1 - Prologue: HALF PAST NOON, Part 1: Now or Never
TransUral Empire
Mess with the bull, you get the horse
- Location
- The Isle of Pen
Hi guys, this is TransUral Empire from Alternate History. I figured I would crosspost my TL here as well. Both because there are people who wouldn't see it otherwise and because I like to self advertise. If you have any comments/questions/whatever let me know, I'll be updating the TL here ASAP after I update on Alternate History so it will be posted in tandem between the two sites so you guys won't be asking or saying anything that's been heard before.
Also, apparently I have too many images in this post so the less important images are going to be culled from each post. I'll leave a note as to what it was that I removed. Outside of that nothing will be changed.
Everything past this point is from the opening post:
I was going to ask myself questions like in a TLIAD format but I decided against it. So, here it goes:
I first started to conceive of this over 3 months ago. I wanted to do a Cold War TL. But I knew I had issues with actually finishing TLs. So, as a result, I decided to plan it out thoroughly and finish it before posting.
I actually wrote most of it out during NaNoWriMo and continued since then. However, it's not 100% finished as of writing this. I wanted to get it out before the new year to show it off but I would need to work at a crazy pace to finish it up in the time left before the new year. I have about 2/3 of it done and written already so I figure I'll just plop them out once a week or so and work on what's left. Every post is about 4k to 5k words and there's about 20 of them planned out.
This TL's POD is a stronger reaction against Jimmy Carter and Reagan in '76 from their parties. As a result, the Conservative Party that was apparently rumored to be in the works if Reagan didn't get the nomination becomes real, oh so real. It capitalizes off of the perceived corruption in the government and the death rattles of the FDR coalition and the rest is for you to read...
Also please excuse my graphic design and formatting. My strong point is the writing not the visual aides.
Half Past Noon: Ronald Reagan and the rise of the American Conservative Party
------
Prologue: HALF PAST NOON
Stalin and his close confidants in addition to some new guests had been drinking for some time at the Stalin dacha and the sun had fallen long ago. Just as he usually did, Stalin enjoyed toying with his guests more than the drink.
He put the record player on a jaunty tune and smiled. "Come, come. Molotov, Zhukov, now you dance!" The general and the diplomat stood up, both too drunk and afraid to protest.
Zhukov naturally assumed the male's position and Molotov was dragged along, stepping in an uncoordinated pattern. Both continued along dancing to the foreign tune.
Stalin clapped and cackled to the clapping approval of the others in the room. Except for Beria. Beria was reticent.
Stalin meandered his way back to his seat next to Beria and poured himself another drink while chuckling. He knocked back the drink and laid back in the chair with a satisfied sigh. It's good to be the King.
The song ended and the pair looked back at the General Secretary. Stalin said nothing and looked around at his guests. He took in every silent second with delight. Stalin could feel their fear for him. They couldn't move even a finger without his command.
Feeling satisfied he nodded. "Once more." He gave a thumbs up.
"Again, again!" shouted out the sycophantic Malenkov. His wholly fake gleeful smile made his fatty neck ripple.
The pair moved the record's hand back to the outer ring and began their awkward dance again. Stalin sat silent. He was observing.
It was in moments like these that the infamous Beria came to love Stalin. Not as one might love a woman, or as one might love a child, but as a dog loves his master. He believed deep down that only he could fully appreciate his master. Only he could love is dark side. His side that he saw only moments earlier relishing the fear of others.
Comrade Stalin could order everyone in the room shot dead. Beria would carry it out in an instant. Just so that he could see his master smile.
It wouldn't be the first time that he went to the extreme for his master. His crowning achievement, better than even the purges, was when he brought Stalin the skull of Adolf Hitler. Oh, the smile on the General Secretary's face that day!
Now if he knew that Beria had simply dug up a grave of some dead Kulak bastard it would be the end of him. But he did it all for Stalin.
For Beria, Stalin was the greatest man to ever live. To survive the Czar, to survive the Civil War, to survive the Jew Trotsky, to survive the Nazis! He took the Soviets from the gates of Moscow to the ruins of Berlin. Has there ever been a greater conqueror in history? Caesar? Napoleon? Alexander? The Great or the Greek? Both!
Oh, if only he loved him back.
Beria crossed his legs and sighed.
"Four eyes." the drunken Stalin leaned over, "I'll tell you a secret."
Beria didn't know if he wanted to know any of Stalin's secret. That was a great way to get killed. But to Stalin he couldn't say no. "A secret?"
"Yes," he leaned in even closer and his hot breath fogged up Beria's glasses. "it's about how the world works."
"How the world works?" Beria perked up. Now he was interested.
"Yes." Stalin chuckled, it was nice to see that even an inhuman rat like Beria could find some enjoyment at the party. "You see Lavrentiy, human societies are like the sun."
"The sun?"
"The sun cycle. In the early day the light is hard to see, you have to strain your eyes to see the light. You need to envision it. But after some time the light you envisioned is suddenly there, it's day! But then there comes a point when the sun reaches its highest peak. Midday." Stalin began to nod and Beria nodded along.
The song stopped and the room went silent again. Stalin didn't break eye contact with Beria, he merely moved his hand in a dismissive motion. The music began again for a third time. The awkward, now robotic dancing began once again. The audience clapped and laughed like they had before without missing a beat.
"And when it's Midday, when it's noon, the sun is bright. Blindingly bright. You take it for granted. You forget the old days when the sun was faint. But when you reach the peak, there is nothing but decline after that. The sun starts to go down. It starts to get dark. Everyone starts to panic. Before you know it there's no more sun. It's dark."
"And then it's night?" Beria didn't totally follow.
"No, then it's the end of that civilization. That system. Over. No more. If you read Lenin you would know this. Imperialism: The Highest Point of Capitalism!" Stalin had leaned in so much that there was all of a foot of distance between their faces.
Stalin pulled back and leaned in his chair like before. "Or you could just listen to me if you don't want to waste your time."
"I'll listen Comrade Stalin." replied Beria.
The eavesdropping Malenkov leaned in, "You are a new Hegel, Comrade Stalin." he nodded and smiled. The others nodded and clapped along to Malenkov's compliments.
Stalin was silent for a moment and ignored Malenkov's comment. He smiled and said: "And clearly then the Capitalists are at their high point, their midday. They are half past noon, they live in the sun's gaze. But it will be dark soon. And the dawn waits."
------
Part 1: Now or Never
1976 was supposed to be a Democratic year.
The economy was slipping, the sitting President was not elected and pardoned the previous President, the Republican Party was shattered along factional lines with the primarying of President Ford. Ford himself had already been subject to two assassination attempts. Things were looking up for the Democrats. For the first time in almost a decade, blue was a popular color again.
There's no way they could mess this up.
Iowa was a shocker. Defying the expectations of pollsters and the political elite, Jimmy Carter came second in Iowa (the first being Uncommitted).
Carter was from the South and could be politely termed as "more moderate" than other elements in the party. Indeed, Carter's politics angered a good many of the Northern and Western Liberals who had been ascendant in the Democratic Party for over a decade at that point. They would not sit by and see the party wrested from them in such a great year for the Democratic Party. They refused to tolerate the Southern populist.
Carter's win in Iowa was less about an implacable determination, a grand charisma, or anything of the sort. It was to do with vote splitting.
The Liberals of the Democratic Party split their votes between four candidates: Mo Udall, Sargent Shriver, Scoop Jackson, and Birch Bayh. There was also one other candidate – Fred Harris, an oddball from Oklahoma. He "winnowed in" with a surprising third, but he was quickly "winnowed out" and wasn't anything to write home about in the end.
