World Without Watergate: The Ultimate Version

[hcallega]

May 11: The New York Times reports that of the thousands of Cuban immigrants entering the US, many are criminals and mentally ill. Cuba is literally dumping its undesirables. President Connally responds by condemning Castro for his “societal cleansing” while Senator Kennedy also chides him, but makes it clear that “it does not matter who they are or what they did, they are in our arms now and we must make sure they get a fair chance at freedom.”

May 19: Mt. Saint Helens Erupts in Washington State.

June 28: President Connally signs a bill requiring 19 and 20 year olds to sign up for the draft.

July 14-17: President Connally is renominated at the Republican Convention in Detroit. Representative Phil Crane of Illinois gives the keynote address, known as the “Defense of America Speech” in which he attacks “the liberal Democratic Party for calling this President too aggressive, too gung ho, and too strong. Well let me tell you: This President is a hero. And you, you are the same ones who called our Vietnam veterans baby killers, who burned your draft cards, and who have never and will never take up arms to defend your country.” This speech is viewed as incredibly divisive and overly aggressive, though Crane soon becomes a favorite of the right.

August: Strikes take place in Poland over wages and food prices.

August 11-14: Senator Ted Kennedy is nominated on the first ballot for the Democratic Nomination for the Presidency. He chooses Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running-mate, and delivers a solid speech: “We do not need four more years of failed economic policies or four more years of failed foreign policy or four more years of failed domestic policies…..Our cause goes on, and the fight continues, and we are going to win in November. Thank You!” Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland delivers the keynote address supporting the Equal Rights Amendment and abortion rights, but also attacking President Connally “for an arrogance unseen in the White House since the man who came before him!”

September: Desertions in Afghanistan cut the Soviet invasion force in half.

September 17: In Poland, the trade union Solidarity is formed.

September 20: President Connally allows for Somoza to remain in the United States.

September 21: In the first Presidential Debate, the focus is on domestic issues such as the economy. Senator Kennedy attacks President Connally for “letting our economy fail, and letting inflation strangle our citizens.” Connally fires back by making clear that “my administration has taken the best steps possible. Senator Kennedy’s answer would be to freeze wages and prices, and no one wants that again.” The debate is seen as even, as both candidates attacked the other, with no clear winner.

September 22: Iraq invades Iran.

September 23: President Connally pledges not to intervene in the Iran-Iraq War “as long as it remains contained.”

September 26: The Soviet Union calls on a negotiated settlement to the Iran-Iraq War.

October 28: In the second and final debate, the focus is foreign policy. Senator Kennedy attacks the President for “devising a plan to recover the hostages that focused on one thing: overwhelming force. Yes we overwhelmed them, but we cost more lives than we needed, both hostages and Iranians, instead of doing the right thing and using our Special Forces and negotiation to recover the hostages.” The President shot back by stating that “The President of the United States needs to be decisive. We were dealing with Islamic Extremists who believed that they were doing God’s work. We had to act, we did, and I still believe that we acted correctly.” Most believed that Kennedy won the debate, and it gave him a necessary edge in a surprisingly tight race.

November 4: Senator Kennedy defeats President Connally in the Presidential Election. It is the end to one of the dirtiest and more intense campaigns in US history, as both sides attacked the other’s judgment, character, and ability to govern. In the end however, it is the issues of foreign policy and inflation which doom Connally and allow for the return of “Camelot.”

Kennedy/Bentsen (D) 309 EVs   53% of the PV
Connally/Baker (R) 229 EVs      46% of the PV

November 4: In Congress, the Republicans make unexpected gains, benefitting from a still weak Democratic party and a favorable election cycle. They pick up five seats (Alaska-Murkowski, Iowa-Grassley, New Hampshire-Rudman, South Dakota-Abdnor, Washington-Gorton) while the Democrats pick up three (Arizona-Schulz, New York-Holtzman, Pennsylvania-Flaherty), giving the GOP a net gain of two and changing the alignment of the Senate to. In the House, the Republicans would gain a solid 12 seats leaving that body at

December 8: John Lennon is shot in New York City.

[GLPman]

Great stuff so far. Keep it up!

[hcallega]

Senate Numbers: 54-46 Democratic Majority

[Historico]

Wasn't expecting The election to be so close, but if Teddy campaign style was simmilar to how it was IOTL, it's probably pretty realistic. Assuming that Teddy doesn't fall to the same fate as in my timeline lol, I wonder if Teddy and Joan's relationship is going to continue to deteroriate in the White House eventhough they may decide just to hold up appearances of a happy marriage in Public. I could actually see a situation where Joan, A Powerful Campaigner and Activist in her own right, will take an Eleanor/Hillary approach to her husband's womanizing.

