JFK Lives

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The next update will come tonight.  Thanks for your patience.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The Second Term of Warren Hearnes

“My fellow Americans, as we enter our third century as a nation, we have a lot of work to do.  We must improve our country, so that we will always be great!”  Thus begins President Hearnes’ second term in office.  As outlined to Congress, Hearnes’ program would include various domestic improvement programs, as well as job creation programs.

The first such program was the Community Reinvestment Act.  Written by Senator Kennedy, the CRA was designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.  This would be done by requiring the appropriate federal financial supervisory agencies to encourage regulated financial institutions to meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered, consistent with safe and sound operation.  Despite claims from some Senators that the bill would have an adverse effect by giving out unsound loans, the CRA passes without difficulty, and is signed by the President on February 27.

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, written by Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), would abolish the U.S. Civil Service Commission and distributes its functions primarily among three agencies created by the Bill.  As explained by Senator Byrd, “This act is an effort to replace incompetent officials.”  Backed by a strange coalition of earnest reformers and limited government conservatives, the CSR passes the Senate on March 22, 62-37, and passes the House, 229-201, on April 4, being signed by the President the next day.

In a nationally televised speech on April 17, President Hearnes announces that unemployment stands at a remarkable low of 4.6%, that per-person wages have grown each of the last 7 years, and that the country is looking at a likely surplus and balanced budget by 1980.  Following the speech, Hearnes’ approval rating stands at a remarkable 73%.

Three days after the speech, Hearnes, along with Commerce Secretary Fox, Trade Representative Robert S. Strauss, and Secretary of the Treasury Fowler, flies to Canada to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Mexican President José López Portillo about a possible free trade agreement between Mexico, the US and Canada.  The agreement, called the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), is signed on May 2, 1977.  The agreement would be finalized after ratification by the three nation’s legislatures.

When Hearnes brings NAFTA to the Senate, it is stalled by Senator Ralph Yarborough (D-TX), Chairman of the Senate Labor Committee.  Yarborough, an opponent of free trade, works with Majority Leader Byrd, another opponent of free trade, to keep NAFTA from being brought to the floor.  Yarborough and Byrd promise Hearnes that NAFTA will receive a vote by the summer of 1978.

On June 28, 1977, Justice Arthur Goldberg retires from the Court.  To replace him, President Hearnes nominates Senator Birch Bayh to replace him.  Bayh is confirmed quickly, without controversy.

Starting July 9, Hearnes begins his first international tour since his reelection.  He starts out in Africa, where he meets with numerous leaders, including Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat.  While in Cairo, Hearnes calls for talks between Israel and Egypt, offering to host a meeting in America.  Sadat promises to consider the offer.

After Egypt, Hearnes goes to Israel, where Prime Minister Begin is equally receptive to the notion of meeting with Sadat.  Begin’s Cabinet, however, is less pleased about the idea, and Hearnes leaves Israel unsure if a meeting will ever take place.

Following Israel, Hearnes takes his requisite trip throughout Europe, attending an economic conference in Geneva from July 22-July 26.  In Spain, Hearnes calls for a transition to democracy following the death of Francisco Franco.  Once again, Hearnes gives a speech at the Berlin Wall, in which he calls for the USSR to ease restrictions of people traveling between the East and West.

After ending his European tour on August 2 with a visit to Portugal, Hearnes decides to visit Latin America.  While in Chile, Hearnes criticizes governments that, “Suspend the rights of the people in order to continue holding power,” a pointed criticism of Chilean President Pinochet.  Throughout his tour of Latin America, Hearnes calls for more communication between Latin America and the United States.

When President Hearnes returns to Washington on August 18, he renews calls for the Senate to pass NAFTA.  Senator Yarborough agrees to have it out of Committee by October 1, although Majority Leader Byrd says that it is unlikely NAFTA will see a vote before the new year.

In September, Congress passes the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (or ANILCA), which would create 15 National Park Service properties, and provide for the designation of 79.53 million acres of public lands, fully a third of which was set aside as wilderness area.  Strongly supported by the liberals in Congress, and conservationist groups throughout the country, President Hearnes signs the ANILCA into law on September 26.

On October 8, NAFTA is finally freed from the Senate Labor Committee.  However, much to Hearnes’ anger, NAFTA is then sent to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Chaired by another opponent of NAFTA, Senator William Proxmire (D-WI).  Proxmire, however, promises to have NAFTA ready for a Senate vote by the beginning on 1978.

On October 28, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat visits Israel, and speaks to the Knesset; in doing so, he implicitly recognizes Israel’s right to exist, something never done by any other Arab politician beforehand.  This decision, which was done after clandestine preparatory meetings between Egyptian and Israeli officials, was unknown even to the NATO countries.  Upon hearing of it, President Hearnes and Secretary of State Muskie begin preparation for a meeting in Washington, DC, between the two leaders.