Before Carter, the candidate that was considered strongest was Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson of Washington. "Scoop" as he was popularly known, was a war hawk with close ties to organized labor and other progressive causes. He was strongest on foreign policy, and as a result it was the focus of his campaign. He found a great deal of support from Jewish-Americans whom greatly appreciated his staunch Pro-Israel views, though his foreign policy also hurt him – he had been a supporter of the Vietnam war.
<A Picture of Senator Scoop Jackson giving a speech>
Senator Scoop Jackson: "To maintain peace we must maintain our military might. Only strength can deter aggression."
Regardless of who was the front runner before, after Scoop fell flat in the Pennsylvania primary he was forced to reconsider his campaign. He was out of money and had very little to show for the thousands he had spent up 'till that point. On April 29th Jackson shuttered his campaign unofficially, remaining in the race on the ballot in several states but ultimately not mounting a challenge to Carter in person.
After that, Carter was in front. And it didn't take long for the Liberals to take note of that.
The ABC (Anyone but Carter) movement began not too long after Carter's second victory in New Hampshire, but it took off only after Jackson's campaign stumbled in Pennsylvania. Jerry Brown, Frank Chuch, Mo Udall, Sargent Shriver, and Birch Bayh all got together to discuss how to deny Carter the nomination. Not in a smoke filled room, not even together all at once. But on the phone, and over time.
Ultimately though the agreed upon strategy was as follows: Candidates will run in races that they are sure they will win or no other candidate from the ABC is running in. Candidates from the ABC will not run in races other candidates of the ABC are participating in.
Slowly but surely Carter's lead was chipped away. A race here, a race there. Carter's campaign started slowing down. His momentum was running out. He was falling down.
Carter's outside persona was that of a folksy gentleman. But those who took part in his campaign would know that Carter was controlling, bordering on the point of megalomania. He insisted on micromanaging every detail that he could. As the campaign slowed down, Carter's mood was sour more and more often. Typically damaging his own campaign with rash decisions, alienating key allies in primaries.
It was rough to take part on the campaign, but it was harder for Jimmy in the end. Jimmy Carter's emotional and mental health took a nosedive following a surprise loss in Texas to Lloyd Bentsen. The loss in Indiana just after Texas to the previously withdrawn Bayh threw him for a loop. In the darkest moments of the campaign Carter flirted with the idea that maybe his opponents had their own set of plumbers just like Nixon – but better judgment won out in that fight.
But still, Carter was angry. Angry at the ABC and angry at the Party. He felt that he was being rejected because of his being a Southerner and because he was an outsider to dirty Washington politics. He was right, mostly. He tried his best to find a way to strike back, and called up George Wallace on a lark.
Wallace was a constant vote winner and was roughly the 3rd in the popular vote at that point. If Wallace pulled out and endorsed Carter it would be a significant boon to the Carter's campaign. Maybe a strong enough boon to push Carter over the edge.
Wallace told him to pound sand.
"I'm winning this outright or not at all Jimmy." Carter shook his head when he heard that. Wallace wasn't winning it. And it was starting to look like he wasn't either.
After a close loss in Nebraska the Carter campaign changed gears. Before Carter had run a clean campaign. Nothing dirty and minimal attacks. He wanted to be the simple peanut farmer who had simple and effective ideas. The campaign motto of "Why not the best?" exemplified that feeling. Yes, he did criticize corruption in the government, but he did not criticize his own party yet. After Nebraska he started to.
He improved in the contests since then, people figured all of government was corrupt in some way. He claimed that big wigs in the party were conspiring against him in smoke filled rooms. They couldn't handle someone who was clean, he claimed. But in the end it still wasn't enough to save him or his campaign. No sir.
When he lost a bitterly fought primary against Jerry Brown in California he was no loner able to secure a majority of the delegates. While the convention would be remembered as a contested one, Jimmy and all the other political insiders knew that Carter was not going to find success during the balloting. The other delegates were pledged to members of the ABC, Jackson, or one of the other wackadoos.
Carter gave it one last hurrah at the Convention in New York. If he could get George Wallace to release his delegates then they would (theoretically) go to Carter since he was the closest politically to Wallace out of any other candidate. It could give him the push he needed to win.
Carter approached him when the two managed to get away from the reporters and the bright lights. They were intoxicating and gave those who dreamed of power a special kind of fire in the belly, but for this conversation they felt merely intrusive. Back room politics isn't for the average Joe out there on the convention floor with a stupid little boater hat on.
"Release my delegates?" Wallace said with a smirk, "Mr. Carter the party is the party. Maybe if you knew that you wouldn't've made the mistake of going against it. It plays by rules. And rule 1 is that the party gets what it wants. You ain't it."
"For a fellow Southerner then?"
Wallace's smirk grew into a nasty smile that was more angry than happy. He was still his old self no matter what he claimed out there in public. "Southern honor? Hasn't been something like that for a long time. Long, long time son."
"Then to stop Brown and the Liberals?" said the desperate Carter.
Wallace answered tersely, he didn't have time for games."Try again in 1980. Or go back to farmin' peanuts. Yer choice Jim." Wallace carted himself off. He had important things to do, like stare at Coretta Scott King from across the arena. Every time he saw that woman a twisted feeling filled his gut. He turned his head around. "I have a speech to give. I bid you a-doo."
The question then was who would be the nominee? Carter's delegates weren't just going away so the candidate had to be chosen carefully and needed to be an acceptable choice for every member of the ABC. If it broke down now, Carter would win. If the ABC failed now, then there would be a party crackup and an independent run. It would be for vanity and it couldn't win but it would endanger the party's chance in the general. And nobody wanted to piss all the political capital Nixon and Ford handed to them down the drain.
So they got together, this time indeed in the stereotypical "smoke filled room" Carter alleged they took part in.
The ensuing conversation lasted about 4 hours and took more than a few cartons of cigarettes between the men and their entourages. Mo Udall made a few jokes despite the tense atmosphere. Brown threatened to walk once but get corralled back in. But they got a candidate they agreed with.
To make a long story short: Birch Bayh was chosen as the nominee. He was from rural Indiana which could counteract Jimmy's rural charm and he only took part in 4 contests so he avoided much of the mud slinging. It was enough for the exhausted group. They had to take a nap, and then enjoy the victory.
The running-mate was to be left up to fate (and personal choice) - as long as it wasn't Carter. So they went with an old favorite rather than anybody newer.
The 1976 Democratic Presidential Ticket: Birch Bayh/John Glenn
------
It was sweltering in Kansas City.
It was the middle of August and the Kemper Arena was packed to the brim with people. Everyone was here to see the end of the contested convention. Ronald Reagan from California gave President Ford a run for his money but it wasn't enough to overcome incumbency outright.
Ford was controversial at best. He pardoned Nixon (who was so blatantly corrupt) and the economy slid into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The fall of Saigon and the policy of detente also mobilized Conservatives and other hawks against Ford. Therefore, Reagan challenged him in the primaries. The Conservative Reagan failed to win the majority of the delegates or the plurality of the popular vote in the primaries. Yet still, Ford did not have enough delegates to win outright on the first ballot.
And so, the schmoozing began.
Reagan, being an actor, was at an advantage in the personal charisma department but even with the best Geritol smile in the world, he was not the sitting President. Ford was able to pull out all the stops to impress those who were on the fence. Flights on Air Force One, expensive meals, indeed even meeting Ford carried benefits as he was the sitting President. Ford was ready and willing to do just about anything to win the nomination. Reagan couldn't compete with Ford in that capacity. Not even close.
Reagan and most of the Conservatives were already testy with Ford and the more Liberal elements but when it came to the platform things got heated. Conservatives, most of which were led by Jesse Helms, attempted to put forward several policy planks. Particularly several that were in outright disagreement with President Ford's own policies.
