Xen
Banned
It has often been discussed here as how a liberal 1980's might have changed alot in the world, but I dont recall there being a timeline on it.
My POD: Nixon doesn't get caught up in Watergate (like) scandal until early 1976, as a result, the Republican Party decides to distance itself from Nixon and his administration, instead of nominating Vice President Ford, the Republican's nominate Ronald Reagan instead. As in OTL, Jimmy Carter gets the bill for the Democrats. Nixon rides out his Presiency until his successor is sworn in in 1977.
The 1976 elections are closely contested, the public is still concerned with Watergate and the Republican Parties involvement in it, but the charismatic Ronald Reagan defeats Carter and takes the Presidency.
Reagan wants to act against the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the similiar crises faced by Carter in OTL, but with the shadow of Vietnam hanging over head, there is little he can do. His attempts to start another Arms Race with the USSR is met in opposition by the nation at large. When the USSR invades Afghanistan in 1979, Reagan attempts to capitalize on it with limited success.
In 1980, the Republicans have been in office for 12 long years, and many American's shudder at the horrible images of the 1970s. It is considered by many to be the worst decade in the nations history. In spite of the public's concern about the events on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969, the Democrat's nominated Edward Kennedy as its Presidential nominee and Russell Long as the VP nominee.
Reagan focused his campaign around attacking Kennedy's personal life and the Chappaquiddick incident, where as Kennedy attacked the Republican's decade long policies, blaming them for the loss in Vietnam and of the important US ally Iran. Kennedy was also able to capitalize on his name, by associating himself with his slain brothers who the public admired. It paid off at the ballot box that November. Kennedy was sworn into office in January 1981.
Kennedy focused his efforts on ending the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but soon found the world filled with troubled hot spots. In the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran was now at war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, and Argentina invaded the Falkland's initiating a war with the British. Kennedy made it clear to the US public he would not send American troops into harm's way unless it was absolutley necessary.
Another Israeli-Arab War exploded onto the scene in 1983 when Syria attempted to take back the Golan Heights, forcing the Kennedy Administration to focus on the region. The War ended in 1984 when Egypt threatened to enter the war on Syria's side (there is no Egypt-Israeli peace accord in ttl). Lebanon was divided with the Christian's controlling the south, supported by Israel, and the Muslims controlling the North supported by Syria. Israel agreed to Kennedy's demand's it give back the Golan Height's which would be occupied by a UN Peace Keeping force. in spite of his earlier promise Kennedy ordered an attachment of Marines to join the French and Italian allies in occupying the Golan Heights.
Unbeknownst to Kennedy and the world at large, Israel's agreement to hand over the Golan Height's led to a peace accord with Egypt in 1984, leading political activists to say world peace is in our hands. An attempted assassin tried to shoot Kennedy at a ceremony marking the 20th year since his brother JFK was assassinated. The would be killer, Mark David Chapman was responsible for the death of a secret service agent, before being shot by another agent. President Kennedy was rushed to safety, shaken but unharmed.
In Kennedy's first term in office, the economy had began to climb out of the slums of the 1970's, making the President enormously popular. Kennedy cruised to re-election over Republican former Vice President James Baker, winning a second term in office. Liberalism was alive and thriving in the United States, and the nation eagerly looked too Kennedy's second term in office, anxiously awaiting new results.
My POD: Nixon doesn't get caught up in Watergate (like) scandal until early 1976, as a result, the Republican Party decides to distance itself from Nixon and his administration, instead of nominating Vice President Ford, the Republican's nominate Ronald Reagan instead. As in OTL, Jimmy Carter gets the bill for the Democrats. Nixon rides out his Presiency until his successor is sworn in in 1977.
The 1976 elections are closely contested, the public is still concerned with Watergate and the Republican Parties involvement in it, but the charismatic Ronald Reagan defeats Carter and takes the Presidency.
Reagan wants to act against the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and the similiar crises faced by Carter in OTL, but with the shadow of Vietnam hanging over head, there is little he can do. His attempts to start another Arms Race with the USSR is met in opposition by the nation at large. When the USSR invades Afghanistan in 1979, Reagan attempts to capitalize on it with limited success.
In 1980, the Republicans have been in office for 12 long years, and many American's shudder at the horrible images of the 1970s. It is considered by many to be the worst decade in the nations history. In spite of the public's concern about the events on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969, the Democrat's nominated Edward Kennedy as its Presidential nominee and Russell Long as the VP nominee.
Reagan focused his campaign around attacking Kennedy's personal life and the Chappaquiddick incident, where as Kennedy attacked the Republican's decade long policies, blaming them for the loss in Vietnam and of the important US ally Iran. Kennedy was also able to capitalize on his name, by associating himself with his slain brothers who the public admired. It paid off at the ballot box that November. Kennedy was sworn into office in January 1981.
Kennedy focused his efforts on ending the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but soon found the world filled with troubled hot spots. In the Middle East, the Islamic Republic of Iran was now at war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq, Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982, and Argentina invaded the Falkland's initiating a war with the British. Kennedy made it clear to the US public he would not send American troops into harm's way unless it was absolutley necessary.
Another Israeli-Arab War exploded onto the scene in 1983 when Syria attempted to take back the Golan Heights, forcing the Kennedy Administration to focus on the region. The War ended in 1984 when Egypt threatened to enter the war on Syria's side (there is no Egypt-Israeli peace accord in ttl). Lebanon was divided with the Christian's controlling the south, supported by Israel, and the Muslims controlling the North supported by Syria. Israel agreed to Kennedy's demand's it give back the Golan Height's which would be occupied by a UN Peace Keeping force. in spite of his earlier promise Kennedy ordered an attachment of Marines to join the French and Italian allies in occupying the Golan Heights.
Unbeknownst to Kennedy and the world at large, Israel's agreement to hand over the Golan Height's led to a peace accord with Egypt in 1984, leading political activists to say world peace is in our hands. An attempted assassin tried to shoot Kennedy at a ceremony marking the 20th year since his brother JFK was assassinated. The would be killer, Mark David Chapman was responsible for the death of a secret service agent, before being shot by another agent. President Kennedy was rushed to safety, shaken but unharmed.
In Kennedy's first term in office, the economy had began to climb out of the slums of the 1970's, making the President enormously popular. Kennedy cruised to re-election over Republican former Vice President James Baker, winning a second term in office. Liberalism was alive and thriving in the United States, and the nation eagerly looked too Kennedy's second term in office, anxiously awaiting new results.