How would a Lyndon LaRouche Presidency (1981-1989) go?

[TheDoofusUser]

Ignore how unrealistic this may seem for a minute and let's take this question and attempt to answer it instead of debating if the man was even capable of the things being mentioned here, due to how much of a nut he was.

In OTL, Lyndon LaRouche was an insane radical whackjob who ran for President eight times and was never elected to any political office. ITTL, let's imagine this alternate scenario, LaRouche decides to run for Congress in 1956 as a Democrat, primarying out Emmanuel Celler or Eugene J. Keogh. In order for this to happen, he tones down both his marxist believes a smidge as well as his conspiratorial beliefs (or at least keeps them private and close to the chest) and becomes a far-left mcgovernite Democrat in the 60s, though more to the left than McGovern. In 1968, he defeats Jacob K. Javits in the United States Senate Election, entering the Senate. He runs for President in 1972 as a fiscal far-leftist, social far right Senator. He doesn't get nominated and when he's rejected from speaking at the DNC, he decides to speak at the RNC, where he announces he is switching parties and gives scathing critiques of McGovern, Muskie, Humphrey, and other prominent Democrats. He wins a second term in 1974 and attempts to primary out Ford in 1976 alongside Reagan and he wins Iowa, Florida, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. During his time as a Republican, he begins to becomes a Socially Far-Right, Fiscally Left Neoconservative that is liked by a certain amount of his political party, not a massive amount like Reagan, but he is enough of a rising star that when he runs for President a third time in 1980. H. W. Bush is not around, having died in a plane crash around 78-79. LaRouche places second to Reagan and in order to unite the party, Reagan forms a ticket with LaRouche, who has 24 years of Congressional Experience behind him. Reagan/LaRouche defeats Carter/Mondale in 1980 and then in March of 1981, Reagan is assassinated by John Hinckley Jr., leading to LaRouche succeeding him as President.

How does this slightly toned down LaRouche act as President from 1981-1989? Can his policies be enacted and if they can, what is they extent can they be enacted? Can he win a second term in 1984? Who does he pick as his VP? Who is in his administration? What is his political legacy going forward?

 

[jacob ningen]

Ignore how unrealistic this may seem for a minute and let's take this question and attempt to answer it instead of debating if the man was even capable of the things being mentioned here, due to how much of a nut he was.

In OTL, Lyndon LaRouche was an insane radical whackjob who ran for President eight times and was never elected to any political office. ITTL, let's imagine this alternate scenario, LaRouche decides to run for Congress in 1956 as a Democrat, primarying out Emmanuel Celler or Eugene J. Keogh. In order for this to happen, he tones down both his marxist believes a smidge as well as his conspiratorial beliefs (or at least keeps them private and close to the chest) and becomes a far-left mcgovernite Democrat in the 60s, though more to the left than McGovern. In 1968, he defeats Jacob K. Javits in the United States Senate Election, entering the Senate. He runs for President in 1972 as a fiscal far-leftist, social far right Senator. He doesn't get nominated and when he's rejected from speaking at the DNC, he decides to speak at the RNC, where he announces he is switching parties and gives scathing critiques of McGovern, Muskie, Humphrey, and other prominent Democrats. He wins a second term in 1974 and attempts to primary out Ford in 1976 alongside Reagan and he wins Iowa, Florida, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. During his time as a Republican, he begins to becomes a Socially Far-Right, Fiscally Left Neoconservative that is liked by a certain amount of his political party, not a massive amount like Reagan, but he is enough of a rising star that when he runs for President a third time in 1980. H. W. Bush is not around, having died in a plane crash around 78-79. LaRouche places second to Reagan and in order to unite the party, Reagan forms a ticket with LaRouche, who has 24 years of Congressional Experience behind him. Reagan/LaRouche defeats Carter/Mondale in 1980 and then in March of 1981, Reagan is assassinated by John Hinckley Jr., leading to LaRouche succeeding him as President.

How does this slightly toned down LaRouche act as President from 1981-1989? Can his policies be enacted and if they can, what is they extent can they be enacted? Can he win a second term in 1984? Who does he pick as his VP? Who is in his administration? What is his political legacy going forward?

One thing I generally agree with him on is his Cauchy conspired to bury Galois. Does he save new Math with an emphasis on a geometric and transformational approach to what a number is a la 3b1b.

 

[YYJ]

I thing this would make a great narrative timeline, but the author would really have to get down in the weeds about how his policies would play out. If the man was rising through the "straight" political establishment, some of the new ideas he picked up along the way, that in this ATL would be the time of his political ascendency, might not happen because he would be distracted.

A few things that strike me:
The US security state would be more extreme, since one lifelong theme in his political thought is that everyone is trying to assassinate him.
Relations with The UK would deteriorate.
The Beach Boys would not be invited to perform at the White House in 1983.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

I thing this would make a great narrative timeline, but the author would really have to get down in the weeds about how his policies would play out. If the man was rising through the "straight" political establishment, some of the new ideas he picked up along the way, that in this ATL would be the time of his political ascendency, might not happen because he would be distracted.

A few things that strike me:
The US security state would be more extreme, since one lifelong theme in his political thought is that everyone is trying to assassinate him.
Relations with The UK would deteriorate.
The Beach Boys would not be invited to perform at the White House in 1983.

Any ideas how his social policies might go? For fiscal policy, I can imagine him trying to create something akin to S(hare)o(ur)W(ealth) or E(nd)P(overty)I(n)C(alifornia) only for the Senate GOP to go "Haha, you're funny." and outright rejecting the policy.

 

[Polish Eagle]

\

I thing this would make a great narrative timeline, but the author would really have to get down in the weeds about how his policies would play out. If the man was rising through the "straight" political establishment, some of the new ideas he picked up along the way, that in this ATL would be the time of his political ascendency, might not happen because he would be distracted.

Going through old issues of Fusion Magazine and other LaRouche publications would be a good starting point for figuring out what his actual beliefs by the late 1970s were. He had definitely committed to Big Engineering solutions to world problems--including SDI, so he'd continue that. He'd be, despite himself, quite popular with the big defense contractors. His opposition to financial deregulation, though, will put him out of step with the rest of the Republican Party--though ironically, a lot of Democrats might initially welcome him for that reason.

A few things that strike me:
The US security state would be more extreme, since one lifelong theme in his political thought is that everyone is trying to assassinate him.

Given that he came to power after the assassination of the President under whom he'd served, people might actually think that's a reasonable fear. He might even lean into the martyrdom of Ronald Reagan to justify it--Hinckley was a Soviet agent, Hinckley was a British agent, Hinckley was high on crack, Hinckley was an Aristotelian, Hinckley was a Zionist, and Reagan was on the verge of defeating all those villains!

Relations with The UK would deteriorate.

LaRouche as President during the Falklands War...yeah, that'll play well.

The Beach Boys would not be invited to perform at the White House in 1983.

Culturally, his music tastes would become a great joke.

If you want some fun as a bonus, here's a picture of LaRouche and Reagan chatting at a debate in 1980.

Redirect Notice

 

[oberdada]

Will he still merry Helga Zepp?

 

[TheDoofusUser]

Will he still merry Helga Zepp?

no idea, How important was she to him/his movement?

 

[TheDoofusUser]

Going through old issues of Fusion Magazine and other LaRouche publications would be a good starting point for figuring out what his actual beliefs by the late 1970s were. He had definitely committed to Big Engineering solutions to world problems--including SDI, so he'd continue that. He'd be, despite himself, quite popular with the big defense contractors. His opposition to financial deregulation, though, will put him out of step with the rest of the Republican Party--though ironically, a lot of Democrats might initially welcome him for that reason

Imagine the conversations among Democrats and Republicans nowadays.

Republican : "I love President LaRouche, he was great for our nation's society and culture, but he was such a goddamn socialist!"

Democrat : "President LaRouche was honestly the people's President and lifted millions out of Poverty, but he was such a goddamn fascist!"

 

[xie323]

We'd see huge focus on infrastructure, nuclear and fusion energy domestically, populist economic policies combined with an attempt to roll back the cultural changes of the 1960s by cracking down hard on counterculture while promoting certain forms of "classical" music since Larouche viewed it all to be a British plot. Essentially the US socially turns into the US of the Fallout games before the bombs fall minus maybe the hyper consumerism.

Internationally, VERY bad relations with the UK and Larouche could potentially support Argentinan junta against the UK, likely causing a split in NATO between US and UK aligned states.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

We'd see huge focus on infrastructure, nuclear and fusion energy domestically, populist economic policies combined with an attempt to roll back the cultural changes of the 1960s by cracking down hard on counterculture while promoting certain forms of "classical" music since Larouche viewed it all to be a British plot. Essentially the US socially turns into the US of the Fallout games before the bombs fall minus maybe the hyper consumerism.

Internationally, VERY bad relations with the UK and Larouche could potentially support Argentinan junta against the UK, likely causing a split in NATO between US and UK aligned states.

also, Hansen might be found out sooner. LaRouche was very anti-USSR and if Hansen did anything that seemed to be pro-UK, even if it was in passing, he would immediately be targeted, which would ironically help us in catching him. Also, something interesting, if he primaries out Celler, Hart-Celler either doesn't pass or is delayed. I don't know what is LaRouche's views on Abortion, Immigration, Race, or Feminism, but if he goes to the extreme end of things, I wouldn't be surprised if an advisor suggests Phyllis Schalffy to be appointed to SCOTUS due to being anti-Feminism, generally paleoconservative, extremely hard right, basically everything Reagan wanted in Sandra Day O'Connor and with Reagan's death to use as leverage, he can say he wanted her and she'd likely be appointed regardless. I wonder who his VP(s) would be and who would be in his cabinet. I can imagine Sowell being in it as "One of the Good Ones", with him being SoE, if his views on race are as bad as I believe them to be. Any other ideas for cabinet members (Maybe Buchanan becomes UN Ambassador or gets the appointment as Ambassador to South Africa that Ford otl offered him in 1974 iirc)?

 

[jacob ningen]

\

Going through old issues of Fusion Magazine and other LaRouche publications would be a good starting point for figuring out what his actual beliefs by the late 1970s were. He had definitely committed to Big Engineering solutions to world problems--including SDI, so he'd continue that. He'd be, despite himself, quite popular with the big defense contractors. His opposition to financial deregulation, though, will put him out of step with the rest of the Republican Party--though ironically, a lot of Democrats might initially welcome him for that reason.

Given that he came to power after the assassination of the President under whom he'd served, people might actually think that's a reasonable fear. He might even lean into the martyrdom of Ronald Reagan to justify it--Hinckley was a Soviet agent, Hinckley was a British agent, Hinckley was high on crack, Hinckley was an Aristotelian, Hinckley was a Zionist, and Reagan was on the verge of defeating all those villains!

LaRouche as President during the Falklands War...yeah, that'll play well.

Culturally, his music tastes would become a great joke.

If you want some fun as a bonus, here's a picture of LaRouche and Reagan chatting at a debate in 1980.

Redirect Notice

How does believing in Universalia in re motivate political assassination again? after all quine and Marcus and Lewis and Armstrong are all neo-Aristotelians and didnt do that.

 

[Polish Eagle]

also, Hansen might be found out sooner. LaRouche was very anti-USSR and if Hansen did anything that seemed to be pro-UK, even if it was in passing, he would immediately be targeted, which would ironically help us in catching him. Also, something interesting, if he primaries out Celler, Hart-Celler either doesn't pass or is delayed. I don't know what is LaRouche's views on Abortion, Immigration, Race, or Feminism, but if he goes to the extreme end of things, I wouldn't be surprised if an advisor suggests Phyllis Schalffy to be appointed to SCOTUS due to being anti-Feminism, generally paleoconservative, extremely hard right, basically everything Reagan wanted in Sandra Day O'Connor and with Reagan's death to use as leverage, he can say he wanted her and she'd likely be appointed regardless. I wonder who his VP(s) would be and who would be in his cabinet. I can imagine Sowell being in it as "One of the Good Ones", with him being SoE, if his views on race are as bad as I believe them to be. Any other ideas for cabinet members (Maybe Buchanan becomes UN Ambassador or gets the appointment as Ambassador to South Africa that Ford otl offered him in 1974 iirc)?

A general axiom of LaRouche thought is that abortion and contraception are plots by the British to keep the third world down by literally keeping their numbers down. Though various cult members have alleged that they were coerced into abortions while members IOTL (but then, right-wing politicians coercing their lackeys into abortions is hardly extraordinary). As to feminism, he's the originator of the "cultural Marxism" conspiracy theory (though it didn't gain that name until the 1990s, when it was adopted by paleocons)--blaming feminists for dividing the left and moving away from economic issues seems a logical leap for him to make in the 1960s, and he'd enter the White House convinced that the National Organization of Women is a Soviet and/or CIA front group. He had similar ideas about racial liberation--accused Angela Davis of being a CIA agent.

Immigration, oddly, he seemed fairly enlightened:

First of all, as I dealt with President [José] López Portillo of Mexico on this thing back in '81-82, on this specific question, what you do is you document everybody. It's an open documentation. And the person who is documented, thereby by virtue of documentation, has access to a Mexican consular official, so that whatever his problem is, whoever he wants to talk to, he can talk to a Mexican consular official....

So, therefore, the obvious interest of the United States is to neutralize the problem, by helping Mexico to develop northern Mexico. If we develop northern Mexico, people who are frightened people, are not going to go running with drug runners across borders, getting killed and drowned, getting across the borders. They're going to stay with their families. If they come to the United States, they'll be happy to come in a legal way. But the basic thing is, what happens is, whole villages, whole areas in northern Mexico, depend upon remittances from Mexicans who are living in the United States, often as illegals. And they're working at starvation wages, under starvation conditions here....

So, if we don't address the reality of the cross-border relationship, you're not doing anything! You're masturbating, with legislation. One is trying to prove, "I've got a tough bill, but it's fair. I kill people fairly, not unfairly! I shoot them down fairly, not unfairly. I let them turn themselves in, and then I throw them back across the border!"...

There is also a longer article from the Schiller Institute on LaRouche's activities in Latin America.

U.S.-Mexico Border Crisis: LaRouche Had It Licked in 1982!

I'm no economist, but I don't think "all Latin countries will declare debt moratorium against Britain in 1982" will have good outcomes. Though perhaps the Ibero-American Common Market idea wouldn't be a total disaster?

EDIT: On the plus side, Henry Kissinger's probably in for some really harsh treatment.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

Thoughts on this theoretical cabinet he creates

Vice President : ?
Secretary of State : Richard V. Allen (R-PA)
Secretary of the Treasury : Ross Perot (R-TX)
Secretary of Defense : Alexander Haig (R-PA)
Attorney General : Richard Howard Ichord Jr. (D-MO)
Secretary of the Interior : James G. Watt (R-CO)
Secretary of Agriculture : Clayton Yeuter (R-NE)
Secretary of Labor : Bob Casey Sr. (D-PA) [1981-1985]; Joseph M. Gaydos (D-PA) [1985-1989]
Secretary of Health and Human Services : Otis Bowen (R-IN)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development : Clay Shaw (R-FL)
Secretary of Transportation : Bud Shuster (R-PA)
Secretary of Energy : Jay Hammond (R-AK)
Secretary of Education : Thomas Sowell (R-CA)

I imagine if he goes hard against immigration that the DHS is created earlier and has Harlon Carter as the first secretary, a Department of Infrastructure with Volpe as the first secretary, and Stockdale or some other military veterans as the first secretary of Veterans Affairs if that comes early too. Pat Buchanan and maybe Alan Keyes, Ron Paul, Ashbrook, and Lighthizer likely gets some kind of appointment too. As for SCOTUS appointments, I already mentioned Schlaffy so maybe also Scalia, Bork, Rehnquist, and Orrin Hatch (Say he loses in 1982 to Wilson and breifly is in the administration as a lower lawyer before being nominated for SCOTUS)

 

[xie323]

also, Hansen might be found out sooner. LaRouche was very anti-USSR and if Hansen did anything that seemed to be pro-UK, even if it was in passing, he would immediately be targeted, which would ironically help us in catching him. Also, something interesting, if he primaries out Celler, Hart-Celler either doesn't pass or is delayed. I don't know what is LaRouche's views on Abortion, Immigration, Race, or Feminism, but if he goes to the extreme end of things, I wouldn't be surprised if an advisor suggests Phyllis Schalffy to be appointed to SCOTUS due to being anti-Feminism, generally paleoconservative, extremely hard right, basically everything Reagan wanted in Sandra Day O'Connor and with Reagan's death to use as leverage, he can say he wanted her and she'd likely be appointed regardless. I wonder who his VP(s) would be and who would be in his cabinet. I can imagine Sowell being in it as "One of the Good Ones", with him being SoE, if his views on race are as bad as I believe them to be. Any other ideas for cabinet members (Maybe Buchanan becomes UN Ambassador or gets the appointment as Ambassador to South Africa that Ford otl offered him in 1974 iirc)?

As previously mentioned, Larouche was VERY reactionary regarding abortion and feminism so we'd pretty much see Schafly or some other turbo-reactionary being appointed to SCOTUS.

 

[Polish Eagle]

Thoughts on this theoretical cabinet he creates

Vice President : ?
Secretary of State : Richard V. Allen (R-PA)
Secretary of the Treasury : Ross Perot (R-TX)
Secretary of Defense : Alexander Haig (R-PA)
Attorney General : Richard Howard Ichord Jr. (D-MO)
Secretary of the Interior : James G. Watt (R-CO)
Secretary of Agriculture : Clayton Yeuter (R-NE)
Secretary of Labor : Bob Casey Sr. (D-PA) [1981-1985]; Joseph M. Gaydos (D-PA) [1985-1989]
Secretary of Health and Human Services : Otis Bowen (R-IN)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development : Clay Shaw (R-FL)
Secretary of Transportation : Bud Shuster (R-PA)
Secretary of Energy : Jay Hammond (R-AK)
Secretary of Education : Thomas Sowell (R-CA)

I imagine if he goes hard against immigration that the DHS is created earlier and has Harlon Carter as the first secretary, a Department of Infrastructure with Volpe as the first secretary, and Stockdale or some other military veterans as the first secretary of Veterans Affairs if that comes early too. Pat Buchanan and maybe Alan Keyes, Ron Paul, Ashbrook, and Lighthizer likely gets some kind of appointment too. As for SCOTUS appointments, I already mentioned Schlaffy so maybe also Scalia, Bork, Rehnquist, and Orrin Hatch (Say he loses in 1982 to Wilson and breifly is in the administration as a lower lawyer before being nominated for SCOTUS)

I actually don't see LaRouche going for Buchanan. Buchanan was out of politics for a while at this time, and I think LaRouche would have his own lackeys for media control and wouldn't want to reach out to the guy.

And...LaRouche was many things, but a segregationist he absolutely was not (AFAIK). He described Brown v. Board of Education as a great victory for civil rights and progress, and one of the consultants on his 1980 campaign IOTL was Mr. Hulan Jack--who was also an opponent of segregation, and notably one of the first prominent Afro-Caribbean politicians in New York. Frankly, I could imagine him and Buchanan coming to literal blows over it, and Buchanan's membership in the Nixon administration which LaRouche demonized (and given the OTL LaRouche movement's tendency to accuse their enemies of pederasty--prefiguring the modern phenomenon--I really imagine him resorting to mudslinging).

Similarly Ron Paul. LaRouche might be right socially, and the two might agree about some aspects of banking, but get the two in a room together and fists will fly.

Unless a lot of OTL Republicans change to meet him halfway, they're not going to enjoy his administration.

If anything, depending on how secure LaRouche thinks himself for the 1984 election, he might cross the aisle and nominate some Democrats he'd been on better terms with to cabinet positions. Or even figures that, IOTL, sank into leftist obscurity.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

As previously mentioned, Larouche was VERY reactionary regarding abortion and feminism so we'd pretty much see Schafly or some other turbo-reactionary being appointed to SCOTUS.

which would have a major effect on later SCOTUS cases. Imagine a SCOTUS decision in an alt 2000s where its 4-4 and Schalffy is the deciding vote, or an alt Casey v Planned Parenthood where Schlaffy writes that Roe v Wade is not only overturned, but abortions should also be illegal and hints at potential overrulings of Griswold v Connecticut and a case similar to Lawrence v Texas. Something like Obergefell v Hodges would never happen as long as Schlaffy is alive and on the court (and I think she'd stay on the court until the day she died which, assuming she dies when she did OTL and Scalia is also appointed, means not one but TWO SCOTUS Seats are open in the 2016 Election.

A general axiom of LaRouche thought is that abortion and contraception are plots by the British to keep the third world down by literally keeping their numbers down. Though various cult members have alleged that they were coerced into abortions while members IOTL (but then, right-wing politicians coercing their lackeys into abortions is hardly extraordinary). As to feminism, he's the originator of the "cultural Marxism" conspiracy theory (though it didn't gain that name until the 1990s, when it was adopted by paleocons)--blaming feminists for dividing the left and moving away from economic issues seems a logical leap for him to make in the 1960s, and he'd enter the White House convinced that the National Organization of Women is a Soviet and/or CIA front group. He had similar ideas about racial liberation--accused Angela Davis of being a CIA agent.

Interesting. Like I said, we could see Social Liberalism be rolled back Decades by LaRouche's appointments, or at least, his courts attempt to roll everything back and we see more Social Conservativism in the United States that's hardline and perhaps less of an intervention focused Neoconservatism under LaRouche. As for Race, do you think he'd see Blacks like Clarence Thomas, Thomas Sowell, and Alan Keyes as the "Good Ones" and put them in his cabinet or would he accuse them all of being Soviet/British/CIA assets?

Immigration, oddly, he seemed fairly enlightened:


There is also a longer article from the Schiller Institute on LaRouche's activities in Latin America.

Interesting, though couldn't there be a case be made he also would likely make some kind of construction on the border to deter any future migrants and push for something akin to Hart-Celler being repealed and/or changed to something he views favorably? I'm not sure his views on borders and policy like Hart-Celler but while his proposal to help North Mexico might help a tiny bit, he would probably still have difficulty facing immigrants. Can't imagine he does amnesty likeReagan tho...

 

[TheDoofusUser]

I actually don't see LaRouche going for Buchanan. Buchanan was out of politics for a while at this time, and I think LaRouche would have his own lackeys for media control and wouldn't want to reach out to the guy.

And...LaRouche was many things, but a segregationist he absolutely was not (AFAIK). He described Brown v. Board of Education as a great victory for civil rights and progress, and one of the consultants on his 1980 campaign IOTL was Mr. Hulan Jack--who was also an opponent of segregation, and notably one of the first prominent Afro-Caribbean politicians in New York. Frankly, I could imagine him and Buchanan coming to literal blows over it, and Buchanan's membership in the Nixon administration which LaRouche demonized (and given the OTL LaRouche movement's tendency to accuse their enemies of pederasty--prefiguring the modern phenomenon--I really imagine him resorting to mudslinging).

Similarly Ron Paul. LaRouche might be right socially, and the two might agree about some aspects of banking, but get the two in a room together and fists will fly.

Unless a lot of OTL Republicans change to meet him halfway, they're not going to enjoy his administration.

who do you suggest for the cabinet and who do you think fits?

 

[Polish Eagle]

who do you suggest for the cabinet and who do you think fits?

Schlafly, actually, is a good choice.

Jeane Kirkpatrick, as a fellow Trotskyite-turned-Republican, would be someone he sees as a natural ally. Secretary of State, perhaps?

Sowell's a good choice too--not because of the "one of the good ones" thing, but because I could genuinely see the two having a meeting of the minds on education. Though Sowell's support for legalization of all drugs might, alternatively, infuriate LaRouche, who is a notorious straight-edge on such matters (since drug dealing is a British conspiracy, after all).

Dark-horse suggestion: Bernie Sanders. The two were both Socialist Worker Party alumni, and the two might (cannot confirm) have known each other IOTL (since both were active in leftist circles in NYC in the late 1960s). ITTL, that might blossom into some kind of mutual regard (Sanders was a bit nutty in his youth too--witness that infamous 'breast cancer is caused by not having enough sex' article he wrote)--Housing and Urban Development for him?

Or would outright nominating one of his old communist buddies be a bridge too far for President Lynn Marcus?

EDIT: One last thing. The LaRouchists like to accuse their enemies of pederasty IOTL--they did so to Henry Kissinger at one point in an airport. I could see LaRouche leaning into the satanic panic of the 1980s to go after his opponents. Think the Q phenomenon, but thirty years early.

 

[jacob ningen]

quine for Ed maybe? or were they on the outs or a Straussian maybe.

 

[TheDoofusUser]

Schlafly, actually, is a good choice.

Jeane Kirkpatrick, as a fellow Trotskyite-turned-Republican, would be someone he sees as a natural ally. Secretary of State, perhaps?

Sowell's a good choice too--not because of the "one of the good ones" thing, but because I could genuinely see the two having a meeting of the minds on education. Though Sowell's support for legalization of all drugs might, alternatively, infuriate LaRouche, who is a notorious straight-edge on such matters (since drug dealing is a British conspiracy, after all).

Dark-horse suggestion: Bernie Sanders. The two were both Socialist Worker Party alumni, and the two might (cannot confirm) have known each other IOTL (since both were active in leftist circles in NYC in the late 1960s). ITTL, that might blossom into some kind of mutual regard (Sanders was a bit nutty in his youth too--witness that infamous 'breast cancer is caused by not having enough sex' article he wrote)--Housing and Urban Development for him?

Or would outright nominating one of his old communist buddies be a bridge too far for President Lynn Marcus?

the thing about HUD is Sanders would not be seen as a good pick unless he had some kind of experience leading a city, which he didn't until 1981-1989. Maybe he gets elected Mayoral of Burlington in 1973 and is convinced by his buddy LaRouche (if they did know one another) to join the GOP? If that's notdoable, then Sanders will likely remain politically independent until LaRouche's term is over and then he goes into politics and caucuses with Democrats, which would be interesting. What would be the opinion of the Left on him if he was part of the administration that fought hard against Abortion, LGBT Rights, etc, etc in the present day, with it appointing the devil incarnate that went against women everytime (I can imagine Schlaffy would be lionized by Conservatives as the Greatest Justice of all time and Liberals as the Worst Justice of all time AND a traitor to her gender (aka "Schlaffy was not a real woman!")). That would have quite the effect on the present day Democratic Party.

What of my other suggestions like Perot, Haig, Ichord, Casey, MacDonald, Keyes, and Ashbrook and who he also appoints to SCOTUS?

As for outright nominating an old communist buddy, to the Neoconservatives is as long as you have been in the GOP for at least a decade and paid your dues, they're generally alright with you. At least, that's how I see it. Any of them who'd do that?

Also, I can Sowell learning pretty quickly to zip it when it comes to Drugs just to not start what, in his view, is a pointless argument with the President when they agree on basically everything else. In fact, I can see Sowell being a way for Paul to have some kind of in. Maybe he isn't OMB Director but he can influence the banking policy of LaRouche through Sowell giving the President suggestions at Paul's requests.