I am more concered about the state of the economy in the next four years...You didn't mention that Volcker had been replaced by Connally in his Presidency, so it's probably going to remain in rough shape for most of Teddy's first term. Even if he manages to get him in upon arriving, Volcker's approach toward Monetary will probably plunge the nation into a deep recession later IOTL, so that by re-election we could still be in very big trouble. Maybe Teddy's able to get the Full-Employment Act passed which will alievate alot of help, Public Works etc...Should be very interesting to see lol...Keep it comming

[hcallega]

Connally appointed Alan Greenspan as the head of the Fed, but Kennedy replaces him with Volcker. So yeah, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!

[hcallega]

1981

January 10: FMLN launch an offensive in El Salvador

January 20: Edward Kennedy is inaugurated President of the United States. In his address he focuses on the economy and a greater promise for future generations: “We have the opportunity to expand the American dream, not just for this generation but for those who come after us. We have the opportunity to make poverty and unemployment things of the past, an opportunity to make a good education a reality for millions more Americans. We can change the world. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

January 21: President Kennedy announces that “we must, and will, return to an era of international peace. The policies of the previous administration increased international tension, and it is my goal to lower it.”

January 31: Lech Walesa is able to get Saturday’s off for Poland’s workers.

February 3: Secretary of State Zbigniew Brezinski claims that “Cuba has their hands all over the El Salvador situation.”

February 14: President Kennedy calls for a brokered peace in El Salvador.

February 19: President Kennedy announces his principal economic recovery plan to congress. He announces his welfare reform proposal, which would provide more funding to state and local governments with the goal of urban renewal. He also called on the passage of the Full Employment Act, which was vetoed by President Connally. Finally, he announced his plan to end inflation: “We must declare a war on inflation. Tonight I am officially proposing a six-month freeze on inflation, followed by across the board controls on prices, wages, profits, dividends, interests rates, and rent. It is not going to be easy, but we are going to end this national crisis.”

March 3: Kennedy calls on the leaders of FMLN and the El Salvador Government to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the conflict there.

March 21: In Alabama, Michael Donald is killed by members of the KKK. Kennedy calls the event “a national tragedy” and successfully calls on congress to pass tougher hate crime legislation, which he will sign into law in June.

March 25: Congress passes President Kennedy’s welfare reform act which increases federal aid to state and local governments.

March 30: President Kennedy is shot in the arm, but does not receive significant damage. His potential assassin, John Hinckley Jr., is show dead by the Secret Service.

April 5: Congress passes the Full Employment Act of 1981. At the signing Kennedy signs the bill with pens from House Sponsor Augustus Hawkins and from Muriel Humphrey, the late Senator Hubert Humphrey’s wife.

April 24: IBM puts its first personal computer on the market. It has a Microsoft operating system.

April 25: Congress passes the President’s environmental plan which puts a freeze on all new nuclear power plant production and a planned phase-out of current factories as new, alternative energy is discovered.

May 1: Congress narrowly supports the inflation freeze and economic controls.

May 5: Hunger striker Bobby Sands dies in a Northern Ireland prison. President Kennedy calls this “a somber day for all people, not just those with Irish blood and not just those with Catholic faith.” He also denounces the British policy in Northern Ireland as “imperialistic, outdated, and archaic. Northern Ireland is Great Britain’s Vietnam. They cannot expect to hold onto it forever.”

May 13: Pope John Paul II is badly wounded by a wood-be assassin in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. President Kennedy takes Air Force One to Rome to be with the Pope, a man whom he will become good friends with and who will become a mentor to him.

June 30: China announces that while Mao’s accomplishments outweigh his mistakes, his mistakes were indeed monumental.

July: Israeli aircraft and artillery bomb and destroy PLO targets in Lebanon. Yasser Arafat pledges to fight back, while President Kennedy urges peace.

July 28: Father Stanley Rother is shot and killed by a paramilitary death squad in Guatemala.

July 29: Congress narrowly passes President Kennedy’s tax bill, which “undoes” many of John Connally’s tax cuts. President Kennedy makes it clear that “this is not a tax hike. It’s merely undoing a policy which increased the deficit while not improving the economy.”

July 29: Diana Spencer and Prince Charles marry.

August 3: Air Traffic Controllers go on strike. President Kennedy orders them to go back to work, but promises to mediate negotiations if they do.

August 5: The Air Traffic Controllers end their strike, and President Kennedy requests for a meeting to negotiate concerns.

August 19: After shots are fired at an American aircraft, two Libyan planes are shot down over the Gulf of Sidra.

August 22: An agreement is reached between the air traffic controllers union and the airlines in which they will get a 32 hour work week, but will not receive a pay raise.

September 1: Negotiations begin at Camp David between the Salvadoran Military and the FMLN.

September 17: Fed Chairman Paul Volcker tells congress that the fed will keep interest rates high to stave off inflation, but that budget cuts will be needed in the future.

October 6: President Sadat is killed at a military parade in Egypt.

October 30: The Camp David Accords are signed, ending the war in El Salvador and setting up free elections in January. In these elections the reigning government will narrowly remain in power, but the FMLN will be in a strong position of opposition.

November 20: President Kennedy reaffirms that “no US forces will set foot in Central America as long as I am President.”

December 13: Martial law is established in Poland.

December 20: President Kennedy curtails trade with Russia due to the Poland situation.

[hcallega]

1982

January 1: A military coup occurs in Ghana. Chaos runs the streets.

January 7: Ghana’s new regime creates thousands of tribunals.

January 12: Ghana reestablishes diplomatic relations with Libya.

January 26: Unemployment in Britain reaches a post-war high.

February 2: The Muslim Brotherhood controlled town of Hama is smashed by the Syrian military.

March 10: The United States puts an embargo on Libyan oil imports due to the countries support for terrorism and subversion.

April 2: Argentina’s military junta lands troops in the British-ruled Falkland Islands.

April 3: Britain sends a naval task force to the Falkland Islands.

April 25: Israel withdraws from the Sinai Peninsula.

May 2: The Falkland Islands War begins in earnest. President Kennedy calls on “a restoration of peace between two western nations.”

May 24: Iranian forces secure the border town of Khorramshahr, executing 2,000 prisoners for the rape of Iranian women in the beginning of the war.

May 30: Spain joins NATO.

June 4: PLO and Israeli forces trade blows in Southern Lebanon.

June 6: Israel invades Southern Lebanon.

June 9: Israeli forces defeat Syrian forces in Lebanon and surround Beirut.

June 11: Sandinista forces kill 21 opponents along the Honduran border.

June 13: While inflation begins to get under control with Volcker and Kennedy’s policies, the economy is heading for a recession. While the Full Employment Act has helped to alleviate unemployment, many Americans are beginning to demand change. In a nationally televised speech, President Kennedy tells the nation that “Inflation is beginning to go down, and yes I know that for many of you that is not your greatest concern. You may have lost your job, or you may be in greater financial trouble, but I can assure you that you will not be abandon, not swept aside. While we are fighting inflation, we are not giving up the fight for a better economy.”

June 14: The commander of the Argentine force in the Falklands surrenders to the British.

June 18: The leader of the Argentine Military Junta resigns.

June 18: The Census Bureau reports that the number of one parent households has doubled since 1970.

June 21: Princess Diana gives birth to her first son William.

June 23: The International Whaling Commission decides to end commercial whaling by 1985-1986.

July 25: Kennedy deploys UN Ambassador Warren Christopher to Lebanon to negotiate a cease-fire.

August 12: Mexico announces that it is unable to pay its foreign debt.

August 15: A cease-fire is negotiated between Lebanon and Israel. Peacekeepers will be deployed to Lebanon for 30 days or less, allowing the PLO to evacuate to Damascus without the threat of Israeli reprisals.

August 30: The PLO fighters are dispersed across the Arab world. They found their new headquarters in Tunisia.

September 12: US Marines return to their ships.

September 14: Lebanese President-Elect Bachier Gemayel is killed by a Christian Assassin.

September 18: Ariel Sharon, leader of the Israeli Military, allows Christian Militiamen to “search for terrorists” in Palestinian refugee camps, killing between 700 and 3,500.

September 20: President Kennedy orders the Marines back into Lebanon to “prevent the further slaughter of innocent civilians.”

October 15: President Kennedy’s veto of the Garn-St. Germain Act is overridden by Congress. Kennedy would later call this bill one of the “great mistakes by the US congress in history.”

October 29: The Socialists Win in Spain for the first time since 1937.

October 30: President Kennedy threatens cutting off aid to El Salvador unless something is done about political murders.

November 2: In the Senate Elections the Republicans gain one seat, upping their total to 46. In the House the Republicans gain a remarkable 19 seats, due in large part to the economic recession. This leaves the Democrats with an incredibly slim two vote majority at 219 to 216.

November 10: Leonid Brezhnev dies at 75. President Kennedy will attend his funeral.

November 12: Former KGB Chief Yuri Andropov becomes the next head of the Soviet Union.

December 4: China adopts a more reformist and modernized constitution.

December 31: Inflation is going down, yet unemployment is going up. Kennedy points to the success of his inflation freeze and “smart controls” that have lowered inflation substantially. He has also made clear however that the focus for 1983 will be the economy.

[hcallega]

Forgot that there were some Senate appointment issues and whatnot that I hadn't covered, so here you go.

