Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline
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Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me to include Hurricane Laura, I nearly forgot!
Thanks. That's the same fictional Perlstein book that was a "source" of moments in the 1960s and 1970s chapters several times. We'll see how the candidates do in the polls.
Maddie Blaustein – Already mentioned as being in movies (see May 7, 2019; no major roles yet, though) and otherwise being similar in lifepath to OTL
Roberta Flack – still a singer
James Taylor – ran for President in 1987 (see the corresponding chapter’s poll); otherwise, pretty much the same as OTL
Jill Stein – still got into medicine and became an activist over the connection between environment and health; stayed a Democrat over her support of the Wellstone and Ross campaigns of 1999-2000, and their respective ascensions to VP and EPA Director convinced her to challenge incumbent Governor Dukakis in 2002; she surprised pundit by winning 2nd place with 35% of the vote, then won a race for state senate in 2004; she ran for Governor again in 2014 but lost; after losing a bid for a US Congressional seat in 2016, she became Governor Healey’s Secretary of Health and Humane Services in 2017.
Jim Parsons – still an actor like IOTL, but I'm not sure if the Big Bang Theory TV show still happens here.
Rob Halford – still a singer like IOTL
Lou Reed – still suffered health issues like IOTL, except here he died a few years later, in 2017
Chris Evans – If he is even born, he begins acting in 1997 at the age of 16 like IOTL; he plays a random line-less bystander the titular character (played by a buffed-up Matt Damon) saves in a split-second moment in the 2001 film “Captain America.” He began playing major roles in the late aughts/early 2010s, but is best known for portraying real-life astronaut Willie McCool in a movie about the Marstronaut Mission of 2003.
Garry Marshall – still a producer like in OTL (see May 7 in the Early 2019 Chapter)
Powers Boothe – still an actor, but because America has universal healthcare here, he’s still alive, though still fighting the cancer
Kristen Bell – I’m not sure if she still ends up being born ITTL, but if she does, she becomes an actress like her mother wanted her to be IOTL
Cathy McMorris Rodgers – Has been representing Washington State’s most conservative district since 2001 and has repeatedly declined running for Senate or Governor; briefly considered running for Speaker in December 2018.
Blair Underwood – still an actor like in OTL
JFK Jr. – still-living son of a former Secretary of State; entrepreneur, investing in research in search of a cure for Addison’s disease; a writer of several books of various genres; businessman, with stock in multiple corporations; avid pilot, with one of his “flying buddies” being Harrison Ford; occasionally writes op-eds on current events and social issues, but otherwise stays out of politics due to lack of interest in it due to him not seeing his father at much during the 1968 campaign, and then seeing the mud-slinging of the 1976 election.
Marianne Williamson – Without a war to protest in 1973, Williamson doesn’t drop out of college and afterward uses her knowledge of international travel to land a job working for the Peace Corps, and spends the 1970s working abroad. Still dealing with emotional issues, he converted to Buddhism after working in Nepal in the early 1980s. In 1985, she returned to the US to protest Denton’s protection of Secretary Lukens, which led to the Second Ark Wave and to Williamson becoming a feminist activist, working with various groups for several years after. After a bookstore she co-owned went bankrupt during the SARS pandemic, she got a job working for the American embassy in China due to her learning Mandarin during her time in Nepal. Campaigning for Wellstone in 2008 convinced her to give election politics a try, but she lost a Democratic primary for a congressional seat from her home state of Texas. She worked in the office of the US Ambassador to the UN (2011-2013), and since 2013 has worked for UNESCO. She’s basically spent her whole life promoting world peace.
Charles Barkley – still a famous basketball player like in OTL; strong supporter of both Grammer and Harley Brown
Lee Atwater – already mentioned (died on schedule), but because he failed to get a Republican elected in 1988, he’s much less famous here
Kristen Kreuk – still an actress like IOTL
Michael Flynn – continued his family tradition and joined the military in 1981, just in time for the US to go to war with Libya; he died rescuing three soldiers enemy attack, and posthumously received a Purple Heart
Roger Stone – mentioned several times, especially in the earlier chapters, as being a conservative “anti-establishment” writer and conspiracy theorist
Alison Krauss – still a country music star like IOTL
Elizabeth Warren – already mentioned in 2014 (see the corresponding chapter for details)
Saxby Chambliss – Lost the 2002 GOP primary for a US Senate seat to fellow US Congressperson Bob Barr
That is correct, thank you!
Thanks!
Good analysis!
It came out in 2010, but due to multiple issues and subsequent criticisms, it was a disaster of a product. But they bounced back with the PS5.
