Civil War II

[True Democrat]

July 1952

Both the Republican and Democratic conventions have been held.  Bricker, who is in danger of losing the conservative wing of the party to Eisenhower has picked Ohio Senator Bob Taft to be his running mate.  Eisenhower, to hold the traditional Democratic base, picked Alabama Governor James E. Folsom as his running mate.  At this time, it is apparent that at this rate the Voting Rights Amendment will not pass in time for the election.  The Republicans step up their efforts to pass this.

July 31, 1952

Delaware has become the 27th state to ratify the Voting Rights Amendment.  38 states are needed, and so far 34 states have voted on the amendment.  Here is a map of the results so far:



States Voting Aye on the Amendment
States Voting Nay on the Amendment

The ratification by Missouri was a huge win for the Republicans considering the unpopularity of the antics the Republicans used and the split of the Missouri legislature.  If every truely Southern state votes Nay (as expected), that will be elevent states.  That means only Oklahoma or Kentucky can vote Nay for the amendment to pass.

August 15, 1952

Idaho has become the 34th state to ratify the amendment.  This leaves only Maryland, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and New Mexico to make decisions, all border states.



States Voting Aye on the Amendment
States Voting Nay on the Amendment

One surprising thing was how close West Virginia.  Even though the Republicans have over 55% of the representatives in both Houses, it was narrowly in both, and by only one vote in the lower House.

August 21, 1952

The New Mexico has overwhelmingly approve the Voting Rights Amendment.  However, the New Mexico Senate was tied.  This is completely unexpected, though the Lt. Governor does cast the tie breaking vote in favor the amendment.

September 7, 1952

Oklahoma votes down the amendment by a huge margin in both houses.  The pro-amendment forces must now get both Kentucky and Maryland to ratify the amendment.

September 9, 1952

Maryland barely ratified the amendment.  It is now completely up to Kentucky.

September 17, 1952

The Kentucky legislature splits on whether to approve the amendment.  The Upper Hosue approves by a fairly large margin, but the State House votes Nay.  A revote will be held one week later.

September 24, 1952

The Kentucky Senate again approves the amendment.  In the House, the Republicans hold a slight majority.  President Dewey calls in some favors, and amendment is passed by a close margin.  Kentucky the 38th state, and the amendment has passed.



States Voting Aye on the Amendment
States Voting Nay on the Amendment

[True Democrat]

November 4, 1952

Election day is upon America.  The latest poll shows Eisenhower leading by 13.  Although this is a dramatic decrease for his lead, he is still comfortably ahead.  At the same time, President Dewey's approval has rebounded to 61%.

Early results favor Eisenhower, though by a close margin than expected.  However, the networks still easily call the election for the general.  What is notable however, are margins in much of the South.  Due the passage of the Voting Rights Amendment and Republican turnout efforts in the South, African-Americans are voting in full force, and mostly for Bricker.  The two states the Republicans have focused on are South Carolina and Mississippi.  Although the Republicans do not come anywhere close to winning these states, both are remarkably closer, as Eisenhower does not even break 60%v in South Carolina.



Eisenhower/Folsom: 54.26%, 469 electoral votes
Bricker/Taft: 45.25%, 62 electoral votes

Best States:

Eisenhower:
Georgia: 75.12%
Alabama: 70.85%
Mississippi: 67.56%

Bricker:
Vermont: 58.6%
North Dakota: 58.2%
South Dakota: 56.8%

In the Congressional elections, the Republicans retain their majority in the House, those the Senate becomes a tie for the first time in history (partially due to many Republicans switching to the Democratic party after their party's actions with the VR Amendment)  Although neither party has a majority in the Senate because of Independents, with caucusing it is a tie (which means a Democratic majority):

House:
Republicans: 242 (-63)
Democrats: 190 (+61)
Independents: 3 (+2)

Senate:
Republicans: 49 (-17)
Democrats: 49 (+15)
Independents: 2 (+2)

One independent caucuses with the Democrats and one with the Republicans.

[MasterJedi]

May I ask what happened to Alaska and Hawaii in that election?

[Lincoln Republican]

May I ask what happened to Alaska and Hawaii in that election?

Alaska was granted statehood January 3, 1959.
Hawaii was granted statehood August 21, 1959.

The first election in which they cast votes for President was therefore 1960.

[MasterJedi]

May I ask what happened to Alaska and Hawaii in that election?

Alaska was granted statehood January 3, 1959.
Hawaii was granted statehood August 21, 1959.

The first election in which they cast votes for President was therefore 1960.

True Ind. got them admitted as states already in this TL.

[True Democrat]

May I ask what happened to Alaska and Hawaii in that election?

Alaska was granted statehood January 3, 1959.
Hawaii was granted statehood August 21, 1959.