Tennessee: Howard Baker left the Senate to become Connally's Vice-President. Governor Blanton chooses Longterm Congressmen Joe Evins to fill the seat. In the 1978 Election, Governor Blanton defeated former Tennessee Senator Bill Brock by a vary narrow margin. He is a moderate "New South" Senator. His prospects for reelection are looking bleaker due to the potential primary challenge from Representative Al Gore, and the possibility that he may loose to a Republican.

Massachusetts: The moderate Governor Edward King was left in a difficult position to replace the liberal Senator Kennedy. He would end up choosing Republican Representative Margaret Heckler, a moderate, who would be defeated in the Special Election by Rep. Joe Moakley of South Boston.

Texas: Texas Governor Bill Clements would appoint former CIA Director George Bush to the Senate seat previously held by Lloyd Bentsen. Bush would narrowly defeat conservative Democrat Sam Hall in 1980, helped in large part due to the economy.

These results, coupled with the Republican Victory for Scoop Jackson's old seat means that the Senate is 53-47, with a Democratic Majority.

[Historico]

Awesome look at the first half of Teddy's term...With me not being as knowledgable on economics like I should be, Im not sure what effect will the lowered intrest rates, full employment act and price controls will have on the National Economy. I would assume we will have alot of years of suboptimal growth. Supply side economics will be a big sweetner if the GOP embraces it, Maybe will get a Kemp or Dupont Presidency ITTL>.

[RosettaStoned]

I have a hard time believing Ted Kennedy could have ever been elected President with Chappaquiddick.

[hcallega]

I have a hard time believing Ted Kennedy could have ever been elected President with Chappaquiddick.

That really is an opinion issue. I believe that many Americans could look past that, while certainly many could not. However I believe that he could, and since it is my timeline I have chosen to have  it so.

[hcallega]

1983

January 5: Despite protests from the left, President Kennedy is standing by Volcker’s instance on keeping interest rates high.

January 8: President Kennedy signs the first increase in the gas tax in 23 years. His intention is to use the revenue to improve American infrastructure related to transportation.

January 24: Oil Prices are holding steady. In response, OLPEC agrees to cut production in order to raise the cost.

February 7: Iran invades Iraq, continuing the war.

March 10: At a speech to the Conference of Catholic Bishops, President Kennedy warns of the reckless aggression of “the godless empire that is the Soviet Union.”

March 15: In his State of the Union Address, President Kennedy announces an end to economic controls: “Inflation is on its way down, and the economy is in need of a boost. It is clear that things are getting better, and therefore we no longer need to hold the markets hand. Much of this credit is due to Mr. Volcker, and also congressional leaders who took and approved the necessary steps to turn this nations ongoing battle with inflation around.”

April1: There are a series of protests across Europe against the presence of US nuclear weapons.

April 18: A suicide car-bomber in Beirut smashes into the US embassy, killing 17 US citizens and 40 Lebanese. The group known as Islamic Jihad takes responsibility.

May 17: The US brokers a settlement to the Lebanese conflict that requires Israeli withdrawal based on Syrian withdrawal.

June 9: Margaret Thatcher is reelected Prime Minister in a landslide in Great Britain. However her relations with President Kennedy will not improve.

June 20: President Kennedy instructs Secretary of State Brzezinski to open up dialogue with the Soviet Union intended to bring about negotiations over arms control and the Soviet quagmire in Afghanistan.

July 9: President Kennedy receives a letter from Yuri Andropov, suggesting an end to the nuclear threat and the potential for greater negotiations at Geneva.

July 20: Poland ends martial law.

September 1: Korean Airlines Flight 007 is shot down over Russia, killing all on board including several prominent Americans.

September 25: Soviet Colonel Stanislav Petrov discovers a computer error that had led to transmissions stating that the US was attacking Russia. This averts nuclear war.

October 23: A truck crashes into the Marine compound in Lebanon, killing 23.

October 30: Elections in Argentina mark the return to democracy.
October 31: A coalition of American and other anti-Communist forces arrive in Grenada after the leftist regime had been overthrow by all-out Marxists.

November 1: President Kennedy signs a bill creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a National Holiday.

December 18: The anti-communist coalition defeats the communists in Grenada. US forces leave while the other Caribbean forces remain as peace-keepers until elections are held.


December 22: Special Envoy Madeline Albright meets with Saddam Hussein to discuss restoring normalized diplomatic relations with the secular Middle Eastern power.

December 31: Inflation is down to 4%. Thusly Volcker lowers interest rates to 9.5%, encouraging more home buying and investment.
 

