Changing the history of George Wallace, Ryan de Graffenried, Hubert Humphrey, James E. Folsom, and John Patterson, and William F. Buckley

1962 Alabama Gubernatorial Race, Democratic Primary

George C. Wallace 30.49%
James E. Folsom 27.05%
Ryan de Graffenried 25.22%
MacDonald Gallion 11.61%
Eugene "Bull" Connor 4.61%

Democratic Primary Run-off

During the run-off, Folsom ran a campaign almost entirely focused on economic issues. Calling for an increase in pensions, repeal of the states RTW law, increased money in education, and increasing health care benefits, Folsom largely dodged the race question but was supported by the NAACP none the less.

Wallace ran an entirely different campaign, "You can't be a moderate on segregation. You're either for it or against it. Segregation is our way of life, and I pledge from the greatest of the Confederacy, and I will stand were Robert E. Lee stood and toss the gauntlet at the feat of the Communist federal government in defiance of any measure to end our way of life". Wallace ran on a hard-line segregationist platform, attacking Folsom as weak on the race question and ask "a Yankee nigger loving commie". Wallace enlisted the help of the Citizens Councils, and major segregationist forces. Wallace ran on a hard-line segregationist platform, attacking Folsom as weak on the race question and as "a yankee nigger loving commie". Wallace enlisted the help of the Citizens Councils, and major segregationist forces. Wallace also attacked Folsoms alcoholism, and alleged him of being corrupt and incompetent.

Folsom stood strong, "That's great and all, but what the hell you gone do for the poor citizens of Alabama? When I was a governor, we built the greatest roads, fixed our bridges, and expanded our education system. Good schools, bridges, and benefits. If that's a record of failure, then I embrace failure". Labeling Wallace as a "Slave owning SOB", Folsom spent the entire campaigning doing what he did best, speaking to the working class of Alabama.

The campaign continued to get ugly "wallace ain't nothing but a two time race hustler, I'll smack that little son of a bitch down he'll wish he never ran against Big Jim Folsom. Ain't that right folks!?" Folsom replied to a large crowd "Ok, ya got me. I'm a nigger loving commie. Now can we get back t'tha issues?". "

"a vote for folsom, i'll tell ya'll what it is. Its a voter for integreation. Its a vote for letting the niggers into our public schools, our resturants, and our churches. It's a vote for a socialistic over-reaching federal Government run by Yankee carpetbaggers" Wallace stated multiple times

Still, Wallace was largely favored. This election was seen as a referendum on the power of the Citizens Council, and on the Kennedy administration in the South.

"I stand where Jefferson Davis stood and stand in defense of our tradition and heritage against the Communist agitators, Martin Luther King and the NAACP, and the Kennedy Administration in favor of our tradition, values, customs, and unions. You're either a segregationist or you're not, and folks let me tell you, Jim Folsom ain't one" Proclaimed George Wallace on March 27th.

Folsom had hoped to pull off a victory by running up margins in the Progressive North Alabama hill country, the area which had always been his base and get enough Blacks to the polls. The NAACP worked tirelessly to get as many Blacks to vote as possible and register voters, although they were often denied. Folsom hoped a "poor mans coalition" would put him over the top and out-vote Wallaces vote among Black-Belt Elites and the Conservative industrialists in Birmingham who had come to support him out of desperation in order to prevent a Folsom Victory. The Citizens council poured everything they could into the race, a victory for Folsom would be a crushing blow to the Southern Right-Wing.

Watching from the towers of Washington DC, was John F. Kennedy. Like Wallace and Richard Nixon, Kennedy was among a young group of politicians, post war children emerging onto the scene. Kennedy hoped for a Folsom victory, as not it would put a major dent in the segregationist agenda and hopefully keep the much valued New Deal coalition together. Also, who could deny the simple fact that Kennedy saw Wallace as a major threat to his power.

What happened that day on March 29th, 1962 would change the course of history.