In Sadat’s speech, he talked about his views on peace, the status of Israel’s occupied territories, and the Palestinian refugee problem.  The international response to his speech was not happy.  Hungarian leader Janos Kadar threatened war with Egypt if they signed a peace agreement with Israel, followed swiftly by Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and Albania. Yugoslavia and East Germany also threatened to attack Egypt if they did not revoke their recognition of Israel. The Soviet Union, Poland, Finland, and Romania declined to threaten war, but they would enter Egypt should NATO armies intervene. Libya, Iraq, Syria, and other Arab nations called Egypt a traitor, and said they would support an Eastern invasion by any means possible, even by military action.

In a speech to the UN on November 7, US Ambassador to the UN  Robert C. Hill, announced that the United States would happily host a conference between the two nations in the United States.  For the next several months, though, nothing comes of the invitation.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

On December 8, Hearnes presents the Torrijos-Hearnes Treaties to the US Senate.  For two weeks, the Senate debates the treaty before recessing until 1978.  When it reconvenes on January 9, 1978, the Senate takes up the Treaty again.  Conservatives, led by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), and Strom Thurmond (R-SC) oppose the Treaty, arguing that it hurts US security interests.  Following a speech by the President on January 14 in favor of the Treaty, Senator Thurmond responds by saying, “The canal is ours, we bought and we paid for it and we should keep it.”

Despite the opposition of such conservatives, on February 9, the Senate ratifies the First Treaty, which provided that as from 12:00 on December 31, 1999, Panama would assume full control of canal operations and become primarily responsible for its defense.  The final vote on the Treaty was 62-30, with 8 Republicans, at least 5 of them conservatives, mot voting, led Senator Thurmond to declare that Hearnes had “Bribed my fellow conservatives to not vote, and let the Treaty pass,” ignoring the fact that 14 Democrats switched sides to vote against the Treaty.

On March 22, the Senate ratifies the Second Treaty, which said the U.S. retained the permanent right to defend the canal from any threat that might interfere with its continued neutral service to ships of all nations.  There is less controversy for the Second Treaty, and it passes 78-22, with 5 Republicans joining 73 Democrats to vote in the Treaty’s favor, and 3 Democrats joining 19 Republicans in opposition.

On April 4, the Senate finally begins debate on NAFTA.  For almost two months, the Senate debates the Agreement, with an odd coalition of conservatives like Jesse Helms and Strom Thurmond and liberals like Barbara Mikulski opposing NAFTA.  These Senators argue that the Agreement would have a negative impact on American workers, as cheaper labor could be found elsewhere.

Throughout the debate, the Hearnes Administration pressures Democratic Senators to stay for the Agreement.  On May 28, with both sides convinced that they have the votes, cloture is achieved on NAFTA, 69-31.  On June 2, the Senate votes, 54-46, to pass NAFTA.  33 Democrats, joined by 21 Republicans, vote to pass the Agreement, while 43 Democrats and 3 Republicans vote against it.

In the House, the opposition is fragmented, and with NAFTA having the support of the Democratic leadership, there is never any doubt that NAFTA will pass.  On June 20, by a vote of 232-203, NAFTA passes, and is signed by the President.

On June 27, Justice William H. Hastie dies of a heart attack while in his Chambers.  To replace him, Hearnes nominates Hugh H. Bownes of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to replace him; Bownes is confirmed without controversy.

As 1978 continues, the economy begins to drag; a report issued in July of 1978 shows unemployment at 6.2%, the highest it had been since 1975.  Despite some warnings of an oncoming recession, President Hearnes says in a July 4 speech that, “The American economy is strong, and will continue to be strong.”

Despite the falling American economy, the international economy is strong.  Japan, Israel, France, West Germany, the United Kingdom, and other nations in Europe see record levels of economic growth, leading to landslide victories for the ruling parties in elections held in Japan and the United Kingdom.

The Congressional Elections

After four years of extremely high approval ratings, a USA Today survey on August 3, 1978 shows the President’s rating below 60% for the first time in his term, at 56%.  The President’s waning approval ratings lead to several Democratic retirements, creating multiple open seats and pickup opportunities for the GOP.  On election day, the President’s approvals are at 52%, and the Republicans make major gains.

Senate Results

Democrats: 68 (-8)
Republicans: 32 (+8)

House Results
Democrats: 274 (-61)
Republicans: 161 (+61)

[Kaine for Senate '18]

President Hearnes is eligible to seek another term, since he served less than half of President Humphrey's term.

Gary Hart is currently a Senator from Colorado, as in RL.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Sorry for the lack of an update; I've got a lot of stuff going on now, and I probably won't be able to write an update until at least next week.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I'm really sorry for the lack of an update; expect at least 1 on Saturday.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

In his State of the Union Address on January 14, 1979, President Hearnes reflects on the weakening economy.  “Although our economy is still strong, we must be wary, and always be ready, for hard times down the line.”  The President’s gloomy predictions do little to help the economy.

