My first timeline on this site, I hope to eventually get to the point I can do more indepth ones like I see on this site but after joining I was eager to put one on here to join the club!
(Winner and party on the left, loser on the right)
1951 – 22nd Amendment limiting the president to two terms fails to gain enough support in the states and does not pass.
1952 – Ike R Stevenson
Events from 1952 - 1959 are largely as we remember them.
1956 – Ike R Stevenson
Overwhelming public popularity and prosperity convince Ike to run again, with FDR doing it four times the stigma is not as bad as it was for FDR in 1940. Ike easily defeats Democratic Nominee Senator John F. Kennedy who returns to the Senate and has a long successful career, however Kennedy is able to do substantially better against Ike than Stevenson ever did. The controversy concerning the southern Democratic Party that resulted in Harry Bird of West Virginia receiving 15 Electoral College votes happens in this timeline as well.
1960 – Ike R JFK
In 1964 Ike decides three is enough and the country needs fresh ideas, fresh faces, and a fresh debate so he steps aside. Nixon’s is largely unchallenged in the Republican primary and on the Democratic side JFK and LBJ both run for the nomination but are beat out by Eugene McCarthy. Toward the end of Ike’s third term there is some amping of US forces in Vietnam but not as drastic as in our time line, Nixon begins calling for greater involvement worrying about the domino’s falling after having lost China, ½ of Korea, and Cuba to communist forces. Ike still remembers Korea and is wary of having to fight someone else’s war again. This causes a split between Ike and Nixon leading to Ike never endorsing Nixon and never mentioning Nixon in his speech at the Convention. The civil rights movement is also starting to heat up as in our timeline however since JFK is not assassinated in ’63 (Ike never travels to Dallas in November so Oswald is forgotten by history) there is no national mandate to pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act that helped LBJ in our timeline. Senator Kennedy also makes his historic moonshot speech however since he is a Senator instead of the President it does not carry near as much weight. The US decides to focus on challenging the Russians in first in space accomplishments closer to Earth, though a landing on the moon is seen as an eventual goal, sometime down the road. Also, Castro still seizes power in Cuba and the Cuban Missile Crisis still occurs, however Ike very publically agrees to remove missiles from Turkey and guarantee that the US will never invade Cuba if the Soviets remove their missiles from Cuba, agree to regular inspections from the UN that there are no missiles in Cuba or Turkey.
1964 – Nixon R Eugene McCarthy
Nixon begins pouring troops into Vietnam almost as soon as he enters office. Due to lack of official support the South Vietnamese government is near collapse, the influx of US troops helps prop up and stabilize the failing government. The turbulence of the 1960’s in LBJ’s presidency marks Nixon’s. Some of Nixon’s OT domestic policies are put into place as well as some of LBJ’s however Medicare is never passed neither is the EPA which is created in OTL under Nixon. Nixon does continue Ike’s civil rights stance, in some cases going even further. Some areas of the deep south in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are seen as outside of federal control. Despite a very turbulent four years, unlike LBJ, Nixon decides to run in 1968. Despite a tough primary challenge from NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller and new California Governor Ronald Reagan, Nixon secures the nomination. The war progress continues to deteriorate as well as domestic turmoil over the draft and civil rights. On April 4, 1968 MLK is assassinated in Birmingham, Alabama, this prompts Nixon to call for the American Civil and Voting Rights Act of 1968, hoping to have at least one final thing to point to in his legacy as positive. When New York Senator Robert Kennedy is assassinated on June 6, 1968 while campaigning for public support of the new Civil Rights law with his brother, Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts, in Charlotte NC the law is seen as a lock to pass, the assassinations also turn support against “state’s rights” segregationist and firmly toward the federal lead in integration. By the time November rolls around McGovern wins in a landslide.