The first election in which they cast votes for President was therefore 1960.

True Ind. got them admitted as states already in this TL.

Oops.  The 1952 map didn't include, so I forgot about them.  I'll make a new map.  Just give me a couple of hours.

[True Democrat]

January 20, 1953

Eisenhower is sworn in as President, and Folsom is sworn in as Vice-President.  Eisenhower's inauguration speech focuses at first on ending communism around the world, but then moves to ending corruption in the government, specifically the Senate.  This is a direct attack to the Republicans' antics in the Voting Rights Amendment (which Eisenhower has neither supported nor opposed).  However, twenty minutes into his speech, Eisenhower falls from the podium.  He is immediately brought to a local hospital, at which point they determine he has had a serious stroke.  He has amnesia and barely remember anything.  Meanwhile, Folsom immediately takes over as acting President.

[PBrunsel]

Small problem here, just a nit-pick.

Bricker and Taft were both from Ohio.

[True Democrat]

Small problem here, just a nit-pick.

Bricker and Taft were both from Ohio.

Oh, well, let's just say Bricker moved to DC or Florida or some exotic state.

[MasterJedi]

Now we have to see how this new President is.

[M]

From Wikipedia:


James Elisha Folsom, Sr. (October 9, 1908–November 21, 1987), commonly known as Jim Folsom or "Big Jim", was the Democratic Governor of the U.S. state of Alabama from 1947 to 1951, and again from 1955 to 1959. Born in Coffee County, Alabama, Folsom is perhaps best-remembered as being among the first Southern governors to embrace integration and civil rights for African Americans...

Ooh, now that is interesting!

[True Democrat]

For his first few weeks in office, Acting President Folsom does, well, basically nothing.  He simply waits for President Eisenhower.  However, by mid-February it is apparent that it will be at least a couple of months before the President can assume his duties again.  Folsom decides to take a more active role in the Presidency.  Southern Democrats are extremely pleased with this, many of whom viewed Eisenhower as being liberal on civil rights.

February 19, 1953

Gallup releases its first poll with Folsom's approval:

Approve: 78%
Disapprove: 9%

This great jump in approval is mainly due to Eisenhower's sickness.

With the Senate now in a tie, the Democrats hope to repeal the Equality Act of 1949.  However, during the first vote on a bill that would repeal the law, it fails, easily.

Republicans:
For: 3
Against: 45
Abstain: 1

Democrats:
For: 36
Against: 5
Abstain: 8

Independents:
For: 1
Against: 1

Total:
For: 40
Against: 51
Abstain: 9

[True Democrat]

It is interesting to note that during the Democrats' first attempt to repeal the Equality Act, Vice-President Folsom was completely silent.  Most expected him to rally Congress, but he did not.

April 7, 1953

President Eisenhower suffers another stroke.  This one is more serious, and he goes into a coma.

April 19, 1953

Acting President Folsom makes his first oversees trip.  Many critics believe he is assuming too much as he is not actually President.  This first trip is to Western Europe to meet with leaders there and discuss ways to oppose the USSR and their growing influence in the Middle East.

[True Democrat]

May 21, 1953

President Eisenhower's situation is upgraded to stable, but he remains in his coma.

July 3, 1953

President Folsom decides to put forward a new iniatiative that combat Communism and the USSR.  He gives a press conference in speech in primetime, however, the plan is almost exactly the same as the one Dewey put forward in the 1948 election, but was never enacted.  The American people don't really recognize this similarity and immediately applaud Folsom's efforts.  A small portion of the public still believe that Acting President Folsom is overstepping his boundaries.

[True Democrat]

August 1, 1953

Vice-President Folsom makes his first visit back to his native South.  He visits with the Governors of Georgia, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, and finally his own home state of Alabama.  In Alabama, he meets with Governor George Wallace, who was his Lt. Governor.  A day earlier, Governor Wallace had signed a petition to Congress to repeal both the Equality Act and Voting Rights Amendment.  At this meeting, Wallace presents the petition to Vice-President Folsom, saying "Mr. Vice-President, stand up for the White man in the South and sign this petition.  For too long have out states' rights been violated by the overbearing federal Congress.  Stand with the South."  Vice-President Folsom picks up the pen, and seem as though he is going to sign it.  However, he instead tells Governor Wallace "Mr. Governor, by supporting these acts, I am not only standing up for the Negro man, but also for the White man.  It is the White man's best interest to live in a democracy where all people can vote."  Governor Wallace is outraged.  He storms off stage.

August 2, 1953

Governor Wallace, along with many other prominent Southern Democrats, makes a public statement condeming the actions of Vice-President Folsom.  He calls for him both to resign and change parties.

