America's Funniest President: Mo Udall Presidency & Beyond
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Before Gorbachev, I'm picturing Udall making a similar remark to one Reagan may have said OTL, "How am I supposed to make piece with the Russians if they keep dying on me?"
Excellent work so far.
Worded diffintly, I'm sure, maybe something about them needing a younger leader.
Worded diffintly, I'm sure, maybe something about them needing a younger leader.
I have a couple questions. If Howard Baker wasn't the Republican nominee in 1984 would President Udall have won the election in this timeline carrying every state? Who are some major Republicans possibly eyeing a future presidential bid after the disastrous results of the 1988 election? Would any Republicans even want to run in the next election? Will John B. Anderson form a National Unity Party in this timeline? He did consider forming one in the 1980s in our timeline. Do you plan on making an update focusing on Udall's personal life after leaving office like what is his opinion on his successor and how is he dealing with his Parkinsons' unless that isn't in the cards?
Probably most states if not all of them. It does depend on the candidate and so on. Not sure if a total state sweep would be that possible.
As for which ones, probably a couple of the younger ones as the liberal Republicans try to exploit the failure of Dole to finish their conquest of the party and hoping the can save it in time while dealing with the concentrated reactionary elements and so on. nd of course, both parties dealing with the upcoming changes courtesy of the newer blood and a couple of old guard.
You'll have to wait and see.
Retrospection: The Udall Administration
Retrospection: The Udall Administration
Poster of Udall Presidential Campaign poster
"For those of you who don't understand Reaganomics, it's based on the principle that the rich and the poor will get the same amount of ice. In Reaganomics, however, the poor get all of theirs in winter." ~ Mo Udall
"The more we exploit nature, The more our options are reduced, until we have only one: to fight for survival." ~ Mo Udall
"Good politics are often inextricably intertwined." ~ Mo Udall
Poster of Udall Presidential Campaign poster
"For those of you who don't understand Reaganomics, it's based on the principle that the rich and the poor will get the same amount of ice. In Reaganomics, however, the poor get all of theirs in winter." ~ Mo Udall
"The more we exploit nature, The more our options are reduced, until we have only one: to fight for survival." ~ Mo Udall
"Good politics are often inextricably intertwined." ~ Mo Udall
The 1980s would become a prominent turning point for the United States of America. The babyboomer generation, born after WW2 to the election of Kennedy would reach full adulthood, becoming the predominan voting base, especially as they were starting families and laying the groundwork for the next generation. At the same time, the brightbanger generation, born from the early-mid 1960s to the mid-late 1970s, would spend most of their childhood and adolescence in the so-called "Dismal Decade", referring to the economic troubles of the 1970s though some would call it the "Dismal Dozen", referring to the 1968-1980 period of Republican presidencies that would be associated with some economic troubles and turbulence. This period of association would shape the politics of the brightbanger, with many of them growing to support the Udall Administration, especially with the oncoming of progressive reforms and social marches, such as on SATMIN+ Civil rights and third-wave feminism. Their determined rowdiness for change was referred to being bright, fiery and loud, gaining the name of "brightbangers" for them. Meanwhile, the next American generation, born in the late 1970s and all of the 1980s would be growing up in a new period of prosperity and recovery, yet still shaped by the reformatory politics going on for them, especially as it was becoming the norm.
The economic recovery restored faith in the US presidency in getting stuff done. The creation of the NBH along with programs for free tuition of those in the medical profession and heavily subsidized vocational school (with further funding) along with many more actions would increase faith in the government even further, especially with people feeling better and confident in the health and stability of their futures and that of their children's. It would also serve as a powerful backlash to the reactionary deregulatory policies pushed by former President Reagan along with his neoconservative supporters. Their growing rise in the Republican Party would be shattered by this. While the neocons have been delivered a crippling blow, the liberal Republicans, who have been skeptical of the whole thing, pounce to this back. However, the factionalism became increasingly evident in the GOP, from the hardline Reaganites, to the pragmatic Nixonites to the more idealistic followers of Anderson and his compatriots. All of them fighting for the direction of the party, all while the world kept changing and the American people embracing the positives of the reforms along with gradually accepting more and more of their minority neighbors as they were encouraged by all the reforms and soon, the interviews and even the beginning of outreach programs.