1968 – George McGovern D Nixon
McGovern begins his term with an immediate appeal to the United Nations for peacekeepers to be put into place in Vietnam to aid the United States in its withdrawal, request a cease fire with North Vietnam to aid the United States withdrawal, and promises to continue financial aid to South Vietnam. North Vietnam rejects a cease fire as long as US aid of any kind still enters South Vietnam and while the UN Security Council agrees to begin discussing the possibility of peacekeepers the Soviet Union blocks most efforts from gaining any real traction. However McGovern did endorse and continue Nixon’s policy of reinforcing NATO positions to counter the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August of 1968 agreeing with Nixon privately that this was not the time to show weakness to the Warsaw Pact. The US withdrawal is delayed because while McGovern wants to end the war as quickly as possible, he also does not want to see South Vietnam fall to communism. McGovern even goes so far as to escalate the war hoping to buy the South long enough to build up its military before the US withdraws, antiwar groups see the delay and build up as a betrayal and redouble their protesting efforts. Conservative Republicans sweep the 1970 congressional elections, the democrats stay home to protest what they see as broken McGovern promises on the Domestic and foreign fronts and Conservatives campaign on McGovern being a weak and ineffective leader all around. McGovern is seen more and more as a lame duck. As a result of the election McGovern signs an executive order that will require the last US servicemen be out of Vietnam by New Year’s Eve 1973. By the time 1972 rolls around the war is on its way to being over, McGovern has been able to work with some liberal Republicans and what remains of Democrats in Congress to pass some social reforms, and thanks to a bipartisan bill the draft is scheduled to be ended by the end of 1974. The death toll in Vietnam has also dropped significantly, however most observers see this as simply the North waiting for the US to finally withdrawing before moving in for the kill. McGovern looks to have a tough fight to recapture the nomination however his poll numbers improve enough that he is able to capture the Democratic nomination again. On the Republican side California Governor Ronald Reagan, NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and Nixon’s VP Spiro Agnew battle for a nomination eventually won by Ronald Reagan. Reagan campaigns on “morning in America” and “return to Ike” saying that after a long night (referring to the Civil Rights and Vietnam turmoil) it’s now time for America to rise again and return to the exceptionalism America experienced in the 1950’s. Come November Reagan wins comfortably.
1972 – Ronald Reagan R George McGovern
Reagan takes office with America seemingly on the road to recovery, the final troops are on the way out of Vietnam, the Civil Rights and other domestic issues are calming down, the draft is ending, and a stagnant economy appears to be recovering. On August 6, 1973 the Yom Kippur War begins then on August 13th, in response to Western Aid to Israel OPEC begins the oil embargo, beginning the 1973 energy crisis. The embargo stunts the recovery America was in the middle of and unemployment begins to rise month by month. The embargo ends a few long months later but the damage has already been done. The American economy maintains its stagnant state for the next two years, causing the Republicans to lose seats in the Senate but maintain its control in the 1974 elections, the Democrats continue the hold on the House they have had since the early 1960’s. Over the course of his term Reagan completely revamped the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, along with support in Congress, task them with completely remaking the military for a post-Vietnam/post draft mission. By 1975, though there is still some lingering inflation, thanks to Reagan’s tax cuts the economy has started to recover and unemployment is dropping. As a reaction to the OPEC embargo Reagan issues an executive order creating the Department of Energy and task’s it with making the United States solely dependent on North America for its energy needs by 1990. Reagan does this to prevent another shock to the US economy like happened during the first part of his term, he also fears what an America dependent on foreign oil would do if the USSR found a way to cut that oil off. By the time 1976 rolls around the economy and overall mood of America has improved enough that Reagan looks like a lock for reelection. However some early scandals have tarnished Reagan’s reputation, also the Democrats gains in the ’74 election have given them confidence. Reagan is unchallenged for the Republican nomination and the Democrats nominate Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. In a tight race Reagan wins reelection and the Republicans even increase their numbers in the Senate and House, though still not controlling the House.
1976 – Ronald Reagan R Jimmy Carter
Reagan’s second term is largely uneventful as he works with a Democratic Congress to battle inflation and rebound the economy, and maintain bring down the price of oil. On the international front Reagan maintains his hardline stance with the Soviet Union however the military is still in the middle of its post-Vietnam overhaul so the U.S. is in a weakened position. Reagan enjoys high approval ratings throughout his second term then on Christmas Eve 1979 the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. President Reagan orders an aircraft carrier group to the Indian Ocean and orders the CIA to begin arming the Afghan rebels. The U.S. goes out of its way to keep support for the Afghans from being tracked back to the U.S. or N.A.T.O. allies. On November 4, 1979 the Iranians seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran beginning the Iranian Hostage Crisis. After a failed rescue attempt the Reagan administration begins working on other avenues to get the hostages released. Reagan maintains a hard line with the Iranians and with the Soviets throughout the year. After long consideration Reagan, with approval numbers in the mid 50’s, decides to run for a third term and gains the support of Republicans. On the Democratic side California Governor Jerry Brown receives the nomination after a relatively tough fight making the 1980 Presidential race a contest between the current Governor of California and the former Governor of California. Brown attempted to paint Reagan as a disconnected war hawk who was reckless with his handling of foreign policy. On September 18 eight hostages are shot and killed during an attempted escape attempt. On September 20th the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. receives assurances that the Soviets would not retaliate if an American intervention in Iran was limited to rescuing the hostages. On the night of September 21st President Reagan goes on national television and announces that unless Iran releases the hostages within 24 hours he will order the full force of the United States military to begin bombing runs of Iran and a full out invasion of the country retrieve the hostages and capture the leaders of the crisis. On September 22nd, minutes before the U.S. fighter aircraft enter Iranian airspace, the Iranian leaders announce they are placing the hostages on a plane and they will be landing in Kuwait City the next day however they will not turn over the Iranian leaders over to the U.S. While the U.S. will continue to push for the the leaders of the hostage crisis Americans celebrate the release of the hostages as a win. In November Reagan wins his third term, though by the tightest margin of any of the previous three elections.
