what it means to be an American, and we absorbed almost in the air a love of country and an appreciation of its institutions. If you didn't get these things from your family you got them from the neighborhood, from the father down the street who fought in Korea or the family who lost someone at Anzio. Or you could get a sense of patriotism from school. And if all else failed, you could get a sense of patriotism from the popular culture. The movies celebrated democratic values and implicitly reinforced the idea that America was special. TV was like that, too, through the mid-Sixties. Ahead, to the mid-seventies

But now we're about to enter the next half of the 70s, and some things have changed. Younger parents aren't sure that an unambivalent appreciation of America is the right thing to teach modern children. And as for those who create the popular culture, well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style.

Our spirit is back, but we haven't reinstitutionalized it. We've got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom - freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise - and freedom is special and rare. It's fragile; it needs protection.

We've got to teach history based not on what's in fashion but what's important: Why the pilgrims came here, who Jimmy Doolittle was, and what those 30 seconds over Tokyo meant. You know, four years ago, on the 32nd anniversary of D-Day. I read a letter from a young woman writing to her late father, who'd fought on Omaha Beach. Her name was Lisa Zanatta Henn, and she said, we will always remember, we will never forget what the boys of Normandy did. Well, let's help her keep her word.

If we forget what we did, we won't know who we are. I am warning of an eradication of that - of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit."

- Excerpt from Reagan's Farewell Address

"For a better America!"

END OF EPISODE I

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Episode II: https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=292092.0

(This thread will become a thread mark for future Episodes now)

[Captain Chaos]

Don't mean to nitpick @New Tennessee Politician. Reagan's farewell address should not be referencing the 1980s, Gorbachev or incoming President Bush.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Don't mean to nitpick @New Tennessee Politician. Reagan's farewell address should not be referencing the 1980s, Gorbachev or incoming President Bush.

Fixed. It was taken from the OTL Reagan Farewell address because I'd imagine he'd say much of the same things he woudl even if he was President in the 70s.