We Need an Astronaut

Arrowfan237

August 16-17, 1976: The Republican presidential nomination remains in contention and deadlocked between former California Governor Ronald Reagan and President Gerald R. Ford. Neither candidate gives in and after 5 ballots the search begins for a compromise candidate.

August 17, 1976: U.S. Senator James Buckley of New York announces that he nominates astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin to be the Republican nomination. Many of the party leaders begin to turn towards Shepard as more and more delegates turn their support to him.

August 18, 1976: Former Governor Ronald Reagan, realizing that momentum is moving towards Aldrin, throws his delegates behind the astronaut in exchange for the VP nomination. These delegates give Aldrin victory on the 7th ballot. Afterwards, the Aldrin/Reagan ticket is approved unanimously. Gerald Ford thus becomes the first President since Franklin Pierce to be denied his party's nomination for President.

August-November, 1976: Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin and former Governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter compete furiously for the Presidency. Despite never having campaigned for office, Aldrin proves himself to be a natural, highlighting his lengthy military record as well as his legacy as one of the greatest American explorers since Charles Lindbergh. While Carter manages to win the single debate held between the two candidates, the American people embrace Aldrin's message of restoring faith to government. Aldrin also calls for the creation of the U.S. Department of Science and Technology.

November 2, 1976: The Aldrin/Reagan ticket beats out the Carter/Mondale ticket with 283 (Ford's count plus Texas and Florida)-255 electoral votes.
 
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e of pi

The major problem: If you asked Neil, he wouldn't run. If you nominated him, he'd campaign for Carter out of spite. If elected, he'd resign. The man hated publicity.
 

Kung Fucious

Armstrong would never accept. Dude was practically a robot, and very deliberately kept out of the public eye.

Now, Aldrin? That dude would show up for the opening of an envelope.
 

Zheng He

Kung Fucious said:
Armstrong would never accept. Dude was practically a robot, and very deliberately kept out of the public eye.

Now, Aldrin? That dude would show up for the opening of an envelope.
Click to expand...

Armstrong desperately wanted to live a normal life. There were a lot of stories about him turning into a Howard Hughes like recluse but they were all garbage. He lived on a farm in Lebanon, Ohio for a number of years (between Dayton and Cincinnati) and then later moved to Indian Hill, one of Cincinnati's pricier suburbs. He wanted to live a quiet normal life and the people in the communities he lived in respected that. I read once that when he lived in Lebanon, OH people went out of their way to always refer to him as "Neil" and never used his last name lest a tourist overhear the conversation.
 

Arrowfan237

November-December, 1976: President-elect Aldrin announces his cabinet selections. Since he had never held elected office, many of Aldrin's cabinet choices had long and distinguished careers in elected office.

Secretary of State: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Elliot Richardson
Secretary of the Treasury: Alan Greenspan (upon the advice of President Ford)
Secretary of Defense: Director of the C.I.A. George H.W. Bush
Secretary of the Interior: former E.P.A. Administrator William Ruckelshaus
Secretary of Agriculture: Governor of Iowa Robert D. Ray
Secretary of Commerce: U.S. Secretary of Labor Carla Anderson Hills
Secretary of Labor: former U.S. Secretary of Labor George P. Shultz
Secretary of Transportation: former Brigadier General Chuck Yeager
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare: U.S. Senator from Indiana Rupert Vance Hartke (the only Democratic appointment)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts Edward Brooke III
Attorney General: U.S. Senator from Maryland Charles Mathias
Secretary of Science and Technology (upon confirmation of post): retired Rear Admiral Alan Shepard
U.N. Ambassador: Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller
National Security Advisor: General Alexander Haig
 
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