Ford and the opponents to Reagan fought back hard and preventing most of the planks from coming to pass. The failure of the Human Life Amendment being added to the platform in the wake of Roe V. Wade was a painful failure indeed. Reagan and Helms were furious.
Rumors began to circulate about a new party that would be created if Ford won out over Reagan. It first appeared in the Chicago Tribune as an independent piece, but soon Helms and other Conservative operatives were pushing that narrative in the hopes of scaring Ford or the delegates into submission. Ford and his campaign failed to yield to their threats.
Reagan also considered making a ballsy move of his own: announcing his running-mate early. The plan was to make Liberal Republican Richard Schweiker Reagan's running-mate, causing Ford to lose support of Liberals. It wouldn't be much, but it was thought to be just enough to put Reagan over the top. In the end however, the idea was dropped after political operatives approached Schweiker. Schweiker squashed the idea out of hand, he didn't even know Reagan. After that it was abandoned.
So it would come down to a Hail Mary on the balloting, hoping that the uncommitted delegates were enthused by the vision and personality Reagan brought to the table.
With baited breath, the two factions watched as the balloting commenced. The hot August heat was boiling in that tight space. Everyone was packed in tight and sweating like water fountains. It was the most exciting convention of the 20th century.
Ford breathed a sigh of relief.
1976 RNC 1st Ballot:
Ford: 1,180
Reagan: 1,077
Richardson: 1
Ford had won – but barely.
Reagan got on stage afterwards to give a concession speech. Given Reagan's past as an actor, it is not particularly surprising that Reagan's concession speech was so stirring that it overshadowed Ford's own acceptance speech. Ford was made a fool in victory, his speech looking merely perfunctory compared to Reagan's eloquence in his defeat. Reagan emphasized the values of morality and righteousness but there was no call to party unity like Ford expected. Reagan was still sore from the loss.
A final stab wound? Or will there be more?
And so they proceeded onto the running-mate nomination.
Kit Bond, a more moderate Republican from Missouri was chosen. The result failed to enthuse the already angered Conservatives. Helms and Reagan had a phone call not long after.
"That bastard Ford made us out for fools Ronald. He got all he wanted and we got nothin'. They did us like Carter goddammit!" Helms was enraged from the whole affair and resorted to calling Reagan on a payphone by his hotel to make sure no one was wiretapping him. Nixon had put the fear of conspiracies and 'plumbers' into just about everyone in Washington.
"I know, I'm as angry as you are Jesse. Just as - "
Helms interrupted.
"Angry? Mister Reagan I am outraged! Outraged! I left the Democrats because they were dirty dealers and were becoming goddamn sodomite liberals. If the Republicans can't be the upstandin' party then who can?"
Reagan sighed. Helms was right, for all he was worth. Nixon killed whatever appearance of morality and fastidiousness the GOP had among the average person, but for big-whig Conservatives Ford's brutal and rough victory against Reagan had the same effect twice over.
"If we aren't Republicans then what are we Jesse?"
Jesse Helms chuckled grimly. "We're Conservatives Mister Reagan. Conservatives."
"I suppose that's what we are – but there..." Reagan's mind processed what Helms was trying to imply. "Well I've considered what you're trying to imply before. But I don't know if it's the right time." Reagan had read the news and seen the same articles meant to threaten Ford.
"It's always the right time to be right." Helms was right once again, it was always the right time to be moral and upstanding. For Reagan it was looking like it was now or never. He didn't want to take the risk of challenging Ford again in 1980 or dealing with an incumbent Bayh.
"Now or never." Reagan muttered to himself.
Reagan threw caution to the wind. He felt personally shamed by Ford and alienated in his own party. He felt like he was up against a brick wall...Reagan tabulated every excuse for doing this that he could think of. Lord knows he'd need it when the press got wind of this stunt.
And so the Conservative Party raised its odious orange banners all over the US.
The quick and informal convention assembled in Greensboro North Carolina in late August. They met in the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, a small venue that made the crowds at the convention look much larger than they really were – the press ate it up. As per usual during the early days of the Conservative Party, Reagan's old talents in Hollywood were utilized extensively to the Conservative Party's benefit.
The keynote speaker was decided to be jilted Democrat Jimmy Carter. Mr. Peanut railed hard against the Democrats and the Republicans with an uncharacteristic vigor, something augmented to his public persona since the ABC did him over. The old Jimmy was over, he wasn't spiteful and angry all the time but he was becoming a finger pointer – for better or worse.
Once again, the press ate it up. The drama was juicy, so juicy.
Conservatives of both parties announced defections and with each defection the news media hyped the party up more and more. The names of the defected were announced in a grand rigmarole chant for the media, to make sure they knew what narrative to report. And for fun. Ultimately these defections were not nearly as numerous as the press hyped up. Most were from the House, where Congressmen were free to be more radical. Where the new party got the most defections and declared candidates was actually on the local level. It was a part of Pete Domenici's plan.
"Our political revolution to make America great again will start from the bottom! Yes, you out there you can win a spot on your local school board, or as a judge, or as a sheriff, or in the state house. We'll sweep the lowest rungs of the political system and then we'll go up to Congress, and then up to the Presidency! And then to the Supreme Court!"
The situation got "so bad" (once again, the severity of defections was over emphasized by the press) in the South for the Democrats that Bayh was asked felt if the Democrats were Conservatives or Liberals and replied: "Me? I'm a Liberal." Conservatives used the phrase as a beating stick against GOP and Democrat holdouts in the South for an entire generation. For whatever reason, it just stuck.
The only important to figure thing out beyond the platform (which was quickly assembled from the long-standing Conservative wish list) was who to nominate as Reagan's running-mate.
Helms, Reagan, Crane, Laxalt, Domenici and several others tabulated several lists among themselves and by the time of the Convention they came up with several names.
Elliot Richardson was #1 on everyone's list but Domenici's list which had Laxalt as his highest choice. Since he stood against Nixon, he was the new Conservative Party's favorite choice. He would help represent the new, clean, uncorrupt Conservatism they preached. However when he was contacted, he turned down the offer politely. He was currently serving as Ambassador to the UK and had little sympathy for the new Conservative Party.
John Connally was another popular choice among the men. He was shot during the JFK assassination and had since switched to the GOP but occasionally endorsed across the aisle. Ultimately his time as the head of "Democrats for Nixon" made him too associated with Nixon. That, including his age and the potential stain of corruption regarding a milk price decision that led to him allegedly pocketing money. No good. He was stricken from the list.
Billy Graham and his close friend Robert H. Schuller were brought up as well. Though ultimately Graham's close association with Nixon put him lower on the list. Schuller's being from California was a black mark against him as the party heads didn't want a West heavy ticket so his name was tossed as well.
James L. Buckley was one of the popular choices as well. His victory as a third party candidate in New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York made him a celebrity in Conservative circles. Helms in particular thought him to be the second best choice out of "any fella" in America. The fact that he was from New York was also considered attractive. Balancing east and west was an important goal of the big whigs.
Jack Kemp was another popular choice. He was a former professional football player and a young buck who quickly joined the party. Like Buckley, he was from New York. His status as a celebrity outside of politics like Reagan worried the party heads however, not wanting to turn the party into a party of celebrities. He was earmarked in the future as someone to keep watching however.
William Ruckelshaus was another choice. Since Richardson already turned them down, they figured that Ruckelshaus could be a good choice to easily emphasize the anti-Corruption views of the party. He had actually faced Bayh in the past and lost narrowly – perhaps meaning that Ruckelshaus could help turn Indiana against Bayh. His largest issue however was that he had feuded with the Conservative section of the GOP in the past and would have to be cajoled into joining the ticket. Perhaps too much work for a backup Richardson.
