Westman Timeline Pt. I

[Dr. Cynic]

I had missed the Scott Westman character... Really was one of the bright spots of the old Americana timeline. Had fun working it with you and Kal.

[Dr. Cynic]

I had missed the Scott Westman character... Really was one of the bright spots of the old Americana timeline. Had fun working it with you and Kal.

Dude expect an appearance by Lawrence Watson.  Hell, he will be pivotal for the plot development of this TL.

Good to see my name existing in story form again. Seriously, love your stuff, dude.

[Dr. Cynic]

Love your stuff as always, dude.

Wonder what I'm up to these days lol ;p

When's the next stuff coming? I'm like a junkie.

[Dr. Cynic]

Mo in the Senate!!!!

Good so far!

[Dr. Cynic]

Next update?

[Dr. Cynic]

Next update?

Depends on what my schedule looks like.
I might be busy next two weeks or so with school projects (I have two and a half weeks of school left) so yeah.........

I gotcha. Well, at least I know a timeframe to check back.

[Dr. Cynic]

So will the Mike Gravel Democrats take over the Democrats, or will it evolve into a "purer" form of Libertarianism?

If that's the case, it will be interesting to see what happens to a Humphrey Democrat like me, er--- Watson...

Either way, Mechaman is an amazing writer. His Americana contributions had really kept my writing up. We sure miss him.

[Dr. Cynic]

So will the Mike Gravel Democrats take over the Democrats, or will it evolve into a "purer" form of Libertarianism?

If that's the case, it will be interesting to see what happens to a Humphrey Democrat like me, er--- Watson...

Either way, Mechaman is an amazing writer. His Americana contributions had really kept my writing up. We sure miss him.

Nah, Lawrence Watson (a "Humphrey Democrat") will have influence on the direction of the party.  After all it was his idol and Westman's grandfather who made the initial push for Civil Rights in the Democratic Party......

I miss Americana too, but at this juncture I feel that I would've been bound to regular updates.  And as everyone here probably already knows.....me and regular updates do not work.

I also wonder a great deal if Westman will retire & what will happen if he does have a little private sector adventure.

As far as Americana goes, only Kal is really making real updates. I've got a wicked writer's block on me as I told him.

[Dr. Cynic]

WOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!

[Dr. Cynic]

Hoooray!!! Awesome updates.

[Dr. Cynic]

Hey... I was off the forum dealing with some personal health issues for the longest time and it's taken me awhile to just come back I need to catch up on the Westman timeline.

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

Seems like if the social democratic Dems go down to the more centristic ones, I wonder what Watson would do. Remember, he is young, handsome, charming, a sex god... Err.. Whoops!!! LOL... But seriously, with my character always having some sort of eye on the future as he did for Americana, do you think he'd bolt the Dems before he went down? So many interesting things going on. Butterflies are everywhere!!!!

[Dr. Cynic]

Well, just re-read through everything that I last left off on.

Insanely fun read!!! Looking forward to what happens with me (Err... Yeah) as well as Westman, Caroline, D'Israeli and others in the future.

Yeah, Watson is one of a very few actual social democratic politicians in the Democratic Party.  In the election he is a strong backer of former Oklahoma Senator and 1980 Vice Presidential candidate Fred Harris, a social democratic Democratic running for the presidency.

Seems like if the social democratic Dems go down to the more centristic ones, I wonder what Watson would do. Remember, he is young, handsome, charming, a sex god... Err.. Whoops!!! LOL... But seriously, with my character always having some sort of eye on the future as he did for Americana, do you think he'd bolt the Dems before he went down? So many interesting things going on. Butterflies are everywhere!!!!

With the Democratic Party under the de facto leadership of Democratic House Leader Jonathan LT Debs, a Kefauver liberal, and Democratic Senate Leader Tobin MacMahon, a Kennedy liberal, the future of the Democratic Party is uncertain.  There are more progressive New Deal type Democrats in the US House but the more centrist "Kennedy liberal" types are in the US Senate.  Due to this difference the two groups often fight over the direction of the party.  There have been a few "compromise tickets" in the past between the two, namely the 1960 ticket of James Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, the 1968 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Frank Church, the 1972 ticket of Robert F. Kennedy and Ronald W. Reagan, and the 1976 ticket of Ronald W. Reagan and James Carter.
If you use "social democratic" to mean "New Deal type progressive" or what have you there are probably quite a bit more than I have mentioned.  I meant Watson as a "social democrat" as in he was as left as the average European leftist (in other words he would be as left as Ralph Nader or Dennis Kucinich IRL).  The biggest difference between the "progressive" and "liberal" wings of the Democratic Party is that the "liberal" wing strongly supports free trade, something that many "progressives" are skeptical of.  "Liberals" also are less hesitant to cut government spending but are known to raise a ruckus if conservatives propose cutting back on healthcare, which they argue is "a right, not a privilege".
Actually, healthcare seems to be the biggest rallying issue for Democrats, with more Democrats supporting the funding of the US Public Healthcare System than those who supported Social Security.

Ah ok. Thanks for clearing that one up for me., There are a few variations between this Watson and my real views, but that makes it more fun for me to read. I look forward to the next update.

[Dr. Cynic]

I've enjoyed catching up on what I'd missed. I, as always, look forward to more.

[Dr. Cynic]

Looking forward to what comes next!