[Historico]

Any news about what Candidates on the GOP side, annouced their candidacy and what's been Kennedy's yearly approval ratings going into reelection? Also did Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk still get assassinated by Dan White ITTL...Can't wait to see what you have in store for the 1984 election(I kinda wish you returned back to the textbook format, seems like you can flesh out the details of the administartion a little bit more)...Keep it comming HC

[hcallega]

Any news about what Candidates on the GOP side, annouced their candidacy and what's been Kennedy's yearly approval ratings going into reelection? Also did Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk still get assassinated by Dan White ITTL...Can't wait to see what you have in store for the 1984 election(I kinda wish you returned back to the textbook format, seems like you can flesh out the details of the administartion a little bit more)...Keep it comming HC

Kennedy's Yearly Approval Ratings
1981: 56%
1982: 50%
1983: 52%

GOP Candidates (my bad for not remmebering to do this)

Rep Jack Kemp
Sen George Bush
Pierre Du Pont
Howard Baker
Bob Dole
Phil Crane

and yeah, dan white did the evil deed.

[hcallega]

Also, if you have any requests I could very well go textbook for specific chapters of my alternate history,sort of like my JPK timeline.

For instance, a bestseller that I'm planning on doing snippets from is "Liberalism in the Generation of Me" by Bill Bennet. So keep your eyes peeled.

[hcallega]

1984

January 5: Reverend Jesse Jackson Jr. succors the release of Navy Pilot Robert Goodman from Syria. President Kennedy calls Jackson “one of America’s most underrated and still humble men.”

January 10: Most polls show Senator George Bush of Texas the favorite for the GOP nomination for President. As a moderate, he is outpolling a divided conservative field. In second place is former Vice-President and Republican Senate leader Howard Baker. In third is Representative Jack Kemp of New York. A distant fourth is right-winger Rep. Phil Crane, followed by Senator Bob Dole, and Delaware Governor Pierre du Pont.

January 18: President Kennedy begins talks with the Soviet Union based on the de-escalation of the arms race. Secretary of State Brzezinski pressures him not to concede any technological advantage that the US might have in nuclear weapons, while Secretary of Defense Warren Christopher urged him to focus more on long-term peace then short term concessions. In the end, President Kennedy will take the middle ground, making it clear that the US would not restrict the number of ground forces in Europe, while supporting a scale-down of nukes.

January 21: Representative Kemp wins an upset victory over Bush and Baker in the Iowa Caucuses. Large conservative turnout is credited to his victory. Senator Bob Dole withdraws from the race after his distant fourth place finish.

February 5: President Kennedy once again orders the US Marines in Lebanon back to their ships.

February 6: US Ships shell pro-Syrian militia positions in Lebanon.

February 13: Yuri Andropov has died and is replaced by Konstanin Chernenko. Peace talks continue though take a step back.

February 16: George Bush wins the Arkansas Republican Caucus.

February 26: George Bush decisively wins the New Hampshire Primaries. However the major surprise is Representative Phil Crane’s third place finish over Senator Baker (Jack Kemp finished in second.) Following the results, Senator Baker withdraws from the race and endorses Bush, as does Governor du Pont who once again finished in last place. Baker will join the Bush team as the Senator’s “Right-Hand Man” on domestic policy issues and is seen as a possible VP pick. From this point on Bush will be the clear frontrunner, but will be unable to sow up the race for many weeks as Crane and Kemp are able to win many of the more conservative Republican states.

March 5: India leader Indira Gandhi orders a temple occupied by Sikh militants stormed. 300 Sikhs are killed.

March 16: The CIA chief in Beirut, William Buckley, is captured by Islamic Jihad.

March 30: The UN reports that the Iraqi military used mustard gas against Iranian troops.

April 2: President Kennedy calls for an international ban on chemical weapons, stating that “these barbaric weapons have no use in the modern world and serve only to terrorize.”

May 18: Senator George Bush of Texas is able rap up enough delegates to win the nomination. Jack Kemp dropped out in mid-April, after conceding that “I cannot win this race. We have fought the good fight, and we have made it clear that the same old policies don’t simply get rubber stamp approval. I want to thank all of you for what you did over these past few weeks.”

May 19: Representative Phil Crane of Illinois withdraws from the race and declares his intention to pursue reelection to the House of Representatives: “I will not let this fight die. The traditional conservative values of America will live on, and I will be damned if I take a sideline seat to the big-government and left-wing policies of President Kennedy and the Democratic Party. I will also fight to make sure that the Republican Party remains a home for conservatives throughout America, no matter where they are, where they come from, or who they have voted for in the past.”

July 12: President Kennedy and Vice-President Bentsen are renominated at the Democratic Convention in San Francisco. Revered Jesse Jackson delivers a stirring keynote address on race: “Today America is no longer the land of slavery. It is no longer the land of Jim Crow. It is no longer the land of government-supported inequality. Today America is the land of the free and the home of the brave!”

August 23: The Republican Party nominates Senator George Bush of Texas for the Presidency of the United States in Dallas, Texas. Senator Bush chooses Representative Jack Kemp of New York as his Vice-Presidential nominee, citing his “experience, resolve, and leadership both as a Republican and as United States Congressmen.” This also balances the ticket geographically and ideologically.