Just five days after the President’s speech, economic issues are shunted to the side by a much bigger crisis.  On January 19, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Iran leaves the country following strikes and demonstrations that had paralyzed the country since August, 1978.  On January 30, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returns to Tehran, being greeted by nearly one million followers.


Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on his return to Tehran

Over the next few weeks, the Ayatollah cements his power.  He quickly makes Mehdi Bazargan his Prime Minister on February 4.  Within a short amount of time, soldiers began to defect to Khomeini's side.  On February 9 at about 10 P.M., a fight broke out between loyal Immortal Guards and pro-Khomeini rebel Homafaran of Iran Air Force. Khomeini responded by declaring jihad on loyal soldiers who did not surrender immediately.

The final collapse of the provisional non-Islamist government came at 2 p.m. on February 11 when the Supreme Military Council declared itself “neutral in the current political disputes… in order to prevent further disorder and bloodshed.”

Throughout the conflict, the United States had remained neutral.  On July 9, though, the neutrality is broken when the US allows the Shah into the country for cancer treatment.  The Shah's admission to the US intensifies Iranian revolutionaries’ anti-Americanism and spawned rumors of another U.S.-backed coup and re-installation of the Shah.

After several days of protests, though, it appeared that the US wouldn’t suffer for admitting the Shah.  On July 18, though, a group of Islamist students takes over the American embassy and take 66 diplomats hostage.

The Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, the group responsible for the kidnapping, demanded that the Shah return to Iran for trial and execution, and that the US government apologize for its interference in the internal affairs of Iran and for the overthrow of Prime Minister Mossadeq.  The US refuses, and instead, President Hearnes issues Executive Order 12170, freezing all Iranian assets held in US.

For the next several months, the President attempts to try and secure the release of the hostages.  On October 9, 13 women and 1 African-American are released, but no others.

On December 18, the military launches Operation Eagle Claw to try and rescue the hostages.  The attempt fails miserably, resulting in the death of 8 soldiers, the wounding of another 4, and the deaths of 2 Iranian civilians.

On December 20, in a televised speech, a tearful President claims full responsibility, and apologizes to the families of the hostages.  The speech has no effect, though, and the President’s approval rating falls to 26%, with 72% disapproving.  That same day, a poll shows the President trailing the generic Republican 59-29 in a reelection match-up.

In his State of the Union Address on January 10, 1980, the President announces that, despite the poor poll numbers, he will indeed seek reelection.  He then leaves to campaign, facing a tough bid not only to win reelection, but also to win his own Party’s nomination.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The Democratic Nomination

Because he had served less than half of President Humphrey’s term, President Hearnes was eligible to seek reelection.  It was expected, through 1978, that he would be unopposed.  By the middle of 1979, though, with the Iranian crisis in full swing, rumors emerged that President Hearnes would face a challenger.

On August 5, word leaks out that Senator George McGovern would challenge Hearnes.  McGovern doesn’t issue a statement confirming or denying.  On November 8, though, in a live press conference, McGovern announces that he will forgo reelection to the Senate and challenge President Hearnes.  “President Hearnes has not only failed the American people, he has failed the Democratic Party.  The time has come for him to go.”

As the campaign goes on through the end of 1979 and into 1980, it becomes apparent that McGovern has a large lead.  However, when the Iowa Caucus finally rolls around, Hearnes scores a major upset, winning the Caucus by 3,000 votes.  Hearnes goes on to win New Hampshire and Maine, before finally being stopped in the Minnesota primary.

In March, primaries are held in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Texas.  Hearnes sweeps those primaries, building up his lead.  McGovern finally gets a string of wins Alaska, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, and South Dakota.

Those are, however, McGovern’s  only victories, and Hearnes is able to clinch the nomination at the Convention; McGovern gives a rousing speech, but refuses to acknowledge Hearnes.

The Republican Nomination

As early as February, 1979, candidates begin preparing to run for the Republican nomination.  On April 16, 1979, Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon becomes the first candidate to declare for the nomination.  On June 28, Senator Charles Percy of Illinois enters the race.  On July 15, angry at the lack of a conservative candidate, Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina enters the race, becoming the final of three candidates.

During the campaign, Helms acts as an outsider, blasting both Hatfield and Percy for being too liberal.  As the primaries begin, Helms draws all of his support from religious conservatives, dooming him to failure in the early contests in Iowa (Hatfield), New Hampshire (Hatfield), and Michigan (Percy).

Finally, Helms picks up a victory in the Oklahoma Primary, and the three men begin trading primaries.  Following Oklahoma, Percy wins his home state of Illinois, Hatfield wins Minnesota and Maine, and Helms wins Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas.

By early May, the race has become a primarily a two person battle between Hatfield and Helms, with Percy winning an occasional race.  Hatfield sweeps the New England Primaries, and Helms does the same in the South.  However, a group of Midwestern Primaries in Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas, and South Dakota break for Percy, giving him a sizable number of delegates.

