A Progressive America

[Barnes]

Hart!

[Historico]

Let's show some Heart...Hart/Jackson that is...Keep it comming

[Vepres]

1984: The Debates and Reagan's Fall

The first debate was held October 7th. Nothing memorable occurred, as Hart came off as smarter while Reagan more optimistic. The campaigning largely focused on the industrial Midwest and the south, with Reagan touting the lowering unemployment rate and the end of rapid inflation. Hart railed against the deficits, the unfairness of the Reagan administration's policies, and supported a number of progressive reforms. Reagan's rhetoric was winning out. He was statistically tied with Hart when the second debate occurred in late October.

However, that jump in the polls would not last. Reagan made a number of verbal mistakes, and said he was "confused" a couple of times. This fed the image that he was too old to be President. Hart was cool and intelligent, and decisively won the debate. Polls showed Hart up five points, but the worst was yet to come.

On November 2nd, news broke that the Reagan administration had given weapons to Iran early on in the Iraq-Iran war, and had supplied the Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Many Americans opposed actions such as this, and Reagan's popularity nose dived. Not only was the news unpopular, but people lost trust for Reagan because the actions were never voluntarily made public.

With 530 electoral votes, and 62% of the vote, Hart won in a huge landslide. In truth, it was a perfect storm for Hart, Reagan already was losing credibility, and then a major scandal broke days before the election. Some theorize that the election would've been almost as lopsided without Iran-Contra because the large number undecideds would not have broke for Reagan at all. In any case, such a huge scandal in the era of mass communication so close to an election was unprecedented, and has yet to occur again to this day.

[Vepres]

Congressional results coming tomorrow!

[Barnes]

Good lord!

I'm ready for 1985, baby!

[Historico]

Let's see how the Hart Presidency goes, and whether or not his philandering ways will bring it down. Keep it comming

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Reagan lost?! LOL keep it coming!

[Vepres]

The Democrats picked up six seats, while the Republicans gained none. This gave Democrats narrow control of the Senate by just one vote. Many GOP candidates were simply victims to the late-breaking Reagan scandal, and did not lose due to personal failings.

The Democrats gained 17 house seats, giving them a 286 - 159 majority.

Democrats gained the Governor's mansion in Vermont, Washington, and North Dakota. Republicans only gained in Rhode Island.

[Devilman88]

love it keep it up

[Vepres]

1985-1986: The Hart Presidency

In his inaugural address, Hart called for a new era in American politics. "The time of timid social change will come to an end. No longer will we as a government fear change or restrain ourselves from helping the common man!"

Indeed, it was a new era in American politics. In his first year in office, Hart pushed for a stimulus package. Though modest in size, being only $180 billion dollars, the many new infrastructure projects in it would help cause the unemployment rate to fall even faster than it had been near the end of Reagan's term. The economy had grown throughout Hart's first term, which gave him strong approval ratings. 63% approve, while only 30% disapproved.

In his second year, he pushed to increase tariffs on Mexico and other developing nations taking American jobs. However, Japan and South Korea were spared from these new taxes. After much debate, the bill passed overwhelmingly in the House, and a number of eastern Republicans joined Democrats to push through a filibuster. Additionally, he pardoned the PATCO strikers, and doubled the wages of federal air traffic controllers (however, pension funds and the 40 hour work week remained the same). These moves were more controversial, though Hart's approvals remained in the mid-fifties.

On the foreign front, Hart all but ended American interventionism in Latin America and the middle-east. This raised world opinion of the United States. In the USSR, Gorbachev enacted political reforms which increased freedom in the Soviet Union. However, the people of the union were continually becoming less content with the socialist government. The USSR had begun to crumble. Some modern historians credit Reagan's aggressive policies, but many contend that it would have happened even if Carter won reelection. In Nicaragua, the Contra rebels would continue their terrorism, though they were severely weakened by the lack of US support.

[enlightened despot]

It seems as though Hart's Presidency is off to a very good start. It'll be interesting to see what reform  in the area of health care is attempted, or if it's put off. Did Hart's government also stop assisting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, or was there a different policy outside of Latin America?

[Vepres]

It seems as though Hart's Presidency is off to a very good start. It'll be interesting to see what reform  in the area of health care is attempted, or if it's put off. Did Hart's government also stop assisting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, or was there a different policy outside of Latin America?

Yes.

[Barnes]

It seems as though Hart's Presidency is off to a very good start. It'll be interesting to see what reform  in the area of health care is attempted, or if it's put off. Did Hart's government also stop assisting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, or was there a different policy outside of Latin America?

Yes.

Does this mean it's back?

[Vepres]

It seems as though Hart's Presidency is off to a very good start. It'll be interesting to see what reform  in the area of health care is attempted, or if it's put off. Did Hart's government also stop assisting the Mujahideen in Afghanistan, or was there a different policy outside of Latin America?

Yes.

Does this mean it's back?