Jimmy Carter was also considered briefly considering how hard he pushed against the Democratic Party. His being a Democrat was another plus, but he did not seem very interested as a VP and hadn't even joined the party yet despite being the keynote speaker. If Carter was going to be the VP they decided he had to work for it. At the end of the day he had no interest in the position.
Of course, all of the men also had a slew of other names of various politicos near and far. Though none of their names would be little importance this time around.
When it came time for the running-mate, they party heads were in agreement. William Ruckelhaus would be the pick. Reagan personally called him and Ruckelhaus agreed to be his running-mate. At the Convention he was selected via acclaim, leaving a small crew of Connolly supporters claiming that Connolly had actually won but that little controversy ultimately led to nothing.
And so the general election came around and an unholy mess awaited us all.
------
Coming into the General Election, many were not expecting an amazing showing from the Conservative Party. Having formed in the wake the GOP Convention, the Conservative Party was had to work to get its name on ballots, get candidates, and get money for their various elections that were occurring. All at the same time. It was simply too much for the newborn Conservative National Committee (Henceforth known as CNC). Organizing responsibility in the early days fell to Paul Laxalt, a close friend of Reagan and Domenici. He was known as a taskmaster albeit a skilled one.
Seeing the chaos in the CNC, Laxalt made an erudite decision. The Party will focus on the Presidential race before all others. Recruiting candidates will be minimized, and all monies acquired by the CNC directly (not concerning the individual races) will be put in the Reagan/Ruckelhaus war chest. Laxalt believed that much of America was sympathetic to the Party's views and therefore a Presidential win was possible. If Reagan was in the White House, then defections would increase and Congressional races would be easier to fund raise and organize.
Important members of the Conservative Party circa 1976:
- Former Governor Ronald Reagan: Presidential Candidate for the party.
- Senator Paul Laxalt: Close personal friend of Reagan and Demenici's. Unoffical head of the CNC.
- Senator Jesse Helms: The architect of the Party and official Senate parliamentarian leader. He's become known as an domineering leader and has gained some resentment from within the party.
- Senator James L. Buckley: The famous congressman from New York. Chafes under Helms' influence in the senate.
- Representative Phil Crane: The leader of the party in the House of Representatives. Known for his full throated defense of the party split in a speech given in Congress.
- Senator Pete Domenici: Quickly becoming the Party ideologue, Domenici has espoused the 'ground up' doctrine which promotes focusing on local races and moving up, and the 'new pathway' doctrine which promotes proselytizing to suburbanites and other-izing urban parts of the country. Has had tit for tat disputes with Helms.
- Former Governor Jimmy Carter: Has belatedly joined the party, though he remains unimpressed. Surrogate for the Reagan campaign in the South and Midwest.
The Big 5: The Conservative Party's Powerbrokers and Tacticians
Meanwhile, the GOP focused on getting a respectable result in the election. Ford knew that the pooch was screwed at this point, but he could at least retain his dignity and perhaps even bring the splitters back into the fold. Of course, those two things predicated on the concept that Ford could squeak out a solid 2nd. Ford's pollsters knew that this wasn't happening.
The South and the Midwest almost universally looked grim. The Conservative Party was ascendant in those areas and there was little they could do about it. Out West and in the Mid-Atlantic the Conservative Party was not competitive – but it did nearly cut the Republican Party's base of support in half. The only places Ford polled well was in Maine and Vermont.
The election was a rough affair for the Republicans. Seeing their own party turn on itself was an ugly affair. Congress was a mess of partisan attacks and it wasn't any better on the campaign trail. The election weighed especially hard on Ford. There was no way to reach out to the Democrats. There was no way to reach out to the disgruntled Conservatives. When Ford was out of the spotlights and away from the nosy reporters he spent his time sulking. You won't read it in any history book since it never left Ford's head, but he considered calling Reagan and trying to patch things up personally. He had dreams of reuniting the party and leading it to a great victory over Bayh – though even Ford knew that was a fever dream at that point.
The Democrats focused on furthering their lead. Close states like Michigan and California became major targets for the Democrats and they pushed for victory in those states more than any other. The party itself was ecstatic after the GOP split and the excitement hasn't stopped. 1976 really was their year. They won against Carter, they've basically already won against Ford, and they'll win against Reagan. That's the mantra. That's the chant.
Though Carter supporters, especially in the South weren't happy.
All three sides looked for ways to elevate their profiles above the others. Reagan brought in close movie star friends and other notables as surrogates. Bayh palled around with big name celebrities, Civil Rights leaders, and media darlings. Ford mostly sat and screamed into the ever increasing black void which had taken over his life and political career.
It was no surprise then, when CBS offered a prime time three way televised debate. Now, there had been televised debates before and they were not anything close to being rare like in 1960, but this was to take place only 2 weeks before America would go to the polls. It was billed as THE Presidential debate.
Eugene McCarthy's campaign complained that the debate wasn't including them, but beyond that there was no other complaints. The complaints of the McCarthy campaign, despite being whining, did his campaign a great service and he saw a rise in the polls, much to the chagrin of Bayh.
The debate went about as you would expect. Reagan oozed charisma, Bayh was able to keep up but was of little substance, and Ford tried to show off his Centrist cred but looked more like he was playing both sides. Reagan was able to counter most statements with a pithy remark or comeback. So it's not surprise that Reagan was considered the winner by the majority of audiences across America. It was a particularly helpful boost for Reagan.
It wouldn't be enough though.
1976 US Presidential Election:
Conservative Party: 252 Electoral Votes
Democratic Party: 233 Electoral Votes
Republican Party: 53 Electoral Votes
With a need of 269 electoral votes for a majority, no candidate held a majority. There would be a contingent election. No matter who was chosen it would be a controversial affair. The 95th Congress was called into an emergency session so as to soothe the transition of power. If they fail to act decisively before January 20th, then the Speaker of the House will become the Acting President until either Congress elects a Vice President or a President.
Congressional Makeup of the newly elected 95th Congress:
Senate – Democratic Majority
Democratic: 56
Republican: 27
Conservative: 16
Independent: 1 (Caucuses with Democrats)
Vacant: 0
House of Representatives – Democratic Majority
Democratic: 261
Republican: 106
Conservative: 68
Vacant: 0
Naturally the entire process was scandalized by the Conservatives. The primary point of contention was the fact that Reagan won the electoral vote (not the majority, mind you) and had a slim plurality in the popular vote. What made it worse was how close many states were due to the dynamics of a 3-way race. California, Indiana, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania were all within the sub 1% range. This experience in would ultimately put America on the path to further electoral reform.
Reagan and most of the Conservative Party elite stayed silent during the affair, letting the people and their politicians do the attacking. Bayh was quick to point out that he was an advocate for electoral reform towards a popular vote system since the 1960's. Reagan was quick to point out that he won the plurality of the popular vote. The two (and their parties) went back and forth during the process of the contingent election, making the already controversial event even more divisive.
With their majority, the Democrats easily put Bayh and his VP John Glenn through Congress and on January 20th at noon Birch Bayh was sworn in as President of the United States, with John Glenn as his Vice President.
The Democrats had to wonder though, how could Bayh have damn near blown such a lead? What did he say, what did he do, where didn't he go that caused such a muddying of the waters to occur? 1976 was supposed to be a Democratic year. Nixon forced out. GOP splintered. More negative elements of the party wondered if this wasn't really just a sign of things to come...
------
Alright, that's that.
For those who are interested, the title is a nod to the Strugatsky Brother's Noon Universe and also a reference to the idea that the world is past it's golden age in this TL. It's not dystopian and by the end in 2000 America is still a Democratic state but the world is far less optimistic about the future than in our 2000.