(BTW, R. P. McMurphy is the role I've most wanted to play as an actor... Just thought I'd share)

[Dr. Cynic]

(BTW, R. P. McMurphy is the role I've most wanted to play as an actor... Just thought I'd share)

I've got a friend whose father is a hell of a lot like R.P. McMurphy.  Sarcastic as hell Irish guy from Oregon in his mid 50's who uses swear words very liberally.  He even sounds like McMurphy.  If that wasn't weird enough a year ago I find out the guy did time for statutory rape.  Apparently when he was 25 or so he got it on with an eighth grader (girl was 13).  In his defense he said "judge me if you want but I swear as the Lord as my witness that was some damn nice beaver."  I know, charming guy right?

Sounds like he IS McMurphy... Although a Oregonian with a New Jersey drawl is a bit disconcerting ... By the way, you saved steel!... You basically saved Pittsburgh from 20 years of a lot of problems and the loss of half our population. Although it makes me wonder if Mayor Caliguiri spearheads the second "Renaissance". Or, given the butterflies, if he even becomes Mayor at all. Your map is right in his long tenure here as well as his death. Considering Watson won the 1980 race (as opposed to it being Pete Flaherty), does Flaherty stay in Pittsburgh as Mayor?...

Inquiring minds gotta know! HAHA.

[Dr. Cynic]

Amazingly detailed and awesome, my friend.

[Dr. Cynic]

Probably just dislikes the particular reporter...

[Dr. Cynic]

Probably just dislikes the particular reporter...

Yeah that too.

Not many politicians like Bernie Douschle.
The Watsons also have a low opinion of Laura Hennigan, the reporter from Philadelphia who has consistently given Larry negative reporting.  Not to mention the whole child custody case going on with Scott Westman.  Laura Watson made it quite clear when she once said of Hennigan "the woman is a vicious snake, a low life example of a human being and a reporter."

Screw Philly, I don't need 'em anyway LOL...

My timeline Laura is qute the outspoken one compared to my real life "apolitical liberal" Laura lol

[Dr. Cynic]

I think I may be turning into Tony Benn

[Dr. Cynic]

Seems like Westman is getting a bit more right-wing.. unless this is a side he just hasn't shown off before.

Keep in mind that he was also the United States Senator who crafted the Economic Recovery Act of 1981, which would lower the highest income brackets from 78.95% down to 38.95% by 1985 while also effectively halving the ad valorem tariff rate on most imports.
Scott Westman is one of the most economically right wing Democrats in the country, and there is good reason for it.  With the exception of healthcare his economic views are very little different from the average libertarian Republican.  A lot of the Westman family (besides Rebecca Roth) are economically "liberal" in the traditional sense of the word.  William Westman, well known as a Tammany Hall loyalist and anti-New Dealer, was a trusted friend of conservative Republican Robert Taft, so much to the point that Robert considered asking William to be his VP choice if he won the GOP nomination.
Scott Westman, though arguably one of the most socially libertarian Democrats in the nation is also one of the most right wing Democrats in regards to economic issues.  If he lived during the 1800's he probably would've been called "Jeffersonian" or "Bourbon Democratic" in his outlook.

In that regard its an odd alliance and friendship he's formed with Watson. I think though that their friendship also lies within being a mutually beneficial one. Watson, should he be the ambitious and aggressive type that he seems, would benefit from Westman having a more stridently libertarian economic platform if he needed more conservative votes and Westman gets the Watson cred with the unions. Not a bad arrangement.

[Dr. Cynic]

<<<<With exception of guns is closest socially to Moderate Reform.

[Dr. Cynic]

<<<<With exception of guns is closest socially to Moderate Reform.

I kind of figured.
Democrats in general have their prolife and anti-death penalty leanings due to the Catholic hierarchy that replaced the Dixiecrats as a dominant interest of the Democratic Party (pretty much, in the 1950's Eleanor Roosevelt and her allies in New York would fail to shut down Tammany Hall.  As a result of that failure Tammany and other political machines would end up reversing the trend of reformers and end up EXPANDING their influence instead of waning off into the ash heap of history).  Strong support of gun rights amongst Democrats, especially amongst pro-labor Democrats, is mostly a reaction against the "Yankee gun grabbing elitism" of Northeastern Republicans.  Lawrence Watson currently has an A- rating from the National Rifle Association.  He would have a perfect record if it weren't for a vote he made against allowing guns onto public schools (which he called "beyond crazy").
Weaker support for gay equality amongst Democrats than Republicans are also explained away due to more of a religious influence in the Democratic Party than the Republican Party.  Though it should be noted that in the mid 1980's equality for homosexuals is not only a lot higher than it was IRL 1984, but even more so than it is right now IRL.  The Kennedy Administration did away with the ban on homosexuals serving in the military in 1970, to give you an idea about how much more progressive America is in regards to gay rights.

As the author William R. Teagle once wrote about American politics in 1971: "American politics is nothing more than a feud between two angry little children.  One named Patrick (Democratic Party) and the other named Winfield (Republican Party).  Along the way Patrick kicked Billy (Dixiecrats) to the curb because he wanted to be friends with Bernie (African Americans).  Not wanting to soil his reputation Winfield not only refused to be Billy's friend, but he spit in his face to make a point.  Ever since then it's been Billy against the world, trying to find his true purpose."

Damn the NRA and it's pro-kid killing agenda!

If Westman and Watson exert more control over the Democratic Party sometime down the line as I figure they will, how do you feel the party will change?

[Dr. Cynic]

I'm quite excited for what the future holds for everyone. I'll be keeping an eye