AT-100 Elections
althistoryw :: AT
Page 1 of 1
the election of 1962
by Admin Tue Dec 27, 2016 2:16 pm
1962
Conservative PM Prescott Bush remained popular, and it shocked the nation when he decided against seeking re-election. Bushes administration had cut business taxes, passed a civil rights bill, and taken a moderate stand on foreign affairs.
The Tories had a divided and crowded field. From centrists such as Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, and William Scranton to Right-Wingers such as Barry Goldwater. Goldwater shocked the establishment when primary after primary he defeated each of his centrist opponents. Goldwater opposed and denounced the Torie establishment mainley centered in the east coast, decrying "me-to ism!" of Prescott Bush and Nelson Rockefeller.
Running on a hard-line Anti-Communist platform, Goldwater called for large spending cuts, less regulation, weakening the power of the federal government, tax cuts, curbing the power of Labor Unions, and a massively increased military and missile defense system to "use whatever means possible to stop the spread of Communism". He decried big government and opposed protectionism and the American National Healthservice instituted by Huey Long and called for the "rolling the hell back" of the Share our Wealth consensus formed by Labor during the 1920s-1940s (in which they captured 7 out of 9 elections). Among his platform also were calls to privatize the national rail, national mining, and post office systems and "get government the hell out of business".
Despite his Right-Wing policies not appealing to traditional Torie voters in the North-East, Goldwater tapped heavily into the agenda of the New Right and Libertarianism appealing heavily to Christian Alliance voters in the South and Conservatives in the West. This made Goldwater a formidable opponent.
Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy captured Labors nomination beating out Texas MP Lyndon Johnson, Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey, and among others Stuart Symington of Missouri. Kennedys Catholicism was believed to damage him badly in traditional Labor leaning border states and the West, and despite the popularity of Labors massive Social Democratic Reforms in the 1920s-1940s they had remained out of power since 1947 and had been badly damaged under the Christian Alliance Government of George Patton.
Traditionally the Conservatives had always held the North-East and Great Plains, Labor the Mid-West, and Christian Alliance the South. However, this election would result in a re-alignment present to this day. Historically the Labor strategy and path to victory had been dominance in the Industrial Mid-West, well picking off enough Southern, Western, and Northern states favorable to there policies. This would all change however, as Kennedy eschewed that path.
Kennedy focused on winning traditionally Torie areas in the North-East specifically, which despite there voting contained large amounts of Progressive WASP small town working class voters, farmers, and small businessmen. These voters had voted Torie largely out of tradition and nervousness at the Socialist policies of Labor and protectionism (mostly the latter, which now tended to massivly benifit the Mid-West) but now were ready to look the other way when faced with Goldwaters radical Right-Wing Agenda. Kennedy ran on a platform of "21st Century Socialism" standing up against what he dubbed the "Corporatism of the Torie administrations which has left the Union Member, the poor, the sick, the Small Businessman, and millions of hard-working Americans out in the cold". He also called for civil rights for Blacks and reversing some of the Anti-Union laws signed in by the Patton administration along with increasing federal programs and expanding infrastructure.
The Christian Alliance nominated Atlanta MP Lester Maddox. Maddox a well known opponent of integration ran on a Right-Wing platform calling for less government intervention in the economy and in support of Segregation in the South. However, the Christian Aliance had been on a decline, and Goldwaters New Right platform would peel off large amounts of CA voters.
The Liberals, a party launched by George Counts in 1944 by ex-Labor members who had felt the ALP had "moved to far to the Left and had to much sympathey with the Communists" and denounced Labors isolationism nominated young NYC mayoral John Lindsay. Lindsay ran on a left-of-center platform, positioning himself between Kennedy and Goldwater. Hoping to peel off enough Northern Torie voters disaffected with Goldwaters Right-Wing Agenda and appeal to moderates turned of by the Leftism of Labor, Lindsay believed he could prevent either party from gaining a majority of seats, and then serve as a compromise candidate from Moderates in both parties.
Kennedys coalition for victory relied on four groups. First, traditional Labor voters in the Mid-West and Union Members. Two, Catholics who were heavily behind his candidacy. Third, Blacks and Jews. And finally, Middle-Class Left-leaning Professionals who disliked Goldwaters radical Conservatism.
Kennedy focused on peeling off several Southern states were Labor had traditionally done well, along with winning in New England. The first was Louisiana, Huey Longs home state, and for this reason had been the most favorable of any of the Deep South states to Labor. Louisiana also contained a large Catholic population, another reason it remained a favorable state to Kennedy. Second was Missouri, a traditional swing state which had bounced back and fourth between all of the three parties. And third was Florida. Kennedy then focused heavily on New England, hoping to win many of the Younger more Left-leaning generation of voters.
Kennedy pulled off a victory in the end, but the map resulted in a complete re-alignment still present to this day. Kennedy had lost several traditional Labor states in the Rocky Mountains, and became the first Labor nominee to be elected without winning Oklahoma. However, Kennedy became the first Labor nominee to sweep New-England (with the exception of Connecticut), with Goldwater becoming the first Conservative to carry Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Arkansas.
John F. Kennedy (Labor-Massachusetts) 41%, 300EV
Barry Goldwater (Conservative-Arizona) 34%, 157EV
John Lindsay (Liberal-New York) 14%, 64EV
Lester Maddox (Christian Alliance-Georgia) 4%, 7EV
Others (Farmers, Prohibition, Communist, Socialist Workers, etc) 7%
Conservative PM Prescott Bush remained popular, and it shocked the nation when he decided against seeking re-election. Bushes administration had cut business taxes, passed a civil rights bill, and taken a moderate stand on foreign affairs.