Yes. I'm sorry that the time between updates has been very random, and it will continue to be that way, though I hope to have one update a week, at least. It will be more interesting for me to write, as well as to read, the further we go (as the deviations will become very large, and I intend to go past 2010 into the future), so hopefully updates will become more frequent.

[enlightened despot]

Happy to hear this is making a comeback.

[Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey]

Happy to hear this is making a comeback.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Happy to hear this is making a comeback.

[Vepres]

The Midterms

Democrats enjoyed a new popularity, the kind not seen since FDR. Thus, they only lost 7 seats in the house, leaving them with 270 seats. They gained some outside the south, but Republicans won a number of seats because of the perception that Hart, and thus the Democratic party, didn't share their values.

In the Senate, a number of southern seats were won or held by Republicans because that perception. However, the improving economy lead to Democratic gains elsewhere. Though many seats changed hands, the Democrats only gained a net of two seats.

Senate Results:

Governor Results:

Democrats won a number of close gubernatorial races due to a strong economy, though a few southern gubernatorial mansions were lost to the Republicans.

[Vepres]

Hart's First Term: Part II

Continuing with a strong majority in the house and a decent Senate majority, Hart pursued a new set of policies. He pushed a path to citizenship for illegal aliens (among other, less controversial reforms) which, after much debate, passed the house by a slim margin. In the Senate, it was thought that it would be blocked by procedural filibuster, but somehow, it passed by a slim majority without any filibustering. Many credit Majority Leader Robert Byrd for this victory. The President signed the bill into law in August of 1986.

Despite Hart's successful Presidency, there was growing discontent among the left of the Democratic party behind the scenes, particularly after the midterms. Hart did little to expand the welfare state and fight poverty, nor did he even mention the issue much. Indeed, he was even reluctant to repeal the Reagan tax cuts, saying that would harm the economic recovery. Rumors of a potential primary challenge began swirling around Washington, but they were largely considered baseless.

He also pushed for a high-speed rail line that would connect New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. While there was initial reluctance on the part of congress, they soon warmed to the idea over expanding freeways. The final bill eventually passed with broad bipartisan support.

Hart continued to maintain a largely non-interventionist foreign policy, the public, tired of the Cold War conflicts of the previous decades, was rather happy about this.

Hart's approvals were in the mid-fifties, though interestingly, nearly 1/6 of Democrats disapproved of his job. Many believe that it was people expecting a more "New Deal-style" liberal, not a moderate leftist like Hart ended up governing as. Indeed, over thirty million Americans were below the poverty line, and unemployment still hovered around 7%.

A storm was brewing that would fundamentally change the dynamics of US politics for decades.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I love this TL.

[Vepres]

1988 Presidential Election: Run-up to the Republican Primaries

George McGovern challenged Gary Hart:

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While many at the time thought that McGovern was not relevant, he would change the political landscape in the country for years to come.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

I love this TL.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Go McGovern !!!

[Vepres]

1988 Presidential Election: Run-up to the Republican Primaries

As was largely expected, former Vice President George Bush entered the primary early on. His rhetoric was moderate, much like in his previous Presidential campaign eight years prior.

Senator Warren Rudman entered the race running on a platform of reigning in federal deficits.

Senator Jesse Helms ran as a strong conservative, both on social and economic issues. Many thought that he was the front runner at that point, given the party's trend rightward during the Reagan years.

Governor Thomas Kean of New Jersey ran as the moderate alternative to Bush, he touted his highly successful term as Governor of New Jersey.

Pat Robertson ran on social issues, calling out the liberal Democrats' positions on cultural issues.

It was largely considered to be Helms' race to lose. He was a strong conservative on all fronts, and was from the south, an emerging base region for the party. Still, many believed that any of the challengers could trip him up in their various niche bases. People waited to see if the moderate wing of the party was still relevant.

[Vepres]

Iowa Caucuses

While President Hart spent little time campaigning, George McGovern quietly built up a strong grassroots organization in Iowa, exciting the activists with his rhetoric of fighting poverty and equality. This would prove to be what he needed to pull off one of the greatest upsets in modern political history.

Democratic Results
George McGovern: 53.6%
Gary Hart: 46.4%

Cheers erupted in McGovern's Iowa headquarters as the state was called for him. A grinning McGovern took to the podium. "Today is the day we told the Democratic party, and indeed the US, that we will settle for no less than true social equity!"

The crowd roared.


Back in the White House, a nervous political adviser came bursting into the oval office, where President Hart was talking with the Secretary of Transportation. "Sir," said the young adviser, "we have a problem..."


Republican Results
Jesse Helms: 39.2%
Pat Roberts: 27.4%
George Bush: 17.1%
Warren Rudman: 9.8%
Thomas Kean: 6.5%

As everybody expected, Jesse Helms pulled off a victory in Iowa. Pat Roberts was the only other candidate to contest the social conservative vote, but he never held public office, and turned some evangelicals off with his rhetoric. All in all, Helms seemed like the logical choice for most social conservatives. The three moderates did poorly, particularly in the rural areas. In fact, Bush probably over performed because of his name recognition.