JFK Jr chosen as VP in '92, lives, beats Bush in 2000

[Hillary 2016]

In this scenario, JFK Jr is elected Mayor of New York City in 1989.  He is very popular.  To balance the ticket, Bubba chooses him as his VP.

The Clinton-Kennedy ticket is enormously popular with the Democrats and it trounces Bush in the 1992 election.  Perot loses all his traction due to the "Kennedy Bounce."

JFK Jr's charm remains during eight long years of Bubba in the W.H.  In 2000, JFK Jr, at the age of 39, is still fresh, young, and enormously popular with the Democratic base.

JFK Jr calls for an aggressive progressive platform, but is able to appeal to rural conservative voters at the same time.  He campaigns on fully funding Social Security, goes on the offensive against the Republicans for their privatization schemes; on health insurance coverage for all Americans through a progressive line of smaller bills; and continuing the Clinton legacy of
compromise, unprecedented economic growth, and more wealth for middle class citizens.
Republicans attack JFK Jr. as an elitist New Yorker who is out-of-touch with the rest of the country, and insinuate he is having affairs with countless women.
They also attack his liberalism and his lack of much of a record as Vice President.  "What has he really done for you?" asks a Republican TV commercial.

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy speaks directly to voters in the Kennedy commercials, asking them to follow their hearts and support the policies that will
put money into their pockets, give their children a world-class education, and take America into the 21st century with a spirit of optimism.

Instead of running away from Bill, JFK Jr. embraces the President and Bubba works his charms back on the American people by spending much of his last months
as President on the campaign trail.  The President apologizes to the country formally once more, but points to strong national indicators - and of course,
the economy.

While the Democrats seem upbeat and happy, the Republicans run a negative campaign.  George W. Bush is lambasted by everyone for rehashing stale
Republican rhetoric - cutting taxes.  JFK Jr. uses his big campaign issue against him - "George W. Bush wants to take your money and stuff it into
the pockets of the elite and powerful.  Those hard-earned dollars will blow right away, and into the hands of the greedy top 1%."

JFK Jr. also makes history by choosing the first woman to run with him on his ticket- Ann Richards of Texas - the folksy former Governor defeated
by Bush.  Ann gives a rousing speech to the Democratic National Convention, saying in that great Texas accent of hers, "It's payback time, George."

Ann Richards proves to be enormously popular on the trail with her trademark wit, candor, and down-to-earth quality.  The Kennedy campaign - JFK Jr., Ann, Carolyn, Bubba, and Hillary - stump in all the swing states to cheering crowds -
five political stars against "George and Dick."

The Democrats spare no expense and pound the networks with a European-style campaign, aimed to boost congressional candidates, and get voters
to proudly identify as Democrats and support the whole Democratic ticket.

Women flock to the Democratic ticket, seeing nothing in the Republican ticket that appeals to them, while men narrowly support "George and Dick", but young men support JFK Jr. overwhelmingly.

As the election gets closer, and the Democratic catchphrases and talking points are selling better, the Republicans resorts more to personal attacks.
But they make a major snafu when they begin to attack the memory of JFK, which does not fly with voters. 

To reach out to Republicans and conservative- leaning voters, JFK Jr. and Carolyn make strategic statements - Carolyn tells a group of women in Missouri that she does believe that a baby has a right to life, while JFK Jr. tells a group of men in Ohio that they have every right to own a gun, and nobody will ever take that away from you. The difference between me and George is that
I will protect that right and protect your children from gun violence.  "I will not allow another Columbine to happen," he tells a group of swing voters in Colorado.  Ann Richards goes to Florida and talks about law and order.  Using right-wing rhetoric against the Republicans in Tampa, she says "Permissive, soft gun laws are what the Republicans want.  That, we will never stand for."

[Hillary 2016]

The Republicans campaign on cultural issues- abortion, gays, and guns - and decide to go straight to the Christian fundamentalists and campaign outside of megachurches.  "If Kennedy gets in, he will force teachers to preach the virtues of homosexuality to your children," GW tells voters in West Virginia.
"A Kennedy administration would be the most liberal in history," Dick Cheney says in Iowa.  Fox News repeats the Republican line- JFK Jr. will legalize homosexual marriages.

JFK Jr. takes a principled, if unpopular, stand on the issue and airs a commercial with gay youth - supporting full GLBT rights.  Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, increasingly becoming the campaign attack dog, but maintaining the image of a feminine wife, says that there is nothing to be ashamed of
if you are gay and that we should "fully embrace gays into the fabric of American society."
To lure on-the-fence fiscal conservatives, JFK Jr. says that he will maintain the Clinton economic policies, reducing the deficit, and cutting wasteful spending.  To make his point, he holds up a Republican appropriations bill and ridicules the party's spending.  Since the Republicans control Congress, it is bad news for their congressional candidates.

To improve the Democrats' chances of taking back the Congress, and ending "this six-year spell of Republican hell" (as James Carville often says) the Democrats lay out a six-point platform: strengthening Social Security, reducing tax burden on the working poor and the middle class, investing in science and technological advancement, tough new national security measures, a Back to Basics education plan promoting values, morals, and life skills, and a national service law to mobilize our young people to serve their country.

A proactive strategy on national security and defense establishes the Democrats as the "Defense Party" which improves trust among white men. A commercial airs in crucial swing districts that shows the party heroes, FDR, Truman, and Kennedy, and reminds older voters of the Democratic legacy in foreign affairs and the tough choices that saved the world.