The public is split throughout Reagan’s second term over support for the Afghans and even if the U.S. should even escalate the war with U.S. ground troops and/or air support. The Afghan conflict and the still struggling economy make the Democrats think they have shot at capturing the White House in 1980, especially after Democratic gains in the ’78 Congressional elections. Reagan’s Vice President through two terms Nelson Rockefeller suffers a massive heart attack in January of 1979, he dies of this in OTL however due to begin Vice President the medical care he receives, both before and during, allows him to survive. He finishes his term though he is replaces by Donald Rumsfeld as the Republican VP nominee in 1980. Rockefeller suffers another heart attack in 1982 that he dies of.
1980 – Ronald Reagan R Jerry Brown
Reagan enters his third term and begins with a focus on recovering the lagging U.S. economy. The efforts are well received and seem to be fruitful however on March 20 Reagan is shot by John Hinckley Jr outside a Washington D.C. hotel. He is not does not die but the wounds are much worse than in OTL due to Reagan’s weakened health. Reagan appears to be slowly recovering however he is unable to be released from the hospital. After a month a special ward is set up in the White House and he is moved there. Reagan continues to run the government from his hospital bed however the stress wears on him. Despite pleas from his family and others around him to resign before stress takes its toll on him he continues to run the country, even successfully coming to the aid of ally Great Britain during their war over the Falkland Islands with Argentina. VP Donald Rumsfeld, who had replaced Rockefeller on the ticket In ’80, is brought in to the day to day running of the government but Reagan is still in charge, at least as far as the public is concerned. The truth is the stress of the office is wearing on Reagan despite public perception otherwise, and there are times Reagan isn’t lucid enough to govern and there is a split developing between those loyal to Reagan and those think it’s time for Rumsfeld to take over. On November 11, 1982, while Vice President Rumsfeld is out of the country at Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev’s funeral, Reagan suffers a massive stroke brought on by his condition. News of the stroke quickly leaks and in the panic so does news of Reagan’s actual health. The senior White House staff had encouraged Rumsfeld to go to the funeral because they fear if he doesn’t it will cause people to speculate about Reagan’s health and Reagan had been doing better. News organizations break in with continuing coverage, doctors are able to quickly stabilize Reagan however he remains in a coma. During a press conference during the panic Secretary of State Alexander Haig famously states when asked who is in charge with the Vice President out of the Country, “Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should we reach the point where we need to transfer the helm to the Vice President, we will do so. We have not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and I am in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.” This leads to the fear that there has been a coup at the top level of government but no one is sure who is in charge or who is leading it. The statement is seen as everyone in government as a legitimate accident by Haig during a very stressful situation however the fact that Haig had been leading the camp arguing for Reagan not to resign does not put the quote in a good light. As soon as Rumsfeld is back in the country he does a full interview with CBS’s Dan Rather where he assures that Haig’s comment was an accident however Haig has agreed to resign his post over the manner. Due to Reagan’s coma the cabinet is forced to meet on November 15th under the 24th Amendment (25th in OTL) to send notice to the Speaker of the House and President Pro-tem of the Senate that Reagan is no longer able to continue to serve as President and that Rumsfeld will take over as Acting President (however due to the terms of the 24th Amendment he would continue to be the Vice President and Reagan the President in title). The staff quickly goes about attempting to recover from the train wreck that came to become known as the November Crisis. A Congressional panel is convened to investigate and while everyone involved is cleared of any wrong doing, the panel does state that the Executive branch could have been more forthcoming about President Reagan’s health but it also does concede that most of the lack of information was at the insistence of President Reagan who was, for the most part leading the government during this time. Thanks to conspiracy theorist and Freedom of Information Act request incidents where Reagan was not lucid enough to lead the government does leak out but not until many years after the fact. Due to the lingering effects of the November Crisis Vice President Rumsfeld announces that he will not seek a term in his own right in 1984. This announcement opened up the Presidential primaries on both sides for the first time since 1952. With Reagan in a coma, Rumsfeld a lame duck, and the economy still stagnant the early 80’s were characterized by the same malaise that characterized the late ‘70’s in OTL. On March 17, 1983, almost two years after the assassination attempt, President Ronald Reagan finally passed away at George Washington hospital. Upon his death there was a long period of national mourning but also a strange sense of