[Bacon King]

This is getting to be pretty interesting.

[True Democrat]

This is getting to be pretty interesting.

Do you like it so far?

[George W. Hobbes]

Good stuff, keep it up True.

[Bacon King]

Yes, I do like it. It's pretty good.

[MasterJedi]

As Bacon King said, this is getting very interesting. Keep it up.

[True Democrat]

Although the Southern wing of the Democratic party continues to disown Folsom, the rest of the year passes without any other major events.  Folsom's anti-Communism initiative has not yet been passed because many don't believe he should be acting as a real President.  President Eisenhower remains in his coma.

January 19, 1954

After nearly one year in a coma, President Eisenhower awakes.  He is completely alert, and doctors say he can reassume the office of the Presidency in a couple of days.

January 27, 1954

Vice-President Folsom relinquinshes control of the Presidency.  It is rumoured that President Eisenhower is very upset with Folsom's actions when he was President and may ask him to resign.

February 6, 1954

Gallup releases approval polls for both Folsom and Eisenhower.

Eisenhower:

Approve: 74.9%
Disapprove: 14.6%

Democrats (41% of the poll):
Approve: 84%
Disapprove: 4%

Independents (36% of the poll):
Approve: 67%
Disapprove: 20%

Republicans (23% of the poll):
Approve: 71%
Disapprove: 25%

Folsom:

Approve: 53.8%
Disapprove: 39%

Democrats (41% of the poll):
Approve: 38%
Disapprove: 51%

Independents (36% of the poll):
Approve: 59%
Disapprove: 38%

Republicans (23% of the poll):
Approve: 74%
Disapprove: 19%

It is notable how few people now call themselves Republicans.

[True Democrat]

March 7, 1954

President Eisenhower calls a press conference to both give his missed state of the union and his inauguration speech in his entirety.  He believes it is important to separate himself from Vice-President Folsom and show that he is back in control.

March 8, 1954

President Eisenhower embarks on his three week cross country train tour to have townhall meetings with the American people to hear their concerns.

March 30, 1954

Eisenhower returns from his trip.  While walking outside the White House, he collapses.  Most speculate he has had another stroke, but instead the doctors say he is simply suffering from fatigue from his trip.

April 17, 1954

On See It Now on CBS, Ed Murrow assembles anyalysts for an hour long program to see what will happen in the 1954 midterms.  Most agree that even though Eisenhower has extremely high approvals, Democrats will lose a few seats, mostly in the South because of both Folsom and the lack of action by the Democratic Senate.

April 19, 1954

Eisenhower suffers a third stroke, but it is only mild.  He immediately recovers, and Vice-President Folsom does not even assume responsibilies.  Upon hearing this, Folsom looks extremely angry.  The only trouble Eisenhower has is with his heart beat, which he is on a regulator for.

April 21, 1954

Eisenhower dies suddenly in his sleep.  The official cause of death is heart failure.  When the doctors find him, they see that the heart regulator is still on, but a nurse who passed the room earlier does not remember hearing the beat of the machine.  For years to come, people will speculate that Vice-President Folsom unplugged the machine, killing Eisenhower.  Nonetheless, Folsom is immediately sworn in as President.

[True Democrat]

January 8, 1955

President Folsom gives his first State of the Union address.  In it, he outlines two main goals.  First, he wants to continue his initiative to fight communism and the USSR.  His second initiative is to increase African-American turnout, especially in the South.  This is at odds with many members of his own party.  Finally, Folsom puts forward his nominee for Vice-President.  He decides to pick  Independent Representative Richard Nixon from California.  Nixon, who is seen by many as conservative both economically and socially is seen as one of the only federal officials to not have taken a position on the Civil Rights Legislation under President Dewey.  This is seen as a safe choice and will easily be approved of by the new Senate, which stands as follows:

Senate:

Republicans: 51 (+2)
Democrats: 41 (-8)
Independents: 8 (+6)

With caucusing:
Republicans: 57
Democrats: 43

With the new House looking like this:

Republicans: 237 (-5)
Democrats: 174 (-16)
Independents: 24 (+21)

With caucusing:
Republicans: 254
Democrats: 181

In both the House and Senate, a new group known as the "Independent Reformers" has been elected.  7 of the 8 Independent Senators fit into this group.  They have promised to simply get some work to reform the tax code, penal code, and streamline government spending.  Most of the Indpendent Reformers have decided to caucus with the Republicans, as they have the majorities in both houses.  The Independent Reformer Senators have promised ot not serve more than one term.

[True Democrat]

When I first made this, I was planning on having the United States split through a vote, but my story has carried me away from that.  Hmm, maybe I should change the name.

[MasterJedi]

Changing the title is your opinion but you're doing a good job, keep it up.