The Caretaker

[Joe Biden 2024]

Gerald

The 38th President of the United States sat behind the Resolute Desk, reviewing the text of the speech one more time. A little over a year ago, he ascended to the office after Nixon's resignation, and now, he was about to announce the next step of his political career.

Gerald Ford had never wanted to become President. He had aspired to become Speaker of the House. But scandal intervened, and Ford found himself Vice President, then, less than a year later, he found himself one of the most powerful men on Earth.

Ford stood up and walked over to the window. Rain pelted down upon Washington. As he stood there, Ford thought about what he was about to do. He had talked about it with his family. Betty had told him she would be supportive of whatever he chose to do. His children, likewise. But August was about to turn into September, and he needed to inform the nation of his decision.

The door to the Oval Office opened and Donald Rumsfeld, his Chief of Staff walked in. "Excuse me Mr. President. They're ready for you."

'Thank you Donald," said Ford. He walked back over to the desk to pick up the text of the speech, then headed for the door, and headed down the hall to the East Room, Rumsfeld right behind him. Fitting, thought Ford, that I'm giving the speech in here. The microphones were set up. Ford stepped up, waited for them to get the signal, then began to speak.

"My fellow Americans, on August 9, 1974, I ascended to the Presidency. In a time of crisis, the weight of seeing the nation safely out of danger fell to me. Some of the actions I took were unpopular. But necessary to put it behind us.

"For the past year, I served in the highest office in this nation, an office I never imagined I would hold." Ford paused for a moment. No turning back now he thought before continuing. "But in order to fully heal, America needs someone new to hold this office. While I will continue to serve out the remainder of my term, I shall not seek, nor will I accept, my party's nomination for a full term as President of the United States, and a new President will be elected next year. Thank you, and good night."

[Mister Mets]

Interesting start. Looking forward to the ramifications of an open Republican primary, and Democrats running without an incumbent President as a foil.

[Zharques]

I'm now picturing Gerald For with a with a mob and plunger stalking around the White House going "and he called them Plumbers".

[brucejoel99]

Interesting start. Looking forward to the ramifications of an open Republican primary, and Democrats running without an incumbent President as a foil.

[Joe Biden 2024]

Ronald

Over a month had passed since Ford's announcement, and Ronald Reagan was even more excited now than he was a month ago. The former governor of California was already considering launching a challenge against Ford, but when Ford announced he wouldn't run, it removed an obstacle to that. But now, Gallup had released a poll for the Republican primary, and it showed Reagan in the lead.

Two candidacies had already been announced: Dan Evans of Washington, and Raymond Shafer of Pennsylvania, though Reagan doubted either one would make it far in the primaries. He turned to the rest of the poll. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller was in second, behind Reagan. Reagan didn't think Rocky would get the nomination. He's been rejected three times, plus the party'll view him as too liberal he thought. Behind Rocky were a trio of senators, all neck and neck with each other: Charles Percy of Illinois, Howard Baker of Tennessee, and Mark Hatfield of Oregon. Former UN ambassador George Bush was in sixth. The rest of the poll, in Reagan's mind, didn't have a chance of getting the nomination.

Reagan leaned back in his chair. Some of those listed could pose a real challenge to him. Like him, they all saw a chance to fix the GOP's image after Watergate. But Reagan was confident that he would win. The party was more conservative than before, and Reagan was a well-known figure in the GOP. Plus, he didn't hold any elected office, giving him an advantage over those who did.

I'll announce in a month or so, he thought. After all, he was still the frontrunner. Unlike others, he could afford to wait.

Polling for the Republican Nomination-September 29, 1975

Former Governor Ronald Reagan* (CA): 21%
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller* (NY): 16%
Senator Charles Percy* (IL): 11%
Senator Howard Baker* (TN): 11%
Senator Mark Hatfield* (OR): 9%
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George Bush* (TX): 7%
Former Governor Raymond Shafer (PA): 4%
Senator John Tower* (TX): 4%
Governor Dan Evans (WA): 2%
Former Governor Claude Kirk* (FL): 2%
Other/undecided: 13%

*: Candidacy not declared

[Joe Biden 2024]

Robert

Some in Washington were pleased that Ford wasn't running for re-election. Robert Strauss was not one of them.

Elected chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the wake of the debacle that was 1972, Watergate raised Strauss' hopes of a Democratic victory in 1976. The successes the Democrats had in the 1974 midterm elections only bolstered his hopes. But Ford had decided against running, and that changed everything. Before the announcement, Strauss was hoping for a simple strategy: Tie the Republicans to Nixon. Ford's controversial pardon of Nixon would make that easy. But now that was gone. Reagan and Rockefeller had no ties to the Nixon administration. Percy, Baker, and Hatfield were all respected senators. Bush worked for the administration, but most of that was as UN ambassador, removed from Washington.

