President Elect - 1988 Edition now available online

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Dukakis is the incumbent after an upset win over Reagan (lol) in 1984.

Dukakis starts a war which is World War I in Russia-level popular.

18% unemployment.

Recession.

Hilarity ensues.

Pat Buchanan (R-DC) - 399 EVs - 31,877,984 votes - 38% PV
Ronald Reagan (I-CA) - 125 EVs - 28,228,972 votes - 34% PV
Michael Dukakis (D-MA) (inc.) - 14 EVs - 22,741,890 votes - 27% PV

I should probably also mention Reagan's VP is from Texas, which explains the larger PV win there.

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1960

Kennedy/Johnson (Democratic) - 293 EVs - 49% PV
Rockefeller/Nixon (Republican) - 244 EVs - 47% PV
Byrd/Thurmond (States' Rights) - 0 EVs - 3% PV

Rockefeller upsets the nomination and chooses Nixon as his running mate, the Democratic primary goes as OTL, and Byrd runs in the general. California decided the election, voting for Kennedy by 1%.

1964

Kennedy/Johnson (Democratic) - 345 EVs - 53% PV
Nixon/Goldwater (Republican) - 193 EVs - 47% PV

Kennedy survives the assassination attempt in Dallas, boosting his popularity. Nixon gives it one final (unsuccessful) go at the presidency. Kennedy's popularity makes the contest not particularly close.

1968

Johnson/Kennedy (Democratic) - 521 EVs - 55% PV
Reagan/Agnew (Republican) - 17 EVs - 43% PV
Wallace/LeMay (American Independent) - 0 EVs -1% PV

Johnson runs for a term in his own right, choosing Robert F. Kennedy as his running mate. Governor of California Ronald Reagan won the Republican nomination, choosing Spiro Agnew as his running mate. A coronation of Johnson ensues.

1972

Johnson/Kennedy (Democratic) - 538 EVs - 64% PV
Ford/Bush (Republican) - 0 EVs - 36% PV

Ouch.

1976

Reagan/Dole (Republican) - 505 EVs - 53% PV
Kennedy/Carter (Democratic) - 33 EVs - 47% PV

Robert F. Kennedy ascends to the Presidency after Johnson died in office; however, Kennedy makes controversial moves in office, such as returning the Panama Canal to Panama. Kennedy's approvals drop as a result, and Reagan, running in an improbable final hail-Mary for the Presidency, remains very popular with the public even after his 1968 landslide defeat. A close contest ensues, but in the end, America wanted change after Democrats had 16 years in office.

1980

Reagan/Dole (Republican) - 535 EVs - 62% PV
Mondale/Kennedy (Democratic) - 3 EVs - 38% PV

Mondale, in an effort to win, invokes the Kennedys yet again in the form of Ted Kennedy. Reagan remains quite popular with Americans. A coronation ensues, with Mondale only winning DC.

1984

Perot/Anderson (Independent/American Reform) - 517 EVs - 43% PV
Dole/Kemp (Republican) - 21 EVs - 25% PV
Dukakis/Bentsen - 0 EVs - 32% PV

After an uninspiring campaign and many gaffes from both Dole and Dukakis, including multiple high-level scandals, the Perot independent bid gains traction (Perot enters politics earlier). After a particularly high-level scandal involving both the Dole and Dukakis campaigns sabotaging the Perot campaign Watergate-style, Perot wins in a landslide from an American public tired of the two-party system.

All matchups are AI vs. AI.