Make up a map between you and the preceding poster.

[Mr. Smith]

The Year is 1976 and in wake of Watergate, the populace are in desperate want for an honest candidate who can move the country forward. This is the only year in which someone like me (MormDem) or Maxwell would ever get the nod.

This is a result of a series of very heated debates and the battle ultimately becomes one of populism vs. libertarianism, however some "home-state" charisma comes into play.

Ultimately in spite of running a very Jimmy Carter like campaign, MormDem ended up losing the South entirely for the Democrats because although the party had Al Smith and JFK to clear the way for Catholics, Mormons were a very different story.

However, this instead took all the West from Maxwell. Places that would've appreciated the social liberalism on the Left Coast  were turned off by the fiscal conservatism (except for Oregon) and were okay with someone more moderate. And Utah,Idaho, and Arizona all swung the pendulum far the other way for the same reason the South was lost.

And Nevada remains the more reliable bellwether than Ohio.

Ultimately the stats are:

MormDem (D-CA): 50.1% PV, 292 EV
Maxwell (I-OK): 48.7% PV, 246 EV
Other: 1.2% PV, 0 EV

[Mr. Smith]

Ultimately 2014s losses led to the Democratic Party to nominate someone completely as far away from the Third Way as possible. Someone more economically populist who could cater to failing white vote, religious, while retaining minorities. This leads to the tapping of Governor Cuthbert "MormDem" Olson V of California

On the other end, the GOP nominate someone more progressive socially but a hard-liner on deficit hawkery. In the end, in the hopes of a 1964 rematch, they nominate Governor R. David Pryor of New Jersey.

Cuthbert "MormDem" Olson (D-CA)/Tim Kaine (D-VA): 322 EV, 52% PV
R. David Pryor (R-NJ)/Ron Johnson (R-WI): 216 EV, 48% PV

Ultimately, Morm Dem makes some in-roads in the South, but at the cost of more libertarian blue states such as New Hampshire,Maine, Colorado,Wisconsin or Oregon...but thanks to faith, he manages to make Utah the most competitive since LBJ won it in 1964.

The Northeast and Deep South remain as they are thanks to the VP picks that were more in-line with conventional platforms. For Olson,this meant the tapping of Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, for Pryor, this meant the tapping of Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

[Mr. Smith]

US Presidential Democratic Primary, 2016

A very close battle ala 2008 grips the Democrats as two prominen candidates battle on mostly similar reforms.

Both candidates have skeletons in the closet though.

In the case of Harrison "MormDem" Reed of California, it is his religion, which causes skepticism and fear among the Jewish, Atheist, Asian, and young voters as well. It does however bring back some alienated farmers, Evangelicals, and draw in some socially more conservative Hispanics and  black people who though skeptical are drawn in to the economic "big government approach" that is decidedly seen as more helpful to the plight of the poor than the Third Way. However his astounding lack of scandal and teetotalling record brings back an image not seen since 1976.

On the other side is Governor Dave Yelnoc of Georgia who runs a more traditional liberal platform, and his record of pot using,along with a more charismatic personality ends up taking most minorities,youth and roughly splitting up the black vote. His use of "accountable government" also manages to woo some conservative voters wary of a MormDems nearly straight up New Deal like platform which is seen as "handouts"

Ultimately it is a battle of rural vs urban, with Yelnoc managing to squeak by thanks to Leftist hatred of devout Christianity combined with Centrist hatred of strict regulation, and a general attitude against pot control.


But most humiliating is the loss of Alameda County, CA to the opponent.

[Mr. Smith]

Switch Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Ohio, Montana, Utah, Missouri, and Michigan and you've got it.

Pretty sure you still win that one soundly.

[Mr. Smith]

@Goldwater: Okay okay, perhaps also flip New Jersey like this:

Which would mean, Goldwater 278 , MormDem 260

Montana elected Bullock and Schweitzer as Governors, the latter is at least kind of populist.

Anyway, against New Canadaland, I'm thinking, something like

MormDem (D-CA): 391 EV
New Canadaland (I-MN): 147 EV

Most of MormDem's losses are due to a faith-based phobia on the left, with a touch of want for a "more fiscally disciplined" government.