August 30: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off.

September 5: The Discovery lands.

September 26: Britain and China agree to give Hong Kong back to China in 1997.

October 7: President Kennedy and Senator Bush compete in the first of two presidential debates. This debate focuses on foreign policy. Bush proposes a more aggressively anti-communist foreign policy, though is quick to make clear that he does not want to be more confrontational: “I simply believe that we need to do more to contain the spread of communism in the third world, but not at the expense of our relations with the Soviet Union.” However Kennedy hammers Bush for “simply adding on the word aggressive to what I have done as President. We have confronted communism in the third world, we have supported threatened democracies around the world, and we have made substantial progress in talks with the Soviet Union.” President Kennedy is viewed as the winner of the debate, giving him a lead in the previously dead-even polls.

October 11: The Vice-Presidential debate is held between Vice-President Bentsen and Representative Kemp. Bentsen emphasizes the success of Kennedy at reducing inflation and the recent signs of an economic turnaround. Kemp attacks the Kennedy-Bentsen team for “raising taxes, raising spending, and watching the economy suffer for it.” Kemp is viewed as the winner in the debate, but not by much.

October 12: A bomb rips through the Brighton Hotel, nearly killing PM Margaret Thatcher. However she carries on and delivers her speech to the Conservative Convention several hours later. President Kennedy denounces the attack as terrorism and applauds the PM for her resolve and composer.

October 19: Catholic Priest Jerzy Popieluszko is arrested by the Polish Secret Police. He is a supporter of Solidarity and is well known throughout the nation.

October 21: President Kennedy and Senator Bush square off again in the second Presidential debate, this one focusing on the economy and domestic issues. Kennedy is put on the defensive due to the economy and ballooning deficit, but fires back with an infamous line: “Under my administration we have cut inflation, improved upon the economy, and continued the fight against poverty and for our middle class. Without a doubt I can say that America is better off that it was four years ago.” Despite Senator Bush’s now-famous description of President Kennedy’s economic plan as “Voodoo Economics”, President Kennedy is once again seen as the winner of the debate.

October 30: Divers find Popieluszko’s body in a sewer. While those who committed the murder are convicted, the Polish Communist Regime is still on the brink of collapse.

October 31: Indira Gandhi is assassinated by her Sikh security guards; leading to riots in which 2,700 sikh’s are killed.

November 6: President Kennedy narrowly wins reelection over Senator Bush by a margin of 52%-48%. Despite polls showing that they believe that things in the nation are not going well, most Americans still trust President Kennedy to turn things around and do not trust the “radically moderate” Senator from Texas.

Kennedy/Bentsen (D) 52% of the PV, 283 EVs
Bush/Kemp (R) 48% of the PV, 255 EVs

November 6: In the Senate Elections, the Democrats make a net gain of one seat, giving them a majority of 54-46. In the House the Democrats loose five seats, and thus the Majority to the Republicans. Bob Michel is the new Speaker of the House.

December 3: In India a chemical plant leaks poisonous gas into the air, killing a total of 8,000 and injuring hundreds of thousands more.

December 22: PM Thatcher tells President Kennedy that Mikhail Gorbachev, the number two man in the Kremlin, is much more charismatic and open to talks than previous Soviets.

[segwaystyle2012]

McGovern? PUKE

[RosettaStoned]

Dole '88!

[Historico]

Crane in '88!!lol, I expected for the '84 election to not be a cakewalk for Teddy, hopefully things have turned around enough for the 39th President to get some of his Domestic Agenda  Congress

[hcallega]

Crane in '88!!lol, I expected for the '84 election to not be a cakewalk for Teddy, hopefully things have turned around enough for the 39th President to get some of his Domestic Agenda  Congress

Yeah there are a few reasons why it was a nailbitter. First of all the economy is going worse than in OTL, and Bush's moderate views harkened back to the Eisenhower days and greater prosperity. Also many see Kennedy's talking to the Soviets and the spread of leftism in Central America as weekness. Finally, Bush's modereate Republicanism makes him a very stronge candidate in this timeline. Liberalism as a whole is still week, while Reagan-esque conservativism has never taken hold. The Republican Middle is the area of greatest strength, and that is firmly where Bush is. However Kennedy is viewed well, inflation and the economy are moving in the right direction, and there is less chaos in the world than four years aleri.

[hcallega]

1985

January 2: Chinese Leader Deng Xiaoping announces an open door policy to the west in order to offset generations of isolation.


January 10: President Kennedy is inaugurated for his second term in a particularly cold day in Washington. In his inaugural address he states “I see a shining city on a hill. In this city there is no poverty, no racism, no crime, a prosperous economy and peace. This city may seem like a glimmer in the eyes of many, but in reality we are closer to this than we ever have been in America. And as we push on to this shining city, we will finally realize the dreams of our founding fathers and those who sacrificed for this great nation.”