On June 3, the final primaries are held in Alaska (Hatfield), Arizona (Percy), California (Hatfield), Colorado (Percy), Delaware (Percy), District of Columbia (Hatfield), Hawaii (Hatfield), Idaho (Hatfield), Indiana (Helms), Montana (Helms), Nebraska (Helms), New Mexico (Hatfield), Nevada (Hatfield), North Dakota (Hatfield), Oregon (Hatfield), Utah (Helms), Washington (Hatfield), and Wyoming (Percy).

Final results of 1980 Republican Primaries

As the GOP heads to the Convention, no candidate holds a majority.  Hatfield holds 828 delegates, Helms has 607, and Percy has 537, with 987 needed for victory.  On the first ballot, those are the results, but on the second, a major shift occurs.  Percy urges his delegates to support Hatfield, and Hatfield is able to win the nomination.  He then selects George HW Bush, a Percy supporter and moderate, as his running mate.

The lack of a conservative on the ticket infuriates Helms, who leads, along with nearly 100 delegates, a walkout at the Convention.  Several days later, he announces that he will run on the American Independent Party ticket, with Governor Otis R. Bowen of Indiana as his running mate.

The General Election

From the outset of the campaign, President Hearnes is on the defensive.  Both Hatfield and Helms attack the President, citing either the poor economy, the Iranian crisis, or any other number of failings over the last 4 years.

In the only debate, on October 8, Helms excoriates both candidates, calling them “Russian stooges.”  When Hatfield suggests that the US should talk with the USSR, given the ill health of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.  The proposal is attacked by both Hearnes and Helms.

As election day nears, Hearnes makes one final effort, not to reach 270, but to deny Hatfield a majority, and try and win the House.  The effort fails, and Hatfield wins in a landslide.  Three days after the election, it is announced by the Ayatollah that the prisoners will be released on January 21, 1981.

Mark Hatfield/George HW Bush: 44.2% PV, 369 EV
Warren Hearnes/Frank Church: 38.5% PV, 104 EV
Jesse Helms/Otis Bowen: 17.3% PV, 65 EV

The Congressional Elections

At the Congressional level, an historic defeat occurs for the Democratic Party, as they suffer unprecedented losses in both Houses, across the nation.

Senate Results

Democrats: 56 (-12)
Republicans: 44 (+12)

House Results
Democrats: 230 (-44)
Republicans: 205 (+44)

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Great job as always, Mr. Deeds.

Thank you.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

President Hatfield...Can't say I saw that one coming lol, IIRC, George H.W. Bush is Senator from Texas, as he was appointed to fill Tower's seat when he vacated it for the Presidency Correct?

No, actually.  Bush served as US Ambassador to the UN from 1969-1971, and Governor of Texas from 1971-1979.

Btw what are the other Kennedy's up to?

Ted is the senior Senator from Massachusetts, and Bobby and Jack both teach at Harvard.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I have been reading, just not posting.

Please keep posting.  It's the only way I know people are still reading this

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Update tomorrow.  I promise.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I'm having a severe case of writer's block, so in order to at least give you guys something, here is the county results map from the 1980 General Election:

[Kaine for Senate '18]

ROFLMAO at the Republicans winning Elliot County, KY. Epic fail. Or the Dems losing the solid Democratic mining counties in WV.

lololol

I gave the GOP Elliot?  Crap.  Assume they won that; I had some issues matching up the counties.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The First Term of Mark Hatfield

“My fellow Americans, the days ahead are long, and we face many challenges.  Together, though, we can overcome those challenges, and enter into a new era of prosperity.”  In order to bring about this new prosperity, Hatfield brings the best of the best into his Cabinet, regardless of political ideology.

Secretary of State: Charles Percy (R-IL)
Secretary of Treasury: William E. Simon (R-NJ)
Secretary of Defense: Caspar Weinberger (R-CA)
Attorney General: Mark White (D-TX)
Secretary of the Interior: John V. Evans (D-ID)
Secretary of Agriculture: Robert D. Ray (R-IA)
Secretary of Commerce: Malcolm Baldrige, Jr. (R-NE)
Secretary of Labor: Elizabeth Dole (R-KS)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Richard Schweiker (R-PA)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Kenneth A. Gibson (D-NJ)
Secretary of Transportation: John Lindsay (R-NY)

Within days of taking office, Hatfield announces that he is sending Secretary of State Percy to Tehran, to try and convince the Ayatollah to order the release of the hostages.  However, on January 24, the day before Percy leaves for Tehran, all the hostages are released by the Iranians.  An explanation is never given by Tehran as to why the hostages were released, although the question is never asked, either.

On February 1, President Hatfield, Vice President Bush, Secretaries Percy, Weinberger, and Schweiker, along with numerous members of Congress, greet the hostages in Washington, DC, upon their return.

On March 2, the Economic Recovery Act of 1981 is presented to Congress.  The ERA would provide temporary tax relief to anyone who had been unemployed for more than four months, would create tax incentives for companies to hire more employees, and other such incentives.  It is quickly passed by Congress, and is signed by the President on March 25.