relief because now the nation felt like it could finally move on. Acting President Rumsfeld finally becomes the 38th President of the United States after four months with the “Acting” title. On April 30, 1983 Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger is approved by both houses of Congress to become the new Vice President. It is learned much, much later that Caspar Weinberger gained the much needed support of Democrats in Congress after he made a vow to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal in a private meeting that he would not run for President or Vice President in 1984. The Reagan’s third term became known to some historians as “The Lost Term.” Due to Reagan’s health and so much being up in the air and unknown so much potential that was lost and so much of the term left people waiting to see what needed to be done, what could be done, and what could not be done. The economy was stagnant throughout most of the term, on the international front the Soviets continued to battle insurgents in Afghanistan backed by the CIA and Iraq continued its U.S. backed war against the Iranian Revolution but in many cases America spent most of the early 1980’s waiting to see what was going to happen with Reagan. In October of 1983 when the U.S. Marine barracks was destroyed in Beirut, President Rumsfeld withdrew the troops as Reagan did in OTL, however he committed his legacy to continuing President Reagan’s commitment to rebuild America’s military and standing firm against the Soviets and oppression. In many ways Margret Thatcher took on the role Reagan did in OTL in standing up to the Soviets. While President Rumsfeld’s short term is overshadowed by what he did and did not know and do regarding President Reagan’s health and the November Crisis, he is remembered for working with Democrats and Tip O’Neal to help the country start to move on from the turmoil of the early ‘80’s and working with Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II to continue working for peace and freedom in the world. In 1984, with Rumsfeld and Weinberger declining to run there is a tight race between former CIA director and Ambassador to China George H.W. Bush, who had been on Reagan’s short list for V.P. in both 1972 and 1980, and Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. The field of candidates is weak this year because almost everyone predicts a sure Democratic victory in November. On the Democratic side the race comes down to Jimmy Carter’s running mate long time Senator Walter Mondale, long time Massachusetts Senator and 1960 Democratic Nominee John F. Kennedy, who by this time is seen as an elder statesman and decides to give it one more shot, and Senator Gary Hart of Colorado. After a long primary battle Senator Mondale eventually comes out victorious and at the convention chooses Senator Lloyd Benston as his Vice President. Ambassador Bush as he came to be known ran a spirited campaign but after, except for McGovern’s four years, nearly a quarter century of Republicans controlling the White House the country was ready for a Democratic President. Note: There is discussion of reviving the two term limit as was discussed in the late 40’s and early 50’s now that three people have served more than two terms in the past half century however actual work on the amendment never gets past the committee level in Congress.
1984 – Walter Mondale D George H.W. Bush
There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief when Mondale took the oath of office in January of ’85, after nearly four years of holding its breath the country felt like it could finally start to move on. Much of the culture and attitude that marked the 80’s in OTL began to take its hold in the Mondale Administration. Under Mondale the economy began to boom again people began to enjoy themselves. Many historians attribute this period of boom to an increase in consumerism and businesses being able to expand because of that consumerism. On the international front Mondale stood firm with the Soviets and continued Reagan and Rumsfeld’s secret CIA war against the Soviets in Afghanistan and won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an end to the Iran-Iraq War and reopening diplomatic relations with Iran. When the ’88 elections rolled around President Mondale was riding high in the poll and America was prosperous again, his reelection seemed a sure thing. In May of ’88 Soviet forces begin pulling out of Afghanistan, the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is beginning his OTL reforms in the Soviet Union and the Afghan War is a financial drain and a black eye that combined with the recent Chernobyl disaster, he cannot afford. Soviet leadership agrees to a U.N. backed plan proposed by President Mondale for transition assistance for Afghanistan, former Ambassador George Bush is named by the U.N. to lead this mission. In ’88 the primary candidates for the Republican nomination were Senator Bob Dole and Reverend Pat Robertson with Dole eventually locking up the nomination. Dole ran an efficient and popular campaign, and though he himself also had high approval ratings, when November came he was no match for President Mondale who became the first candidate to win over 400 electoral votes since Ike in 1960 and the first Democrat to be reelected since 1944.
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(Winner and party on the left, loser on the right)
1951 – 22nd Amendment limiting the president to two terms fails to gain enough support in the states and does not pass.
