Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline

I'm curious to see if this current Russian crisis will wrap up by the time the timeline concludes, or if we'll be left hanging.

Liking all the buildup towards whatever decision Bob Ross ends up making.
 
I’m cheering for a Pritt/Lugaro ticket or a Ross/Pritt ticket. So many options for the Dem primary. Pritt or Ross would make a great lMO. Good chapter. With so many candidates I can imagine a compromise will emerge depending on if most crash and burn or if many do decent in the primaries. If there’s a contested convention my guess is Ross or if he doesn’t run Lewinski.
 
Can we have a list of video game consoles in this TL?

Edit: I hope someone make a world map by the end of this story.
 
Last edited:
While a Lewinski presidency would be fun, her platform as it stands now doesn't really seem like it has the energy needed to mount a successful campaign. Lugaro and Pritt feel like they have the most solid platforms to run on. Grammer's presidency while far from perfect, has been good enough that running solely on undoing his policies doesn't feel like a strong enough basis for a presidency. I think Bob Ross should be allowed to enjoy his retirment with his family and campaign for causes he's passionate about at his own pace.

As for the republicans, Brown does have the energy to attract people but also just as much chance to piss people off and up-end things because of his impulsiveness. A good tactic for any competitors might be to provoke him into blowing his top to show he's not presidential material.

What's adult animation like currently? The state of world kind of leads to a feeling that cynical humor like Bojack Horseman might not have found its footing as easily as it did in OTL
 

PNWKing

Banned
Did the Bell System still break up? If so, what are the top telecom companies?
Are cable and satellite still things?
I'd like to see a list of celebrity commercials like you did with the chicken sandwich thing for the telecom companies?
On non-telco news, I'd like to see what happened to the following people?:
Nick Offerman
Nicole Scherzinger
Amy Poehler
Jim O'Heir
Chris Pratt
Retta
Rashida Jones
Paul Schnider
Aubrey Plaza
Ken Jeong
Jenny McCarthy
Robin Thicke
Bob Dole
John Grisham
Paula Deen
Mary Hart
John Tesh
Leeza Gibbons
Tucker Carlson
Michael Stipe
Natalie Wood
Laura Welch (since she never met George W. Bush ITTL)
Was Heathcliff a thing ITTL?
What is the fate of Judaism ITTL?
Are infomercials a thing ITTL?
What are the most memorable "lafpics" ITTL?
 
Maybe a Moore-Pritt ticket on a populist workers’ platform to make the Dems the rural areas’ party? They could defeat Harley in his game, that’s sure, and would be great to see. It could be a fun parallel of IOTL populist-rural turn of US politics (to left instead to right) and could both benefit these areas under the WV model and protect workers’ rights. Senator Jackson could be a good pick as SecState to lead the global charge against the climate change.
Really interesting set of candidates, however.
 
What's adult animation like currently? The state of world kind of leads to a feeling that cynical humor like Bojack Horseman might not have found its footing as easily as it did in OTL
You're correct; I'll mention it in the next chapter.
Can we have a list of video game consoles in this TL?

Edit: I hope someone make a world map by the end of this story.
I'll add one to the next chapter.

I'll make one for a later chapter.
gap80: I'm satisfied now. Thanks.
Oh, have you thought about what you're gonna do after this wraps up?
No problem.
Not really.
Did the Bell System still break up? If so, what are the top telecom companies?
Are cable and satellite still things?
I'd like to see a list of celebrity commercials like you did with the chicken sandwich thing for the telecom companies?
On non-telco news, I'd like to see what happened to the following people?:
Nick Offerman
Nicole Scherzinger
Amy Poehler
Jim O'Heir
Chris Pratt
Retta
Rashida Jones
Paul Schnider
Aubrey Plaza
Ken Jeong
Jenny McCarthy
Robin Thicke
Bob Dole
John Grisham
Paula Deen
Mary Hart
John Tesh
Leeza Gibbons
Tucker Carlson
Michael Stipe
Natalie Wood
Laura Welch (since she never met George W. Bush ITTL)
Was Heathcliff a thing ITTL?
What is the fate of Judaism ITTL?
Are infomercials a thing ITTL?
What are the most memorable "lafpics" ITTL?
I'll mention these in the next chapter.
Just started reading this, it's great so far. :p
I hope you enjoy it!
Still think Moore would be interesting.
We'll see how well he does in the poll :)
 
That was a nice update and thanks for the answers.

I would like Bob Ross just because he seems like he be a good president yet, Harley would be so much fun to read about.
 
Chapter 119: January 2020 – June 2020
Chapter 119: January 2020 – June 2020

“Those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly.”

– John F. Kennedy (OTL)



“How does ranked choice voting work?”

[vid: youtube.com/ watch?v=oHRPMJmzBBw ]

– video frequently “shared” on social media as the 2020 President election neared, first posted 1/2/2020, ourvids.co.can



…The feud between the Prosecutor-General and Chief Justice bringing the investigation into the Russia-Eritrea Scandal to a standstill. With advancements only being possible at the oblast level, the Chief Justice quietly supported local circuits to take on the role of prosecutor. Given the international elements of the case, he believed that the Nikolayev administration’s “lock” on information was a false perception – that the truth could be extracted from the case’s Eritrean elements if not from its Russian elements.

Meanwhile, the number of voices demanding activist Vlad Putin be either released or given a fair trial only continued to grow. In January 2020, former National Assemblyperson and liberal Presidential candidate Boris Nemtsov led a peace rally of roughly 10,000 people in Yaroslavl demanding Putin be released, calling Putin “more of a patriot” than Nikolayev...

– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2022 edition



CLAIM: Terraformation chemicals were released on Mars, either in 2003 or 2018

Rumors circulating ontech have different “culprits” (usually either the US, China, or the Middle Eastern Bloc) but the same claim, that greenhouse gases and other chemical elements were illegally released into Mars’ atmosphere to start a terraformation project by “introducing” oxygen to the Red Planet.

VERDICT: 100% FALSE

EXPLANATION: The motive makes no sense. If such technology even exists (and it doesn’t, as explained in the links here and here), why try and hide it (and we say try because NASA’s autorover Hyperion 1 is currently on Mars, and routinely tests the soil and analyzes the planet’s atmosphere, temperature and other measurements; if there were any signs of such a project occurring, the Hyperion 1 would surely find it (but it won’t, because there was no such thing), and because NASA maintains a live feed of Houston Control, such a discovery from the autorover would be difficult to coverup)? According to the theories ontech, major governments are keeping the technology under wraps in order to have complete control over Mars. However, even if this was the case (which it isn’t), what would stop other countries from landing on Mars? Going deeper down the rabbit hole of these rumors, filled in talks on extraterrestrial property rights, the lack of any current “globally binding” documentation prohibiting “people from littering on Mars” (which its own entry here) and other discussions, makes us conclude that these rumors are much closer to works of sci-fi/fantasy fiction writing set in the distant future than it is to reality.

– factorfiction.co.uk, a rumor/conspiracy theory debunking website, 1/2/2020 entry



“The fourth industrial revolution is already here. We are seeing technology become involved in every aspect of our jobs, culture, and communication. History-wise, where are we at this point, the “era” that we are living through, began at the turn of the century. Technological innovation jumpstarted by the SARS shutdown to did create it. It only quickened our era’s arrival – an era of merging and blending the physical, digital, and biological with one another, an era of advanced automation, artificial intelligence, remote 3D printing, genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and quantum computing. This is our time, this is our present. The reason why we’re failing to realize it is because only some people truly have any actual access to it, and even less are utilizing its potential.”

– Dr. John Baruch, technology and language professor at MIT, TumbleweedTV interview, 1/3/2020



…The moment of truth came on the appropriately “lazy” Saturday afternoon on January 4, 2020. Bob Ross announced that he wasn’t going to run for President for a third time, citing his satisfaction with the field of candidates, especially leading candidates Pritt, Moore and Lugaro, whom he described as having “the right kind of constructive, vibrant and positive attitude and energy that we all need to see more of more often.” Painter Bob made the announcement on his front yard, wearing sweats to reinforce his proclamation that he was “staying comfortably” in semi-retirement.

X46WgSg.png

[pic: imgur.com/X46WgSg.png ]

Ross concluded the declaration with the reveal that he would instead be starting an anti-poverty NPO with media mogul Bern Sanders and several humanitarian individuals to send school supplies to children in poverty-stricken nations abroad.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm for the top four frontrunners continued on, as their campaign messages resonated highly among those polled. US Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau (dubbed “OFG” by technetters) sought to become a fifth member of the top-tier group, but struggled to expand her base…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



..As Air Force One readied for descent, the First Lady went over to her husband’s office. “Are you coming, Kelsey? Or do you want to want to meet with her in here?”

“Alright, alright,” Grammer exhaled a worried huff. Standing up from the plane’s Presidential desk, he closed the book in his hands; for the past several minutes, he had reading about another famous trip to Beijing. “You made it look so easy, Colonel,” he said to the treatise as he put it down on the desktop. Governor Hal Heiner of Kentucky had given him a copy of Rick Perlstein’s Colonel’s Country: The Trials and Crises of Chicken King Presidency – a copy signed by Perlstein and several members of the Sanders family – in 2016, but only began reading it in December 2019. However, after several decades of breezing through scripts, the President could read very quickly, and had already reached the chapter covering the 1968 Beijing Summit.

“The man established quite the precedence, didn’t he?”

With a sympathetic sigh, First Lady Marissa said, “You’re going to be fine. You’ve done so many of these diplomatic meet-and-greets.”

“Yes, but not one quite like this. This one is with the PRC. You only get one shot with the PRC.”

“Kelsey, you and your advisors are going to sit down with Jianmei and you’re going to tell her what the two of you already know – cyberattacks from China are a bad look for them, and in today’s world of international trade, they can’t afford a repeat of 1988.”

“Yeah, yeah, the whole Uyghur Crisis, the global boycotts,” he paused, “Wait, how do you remember that? You were twelve then.”

“It’s called research, honey. That and you keep bringing your work home with you,” she answered as she exited the room.

“Well it’s kind of hard to avoid doing that when you live on top of your office,” Grammer called out as he put on his jacket and followed her out, “As everyone found out during the SARS Pandemic!”

Premier Guo greeted her American counterpart on the tarmac and the two world leaders exchanged pleasantries in an amicable and friendly way. Soon enough, they were sitting across from one another in a secluded room to discuss how to better US-Chinese relations. While exact words not recorded, advisors who witnessed the meeting allege Grammer brought up cybersecurity immediately but slyly, telling Guo that her administration would greatly benefit from starting off on the right foot. Guo agreed with the sentiment, and assured Grammer that her tenure’s first priority was taken in “a better direction” and combat alleged domestic terrorists and hacks in China. Grammer presented the equally vague promise that America would “work in solidarity with any and all countries” hit by cybersecurity attacks, hacks, and other forms of technet-based economic espionage.

After further discussions of the economies and security concerns of their respective lands, Go and Grammer agreed that Russia’s President Nikolayev was a destruction element on the world stage, with Guo trying to indicate that all cyber attacks were from Russia, which Grammer considered calling her out on, but instead let the comments slide by. They next discussed the dynamics of labor and its relations with types of government structure. The high point of the evening for Grammer was Guo conceding that union representative could keep open the lines of communication between workers, management, and government. However, she did not stand down from her belief that markets were too “destructive” when they were truly “free” from government intervention, and even pointed to the immediate devastation brought on by the global recessions of 2002 and 2013, and from the Russian recession still occurring as “the best examples” of this “pattern.”