On April 4, President Hatfield is informed that Justice Potter Stewart has decided to retire from the Supreme Court.  Hatfield nominates Samuel James Ervin III, son of a former Senator, to replace Stewart.  He is confirmed quickly, without controversy.

On April 18, President Hatfield begins his first major international tour as President.  He begins in England, where he meets with Prime Minister Thatcher.  In London, he gives a speech criticizing human rights violations being committed by the Soviet Union.  From London, he travels throughout Europe, ending on May 2, in Berlin.  Standing at the Berlin Wall, President Hatfield beseeches Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev to tear down the Berlin Wall, and allow for more freedom in the USSR.

Upon his return to the United States, President Hatfield proposes a major military buildup to Congress.  The buildup, he claims, would cut unemployment in half by 1984, and have it at below 3% by 1988.  The buildup draws controversy, though, from liberals like Edward Kennedy.  The liberals make the claim that the buildup will send the country further into debt, and is unnecessary.  When the Senate recesses in July, the buildup is still being debated in the Senate.

When the Senate reconvenes in September, the President offers a compromise.  In exchange for the passage of his buildup, Hatfield will hold off on his proposed general tax cuts until FY 1983.  The compromise is accepted by all sides, and the Senate passes Hatfield’s buildup on September 29, 1981, 87-13.  The House follows on October 14, 432-2.

In his State of the Union Address on January 17, 1982, President Hatfield announces that unemployment has fallen to its lowest levels since 1978, and that his Economic Recovery Plan seems to be working.  He also says that, at current rates, the country will have a balanced budget by FY 1988.

On February 18, President Hatfield travels to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Menachem Begin.  While there, he attempts to convince Begin to reopen negotiations with Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat.  The talks that had started under Hearnes had broken down following the Iranian Revolution, and Hatfield wanted to restart the talks.  Begin, however, is reluctant, especially after the failure to achieve anything under Hearnes cost his Likud Party dearly in the 1981 elections.  He promises, though, to consider Hatfield’s offer.

Following his visit to Israel, Hatfield decides to make an impromptu visit to Europe, where he meets in London with Prime Minister Thatcher.  Thatcher, having just recently proposed a major arms buildup in the UK, commends Hatfield for doing the same.  From there, Hatfield tours Europe, ending in Portugal on May 4.  Throughout Europe, he is inundated with requests for foreign aid.

In a speech to Congress on May 9, Hatfield calls for a major increase in the foreign aid budget.  Thanks to intervention by Senator Jackson, the aid is agreed to, despite setting back the deficit.

Since 1981, there had been war in the Middle East between Saddam Hussein’s Iraq and Iran.  Acting with at least tacit support from the Hearnes Administration, Iraq had attempted to regain lost territory, and make a client state out of Iran.  The attempts failed, and since early 1981, Iraq had been on the defensive.

On June 14, though, Iran, acting with weapons imported from other countries, began to force the Iraqis back from the position they had held for more than a year, and it appeared that Iran may take Baghdad.

On June 19, Hatfield meets with Congressional Leaders to determine a course of action.  Senator Jackson, backed by the Republican Leadership, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and SecDef Weinberger, urges a major military invasion to help Iraq, and possibly overthrow the Iranian regime.  Secretary of State Percy, along with the Democratic Leadership, advises Hatfield to do nothing.

For several weeks, Hatfield wavers.  On July 13, he announces that he will not send American troops, claiming that the US has no reason to do so.  Although the decision is widely criticized by hawks, by early August, the Iraqi Army had repelled the Iranians, and the stalemate had resumed.

The Congressional Elections

With Hatfield having approvals in the high 50’s to low 60’s, the Republicans are able to make more gains in both Houses, and even manage to retake the Senate for the first time since 1954.

Senate Results

Republicans: 51 (+7)
Democrats: 49 (-7)


House Results
Democrats: 221 (-9)
Republicans: 214 (+9)

[Kaine for Senate '18]

1.  The Hatfield package was a mix of tax cuts, incentives to businesses, short term welfare, and various other things designed to keep the economy running.
2.  No assassination attempt as of now by Mr. Hinckley.
3.  It's a mix.  The economy is still at risk, but things are looking up.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Sorry guys, I've been busy.  An update will probably come next Wednesday, when summer vacation starts.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

There will be an update Tuesday evening.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

In his 1983 State of the Union Address, President Hatfield devotes the entire speech to the economy.  He reports that, having hit a low in 1982, the economy is back on track, which he of course attributes to his own economic policies.

On January 24, Israel holds elections for the first time since 1981.  The results are a major defeat for the Likud Party, as the Alignment Party, led by Shimon Peres, retakes control of the Knesset.  Peres’ election is seen as good news for Hatfield’s proposed Israeli-Egyptian peace conference, an idea which had been rejected by Likud and Menachem Begin on multiple occasions.