1952 – Ike R Stevenson
Events from 1952 - 1959 are largely as we remember them.
1956 – Ike R Stevenson
Overwhelming public popularity and prosperity convince Ike to run again, with FDR doing it four times the stigma is not as bad as it was for FDR in 1940. Ike easily defeats Democratic Nominee Senator John F. Kennedy who returns to the Senate and has a long successful career, however Kennedy is able to do substantially better against Ike than Stevenson ever did. The controversy concerning the southern Democratic Party that resulted in Harry Bird of West Virginia receiving 15 Electoral College votes happens in this timeline as well.
1960 – Ike R JFK
In 1964 Ike decides three is enough and the country needs fresh ideas, fresh faces, and a fresh debate so he steps aside. Nixon’s is largely unchallenged in the Republican primary and on the Democratic side JFK and LBJ both run for the nomination but are beat out by Eugene McCarthy. Toward the end of Ike’s third term there is some amping of US forces in Vietnam but not as drastic as in our time line, Nixon begins calling for greater involvement worrying about the domino’s falling after having lost China, ½ of Korea, and Cuba to communist forces. Ike still remembers Korea and is wary of having to fight someone else’s war again. This causes a split between Ike and Nixon leading to Ike never endorsing Nixon and never mentioning Nixon in his speech at the Convention. The civil rights movement is also starting to heat up as in our timeline however since JFK is not assassinated in ’63 (Ike never travels to Dallas in November so Oswald is forgotten by history) there is no national mandate to pass the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Act that helped LBJ in our timeline. Senator Kennedy also makes his historic moonshot speech however since he is a Senator instead of the President it does not carry near as much weight. The US decides to focus on challenging the Russians in first in space accomplishments closer to Earth, though a landing on the moon is seen as an eventual goal, sometime down the road. Also, Castro still seizes power in Cuba and the Cuban Missile Crisis still occurs, however Ike very publically agrees to remove missiles from Turkey and guarantee that the US will never invade Cuba if the Soviets remove their missiles from Cuba, agree to regular inspections from the UN that there are no missiles in Cuba or Turkey.
1964 – Nixon R Eugene McCarthy
Nixon begins pouring troops into Vietnam almost as soon as he enters office. Due to lack of official support the South Vietnamese government is near collapse, the influx of US troops helps prop up and stabilize the failing government. The turbulence of the 1960’s in LBJ’s presidency marks Nixon’s. Some of Nixon’s OT domestic policies are put into place as well as some of LBJ’s however Medicare is never passed neither is the EPA which is created in OTL under Nixon. Nixon does continue Ike’s civil rights stance, in some cases going even further. Some areas of the deep south in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana are seen as outside of federal control. Despite a very turbulent four years, unlike LBJ, Nixon decides to run in 1968. Despite a tough primary challenge from NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller and new California Governor Ronald Reagan, Nixon secures the nomination. The war progress continues to deteriorate as well as domestic turmoil over the draft and civil rights. On April 4, 1968 MLK is assassinated in Birmingham, Alabama, this prompts Nixon to call for the American Civil and Voting Rights Act of 1968, hoping to have at least one final thing to point to in his legacy as positive. When New York Senator Robert Kennedy is assassinated on June 6, 1968 while campaigning for public support of the new Civil Rights law with his brother, Senator John Kennedy of Massachusetts, in Charlotte NC the law is seen as a lock to pass, the assassinations also turn support against “state’s rights” segregationist and firmly toward the federal lead in integration. By the time November rolls around McGovern wins in a landslide.
1968 – George McGovern D Nixon
McGovern begins his term with an immediate appeal to the United Nations for peacekeepers to be put into place in Vietnam to aid the United States in its withdrawal, request a cease fire with North Vietnam to aid the United States withdrawal, and promises to continue financial aid to South Vietnam. North Vietnam rejects a cease fire as long as US aid of any kind still enters South Vietnam and while the UN Security Council agrees to begin discussing the possibility of peacekeepers the Soviet Union blocks most efforts from gaining any real traction. However McGovern did endorse and continue Nixon’s policy of reinforcing NATO positions to counter the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in August of 1968 agreeing with Nixon privately that this was not the time to show weakness to the Warsaw Pact. The US withdrawal is delayed because while McGovern wants to end the war as quickly as possible, he also does not want to see South Vietnam fall to communism. McGovern even goes so far as to escalate the war hoping to buy the South long enough to build up its military before the US withdraws, antiwar groups see the delay and build up as a betrayal and redouble their protesting efforts. Conservative Republicans sweep the 1970 congressional elections, the democrats stay home to protest what they see as broken McGovern promises on the Domestic and foreign fronts and Conservatives campaign on McGovern being a weak and ineffective leader all around. McGovern is seen more and more as a lame duck. As a result of the election McGovern signs an executive order that will require the last US servicemen be out of Vietnam by New Year’s Eve 1973. By the time 1972 rolls around the war is on its way to being over, McGovern has been able to work with some liberal Republicans and what remains of Democrats in Congress to pass some social reforms, and thanks to a bipartisan bill the draft is scheduled to be ended by the end of 1974. The death toll in Vietnam has also dropped significantly, however most observers see this as simply the North waiting for the US to finally withdrawing before moving in for the kill. McGovern looks to have a tough fight to recapture the nomination however his poll numbers improve enough that he is able to capture the Democratic nomination again. On the Republican side California Governor Ronald Reagan, NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and Nixon’s VP Spiro Agnew battle for a nomination eventually won by Ronald Reagan. Reagan campaigns on “morning in America” and “return to Ike” saying that after a long night (referring to the Civil Rights and Vietnam turmoil) it’s now time for America to rise again and return to the exceptionalism America experienced in the 1950’s. Come November Reagan wins comfortably.
1972 – Ronald Reagan R George McGovern
Reagan takes office with America seemingly on the road to recovery, the final troops are on the way out of Vietnam, the Civil Rights and other domestic issues are calming down, the draft is ending, and a stagnant economy appears to be recovering. On August 6, 1973 the Yom Kippur War begins then on August 13th, in response to Western Aid to Israel OPEC begins the oil embargo, beginning the 1973 energy crisis. The embargo stunts the recovery America was in the middle of and unemployment begins to rise month by month. The embargo ends a few long months later but the damage has already been done. The American economy maintains its stagnant state for the next two years, causing the Republicans to lose seats in the Senate but maintain its control in the 1974 elections, the Democrats continue the hold on the House they have had since the early 1960’s. Over the course of his term Reagan completely revamped the Joint Chiefs of Staff and, along with support in Congress, task them with completely remaking the military for a post-Vietnam/post draft mission. By 1975, though there is still some lingering inflation, thanks to Reagan’s tax cuts the economy has started to recover and unemployment is dropping. As a reaction to the OPEC embargo Reagan issues an executive order creating the Department of Energy and task’s it with making the United States solely dependent on North America for its energy needs by 1990. Reagan does this to prevent another shock to the US economy like happened during the first part of his term, he also fears what an America dependent on foreign oil would do if the USSR found a way to cut that oil off. By the time 1976 rolls around the economy and overall mood of America has improved enough that Reagan looks like a lock for reelection. However some early scandals have tarnished Reagan’s reputation, also the Democrats gains in the ’74 election have given them confidence. Reagan is unchallenged for the Republican nomination and the Democrats nominate Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. In a tight race Reagan wins reelection and the Republicans even increase their numbers in the Senate and House, though still not controlling the House.
1976 – Ronald Reagan R Jimmy Carter
Reagan’s second term is largely uneventful as he works with a Democratic Congress to battle inflation and rebound the economy, and maintain bring down the price of oil. On the international front Reagan maintains his hardline stance with the Soviet Union however the military is still in the middle of its post-Vietnam overhaul so the U.S. is in a weakened position. Reagan enjoys high approval ratings throughout his second term then on Christmas Eve 1979 the Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. President Reagan orders an aircraft carrier group to the Indian Ocean and orders the CIA to begin arming the Afghan rebels. The U.S. goes out of its way to keep support for the Afghans from being tracked back to the U.S. or N.A.T.O. allies. On November 4, 1979 the Iranians seize the U.S. Embassy in Tehran beginning the Iranian Hostage Crisis. After a failed rescue attempt the Reagan administration begins working on other avenues to get the hostages released. Reagan maintains a hard line with the Iranians and with the Soviets throughout the year. After long consideration Reagan, with approval numbers in the mid 50’s, decides to run for a third term and gains the support of Republicans. On the Democratic side California Governor Jerry Brown receives the nomination after a relatively tough fight making the 1980 Presidential race a contest between the current Governor of California and the former Governor of California. Brown attempted to paint Reagan as a disconnected war hawk who was reckless with his handling of foreign policy. On September 18 eight hostages are shot and killed during an attempted escape attempt. On September 20th the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. receives assurances that the Soviets would not retaliate if an American intervention in Iran was limited to rescuing the hostages. On the night of September 21st President Reagan goes on national television and announces that unless Iran releases the hostages within 24 hours he will order the full force of the United States military to begin bombing runs of Iran and a full out invasion of the country retrieve the hostages and capture the leaders of the crisis. On September 22nd, minutes before the U.S. fighter aircraft enter Iranian airspace, the Iranian leaders announce they are placing the hostages on a plane and they will be landing in Kuwait City the next day however they will not turn over the Iranian leaders over to the U.S. While the U.S. will continue to push for the the leaders of the hostage crisis Americans celebrate the release of the hostages as a win. In November Reagan wins his third term, though by the tightest margin of any of the previous three elections.
The public is split throughout Reagan’s second term over support for the Afghans and even if the U.S. should even escalate the war with U.S. ground troops and/or air support. The Afghan conflict and the still struggling economy make the Democrats think they have shot at capturing the White House in 1980, especially after Democratic gains in the ’78 Congressional elections. Reagan’s Vice President through two terms Nelson Rockefeller suffers a massive heart attack in January of 1979, he dies of this in OTL however due to begin Vice President the medical care he receives, both before and during, allows him to survive. He finishes his term though he is replaces by Donald Rumsfeld as the Republican VP nominee in 1980. Rockefeller suffers another heart attack in 1982 that he dies of.
1980 – Ronald Reagan R Jerry Brown
Reagan enters his third term and begins with a focus on recovering the lagging U.S. economy. The efforts are well received and seem to be fruitful however on March 20 Reagan is shot by John Hinckley Jr outside a Washington D.C. hotel. He is not does not die but the wounds are much worse than in OTL due to Reagan’s weakened health. Reagan appears to be slowly recovering however he is unable to be released from the hospital. After a month a special ward is set up in the White House and he is moved there. Reagan continues to run the government from his hospital bed however the stress wears on him. Despite pleas from his family and others around him to resign before stress takes its toll on him he continues to run the country, even successfully coming to the aid of ally Great Britain during their war over the Falkland Islands with Argentina. VP Donald Rumsfeld, who had replaced Rockefeller on the ticket In ’80, is brought in to the day to day running of the government but Reagan is still in charge, at least as far as the public is concerned. The truth is the stress of the office is wearing on Reagan despite public perception otherwise, and there are times Reagan isn’t lucid enough to govern and there is a split developing between those loyal to Reagan and those think it’s time for Rumsfeld to take over. On November 11, 1982, while Vice President Rumsfeld is out of the country at Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev’s funeral, Reagan suffers a massive stroke brought on by his condition. News of the stroke quickly leaks and in the panic so does news of Reagan’s actual health. The senior White House staff had encouraged Rumsfeld to go to the funeral because they fear if he doesn’t it will cause people to speculate about Reagan’s health and Reagan had been doing better. News organizations break in with continuing coverage, doctors are able to quickly stabilize Reagan however he remains in a coma. During a press conference during the panic Secretary of State Alexander Haig famously states when asked who is in charge with the Vice President out of the Country, “Constitutionally, gentlemen, you have the President, the Vice President and the Secretary of State in that order, and should we reach the point where we need to transfer the helm to the Vice President, we will do so. We have not done that. As of now, I am in control here, in the White House, pending return of the Vice President and I am in close touch with him. If something came up, I would check with him, of course.” This leads to the fear that there has been a coup at the top level of government but no one is sure who is in charge or who is leading it. The statement is seen as everyone in government as a legitimate accident by Haig during a very stressful situation however the fact that Haig had been leading the camp arguing for Reagan not to resign does not put the quote in a good light. As soon as Rumsfeld is back in the country he does a full interview with CBS’s Dan Rather where he assures that Haig’s comment was an accident however Haig has agreed to resign his post over the manner. Due to Reagan’s coma the cabinet is forced to meet on November 15th under the 24th Amendment (25th in OTL) to send notice to the Speaker of the House and President Pro-tem of the Senate that Reagan is no longer able to continue to serve as President and that Rumsfeld will take over as Acting President (however due to the terms of the 24th Amendment he would continue to be the Vice President and Reagan the President in title). The staff quickly goes about attempting to recover from the train wreck that came to become known as the November Crisis. A Congressional panel is convened to investigate and while everyone involved is cleared of any wrong doing, the panel does state that the Executive branch could have been more forthcoming about President Reagan’s health but it also does concede that most of the lack of information was at the insistence of President Reagan who was, for the most part leading the government during this time. Thanks to conspiracy theorist and Freedom of Information Act request incidents where Reagan was not lucid enough to lead the government does leak out but not until many years after the fact. Due to the lingering effects of the November Crisis Vice President Rumsfeld announces that he will not seek a term in his own right in 1984. This announcement opened up the Presidential primaries on both sides for the first time since 1952. With Reagan in a coma, Rumsfeld a lame duck, and the economy still stagnant the early 80’s were characterized by the same malaise that characterized the late ‘70’s in OTL. On March 17, 1983, almost two years after the assassination attempt, President