February 3: President Kennedy’s approval rating stands at 58% amid news of the economic turnaround, lower inflation, and lower poverty.

March 11: Konstantin Cherenko dies. He is replaced by the reform-minded Mikhail Gorbachev.

March 13: President Kennedy declares his State of the Union Address: “For the first time in many years, the President of the United States can truly say that the state of the union is strong!” He also announces plans for tougher environmental regulations, as well as a raise to the minimum wage and a new crime bill which puts an emphasis on prevention rather than incarceration.

March 16: AP Reporter Terry Anderson is kidnapped in Lebanon by Syrian Militiamen.

March 30: The House passes the minimum wage increase by a wide margin. Democrats unanimously support the bill while many Southern and Midwestern Republicans do as well. Speaker Bob Michel opposes the increase but does little to stop its passage. The Senate will follow suit in early April, and President Kennedy will sign the increase into law soon after.

April 8: Gorbachev announces a freeze on the production intermediate range missiles in Europe. He calls on President Kennedy to follow suit.

April 12: President Kennedy follows Gorbachev’s lead and puts a freeze on the missiles as well.

April 25: The House defeats President Kennedy’s climate change bill, which called for a carbon emissions tax, despite also attaching tax cuts for companies that emitted less carbon gasses.

May 13: The House approves Kennedy’s crime bill which combined more funding for more police on the streets with more federal funds shifting from prison development to crime prevention. It also shifted funds from the War on Drugs to rehabilitation programs. The vote was very narrow and the support of many liberal Republicans was the decisive factor.

May 28: The Senate approves the Kennedy Crime Bill, which will be signed on June 1.

June 3: CIA Agent William Buckley dies while held hostage in Beirut

June 6: Israeli troops are ordered out of most of Lebanon.

June 9: American Professor Thomas Sutherland is kidnapped in Beirut.

June 10: The House votes down continued funding for the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
June 14: A plane from Greece is hijacked by Lebanese terrorists and lands in Beirut. Most of the passengers are American, and one is beaten, killed, and left on the tarmac.

June 17: All but 40 of the American passengers are released.

June 30: Ali Atwa, a Lebanese terrorist, is caught in Greece and swapped for the remaining hostages on the plane.

July 18: Kennedy and Gorbachev meet in Geneva to discuss further scale-downs of military might in Europe. The meeting is seen as a success and is the first in a series between the two leaders who would develop a friendship.

July 25: Israel agrees to sell arms to Iran on the grounds that the US replaces them. Secretary of State Brzezinski persuades Kennedy into accepting.

September 23: TIME magazine reports on increasing capitalism and private ownership in the Communist world, especially China.

September 25: PLO terrorists kill several Israeli civilians.

October 1: Israel retaliates by bombing the PLO headquarters in Tunis, which results in 65 killed, many civilians.

October 2: Rock Hudson, dies of AIDS, a disease receiving more and more attention.

October 8: An Italian cruise-liner is hijacked, resulting in the death of American Leon Klinghoffer.

November 20: Kennedy and Gorbachev meet again at Geneva, agreeing to scale down their nuclear arsenals and allow for greater sovereignty of Warsaw Pact nations.

November 20: Windows 1.0 is released.

December 31: Tensions increase in the Darfur region of Sudan between Arab nomads and native farmers. This is due to a change in climate resulting in less farmable land.

[RosettaStoned]

Is Ted still married ITTL?

[hcallega]

Is Ted still married ITTL?

Yeah initially for purely political reasons, but also because since meeting the Pope in 1981 he became much more religous, and while still being pro-choice is working hard to get the marriage to work. Also it would look really sh**tty for a divorce, even if he has already been relected.

[Historico]

Is Ted still married ITTL?

Yeah initially for purely political reasons, but also because since meeting the Pope in 1981 he became much more religous, and while still being pro-choice is working hard to get the marriage to work. Also it would look really sh**tty for a divorce, even if he has already been relected.

I would actually like to see Teddy and Joan take on more of an Clintonian Relationship; could we maybe get some info if Joan has taken more of an activist First Ladydom? She may tack a wack at running for Teddy's old Seat in Massachusetts after '89. With Rock Hudson's death, I imagine Teddy would attempt to use it to get a sweeping Sexual Orientaion Act through Congress..

[hcallega]

1986

January 28: The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates killing all seven crew members. President Kennedy calls for a national day of mourning for January 29.


February 11: Soviet Political Prisoner Anatoly Scharansky is swapped for two Russian spies.


February 19: The Soviet Union Launches the Mir Space Station.