[Mr. Smith]

Democratic Primary

L.D. Smith (Me) [D-VA]
S. Superflash [D-MD]

[Mr. Smith]

L.D. Smith (D)-325
RFayette (I) - 213

The election breaks heavily on social issues and regional loyalties, with L.D. Smith ultimately winning the South, the Eastern part of the rust belt, and in the closest state, California.

Most surprisingly is the religious fervor in Utah,normally heavily conservative and therefore inclined to the opponent gives their vote to Smith on merit of religion.

[Mr. Smith]

I win, though I hardly do any better than Obama because liberals and civil liberties advocates are alienated by my record, causing me to lose New Hampshire and Colorado. However, this same record attracts a New Deal-esque coalition in the South, but because of polarization, only North Carolina and Georgia flip.

LDS: 336 EV, 52% PV
CK: 202 EV, 46% PV
Other: 0 EV, 2% PV

[Mr. Smith]

This primary season was a major battle between Senator Gotham who lost the election 2012 to M. H. Republican despite a relatively centrist record. Gotham is challenged by the rather heterodox Larry D. Smith whom appears to be the most liberal candidate on stage (especially regarding foreign policy and social programs) and also appeal the most conservative. There is also a more liberal candidate trying to run, but he is underfunded.

Senator Sam Gotham (D-LA)
Governor Larry Deseret Smith (D-VA)
Other

After rigorous campaigning, Iowa's caucus went to Sen. Gotham. Luckily, Gov. Smith snagged New Hampshire. Then the race went to South Carolina, which overwhelmingly favored Gotham. Then Super Tuesday happened, which overwhelming favored Gotham, although Virginia and some Northern states competing cast their lot with Smith. As it went on, Smith started to regain ground in the West and Northeast...but ultimately, he never quite made up the Super Tuesday losses. Thus making Gotham the nominee.

[Mr. Smith]

Democratic Primary

Senator Phoebe E. Elbridge (NC)
Governor Lance D. Smith (VA)

Going into the race, Senator Phoebe Elbridge of North Carolina was the establishment favorite who was a run-of-the-mill liberal. Only the heterodox maverick Lance Smith dared to challenge her. At first, Elbridge seemed to quash Mr. Smith like a bug....but then came Super Tuesday in which Mr. Smith made a hard appeal to disaffected workers who saw Elbridge as too "out-of-touch". Lo and behold the South was split and Smith made up some of the deficit. Elbridge did best with liberals, moderates, and ACLU wonks, while nanny-staters, conservatives, and populists went to Smith.

But then June came and Smith lost California big.

[Mr. Smith]

Smith
Comp.89

Turns out the electorate weren't in the mood for a bunch of tax cuts and wars.

[Mr. Smith]

OSR: 270 EV
LDS: 268 EV

It was a close battle, with lots of open states. But in the end, Business Executive Oswald Ramarhkrishnan's [R-OR] YUGE warchest and PAC money still managed to deliver the key states of  Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Maine, Ohio, and Georgia, despite the rigorous efforts of the high energy CA-2 Congressman Larry Smith [D-Lakeport] who refused anything but a bunch of small donations.

[Mr. Smith]

Xing has the establishment money and great rapport with Latino voters, Mr. Smith tries to counter with a strange coalition of populists, conservadems, and religious black people.

The  result is, Super Tuesday is largely won narrowly by Mr. Smith, but he gets blown out just about every other big day.

Only because of home-state respect does California stay as narrow as it does.

[Mr. Smith]

Former Sec. of State Emily Peebleton (D-NC) entered into the ring with a field mostly empty, with only CA-2 Congressman Lloyd Smith [D-Lakeport] offering a real challenge. While things looked likely to be an upset as Smith won Iowa in an upset and barely lost New Hampshire, the tide started to reverse again as Super Tuesday came, seeing most states go to Peebleton with states by Smith won narrowly. Ultimately, the loss of Arizona was the final straw for the Smith campaign, but a good chunk of states still protest voted for him anyway upon a leak revealing Peebleton had a sex change.