Ronald Reagan finally passed away at George Washington hospital. Upon his death there was a long period of national mourning but also a strange sense of relief because now the nation felt like it could finally move on. Acting President Rumsfeld finally becomes the 38th President of the United States after four months with the “Acting” title. On April 30, 1983 Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger is approved by both houses of Congress to become the new Vice President. It is learned much, much later that Caspar Weinberger gained the much needed support of Democrats in Congress after he made a vow to Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal in a private meeting that he would not run for President or Vice President in 1984. The Reagan’s third term became known to some historians as “The Lost Term.” Due to Reagan’s health and so much being up in the air and unknown so much potential that was lost and so much of the term left people waiting to see what needed to be done, what could be done, and what could not be done. The economy was stagnant throughout most of the term, on the international front the Soviets continued to battle insurgents in Afghanistan backed by the CIA and Iraq continued its U.S. backed war against the Iranian Revolution but in many cases America spent most of the early 1980’s waiting to see what was going to happen with Reagan. In October of 1983 when the U.S. Marine barracks was destroyed in Beirut, President Rumsfeld withdrew the troops as Reagan did in OTL, however he committed his legacy to continuing President Reagan’s commitment to rebuild America’s military and standing firm against the Soviets and oppression. In many ways Margret Thatcher took on the role Reagan did in OTL in standing up to the Soviets. While President Rumsfeld’s short term is overshadowed by what he did and did not know and do regarding President Reagan’s health and the November Crisis, he is remembered for working with Democrats and Tip O’Neal to help the country start to move on from the turmoil of the early ‘80’s and working with Margaret Thatcher and Pope John Paul II to continue working for peace and freedom in the world. In 1984, with Rumsfeld and Weinberger declining to run there is a tight race between former CIA director and Ambassador to China George H.W. Bush, who had been on Reagan’s short list for V.P. in both 1972 and 1980, and Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. The field of candidates is weak this year because almost everyone predicts a sure Democratic victory in November. On the Democratic side the race comes down to Jimmy Carter’s running mate long time Senator Walter Mondale, long time Massachusetts Senator and 1960 Democratic Nominee John F. Kennedy, who by this time is seen as an elder statesman and decides to give it one more shot, and Senator Gary Hart of Colorado. After a long primary battle Senator Mondale eventually comes out victorious and at the convention chooses Senator Lloyd Benston as his Vice President. Ambassador Bush as he came to be known ran a spirited campaign but after, except for McGovern’s four years, nearly a quarter century of Republicans controlling the White House the country was ready for a Democratic President. Note: There is discussion of reviving the two term limit as was discussed in the late 40’s and early 50’s now that three people have served more than two terms in the past half century however actual work on the amendment never gets past the committee level in Congress.
1984 – Walter Mondale D George H.W. Bush
There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief when Mondale took the oath of office in January of ’85, after nearly four years of holding its breath the country felt like it could finally start to move on. Much of the culture and attitude that marked the 80’s in OTL began to take its hold in the Mondale Administration. Under Mondale the economy began to boom again people began to enjoy themselves. Many historians attribute this period of boom to an increase in consumerism and businesses being able to expand because of that consumerism. On the international front Mondale stood firm with the Soviets and continued Reagan and Rumsfeld’s secret CIA war against the Soviets in Afghanistan and won a Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating an end to the Iran-Iraq War and reopening diplomatic relations with Iran. When the ’88 elections rolled around President Mondale was riding high in the poll and America was prosperous again, his reelection seemed a sure thing. In May of ’88 Soviet forces begin pulling out of Afghanistan, the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is beginning his OTL reforms in the Soviet Union and the Afghan War is a financial drain and a black eye that combined with the recent Chernobyl disaster, he cannot afford. Soviet leadership agrees to a U.N. backed plan proposed by President Mondale for transition assistance for Afghanistan, former Ambassador George Bush is named by the U.N. to lead this mission. In ’88 the primary candidates for the Republican nomination were Senator Bob Dole and Reverend Pat Robertson with Dole eventually locking up the nomination. Dole ran an efficient and popular campaign, and though he himself also had high approval ratings, when November came he was no match for President Mondale who became the first candidate to win over 400 electoral votes since Ike in 1960 and the first Democrat to be reelected since 1944.
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