Let me know if you like it so far.
Also, apparently I have too many images in this post so the less important images are going to be culled from each post. I'll leave a note as to what it was that I removed. Outside of that nothing will be changed.
Everything past this point is from the opening post:
I was going to ask myself questions like in a TLIAD format but I decided against it. So, here it goes:
I first started to conceive of this over 3 months ago. I wanted to do a Cold War TL. But I knew I had issues with actually finishing TLs. So, as a result, I decided to plan it out thoroughly and finish it before posting.
I actually wrote most of it out during NaNoWriMo and continued since then. However, it's not 100% finished as of writing this. I wanted to get it out before the new year to show it off but I would need to work at a crazy pace to finish it up in the time left before the new year. I have about 2/3 of it done and written already so I figure I'll just plop them out once a week or so and work on what's left. Every post is about 4k to 5k words and there's about 20 of them planned out.
This TL's POD is a stronger reaction against Jimmy Carter and Reagan in '76 from their parties. As a result, the Conservative Party that was apparently rumored to be in the works if Reagan didn't get the nomination becomes real, oh so real. It capitalizes off of the perceived corruption in the government and the death rattles of the FDR coalition and the rest is for you to read...
Also please excuse my graphic design and formatting. My strong point is the writing not the visual aides.
Half Past Noon: Ronald Reagan and the rise of the American Conservative Party
Prologue: HALF PAST NOON
Stalin and his close confidants in addition to some new guests had been drinking for some time at the Stalin dacha and the sun had fallen long ago. Just as he usually did, Stalin enjoyed toying with his guests more than the drink.
He put the record player on a jaunty tune and smiled. "Come, come. Molotov, Zhukov, now you dance!" The general and the diplomat stood up, both too drunk and afraid to protest.
Zhukov naturally assumed the male's position and Molotov was dragged along, stepping in an uncoordinated pattern. Both continued along dancing to the foreign tune.
Stalin clapped and cackled to the clapping approval of the others in the room. Except for Beria. Beria was reticent.
Stalin meandered his way back to his seat next to Beria and poured himself another drink while chuckling. He knocked back the drink and laid back in the chair with a satisfied sigh. It's good to be the King.
The song ended and the pair looked back at the General Secretary. Stalin said nothing and looked around at his guests. He took in every silent second with delight. Stalin could feel their fear for him. They couldn't move even a finger without his command.
Feeling satisfied he nodded. "Once more." He gave a thumbs up.
"Again, again!" shouted out the sycophantic Malenkov. His wholly fake gleeful smile made his fatty neck ripple.
The pair moved the record's hand back to the outer ring and began their awkward dance again. Stalin sat silent. He was observing.
It was in moments like these that the infamous Beria came to love Stalin. Not as one might love a woman, or as one might love a child, but as a dog loves his master. He believed deep down that only he could fully appreciate his master. Only he could love is dark side. His side that he saw only moments earlier relishing the fear of others.
Comrade Stalin could order everyone in the room shot dead. Beria would carry it out in an instant. Just so that he could see his master smile.
It wouldn't be the first time that he went to the extreme for his master. His crowning achievement, better than even the purges, was when he brought Stalin the skull of Adolf Hitler. Oh, the smile on the General Secretary's face that day!
Now if he knew that Beria had simply dug up a grave of some dead Kulak bastard it would be the end of him. But he did it all for Stalin.
For Beria, Stalin was the greatest man to ever live. To survive the Czar, to survive the Civil War, to survive the Jew Trotsky, to survive the Nazis! He took the Soviets from the gates of Moscow to the ruins of Berlin. Has there ever been a greater conqueror in history? Caesar? Napoleon? Alexander? The Great or the Greek? Both!
Oh, if only he loved him back.
Beria crossed his legs and sighed.
"Four eyes." the drunken Stalin leaned over, "I'll tell you a secret."
Beria didn't know if he wanted to know any of Stalin's secret. That was a great way to get killed. But to Stalin he couldn't say no. "A secret?"
"Yes," he leaned in even closer and his hot breath fogged up Beria's glasses. "it's about how the world works."
"How the world works?" Beria perked up. Now he was interested.
"Yes." Stalin chuckled, it was nice to see that even an inhuman rat like Beria could find some enjoyment at the party. "You see Lavrentiy, human societies are like the sun."
"The sun?"
"The sun cycle. In the early day the light is hard to see, you have to strain your eyes to see the light. You need to envision it. But after some time the light you envisioned is suddenly there, it's day! But then there comes a point when the sun reaches its highest peak. Midday." Stalin began to nod and Beria nodded along.
The song stopped and the room went silent again. Stalin didn't break eye contact with Beria, he merely moved his hand in a dismissive motion. The music began again for a third time. The awkward, now robotic dancing began once again. The audience clapped and laughed like they had before without missing a beat.
"And when it's Midday, when it's noon, the sun is bright. Blindingly bright. You take it for granted. You forget the old days when the sun was faint. But when you reach the peak, there is nothing but decline after that. The sun starts to go down. It starts to get dark. Everyone starts to panic. Before you know it there's no more sun. It's dark."
"And then it's night?" Beria didn't totally follow.
"No, then it's the end of that civilization. That system. Over. No more. If you read Lenin you would know this. Imperialism: The Highest Point of Capitalism!" Stalin had leaned in so much that there was all of a foot of distance between their faces.
Stalin pulled back and leaned in his chair like before. "Or you could just listen to me if you don't want to waste your time."
"I'll listen Comrade Stalin." replied Beria.
The eavesdropping Malenkov leaned in, "You are a new Hegel, Comrade Stalin." he nodded and smiled. The others nodded and clapped along to Malenkov's compliments.
Stalin was silent for a moment and ignored Malenkov's comment. He smiled and said: "And clearly then the Capitalists are at their high point, their midday. They are half past noon, they live in the sun's gaze. But it will be dark soon. And the dawn waits."
------
Part 1: Now or Never
1976 was supposed to be a Democratic year.
The economy was slipping, the sitting President was not elected and pardoned the previous President, the Republican Party was shattered along factional lines with the primarying of President Ford. Ford himself had already been subject to two assassination attempts. Things were looking up for the Democrats. For the first time in almost a decade, blue was a popular color again.
There's no way they could mess this up.
Iowa was a shocker. Defying the expectations of pollsters and the political elite, Jimmy Carter came second in Iowa (the first being Uncommitted).
Carter was from the South and could be politely termed as "more moderate" than other elements in the party. Indeed, Carter's politics angered a good many of the Northern and Western Liberals who had been ascendant in the Democratic Party for over a decade at that point. They would not sit by and see the party wrested from them in such a great year for the Democratic Party. They refused to tolerate the Southern populist.
Carter's win in Iowa was less about an implacable determination, a grand charisma, or anything of the sort. It was to do with vote splitting.
The Liberals of the Democratic Party split their votes between four candidates: Mo Udall, Sargent Shriver, Scoop Jackson, and Birch Bayh. There was also one other candidate – Fred Harris, an oddball from Oklahoma. He "winnowed in" with a surprising third, but he was quickly "winnowed out" and wasn't anything to write home about in the end.
Before Carter, the candidate that was considered strongest was Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson of Washington. "Scoop" as he was popularly known, was a war hawk with close ties to organized labor and other progressive causes. He was strongest on foreign policy, and as a result it was the focus of his campaign. He found a great deal of support from Jewish-Americans whom greatly appreciated his staunch Pro-Israel views, though his foreign policy also hurt him – he had been a supporter of the Vietnam war.
<A Picture of Senator Scoop Jackson giving a speech>
Senator Scoop Jackson: "To maintain peace we must maintain our military might. Only strength can deter aggression."
After that, Carter was in front. And it didn't take long for the Liberals to take note of that.
The ABC (Anyone but Carter) movement began not too long after Carter's second victory in New Hampshire, but it took off only after Jackson's campaign stumbled in Pennsylvania. Jerry Brown, Frank Chuch, Mo Udall, Sargent Shriver, and Birch Bayh all got together to discuss how to deny Carter the nomination. Not in a smoke filled room, not even together all at once. But on the phone, and over time.
Ultimately though the agreed upon strategy was as follows: Candidates will run in races that they are sure they will win or no other candidate from the ABC is running in. Candidates from the ABC will not run in races other candidates of the ABC are participating in.
Slowly but surely Carter's lead was chipped away. A race here, a race there. Carter's campaign started slowing down. His momentum was running out. He was falling down.
Carter's outside persona was that of a folksy gentleman. But those who took part in his campaign would know that Carter was controlling, bordering on the point of megalomania. He insisted on micromanaging every detail that he could. As the campaign slowed down, Carter's mood was sour more and more often. Typically damaging his own campaign with rash decisions, alienating key allies in primaries.
It was rough to take part on the campaign, but it was harder for Jimmy in the end. Jimmy Carter's emotional and mental health took a nosedive following a surprise loss in Texas to Lloyd Bentsen. The loss in Indiana just after Texas to the previously withdrawn Bayh threw him for a loop. In the darkest moments of the campaign Carter flirted with the idea that maybe his opponents had their own set of plumbers just like Nixon – but better judgment won out in that fight.
But still, Carter was angry. Angry at the ABC and angry at the Party. He felt that he was being rejected because of his being a Southerner and because he was an outsider to dirty Washington politics. He was right, mostly. He tried his best to find a way to strike back, and called up George Wallace on a lark.
Wallace was a constant vote winner and was roughly the 3rd in the popular vote at that point. If Wallace pulled out and endorsed Carter it would be a significant boon to the Carter's campaign. Maybe a strong enough boon to push Carter over the edge.
Wallace told him to pound sand.
"I'm winning this outright or not at all Jimmy." Carter shook his head when he heard that. Wallace wasn't winning it. And it was starting to look like he wasn't either.
After a close loss in Nebraska the Carter campaign changed gears. Before Carter had run a clean campaign. Nothing dirty and minimal attacks. He wanted to be the simple peanut farmer who had simple and effective ideas. The campaign motto of "Why not the best?" exemplified that feeling. Yes, he did criticize corruption in the government, but he did not criticize his own party yet. After Nebraska he started to.
He improved in the contests since then, people figured all of government was corrupt in some way. He claimed that big wigs in the party were conspiring against him in smoke filled rooms. They couldn't handle someone who was clean, he claimed. But in the end it still wasn't enough to save him or his campaign. No sir.
When he lost a bitterly fought primary against Jerry Brown in California he was no loner able to secure a majority of the delegates. While the convention would be remembered as a contested one, Jimmy and all the other political insiders knew that Carter was not going to find success during the balloting. The other delegates were pledged to members of the ABC, Jackson, or one of the other wackadoos.
Carter gave it one last hurrah at the Convention in New York. If he could get George Wallace to release his delegates then they would (theoretically) go to Carter since he was the closest politically to Wallace out of any other candidate. It could give him the push he needed to win.
Carter approached him when the two managed to get away from the reporters and the bright lights. They were intoxicating and gave those who dreamed of power a special kind of fire in the belly, but for this conversation they felt merely intrusive. Back room politics isn't for the average Joe out there on the convention floor with a stupid little boater hat on.
"Release my delegates?" Wallace said with a smirk, "Mr. Carter the party is the party. Maybe if you knew that you wouldn't've made the mistake of going against it. It plays by rules. And rule 1 is that the party gets what it wants. You ain't it."
"For a fellow Southerner then?"
Wallace's smirk grew into a nasty smile that was more angry than happy. He was still his old self no matter what he claimed out there in public. "Southern honor? Hasn't been something like that for a long time. Long, long time son."
"Then to stop Brown and the Liberals?" said the desperate Carter.
Wallace answered tersely, he didn't have time for games."Try again in 1980. Or go back to farmin' peanuts. Yer choice Jim." Wallace carted himself off. He had important things to do, like stare at Coretta Scott King from across the arena. Every time he saw that woman a twisted feeling filled his gut. He turned his head around. "I have a speech to give. I bid you a-doo."
<A picture of George Wallace in a wheelchair, looking grumpy>
Former Governor George Wallace
Carter was finished. But he wasn't done being angry about it.Former Governor George Wallace
The question then was who would be the nominee? Carter's delegates weren't just going away so the candidate had to be chosen carefully and needed to be an acceptable choice for every member of the ABC. If it broke down now, Carter would win. If the ABC failed now, then there would be a party crackup and an independent run. It would be for vanity and it couldn't win but it would endanger the party's chance in the general. And nobody wanted to piss all the political capital Nixon and Ford handed to them down the drain.
So they got together, this time indeed in the stereotypical "smoke filled room" Carter alleged they took part in.
The ensuing conversation lasted about 4 hours and took more than a few cartons of cigarettes between the men and their entourages. Mo Udall made a few jokes despite the tense atmosphere. Brown threatened to walk once but get corralled back in. But they got a candidate they agreed with.
To make a long story short: Birch Bayh was chosen as the nominee. He was from rural Indiana which could counteract Jimmy's rural charm and he only took part in 4 contests so he avoided much of the mud slinging. It was enough for the exhausted group. They had to take a nap, and then enjoy the victory.
The running-mate was to be left up to fate (and personal choice) - as long as it wasn't Carter. So they went with an old favorite rather than anybody newer.
The 1976 Democratic Presidential Ticket: Birch Bayh/John Glenn
------
It was sweltering in Kansas City.
It was the middle of August and the Kemper Arena was packed to the brim with people. Everyone was here to see the end of the contested convention. Ronald Reagan from California gave President Ford a run for his money but it wasn't enough to overcome incumbency outright.
Ford was controversial at best. He pardoned Nixon (who was so blatantly corrupt) and the economy slid into the worst recession since the Great Depression. The fall of Saigon and the policy of detente also mobilized Conservatives and other hawks against Ford. Therefore, Reagan challenged him in the primaries. The Conservative Reagan failed to win the majority of the delegates or the plurality of the popular vote in the primaries. Yet still, Ford did not have enough delegates to win outright on the first ballot.
And so, the schmoozing began.
Reagan, being an actor, was at an advantage in the personal charisma department but even with the best Geritol smile in the world, he was not the sitting President. Ford was able to pull out all the stops to impress those who were on the fence. Flights on Air Force One, expensive meals, indeed even meeting Ford carried benefits as he was the sitting President. Ford was ready and willing to do just about anything to win the nomination. Reagan couldn't compete with Ford in that capacity. Not even close.
Reagan and most of the Conservatives were already testy with Ford and the more Liberal elements but when it came to the platform things got heated. Conservatives, most of which were led by Jesse Helms, attempted to put forward several policy planks. Particularly several that were in outright disagreement with President Ford's own policies.
Ford and the opponents to Reagan fought back hard and preventing most of the planks from coming to pass. The failure of the Human Life Amendment being added to the platform in the wake of Roe V. Wade was a painful failure indeed. Reagan and Helms were furious.
Rumors began to circulate about a new party that would be created if Ford won out over Reagan. It first appeared in the Chicago Tribune as an independent piece, but soon Helms and other Conservative operatives were pushing that narrative in the hopes of scaring Ford or the delegates into submission. Ford and his campaign failed to yield to their threats.