The main problem facing the Democrats was a simple one: No clear frontrunner for the nomination. The ones likely to be the frontrunner-Ted Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, and Ed Muskie-all decided against running. No one wanted to go back to George McGovern. That left those currently running. Senator Henry Jackson of Washington would be a strong contender, but the left of the party disliked his support of the war in Vietnam. George Wallace was persona non grata with the north. Arizona Congressman Mo Udall was popular with the liberals, but he had a lot of work to do to become a frontrunner. Strauss wasn't optimistic about the chances of the rest of the field.

Our best chance at getting back the White House in over a decade, and we could blow it, he thought. He leaned back in his chair. Someone in this field is gonna get the nomination, was his thought as he looked back to the list of candidates. Strauss still felt hope that they could win. But, buried in the back of his mind, there were doubts they would.

[Joe Biden 2024]

Nelson

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller stood off stage and listening. The cool November air didn't bother him at all. He enjoyed being back in New York. But his mind was elsewhere. The Republican field was getting larger and it was time to announce his decision: He would seek the Republican nomination.

Over the last couple months, Republicans began announcing they would seek the nomination. Dan Evans and Raymond Shafer were the first to announce. Texas Senator John Tower was the next to announce and he was followed by Ohio Congressman John Ashbrook. Despite being elected as a member of the Conservative Party, New York Senator James Buckley announced he would seek the Republican nomination. Former Governor Claude Kirk of Florida and Former UN ambassador George Bush followed. Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland announced his own bid, but he was quickly overshadowed by Charles Percy and Mark Hatfield announcing their own bids. Iowa Governor Robert Ray was the most recent to announce.

However, even though multiple candidacies had been announced, some chose otherwise. Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee was the most prominent. Also among those deciding against runs were Former Governors John Volpe of Massachusetts, George Romney of Michigan, and William Scranton of Pennsylvania, Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott, and Former Treasury Secretary and Texas Governor John Connally.

Sure, it was a large field, from all sides of the party. But Rockefeller wasn't worried about them. However, he was worried about the man who hadn't yet made his decision. He worried about Ronald Reagan. Reagan would be able to get the conservative wing of the Republican Party to come to him, much like Goldwater did back in '64, and back then, it cost him the nomination. He'll announce, he thought. He was sure of it. The only question is when.

But that all could wait. Right now, there were people waiting to hear him speak, waiting to hear him announce. He pushed the doubts to the back of his mind, then walked up to the stage and out to the crowd.

Polling for the Republican Nomination-November 3, 1975

Former Governor Ronald Reagan* (CA): 22%
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (NY): 19%
Senator Charles Percy (IL): 9%
Senator James Buckley (NY): 9%
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George Bush (TX): 7%
Senator Mark Hatfield (OR): 6%
Congressman John Ashbrook (OH): 4%
Former Governor Raymond Shafer (PA): 3%
Governor Robert Ray (IA): 3%
Senator John Tower (TX): 3%
Former Governor Claude Kirk (FL): 2%
Governor Dan Evans (WA): 2%
Senator Charles Mathias (MD): 1%
Other/undecided: 10%

[Joe Biden 2024]

Charles

The senior senator from Illinois stood at the window, watching the snow fall upon Washington. Winter was about to begin. 1975 was about to turn into 1976. And the GOP primary was in full swing. Reagan finally announced his candidacy in late November. Everyone saw him as the frontrunner. Even Percy thought that. But unlike others in the field, Percy saw an opening.

The polls still showed Percy in third, behind Reagan and Rocky. Rocky was the problematic one. Percy was a moderate. Rockefeller had once been the head of the moderate wing of the Republican Party. Three times Rocky tried to be the Republican nominee, and three times the Republicans turned him down. Shame, thought Percy, he would've been a great President.

But those times were over. Someone new needed to take the lead of the moderate wing. Romney had tried and failed back in '68. Percy felt that it was falling to him. More importantly, he felt it was falling to him to stop Reagan. The last time the GOP nominated a conservative, it blew up in their face. Percy was determined to make sure that didn't happen again.

How to do that was simply: Beat Rocky early on. Beat Rocky, and the establishment would come to him. He had the business knowledge and the foreign policy experience to do that. Once he became the establishment favorite, it would be easy to beat Reagan and prevent the GOP from making a mistake.

At that moment, the phone rang. Percy went over and picked it up. "Yes?" he said.

"Senator, it's time for you to get ready," the voice on the other end said.

"Thank you," replied Percy, as he hung up the phone. He had spent a few days in Washington. Now, it was time to get back on the campaign trail.

[Joe Biden 2024]

By the way, the Democratic ticket is going to be Carter/Mondale, so don't expect a lot of updates from the Democratic side.