Polls show a deeply polarized nation but with key swing seats - Missouri, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, and New Mexico - leaning towards Kennedy. To boost turnout among high school and college students, the Kennedy campaign uses the power of the grassroots and of the Internet to revolutionize politics. Young people pour into the Kennedy rallies.  Everyone knows that if he is elected, JFK would make history as the youngest President ever, at 40.  While some think this too young, it is refreshing for many of the nation's voters under 40.

At the debates, Kennedy shows the voters that he is more than a pretty face.  He impresses his critic, challenges Bush on every issue, and never goes off the offensive.  The debates, like always, are declared a tossup, but polls show the debates cemented Kennedy's image, and unfortunately for him, Bush's.

Things however get messy quick. Bush's corporate pals run a barrage of negative ads.  With Big Oil money, the ads portray Kennedy as a liberal elitist from the Northeast with nothing in common with average voters.  The ads show everyday people in Ohio asking Kennedy derisively if he'd rather have a beer in Ohio or a "light French wine in Greenwich Village."  They also suggest that Kennedy is having an affair with many women - the Republicans pay a woman to tell the press that her and Kennedy had a one night stand last summer on an island off the Florida Keys.

Robocalls ask voters how they felt about 'recent revelations that Kennedy was a member of Socialist Youth as a young man' or if they felt comfortable with 'Ann Richards's secret affair with a lesbian professor in Austin'.

The infamous Republican right-wing smear machine's attacks backfires and polls show Kennedy leading among independents 50-37.

In the last week before Election Day, Kennedy goes on a strategic tour of the target Democratic states - stopping at an elementary school in Florida, talking to a church in Missouri, eating lunch with coal miners in West Virginia, visiting a college in Nevada, greeting union workers in Ohio, visiting Columbine High School in Colorado, speaking Spanish to Latino voters in Arizona, a rally in suburban southeast Pennsylvania, etc.

Bush rallies the NRA in Pennsylvania, speaks out against teachers unions in Virginia, reaches out to Cuban-Americans in Florida, and visits an Iowa church and promises to overturn Roe vs. Wade.  Dick Cheney attacks "tax-and-spend liberal" Kennedy.

The Republicans' last TV ad shows an unflattering picture of Kennedy as the words "LIBERAL" appear three times over it.

[Hillary 2016]

The Democrats' last TV ad show Kennedy, looking very presidential, traveling to foreign countries as Vice President and him narrating, telling voters
"I pledge to you a world where all of God's children can live in peace and harmony."  The bright, upbeat tone seals the deal with many independent voters.

It's Election Day and voters go to the polls in what the media is predicting a close election.

The Returns

IN THE BATTLE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SONS, JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY, JR. ELECTED PRESIDENT, DEFEATING GEORGE W. BUSH.  KENNEDY BECOMES YOUNGEST PRESIDENT EVER ELECTED

10 Closest States and Winning Margins

Colorado, Kennedy + 0.13
Ohio, Kennedy + 0.26
Missouri, Kennedy + 0.32
Florida, Kennedy + 0.82
Arizona, Kennedy + 0.97
Nevada, Kennedy + 1.03
Iowa, Kennedy + 1.34
New Mexico, Kennedy + 1.91
West Virginia, Bush + 2.37
Oregon, Kennedy + 2.45

The Democrats win enough seats to win control of the Senate.

In the House, the chamber initially has 217 Democrats, 216 Republicans, and 2 Independents (Virgil Goode and Bernie Sanders).  The Republicans convince Virgil to become a Republican, making it now tied with 217 Democrats, 217 Republicans, and 1 Independent.  Bernie votes to make Richard Gephardt the new Speaker of the House, but retains his independent status.  Gephardt is elected over Dennis Hastert in a 218-217 vote and the Democrats take back control of the Congress for the first time since 1994.

[Hillary 2016]

So what y'all think?

[Barnes]

Interesting idea, but Kennedy couldn't have been elected VP in 1992, because he was 32 years old, and the VP has to have the same requirements as the President (35 years old).

[Hillary 2016]

By golly, you're right!  Oops...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

By golly, you're right!  Oops...

It could be like that: Clinton won in 1992, choosing other Vice President, who declined to seek reelection, probably due to health/age reasons (people like Lawton Chiles comes up to mind) and then choose now eglible JKF Jr., reelected as mayor in 1993.

Anyway, I like your idea

By the way, in this forum we use red color for Democrats and blue for GOP (I don't know why)

[Barnes]

By golly, you're right!  Oops...

It could be like that: Clinton won in 1992, choosing other Vice President, who declined to seek reelection, probably due to health/age reasons (people like Lawton Chiles comes up to mind) and then choose now eglible JKF Jr., reelected as mayor in 1993.

Anyway, I like your idea

By the way, in this forum we use red color for Democrats and blue for GOP (I don't know why)

True, that could work. The reason for the colors is when Dave started the site, red for Dems. and blue for Reps. was more popular, and it would be a massive project to change all of the maps and stuff.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

True, that could work. The reason for the colors is when Dave started the site, red for Dems. and blue for Reps. was more popular, and it would be a massive project to change all of the maps and stuff.

Oh yes, I forgot Atlas is, well, pretty old

[Psychic Octopus]

I like the idea of Red = Dems and Blue = GOP. Red is the color of liberalism and socialism. Blue is the color of... well... other things