In a speech on February 8, 1983, Hatfield announces that he will make preventing acid rain a major initiative.  He asks Congress to step up regulation, as well as increasing the budget for toxic waste cleanup.  In order to offset the environmental spending, Hatfield cuts spending significantly for the War on Drugs, much to the consternation of conservatives in both parties.

On February 17, the United Kingdom holds elections, with Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives scoring a major victory.

On March 2, a report issued by the Treasury Department says that unemployment has been cut from 7.1% in February, 1981 to 5.4% as of February, 1983.  In a nationally televised speech, Hatfield trumpets the report as proof of the success of his own economic policies.

On March 19, President Hatfield receives a call from Prime Minister Peres.  He will agree to meet with Sadat in the United States, on the condition that talks start by May 31, 1983.  Hatfield calls Sadat and the next day, and they agree to start negotiations on April 4, 1983, at Camp David in Maryland.

Accompanied by their negotiating teams and with their respective interests in mind, Sadat and Begin arrive in Camp David on April 2, 1983, two days before the start of negotiations, in order to meet privately and informally, and gain a sense of the other man.

For the next ten days, talks move slowly.  By the eleventh day, the dual issues of Israeli settlement withdrawal from the Sinai and the status of the West Bank created so tense a situation that Peres and Sadat had stopped speaking to each other.  Hatfield then made the decision to salvage the agreement by conceding the issue of the West Bank to Peres, and advocate Sadat’s less controversial position on the removal of all settlements from the Sinai Peninsula.  At the same time, in a symbolic gesture, Hatfield took the two leaders to Gettysburg in the hopes of using the Civil War as a simile to their own struggle.

The plan pays off, as on April 16, 1983, Peres, Sadat, and Hatfield jointly release the two-part Camp David Accords.  The first part had three parts. The first part was a framework for negotiations to establish an autonomous self-governing authority in the West Bank and the Gaza strip and to fully implement SC 242.  The fate of Jerusalem was deliberately excluded from this agreement.  The second part dealt with Egyptian-Israeli relations, the real content being in the second agreement. The third part "Associated Principles" declared principles that should apply to relations between Israel and all of its Arab neighbors.

The second agreement outlined a basis for the peace treaty six months later, in particular deciding the future of the Sinai peninsula. Israel agreed to withdraw its armed forces from the Sinai, evacuate its 4,500 civilian inhabitants, and restore it to Egypt in return for normal diplomatic relations with Egypt, guarantees of freedom of passage through the Suez Canal and other nearby waterways (such as the Straits of Tiran), and a restriction on the forces Egypt could place on the Sinai peninsula, especially within 20-40 km from Israel. Israel also agreed to limit its forces a smaller distance from the Egyptian border, and to guarantee free passage between Egypt and Jordan. With the withdrawal, Israel also returned Egypt's Abu-Rudeis oil fields in western Sinai, which contained long term, commercially productive wells.  The agreement also called for the United States to commit several billion dollars worth of annual subsidies to the governments of both Israel and Egypt.

Following the signing of the Accords, a visibly tired President Hatfield returns to his home in Oregon for several weeks of recuperation.  On April 28, the 61 year old Hatfield is hospitalized for exhaustion, and the doctors advise him to rest for several weeks.

For the next several weeks, Hatfield takes a vacation in his Oregon home; on June 2, he returns to Washington.  In a speech the next day to Congress, Hatfield talked about his hospital stay.  “A few doors down from me was a lovely man named Roger.  He was dying, and I saw a man try to enter into his room, only to be turned away by the hospital staff.  Roger was a homosexual, and the man who was trying to see him had been his partner for more than a quarter of a century, and he was not allowed to be with his partner as his partner died.  That is not the American way.”

Hatfield asks Congress to pass a Sexual Orientation Act of 1983; the act had provisions including full custody, adoption, and visitation rights for homosexual couples.  On June 7, he signs an executive order ending the military policy of not allowing anyone who was not heterosexual to serve in the military, opening the military to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

From the outset, Hatfield faces intense Congressional opposition.  Within days, 29 Republican Senators announce their opposition to his plan; among those in opposition is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Strom Thurmond (R-SC).  At the same time, though, another prominent Republican, Senator Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) announces his support of the President’s plan.

On the Democratic side, opinion is very much on the side of the President.  Except for several holdovers from the South, the entire Senate Democratic Caucus takes the side of the President; even Minority Leader Robert Byrd (D-WV), not known as an advocate of gay rights, sides with the President.

Public opinion, meanwhile, is also divided.  A Gallup poll from June 16-19 finds 48% in support of the President, 46% opposed, and 6% unsure.  Rasmussen shows similar numbers.  In response, Hatfield dispatches numerous advocates of both Parties to try and sway public opinion.  The mission pays off, and by August, Hatfield’s plan bears the support of nearly 60% of the American Public.

