A New America Series - 1992 Primaries

[Maxwell]

A New America Series - 1992 Primaries

Kemp took the mantle of conservatism and for the first time in a few decades, conservatism won out over figures moderate and liberal. Kemp took the energized conservative movement with him to change Washington. Kemp would find out that the gears of Washington would move slowly. His republican majority was small, and Democrats did not feel ready to negotiate with the President, especially since their minority had widened even in the midsts of his victory. President Kemp managed to negotiate a large tax cut, lowering the top rate from 60% to 45%, and some strong reforms both on government waste and ethics, but things came pretty much to a halt domestically. The Brown administration had run surpluses  toward the end, but with Kemp's tax cut and the slowing economy, Kemp began running large deficits. Kemp and congress argued bitterly over what to do about the deficit problem, which led to a Government shutdown. Kemp's poor relationship with Minority Leader George Mitchell caused Republicans to lose a wide variety of seats in the Senate and House, causing Democratic Majorities. Kemp has also sent troops to Kuwait, to halt the move from Saddham Hussein into the regin.

Kemp is running for re-election on the same conservative principles, promising in a second term that he will continue to fight for the taxpayers. His ideological stance has gained him a few primary challengers. First, is Senator Lowell Weicker, running on a liberal platform of universal healthcare, free college, and socially liberal views. Second, is Former Congressman Hank Grover. Grover has the endorsement of Former Governor Ross Perot, and is running on re-negotiating all of our trade agreements so that they will be fair to American workers. Despite public outrage, Congress passed NAFTA by a large margin and it was pushed with approval from President Kemp. The fair trade movement faced a major step backwards when Vice President Lewis and Congressman Grover engaged in a debate on Larry King live and Grover came off condescending and angry, while Lewis remained calm and gave strong poitns to his arguements that NAFTA would be beneficial to the country.

This is one of the rare cycles where the Vice President is not considered for being taken off the ticket. The young, verbose, and quick Gary Lewis has been an asset to President Kemp through and through, and has been a large reason why anything has passed in this administration thanks to his skilled hand in legislative procedure. Lewis' seat was, however, re-taken for the Democrats by his predecessor (who will be explained shortly).

Democrats are eager to take on the President, but are mixed on how to take him on. Some want to re-invent the party and make it new - Former Senator Paul Tsongas wants the party to go in a pro-business direction, and create a tax code that benefits businesses. Governor Ed Koch wants the party to change their foreign policy direction and advocate a stronger America and a stronger relationship with Israel. And Senator Al Gore espouses conservative social views and family values, hoping this will contrast with President Kemp's nonreligious message. Others want to the continue the course of a center left Democratic Party - Senator Joe Biden is a young talent out of Delaware with a plan for middle class tax cuts, an spending package to improve the struggling economy, and message of inclusion for minorities. Former Secretary of State John Kerry is speaking out against Kemp's war in Iraq, calling it a quagmire and a waste of taxpayer money. Senator Walter Mondale is a one issue candidate on universal healthcare. Senator Gary Hart is an odd candidate - espousing a list of new ideas that he hopes will expand the Democratic Party. The candidate that has gained a lot of traction for being non-status quo is none other than Senator William Roy of Kansas. From such a conservative state, Roy is a staunch liberal - pro-gun control, anti-lower taxes, anti-death penalty, and anti-big business - and has desparaged the field for "making the same mistakes Brown makes". Under the banner of being in "the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party", he has offered a vast troop withdraw from Iraq, a "Fresh Deal" (which is a list of programs that Roy proposes like the New Deal), universal coverage for healthcare, and balancing the budget whether its through raising taxes or not.

Candidates that could've run but didn't include newly minted Senator Bill Clinton, who replaced Senator John Paul Hammerschmidt, Governor Robert F. Kennedy, who was recently elected in Massachussets as his last hurrah of politics, and New York City Mayor Mario Cuomo.

2 days.

[Maxwell]

Voted Uncle Joe out of loyalty, but would honestly support anyone in the Democrats but Koch, Gore (at this point in time), and Hart.

Biden/Roy!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Grover/Perot

Fair trade or no trade!

[Intell]

Positions on Trade, NAFTA and abortion please.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Grover/Perot

Fair trade or no trade!

[Maxwell]

Positions on Trade, NAFTA and abortion please.

Kemp - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, pro-life
Weicker - Moderately Free trade, Pro-NAFTA, pro-choice
Grover - Fair Trade, Anti-NAFTA, Pro-Life (running a far more right-wing campaign on other fiscal issues this time)

Tsongas - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-choice
Koch - Staunchly free trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Roy - Skeptically Open to Trade Agreements, Anti-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Gore - Moderately Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Life
Biden - Staunchly Free Trade (Delaware), Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Kerry - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Mondale - Moderately Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Hart - Depends on the day, Voted for NAFTA (regrets it, has made his regret known on the campaign trail), Pro-Choice

[Intell]

Positions on Trade, NAFTA and abortion please.

Kemp - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, pro-life
Weicker - Moderately Free trade, Pro-NAFTA, pro-choice
Grover - Fair Trade, Anti-NAFTA, Pro-Life (running a far more right-wing campaign on fiscal issues this time)

Tsongas - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-choice
Koch - Staunchly free trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Roy - Skeptically Open to Trade Agreements, Anti-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Gore - Moderately Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Life
Biden - Staunchly Free Trade (Delaware), Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Kerry - Staunchly Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Mondale - Moderately Free Trade, Pro-NAFTA, Pro-Choice
Hart - Depends on the day, Voted for NAFTA (regrets it, has made his regret known on the campaign trail), Pro-Choice

Thank you, then

Grover/Perot

Fair trade or no trade!

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

President Kemp.

[Mr. Smith]

Roy

[Mike Thick]

President Kemp.

[Kingpoleon]

Roy/Weicker!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Any chance of another anti-NAFTA third party?

[Maxwell]

Any chance of another anti-NAFTA third party?

It depends on who each party nominates.

[tpfkaw]

What's happened in the Soviet Union/Eastern Bloc? Still around?

[Maxwell]

The Soviet Union's economic problems ended it in the late 80s.

[NeverAgain]

Roy/Weicker!

[VPH]

Bill Roy irl was one of the best reps from Kansas. Totally love the guy.

[Boston Bread]

Uncle Joe

[TDAS04]

Uncle Joe

[Clark Kent]

President Kemp.

[Maxwell]

A New America Series - 1992 Primaries

The Democratic primary did not go as expected. Originally leading the primary was the odd but personally charismatic Governor of New York Ed Koch. Koch is known for being colorful, but his views on a variety of fiscal issues and foreign policy issues kept his support capped around 25% in the polls and many skeptical of if he could actually win the nomination. Second behind him was Senator Gary Hart, an often hyped candidate for future office. Both of these candidates would disappoint in their runs for the Presidency, as Hart's sex scandals would do him in and Koch's policy views proved a road too far for most Democratic voters. Instead, the rural liberal Senator Bill Roy swept Iowa with great force, and Senator Joe Biden managed to turn a second place showing in New Hampshire into a narrative that would win him many a primary (with Paul Tsongas and John Kerry playing the background and Gore and Mondale winning their home states). Biden and Roy got into it occasionally -  with Biden's relatively pro-business record getting a sharp critique while the questions about Roy's elect-ability lingered on in the minds of practical Democratic voters. Biden eventually won out as he received the endorsement of fallen candidates and managed a 10+ point win in California, the last chance for Roy. Roy would endorse Biden, but on the condition that he take a more populist tack on trade.

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) - 36.4%, 21 States + D.C.
Senator William Roy (D-KS) - 31.8%, 17 States
Former Senator Paul Tsongas (D-MA) - 9.1%, 4 States
Former Secretary of State John Kerry (D-MA) - 9.1%, 6 States
Governor Ed Koch (D-NY) - 4.5%, 1 State
Senator Al Gore (D-TN) - 4.5%, 1 State
Senator Walter Mondale (D-MN) - 4.5%, 1 State

President Jack Kemp faced a tougher than expected primary from the rather sizable protectionist wing of the party. Former Congressman Hank Grover, the third party candidate from 1988 largely financed by Former Texas Governor Ross Perot, managed a shock win in New Hampshire. Senator Lowell Weicker was largely expected by the press to be more of a competitor, but Weicker would only go on to win his home state of Connecticut. The shock of the loss would cause President Kemp to bomb Grover with negative ads over his radical views and his inability to win a general election, and Grover's impact was significantly stunned: Grover would go on to only win in the South and in Michigan, where workers would vent their frustrations with the administration by casting their ballot for Grover. Grover's bid would come to a screeching halt when, after weeks of campaigning, Grover lost his home state of Texas to Kemp by 15 points, thus sealing Kemp's re-nomination.

President Jack Kemp (R-NY) - 62.5%, 43 States + D.C.
Former Congressman Hank Grover (R-TX) - 29.2%, 6 States
Senator Lowell Weicker (R-CT) - 8.3%, 1 State