Reagan also considered making a ballsy move of his own: announcing his running-mate early. The plan was to make Liberal Republican Richard Schweiker Reagan's running-mate, causing Ford to lose support of Liberals. It wouldn't be much, but it was thought to be just enough to put Reagan over the top. In the end however, the idea was dropped after political operatives approached Schweiker. Schweiker squashed the idea out of hand, he didn't even know Reagan. After that it was abandoned.
So it would come down to a Hail Mary on the balloting, hoping that the uncommitted delegates were enthused by the vision and personality Reagan brought to the table.
With baited breath, the two factions watched as the balloting commenced. The hot August heat was boiling in that tight space. Everyone was packed in tight and sweating like water fountains. It was the most exciting convention of the 20th century.
Ford breathed a sigh of relief.
1976 RNC 1st Ballot:
Ford: 1,180
Reagan: 1,077
Richardson: 1
Ford had won – but barely.
Reagan got on stage afterwards to give a concession speech. Given Reagan's past as an actor, it is not particularly surprising that Reagan's concession speech was so stirring that it overshadowed Ford's own acceptance speech. Ford was made a fool in victory, his speech looking merely perfunctory compared to Reagan's eloquence in his defeat. Reagan emphasized the values of morality and righteousness but there was no call to party unity like Ford expected. Reagan was still sore from the loss.
A final stab wound? Or will there be more?
Kit Bond, a more moderate Republican from Missouri was chosen. The result failed to enthuse the already angered Conservatives. Helms and Reagan had a phone call not long after.
"That bastard Ford made us out for fools Ronald. He got all he wanted and we got nothin'. They did us like Carter goddammit!" Helms was enraged from the whole affair and resorted to calling Reagan on a payphone by his hotel to make sure no one was wiretapping him. Nixon had put the fear of conspiracies and 'plumbers' into just about everyone in Washington.
"I know, I'm as angry as you are Jesse. Just as - "
Helms interrupted.
"Angry? Mister Reagan I am outraged! Outraged! I left the Democrats because they were dirty dealers and were becoming goddamn sodomite liberals. If the Republicans can't be the upstandin' party then who can?"
Reagan sighed. Helms was right, for all he was worth. Nixon killed whatever appearance of morality and fastidiousness the GOP had among the average person, but for big-whig Conservatives Ford's brutal and rough victory against Reagan had the same effect twice over.
"If we aren't Republicans then what are we Jesse?"
Jesse Helms chuckled grimly. "We're Conservatives Mister Reagan. Conservatives."
"I suppose that's what we are – but there..." Reagan's mind processed what Helms was trying to imply. "Well I've considered what you're trying to imply before. But I don't know if it's the right time." Reagan had read the news and seen the same articles meant to threaten Ford.
"It's always the right time to be right." Helms was right once again, it was always the right time to be moral and upstanding. For Reagan it was looking like it was now or never. He didn't want to take the risk of challenging Ford again in 1980 or dealing with an incumbent Bayh.
"Now or never." Reagan muttered to himself.
Reagan threw caution to the wind. He felt personally shamed by Ford and alienated in his own party. He felt like he was up against a brick wall...Reagan tabulated every excuse for doing this that he could think of. Lord knows he'd need it when the press got wind of this stunt.
And so the Conservative Party raised its odious orange banners all over the US.
The quick and informal convention assembled in Greensboro North Carolina in late August. They met in the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, a small venue that made the crowds at the convention look much larger than they really were – the press ate it up. As per usual during the early days of the Conservative Party, Reagan's old talents in Hollywood were utilized extensively to the Conservative Party's benefit.
The keynote speaker was decided to be jilted Democrat Jimmy Carter. Mr. Peanut railed hard against the Democrats and the Republicans with an uncharacteristic vigor, something augmented to his public persona since the ABC did him over. The old Jimmy was over, he wasn't spiteful and angry all the time but he was becoming a finger pointer – for better or worse.
<A picture of Jimmy Carter from his days as governor of Georgia>
Former Governor Jimmy Carter: "No more DC swindlers! Good government for a good society!"
Carter railed against both the GOP and his own party. Both were corrupt beyond measure, both were out of touch beyond measure. American needed someone like Ronald Reagan. He was a cowboy so he knew what it was like to be a real man in the field. "Not as much as a peanut farmer, but gosh darn it all he sure ain't no DC swindler!"Former Governor Jimmy Carter: "No more DC swindlers! Good government for a good society!"
Once again, the press ate it up. The drama was juicy, so juicy.
Conservatives of both parties announced defections and with each defection the news media hyped the party up more and more. The names of the defected were announced in a grand rigmarole chant for the media, to make sure they knew what narrative to report. And for fun. Ultimately these defections were not nearly as numerous as the press hyped up. Most were from the House, where Congressmen were free to be more radical. Where the new party got the most defections and declared candidates was actually on the local level. It was a part of Pete Domenici's plan.
"Our political revolution to make America great again will start from the bottom! Yes, you out there you can win a spot on your local school board, or as a judge, or as a sheriff, or in the state house. We'll sweep the lowest rungs of the political system and then we'll go up to Congress, and then up to the Presidency! And then to the Supreme Court!"
The situation got "so bad" (once again, the severity of defections was over emphasized by the press) in the South for the Democrats that Bayh was asked felt if the Democrats were Conservatives or Liberals and replied: "Me? I'm a Liberal." Conservatives used the phrase as a beating stick against GOP and Democrat holdouts in the South for an entire generation. For whatever reason, it just stuck.
The only important to figure thing out beyond the platform (which was quickly assembled from the long-standing Conservative wish list) was who to nominate as Reagan's running-mate.
Helms, Reagan, Crane, Laxalt, Domenici and several others tabulated several lists among themselves and by the time of the Convention they came up with several names.
Elliot Richardson was #1 on everyone's list but Domenici's list which had Laxalt as his highest choice. Since he stood against Nixon, he was the new Conservative Party's favorite choice. He would help represent the new, clean, uncorrupt Conservatism they preached. However when he was contacted, he turned down the offer politely. He was currently serving as Ambassador to the UK and had little sympathy for the new Conservative Party.
John Connally was another popular choice among the men. He was shot during the JFK assassination and had since switched to the GOP but occasionally endorsed across the aisle. Ultimately his time as the head of "Democrats for Nixon" made him too associated with Nixon. That, including his age and the potential stain of corruption regarding a milk price decision that led to him allegedly pocketing money. No good. He was stricken from the list.
Billy Graham and his close friend Robert H. Schuller were brought up as well. Though ultimately Graham's close association with Nixon put him lower on the list. Schuller's being from California was a black mark against him as the party heads didn't want a West heavy ticket so his name was tossed as well.
James L. Buckley was one of the popular choices as well. His victory as a third party candidate in New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York made him a celebrity in Conservative circles. Helms in particular thought him to be the second best choice out of "any fella" in America. The fact that he was from New York was also considered attractive. Balancing east and west was an important goal of the big whigs.
Jack Kemp was another popular choice. He was a former professional football player and a young buck who quickly joined the party. Like Buckley, he was from New York. His status as a celebrity outside of politics like Reagan worried the party heads however, not wanting to turn the party into a party of celebrities. He was earmarked in the future as someone to keep watching however.
William Ruckelshaus was another choice. Since Richardson already turned them down, they figured that Ruckelshaus could be a good choice to easily emphasize the anti-Corruption views of the party. He had actually faced Bayh in the past and lost narrowly – perhaps meaning that Ruckelshaus could help turn Indiana against Bayh. His largest issue however was that he had feuded with the Conservative section of the GOP in the past and would have to be cajoled into joining the ticket. Perhaps too much work for a backup Richardson.