When Congress reconvenes in September, there is still division over the plan.  After more than six weeks of hearings, Thurmond allows the Bill to be reported out to the full Senate on October 11.  The debate on the Senate floor is acrimonious.  Throughout the debate, Senators are shouting at each other from across the aisle, and on November 22, Senator Henry Jackson (D-WA) suffers a heart attack during a shouting match with Senator Bob Kasten (R-WI).  Although Jackson recovers, the incident is a stark example of how difficult the debate is.  When the Senate recesses in December, the Bill is still on the Floor.

In his 1984 State of the Union Address, Hatfield chides the Senate for not passing his Gay Rights Bill.  “We are talking about basic human rights, and the Senate is on the wrong side of this issue,” Hatfield says.

On February 22, the big cloture vote arrives.  The results is a 67-33 victory for Hatfield, with exactly the required number.  Scoop Jackson, having not been in the Senate since his heart attack, casts the decisive vote from a wheelchair.  On March 7, by a vote of 62-32, the Senate passes the Bill, and sends it over to the House.

In the House, the legislation has a more favorable reception.  Representative Peter W. Rodino, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, comes out strongly in support of the Bill, as does Claude Pepper (D-FL), Chairman of the Rules Committee.  On March 26, the Bill is reported out of Judiciary, and on April 5, it arrives of the House floor.

The debate in the House is much more civil than in the Senate.  On May 4, by a vote of 223-212, the House passes the Bill, and on May 7, surrounded by leaders from the LGBT community, President Hatfield signs the Bill into law.

Following Hatfield’s signing of the Gay Rights Bill, he returns to Oregon for several weeks, and then officially kicks off his reelection campaign.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Anyways, what's the situation in France? Italy? Chile? Brazil? South Africa? Canada?

France: In 1981, Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing was reelected President of France, very narrowly defeating the Socialist candidate, François Mitterrand.  Mitterrand, however, is already preparing to challenge d'Estaing again in 1988, and is the leading critic of his policies.  France has been undergoing some economic troubles, with unemployment nearing 8% as of January, 1984.

Italy: Italy is basically unchanged; its recent economic issues, shared by most of Europe, led to the election of Socialist Bettino Craxi in 1983.

Chile: Chile is pretty much the same; Pinochet still holds power, although is he facing US pressure to allow more freedom.

Brazil: Basically the same as IRL.

South Africa: South Africa is pretty much the same, but the movement to end Apartheid is gaining steam very quickly, and a Revolution seems to be brewing in South Africa.

Canada: Not really different from RL; Pierre Trudeau has held power since continually since 1968, although he is starting to lose favor.

I do have a question, though- before the rise of the Christian Right, Mark Hatfield was regarded as the most visible evangelical Christian in American politics.  Is the Christian Right still behind him?  How are they reacting to an evangelical at the forefront of recognizing gay rights? 

The Christian Right movement has not yet taken shape, and is very divided, with a plurality supporting Hatfield, others calling for a new Party, and still others calling for a challenge to Hatfield for the GOP nomination.  There really is no one view of the Evangelical community at this time.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The Democratic Nomination

By the middle of 1983, candidates begin declaring for the Democratic Nomination.  The first to declare, on May 4, 1983, is Congressman Les Aspin of Wisconsin.  On May 29, Governor Dolph Briscoe of Texas throws his hat into the ring.  Despite rumors to the contrary, Senator Ted Kennedy declines to run for President, and on August 24, he endorses the incumbent Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, who had entered on August 20.  On October 19, Senator Edward Zorinsky becomes the last candidate to enter the race.

On February 20, the Iowa Caucuses are held.  The result is a narrow win for Aspin, a surprising result.
Aspin: 34% (21 delegates)
Dukakis: 31% (17 delegates)
Briscoe: 20% (12 delegates)
Zorinsky: 15%

A week later, in the New Hampshire primary, Dukakis scores a major victory, dominating his three opponents.
Dukakis: 69% (19 delegaes)
Aspin: 14%
Zorinsky: 11%
Briscoe: 6%

On March 6, in Vermont, Dukakis records yet another landslide victory, and jumps into the frontrunner position.
Dukakis: 71% (12 delegates)
Aspin: 12%
Zorinsky: 10%
Briscoe: 7%

Following Vermont, the candidates prepare for the large set of primaries on March 13; for Zorinsky and Briscoe, they need to win multiple primaries to stay in.

