ATLASIA CHOOSES- Alternate time beginning 1984 (1984 primaries)

It is the early 1980s, a time of crisis. Confidence has collapsed, and society seems to be spinning out of control. Although depression has been averted, unemployment has climbed to a record 10%. Four years earlier, the people elected reactionary Republican Ronald Reagan to the presidency due to popular dissatisfaction with former president Carter's bungling of the Iran hostage crisis and stagflation.

Ronald Reagan

Reagan's election meant the end of the social movements of the '70s and a new wave of social conservatism in the country, including the rise of the Christian right. Reagan promptly passed the largest tax cut in the nation's history, but it failed to stave off a severe economic recession, the worst since the great depression. Despite conservative protestors urging the nation to "give Reaganomics time!" Reagan's prospects seemed doomed after the GOP suffered severe mid-term losses in the House of Representatives.

On foreign policy, things did not seem to be going well either. Over the past 35 years, the superpowers had gradually built up their nuclear arsenals into more and more terrifying weapons, capable of destroying the world several times over. The weapons have progressively become more and more powerful, more and more deadly. And in the spring of 1982 as detente was threatened the world hangs by a thread, Ronald Reagan wanted to deploy a new warhead, the newly developed Pershing II missile, in West Germany. This was seen as a fatal blow to detente.

Yet the hawkish consensus quickly unraveled. In the United States, the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign, the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy, and Physicians for Social Responsibility mushroomed into mass movements. In June 1982, nearly a million Americans turned out for a rally in New York City against the nuclear arms race, the largest political demonstration up to that point in U.S. history. Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, and Australian anti-nuclear activist Helen Caldicott warned that the danger of nuclear war was under-estimated and misunderstood. The Nuclear Freeze campaign drew the backing of major religious bodies, professional organizations, and labor unions. Supported by 70 percent or more of the population, the Freeze was endorsed by 275 city governments, 12 state legislatures, and the voters of nine out of ten states where it was placed on the ballot in the fall of 1982.

Nuclear Freeze

Yet Reagan is unwavering. To revitalize his flagging presidency, on March 23, 1983 Reagan seeks to re-capture the initiative as he unveils his proposal for a Space Defense Initiative (SDI) in a national speech: "I call upon the scientific community in our country, those who gave us nuclear weapons, to turn their great talents now to the cause of mankind and world peace, to give us the means of rendering these nuclear weapons impotent and obsolete." Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrinyn says SDI would "open a new phase in the arms race."

On November 23, 1983, just three days after 100 million Americans, the largest audience for a made-for-TV-movie at that time, tuned in to watch the truly horrifying "The Day After", a grim tale of how nuclear war with the Soviets destroy a hapless family living 30 miles outside Kansas City, U.S. Pershing II missiles are deployed in Germany.

Will the public's opposition to Reagan's aggressive missile deployment and a sluggard economy sink his chances in 1984? Or will his sunny demeanor, a recovering economy, falling crime and his conservativism be enough to pull him through?

The stage is set for the 1984 presidential campaign!

*****

Ronald Reagan is virtually unchallenged for the GOP nomination.

In the summer of 1983, second-term Colorado Senator Gary Hart announced his candidacy for president in the 1984 presidential election. At the time of his announcement, Hart was a little-known Senator and barely received above 1% in the polls against better-known candidates such as Walter Mondale and John Glenn. To counter this situation, Hart started campaigning early in New Hampshire, making a then-unprecedented canvassing tour in late September, months before the primary. This strategy attracted national media attention to his campaign, and by late 1983, he had risen moderately in the polls to the middle of the field, mostly at the expense of the sinking candidacies of John Glenn and Alan Cranston.

Gary Hart

When Jimmy Carter won the Democratic nomination for president in 1976, he chose Walter Mondale of Minnesota as his running mate. Mondale was inaugurated as vice president on 20 January 1977. He was the first vice president to reside at the official vice presidential residence, Number One Observatory Circle. Carter and Mondale were renominated at the 1980 Democratic National Convention, but lost to Ronald W. Reagan and George H. W. Bush. (See U.S. presidential election, 1976, U.S. presidential election, 1980.) Now Mondale is running for president again.

Walter Mondale

Jesse Jackson became the second African-American (after Shirley Chisholm) to mount a nationwide campaign for President. After studying divinity, he began to organize in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference under the influence of Martin Luther King, Jr. He formed two non-profit organizations, PUSH (People United To Serve Humanity) in 1971 and the Rainbow Coalition in 1984. A major controversy erupted during the early stages of the race, when Jackson was reported making off-the-record remarks in which he referred to Jews as "hymies" and to New York City as "Hymietown," remarks for which he later apologized.

John Glenn, known as the first American in space, entered politics and represented Ohio for the Democratic Party in the Senate from 1974. Glenn also made a bid to run as Vice President with Jimmy Carter in 1976, but Carter instead at the 1976 Democratic National Convention selected Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale. Glenn also mounted a bid to be the 1984 Democratic Presidential candidate. Early on, Glenn polled well, coming in a strong second to Mondale. It was also surmised that he would be aided by the almost-simultaneous release of The Right Stuff , a movie about the original seven Mercury astronauts in which it was generally agreed that Glenn's character was portrayed in a pleasing and appealing manner.

Alan MacGregor Cranston was a U.S. journalist and politician. A Democrat, Cranston was elected California State Controller in 1958 and reelected in 1962. In 1968, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. Cranston became Democratic whip in 1977, and his potential to make Reagan spend time in California would be highly appealing. In February 1983, he announces his bid for president.

Alan Cranston

Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Ernest "Fritz" Hollings of South Carolina had been considered dark horses, but are not on the ballot.

*****

Ok, it is time for the 1984 primaries! Here is how it works. This is just like any alternate timeline, but at certain points, such as primaries or elections, YOU, the people of Atlasia, will get to decide history. By voting on this thread for who you want to win, you will decide the storyline of the next alternate history thread from this series. Then, you will get to vote again if you think things are not going well. During primaries, blue avatar posters will be able to vote in the GOP primary while red avatar posters will be able to vote in the Dem primary. Those without either a red or blue avatar can vote in either primary, but not both. Why did I start this timeline in 1984? Well, just because I wanted to.

I apologize if your primary is not competitive. In the 1984 presidential primaries and caucuses the voters will have complete power. While only the Democratic primary was historically competitive this year, the Republican voters can theoretically choose to throw out Reagan through a write-in campaign.

The GOP ballot:
Ronald Reagan
Abstain

The Democratic ballot:
Gary Hart
Walter Mondale
Jesse Jackson
John Glenn
Alan Cranston
Abstain

Voting for this thread closes in 48 hours.

	Welcome, Guest. Please login or register. Did you miss your activation email? April 19, 2024, 08:24:21 AM

News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more