We'll see...
As stated at the end of Chapter 109: “Invader Zim developed differently, being semi-syndicated in that certain plot lines and developments carried over into each next episode while the main plot of each episode was usually self-contained; Warner Bros’ Nickelodeon almost cancelled the season at the start of season 2 (January 2002) over its grim imagery, and came even closer to being cancelled later that year due to a germaphobia episode that seems insensitive during the SARS pandemic, but the series creator relented to the executives and introduced more “hopeful” subplots for Dib in Season 3; the series finished after Season 4 with a made-for-TV movie because the creator believed the story had reached a “satisfying unnatural conclusion.”
*checks collapsed person* "You okay?"
Congratulations on getting through so many chapters! Thanks for the compliment! Better late than never, right?
Yeah, more than 24 votes in less than as many hours? I'm calling shenanigans on that; so it looks like Raoul's getting the nod!
No problem!
Yes, it'd be #12 if the list went that far.
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Ah, sorry for re-asking a question that was already answered, and thanks for clarifying.
Was there ever a Sega Genesis2?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.
[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,” Gremmer 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.
[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 unseeable 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,” Morningster 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.
[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
[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 bluecollar 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
[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
[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
[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), 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!
– ahdiscussionboard.co.usa, “current politics” subsection, thread opened 6/16/2020
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), Treasure Planet 2 (2003), The Princess and The Frog (2005), Treasure Planet 3 (2006), 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!
Chapter 120: July 2020 – December 2020
Chapter 120: July 2020 – December 2020
“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
– C. S. Lewis
She started out as the daughter of a coal miner and ended up the personification of the John Denver line “Mountain Momma.” Charlotte Pritt, whose candidacy hinged on the success of her tenure as Governor of West Virginia, was increasingly viewed as a “Worker Warrior” after winning the Democratic nomination for President, and as the 2020 DNC approached, her populist ideals and personal charm slowly but surely won over Democratic primary voters who has opposed her in the interparty contests held just a few months prior.
The biography aspect of her candidacy – her humble origins as a schoolteacher, her father passing away from the effects of Black Lung Disease/Coal Lung, and her life-long pragmatic involvement with labor unions – highlighted she was truly determined to promote education, prevent workers from dying from hazardous workplaces, and protect worker rights. Her enthusiasm for the issues central to her candidacy came from a personal place, which led to voters finding her to be sincere and relatable.
Furthermore, Pritt was one of only a few Presidential candidates of the modern era who had both a popular policy platform and the “success story” to back it up. Since becoming Governor in 2013, West Virginia’s industrial hubs were noticeably changing for the better, with empty factories being renovated into promising business centers, public market spots, and housing complexes. The Mountain State’s physical landscape and ecological conditions were improving thanks to Pritt expanding the state’s economy beyond mining, to tech services, retail, Green Energy projects, and tourism.
With only a soupcon of emphasis on her most far-left proposals, Pritt’s campaign team touted the Governor’s additional successes in promoting mental health, responsible recreadrug use, and tax reform. They also touted her replacing her gubernatorial predecessor’s lackluster “clean coal” initiative with efforts to diversify her state’s economy in order to wean the state’s workers off of mining later on down the line – which, in the aftermath of the 2013 recession, yielded an economic boom for the state and led to her winning re-election in a landslide despite 2016 being an overall very poor year for Democrats…
…Pritt had served as a State delegate from 1984 to 1988, then as a State senator from 1988 to 1992. While working as legal advisor for several local unions from 1992 to 2000, she was the unsuccessful Green Party nominee for Governor in 1992 and an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for her old state senate seat in 1996. But despite these election losses, she refused to bury her political career, and in 2000, successfully ran to be West Virginia’s Secretary of State, and served a single term from 2000 to 2004. In 2004, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and won re-election in 2006 and 2008, but lost re-election in the “red wave” year of 2010…
…The only “weakness” they saw in her candidacy was her lack of experience in military affairs…
– Marianne Halperin’s Uncharted Waters: Dynamics and Destiny in The 2020 Election, Penguin publishing, 2021
“I’d like to wish everyone a happy Independence Day. …The ideals and the people of our nation will always prosper because our brave citizens in uniform will always defend them. So I’d like to make a toast [opens beer bottle with the edge of the Theodore Roosevelt desk] to all who have ever served in the US military, and that goes for all the good people at the Veterans Administrations, all the nurses, all the desk clerks, and all the swabbies – everyone who’s ever played any small part in keeping America safe, sound and secure.”