At the same time, the Udall Administration also marked a greater urgency for the government to get involved in the needs of the people were at stake. While Udall striking at Big Tobacco was a memorable moment, it was just the prologue to the greater accomplishment of fighting Exxon and the fossil fuel industry for conspiring to hide the truth of fossil fuel usage and its contribution to manmade climate change, a phenomenon that showed the power of man had with nature... and the responsability that needed to come with it. This promoted a fresh wave of skepticism at larger corporations overall, especially when it came to making short-sighted financial decisions and new regulations placed to avoid gaming the system. For the fresh well-educated workforce, it was a sign that things needed to change, especially given the tough times prior. A trend was established favoring long-term profits over short-term gain along with the importance of reputation, something that was becoming more important as the male chauvinistic behavior defined in corporate culture was being eroded under the third wave, especially as many big-name individuals would be accused and found guilty of sexual harassment and worse. Many would have to change or shed their behavior, even with some of the remnants remaining over with change being slow and steady, though some places were more on the ball than the others with the need to respect.
Technology would see a large resurgence in computers becoming more and more available for the common man, especially with a race to develop for larger general purpose use along with looking for the next big thing. Microsoft releasing Windows looked promising and while Apple would start languising, Steve Jobs would follow up on creating NeXT and the rise of the Free Software Foundation created by the folks of the GNU Project would lead to a free and open starting point for many to start using and hopefully to grow from there, along with the seeds planted for the values represented there. Another aspect of technology that has grown would be in entertainment. Music saw more synthesizers while the video game console made its triumphant return courtesy of Nintendo's NES, causing many companies to try and keep up or form their own niche in some form or fashion. Another Japanese success was in its automobiles as their afforadability and gas milage made them very popular to Americans, where as their own car brands were suffering from their own problems from resting on their laurels. Environmentalism became another major factor of the time. With the noted Exxon case above, the earthhome trend that began in the mid 1970s and continued on suddenly boomed and spread into a general ecohome trend, affecting urban and suburb planning. More ecoefficient rooms with better insulation, solar chimineys and so on along with infreasture plans like tram suburbs, greening roofs and so on would begin happening in this time period with no plans of stopping, all from a combinaton of preestablished trends, a need for ecological improvement and a renewed economy giving people te confident to go forward, especially with a supportive government.
Even with the civil rights issues going, the battle with the reactionary elements and other issues such as a complicated crime wave, life goes on and people enjoy themselves. Hobbies become more diversified as tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons expand their outreach through the use of official properties serving as settings to get people interested. Films see the rise of action heroes in fantastic or wild settings alongside horror franchises, comedies and increasingly competant animation. Television sees sitcoms grow and provide pleasures of simple domesticity yet keeping up still by the rising minority groups for better representation. Not always in the best way as the phenomenon known as "queersploitation " would begin occurring in the last years of the Udall Administration, a result of the media industry feeling free to indulge in providing queer content to the SATMIN+ population for what they see as easy money and resulting in exposing generational gaps and confronting with the future. Comic books meanwhile were seeing the beginnings of a shift, mainly through DC's reboot of their storylines to fit in with the modern times and the speculation that Marvel would follow soon in a couple years, with many fans wondering the future of it, all while their Japanese counterpart in manga starts to slowl find their way to the west. After the Udall administration restored and added some new rules fo children's content, the grandfathered in shows had to focus to meaningful storytelling to avoid being shutdown for being potentially labeled as extensive advetrisements, kickstarting plenty of along the way, with Disney then throwing down the gauntlet with their syndicated animated shows and the rumors of other developments similarly going on.
Internationally, the US took a step back to focus on their domestic affairs, becoming more selective on their battles and who they call their allies. Such was the case in Latin America, long the playground of the US and their interests, having a chance to reassert themselves, especially with the Americans no longer supporting the juntas and similar groups. This provided a renewal of hope for more equal and balanced relationships between the US and Latin America, especially as the cultural osmosis would begin causing similar social movements to start popping up in Latin America. Relations with the Soviet Union became positive with the rise of Gorbachev and the cooperation mandated by larger and complicated situations, with the Udall administration reminding older folk and showing the younger why America gained such a good reputation 4 decades prior. They also forced other nations to try and solve their own problems without relying on them as blind reinforcement, such as speculation on what led to greater support for Israel's West Bank deal with Jordan and the consequences of political shifts and overreliance on realpolitik with the fallout of relations with Pakistan, a reason for the Afghan-Pakistani War. Despite this, good is still being done, such as the pressure on South Africa finally forcing them to start preparing for the end of apartheid. Despite it all, the US has been in brighter spirits and it looked like it would remain further so under President Reubin Askew, who has much to look forward to and to prepare for, especially with around a decade for the new millenium.
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Does Harrison Ford's career remain the same as it did in our timeline, or does he star in some other films?
Probably the same as OTL. I am unfamiliar on papal candiancy and how that would be affected here