The Tories had a divided and crowded field. From centrists such as Nelson Rockefeller, George Romney, and William Scranton to Right-Wingers such as Barry Goldwater. Goldwater shocked the establishment when primary after primary he defeated each of his centrist opponents. Goldwater opposed and denounced the Torie establishment mainley centered in the east coast, decrying "me-to ism!" of Prescott Bush and Nelson Rockefeller.
Running on a hard-line Anti-Communist platform, Goldwater called for large spending cuts, less regulation, weakening the power of the federal government, tax cuts, curbing the power of Labor Unions, and a massively increased military and missile defense system to "use whatever means possible to stop the spread of Communism". He decried big government and opposed protectionism and the American National Healthservice instituted by Huey Long and called for the "rolling the hell back" of the Share our Wealth consensus formed by Labor during the 1920s-1940s (in which they captured 7 out of 9 elections). Among his platform also were calls to privatize the national rail, national mining, and post office systems and "get government the hell out of business".
Despite his Right-Wing policies not appealing to traditional Torie voters in the North-East, Goldwater tapped heavily into the agenda of the New Right and Libertarianism appealing heavily to Christian Alliance voters in the South and Conservatives in the West. This made Goldwater a formidable opponent.
Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy captured Labors nomination beating out Texas MP Lyndon Johnson, Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey, and among others Stuart Symington of Missouri. Kennedys Catholicism was believed to damage him badly in traditional Labor leaning border states and the West, and despite the popularity of Labors massive Social Democratic Reforms in the 1920s-1940s they had remained out of power since 1947 and had been badly damaged under the Christian Alliance Government of George Patton.
Traditionally the Conservatives had always held the North-East and Great Plains, Labor the Mid-West, and Christian Alliance the South. However, this election would result in a re-alignment present to this day. Historically the Labor strategy and path to victory had been dominance in the Industrial Mid-West, well picking off enough Southern, Western, and Northern states favorable to there policies. This would all change however, as Kennedy eschewed that path.
Kennedy focused on winning traditionally Torie areas in the North-East specifically, which despite there voting contained large amounts of Progressive WASP small town working class voters, farmers, and small businessmen. These voters had voted Torie largely out of tradition and nervousness at the Socialist policies of Labor and protectionism (mostly the latter, which now tended to massivly benifit the Mid-West) but now were ready to look the other way when faced with Goldwaters radical Right-Wing Agenda. Kennedy ran on a platform of "21st Century Socialism" standing up against what he dubbed the "Corporatism of the Torie administrations which has left the Union Member, the poor, the sick, the Small Businessman, and millions of hard-working Americans out in the cold". He also called for civil rights for Blacks and reversing some of the Anti-Union laws signed in by the Patton administration along with increasing federal programs and expanding infrastructure.
The Christian Alliance nominated Atlanta MP Lester Maddox. Maddox a well known opponent of integration ran on a Right-Wing platform calling for less government intervention in the economy and in support of Segregation in the South. However, the Christian Aliance had been on a decline, and Goldwaters New Right platform would peel off large amounts of CA voters.
The Liberals, a party launched by George Counts in 1944 by ex-Labor members who had felt the ALP had "moved to far to the Left and had to much sympathey with the Communists" and denounced Labors isolationism nominated young NYC mayoral John Lindsay. Lindsay ran on a left-of-center platform, positioning himself between Kennedy and Goldwater. Hoping to peel off enough Northern Torie voters disaffected with Goldwaters Right-Wing Agenda and appeal to moderates turned of by the Leftism of Labor, Lindsay believed he could prevent either party from gaining a majority of seats, and then serve as a compromise candidate from Moderates in both parties.
Kennedys coalition for victory relied on four groups. First, traditional Labor voters in the Mid-West and Union Members. Two, Catholics who were heavily behind his candidacy. Third, Blacks and Jews. And finally, Middle-Class Left-leaning Professionals who disliked Goldwaters radical Conservatism.
Kennedy focused on peeling off several Southern states were Labor had traditionally done well, along with winning in New England. The first was Louisiana, Huey Longs home state, and for this reason had been the most favorable of any of the Deep South states to Labor. Louisiana also contained a large Catholic population, another reason it remained a favorable state to Kennedy. Second was Missouri, a traditional swing state which had bounced back and fourth between all of the three parties. And third was Florida. Kennedy then focused heavily on New England, hoping to win many of the Younger more Left-leaning generation of voters.
Kennedy pulled off a victory in the end, but the map resulted in a complete re-alignment still present to this day. Kennedy had lost several traditional Labor states in the Rocky Mountains, and became the first Labor nominee to be elected without winning Oklahoma. However, Kennedy became the first Labor nominee to sweep New-England (with the exception of Connecticut), with Goldwater becoming the first Conservative to carry Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Arkansas.
John F. Kennedy (Labor-Massachusetts) 41%, 300EV
Barry Goldwater (Conservative-Arizona) 34%, 157EV
John Lindsay (Liberal-New York) 14%, 64EV
Lester Maddox (Christian Alliance-Georgia) 4%, 7EV
Others (Farmers, Prohibition, Communist, Socialist Workers, etc) 7%
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 35
Join date : 2016-12-22 -
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 35
Join date : 2016-12-22 -
Admin- Admin
- Posts : 35
Join date : 2016-12-22 -
althistoryw :: AT
Page 1 of 1
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum