Talk Elections

You know the drill


Its 1952, and Eisenhower has been killed in battle, so obviously he cant run. Stevenson easily gets the nomination for the Democrats, and he picks Sparkman. The Republicans are on the search for a candidate!

However, Stalin gets pissed at the USA and starts nuclear war.

The End

With a desire to get even with Democrat Truman for the latter's firing of him, Douglas MacArthur jumps into the fray with cries of turning Russia into a national graveyard.

Douglas MacArthur's intemperate meanderings about "turning Russia into a national graveyard" had effectively removed the 72 year old retired general from serious consideration for the Republican nomination.

The still young political veteran, the former crime busting District Attorney, the 50 year old New York Governor, and 1944 and 1948 Republican Presidential candidate, Thomas Dewey, stating "the third time's a charm," cruises comfortably to the Republican Presidential nomination.

"It's Time For Dewey" organizations are established throughout America.

Dewey chooses the experienced and distinguished Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan for Vice President.  The 63 year old Ferguson brings impressive credentials to the ticket, a former law professor, a former circuit court judge, and Senator from Michigan since 1942. 

The ticket is given excellent reviews in the press.  The Governor from the northeast with executive experience, the Senator from the midwest with Washington legislative experience.  Both experienced, very smart, and both successful lawyers.   

The Democrats have occupied the White House since 1933.  America is looking for a new administration.  The young, dynamic, experienced, and brilliant Tom Dewey fits the bill.

The 1952 campaign begins.  Republicans Governor Thomas Dewey of New York and Senator Homer Ferguson of Michigan take on Democrats Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois and Senator John Sparkman of Alabama.   

The electorate is looking for a new administration, but doesn't trust the Republican party, after the last time they were in office post-war lead to a massive depression. Realising this, moderate Republican...

The Republican ticket, Dewey and Ferguson, hit the campaign trail the day after the Republican National Convention, which was held in Philadelphia.  Dewey had learned a valuable lesson from the 1948 campaign.  In 1948, he coasted.  This time, his campaign would be relentless, right up until election day.

Post convention polling is showing the Republican ticket with a massive lead over the Democrats, Dewey at 56%, Stevenson at 34%, others at 2%, undecided at 8%.

Dewey and Ferguson begin the campaign by barnstorming together through Pennsylvania.  They then split up, with Dewey campaigning in New Jersey and New York, while Ferguson campaigns in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine.

Everywhere they go, the crowds are getting larger and larger.  "Change is in the air.  A new day is dawning for democracy, a new day is dawning for America," Dewey tells the ever growing and enthusiastic crowds.  Ferguson tells large and enthusiastic crowds in New England "Tom Dewey and I are going to clean up Washington, we are going to restore meaning and purpose to government.  A new day is dawning for America."

They are staying with the theme "A new day is dawning."

Nelson Rockefeller, an unknown but still known for his family, decides to put his hate in the ring.  Rockefeller worked for a time in several family-run businesses and philanthropies before entering public service. He became an Assistant Secretary of State during World War II, where he was Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, an anti-Nazi alliance for Central and South America. After the war, he headed the International Development Advisory Board, part of Truman's Point Four Program.

Rockefeller has threatened to use all his resources (which is a lot since his whole family is supporting him) on his campaign.  He is currently searching for a Vice-President.

Stalin wants to prove he wasnt bluffing. He does. Effeicientally. Americans wake up to news that Los Angelos has been nuked.

. . .was the leading Onion report of the day.  The fake newspaper is immediately shut down.

via a Russian nuke. ;) The HQ of Onion was in Los Angelos.

Suddenly, Los Angeles Mayor Fletcher Bowron wakes up from his dream, that a Russian nuke hit the Onion building.

Stalin hears of the dream from Bowron's secretary. He likes the idea. He decides to put it in action, so he blows up Los Angelos.

Then Stalin wakes up from HIS dream, the dream that he likes the idea of nuking Los Angeles, and decides that in reality it would not be a good idea at all.  Therefore, no nuclear attacks take place in reality, only in these dreams that Bowron and Stalin have been having.

State congressman Sound wakes up from a dream where he likes Winfield and True Dem, only to soon remember he hates them :D

The Republican ticket has campaigned hard from July 12 to July 20 in the northeastern states.  Out of courtesy, they take a break from campaigning from July 21 to July 26, which is when the Democratic National Convention is held in Chicago.  They spend this time mapping strategy, and resting up for the more intense campaigning that lies ahead. 

Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois is officially nominated as the Presidential nominee and Senator John Sparkman of Alabama is officially nominated as the Vice Presidential nominee for the Democratic Party.

On July 27, both Dewey and Ferguson hit the summer barbecue circuit, barnstorming the midwest, meeting thousands of Americans at county fairs, state fairs, holding rallys in both small and large cities, and getting out their message of "a new day is dawning," "peace and prosperity," and "cleaning up Washington."  They campaign in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri.

In Detroit, Michigan, home state of the Vice Presidential nominee, Dewey and Ferguson reunite, and both speak at a massive, noisy, enthusiastic rally.  Dewey pledges, "I will go to Korea.  We must bring peace to that region, and end the suffering of so many innocent people.  We want our troops home as soon as possible."     

President Patton wakes up from his dream and is glad that it was different from his usual nightmare of dying after a car wreck and them being buried in Luxembourg of all places.

Juan Peron decides he needs to make Argentina a technological superpower, possibly thanks to interference from Alien Space Bats. His first success is to prevent Alan Turing's suicide, gets him off hormones, and brings him to Argentina. He also manages to catch a few Nazi rocketeers.

And Rockefeller is still searching for a VP.

The latest polls hav indicated the following:
Dewey/Ferguson:29%
Stevenson/Sparkman: 27%
Rockefeller/?: 19%
Other/Undecided: 25%

The high number of undecideds means the race is anyone's to win.

Beginning August 21, Tom Dewey heads back east, making campaign stops in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.  Ferguson continues westward, campaigning in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

After this series of tours, which takes the candidates until August 31, Dewey flies out west, making campaign stops in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho.  During this same time period, Ferguson campaigns in Washington, Oregon, and Nevada.  Dewey and Ferguson reunite for heavy campaigning in California, making stops in all the major centres of the state, north to south.  This part of the campaign tour takes them up until September 21.

Dewey and Ferguson then continue together, flying to Texas for some heavy campaigning, making stops in all the major centres of Texas.  They then split up again, Dewey goes to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.  Dewey tells a huge rally at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, "I will strive for peace, but I will be uncompromising and relentless in the defense and security of America, at home and abroad."  The crowd erupts into wild and sustained applause and cheering, shouting over and over, "Dewey, Dewey, Dewey."

Ferguson goes to Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee.  This campaigning takes up until October 4.

The Republican ticket prepares for the final, determined, intense, all out campaigning in the most crucial areas of the country for them, the northeast, the border states, the midwest, the plains states, the mountain states, and the pacific states.  These areas of the country will be campaigned  in relentlessly from now until election day, with the biggest emphasis being put on the big electoral vote states.  There will be no coasting, nothing will be taken for granted.  This campaign is well financed and well organized.  They are making extensive use of the new and powerful campaign media, television, investing heavily in this technological advancement.

Nelson Rockefeller, age 44, wishing to add a bi-partisan flair to his candidacy, persuades Democrat John W. Snyder, age 57, of Arkansas, Secretary of the Treasury since 1946, to be his Vice Presidential running mate.

Rockefeller had gotten to know Snyder when he, Rockefeller, was head of the International Developoment Advisory Board during the Truman administration.

Snyder was well experienced, and had impressive credentials, particularly in economic matters.  During World War II, he was Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion, in which he played a leading part in the transition of the nation's economy from wartime to a peacetime basis.

As mentioned previously, Snyder has since been serving as Treasury Secretary since 1946.

On September 1, 1952, former Vice President of the United States (1941-45), former Secretary of Agriculture (1933-40), and former Secretary of Commerce (1945-46), Democrat Henry Wallace, age 64, of Iowa, announces his independent candidacy for President of the United States.

His Vice Presidential running mate is Massachusetts Governor, since 1949, Democrat Paul Dever, age 49.  Dever was as well Attorney General of Massachusetts 1936-40.  As Governor, Dever has increased state aid to schools, extended higher education benefits to Korean War veterans, and taken up the causes of civil defense and of resisting domestic communism.  He has as well advocated increasing old age and workers compensation insurance.           

Unfortunately, Soviet spies successfully assassinate every single candidate and then stuff the ballot boxes on Election Day, resulting in the unanimous election of Joseph Stalin as the next President of the United States

...in his dreams. Actually, The Juan Peron/Francisco Franco ticket won :P

Every so often during the 1952 campaign, false reports are issued to the public that candidates have been assassinated, or that Joseph Stalin or Juan Peron becomes U.S. President, or that a large U.S. city has been nuked by the Soviet Union, or that the state of Oregon on the west coast and the state of South Carolina on the east coast have become detathed from the mainland and are floating out to sea.

The source of these rumors is traced to an individual by the name of Cedric Bickelseimer, a 78 year old resident of Dill City, Oklahoma.  Mr. Bickelseimer is charged with public mischief, and due to his age, he is not sentenced to any jail time.  The judge does, however, sentence Mr. Bickelseimer to read the complete party platforms of the Republican Party, of the Democtatic Party, the platform of candidate Nelson Rockefeller, the platform of candidate Henry Wallace, and to give him, the judge, a detailed synopsis report of these platforms in 2 weeks time.   

On October 7, at a huge rally in Columbus, Ohio, Republican Vice Presidential candidate Ferguson referred to Democratic Presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson as an "egghead," meaning Stevenson was out of touch with ordinary people and was lacking in realism and common sense.

The press quickly picked up on this term, and it dogged Stevenson throughout the rest of the campaign.  The perception in the minds of ordinary Americans of Stevenson as an out of touch intellectual became widespread throughout the country.       

Election night 1952

Dewey/Ferguson sweep through the northeast, down into the border states of Maryland and Delaware, and into parts of the midwest, taking Dewey's home state of New York by a substantial margin and Ferguson's home state of Michigan by a wide margin.  They sweep the plains, mountain states, and the west coast.

Stevenson/Sparkman sweeps the south, as well as takaing Stevenson's home state of Illinois comfortably, and winning Missouri, home state of current President Harry Truman.

Wallace/Dever take Wallace's home state of Iowa, and are able to add Minnesota and Wisconsin, a decent showing for this ticket.

Rockefeller/Snyder fail to win any states.  Nelson Rockefeller, aside from the fame of the Rockefeller family, is not widely known as a public fugure.  His time will come in the future.

Dewey/Ferguson                304 EV  48% PV
Stevenson/Sparkman         194 EV  40% PV 
Wallace/Dever                      33 EV    8% PV
Rockefeller/Snyder                  0 EV    4% PV

The Dewey era begins.   

()

The government of Argentina brings Ernst Heinkel, the elderly founder and one-time stockholder in Heinkel Flugzeugwerke, to Buenos Aires to establish a national airline industry. The new Heinkel factory is presently being used to produce license-built Gloster Meteors for the Argentine Air Force.

But then Stalin starts nuclear war and 99% of humans die, and Dewey's victory is largely regarded by the historians of the few remaining survivors as the worst thing to ever befall humanity.

The "Stalin starts nuclear war and 99% of humans die" story was spread by Cedric Bickelseimer in strict defiance of the court order that he cease and desist in making up and spreading any more stories to the public. 

The judge in this case has Bickelseimer undergo a physhological exam, in which Bickelseimer is found to be a "compulsive rumor monger," and is found to be incapable of controlling his compulsion to make up and spread stories, which are usually stories that alarm the public.  Therefore, the judge has Bickelseimer admitted to the "Oklahoma State Institution For Compulsive Rumor Spreaders," in Bartlesville, where he will have no means of communicating with the outside world.   

Stalin personally assinates Winfield, then drops a nuke on every major city in the world. Russia slowly colonizes the entire Earth, and eventually, the galaxy.

Then SoS locked the thread so that Stalin finally gets a chance to actally nuke someone. :)