The meeting concluded on a handshake in private, and another one out in front of the cameras. Grammer later called the meeting “a scratch,” with neither leader gaining – or losing – much from it outside of being able to claim diplomatic prowess.

s4sikGv.png

[pic: imgur.com/s4sikGv.png ]
Above: Premier Guo Jianmei

– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021



…The US’s NASA announced that the world has reached a milestone today – there are now more space probes out in space functioning at the same time than at any other point in world history, with the number of probes, sent out by space agencies in the states, and in Europe, the Middle East, China, Russia and Japan, totaling in at 32 probes...

– BBC World News, 1/12/2020 broadcast



“So here’s another op-ed (pause) published in the New York Times (pause) in which another elitist – not Bill Krystal this time, it’s one of his friends this time – and it’s really something (pause) it’s really something else. (long pause) So look at this – this guy is complaining about the lack of a ‘steady hand’ in the race. He’s lamenting the lack of a status quo candidate. He writes ‘moderate voices are shying away from the democratic process’ because they are not being represented by either candidate. (long pause) So (pause) this is ridiculous. This guy is essentially complaining that there’s no pro-establishment moderate do-nothing standard politician in the race, even though all the candidates – let me know you – yeah – voter satisfaction with the current selection of candidates is at an all-time high. (long pause) Of course it is, because the major candidates are either progressives or populists, and, to various and different degrees, want to actually do something to help people. (pause) Now, you all know I don’t like Harley Brown’s policies, but at this point, he effectively IS the Republican party base. (pause) So, this guy, man, he must be really delusional if he thinks he sounds smart by saying that people want a do-nothing candidate in this race. Only the super-wealthy top 1% of the country would back such a candidate. (pause) Which really shows what kind of elitist bubble Bill Krystal and his friends really live in, man.”

– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can, 1/16/2020



“I’m suspending my campaign for President, and I am endorsing Monica Lewinsky’s Presidential campaign, because we have to defeat Harley Brown, and Monica is our best shot at that.”

– US Senator Tom Suozzi (D-NY), 1/24/2020



…scientists working on trying to develop artificial parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction and the merging of ova) for same-sex couples have made a technological breakthrough… …The discovery comes at an “exciting” time for the medical field… “Artificial wombs are starting to become a thing for the very wealthy,” the project manager explains, “and the experimental testing of the artificial insertion of donor womb into male bodies also in its first trial stages.” The field of reproduction is truly blossoming at the moment…

– scientificamerican.co.usa, 1/29/2020



NEW REPORT CLAIM FAST FOOD “STILL” #1 CAUSE OF WEIGHT GAIN ISSUES IN CHILDREN

…40% of Americans today are either overweight or obese, with over 30% of children and adolescents consuming fast food on any given day while. The report also alleges that 75% of overweight children say that McDonald’s is their favorite place at which to eat, while 11% of them say that KFC is their favorite, and 6% of them say that SpongeBob’s Undersea Cuisine is their favorite...

Wall Street Journal, 2/2/2020



“Teddy Roosevelt said ‘Speak softly and carry a big stick.’ Under a Brown administration, that phrase is gonna be updated to ‘speak softly, act kindly, and pack a lot of heat.’”

– VP Harley Brown, televised rally in Concord, NH; 2/3/2020



RAND PAUL LAUNCHES LAST-MINUTE ANTI-HARLEY CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT

The Washington Post, 2/5/2020



HOST: “We are honored to have Governor Pritt be joining us now, live from her campaign bus. Hello, Charlotte.”

Guest Charlotte PRITT (on VidCall): “Hello everyone, thank you for having me on your show.”

HOST: “No problem, Charlotte. So let’s just get right to. Charlotte, automation – good or bad?”

PRITT: “Good long-term, but bad short-term. It can replace a lot of dangerous and demanding jobs, but we have to focus on finding and creating new jobs for workers because their livelihoods are automated.”

Guest Ronald BAILEY: “But Governor, as someone who’s worked in Silicon Valley, I know that automation can lead to great advancements. Right now there’s work being done on robot military soldiers, so not too many decades from now, instead of us killing each other, we’ll be sending robots to kill other robots.”

PRITT: “Ron–”

Guest Janice FINE: “Or to kill people. Did you stop to think about that? Because they did, and they liked the idea – that’s why they’re working on it!”

HOST: “Alright, alright, let’s stay focused here. Charlotte, you were saying?”

PRITT: “Well, Ron what you’re describing is going to be a major issue a few years from now at the least. It’s not a pressing issue right now, and even if it was, you still didn’t address how replacing people with robots is going to help families afford food, school and housing. Our priorities need to change. I understand more than anyone else in this race that automation means that people will no longer have to physically perform menial factory positions, hazardous area inspections, and other dangerous tasks. But each job eliminated must be replaced by at least one new job – before the old job is automated away in order to ensure that American workers can still be employed. For every robotic arm that replaces ten workers on an assembly line, at least ten more jobs have to be created. They can be jobs to deploy, monitor and control the new technology from a safer point, or they can be new jobs in America’s growing services industries. But the workers who need to be retrained for new jobs must get the re-training help they need. As Governor, I’ve established programs to do this very thing, but it needs to be done at the national level.”

BAILEY: “Alright, alright, fair points, but you’ve got to admit that automation can replace hospital attendants and work as TAs, help us in space exploration and sewage/pollution cleanup, serve as dog walkers and pet sitters, and work as security guards, cafeteria workers, janitorial staff, and surgery assistants.”

PRITT: “I know – that’s why we need to have programs to create jobs to and retraining programs to help workers before they lose their jobs – so they can find work immediately afterward and thrive, instead of struggling to get by.”

HOST: “It would also mean no more waiter positions, Ronald.”

FINE: “Well, asking for tips means that the worker has to beg the customers for the income that their employers won’t provide, so maybe that’d be a good thing!”

– KNN roundtable discussion, 2/14/2020 broadcast



In February 2020, President Grammer, Secretary Morningstar, and Secretary Rodham-Clinton reviewed the recent talks with China. Discussing its effects and implications in the Oval Office, Grammer seemed uncertain of its success. “According to my Chief Foreign Policy Advisor, the summit is trending on China’s social media sites, but because of China’s censorship policies, its all because of China’s glowing reviews for Guo. The people are not being made aware of their country’s hacking even though that was why we met with her in the first place! Their media outlets are saying that she reached out to us first when it was the other way around, and they are claiming that she dominated the talks. She didn’t dominate, she spoke just as much and just as confidently as me, and I should know – I was there!”

Morningstar nodded before confessing, “We are basically in a Cold War-like state of tension with the Chinese right now, Kelsey. We’ve been so for over a decade at the least, and restrictions on speech is becoming an increasingly prominent player in it.” He vented, “we keep hoping that exposing them to western ideas will lead to communism collapsing. But it doesn’t seem to be working.”

“It has to work,” Grammer added, “China needs to embrace free internal markets and basic human rights like freedom of speech if they want to compete on the world stage, but it seems everyone in their government is fighting like crazy against it! Even Guo Jianmei.” Grammer sighed, “She is not as reformist as I expected her to be.”

“Well,” Rodham-Clinton observed, “It’s like how the tired, old line goes, ‘Absolute power corrupts absolutely’.”

“Either that or China’s Communist Party pulls far more strings than we thought,” suggested Morningstar.

Leaning back in his chair behind the Resolute Desk, Grammer checked the time on his techslab. He said to himself, “Right, right,” before returning his attention to he two Secretaries. “We’ll discuss this some more later. Right now, I have got to head out to New Hampshire to speak at one of Harley’s rallies.”

“Oof. My condolences,” commented Rodham-Clinton.

“Oh, Hillary, I don’t think he’s that bad once you get to know him,” Grammer defended his Vice President as he packed his techslab into his case. “I mean, sure, he’s a bit rough around the edges –”

“A rough as a chainsaw,” Rodham-Clinton murmured.

“–but he means well.”

“Yeesh! Do not include that in your speech, Kelsey,” Morningstar advised. “The phrase ‘Meaning well’ is, like, the worst thing you can say about someone. It indicates that they always fail to do well.”

As he went to put on his jacket, Grammer replied, “Well, that’s not true! Don’t forget that when I had that heart attack seven years so, and he had to step in as Acting President, he was the one that pressured congress into passing the stimulus bill I was failing to get through. And he worked with the Senate on the tax reform acts of 2013 and 2017. And he spearheaded all those successful road repair initiatives, and vastly improved relations between bikers and police! The reason why the man’s ideology is all over the place is because he’s too busy trying to get things done to even care about keeping track of what labels people keep wanting to put on him!”

“Okay,” Morningstar conceded, “fair points.”

“And he’s, you know, he’s a good family man,” Grammer added, “Great with kids, loves his wife.” The President was possibly thinking back to Second Lady Rita Gravel, who separated from her husband in 1980 and divorced him soon after he left office in 1981 over his infidelity while in office. Handing his suitcase over to a Secret Serviceman awaiting to escort him to the President’s helicopter resting outside, Grammer declared, “A sex scandal is not the kind of scandal I’d expect from him.”

“Many said the same thing about Denton, Kelsey,” said Morningstar.

“No, I’m confident Harley wouldn’t be another Denton,” Grammer reiterated. “First of all, he genuinely believes God spoke to him and thinks he’s destined to do great things, so he wouldn’t risk throwing that away, and, you know, fail to follow the 'un-see-able' path God has laid out for him. Second of all, I have never heard the man lie – not even a polite little white lie! So he wouldn’t be able to hide a scandal even nearly as well as Denton did – well, almost did.”

“That’s true,” Rodham-Clinton remarked curtly, “Last Christmas, at a GOP Senate meeting, he overheard Senator Stovall ask her husband if she looked overweight in this new dress, and Harley bellowed out ‘It’s not the dress that makes you look fat, it’s the fat that makes you look fat!’ Classy.”

“Oh, come on, Hillary, now, really! After eight years of him making those kind of remarks, you and everyone else should be used to it by now,” Grammer bellowed. “But once you look past his grisly appearance, you can clearly see that he’s a good guy. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working with him for so long, but, well, what can I say? He’s grown on me. He grows on you.”

“Yeah, like a fungus,” Rodham-Clinton suggested.

“No,” Morningstar countered, “like a fungus that cocoons into a leather-clad butterfly!” The two Secretaries shared a small chortle.

“Well regardless of what you two think of him, I really think he can win in November, and if he can win it, that means he earned it, and maybe that means he deserves it, too!” The President shouted as he walked out the door.

– historian Jane Mackaman’s What Principles Endure: An Examination of The Grammer Presidency, Vintage E-Books, 2022



…Major fast-food brands remain popular thanks to these improvements in maintaining cleanliness, fast service, and child-friendly atmospheres, distinguishing them in the industry as family-friendly choices over foul-mouthed greasy spoons and snobby high-end restaurants. However, while fast-food companies promote healthy menu options, their offerings are still no substitute for purchasing more nutritional products from supermarkets, local small farms, and locally-sourced farm-to-table markets…

– Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Sunrise Publishers, 2021



Sign The Petition Below! Bring Back The TV Show “COPS”!