– VP Harley Brown in a video posted onto his official VP netsite, 7/4/2020
The Democratic National Convention was held in Charlotte, North Carolina from July 17 to July 20. On July 7, Pritt formally announced that she had selected Kwame Raoul to be her running mate. Pritt’s campaign team was enthusiastic for the selection. Selecting Raoul, who was retiring from a safe US Senate seat he had held since 2009, would potentially bolster the ticket with foreign affairs credentials, as Raoul had served on the US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee for the past eight years, and had Chaired it for four years. The selection, they believed, would also shore up support among minority voters, as Raoul was a Haitian-American lawmaker popular among Illinois’s African-American population. Plus, Raoul’s urban hometown of Chicago, Illinois complicated Pritt’s rural home town of Hurricane, West Virginia quite nicely. However, to Pritt herself, the key factor in his selection had been Raoul’s support for a Federal Freedom Fund as a means to minimizing poverty issues brought about by the effects of automation…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
The 2020 NDRR Presidential Election was held in the National Democratic Republic of Russia (Natsional’no-Demokraticheskaya Republika Rossiya) on July 13, 2020, with a runoff election being held on July 27, 2020. Incumbent President Vladimir Nikolayev, endorsed by the National and Iron Fist parties, was facing scrutiny at home and abroad for his handling of Russia’s 2019 recession, his aggressive relationships with other world leaders, and, most notably, for his involvement in the Russia-Eritrea Nuclear Scandal, along with investigations into multiple allegations of corruption and mafia ties. Despite these controversies, Nikolayev’s approval ratings fluctuated between 35% and 45% until the eve of the election, when the continued economic impact of the recession led to his ratings waning further. However, as opposition to Nikolayev’s bid for a second five-year term remained divided, with most of the candidates being hostile to one another, the race was left without a clear favorite ahead of the first round.
Candidates (8):
Alexander Beglov, b. 1956 (independent) was a former Governor of St. Petersburg and former ally of Nikolayev who supported the President’s tax reform laws but opposed nearly all of his other policies
Oksana Dmitriyeva, b. 1958 (Motherland) was center-right “rising star” of the National Assembly whose campaign centered on combating corruption and defending socially conservative talking points
Sholban Kara-ool, b. 1966 (Protectionist) was a former champion wrestler and the leader of the Tuva people as First Chairman of the Government of Tuva since 2007, and had shifted politically from right to center-left over the past decade
Sergey Mitrokhin, b. 1963 (Democratic) offered a more professional and experienced version of Nikolayev’s administration, touting his record as Mayor of St. Petersburg (2013-2017) and in the National Assembly (1993-2013)
Oleg Mitvol, b. 1966 (Green) was an eco-friendly businessman and former Chair of Russia’s Environmental Protection Department at the start of the decade
Boris Nemtsov, b. 1959 (Progressive) was a longtime academic who ran for President in 2015; a leading Nikolayev critic and the race’s initial frontrunner
Vladimir Nikolayev, b. 1973 (National) was the scandalous incumbent accused of corruption, but his poor response to the economy was what was truly hurting his standing in the polls
Valentina Petrenko, b. 1955 (Strong Arm) was a senator in the National Assembly since 2001 who wanted to invest in biotechnology, improve child protection programs, and negotiate “fairer” international trade deals
[snip]
Results:
The 13 July primary results were considered a major upset in light of election-eve polling showing Nemtsov in second place and Kara-ool in fourth. Instead, Kara-ool made it to the runoff, with Nemtsov coming in third place, Mitvol in fourth, Petrenko in fifth, Beglov in a distant sixth, and Dmitriyeva and Mitrokhin coming in a very distant seventh place and eighth place, respectively. These results thus pitted the incumbent against a politician that had been a highly obscure figure just eight months prior.
Upon the results being made official, Nemtsov immediately endorsed Kara-ool and urged all of the other candidates to back the Tuvan’s candidacy. …On a more trivial note, many on social media noted that both Nikolayev and Kara-ool had receding hairlines, putting into question and leading to ontech debates over the details, semantics, and continuity of Russia’s “Bald-Hairy” pattern…
– clickopedia.co.usa
BROWN SELECTS FLORIDA GOVERNOR JENNIFER JOHNSON FOR RUNNING MATE
…The selection is surprising given the frequent talk of Brown selecting Montana Governor Rocky McCain for running mate. However, according to the former Communications Director of the RNC, “Those two were just too similar. Both were governors from the north Rockies who impressive military backgrounds. The logic here is that Rocky’s selection likely wouldn’t bring in enough undecided and independent voters as Johnson would.” [1]
Brown also may have selected Johnson in response to Pritt selecting US Senator Kwame Raoul of Illinois to her running mate; both Johnson and Raoul are Caribbean-American, with Johnson being of Trinidadian descent and Raoul being of Haitian descent. If true, then this year’s Presidential nominees are both attempting to win over minority voters with their respective running mates…
– The Washington Post, 7/15/2020
ELVIS CANCELS LAST 4 TOUR STOPS AFTER PNEUMONIA DIAGNOSIS!
