A New America Series - 1996 General Election

[Maxwell]

A New America Series - 1996 General Election

As President Kemp's term comes to a close, Republican Nominee Dan Quayle is choosing to play it safe with his pick of Vice President. Former Education Secretary Lamar Alexander  is an expert in the field, is conservative but to a point where he won't offend moderates, and doesn't distract from the ticket. Quayle is running on a highly conservative platform - expanding the military, fighting crime, low taxes and such. He's also criticizing the Democrats for halting progress and that is at the center of Quayle's general election campaign.

Governor Ann Richards won the Democratic nomination in a narrow fight, so her strategy was to excite the party - and excite she did. Senator Harvey Gantt, who performed admirably in the Presidential race for his lack of resources, was tapped as the first African American to join a ticket. Gantt alienates some of whatevers left of the southern base but hopefully plays to urban crowds that have stubbornly been swingy. Richards' populist platform includes reforming the tax code to fight corporate largesse, halting the sale of semi-automatic firearms, a series of federal works programs to get the economy jumpstarted, and a series of tax credits and mandates to cover more people in healthcare. Richards has been extremely critical of the administration, and charged them as out of touch with the American people, and labels the same charge on Senator Quayle.

Time to vote y'all!

[Mr. Reactionary]

Write-in for Ross Perot.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I like presidents who know how to spell, so Richards.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Write-in for Ross Perot.

[Intell]

Write-in for Ross Perot.

Why do you have a problem with Richards as she is also pro-fair trade and I assume Anti-NAFTA?

[Miles]

Richards/Gantt - one of my favorite tickets in this series.

[Maxwell]

Write-in for Ross Perot.

Why do you have a problem with Richards as she is also pro-fair trade and I assume Anti-NAFTA?

She is fairly liberal otherwise.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Write-in for Ross Perot.

Why do you have a problem with Richards as she is also pro-fair trade and I assume Anti-NAFTA?

I assumed that she'd be a bit more conservative being from Texas and all.  Richards it is, then!

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Quayle/Alexander

[NeverAgain]

Down with the potatoe! Up with Ann!

[Sumner 1868]

Down with the potatoe! Up with Ann!

[Intell]

Come on Left-Wingers with a Richards win!

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Also why is Harvey Gantt Richard's VP despite getting no VP votes in the primary poll?

[Clark Kent]

Quayle/Alexander

[Maxwell]

Also why is Harvey Gantt Richard's VP despite getting no VP votes in the primary poll?

I asked for VP suggestions - Unlike the Presidential primaries (though for the Democrats I had to break a tie), I get to make my choice from suggestions or what I think would be interesting or relevant. At this point, Democrats are thinking of breaking glass ceilings of sorts.

[Maxwell]

A smattering of Senate races info (just for the heck of it):

Georgia:
After 18 years, Republican Senator Fletcher Thompson is retiring. While not necessarily a moderate by any means, Thompson was nevertheless very effective for Georgia as U.S. Senator, and managed to win every time with sizable African American support. His retirement puts this Republican seat in deep danger - George Secretary of State Max Cleland currently leads Businessman Guy Millner, who has little appeal with African Americans.

Illinois:
Governor Jim Edgar has put long-standing Senator Alex Seith on the defense. Seith has repeatedly won underwhelming victories thanks to his rather weak infrastructure in the state and consistent accusations of corruption. Nevertheless, he has survived many attempts to knock him out. Trailing consistently by ten points, however, Seith may finally be sent home.

Kansas:
Senator Bill Roy had a very good 1992 when he ran for President as the populist liberal, but this cost him at home: he faces a tough toss-up battle with arch-conservative Congressman Sam Brownback.

Kentucky:
Senator and Former Governor Jim Bunning has had a controversial tenure, and faces another Former Governor Steve Beshear in a race that really can't be called.

Louisiana:
In something of a juxtaposition - Some conservative republicans are fleeing to support Senator John Breaux in his re-election bid against Former Governor Buddy Roemer. Roemer is supported by a surprising amount of liberals, who view Roemer populist, pro-campaign finance reform campaign as a whole lot better than Breaux's middle of the road tenure.

Mississippi:
Senator Cliff Finch is completely and utterly doomed against Congressman Trent Lott. Finch only narrowly survived a primary challenge against a far more conservative Democrat, and Lott is receiving as much as 39% of Democrats according to some polls.

Tennessee:
Time has run out for Senator Harold Ford, Sr. Ford won in a Democratic wave, and survived a few more terms on Democratic waves. Now he faces Actor Fred Thompson in what will probably be a wipeout. Ford is African American, and has largely been far to the left of his counterpart Al Gore, though he does fit in with the Democratic norm.

[Maxwell]

Only a few more hours amigos.

[Maxwell]

holy sh**t america

A New America Series - 1996 General Election

Richards and Quayle came out of the conventions neck and neck - not exactly what the Democrats wanted. Quayle came off as clumsy in many of his rallies, but at the speech he summoned some courage and gave the speech of his career. Richards, always folksy and great with one liners, came off as mean spirited in her speech, and polls of Gantt showed some Americans may not be ready for an African American on the ticket. Still, they were neck and neck until the debate where each of their best and worst features came out. Quayle, in his answer to American technological innovation in the future, gave a hopeful, beautiful answer, and when Richards responded "that's a bunch of hokey crap and Mr. Quayle knows it!", it became a headline right there as Richards sounded deeply unpresidential. In the end, Quayle would win in a walk... he would even win Democratic stronghold West Virginia! (while losing former Republican stronghold Vermont)

This is a major loss in what should've been an imminently winnable election - Democrats are scrambling to find a way back into the White House after three loses in a row!

Senator Dan Quayle (R-IN)/Former Education Secretary Lamar Alexander (R-TN) - 54.8%, 390 EV's
Governor Ann Richards (D-TX)/Senator Harvey Gantt (D-NC) - 45.2%, 148 EV's

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liuSbrghzmk