February 25: Philippine President Fernando Marco goes into exile in Hawaii, bringing an end to his long and oppressive rule.
February 25: Egyptian police riot and set fire to four hotels protesting a lack of sufficient pay.

February 28: Swedish PM Olalf Palme is assassinated on his way home from the movies.

March 8: President Kennedy delivers an upbeat State of the Union address in which he touts his economic and foreign policy record. He also states that the focus of the next two years will be on tackling the injustices in America. He directly proposes the Sexual Orientation Act of 1986, referencing the recent death of Rock Hudson and many more to AIDS: “We can no longer hide under a veil of ignorance. AIDS is not the Gay disease; it is not the drug addict disease. It is a human disease, and as such we must stop it in its tracks.”


March 20: The House of Representatives passes the Sexual Orientation Act of 1986, banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, expanding hate crimes legislation to gays and lesbians, and greatly increasing funds for AIDS research and prevention. Pat Robertson calls this bill “a travesty”, however it is Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia who will form a more politically correct opposition to the bill: “The intention behind this piece of legislation is fundamentally good, in that all Americans deserve the same rights and same security. However this bill does not do that. Instead it takes a small group of people and elevates them above the rest. It states that homosexuals and their concerns rank above straight people and theirs. This I cannot support.”


April 2: A bomb explodes in a flight from Rome to Athens, killing four.

April 5: A bomb goes off in a Berlin nightclub, killing several including two US servicemen. An intercepted telegram implicates Libya.

April 10: The Senate passes the Sexual Orientation Act of 1986. Senator Jesse Helms calls this “another example of the Cultural Marxist Agenda being passed in a time of panic. In five years no one will think this did much good, and if anything they’ll say that it compromised our great American values.” On the other hand President Kennedy states that “this is just another piece of legislation that is furthering the cause of true civil rights in America. Many who oppose it are the same who would rather have us never ended segregation or given equal voting rights to men and women, or blacks and whites.”

April 13: Pope John Paul II officially visits the Synagogue in Rome, the first time a modern Pope has visited a Jewish House of Worship.

April 15: Despite pressure from hawks within his cabinet, the congress, and the media, President Kennedy refuses to use military force to retaliate against Libya. Instead he increases the boycott against the nation.

April 16: President Kennedy signs the Sexual Orientation Act of 1986, surrounded by several high-profile AIDS cases. Reverend Jesse Jackson is the first to shake the President’s hand after signing the bill and states “I know many in my flock disagree, but this is a truly just and good bill. It is time to step up and do the right thing, and President Kennedy has done just that.”

April 26: A nuclear reactor explodes in Chernobyl, killing 31 immediately and many more in years to come. Regions of the Ukraine and Belarus will be deemed inhabitable due to this.

May 25: 5,000,000 Americans join hands in a chain from New York City to Long Beach to protest hunger and homelessness. President Kennedy calls this “a sign of the people of American’s commitment to social justice.”

August 6: William Schroeder, the second person to receive an artificial heart, dies after 620 days.

August 20: Fired Postal Service Worker Patrick Sherrill attempts to kill his co-workers.

September 5: Pakistani hijackers plan to use a plain as a missile and smash it into Israeli Defense Ministry. However the pilots escapes through a hatch while the plane is on stopover. The hijackers kill 27 in retaliation before being taken down by commandos.

September 6: 22 worshipers are killed in an Istanbul Mosque by terrorists during Sabbath.

September 7: General Pinochet survives an assassination attempt; however 5 of his bodyguards are killed.

September 17: Five are killed in a Paris shop by a fire-bomb.

October 10: In their third meeting in Geneva, Kennedy and Gorbachev agree on a five year plan that will “decrease the possibility of nuclear war to practically zero.” Secretly they also agree to reduce their involvement in Afghanistan, with Soviet troops beginning to withdraw in a plan congruent with the US reducing aid for the Mujahedeen.

October 25: Syria and Great Britain end diplomatic relations.

November 4: In the Senate, the Democrats gain six seats based on President Kennedy’s two most popular years. The results shock the already beaten down Republican Party, as now the Democrats hold a 60-40 Senate Majority. Pundit Tim Russert calls the results “more in support of President Kennedy’s policies than in opposition to any Republican one.” In the House the Democrats would gain eight seats, cutting the GOP majority but still leaving Bob Michel as Speaker of the House. Some call this the strangest Congressional makeup in recent memory, with a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in the Senate, and a narrowly GOP house.

November 17: Renault President and industrialist Georges Besse is assassinated by Communist revolutionaries outside of his home.

November 25: Congress bans weapons sales to Iran. President Kennedy states that “while I agree with congress’s action in principal, I disagree with it in practicality. This is a nation on the border between the east and the west, communism and the free world, and we cannot see it fall into Soviet hands.”

December 19: Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov is allowed to return to Moscow.