…the gritty reality TV series was unfairly cancelled in 2001, shortly after President Jesse Jackson entered office. After twelve controversial years on air, the series was axed just because a rising number of Hispanic Americans were complaining about its presentation of non-white suspects. The show covered the everyday lives of law enforcement in a unique way that no cop show has truly replicated since. Allegations of supposed prejudice against non-white citizens should not stand in the way of high-quality entertainment. Please sign the petition today to tell The Overmyer Network to bring back “COPS.”

– ontech petition, circulated across multiple sites, first posted 2/20/2020; within the next 3 months, only 657 people signed the petition



…In recent months, the parent company has heightened efforts to expand the menus and technet presence of its businesses.

RPCrHTf.png

[pic: imgur.com/RPCrHTf.png ]
Above: KFC Special Roasted Chicken platter

Under the command of Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc. Head Executive David Novak, KFC-US’ R&D department turned to KFC-Japan for guidance as the corporation sought to better promote healthy menu options to their customers. In February 2020, a team of roughly 50 “food specialists” traveled with KFC-Japan executives to Okinawa, known for its locals’ longevity, to analyze their eating habits. The American team observed that the traditional Japanese diet was rich in fish, seafood, and plant-based foods with minimal amounts of animal protein, added sugars, and fat. Two months later, KFC and Wendy’s began promoting their fish fillet burgers more prominently.

The specialists also studied the people’s manner of eating, called “washoku,” which consists of small dishes of simple, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. This eating pattern is rich in nutrients and may provide numerous health benefits, including improved weight loss, digestion, longevity, and overall health. [1] The main problem KFC-US had with this, though, was that such eating habits run counter to the large portions of fast food items that Americans were used to and enjoyed consuming.

Not long after, the American answer to washoku was introduced at select locations with the offering of KFC “mini-meals” – half the portions for half the price! The promotion received overwhelmingly positive media attention, but was considered to be only a “decent” financial investment for FLG Inc., and in the past a few weeks, the parent company has scaled back the halved portions option even further, to outlets found in only 11 states…

– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020



CLAIM: Michael Moore Once Said “I Hate America”

VERDICT: 100% False!

EXPLANATION: While the comments of politicians are often taken out of context, a widely-circulated 20-second video allegedly showing Presidential candidate Michael Moore declaring “I hate America” during some kind of stump speech. This video being shared ontech is part of a rising wave in video manipulation. …Advancements in facial recognition technology in recent years has seen such software be used in high-budget Hollywood films to de-age actors, meaning that this is not the first time that that this technology has been used. This is not the first time a politician’s face has been convincingly edited into digital footage, either. Last year, Vice President Brown’s face was “pasted” onto a Nazi character in a scene from the 2008 WWII film “Children of Winter.” While quickly debunked, the video confused and convinced many, especially when given the fact that Brown did cameo in the T.O.N. drama series “Sons of Anarchy” in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The rise in manipulated digital videos must be matched by a rise in vigilance; it is always important to inspect the sources of videos prior to sharing them or even believing them. For example, this Moore video was first posted ontech in early 2016 by a now-dead OurVid account that was known for uploading videos that prominently featured photo manipulation…

– factorfiction.co.can, 3/1/2020 entry



PRITT SCORES UPSET WITH 1ST PLACE IN N.H. PRIMARY! Moore Finishes In 2nd Place, Lugaro In 3rd

…on the Republican side of the night, Senator Paul overperformed with 25% of the vote, versus Vice President Brown’s 67% of the vote, with the remaining 8% going to various other candidates…

The New York Times, 3/3/2020



WEAVER BOWS OUT OF LONG-SHOT WHITE HOUSE BID, ENDORSES PRITT

…the progressive politician also announced that he will not make a last-minute entry into the ongoing gubernatorial race and so will retire at the end of his third and current term…

– The Burlington Free Press, Vermont newspaper, 3/4/2020



D4s8xng.png

[pic: imgur.com/D4s8xng.png ]

– Charlotte Pritt vidcalling supporters in near Fort Davis, rural western Texas, from her home in Hurricane, West Virginia, 3/5/2020



“I want to take this minute to pay tribute to the working people of West Virginia, especially my father, Garnet Pritt, who was the United Mine Worker President of Local 1766, and to my mother, Tina Pritt, who spent the night on the picket line with me when I was a senator. I wear this red scarf – I know, it’s not the same as the red bandanas that the miners wore on Blair mountain when they were fighting for the union – but it is the scarf that my mother had worn during those cold nights out there, and I wear it to remember her and my father, who are no longer with us. And I know they’re looking down on me and on us, from up there, and they’re smiling because of what we’re accomplishing here. And I want to thank them for the values they taught me.

Growing up, my family and I knew that if we were ever in trouble, there were two places to go to – the union hall and the church, where there were people who understood the importance of working together in a community...”

– Gov. Charlotte Pritt, televised stump speech in Macon, GA; 3/7/2020 [2]



…The shared feelings of goodwill in the Balkans were exemplified on 8 March 2020, in a scene at the UN building, in which the President of Turkey and the Prime Minister of Greece hugged each other after each gave an impassioned speech about the other’s country. The moment highlighted how, against all odds, Greek-Turkish diplomatic relations are currently at a record high in terms of strength, closeness and friendliness…

– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2020 edition



…Since then, the Peoples Temple church founded by Jim and Marceline Jones as dwindled in size considerably. As of 2020, the Temple Church only has roughly 20,000 followers, a far cry from its mid-1980s peak of roughly 600,000…

– clickopedia.co.usa



GEORGIA PRIMARY RESULTS: Charlotte Bests Oletha, Alexandra In Three-Way Nail-Biter; Harley Beats Rand By 5% Margin

…mobilizing the state’s rural and suburban voters allow Pritt to edge out her closest challengers. Meanwhile, in the Republican primary, support for the Vice President appeared weaker than polling suggested, with Senator Rand Paul coming surprisingly close to pulling off an upset victory…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/10/2020



“Beards have grown in popularity in this decade because of the current administration. It started off as a way of showing support for then-Presidential candidate Harley Brown, but once President Grammer began sporting one in 2014, the facial choice quickly caught on in the rest of the party. It’s why Rand Paul grew out a beard, for instance. And I’ve noticed that even some Democratic politicians, many who live in Republican states, grow out beards now to try to appeal to Republican voters, like Senator Perriello over in Virginia.”

– Bearded politician John Moorlach (R-CA), US Rep. since 2017, 3/11/2020 interview



“GENERATIONS OF POWER”: D.R.C. Breaks Ground on Grand Inga Dam Project

…When completed in 2025, the series of seven dams, located at the Inga Falls on the country’s Congo River, will be the largest hydroelectric power station in the world at over twice the power levels of China’s Three Gorges Dam. …The $90billion project was initially developed as a public-private partnership project to restore the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the aftermath of its destructive civil war in the aughts. It is currently being primarily funded by the European Investment Bank, the African Development Bank, the People’s Republic of China, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and several international private businesses. Each dam is either partially or fully owned by different investors from around the globe, including South African mining billionaire Elon Musk (Dam 1) and American politician Harry W. Braun (50% of Dam 7)…

The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 15/3/2020



…We can now confirm reports that Senator Lugaro has won the Democratic Presidential primary in Nevada, with Congressperson Lewinsky edging out Governors Pritt and Moore for second place. The victory, which is the first primary win for the Lugaro campaign, comes more than three hours after Vice President Brown was declared the winner of Nevada’s Republican Presidential primary. Brown easily defeated token opposition, as Senator Paul did not make it onto the Nevada ballot due to his late entry into the race, and the state GOP deciding against allowing Republican primary voters to cast their ballots for write-in votes in a controversial decision still being challenged in state court…

– KNN Breaking News, 3/17/2020 broadcast



MD PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY RESULTS: Oletha, Rand Score Surprise State Sweeps

…Paul won a plurality of the vote (47%), with Brown coming in second place (45%) and several other minor conservatives making up the remainder of the vote (8%)…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 3/24/2020



NEMTSOV ALLEGEDLY SURVIVES SHOOTING INCIDENT

…the controversial Presidential candidate was reportedly fired upon by an unknown assailant that Nemtsov and witnesses described as being a “sniper.” Local police are investigating the alleged scene of the supposed attack, but have yet to announce a formal investigation…

Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 30/3/2020



MONICA WINS VERMONT PRIMARY, RAND COMES CLOSER TO BESTING HARLEY

…Lewinsky grabbed a plurality of the vote thanks to the state’s progressives being torn between Pritt, Healey, Lugaro, and Moore, and with many writing in the names of Vermont Governor Jeff Weaver, who is no longer a candidate, and Bob Ross, who declined to run. The results have renewed calls for the state to adopt ranked-choice voting for their presidential primaries, as the Green Mountain state has RCV for state-level and statewide elections such as for governor, and both chambers of the US Congress, but not for interparty primary contests…

…Harley winning only 48% of the GOP primary to Paul’s 45% either reflects Paul’s popularity or Brown’s unpopularity in the state…

The New York Times, 3/31/2020



MAURA HEALEY SUSPENDS WHITE HOUSE BID, ENDORSES LEWINSKY

…the decision comes after weeks of the one-time frontrunner’s standing in state-level and national polls gradually declining…

The Washington Post, 4/2/2020



…the Vice President took Paul’s ascension in the primary results very seriously, and began to visit state hosting upcoming primary contents much more frequently. Brown touted his success at combating forest fires while governor, and his time serving as Acting President in 2013, as proof of his ability to lead during times of crisis. He also reminded voters of his road safety and repair initiatives, and (in a move that was greatly disputed by many for its alleged inaccuracy) stated that he played an “instrumental” role in the Grammer administration’s “successful efforts” to “confront, combat, and take out” the Unlucky Recession of 2013...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



TRUDEAU BROTHERS ENDORSE DALLAIRE

…action film stars Michel and Justin Trudeau, the sons of former Canadian PM Pierre Trudeau, are throwing their support to PL leader Romeo Dallaire. The two join several PL MPs, including Niki Ashton and Jim Prentice, in endorsing Dallaire in the past two weeks…

The Toronto Star, Canadian newspaper, 4/4/2020



“I naturally care deeply about my country as a patriotic American and disabled veteran. The fact that I have many children and grandchildren kindles a burning desire deep in my heart to hand them even a better country than our baby boomer generation inherited from the greatest generation of Americans - the World War II generation of American heroes.

I love North Carolina. Truly this splendid dominion is majestic in natural beauty, blessed with wonderful people clinging tenaciously to a broad spectrum of conservative and righteous values. And the state has no vile motorcycle helmet laws to boot.” [3]

– Harley Brown giving a stump speech in Asheville, North Carolina, 4/5/2020




Electronics Technician Richard Costelow: “I’m voting for Harley Brown; we need to show the Chinese we mean business, and a KW2 veteran will do that.”

Police officer Kaitlin Coleman: “I like Brown, but I wouldn’t trust him with a BB gun, let alone our billion-dollar army. Pritt, though, is one tough momma.’

Farmer Orson Gordon: “I back Brown. He’s been in the mud. He knows how tough things are. He’ll do what’s right.”

Beautician Marlene Harrison: “I honestly am not sure who to vote for, but I’m leaning to Pritt. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her.”

KYU Student Jasmine Troyon: “I will be casting my vote for Monica Lewinsky, thank you very much.”

Mechanic John Jeffers: “I don’t know, maybe Lugaro or Moore. Or you know what, maybe Pritt. She’s always talking about, uh, something about FDR.”

– ABC News report asking random Kentuckians which Presidential candidates they support, 4/6/2020



…Ahead of the first “cluster” of primary contests on April 7, Harley embarked on a highly-publicized motorcycle ride/listening tour from Washington, D.C. to Baton Rouge and back again in order to travel to and campaign in the southern states where Paul was polling strongest. The publicity stunt was Harley’s way of balking at suggestions from members of the RNC, the White House inner circle, and even his own inner circle, of “polishing,” “editing,” and “amending” his “presentation.”

Each time, Harley essentially asked, “I didn’t have to deny to himself and my country who I really am to make it this far, so why would I start doing so now?” And each time the reply did not convince the Vice President to submit to a more conventional campaign.

“I’m avoiding swear words and slurs, which f#@king suck – excuse me – but straying from my true self would betray his loyal supporters. And those stuffy establish types would see right through the bull anyway!”

Harley Brown also later stated, “I wanted to see how the paparazzi would chase after me when I’m speeding away from them on my ride.” Smiling, he also remarked, “They kept losing track of where I was. Even my Secret Service detail – all of them on their bikes – they got lost a few times, too, heh-heh-heh.”

While the media’s attention was on Harley driving, the voters he met with focused on Harley the candidate, and appreciated his blunt and straightforward answers to their questions.

April 7 was a busy election night for the south, with ten states hosting contests for both major party, making for twenty races in total. On the Democratic side, Pritt won six states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee) and large delegate shares from South Carolina and Virginia, proving the night was indeed a blowout in the governor’s favor. Lugaro won Louisiana and her home state of Puerto Rico, while Moore edged out a victory in South Carolina and Lewinsky did the same in Virginia. These impressive results made Pritt backers cheer, and all other candidates sweat from the fear of losing momentum after such disappointing performances.

On the Republican side, Brown won all states, with Paul only winning a small handful of delegates. Paul decided to stay in the race, even with these results suggesting that there was little chance of the Senator winning the nomination or even earning a substantial amount of delegates in the upcoming contests…

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…In entertainment news, John Belushi, the 71-year-old comedian and Oscar-winning actor, today announced that he has been diagnosed with lewy-body dementia, the same health condition afflicting semi-retired actor Robin Williams. In his statement, Belushi revealed that his decline has been in declined for, quote, a little while now, unquote, but was not more specific as to when he was diagnosed…

– NBC News, 4/9/2020 broadcast



“We’re living in a time where there is an unprecedented number of ‘international nations.’ Those are nations that do business and trade, have similar people and customs and culture, and are so well-connected and integrated with one another along multiple line that if they are side by side, the borders are superficial, like with North and South Yemen. And if they are separated by an ocean, then that ocean is no more than what Bob Ross would call a ‘happy, little pond,’ like with Canada and the United Kingdom.”

– former US Ambassador to the U.K. and former US Senator Paul Vallas (D-IL), 4/11/2020 interview



…To recap the night’s Democratic primaries, Senator Faust-Goudeau picked up Potomac but faltered everywhere else. The night also saw Lewinsky, Moore and Lugaro only win one contest each: Lewinsky won in Massachusetts, Moore in Rhode Island, Lugaro in Florida. As my colleagues have pointed out, Moore’s campaign has failed to bounce back from last week’s poor performances in contests across the south, and we are already receiving reports of him planning on either reorganizing or firing some of his campaign staff. But the big winner of the night was, once again, Governor Pritt, who picked up Indiana and North Carolina by large margins. On the Republican side, Senator Rand Paul only won Indiana and lost the popular vote in his home state of North Carolina, but might win a plurality of the state’s RNC delegates. The loss of his home state’s contest comes after weeks of the Harley campaign running anti-Paul attack ads on cable outlets and local news stations in that state…

– KNN, 4/14/2020 broadcast



“I don’t see a clear pathway forward for my candidacy, but I do see a clear pathway forward for my campaign to bring forth true American Democracy. That pathway is my supporters rallying behind Governor Pritt.”

– Former Governor Michael Moore (D-MI), 4/16/2020



…Pritt continued to gain momentum thanks to her stump speeches and debate performances. For example, a debate scheduled for April 18 – the final debate of the primary season – and held among the top four candidates (Pritt, Lugaro, Moore, and Lewinsky), saw Pritt once again dominate the stage, with her calm but captivating demeanor contrasting sharply against the passionate vernacular of her challengers, which were viewed as desperate attempts to take down the frontrunner. “Charlotte’s blue-collar personality, progressive ideology, and pragmatic record made for a very fortunate blend,” her communications director later said. “She could have just ended up on a VP shortlist if she hadn’t found her inner strength to enter the race in the first place”...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



…The first “Western Cluster” of primaries was held on March 21 and yielded surprising results for both parties. On the Democratic side, despite him declining to run, voters still wrote in former VP Bob Ross’ name in Alaska and Colorado; the non-existent campaign’s victories were pluralities, arguably brought about by Pritt and Moore failing to appeal to libertarian-leaning and small-government-leaning voters in those states. Meanwhile, Lugaro secured victory in Arizona, while Lewinsky continued to lose momentum and failed to surpass 25% in any of the night’s contest. Pritt, on the other hand, won the states of Idaho, Kansas, Ohio, and Oregon…

– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021



RAND PAUL SUSPENDS WHITE HOUSE BID

…last night was the worst performance of his campaign, with his best showing being a second-place finish of 7% in the Colorado primary. Since the primary season began, the politician has won only two states and a handful of delegates…

– 545towin.co.usa, 4/22/2020 “e-alert”



“So, I finally repelled the little f@#ker, huh? Heh! Winner, winner, chicken dinner, baby!”

– Harley Brown, upon learning of Paul suspending his bid (allegedly, possibly anecdotal), c. 4/23/2020



LEWINSKY DROPS BID FOR PRESIDENCY

…Lewinsky had been “mathematically eliminated” from receiving a majority of convention delegates since the 14th, but still had a chance of gathering enough delegates to try and force a contested convention at the DNC in August. On the 20th, Lewinsky commenting to a reporter that she had not been “mathed out” of the race went fervid, and is still being mocked ontech. …Despite gaining some delegates from Ohio and Oregon this Tuesday, Lewinsky’s chances of winning were waning considerably…

The Los Angeles Times, 4/24/2020



“When I am elected President this July, I promise to investigate and prosecute Nikolayev and his corrupt cronies to the fullest extent of the law! We must make an example of them to stop this kind of corrupt administration from ever rising to power again! This country does not belong to them, nor to the mafia, nor even to the elite. It belongs to all of its citizens, and to all of the Russian people!”

– Boris Nemtsov, Russian-1 TV segment, 4/26/2020 broadcast



PRITT CLINCHES NOMINATION IN LATEST PRIMARY CLUSTER!

…rising momentum behind the Lugaro campaign failed to prevent what pundits were calling the inevitable, given Pritt’s substantial delegate lead over Lugaro… Pritt narrowly secured victory in all but one of tonight’s four primary contests – Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the Virgin Islands – with Lugaro winning American Samoa and coming in a close second place in the rest of them…

The Washington Post, 4/28/2020



DOZENS DISPLACED AFTER MASSIVE SINKHOLE RIPS OPEN UNDER SOUTH DAKOTA HOMES

…over 30 residents have been evacuated after a sinkhole opened up under the Hideaway Hills neighborhood of Black Hawk, South Dakota. After the ground gave way on April 27, revealing the community was built over an abandoned gypsum mine, fear of the sinkhole expanding has had locals on edge – and on the edge of a huge chasm right in their own neighborhood…

The New York Times, 4/30/2020



PICS OF BLACK HAWK SINKHOLE GO FERVID ONTECH

…the images highlight the sheer depth and sublime scale of this subterranean discovery…

– weirdsouthdakota.co.usa, 5/2/2020



HARLEY BROWN CALLS FOR NATIONAL SINKHOLE PROJECT

lufPMLr.png

[pic: imgur.com/lufPMLr.png ]

Above: VP Brown With VP Chief of Staff Lisa Marie

…the Vice President continued, “We need to implement a federal jobs program that has specifics written up by the states and essentially hires thousands and thousands if not millions to survey land and monitor for potential sinkholes, detect them, mark off where they are, and have them filled in or opened up to be used for something, like landfills or underground storage. The displacement of people, like what happened in Black Hawk, South Dakota shouldn’t happen in America, and it can’t happen again. When someone buys a house, they shouldn’t have to wonder, ‘Gee, could a hole open up underneath this place and kill us all?’ That’s not right.”…

The New York Times, 5/3/2020



LATEST PRIMARY RESULTS: Pritt Sweeps Midwest and Rust Belt

…with only minor or withdrawn candidates remaining on state ballots, Governor Pritt easily won tonight’s cluster of primary contests, which were held in Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and her home state of West Virginia…

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/5/2020



BACHAND IN A BIND AFTER BREAKING NO-TAX PLEDGE

…the Prime Minister has also been criticized for essentially directing a smear campaign again the leader of the opposition…

The Toronto Star, 9/5/2020



PRIMARIES UPDATE: Pritt Wins Hawaii, Americans Abroad Delegates Unopposed

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/12/2020



PRITT, BROWN SWEEP ARCADIA CLUSTER: Presumptive Nominee Secure CT, DE, ME, NY, WA Delegates

– 545towin.co.usa, 5/19/2020



The Mickey Mouse universe is a fictional shared universe comprising of multiple comics, TV shows, and film franchises. It is the setting for stories involving “classic” Disney cartoon characters created by company founder Walt Disney, with the most prominent characters being Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, George “Goofy” Goof, Pluto, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, and Peter “Pete” Katsup. Unofficially beginning with the 1928 short Steamboat Willie, cartoonist Floyd Gottfredson “stabilized” the universal with the Mickey mouse comic strip that debuted in 1930 and is still in syndication. Disney fans use the term, as well as some who have worked on related projects, but the Walt Disney Company itself has never used the term “Mickey Mouse universe” in any official capacity.

[snip]

Films:
Mickey Mouse film series (1928-1953)
Swabbies (1991)
Goofy film trilogy (1993-2001)
The Three Mouseketeers (2003)

TV shows:
Mickey And Friends (1992-1995)
House of Mouse (2002-2011)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (2004-2012)
Mickey! (2014-2016)
The Wonderful World of Mickey (2019-present)

– clickopedia.co.usa/mickey-mouse-universe



DANA, CELTIC POP SINGER, BECOMES PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

…Dana Rosemary Scallon, known to her fans as simply Dana, was today sworn into the position of President of Ireland to cheering crowds. Scallon, a best-selling singer of Celtic pop and Christian folk music, was a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004. Officially Independent but running on a populist campaign focused on “protecting family values,” she defeated former Mid Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin McAliskey of the Socialist Party in the Irish Presidential Election held on 23 April. She succeeded President Avril Doyle of the Fine Gael party, who was term-limited…

The Guardian, UK newspaper, 22/5/2020



TOP FIVE TELECOM COMMERCIALS, RANKED

1) Passing The Torch, Verizon – Airing ahead of the 2008 Olympics, the promo follows a close-up of a lar phone, held up like a torch, as its carrier runs through various landscapes without getting a weak signal; upon reaching a pedestal, a zoom-out shows James Earl Jones, the retiring “voice” of Verizon Cordless, handing the phone over to his successor, then-newcomer Kevin Michael Richardson. The pairing of two celebrated actors to swelling music, courtesy of Hans Zimmer himself, has made for an iconic moment.

2) Selena, UnitedTalk – The celebrated singer rarely gives endorsements, but this 2002 spot was an exception. Promoting UnitedTalk’s “Explore” Package by showing her using the service to VidCall and sing to a young fan in a hospital bed from her studio, the ad’s proceeds were donated to SARS research. Heartwarming and sentimental without being overwhelming, shmaltzy, or cheesy, this was a welcomed treat for many Americans during the SARS pandemic.

3) A “Tit-for-Tat” Treat, AT&T – Between her show’s cancellation in 1987 and its short-lived revival in the mid-2010s, horror hostess Elvira teamed up with 1990s Ton-o-Toons star Richard “Svengoolie” Koz to trade risqué puns and fourth-wall gags over the phone in this 1997 segment. At a time when what is currently the largest telecom company in the US was in dire financial straits, this controversial match-up gave AT&T enough media attention to bounce back in time for the new millennium.

4) Smooth Ride, Frontier – A fun and self-aware 60-second commercial that first aired during the 2001 Superbowl, the ensemble cast of “Star Trek: Liftoff” teams up with several real-life former astronauts to travel via wormhole to U.F.P. headquarters – and without losing their lar phone connections. Over-the-top? Yes. Worth the 14million views it’s gotten on OurVids.co.can? Also yes!

5) Kyrie Irving In The Zone, Charter – The least commonly used telecom company on this list is quickly becoming than Comcast when it comes to promoting itself, as this ad from 2016 exemplifies. Following the famous Celtics player having a seamless phone call – free of static and buffering – while at the same time weaving through other players and making a slam dunk during a finals game, the 30-second-spot is a highly-energetic marvel of an ad.

– usarightnow.co.usa/culture/TV, 5/21/2020



PRIMARY NIGHT: Nominees-In-Waiting Win All Contests In Second Western Cluster

…Brown and Pritt won all Republican and Democratic elections, respectively, held in Texas, Nebraska, Utah and Wyoming. Brown also won the GOP primary held in North Dakota…

The Houston Chronicle, 5/26/2020



SOUTH DAKOTA HOMEOWNERS ARE SUING OVER “DANGEROUS” SINKHOLE

…the sinkhole exposed an abandoned mine, endangering the properties above it… the residents have filed a $75million lawsuit claiming government entities, along with private contractors and developers, were negligent in the matter, either knowing of the mine or failing to properly study the land prior to developing it…

– insurancejournal.co.usa, 5/29/2020



…in other news, the states of Mississippi and South Dakota held their Presidential primaries today, with each of them voting for presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees, Governor Charlotte Pritt and Vice President Harley Brown, respectively. Brown also won contests held in California, Montana, New Jersey and New Mexico, which concludes the 2020 primaries for the Republicans but not for the Democrats…

– NBC News, 6/2/2020 broadcast



h4LZ0yV.png

[pic: imgur.com/h4LZ0yV.png ]

Popular vote:

Harley Brown – 21,618,797 (86.2%)
Rand Paul – 1,830,826 (7.3%)
Ben Nighthorse Campbell – 451,436 (1.8%)
William Scranton – 426,356 (1.7%)
Mike Leavitt – 351,117 (1.4%)
Rob Sobhani – 225,718 (0.9%)
Edward A. Buchanan – 125,399 (0.5%)
All other votes – 50,159 (0.2%)

Total popular votes – 25,079,812 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [4]



DALLAIRE DOES IT!: Progressive Liberals Wins Parliament Majority

…In a fatal blow to the Bachand government, blasted for weeks for backpedaling on key issues, which bolstered blowback from Bachand base of businessmen and blue-collar backers, PL leader and former diplomat Romeo Dallaire has democratically dethroned the incumbent administration. Under Dallaire’s leadership, the Progressive Liberals won 175 seats, 5 seats more than needed for a majority of the total 338 seats in the House of Commons, while the Progressive Conservatives won 140. …The Quebec party, led by Mario Beaulieu, predictably came in a distant third with only 9 seats, while the People’s party, led by Jean-Francois Archambault, came in fourth place with 7 seats. Furthermore, the Green party, led by Jody Wilson-Raybould, came in fifth place with 4 seats; Purple Dawn, led by Naheed Nenshi, won 2 seats; and the New Maple party, led by Alanna Koch, retained its sole seat... Dallaire is expected to enter office on 14 June…

The Vancouver Sun, Canadian newspaper, 6/6/2020



…And in political news, the final round of Presidential primaries was held tonight in California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota. They all were for the Democratic party, as the GOP wrapped up its primary season last week. As expected, the Democratic party’s nominee-in-waiting, West Virginia Governor Charlotte Pritt, won all five contests…

– KNN News, 6/9/2020 broadcast



CxbJdi2.png

[Pic: imgur.com/CxbJdi2.png ]

Popular vote:

Charlotte Pritt – 23,621,975 (51.5%)
Alexandra Lugaro – 7,935,149 (17.3%)
Monica Lewinsky – 4,082,244 (8.9%)
Michael Moore – 3,119,018 (6.8%)
Oletha Faust-Goudeau – 2,522,735 (5.5%)
Bob Ross (undeclared) – 2,339,264 (5.1%)
Carol Bellamy (undeclared) – 871,490 (1.9%)
Maura Healey – 550,414 (1.2%)
Jeff Weaver – 366,943 (0.8%)
Dan Clodfelter – 321,075 (0.7%)
All other votes – 137,604 (0.3%)

Total popular votes – 45,867,912 (100%)

– clickopedia.co.usa [4]



LEWINSKY BLAMES “BOTTOM-HEAVY” PRIMARY SCHEDULE FOR DASHED PRESIDENTIAL HOPES: “If The DNC Had Moved Up The Most Populous State In The Union To Earlier In The Primary, My Candidacy Could Have Gathered More Momentum”

[snip]

Comments Section:

COMMENT 1:
No, Monica, you running a disappointing campaign dashed your Presidential hopes.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Yeah, she focused way too much on cultural stuff and not enough on the real issues. Always attacking Grammer and rarely saying how she would be better.

COMMENT 2:
California’s race is always later in the schedule. It was finalized over a year ago, so she should have known this when she jumped in, and focused more on trying to reach out to voters in the early states instead of hoping to rely on home state advantage.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2:
But she did reach out to early states – how else did she win VT & MA?!

COMMENT 3:
Decent article, I give it 4-out-of-5 stars

COMMENT 4:
She lost momentum because she came off as too elitist, especially in the debates. She was too fancy for this modern era, where politicians are like reality TV personalities and have to be relatable and have interesting personalities like our salty sea-dog VP and Mountain Mama Charlotte.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
I thought they always have to be deceivable. Andrew Jackson ran as a man of the people. It was an outright lie, but it worked.

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
Fair point

REPLY 2 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
That was in the 1820s, dude. We’re talking about nowadays.

REPLY 2 to COMMENT 4:
I agree. Pritt and the Veep just come off as more humble, you know? More human are relatable. Lewinsky seemed too professional, too streamlined, too rehearsed, not raw or sincere. That doomed her campaign when put up against the energy of Lugaro and the rustic charm of Pritt.

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/10/2020



“We had the approve of Republican voters. It was wealthy elitists Republican donors that we had to win over next. That was actually more challenging, at least for my department. We had to hammer in the fact that Rand Paul’s ‘Populist Within Reason’ schtick crashing and burning proved that Brown’s campaign style and candidness would, in the end, win the day – and the Presidency – for the GOP.”

– Sarah Taylor Fagen (R-IA), media strategist for the Brown’2020 campaign, 2022 interview



MANGO DECLINES RUNNING MATE CONSIDERATION

Philadelphia, PA – Governor Paul Mango today announced that he is not interested in serving as presumptive GOP nominee Harley Brown’s running mate in the November 2020 Presidential election. Mango, a 61-year-old Republican former businessman who was elected to the governorship in 2018, told reporters that his “current responsibilities are the people of this state.” He also joked, “for some reason, asking people to pick a Brown-Mango ticket doesn’t sound appealing to me.”…

The Philadelphia Enquirer, 6/12/2020



LIST OF PIXAR FILMS

{sort by: decade}

1990s: Toy Story (1994), Bugnificent (1997), Monkey Town (1999)

2000s: Mr. Popper’s Penguins (2001), Tugboat Hotel (2003), Fair Games (2004), Lost In Scaradise (2005), The Adventures of Jerrie Parsec (2006), The Lost Clownfish (2007), The Incredibles (2008), Chasing Leopards (2009)

2010s: Joy (2010), Space Spy (2011), Life (2012), Happy Smekday (2013), Chasing Leopards 2 (2014), Shademaker: The Shadow King (2015), By The Light of The Rocks (2016), Earth 2 (2017), Driven (2018), Gigantic (2019)

2020s: Memory (2020) {see: upcoming releases}

– mediarchives.co.usa, c. June 2020



…McMillan was highly critical of both major-party nominees, believing that their populist rhetoric was a “damn façade.” In private talks with his presidential staff, he explained “Harley’s not a man of the people anymore – he’s been in the Beltway for eight years now. And unless she picks a ‘Brother’ for running mate, I don’t see how Charlotte can win over Our People. Because, damn, have you ever been to West Virginia. I have, and let me tell, you – she’s the Governor of an overwhelmingly white state!”…

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



QUERY: Who do you guys think will be Pritt’s pick for running mate?
Analysts on TV are saying she’ll throw a bone to the Lugaro-progressive wing of the party, but I think she’ll pick another populist like herself to reinforce her core campaign messages. What do y’all think?

COMMENT 1 (by Republic_of_Nationland):
Over on NBC, one of their idiot analysts claimed she’s too inexperienced to be POTUS. Ha!

COMMENT 2 (by PoodleFace):
I think she needs to try and cut into Harley’s share of the vote. Brown has somehow retained his anti-establishment aura after eight years as VP, so she has to break out those grassroots strategies that won her the governorship in the GOP-leaning years of 2012 and 2016. She needs to focus of social organizing and mobilizing, and reminding voters on how she proved herself to be electable in the primaries, and showed off her debate skills in those debates.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2 (by ConservaTim321):
Okay, but who do you think should be her R.M.?

REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 2 (by PoodleFace):
I don’t think it matters as much as how she herself runs, but probably someone from an urban/high-population area. Maybe someone from Texas or California.

COMMENT 3 (by Ultracoolmanguy01):
She’s geographically interesting because WV is between three major spots, the Midwest, the Northeast, and the South. So maybe she should pick someone from west, like Mark Udall or Cruz Bustamante.

COMMENT 4 (by George_Greekman):
I’m hoping she picks a fellow Greek for RM, like Governors Gianaris or Giannoulias, or Senator Atsalis. They’re all from high-populated states and urban areas not too close to West Virginia, and all three of those guys have done a lot since entering office.

REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4 (by LadyBloodsplatter):
Of those three, Giannoulias has the most name recognition b/c of how he handled those race riots in Chicago last year. Plus, with Pritt in her 70s putting a young person on the ticket (heh, Giannoulias is 44 – that’s young in politics but ancient in the modeling world! Hilarious!) may give the ticket a good balance.

COMMENT 5 (by JoxeyCoxey):
I hereby predict that she will select a Democrat to be her running mate! :p

– ahdiscussionboard.co.usa, “current politics” subsection, thread opened 6/16/2020



…As of 2020, the NY-NJ Storm Barrier Project is still not finalized. NYC Mayor McMillan has spent his tenure spending funds on housing in his mostly-successful efforts at rent control. NY Governor Gianaris recently expressed interest in founding a private-public partnership to help the state and city governments involved cover the cost of the project, but has otherwise not been too keen on the proposal... …The rising apathy towards the barrier does not bode well for the region. What was a major concern in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy has shifted father and farther to the political backburner despite Global Climate Disruption being an increasingly pressing national and global concern that only raises the odds of another Sandy-style storm hitting the bi-state region in the near future...

– Maria Stevenson and John Capozzi’s TRITDH: The Jimmy McMillan Story, Vagabond Books, 2021



LIST OF THEATRICALLY-RELEASED ANIMATED DISNEY FILMS

(Note: List does not include live-action/animated “hybrid” films, direct-to-MLD films, or digital-downstream-only films)

{sort by: decade}

[snip]

1960s: One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Jungle Book (1967)

1970s: The Aristocrats (1970), Chanticleer (1972), The Snow Queen (1974), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), The Rescuers (1979)

1980s: The Fox and the Hound (1980), The Magic Broomstick (1981), The Rescuers 2: The Search For Scruffy (1984), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Don Quixote (1987), Oliver & Company (1989)

1990s: The Little Mermaid (1990), Swabbies (1991), Beauty and the Beast (1992), Aladdin (1993), The Lion King (1994), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1995), Pocahontas (1996), Twelve Dancing Princesses (1997), Treasure Planet (1998), Tarzan (1999)

2000s: Hercules (2000), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), Goldilocks (2002), Treasure Planet 2 (2003), Yennenga (2005), Baba Yaga (2006), Treasure Planet 3 (2007), Tiny The Alligator (2008), Newt (2009)

2010s: The Troll King (2010), Dumbo 2 (2011), The Upside-Down House (2012), Dinosaur Days (2013), The Lilliputians Under The Sink (2014), The Last Polar Bear (2015), Puss in Boots (2016), Stoneflight (2017), A Fool’s Errand (2018), Thunder Over Glasgow (2019)

2020s: Deep In The Heart of Texas (2020) {see: upcoming releases}

– mediarchives.co.usa, c. June 2020



…polling for next month’s Presidential election in Russia shows the incumbent Nikolayev leading by a plurality, with opposition being almost evenly divided among several challengers, making it unclear who may challenge him in a runoff election should Nikolayev fail to win a majority in the primary round…

– BBC World News, 6/20/2020 broadcast



CODE MONKEYS REVIVAL SERIES CANCELLED AFTER TWO SEASONS

…the “cult classic” animated series has a tumultuous history, with its dark jokes and crude humor often getting itself into hot water during its original run of four seasons, which aired on TumbleweedTV from 2007 to 2010…

– usarightnow.co.usa, 6/21/2020 [5]



No Aid For South Dakota Residents After Sinkhole Collapse, ODERCA Says

…evacuated residents are not eligible for federal aid, according to the Overwhelming Disaster Emergency Response Coordination Agency…

The Chicago Tribune, 6/22/2020



“I’m aware that ODERCA’s budget has been cut dramatically since 2013, but I’m still very disappointed in them. …[President] Kelsey [Grammer] thinks response and relief to these kind of situations should be confined to the state level only, and I strongly disagree with that.”

– US Postmaster General Ralph Nader (I-CT), 6/23/2020



Rank | Maker – Console – Released – Units Sold

1 | Nintendo – Vision – 2004 – 56M

2 | Nintendo – Gem – 2008 – 52M

3 | Sony – PlayStation5 – 2015 – 44M

4 | Sony – PlayStation2 – 2000 – 41M

5 | Nintendo – Vapor – 2000 – 39M

6 | Sega – Genesis – 1989 – 31M

7 | Olympus – Alpha2 – 2006 – 29M

8 | Sony – PlayStation – 1995 – 28M

9 | Sony – PlayStation3 – 2005 – 21M

10 | Sega – Genesis3 – 1998 – 15M

– gametime.co.usa/stats/video-game-consoles/lists/best-sellers/region/United-States, c. June 2020 [6]



“…As the Democratic National Convention approaches, the selection of running mate for Governor Pritt is still without a clear frontrunner. Several underdog candidates are being considered, along with options that may appeal to minority group, but southern, conservative, and blue-collar Democrats are reportedly being vetted as well. The presumptive nominee could select an establishment-friendly running mate, or an anti-establishment one; a western favorite, or someone from a more densely populated area to raise the chances of a decisive popular vote victory in November. With all these possibilities, Governor Pritt’s vetting team is casting a wide net to find her the best running mate [7]...”

– NBC News, 6/25/2020 broadcast



…A major issue with Brown’s “image” was that it appealed to many ultra-conservatives of the neo-hippy, formerly Goetzite, uber-right, Wide-Awake variety, many of whom were now coming out of the woodwork in support of the Vice President. The need to add to his base of supports with support from less populist Republicans along with independents and undecided voters, but without upsetting these “fringe” elements too much, kept Brown’s VP vetting team work intensely on finding a suitable running mate.

For Harley Brown, the considerations for the Number 2 spot on the ticket could go one of two ways – a “dove” or a double-down. Brown could go with a more moderate, or as he called them, a more “polished” politician, to improve enthusiasm for his campaign among unsatisfied members of the party. Independents, undecided, and the White Whale that is the conservative Democrat could all potentially be swung be a non-offensive “compromise” selection. Even the most conservative Democrat in the US Senate in the nation, Brian Moran of Virginia, and the most conservative Democratic governor, Ben Lewis Jones of Georgia, were each allegedly considered for the position prior to both publicly declining interest.

On the other hand, Brown saw little downside to doubling down and picking an early supporter of his candidacy who could still strengthen the ticket. However, the VP refused to consider Rand Paul or anyone of the 7 Congressmen who had endorsed his primary challenge. Senator Gunderson politely declined, as did former Governor Dave Ramsey. US Secretary Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN) expressed approval in being vetted, but the two of them did get along well, with Harley believing that she would try to grab more of the limelight than a running mate should, and so was vetted, but not actually considered due to the lingering animosity. …With so few weeks left before the convention began, the shortlist was still not finalized [L1]...

– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021



Build A Better Future

Restore America’s Future

Restore America’s Promise

Pritt Won’t Quit

For The Future

Real Solutions

New Leadership For A New Tomorrow

In To Win

In It to Win It For All of Us

Working For Change; Working For You

Bet On Charlotte

The People’s Choice

– unofficial “Pick Pritt” 2020 slogans, first used c. June 2020



Ride To Victory

(It’s) Time for Destiny

Harley – For Family

Duty Calls

Destiny Calls

A Leader You Can Depend On

Telling It Like It Is

For The Truth

Tried And True

Brown’s The Best

Tested And Trustworthy

Ready To Lead

– unofficial Harley Brown 2020 slogans, first used c. June 2020



“There were lots of rent control supporters out there, but few of them were politicians. And there were few politicians out there who openly backed rent control, and even fewer of them were willing to consider becoming Jimmy’s running mate. So, he had to look high and low for the right running mate.” [L1]

– Brynja McDivitt
Booth, former legal advisor to NYC Mayor McMillan, 2022 interview



POLL: “If the election for President was held today, who would you vote for?”

Charlotte Pritt: 42%
Harley Brown: 41%
Jimmy McMillan: 5%
Undecided/other: 12%

Hypothetical RCV Final Round Matchup:

Charlotte Pritt: 50%
Harley Brown: 50%

– Gallup, 6/30/2020



NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Italicized pieces pulled from here: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/japanese-diet
[2] Passage is edited dialogue from here:
[3] OTL quote (except for the italics this time)!: https://web.archive.org/web/20210119020540/http://www.governorharley.com/why.htm
[4] Vote composition are based on the polling results as they were on May 29
[5] So this show, plus Happy Tree Friends (2 seasons), Slacker Cats (8 seasons) and other shows sort of fill in the void left by South Park and Family Guy not existing ITTL on account of their creators working on other projects instead.
[6] FYI: I’m not a gamer (I’ve never even owned a video game console), so this is all alien territory to me @Sharky1234



[7] But you can help select the running mates by voting in these here polls!:

Poll #1) “Who should Charlotte Pritt select to be her running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45319063

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 20 candidates:

US Sen. Demetrius J. Atsalis of Massachusetts, age 56 – The junior US Senator from the Bay State, in office since 2015, could balance out Pritt’s rural roots with urban appeal, and Pritt’s blue-collar appeal with Atsalis’ history defending white-collar jobs from automation.

US Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, age 68 – Previously serving as a Governor (2003-2007) and in office, since 2007, Brown has progressive bona fides and decades of political experience; however, he is right next door to Ohio, so his selection may cost the ticket votes in other regions.

Gov. Cruz Bustamante of California, age 68 – In office since 2012, this Hispanic-American politician has for years strived to improve the quality of life found in California’s communities, from curbing crime rates and confronting recreadrug abuse to overseeing revitalization projects in the Salton Sea.

Gov. Douglas S. Chin of Hawaii, age 54 – In office since 2014, Chin made national news for his decisive handling of volcanic eruptions and subsequent lava flows affecting his state for during much of 2018; his leadership skills and progressive stances make him an interesting prospect to some in Pritt’s inner circle.

Fmr US Interior Sec. Larry J. Echo-Hawk of Idaho, age 72 – Experienced, Native-American, and with some libertarian streaks, the selection of a fellow septuagenarian from a growing rural state would nevertheless be seen as Pritt doubling down on her campaign’s themes, but some argue that’s a good thing.

Gov. Michael Gianaris of New York, age 50 – In office since 2015, the Greek-American overseer of several NY-based energy projects could bring in more urban, ethnic, and younger voters, and possibly complement Pritt’s gubernatorial tenure with a governing record of his own.

Gov. Al Giannoulias of Illinois, age 44 – This youthful and energetic governor, former state treasurer, and former professional basketball player could win over urban, ethnic, and younger voters both in and outside of the Midwest, and would contrast sharply against the elderly and rural-based Pritt.

Fmr Gov. Barry N. Goldberg of Pennsylvania, age 51 – The selection of the rambunctious “Big Tasty,” with a background in radiology and financial reform, could energize the Jewish-America vote concentrated in high-population states such as Florida, California and New York, as well as the youth vote.

Gov. Robert Gray of Mississippi, age 51 – The selection of an African-American running mate for a ticket led by a woman would certainly be historic, and with Gray’s past as a truck driver, then union leader, before becoming Governor in 2016, this Southerner may be a part of such a historic moment.

US Sen. Alexandra Lugaro of Puerto Rico, age 39 – Selecting this former opponent to create the first major-party all-female Presidential ticket could unite the party, help win over Hispanic voters, and dispel questions concerning Pritt’s age; however, it’s possible Lugaro’s alleged lack of experience (2 years in the Senate, 10 in the House) could be questioned instead.

Gov. Cory Mason of Wisconsin, age 48 – A rising star in the party and only in office since 2019, this stripling of a politician is focused on promoting technical schools and working with unions on commercial development projects; selecting him would be a reinforcement of many of Pritt’s proposals.

US Sen. Michael H. Michaud of Maine, age 66 – Selecting the only Openly-BLUTAG Democratic US Senator for running mate, while historic, may not win over certain conservatives; regardless, he may be selected due to his latest efforts to promote stem cell research and relief for small businesses.

Fmr Gov. Michael Moore of Michigan, age 66 – He bitterly feuded with Pritt during the primaries, but some in her inner circle believe they can bury the hatchet over their similar but distinctly different policies and ideologies; other concerns are Moore’s age, and his being from a nearby state.

US Postmaster Gen. Ralph Nader of Connecticut, age 86 – Despite expressing disinterest several times, some pundits think that adding Nader to the ticket would provide it with decades of experience, as he served in the US Senate for 12 years and in the cabinets of 8 of the last 10 Presidential administrations.

US Sen. Kwame Raoul of Illinois, age 56 – Retiring from Senate, this Haitian-American former candidate would focus on Civil Rights and criminal justice matters as running mate and as a Vice President; he could potentially win over large swaths of the urban, ethnic, immigrant and youth vote.

Fmr US Navy Sec. James G. Stavridis of Florida, age 65 – This celebrated and award-winning Greek-American retired US Navy Admiral served as the US Navy Secretary from 2013 to 2019; his selection would beef up the ticket’s national defense credentials and could improve turnout among ethnic voters.

Louisville Mayor David Tandy of Kentucky, age 48 – In office since 2015, the African-American Tandy is overseeing the continued growth of his city’s population, cutting taxes for lower-income residents but not for major employers to pay for public services; he agrees with nearly all of Pritt’s ideas.

US Rep. Ivy Ruth Taylor of Texas, age 50 – Previously the Mayor of San Antonio from 2014 to 2017, and a member of the House since 2017, Taylor campaigned for Pritt across the South during the primaries, and her selection could help mobilize young, ethnic, and southern voters.

Fmr US Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado, age 70 – During his time in the US House (1999-2005) and US Senate (2005-17), he backed renewable energy projects, defended national parks, and criticized Grammer’s handling of domestic hackers; he could win over former Ross supporters and many voters out west.

US Rep. Antonio R. Villar Jr. of California, age 67 – In office since 2017, Villar has backed increasing funding for public schools, criminal justice legislation, water accessibility efforts, and immigration reform; selecting this Mexican-American former DNC Chair could possibly increase Hispanic voter turnout.



And Poll #2) “Who should Harley Brown select to be his running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45319055

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 20 candidates:

Fmr Gov. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, age 64 – The socially conservative Bachmann served as Governor from 2016 to 2019 after spending time as Lt. Gov. (2015-16) and as a state senator (2001-15); even though she lost the 2018 governor’s race, she has been a consistently loyal and strong Brown Backer.

Fmr Gov. Rudolph Andreas “Andre” Bauer of South Carolina, age 51 – While governor (2011-2019) he faced controversies of his own over his opposition to free school meal programs, but budget cuts led to him leaving S.C. with a surplus in 2019; a strong Brown ally, he is friends with former Speaker McMaster.

US Sen. Mae Beavers of Tennessee, age 73 – In office since 2013, this conservative “spitfire” from Pritt’s neighborhood is critical of Grammer’s handling of the US Department of Education and supports abolishing all forms of income tax and business regulations; plus, she and Brown have a friendly rapport.

Gov. Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh of Alabama, age 54 – Since entering office in 2019, Cavanaugh has backed tax incentives for opening small businesses in her state, maintained low utility rates, and criticized ODERCA’s “over-reaching” regulations; she could improve the party’s standing among female voters.

Gov. Brian Calley of Michigan, age 43 – The youthful former US Secretary of Commerce has been in office since 2019, but has already passed legislation to fund autism research, end the state’s “unfair” business tax, and pass a 5% flat tax on corporate income; he appeals to anti-Brown members of the GOP.

Fmr Gov. Mark Green of Wisconsin, age 60 – Serving in public offices from 1993 until retiring from the governorship in 2019, this experienced politician has spent years opposing and combating human rights violations, and backs interventionism and economic reform; he could put parts of the Midwest into play.

Circuit Chief Judge Neil Gorsuch of Colorado, age 53 – The Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit since 2015 has some libertarian streaks in his overall conservative voting record, has a reputation for being “polished” and “refined,” and would do an “grand” job presiding over the Senate.

Gov. Hal Heiner of Kentucky, age 69 – In office since 2015, the former Mayor of Louisville has overseen public work projects and economic reform to improve his state’s employment rates following the 2013 recession; commended for handling anti-police protests in 2019, he’s a moderate from Pritt’s neighborhood.

Gov. Jennifer Sandra Johnson of Florida, age 61 – This Trinidadian-American woman of color served in the Navy (retired at the rank of Commander) and fought in Libya and in KW2; a conservative politician since 2002, Johnson could win over female and ethnic/minority voters, and help the ticket win Florida.

US Rep. Joe Kyrillos of New Jersey, age 60 – Serving in various offices since 1988, Kyrillos’s eastern and urban ties would balance out Harley’s affinity for the west and the countryside; with deep donor connections and even deeper personal pockets, picking Kyrillos could unite the party and win ethnic voters.

US Amb. to Cuba Connie Mack IV of Florida, age 53 – One of the few former members of the Grammer administration to be heavily considered, this “polished” former Paul-backer served in the House from 2003 to 2013 before serving in the US Embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh; he could put Florida into play.

Gov. Rocky McCain of Montana, age 59 – The retiring libertarian-leaning moderate Governor, in office since 2013, has military bona fides and could win over ethnic/minority voters with his “inspiring” backstory and “superb” oratory skills; however, a Brown/McCain ticket would not be geographically diverse at all.

Gov. Kimberly Ann McFadden of Iowa, age 61 – Born in Iowa and starting out her career in law enforcement, even serving of the Sheriff of Des Moines before entering the state senate; since becoming Governor, McFadden has defended Iowa’s police precincts and recreadrug policies, and is popular across the state.

Gov. Lesil Lynn “Lizzie” McGuire of Alaska, age 49 – A youthful career politician in office since 2014, McGuire has lowered taxes and has combated state issues such as wage theft, housing, homelessness, and domestic violence, along with approving anti-GCD efforts; she could possibly win over female voters.

US Army Gen. (ret.) Mark Milley of Potomac, age 62 – If Brown wants to double down on his foreign policy chops, selecting this early supporter of his, who has led an impressive military career of the years, may do the trick, and allow Brown to focus more on domestic issues.

Gov. Glenn K. Rieth of New Jersey, age 63 – Similarly to Kyrillos, Reith is a well-connected conservative, but like Milley, he is a military veteran; since becoming Governor in 2018, Reith has worked to simplify state business laws, defend police precints, and promote economic development.

Gov. T. W. Shannon of Oklahoma, age 42 – Since entering office in 2019, Shannon has worked on diverting tax revenue to repair infrastructure and protect farmers; despite his opposition to certain social program specifics, this half-Black, half-Chickasaw politician could appeal to young and non-white voters.

US Sen. Sarah Hearne Steelman of Missouri, age 62 – A “rising star” in the party since 2008, and serving in the US Senate since 2013, Steelman has served on multiple committees and has developed a moderate-to-conservative voting tenure that is very similar to Brown’s; she could win over female voters.

US Rep. Mark D. Siljander of Michigan, age 69 – With a lengthy resume (US House from Michigan (1981-87/2007-13/2017-present) and from Virginia (1993-99); US Ambassador to Paraguay (1987-89) and Poland (2013-15)), this 2-time nominee for the US Senate (2012, 2014) is a strongly conservative Harley ally.

US Sen. Allen West of Florida, age 59 – West has been a consistent supporter of the VP, working with him on legislation since both entered their current positions in 2013; as military veterans the two mutually respect each other; a strongly conservative African-American, West could win over minority voters.



Also, a third poll: “Who should Jimmy McMillan (I-NY) select to be his running mate for the 2020 Presidential Election?”: https://www.strawpoll.me/45335248

And a quick breakdown of that poll’s 8 candidates:

Rev. Edmund G. “Jerry” Brown Jr. of California, age 82 – The Nobel Peace Prize recipient endorsed both of McMillan’s mayoral bids, and has defended his rent control policies on major networks; he would add humanitarian bona fides to a “people-centric” ticket.

Fmr US Rep. John James Capozzi Jr. of Potomac, age 64 – With a consistent track record and having worked with the NYC Mayor on rent issues in both Potomac and NYC for years now, McMillan’s running mate in 2016 may be selected for the same role again.

Prof. Janice R. Fine of Massachusetts, age 59 – a lawyer, community organizer, political activist, labor advocate, feminist icon, and academic, convincing Fine to join the ticket could do much to bring in female supporters; while she is to the left of McMillan, the two get along well together.

US Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, age 74 – repeatedly in and out of public office, this progressive politician has served 11 terms in the U.S. House on five non-consecutive occasions and from three different states (Ohio, California, New Mexico and Ohio again); his labor appeal could win over blue-collar voters.

Fmr Gov. Richard “Cheech” Marin of New Mexico, age 74 – This semi-retired political prisoner-turned-activist filmmaker-turned politician is a prominent promoter of recreadrug legalization, and could help McMillan win over Hispanic voters and other ethnic minorities.

Gov. Krist Novoselic of Washington, age 55 – Though it is unknown if a guitarist can play second fiddle to a Mayor, the retiring Governor Novoselic’s libertarian ideology has enough overlap with McMillan’s populist ideology that the two could make for an interesting ticket.

Fmr st. sen. Steve Rauschenberger of Illinois, age 64 – The only former Republican on this list, Rauschenberger served in the state senate from 1993 to 2007 and twice ran unsuccessfully for Congress; he is an early supporter of McMillan, having played prominent roles in his 2016 campaign.

Fmr ODERCA Dir. Rodney Slater of Arkansas, age 65 – In charge of overseeing disaster rescue and relief efforts during Hurricane Sandy and other storms from 2005 to 2009, this African-American “beltway politician”-turned-legal advisor would bring much experience to the ticket.



@Sunstone77
Adult Animation – I agree that cynical humor is tied to economic strife; some shows similar to Bojack Horseman, in that they are dramas tackling serious issues but are animated, do exist ITTL, but are less popular among the general population and are instead considered to have strong “cult” followings. BTW, I love your “Media Circus” idea over in this TL’s pictures thread, so I hereby declare it canon! So I guess, other than “Media Circus,” the most prominent “dark” toon shows ITTL are “Invader Zim,” and “Neurotically Yours” (the show with Foamy the Squirrel), among others.

@PNWKing
“Did the Bell System still break up? If so, what are the top telecom companies?” Yes, but a bit sooner under President Mondale; the top 10 telecom companies, globally, are, in descending order, AT&T (US), Verizon (US), Nippon (Japan), Telekom (Germany), America Movil (Mexico), Softbank (Japan), Comcast (US), PRC Uni-Com (China), Vodafone (UK), UnitedTalk (US). The top 5 in the US are AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, UnitedTalk, and Frontier.
“Are cable and satellite still things?” – Yes, but they’re presently used even less often than IOTL.
Nick Offerman, Amy Poehler, Jim O’Heir, Marietta “Retta” Sirleaf, Paul Schneider and Aubrey Plaza – comedians. IOTL, Parks and Rec came about after co-creator Daniels and Schur failed to come up with a spinoff of The Office, then abandoned the idea of a government official trying to rebuild their political career after a fall from grace; they were also inspired by The Wire, and the optimism surrounding OTL’s 2008 election. The guy who created The Wire do so after working on Homicide: Life on The Street, which still came into existence ITTL, but the 2008 election ITTL was closer to OTL’s 1988 election in regards to public sentiments, with the incumbent administration retaining the White House. And the original UK Office was created by Ricky Gervais in 2001 IOTL. That’s a long time from this TL’s POD, but let’s kill some butterflies and say it somehow still gets made. I think the “redemption” idea would have been interesting, so let’s say Poehler plays a somewhat optimistic former state senator who lost a very winnable congressional seat over a gaffe, and now works for the state Parks and Rec but keeps looking for a way to redeem herself. The character could be a former introvert, and be used by the writers to explore issues surrounding social anxiety, as she wants to help people, but she’s nervous in front of crowds, thus complicating her ambitions. The show, whatever it’s called, is tertiarily connected to The Office, in that one of the side characters is a cousin of one from The Office and the joke is characters from The Office pop up in the background of scenes visiting this cousin but they’re never directly addressed because it’s not their show. The other P&R actors – all still comedians ITTL – may play characters similar to the ones they played in OTL.
Nicole Scherzinger, Robin Thicke and Michael Stipe – all are still singers ITTL
Chris Pratt – After winning a high school state wrestling tournament, his wrestling coach convinced him to take it up professionally; he joined WWE in 2001 but retired in 2019 after a series of arm and leg injuries, and is currently (2020) trying to transition into professional acting.
Ken Jeong – He was too busy working on the front lines during the SARS pandemic to try and appear on the “Funnyville Laughdown” program (Funnyville is a basic cable channel, kind of like OTL’s Comedy Central but not really), but he was able to transition into comedy in the late 2000s/early 2010s, with his role in the 2017 dramedy film “Chasing Snails” being his breakout performance.
Jenny McCarthy – Hmm, IOTL her autistic son was born in May 2002, so if he was born here too (and given how long it’s been since the POD, that’s a big “if”), that’d be 3 months into the pandemic; upon him being diagnosed in 2005, she may claim the autism didn’t appear until after her child got vaccinated and so she would end up an anti-vaxxer anyway; but that’s only if she still conceives an autistic child (at some point, not necessarily this same kid, 70 years after TTL’s POD), and since it’s not clearly understood what causes autism, I’m really not sure how her personal life plays out here; but her acting career is similar here, being most prominent in the 1990s and shifting to hosting shows and judging shows in the 2010s. (BTW: my older brother has medium-functioning autism, PPD-NOS (reading, communication, and short-term memory issues), and he’s the most innocent and least annoying person in my family!)
Seltzer and Friedberg – Friedberg’s father was a Hollywood screenwriter, so he’d probably still get into scriptwriting at a young age like in OTL, but the two of them didn’t meet until both went to the same university, so maybe here, Seltzer goes to a different school. IOTL, the two originally made a living and paid for tuition by selling t-shirts, starting a food delivery service, and opening up a shoe store; given the younger one was born in 1974, this would be c. 1992; maybe here, Seltzer, going in alone b/c he never met Friedberg, capitalizes on the growing possibilities of the technet and makes his food delivery service into a legitimate business (possibly named “Seltzer’s Food and Seltzers” or something like that), and it struggles for years until the quarantines of 2002-to-2004 allow it to expand into a major multi-state operation, and so here he’s a wealthy businessman too busy living in luxury to make terrible movies. Friedberg, meanwhile, may end up working with more talented writers, and his movies, while still playing to a certain audience and still having a distinctly crude style, are closer to the grossest moments of OTL’s Family Guy, Rick & Morty (which doesn’t exist here at all), and Seth Rogen films and are still shunned by critics, but are not as awful as his OTL films are considered to be. (Confession time: I think I’m one of the few people out there who actually doesn’t hate “Disaster Movie,” finding it bad, but not terribly awful enough for me to hate it; watching it again a few months back, I found that its now-dated pop culture references have unintentionally made it into a time capsule of sorts for the year 2008, as it makes several references to films and TV shows most relevant in that specific time period, and so it reminded me of those “YouTube Rewind” videos; plus, its production values (its budget was so very obviously low) made me chuckle a few times (both when I first saw it in early 2009, and again in December), and I remember the Crazy Princess character actually getting a few laughs out of then-14-years-old me some of the time, but, admittedly, much less so now).
Natalie Wood – In 1971, after friends inspired by the first “Ark Wave” convince her to tell her story, Wood reveals that she was raped by “a powerful actor” when she was 16 (IOTL, Wood died before she could ever actually identify him by name, but here, we learn who it was). In 1981, she and Wagner have their argument sooner, right before they can even get to the yacht, so she spends the weekend with her sister until they reconcile a few days later. She stars in a movie based on the play “Anastasia” in 1985. Wood finally wins an Academy Award in 1988 for her performance in the 1987 film “Country of The Heart,” which also starred Timothy Hutton. In 1990, Wood and Wagner divorce after a chaotic night in 1989 in which Wood catches Wagner sleeping with Jill St. John in a room at their guest house, and Wagner catches Wood sleeping with Christopher Walken in a second room at the guest house just minutes later (which was the inspiration for a 1993 comedy film starring Steve Martin). Wood semi-retired from acting again in the 1990s, and once more in the 2010s, the latter being due to dissatisfaction with repeatedly playing “older” characters; outside of acting, she has worked with SAG and other organizations to support film preservations efforts.
Bob Dole – Already mentioned as still serving in the senate (longer than any other incumbent, in office since 1969), and is the current President Pro Tempore of the US Senate; re-elected in 2016, he announced in 2017 that he will “very likely” not run for re-election in 2022.
John Grisham – Until looking over his bio on Wikipedia, I didn’t realize how many movies for which he was responsible; it’s interesting that he got elected to public office at a time when he was struggling to become a writer; ITTL, he still becomes a prominent writer, but writes a best-seller based on the real-life stories that come out during the Ark Wave of 1986, while the OTL girl that was the inspiration for “A Time To Kill” stays safe from harm ITTL.
Paula Deen – Very similar to OTL (plus more prominent criticisms of her use of sugar) until 2006, when she is caught on a hot mic using the N-word to refer to President Jackson; her show “Paula’s Home Cooking” was soon cancelled, and she kept a low profile until returning to relevance with a new TV show in 2014.
Mary Hart – She was First Runner-Up for Miss America in 1971 before working for programs such as Entertainment Daily, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter; she also conducted informal interviews for People Magazine and other publications, and made minor appearances in some films and TV shows.
John Tesh – Pretty much the same as OTL, but he’s not as famous as Yanni.
“What is the fate of Judaism ITTL?” – What do you mean by this?
“Are infomercials a thing ITTL?” – Yes
Tucker Carlson – Born in 1969, he still develops an anti-liberal mindset in response to his mother abandoning the family “to pursue a ‘bohemian’ lifestyle” like IOTL; his father, still marries Senator J. William Fulbright’s niece in 1979 and becomes the head of the USIA in under President Denton, which has even more influence ITTL; after the Ark Wave of 1986, President Kemp fired his father; in 1993, after spending two years working for “Uncle Fulbright” (who didn’t retire until 1995), the Senator helped Tucker get into the CIA (he failed to join IOTL); as a field specialist, he oversaw anti-recreadrug campaigns in Colombia and then Mexico under Presidents Iacocca and Dinger; after Jackson became President in 2001, Tucker was fired for insubordination and soon began a career working on the campaigns of deeply-conservative political candidates (Goetz in 2004, Gritz in 2008, and Goetz again in 2012); in 2013, he failed to land a job working for VP Brown because Brown “could smell the BS from the outer office”; he currently works as a Foreign Policy analyst for THN.
Laura Welch (since she never met George W. Bush ITTL) – she actually did meet GWB, but only decades later, when she was running for a second term in the U.S. House and he was MLB Commissioner (see the September 1998 Chapter for a photo); she entered office in 1997, declined interest in being Goetz’s running mate in 2004, was considered for US Secretary of Education in 2013 but ultimately declined the job, and lost re-nomination in 2014 due to allegedly being “insufficiently conservative,” as her challenger put it.
“Was Heathcliff a thing ITTL?” – Given that Heathcliff was created in 1973 and Garfield was created in 1976/1978, I think both cats exist ITTL, with the latter feline peaking in popularity in the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s, similar to OTL, except the “rivalry” between the two is more prominent, both in advertising and within their respective 1980s/1990s TV shows.
“What are the most memorable ‘lafpics’ ITTL?” – Hard to say; the internet/technet is a very unpredictable place, but most likely lafpics/mems have easy-to-understand formats and a “universal” sort of humor to them (e.g.: “Mr. Bean”); but given the hundreds if not thousands or more memes out there, I’m really not sure what an alternate internet would cook up specifically (there’s just too many possibilities) so feel free to offer any suggestions/ideas you have.



The next chapter’s E.T.A.: June 15 at the very latest!
 
Last edited:
We're in the current decade now. Only a few more until the end...
Also, stay safe, Louisiana. (Did you see that building in Lake Charles that Laura wrecked? That's alarming.)
 
Last edited:
This TL's 2020 is so different lol. I figured Brown would become the Republican nominee. Was shocked Lewinsky didn't win. Bob Ross teaming up with Sanders in TTL is great. Also like how you mentioned author Rick Perlsten. Looking forward to who the running mates for each candidate will be.
 

PNWKing

Banned
I wonder what happened to all these people?:
Maddie Blaustein (Maddie Blaustein-quick explanatory link)
Roberta Flack
James Taylor
Jill Stein
Jim Parsons
Rob Halford
Lou Reed
Chris Evans
Garry Marshall
Powers Boothe
Kristen Bell
Cathy McMorris (Rodgers)
Blair Underwood
John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Marianne Williamson
Charles Barkley
Lee Atwater
Kristen Kreuk
Michael Flynn
Roger Stone
Alison Krauss
Elizabeth Warren
Saxby Chambliss
 
BTW, I love your “Media Circus” idea over in this TL’s pictures thread, so I hereby declare it canon!
511B8B67-8F84-4428-BFCD-31C6CFF694C8.jpeg

Feel free to use the idea however you see fit. I left a lot of details vague, so you can slot it in wherever you like.

On the matter of the election, it’s going to be an interesting race. For better or for worse, it seems like the Dems don’t have anyone with quite the same energy as Brown. Raoul seems like a good pick for VP on his policies alone but a Pritt-Raoul campaign team could probably benefit from someone visible on the energetic side to keep momentum up and steal spotlight from Brown when need be.

As for Harley, a foreign policy focused Veep to contrast with a domestic focus for himself is probably the best route. Rocky McCain has a similar energy to Grammer that might be useful for keeping more establishment and polished republicans on board.

Rev. Brown seems like a good pick for McMillan and letting them run on a campaign of ”Coast To Coast, The Rent Is Too Damn High!”. That said, even with the new voting system, concerned that a McMillan campaign might pull too much energy and voters from Pritt unless they keep things diplomatic
 
Rank | Maker – Console – Released – Units Sold

1 | Nintendo – Vision – 2004 – 56M

2 | Nintendo – Gem – 2008 – 52M

3 | Sony – PlayStation5 – 2015 – 44M

4 | Sony – PlayStation2 – 2000 – 41M

5 | Nintendo – Vapor – 2000 – 39M

6 | Sega – Genesis – 1989 – 31M

7 | Olympus – Alpha2 – 2006 – 29M

8 | Sony – PlayStation – 1995 – 28M

9 | Sony – PlayStation3 – 2005 – 21M

10 | Sega – Genesis3 – 1998 – 15M

No PlayStation 4? Or did I just do super poorly?
 
For a minute, I thought Lewinsky and Paul had a chance. Ah well, here's hoping that Pritt can beat Brown.

On a minor note, I saw you mention that Invader Zim is one of the most prominent "dark" cartoons ITTL. As a fan, I'm curious - how has the show fared compared to OTL.
 
Top