Alabama Democratic Primary Results

James E. Folsom (Democrat) 51.27%
George C. Wallace (Democrat) 48.73%



John Patterson was also elected to the United States Senate that year.

An enraged Wallace reportedly pro-claimed after his loss "goddamn it, I was just out niggered by Jim fucking E. Folsom!". Folsoms win was seen as a slap in the face to the ever growing power of the Citizens Councils, but what would he do? Martin Luther King pro-claimed "Will he continue to be a friend to the Negroes and the working people or will he finally join the establishment?"

"Told that little sona bitch he could never beat Big Jim!"

But the little mans big friend had no plans of joining the establishment...

"It is time to unify the working people of Alabama, from Mobile to Montgomery to Huntsville. It is time to unify the people of Alabama, black and white, and bring an end to segregation" Folsom announced at his inauguration.

With the nation in morning after John F. Kennedys death, Lyndon Johnson took the reigns powerful.

In Alabama, Folsom perused a typically leftist-populist agenda increasing massive funding to education, healthcare, and roads/bridges. His agenda, including on the racial front was met with mass resistance by the Conservative Dixecrat legislature, who he reffered to as "vipers in the flesh, the spawns of satan himself".

During the march on Selma, Folsom to the shock of political observers ordered the Alabama State Troopers to "protect Mr. King and the boycotters with all force avaliable".  Folsom openly encouraged black voter registration, something that absolutely shocked and enraged the powerful Citizens council. He openly denounced the Southern manifesto "as a joke", and began to make powerful enemies among powerful Southern politicians. But gained a following among not only poor/middle class whites (who had long been his base), but also the blacks of the state and white liberals in the north.

The powerful Conservative interests in Alabama, the black-belt elite and industralists in Birmingham refused to allow this. A coalition of hillbillies and negroes, something they had long feared "niggers were two childlike and inhumane to vote, poor whites to dumb and sustainable to communistic and socialistic propaganda". They had met there worst nightmare in Folsom, all of there fears coming true.

They repeated the same process they had attempted in the 40s and 50s. Enlisting the Citizens councils, the entire Alabama Democratic establishment with the help of the newspapers began there third anti-Folsom campaign. Calling him everything from a drunk corrupt liar to an outright communist nigger lover, they had planned on crashing his support with the poor white.

Once again, it failed to work. Folsom still remained massively popular, to the point it curbed even the racial fears of the Southern White. In Northern Alabama, one man even remarked "I'd rather have integration then bloodshed". The smear campaign failed, once again folks refused to believe the "lyin media".

In 1946, riding high, Lyndon Johnson won re-election in a landslide. Alabamas Democratic Party now under the control of Folsom removed Goldwaters name from the ticket. This allowed for Johnson to barley beat out "the unpledged electors".

Lyndon Johnson (Democrat-Texas)
Barry Goldwater (Republican-Arizona)



Alabamas 2nd Congressional District

William Louis Dickinson (Republican) - 53%
George Wallace (Democrat) - 47%

Once again, Wallace had lost, of all people to a Republican. The ultimate embarrassment. Enraged by his pathetic failures, Wallace went on a drunken RAGE.

Alabama Senate Election 1964

John M. Patterson (Democrat) - 60%
Jim Dean (Republican) - 38%

1966 Alabama Gubenatorial Election
-Ryan Degraffenried elected running fully on "Folsomism" defeating Bull Connor and the moderate Albert Brewer.

Folsom was term limited. Had nowhere to go. Out of bordem, he retired from politics. But the feavor he had started in Alabama, had made him a well known household name. Fearing a loss of Southern votes to Richard M. Nixon, Humphrey needed to chose a Progressive Southern Democrat. Choices included Georgias Governor Charles Harris, W. Haydon Burns of Florida, and James E. Folsom himself. Humphrey chose Folsom, and Folsom gladly accepted. The chance to go to Washington, who could pass it up?

On April 4th, 1968 Martin Luther King Junior avoided a fatal gunshot from James Earl Ray. Robert F. Kennedy, was not so lucky to survive the same fate, being gunned down by Sir-Han-Sir Han.

Humphreys choice of Folsom helped hold several key Southern states. Johnson had also come out a month before the election endorsing an end to Vietnam, thus freeing Humphrey to run against the war.

Hubert Humphrey (Democrat-Minnesota)/James E. Folsom (Democrat-Alabama)
Richard M. Nixon (Republican-California)/Spiro Agnew (Republican-Maryland)
Lester Maddox (Dixecrat-Georgia)/Orvall Farbus (Democrat-Arkansas)



Humphrey announced an immediate withdrawl from Vietnam as soon as he was elected. Troops began to pull out in January of 1969...

However, just 5months after entering office, Humphrey died of a heart attack.

James Folsom was now President of the United States.

Lindsays administration was plagued with ineffectiveness. His hard crack down on the 1966 NYC train strike had made him unpopular with the Left (read, he made it even harder in this TL) and several candidates entered the Democrats field.

Mario Proaccino, a Conservative Democrat and NYCs comptroller. Former mayor Robert F. Wagner, Left-wing firebrand and Bronx borough president/congressmen Herman Badillo. And a fourth candidate, non-fiction writer and left-winger Norman Mailer.

Mailer ran on a radical campaign, advocating massive city de-centralization, legalizing drugs, proposing the creation of NYC as the 51st state, and so on.

Proaccino ran to the right of all of his opponents, blasting Lindays "limousine liberalism" and soft on crime policies.

In the end, Herman Badillo pulled a shocking and surprising victory, as Mailer dropped out a day before the primary endorsing him. Badillo received enough votes from the cities, Puerto Rican residents, Liberals in Greenwich village, and so on to pull off an upset.

However, Proaccinos Conservative campaign would not be heard of for the last time...

Lindsay managed to barley hold off Staten Island State Senator and Conservative John March in the Republican Primary. Once again, he also pulled the Liberals endorsement.

Enter William F. Buckley once more. Seeing a crowded field, Buckley entered the race once again as the Conservative candidate. In the previous election he had polled 14%, a strong showing for a Conservative.

This time, the field was divided, crime was high, and the left-vote split. Buckley had a chance to unify the cities right-wing conservative vote, outer borough White Ethnics, and those sick of crime and high taxes.

No one expected Buckley to win, in the same way no one expected Jim Folsom to win. Polls showed Badillo and Lindsay as the top vote getters.

However on election day...

William F. Buckley (Conservative) 35%
Herman Badillo (Democrat) 34%
John Lindsay (Republican/Liberal Coalition) 29%

Enter William F. Buckley, NYCs new mayor.

In a shocking move, Jim Folsom chose Left-wing senator George McGovern as his vice President, enraging the parties hawkish wing lead by Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson.

Folsom made plans to sign the nuclear-freeze treaty, reduce nukes, begin withdrawl in Vietnam, etc...However he had little time for foreign policy, his goal was domestic.

Aided by MLK Jr, Walter Ruther, and Ted Kennedy, Folsom drafted a platform more radical then LBJs great society.

"A Second Bill Of Rights"

granting every American

-Right to join a Union (repeal of Taft Hartley and increased laws making it easier to join Unions)
-Right to health insurance (Single Payer, the Kennedy-Wilbur Mills act)
-Right to a Job
-Right to housing
-Right to live in a clean environment (massive investment in new, clean energies. And increased environmental protection laws)

Folsoms platform not only pissed off Republicans, especially Right-Wing, lead now by the likes of Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, California Governor Ronald Reagan, and now NYC Mayor William F. Buckley. But also many of his fellow Southern Democrats, wary of an over-reaching federal government even though they had supported the New Deal. Folsom hoped to build an alliance between Progressive Dixecrats, such as Senator John Patterson who had gained a reputation as a Liberal even abandoning his segregationist pass (but still opposing busing) and liberal northerners.

The 1970 elections would tell it all, the Right-Wing was energized running on a hard Anti-Folsom message and planned to re-take the senate, house, everything and Folsoms agenda was put on the ballot. Folsom stormed the country, from his home county of Cullman Alabama, to the Coal fields of Southwestern Pennsylvania, to the hard-working city of Pittsburg, to the Urban jungles of Detroit, and so fourth. "were going to build a coalition damn it, of whites, the negroes, the yellows, hell anyone. Were going to do god-damn do something for the working people, the poor of this country likes never been seen before. Just try n stop me!" Folsom bellowed.

"1970, for all intents and purposes seemed to be the death-kneel of American Conservatism. We lost everything, Folsomism as it was so popularly called seemed to sweep the nation. It had seemed that the country had fully embraced Liberalism..."
-Historian Newton "Leroy" Gingrich

"1970 was perhaps the greatest triumph of Liberalism. At that point we were on top of the world"
-Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr

In New York, Christopher Buckleys fortunes were not his brothers. He was defeated by Rep Richard L. Ottinger, a liberal for NY Senate in a crushing margin.

In Texas, Ralph Yarborough running fully on the Folsom platform, defeated Lloyd Bentsen in the Democratic Primary. In the general election, he crushed rival George H.W Bush by a whopping 15 points (even greater then his previous win).

Thomas J. Dodd defeated Lowell Wicker in Connetticutt, Joseph Tydings held off John Glenn Beall Jr, and Al Gore Sr defeated Conservative Bill Brock. In Alaska, incumbent Ted Stevens went down in a shocking upset to Alaska Speaker of the House Wendell P. Kay. Ryan De Graffernreid was once again sent back to Montgomery.

In Mississippi, the "Old Guard" was dispatched and Conservative Dixecrat John C. Stennis lost the Democratic Primary to William Fowler (fictional) a unknown South Dixie Businessman. Fowler defeated Stennis running on a Folsomist platform, and, quote "forging an alliance of yuppies and blacks" in order to win.

Republicans made one gain, Harry F. Byrd Jr flipped to the GOP stating "The Democrats are no longer the party I grew up with. Under Jim Folsom, they have fully devolved into the party of absolute and utter socialism". Bryd defeated challenger Democratic challenger George C. Rawlings Jr.

Most shocking of all was the defeat of Ronald Reagan in California to Jesse "Big Daddy" Unruh. Folsom, who hated Reagan, referring to him as a "no good hollywood acting SOB clown" actively campaigned for Unruh. Reagans camp was expected to win, but feared a close race (or underwhelming victory) as it would ruin the Governors future presidential ambitions as Reagan had been a popular front-runner for 1972.

Reagan went down in a shocking defeat of 20,000 votes. A major blow to the Conservative movement. With his defeat, the Right-Wing Hero of Orange County, was no more.

Folsom had exacley what he wanted, and during the next two years drilled in his agenda with help from Ted Kennedy. Right to an education became fully payed for college at the expensive of a large increase in corporate taxes. Single Payer healthcare was rammed through, a system similar to Americans neighborhood in the north, Taft-Hartley was repealed. Massive infrastructure bills were rammed through, and outsourcing put on hold through a "outsourcing tax".

Folsom proved to be the most active president since FDR, and his programs were wildly popular.

The Republicans in 1972 unified around Howard Baker. The Tennessee Senator proved to be the perfect bridge between the Conservative and Centrist camps, and ran a campaign fully denouncing Folsoms policies as "Socialist at home, will lead to massive inflation and stagflation, and weak abroad". Baker chose Gerald Ford as his running-mate, and several scandals had hit the Folsom administration. One night in July of 1971, Folsom had been caught going on a massive drinking rampage throughout Washington DC, and the Republicans subtley played this up.

However, none of this seemed to matter. Folsom was riding high, his approvals at 60%, and programs insanly popular. "Were going to drive a stake through the heart of American Conservatism, the people of this country, well we agona rule" said Folsom.

Folsom began a major barn storming tour, traveling sometimes to three states a day highlighing his accomplishments. "If elected, we will give the American people a life-time of Folsomism. Unions, stronger healthcare, increased pensions, roads and bridges, education, all of it!" exclaimed George McGovern at one rally.

In the end, Baker proved to be a strong candidate. But Folsoms "New American Majority" was just to powerful. In the South, he had forged a new coalition unseen before. An alliance between the newly formed "Young South" generation influenced by Folsoms liberalism, Young White Southerners who could care less about the "Nigger baiting" of previous generations and simply wanted good schools and pensions. Mostly from working class backrounds, these men and women viewed Folsom as there hero, someone to be admired and looked upon of what a hillbilly could become. "he's one of us, given them corporations nd yankees hell up in ole Washington" pro-claimed one North Alabama resident. Blacks in the South joined this coalition to, who looked towards strides in civil rights lead by now Georgia Congressmen Martin Luther King as the future and to Folsoms progressive Agenda. In the North, Folsom unified the backing fully of Liberals, Jews, Irish, and other White Ethnics. In the South-West, long time Democrats and Hispanics, fully supportive of Folsomism.

In the end, the Folsom/McGovern ticket triumphed winning by a massive 12 point landslide. Everything seemed to come together for the Left-Wing, a New South, the Black Vote, and the Youth.

Jim Folsom (Democrat-Alabama)/George McGovern (Democrat-South Dakota) 55%
Howard Baker (Republican-Tennessee)/Gerald Ford (Republican-Michigan) 42%

I don't really have any desire to finish this, so I'll just type up what happens.

In 1976, massive crime wave hits the country. Folsom becomes extremely unpopular, and slips back into alcoholism. George Wallace becomes a major figure of the religious right on his "redemption" book tour, and in 1976, Buckley defeats Folsom for re-election.

In 1980 Buckley wins again (don't know or care whose VP), then is precceded by some Bob Dole. In 1984, Dole is defeated after a bad economy by Tom Harkin (who, carries most of the South). Harkin serves two terms, then is succeded by Dukakis, who turns out to be a total fuck-up (lol) losing in 1996 to Bush.

So presidents end up being

2000-2004:Bush (R)
1996:Dukakis (D)
1988-1992:Tom Harkin (D)
1984-1988:Bob Dole (R)
1976-1984:William F. Buckley (R)
1972:Folsom (D)

Summarizing this shit up

1.Folsom is succsesful in creating a "new generation of Southern leaders" and the full-scale opposition to civil rights is not seen this timeline. so younger rural White southerners end up being much more liberal. They are joined by there comrades in the pacific coast. So, the Dems win the South everytime off a "White Yuppy/Black" Alliance, defeating the New GOP suburbs.
2.You see instead movement of yuppies to the South rather then New England, so New England just stays voting the way it did pre-1964 (I mean VT/NH/Maine).
3.Everything else is the same as our TL. Country is more to the left economically, socially to the right. Roe V. Wade never emerged as an issue since Buckley won in 76, so no Religious Right. Less racial tension to prollay.

2008 ends up Obama (D) Vs Mitt Romney (R). Obama crushes him. No clue on VPs, or what happens next. Might write out the rest of this later/post maps, might not. So this is just the final summary.

Despite being a black, Obama manages to carry the long-time Democratic south (which, hasint voted GOP since Goldwater).



Buckleys victory over Folsom looks like

Bush victory map over Gore in 2000



If anyone gives a shit, 2016 in this universe with a GOP win.

GOP pulls out BEYOND SHOCKING wins in the Mid-West, many mid-Atlantic swing states, and shocking wins in the Dem states of NC?TN.