Point of Divergence. Richard Nixon wins the election of 1960, narrowly defeating John F. Kennedy and changing the course of American history.
Republican Party – Confronted with civil unrest within his own nation, he is forced to deal with a series of international incidents, including those in Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Vietnam, not to mention increasingly hostile relations with the Soviet Union. Parts I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX.
President Henry C. Lodge, Jr. (1968 – 1972).
Republican Party – Nixon’s former Vice President feels the aftershocks of Nixon’s Soviet Policy, both in Asia and Europe, leading the United States to the brink of war against former allies turned enemies.
President James T. Sanford (1972 – 1980).
Democratic Party – Forced to deal with the stagflation of the Lodge administration, he is brought in to repair the economy and repair the rift between the United States and several Western European nations. Things have a way of not working out, however, and fighting breaks out in the Taiwan Straits.
President Frank F. Church (1980 – 1984).
Democratic Party – Like Lodge, this former Vice President feels the aftershocks of his predecessors decisions, while attempting to create a name of his own. The Idaho native is the first to do anything about civil rights since Nixon’s “Segregation Compromise.”
President Fred R. Harris (1984).
Democratic Party – Church’s Vice President is in office only long enough to get slaughtered in the election of 1984. The nine-month president sees riots wash over several major American cities. Unlike Church, he is unpopular and, when combined with the strong third party showing, is destroyed in the election.
President Barry M. Goldwater, Jr. (1984 – 1992).
Republican Party – The former Senator from California and son of the legenedary conservative from Arizona spends massive amounts of money on defense and industry, all but destroying much of the European economy and finishing off the failing Soviet Union late in his first term.
President Paul E. Tsongas (1992 – 2000).
Democratic Party – Seeking a return to normalcy, the nation voted for the Senator from Massachusetts. A liberal, Tsongas brought the American economy back on line, removing the trade barriers in place with Europe. The Chinese tariffs, however, were there to stay.
President James E. Folsom, Jr. (2000 – ).
Democratic Party – With the success (and lack of scandals) under President Tsongas, the Democratic Party is riding high, allowing Folsom to coast by in the 2000 election. If everything continues as now, current Vice President Feingold may have a shot at becoming the third Democratic president in a row.
** All excerpts are taken from The American Chronicle: A Guide to the Politics of the Late Twentieth Century by Brig. General Nathan Brin, USMC (ret.)
April 21, 2004 - Nixon Part IX online.
April 20, 2004 - Nixon Part VIII online.
April 19, 2004 - Nixon Parts VI and VII online.
April 18, 2004 - Nixon Parts IV and V online.
Update Archive
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