[morgankingsley]

By the way, the Democratic ticket is going to be Carter/Mondale, so don't expect a lot of updates from the Democratic side.

SPOILERS!

Just kidding mostly

[Joe Biden 2024]

By the way, the Democratic ticket is going to be Carter/Mondale, so don't expect a lot of updates from the Democratic side.

SPOILERS!

Just kidding mostly

At least I didn't say who the Republican nominee will be.

[BigVic]

No Ford in ‘76

[Pericles]

Interesting TL, Reagan is probably the favorite for the GOP nomination but I can see a moderate like Howard Baker winning.

[Joe Biden 2024]

Mary

The clock was about to strike midnight. 1976 was only a few minutes away. That only made Mary Louise Smith worry even more. The Iowa Caucus, the first in the nation primary, was only a few weeks away, and she had no idea what was going to happen in Iowa or the rest of the primaries.

Appointed chairwoman of the RNC, Smith had hoped for a smooth and easy election cycle. Then Ford went and threw that out the window. Now it was a free for all, and she wasn't sure who would win. Would Reagan's frontrunner status propel him? Would Rockefeller succeed where he failed before? Would one of the other candidates emerge from the group to win? No one knew. The only bright side was that she was equally unsure of what would happen with the Democrats. Would be Jackson, Wallace, Udall, Bayh, or someone else entirely?

Just then, the clock struck midnight. Cries of "Happy New Year!" rang out. 18 days she thought. 18 days until the chaos truly began.

[Joe Biden 2024]

Howard

The senior senator from Tennessee sat in his chair and watched the results come in. Tonight was an exciting night in politics: The Iowa Caucuses were tonight, and the nomination was still up in the air.

Surprising next to no one, Reagan won the Iowa Caucus by a wide margin. Rockefeller came in second, followed by native son Robert Ray in third. Charles Percy came in fourth, thanks to being from the state next door. The rest of the candidates failed to win any delegates. Ashbrook and Shafer withdrew from the race after their poor showings. The others were staying in, hoping they would succeed in other states. On the Democratic side, Jimmy Carter, the unknown governor of Georgia, had come from nowhere to come in second, losing only to "uncommitted", effectively winning the Iowa Democratic Caucus.

At that moment, the phone started ringing. Baker picked it up. "Hello?' he said into the receiver.

"Howard," said the voice of Senator Hugh Scott on the other end, "what do you think of the results?"

"I think it's what we thought would happen: Reagan and Rockefeller on top, Percy putting up a respectable showing, and Ray doing well in his home state. Now, if you want to who I think will win the nomination, I don't know."

"I agree," replied Scott. "But some of us are concerned that Reagan is too far to the right, and Rockefeller too far to the left for either one to get the nomination. This party needs a moderate. Don't you agree?"

"Yes," replied Baker. Then it hit him. "Sir, what exactly are you suggesting?"

"I'm simply suggesting you keep your options open. Good night Howard."

"Good night Hugh." Then the line went dead.

Iowa Republican Caucus Results

Former Governor Ronald Reagan: 51%, 19 delegates
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller: 23%, 9 delegates
Governor Robert Ray: 9%, 5 delegates
Senator Charles Percy: 5%, 3 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush: 3%, 0 delegates
Congressman John Ashbrook: 2%, 0 delegates
Senator John Buckley: 2%, 0 delegates
Senator John Tower: 1%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Claude Kirk: 1%, 0 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield: 1%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Raymond Shafer: <1%, 0 delegates
Governor Dan Evans: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Mathias: <1%, 0 delegates

Republican Primary Map

Former Governor Ronald Reagan (CA): 19 delegates
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (NY): 9 delegates
Governor Robert Ray (IA): 5 delegates
Senator Charles Percy (IL): 3 delegates

[Joe Biden 2024]

Nelson

He hid it well, but Nelson Rockefeller was starting to panic.

The results of the New Hampshire primary had come in and to say they were bad was an understatement. Not only he failed to win the primary, but he came in third behind Reagan and Bush, and narrowing beating Hatfield. No candidates had dropped out of the race tonight,

His staff was still confident. Rockefeller was keeping their spirits up, but he wasn't entirely sure now. He always knew that it was going to be an uphill battle for the nomination, but losing a primary in the Northeast, his stronghold, his key support base, was bad. Not only that, but Reagan was still the frontrunner for the nomination. The last thing this party needs is Goldwater 2.0 he thought. He had warned the party about the dangers of extremism back then, and he was right. He hoped he could prove right again.

He looked over to the map. Massachusetts and Vermont were up next. Good he thought. Massachusetts and Vermont were more liberal than Iowa and New Hampshire. That would give him a boost.

He heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he called out and an aide walked in.

"Excuse me, sir," the aide said. "It's time for your speech."

"Thank you," said Rockefeller. He put on his jacket, then stopped as a light bulb went off in his head. "Tell the speechwriters to start including the phrase 'Goldwater 2.0' into the stump." That'll get Reagan was the thought running through his head. That would start his comeback.

New Hampshire Republican Primary Results

Former Governor Ronald Reagan: 48%, 11 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush: 23%, 5 delegates
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller: 12%, 3 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield: 11%, 2 delegates
Senator James Buckley: 2%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Percy: 1%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Claude Kirk: 1%, 0 delegates
Governor Robert Ray 1%, 0 delegates
Senator John Tower: <1%, 0 delegates
Governor Dan Evans: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Mathias: <1%, 0 delegates

Republican Primary Map

Former Governor Ronald Reagan (CA): 30 delegates
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (NY): 12 delegates
Governor Robert Ray (IA): 9 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush (TX): 5 delegates
Senator Charles Percy (IL): 3 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield (OR): 2 delegates

[Joe Biden 2024]

Daniel

Dan Evans watched the results come in, sighed, then looked around the room. "It's over, isn't it?"

When he announced his candidacy back in September, Evans knew that it would be a longshot. After all, he was a mostly unknown governor. But he still held out hope. Hope that he would be the savior of the Republican Party. A moderate alternative to the conservative Reagan, without the stench of defeat that Rocky had or ties to Nixon.

But Rockefeller, Percy, and Hatfield put an end to that. The liberals and moderates went to them, not Evans. He had banked it all on Massachusetts and Vermont, hoping to win some delegates, any delegates. But they rejected him. Rocky won both. Four primaries in, and he had zero delegates.

"Now what?" one advisor asked.

Evans paused for a moment before answering. "Get me the Vice President." He wasn't entirely sure who would win. But he was sure of one thing: He did not want Ronald Reagan to get the nomination.

Massachusetts Republican Primary Results

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller: 53%, 29 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield: 20%, 9 delegates
Senator Charles Percy: 11%, 3 delegates
Former Governor Ronald Reagan: 9%, 2 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush: 3%, 0 delegates
Governor Dan Evans: 2%, 0 delegates
Governor Robert Ray: 1%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Claude Kirk: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Mathias: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator John Tower: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator James Buckley: <1%, 0 delegates

Vermont Republican Primary Results

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller: 63%, 15 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield: 23%, 3 delegates
Senator Charles Percy: 8%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Ronald Reagan: 2%, 0 delegates
Governor Dan Evans: 1%, 0 delegates
Governor Robert Ray: 1%, 0 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush: 1%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Mathias: <1%, 0 delegates
Former Governor Claude Kirk: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator John Tower: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator James Buckley: <1%, 0 delegates

Republican Primary Map

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (NY): 59 delegates
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (CA): 32 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield (OR): 14 delegates
Governor Robert Ray (IA): 9 delegates
Senator Charles Percy (IL): 6 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush (TX): 5 delegates

[Joe Biden 2024]

James

As congraduations were exchanged, James Buckley was thinking of what to do next. He had won the Florida primary and what was once considered a longshot bid was now a serious contender for the Republican nomination.

This win was going to change the nature of the race. Reagan had always been the leader of the conservative wing of the GOP. Hell, Buckley wasn't even a Republican until he announced his run. But things were different now. Buckley had just established himself as another conservative leader in the party.

Buckley looked back to the results. Reagan took second place. Claude Kirk, the former Florida governor, came in third, a result that ended his presidential bid. Bush took fourth. Other than Buckley, the three of them were the only ones to win delegates.

With newfound enthusiasm and confidence, Buckley turned back to look at his campaign team. "Ok guys, here's what we're going to do next.

Republican Florida Primary Results

Senator James Buckley: 49%, 36 delegates
Former Governor Ronald Reagan: 29%, 15 delegates
Former Governor Claude Kirk: 12%, 10 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush: 5%, 5 delegates
Senator John Tower: 3%, 0 delegates
Senator Charles Percy: 1%, 0 delegates
Vice President Nelson Rockefeller: <1%, 0 delegates
Governor Robert Ray: <1%, 0 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield: <1%, 0 delegates

Republican Primary Map

Vice President Nelson Rockefeller (NY): 59 delegates
Former Governor Ronald Reagan (CA): 47 delegates
Senator James Buckley (NY): 36 delegates
Senator Mark Hatfield (OR): 14 delegates
Former Ambassador to the United Nations George H.W. Bush (TX): 11 delegates
Governor Robert Ray (IA): 9 delegates
Senator Charles Percy (IL): 6 delegates