Jimmy Carter was also considered briefly considering how hard he pushed against the Democratic Party. His being a Democrat was another plus, but he did not seem very interested as a VP and hadn't even joined the party yet despite being the keynote speaker. If Carter was going to be the VP they decided he had to work for it. At the end of the day he had no interest in the position.
Of course, all of the men also had a slew of other names of various politicos near and far. Though none of their names would be little importance this time around.
When it came time for the running-mate, they party heads were in agreement. William Ruckelhaus would be the pick. Reagan personally called him and Ruckelhaus agreed to be his running-mate. At the Convention he was selected via acclaim, leaving a small crew of Connolly supporters claiming that Connolly had actually won but that little controversy ultimately led to nothing.
And so the general election came around and an unholy mess awaited us all.
------
Coming into the General Election, many were not expecting an amazing showing from the Conservative Party. Having formed in the wake the GOP Convention, the Conservative Party was had to work to get its name on ballots, get candidates, and get money for their various elections that were occurring. All at the same time. It was simply too much for the newborn Conservative National Committee (Henceforth known as CNC). Organizing responsibility in the early days fell to Paul Laxalt, a close friend of Reagan and Domenici. He was known as a taskmaster albeit a skilled one.
Seeing the chaos in the CNC, Laxalt made an erudite decision. The Party will focus on the Presidential race before all others. Recruiting candidates will be minimized, and all monies acquired by the CNC directly (not concerning the individual races) will be put in the Reagan/Ruckelhaus war chest. Laxalt believed that much of America was sympathetic to the Party's views and therefore a Presidential win was possible. If Reagan was in the White House, then defections would increase and Congressional races would be easier to fund raise and organize.
Important members of the Conservative Party circa 1976:
- Former Governor Ronald Reagan: Presidential Candidate for the party.
- Senator Paul Laxalt: Close personal friend of Reagan and Demenici's. Unoffical head of the CNC.
- Senator Jesse Helms: The architect of the Party and official Senate parliamentarian leader. He's become known as an domineering leader and has gained some resentment from within the party.
- Senator James L. Buckley: The famous congressman from New York. Chafes under Helms' influence in the senate.
- Representative Phil Crane: The leader of the party in the House of Representatives. Known for his full throated defense of the party split in a speech given in Congress.
- Senator Pete Domenici: Quickly becoming the Party ideologue, Domenici has espoused the 'ground up' doctrine which promotes focusing on local races and moving up, and the 'new pathway' doctrine which promotes proselytizing to suburbanites and other-izing urban parts of the country. Has had tit for tat disputes with Helms.
- Former Governor Jimmy Carter: Has belatedly joined the party, though he remains unimpressed. Surrogate for the Reagan campaign in the South and Midwest.
The Big 5: The Conservative Party's Powerbrokers and Tacticians
The South and the Midwest almost universally looked grim. The Conservative Party was ascendant in those areas and there was little they could do about it. Out West and in the Mid-Atlantic the Conservative Party was not competitive – but it did nearly cut the Republican Party's base of support in half. The only places Ford polled well was in Maine and Vermont.
The election was a rough affair for the Republicans. Seeing their own party turn on itself was an ugly affair. Congress was a mess of partisan attacks and it wasn't any better on the campaign trail. The election weighed especially hard on Ford. There was no way to reach out to the Democrats. There was no way to reach out to the disgruntled Conservatives. When Ford was out of the spotlights and away from the nosy reporters he spent his time sulking. You won't read it in any history book since it never left Ford's head, but he considered calling Reagan and trying to patch things up personally. He had dreams of reuniting the party and leading it to a great victory over Bayh – though even Ford knew that was a fever dream at that point.
The Democrats focused on furthering their lead. Close states like Michigan and California became major targets for the Democrats and they pushed for victory in those states more than any other. The party itself was ecstatic after the GOP split and the excitement hasn't stopped. 1976 really was their year. They won against Carter, they've basically already won against Ford, and they'll win against Reagan. That's the mantra. That's the chant.
Though Carter supporters, especially in the South weren't happy.
All three sides looked for ways to elevate their profiles above the others. Reagan brought in close movie star friends and other notables as surrogates. Bayh palled around with big name celebrities, Civil Rights leaders, and media darlings. Ford mostly sat and screamed into the ever increasing black void which had taken over his life and political career.
It was no surprise then, when CBS offered a prime time three way televised debate. Now, there had been televised debates before and they were not anything close to being rare like in 1960, but this was to take place only 2 weeks before America would go to the polls. It was billed as THE Presidential debate.
Eugene McCarthy's campaign complained that the debate wasn't including them, but beyond that there was no other complaints. The complaints of the McCarthy campaign, despite being whining, did his campaign a great service and he saw a rise in the polls, much to the chagrin of Bayh.
The debate went about as you would expect. Reagan oozed charisma, Bayh was able to keep up but was of little substance, and Ford tried to show off his Centrist cred but looked more like he was playing both sides. Reagan was able to counter most statements with a pithy remark or comeback. So it's not surprise that Reagan was considered the winner by the majority of audiences across America. It was a particularly helpful boost for Reagan.
It wouldn't be enough though.
1976 US Presidential Election:
Conservative Party: 252 Electoral Votes
Democratic Party: 233 Electoral Votes
Republican Party: 53 Electoral Votes
With a need of 269 electoral votes for a majority, no candidate held a majority. There would be a contingent election. No matter who was chosen it would be a controversial affair. The 95th Congress was called into an emergency session so as to soothe the transition of power. If they fail to act decisively before January 20th, then the Speaker of the House will become the Acting President until either Congress elects a Vice President or a President.
Congressional Makeup of the newly elected 95th Congress:
Senate – Democratic Majority
Democratic: 56
Republican: 27
Conservative: 16
Independent: 1 (Caucuses with Democrats)
Vacant: 0
House of Representatives – Democratic Majority
Democratic: 261
Republican: 106
Conservative: 68
Vacant: 0
Naturally the entire process was scandalized by the Conservatives. The primary point of contention was the fact that Reagan won the electoral vote (not the majority, mind you) and had a slim plurality in the popular vote. What made it worse was how close many states were due to the dynamics of a 3-way race. California, Indiana, New Jersey, Florida, and Pennsylvania were all within the sub 1% range. This experience in would ultimately put America on the path to further electoral reform.
Reagan and most of the Conservative Party elite stayed silent during the affair, letting the people and their politicians do the attacking. Bayh was quick to point out that he was an advocate for electoral reform towards a popular vote system since the 1960's. Reagan was quick to point out that he won the plurality of the popular vote. The two (and their parties) went back and forth during the process of the contingent election, making the already controversial event even more divisive.
With their majority, the Democrats easily put Bayh and his VP John Glenn through Congress and on January 20th at noon Birch Bayh was sworn in as President of the United States, with John Glenn as his Vice President.
The Democrats had to wonder though, how could Bayh have damn near blown such a lead? What did he say, what did he do, where didn't he go that caused such a muddying of the waters to occur? 1976 was supposed to be a Democratic year. Nixon forced out. GOP splintered. More negative elements of the party wondered if this wasn't really just a sign of things to come...
<Birch Bayh speaking to some college kids via a PA>
Birch Bayh several years before becoming President on a college campus
But Bayh didn't have time to ponder, he had work to do.Birch Bayh several years before becoming President on a college campus
------
Alright, that's that.
For those who are interested, the title is a nod to the Strugatsky Brother's Noon Universe and also a reference to the idea that the world is past it's golden age in this TL. It's not dystopian and by the end in 2000 America is still a Democratic state but the world is far less optimistic about the future than in our 2000.
Let me know if you like it so far.
Last edited:
