Watson Timeline: Mark 2

[Dr. Cynic]

Delaware and RI both went to Mondale... I know, it's kinda tough to see... Delaware didn't fill in properly because it would change the background color.

I think you should consider using electoral votes calculator. Now it have more color options.

I only just figured out how to do it on paint! I'm not changing that quickly lol

[Dr. Cynic]

When Watson made a positive refusal, Mondale contacted Westman about the opportunity. Westman accepted the VP slot on the condition that he could also run for re-election in his Montana Senate seat.

In your previous versions, Lawrence Watson was born in 1950, which means he's 34 in 1984. One year short of being eligible for President.

As of Westman, he was elected in 1976, which means he was just reelected in 1982. Unless, of course, you butterflied something.

Otherwise, great job as usual

Watson would be 34, but only between January 20th and February 11th... It matters not anyway lol.

Westman I have being elected previously in 1978. (He was in the House from 1972-1977) Only a minor butterfly.

Interesting.
I never really imagined Westman in the US House.  I wonder, whose ass did he kick to get into the House?  Please tell me it was Max Baucus!
You do understand though that the reason why Westman didn't run for re-election for the US Senate in original Americana had to do with Montana Election Law and not because the LP wouldn't let him, right?  So presumably Montana Legislature would have had to pass some sort of LBJ rule in your TL in order for Westman to even think about "double-running" in 1984.
Just checking.

Sure it can be Max Baucus if you want!

Yes, I understand, however, I've butterflied the law away for my own convenience... I do little sh**t like that from time to time, though I try not to go overboard with them lol.

[Dr. Cynic]

March 24th, 1984

Owen Samuel Clark Watson entered the world. Having taken time off campaigning for Jeff Dent's Presidential campaign to be there with Laura. Both Owen and Samuel were family names. Owen P. Watson was Lawrence's great-grand uncle. Samuel had been the middle name of Phillip Samuel Watson, a former Liberal MP from Plymouth who was the child's great-great-grandfather. Lawrence liked to use family names. The couple's first child, Brian also was named for a relative.

Watson took an extended leave from the campaign trail, determined to spend time with his family. His children were young and Laura was his personal priority. Although personally loyal to him, Watson's stubborn refusal to return to the stump irritated Jimmy Lewis who had taken a job on the Dent campaign. Lewis was devoted to the family, but Lawrence's obstinance sometimes made his life with the press and with important figures difficult. Watson didn't like to go out of his way to impress people. He was what they saw. Lewis was the one who made relations between his boss and the press or his peers workable.

Laura Watson was a happy mother. She blushed at press attention to her youth and good looks. Her husband made sure she didn't see the attacks on her husband nor the mean-spirited parodies of her Australian accent. If she'd seen them, she might've broken down in tears. Lawrence and Laura were essentially family oriented. Most of his peers were older and few had new children to raise. Politics was Watson's job. Not his life. But when Walter Mondale came away from California with the Democratic nomination, politics became an obsession. Watson would campaign with Westman but not Mondale. Instead, Watson went back to Pittsburgh, showing up in the Senate rarely for that year except to vote. He obsessed over political news and perhaps immaturely hoped for the mutual destruction.

[Dr. Cynic]

Man, good luck Mondale/Westman.
They're going to need it, what with half of the party pissed off at Mondale and a good chuck upset at Westman's pretty libertarian views (with exception of healthcare).

Meh, I guess it's kind of like Dukakis/Bentsen.  Except that of course Westman has a lot less experience and if anything is more divisive than Walter Mondale.

Good luck Democrats of 1984!

Yeah, there are some pretty pissed off people. Westman being on the ticket though isn't nearly half the bother of a lot of the Democrats. Many are bitter that Mondale went into the convention trailing and came out the nominee, even those who would be predisposed to support him. Much of Dent's following aren't enthusiastic anyway because Reagan seems a bit unbeatable despite the row over health care.

[Dr. Cynic]

I'll update this tomorrow... Tonight's a little too hectic to be creative.

[Dr. Cynic]

"My family is always going to be my priority in life," Lawrence Watson would tell the press. Politics and everything else came second. In their plush, yet modest Mt. Washington home, the Watson family would busy themselves during the Presidential campaign with decidedly non-political matters. A new son and Steelers football consumed him for much of the early autumn. A frequent box guest of Art Rooney, Watson would watch the games with frequent disappointment in 1984. Terry Bradshaw was gone as was most of the original Steel Curtain. The Steelers were a playoff team that year, but not as good as they had been ten years ago when they won their first Super Bowl.

The Watson family also were preparing for a return trip to Sydney so her parents could meet the new addition. Still in all, Lawrence would watch the polls with disgust. The Libertarian Party under Ed Clark, making his second run, was emerging as a credible challenger to people who disliked the status quo third parties. Clark defined his brand as "low tax liberalism or classical liberalism". Watson had met Clark only once and briefly when both had attended a BBQ at the Westman Ranch in Montana.

President Reagan seemed headed for a victory though. Watson did campaign a few times for the MondaleWestman ticket, which did help the ticket a great deal in Pennsylvania, however it was doing little to boost the national poll numbers. When November rolled around, Mondale was crushed in election day.

Clark impressively won electoral votes in three small states while Reagan crushed Mondale in most of the battlegrounds. There were some positives for the Democrats. It was a better result than 1980 and both the Democrats won their home states. Scott Westman also kept his Montana Senate seat.

[Dr. Cynic]

lol @ Montana going 60% Democratic.

It makes sense, but it's still kind of funny considering how well Reagan did there IRL.
What a difference a Montana Democrat makes to the ticket.

I actually forgot to play with those buttons until after I'd finished lol Ah well... For the sake of pretend, we'll say Montana's a bit more Democratic than IRL lol.

[Dr. Cynic]

It's all good Use him however you like

Of course I'd be in trouble if I actually could drive IRL lol.

[Dr. Cynic]

It's all good Use him however you like

Of course I'd be in trouble if I actually could drive IRL lol.

Can't drive? You're not alone. I can't either.

Well, I have a problem with my depth perception so I gave up my license.

[Dr. Cynic]

"The one lesson we can take from 1984 is that the Libertarians now hold some real power. This country is clearly in a non-interventionist mood. That bodes well for Democrats who are more conservative such as Scott Westman, Dale Bumpers and Bill Clinton. It could practically be the death blow to liberals or social democrats like Jeff Dent, Ted Kennedy and Lawrence Watson."

Of all the parties that claimed to be big-tent outfits, the Democrats carried perhaps the biggest tent of all. From old-fashioned southerners like George Wallace to civil libertarians like Scott Westman to practical euro-style social democrats like Lawrence Watson, the gamut was wide. Although the Democrats gained on their 1980 performance and added some new blood, the party was really back to square one. No true unifying ideology like the Republicans or even the Libertarians who were emerging as a credible, though still small, third force now.

Pennsylvania is a boon for politicians who label themselves as "moderate". Governor Ertel was a "moderate". Senator Heinz was a "moderate". Senator Watson... He was not. He never would claim to be, either.

"I am what I am. Label me a leftist. A liberal. A social democrat. A socialist. I've heard all three. At the end of the day, I'm a Democrat who represents Pennsylvania. If my beliefs make me a left-winger, so be it. If Pennsylvania feels I no longer represent them, they can always kick me out."

But in saying that, he knew full well that Pennsylvania wasn't going to. With two years to re-election, he'd quickly established a power base. He'd worked on several pieces of legislation with John Heinz, his Republican counterpart. He had successfully manipulated the media and he was charismatic. People liked him. They saw the giant frame and the ready laugh. They heard the thundering voice and they saw the protection he brought to them when the steel industry left.

Lawrence Watson was a caring political leader. He did legitimately care for the people he represented, especially in Pittsburgh. It was HIS city as even John Heinz (also a Pittsburgh native) would admit. But he was also a clever and manipulative politician whose particular talent was an eye on his own advancement. Perhaps not always the grandest strategist in terms of a national agenda, he did however know how to get himself ahead and how to do so quickly.

"Jimmy... How does 1988 look?"

"I don't know... I still think 1992 is the better shot. My sources tell me that they want Dent next time around."

"I don't think so. Something tells me Jeff won't get in."

"If you're wrong," Lewis fretted in his high-pitched nasally voice.

"Then why not endorse him," Watson smiled. "We wait for Jeff to do what he's going to do. This economy is going to get worse and people are going to get angry. Whatever Democrat runs in '88, the election will be a hell of a lot easier."

[Dr. Cynic]

List of Senate victories is forthcoming...

[Dr. Cynic]

I'll try to update this again today when I'm not sleeping

[Dr. Cynic]

Yeah... You'll have to bear with it being slow for a bit.

[Dr. Cynic]

Wait, how did Clark end up rising up as the third choice? Also, what'd he do, chose Hatfield as his runningmate or something? I'd expect him to take Wyoming, not Nebraska!

Because I wanted him to

Actually, he chose Vince McMahon. I dunno why

[Dr. Cynic]

This is going on temporary hiatus right now as I'm writing two other things and I just can't focus on it as much at the same time. So it'll be back when I finish that up.

[Dr. Cynic]

THE U.S. SENATE AFTER THE 1986 ELECTION (99th CONGRESS)

Howell Heflin
Jefferson Dent

Mike Gravel
Frank Murkowski

John McCain
Morris Udall

Dale Bumpers
David Pryor

Alan Cranston
Pete Wilson

Gary Hart
Bill Armstrong

Lowell Weicker
Chris Dodd

Joe Biden
William V. Roth

Lawton Chiles
Bob Graham

Sam Nunn
Wyche Fowler

Daniel K. Inouye
Spark Matsunaga

James A. McClure
Steve Symms

Alan Dixon
Paul Simon

Richard Lugar
Dan Quayle

Chuck Grassley
Tom Harkin

Bob Dole
Nancy Kassebaum

Wendell Ford
Mitch McConnell

Russell Long
J. Bennett Johnston

William Cohen
George Mitchell

Barbara Mikulski
Paul Sarbanes

Ted Kennedy
John Kerry

Carl Levin
Jim Dunn

Rudy Boschwitz
David Durenberger

John Stennis
Thad Cochran

Tom Eagleton
John Danforth

John Melcher
Scott Westman

David Karnes
Bob Kerrey

Paul Laxalt
Chic Hecht

Gordon Humphrey
Warren Rudman

Bill Bradley
Frank Lautenberg

Pete Dominici
Jeff Bingaman

Dan Moynihan
Al D'Amato

Jesse Helms
Nick Galifianakis

Quentin Burdick
Mark Andrews

John Glenn
Howard Metzenbaum

David Boren
Don Nickels

Mark Hatfield
Rod Monroe

Lawrence Watson
John Heinz

Claiborne Pell
John Chafee

Strom Thurmond
Ernest Hollings

Larry Pressler
James Abdnor

Jim Sasser
Al Gore

Lloyd Bentsen
Phil Gramm

Orrin Hatch
Jake Garn

Robert Stafford
Pat Leahy

Paul Trible, Jr
John Warner

Slade Gorton
Daniel J. Evans

Robert Byrd
Jay Rockefeller

William Proxmire
Bob Kasten

Alan Simpson
Malcolm Wallop

[Dr. Cynic]

SENATE LEADERSHIP

MAJORITY LEADER: TED KENNEDY
MAJORITY WHIP: JEFFERSON DENT

MINORITY LEADER: BOB DOLE
MINORITY WHIP: JOHN WARNER

Most Importantly....

SENATOR SITTING AT THE CANDY DESK THIS YEAR: WYCHE FOWLER

[Dr. Cynic]

As for the tradition of the candy desk, it should be noted that in 1985, the parties agreed to trade off each year. 1986 would be the Democrats' year. I'll be keeping track of the Senator at the candy desk from now on

[Dr. Cynic]

White House Recordings: Reagan-Bob Dole-James Baker conversation on White House's efforts to get their new budget passed with increased defense spending

Dole: Well, Mr. President, we're looking at no way this bill passes. Not in the Senate as it stands now, anyway.

Reagan: Well, what can we do to get it across? Who's causing the trouble?

Dole: Kennedy's not letting anything through. He's got Dent going around and getting the Democrats to all fly straight. I'm having problems just keeping my own house in order. Weicker doesn't like it. Rudman doesn't like it. Heinz doesn't like it. John Warner doesn't even like it, but he's committed to it.

Reagan: Well, who's not committed of the people who don't like it? Is there anything we can do, to uh--maybe bring 'em around?

Dole: John Heinz. He and Watson met yesterday for lunch to talk about it. I can maybe stick a few southern votes in to replace him, he's not a big loss.

Baker Bob, we need everything we can in there. How can we get him?

Reagan: He's close to Lawrence and that's caused a problem. Is there any... (unintelligible) We can't find a way to do that?

Baker: Watson's the most popular politician in Pennsylvania. He's got a personal vote and Heinz likes to associate with that and be seen with him doing dumbass things like opening Museums or the local K-Mart. If Watson ever got it in his goddamned head to fight with Heinz and put him out for some sh**tty Dem like Governor Ertel or old Pete Flaherty or something, we'd have a serious issue.

Reagan: We can make use of his alcoholism. Push Heinz away from him a bit, maybe? At least long enough to get his vote, right Bob?

Dole: He's been clean for almost ten years now though. We tried it already and it didn't work.

Reagan He has affairs, doesn't he?

Baker: We can put someone on him and watch his moves, Mr. President.

Dole: He's squeaky-clean though. He never goes anywhere without that Australian wife of his. They're joined at the goddamn hip. I know her. She's very touchy when anyone badmouths his fat ass.

Baker: Maybe she's just the key we need?

Reagan: I don't like that idea, though. Shouldn't use his wife that (unintelligible)... We'd have all of those groups on our asses. See what you can do, guys. Get Heinz back in the fold, somehow, Bob.

[Dr. Cynic]

Bob Dole would meet frequently with John Heinz over the next three weeks. Heinz, himself didn't like the budget to begin with. It increased spending in ways he didn't agree with. Particularly, it also lowered tariff rates. In that regard, the two Pennsylvania Senators would completely agree. Defense spending was increased again. Heinz worried it could escalate tensions with the Soviets. David Steel, the Prime Minister of Great Britain had phoned President Reagan earlier in the week expressing such a concern. Watson exhibited a great deal of personal influence on John Heinz. The two were erstwhile friends who happened to agree on a number of issues. One happened to be that the budget sucked.

In the meanwhile, Ted Kennedy knew he had his house in order. There were going to be rebellions, sure. Russell Long, John Stennis and Lloyd Bentsen all phoned Kennedy and Jeff Dent to inform them that they would be voting in favor of the budget. Those votes, they could expend. Kennedy felt confidant that the Senate would defeat that budget. He, Dent, Claiborne Pell, Mo Udall and Daniel Inouye all worked on a Democratic alternative budget. Kennedy chose his most popular speakers such as Gary Hart, Dale Bumpers, Watson and Udall out to sell the alternative. Kennedy himself thought that Reagan would sign as long as the Senate votes would hold out strong.

At the same time that the Democratic alternative was being sold to the public, James Baker hired private investigators to look into Senator Watson. Needing Senator Heinz's aye vote, to give him a reason to break with Watson would be the way. Watson, himself was wise to the plan. For several days he noticed two or three of the same individuals in the same cars following him either in Pennsylvania or Washington. In a bit of tongue-in-cheek impishness, Watson had one of his staffers provide coffee and donuts to the investigators. He didn't care if they followed him, anyway. Indeed, they found him to be squeaky clean. Going back to Baker, they told him, "This is a man behaving like a Presidential candidate. Either he's very careful or following him is not the way."

[Dr. Cynic]

May 23rd, 1986

"YOU ARE NOT THE KING OF THE GODDAMNED WORLD, Y'KNOW!"

Jimmy Lewis, the nasal voiced wunderkind political manager and close friend of Senator Watson since childhood had lost his temper. Lawrence Watson was still his boss and still someone who it was universally believed, Presidential timber. Still at 36, Watson had already pushed himself into the Senate and House already. At 38, a candidate for President?... No, it would be too much for Lewis. He was stressed already from managing his boss' need to campaign. Wait until '92. 1988 was too soon.

"Just because you know they've put a tail on you, it doesn't make you omnipotent! I can't get a Presidential campaign ready for 1988! You've got this year's election to think about. You keep getting ahead of yourself! You don't need to be retired at the oldest, 46. Take your damn time!"

Watson couldn't understand it. He didn't think he'd win the nomination in '88 anyway. What he wanted was to raise his profile. Still, Lewis was exhausted from almost constantly having to plan some other campaign. Laura was totally against it. She was not naturally an extrovert and desperately wanted more time at home with him. Something that would be impossible with a national campaign. His children were still young and they had already been put through the tests of having him away in Washington as well as constantly on the road in Pennsylvania six days a week. He needed to check his overconfidence. In the 1986 election season, he would not have to face a primary. Instead, he spent the primary season catching up with his family and working on figuring out who to endorse in the gubernatorial campaign. Governor Allen Ertel, who Watson had thought was a good Governor, but he was facing three credible challengers for another term. All of whom wanted to be Governor. First, there was Bob Casey, the socially conservative, fiscally liberal Lt. Governor from Scranton. Pennsylvania law requires the separate primary elections and Casey had tapped into Pennsylvania's reputation for being moderate and had struck a chord with elderly labor voters and Reagan Democrats. Also in the contest were Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, a liberal through and through, though not one of the "social democrats" like Watson. Rendell did run to the left of the whole field though and the roly-poly Mayor, built like Watson, was hoping for his endorsement as Pennsylvania's kingmaker. The final major candidate was Treasurer Catherine Baker Knoll. A conservative Democrat who was from and exceptionally popular in Western Pennsylvania, especially with women. Watson ruled her out from endorsement automatically due to her relatively right wing positions and the fact that if she did become more popular, she'd spoil his powerful base in Pittsburgh. He would have none of it and openly said so.

He did not particularly know Casey, but his pro-life position ruled him out. Casey was bitter at not getting the endorsement from someone just as pro-labor as he was and the two would eventually become enemies. So the choice boiled down to Ertel and Rendell. Ertel had once been a rival, though cordial relations had been re-established. Rendell was closer politically, but to campaign for him meant more frequent appearances in Philadelphia, far from his home and a city he did not feel completely comfortable in. An eastern seaboard city with a New England-like mindset, Philadelphia did not rely on labor and industry as much as Pittsburgh, a mid-west minded city did. The two cities really belonged in different states. Pittsburgh was more like Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland. Philadelphia more like Boston, New York and Baltimore. When he'd run his first statewide campaign, he hated being in Philly. His attitude had moderated a great deal, but he didn't care to be there longer than he had to. He felt out of place if he attended Eagles games when invited by his loyal machine in Philadelphia. He chose to compromise and root for the Eagles in the NFC while his beloved Steelers would be his overall favorite. He desperately wanted a Pennsylvania Super Bowl for the interest and attention it would generate for the state. He did keenly want to see a match-up between Chuck Noll and Buddy Ryan, two defensive geniuses.

He decided to back Rendell, but begged off making any more than three or four appearances for him. He allowed his loyal staffers to help out Rendell's campaign. However, he discovered Rendell to be a absent-minded and a bit haphazard of a campaigner. In the Lt. Governor's primary, he endorsed a loyal lieutenant, State Rep. Allen Kukovich, a Westmoreland county native. He also endorsed Mark Singel to take over his old House seat, which was gerrymandered into parts of powerful Jack Murtha's territory. With Watson's backing, Singel barely squeezed by Murtha.

[Dr. Cynic]

An Interview with Senator Lawrence Watson, recorded October 9th, 1986

Interviewer: Our readers have had some basic questions for you. Such as when and where were you born?

Watson: February 11th, 1950. In Pittsburgh.

Interviewer: You're of Scots-English ancestry, are you not?

Watson: I am. My great-great-grandfather, Phillip Watson was a British MP. My grandfather Fred was the first Watson born in America in 1886.

Interviewer: You've never lost an election. You won surprising victories to Congress in 1976 and you defeated Arlen Specter in a huge upset in 1980 to win the Senate seat. What's made you so successful, do you think?

Watson: I think Pennsylvania identifies with me. I think I am someone who they consider just like them. I really am not wealthy and never have been. I only owned two suits when I campaigned for Congress. When I played football for Pitt, I injured my back and had to have a surgery on it and of course campaigning just flamed it up. I don't regret it though because I love campaigning and I really enjoy serving in Congress. I like the give and take and the chance I have to make someone's life better.

Interviewer: You had a very public bout with alcoholism in your first years in Congress, how did you get clean and do you still drink?

Watson: Well, let's be clear. I was an alcoholic before I went to Washington. I just found more places to party. The reason I'm sober now is my wife Laura. She helped me out and I haven't had any alcohol since 1977.

Interviewer: You're wife is foreign, isn't she?

Watson: She was born in Brisbane, but lived in Sydney Australia.

Interviewer: And you have three children. How often do they see their relatives in Australia?

Watson: We go there once a year before Christmas.

Interviewer: What do you do to unwind at home?

Watson: Well, I have a large model railroad layout at my home in Mt. Washington and I always like to go to football games. I don't get to watch much TV, but I do like Night Court and Cheers on Thursdays.

Interviewer: Will you be running for President in 1988?

Watson: No, I won't be. I can say that unequivocally. I enjoy the Senate, so I think I'll stick around there.

[Dr. Cynic]

1986 Pennsylvania Senate Election

Lawrence Watson 2,174,253 votes 61%
Mike Fisher 1,384,698 votes 38.9%

[Dr. Cynic]

I'd love to see 1980 map

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=138613.msg2969254#msg2969254

There ya go. I didn't make up vote totals for that one, though.

[Dr. Cynic]

D. Michael "Mike" Fisher was widely regarded in the Republican Party and was liked in Pennsylvania as a moderate and friendly man who got on well even with opponents. He had been a State Senator and although he had originally been touted for Lt. Governor, he chose to run for U.S. Senate. Legislating was always more comfortable an idea to him. Fisher and Watson debated twice. Once in Philadelphia and again in Pittsburgh. They were merely elementary. Senator Watson could rightly point to a record of bringing jobs and influence to Pennsylvania. He crowed especially over the population spike that occurred in Pittsburgh since taking office in 1981. Republican outlets and mailings portrayed Watson as a petulant child, arrogantly patting himself on the back, sometimes for things he didn't do. Fisher was not especially dynamic though and Watson already was becoming Pennsylvania's controlling power.

Watson regarded his 1986 victory as his least impressive. He had been well ahead the entire campaign, but it should be noted he was the very first Pennsylvania Democrat of the modern era to win his seat with over 60% of the vote.

"Still a nice one, boy," Mo Udall told him.

The Watsons would spend their winter recess in Sydney before getting back home in January in time for him to take up his seat. His earliest piece of legislation was written with Georgia's Wyche Fowler. The Watson-Fowler Act was an appropriation bill creating a high speed rail connection between Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Macon. It would create 2100 permanent jobs. It was passed and signed by President Reagan in April of '87. Though they'd voted for it, Republicans joked that Watson spent so much time by Fowler's desk because of the candy.