Alabama: Briscoe: 48% (24 delegates), Zorinsky: 25% (11 delegates), Dukakis: 20% (10 delegates), Aspin: 7%
Florida: Briscoe: 39% (43 delegates), Dukakis: 32% (34 delegates), Zorinsky: 19% (23 delegates), Aspin: 10%
Georgia: Briscoe: 50% (41 delegates), Dukakis: 30% (22 delegates), Zorinsky: 12%, Aspin: 8%
Massachusetts: 83% (111 delegates), Aspin: 9%, Zorinsky: 5%, Briscoe: 3%
Nevada: Dukakis: 40% (5 delegates), Aspin: 27% (4 delegates), Zorinsky: 20% (3 delegates), Briscoe: 13%)
Oklahoma: Briscoe: 39% (18 delegates), Dukakis: 31% (14 delegates), Zorinsky: 23% (10 delegates), Aspin: 7%
Rhode Island: Dukakis: 63% (18 delegates_, Aspin: 20% (5 delegates), Briscoe: 10%, Zorinsky: 7%
Washington: Dukakis: 47% (33 delegates), Aspin: 27% (15 delegates), Briscoe: 18% (10 delegates), Zorinsky: 8%

Having failed to win any of the first 11 primaries, Zorinsky drops out on March 14, and endorses Briscoe.

Delegate Totals on March 14:
Dukakis: 295
Briscoe: 195
Aspin: 45

With the race apparently a two man game between Dukakis and Briscoe, the upcoming primaries are a gift for Dukakis, as they are held in Illinois, which is a winner take all state, and Connecticut, two Dukakis strongholds:
Illinois: Dukakis: 47% (179 delegates), Briscoe: 30%, Aspin: 23%
Connecticut: Dukakis: 62% (34 delegates), Aspin: 20% (12 delegates), Briscoe: 18% (8 delegates)

On April 3, the only April primaries are held, and they're big contests for all three candidates.
New York: Dukakis: 37% (94 delegates), Aspin: 33% (94 delegates), Briscoe: 30% (94 delegates)
Wisconsin: Aspin: 67% (56 delegates), Dukakis: 19% (19 delegates), Briscoe: 14%
Pennsylvania: Dukakis: 45% (101 delegates), Briscoe: 40% (84 delegates), Aspin: 15%

Delegates Totals on April 31:
Dukakis: 509
Briscoe: 373
Aspin: 195

Shortly before the Tennessee primary, Aspin decides to drop out and endorse Dukakis, giving him a seemingly insurmountable lead.  In order to convince Briscoe to drop out as well, Dukakis promises him the task of selecting a Vice President.  Briscoe agrees, and even though he wins the Tennessee primary with 57%, he endorses Dukakis for President.

At the Convention in Houston, Dukakis announces his selection of Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate, and Bentsen delivers an excellent speech attacking the fiscal irresponsibility of the Hatfield Administration, and promising victory in November for the Dukakis/Bentsen ticket.


The Republican Nomination

Despite having approvals in the mid 60’s, President Hatfield faces a challenge for re-nomination in 1984.  On September 9, 1983, Reverend Pat Robertson, the son of former Senator Absalom Willis Robertson (D-VA), announces that he will run against Hatfield for the nomination.

Robertson attacks his fellow Evangelical Christian for not being tough enough on issues like abortion, and hits him especially hard on the Gay Rights legislation.  Robertson draws most of his support from fellow Evangelicals, and that is not nearly enough.  He draws just 32% in Iowa, 26% in New Hampshire, and just 9% in both Massachusetts and Vermont.  After getting just 44% in South Carolina, Robertson reluctantly drops out, and announces his support for Hatfield.

At the Convention in Miami, Hatfield and Bush are both re-nominated, and pledge victory in November, and a continuation of the previous 4 years’ policies.

The General Election

From the start, Hatfield has a significant lead.  The Israeli-Egyptian peace program, the economic recovery, and the Gay Rights Bill all place him leagues ahead of Dukakis.

In the debates, as well, Hatfield humiliates Dukakis, who stumbles and fumbles through each question.  Hatfield, by contrast, appears far more Presidential, and his lead only increases after each debate.

On election day, Hatfield receives one of the largest margins in the second half the 20th Century, as Dukakis holds only his home state of Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia.

Mark Hatfield/George HW Bush: 60.2% PV, 522 EV
Michael Dukakis/Lloyd Bentsen: 37.6% PV, 16 EV
Others: 2.2% PV, 0 EV

The Congressional Elections

Despite Hatfield’s remarkable landslide, the victory is more personal than Party, and the GOP actually loses seats in the House.

Senate Results

Republicans: 51 (-)
Democrats: 49 (-)

House Results
Democrats: 232 (+11)
Republicans: 203 (-11)

[Kaine for Senate '18]

County Map for 1984:

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Also, for the county maps are you just going through paint and doing it manually?

Yup.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Well, Ill be a monkey's uncle, I was not expecting the update on the '84 election so soon lol. Neither was I expecting for Duke to get the nod, but he was the pinacle for the White Ethnics who had begun to dominate the party from the 70's and 80's so it's not suprising he would still run. Zorinsky would have been a good pic if would have had more of a national profile. Btw did Vice President Church still sucumb to pancreatic cancer as he did IOTL. I am looking forward to see what else Hatfield gets done in second term. Keep it comming

Thanks you; sadly, Vice President Church did even earlier, in 1982.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

In case anyone's interested, I've uploaded the 1976 county results map into the Gallery.