…the weeks-long tour was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the iconic singer-songwriter’s 1970 album “That’s The Way It Is”…
[pic: imgur.com/eo3qY30.png ]
Above: Elvis Presley, then and now
…According to his doctors, Presley is expected to recover but needs time to recover…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 7/16/2020
“…Americans are tired of companies turning their backs on workers and embracing automation without a care in the world for the jobs and livelihoods lost in the process. They are tired of the past eight years of ‘Do-Nothing’ Libertarianism actually causing more harm than good. …During my tenure as Governor, dependence on welfare dropped as businesses were held accountable for pensions, while nationwide, the federal government has turned its back on the long-lived, the differently-abled, the mentally and physically ill. …When we win in November and truly begin the 2020s decade, we will increase federal funding for research in agricultural, medical and technological innovations, such as hydrogen power, land fertilization techniques to maximize crop yields, and leading the fight against cancer and mental illness. We will lift farm workers, factory workers, and retail workers out of the wells of hopelessness, recreadrug abuse, and suicide that the effects of small government, automation and income inequality have placed them into. And we will restore the hope and the faith and the promise on which with country was built…”
– Charlotte Pritt, accepting the Democratic nomination for President at the DNC, 7/21/2020
CUBA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT
…In his inaugural address, 59-year-old Oscar Elias Biscet of the Progressive party laid out plans to reinvigorate Cuba’s economy in response to recent hiccups, and reminded the cheering masses of his career as a physician and as an effective champion for human rights and democratic freedoms… Biscet won the Presidential election over General Leopoldo Cintra Frias of the National Coalition…
– The Miami Herald, 7/24/2020
SUMMER OLYMPICS OPEN IN SANTIAGO
– The New York Times, 7/24/2020
…After several more days of mudslinging, Russian citizens went to the polls on July 27. Amid rumors of voter suppression and intimidation from Nikolayev supporters, Kara-ool doubled down on his morally-correct “strongman” persona by encouraging his supporters to visit polling stations in large groups in order to “match” any intimidation. This action, however, possibly contributed to several minor non-lethal skirmishes a several polls...
– Maskim Gorky’s After the Iron Curtain: Eastern Europe, 1984-to-Today, Academic International Press, 2010 edition
NIKOLAYEV LOSES!
…With a diverse ad-hoc alliance of anti-incumbent citizens behind his candidacy, Governor Kara-ool has unseated the scandal-riddled President Nikolayev in tonight’s Russian Presidential election by a margin of over 11%… According to exit polls, the top issue on the minds of most voters was not Nikolayev’s alleged criminal connections, but his poor handling of the Russian economy…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/7/2020
COLONEL SANDERS WOULD-BE KILLER OSAMA BIN LADEN AGAIN DENIED PAROLE
…his vitriolic ideology clashes sharply with his actions while in prison. Many of his fellow prisoners regard him as bright and calm, but many reportedly respect him either out of admiration of his fame and rhetoric or out of fear. “He speaks like preacher, but he has the eyes of a demon and the smile of a madman,” says one anonymous ex-con who served time with bin Laden at the Mario Biaggi Correctional Center in upstate New York from 2000 to 2004; “he wants to cause as much trouble as he possibly can for everyone more powerful than him. And given that he’s in prison, probably until he dies, there’s a lot of people more powerful than him.” …Prison guards that testified before the parole board swore that the would-be assassin’s attitude to authority figures “repeatedly alternates between quietly compliant and unapologetically unruly,” as one of them put it…
…Bin Laden, age 63, was transferred to another prison for garnering a small and violent cult following in 1991. After converting a handful of fellow prisoners to Wahhabist (Puritanical) Muslim and reportedly being supportive of a prison riot held at the height of the SARS virus permeating prison systems in the early aughts, bin Laden was again transferred to another prison in 2004. For this and several other infractions, bin Laden served time in solitary confinement from 1991 to 1992 and again from 2004 to 2008…
…However, the Number 1 issue for the board was bin Laden’s lack of any remorse for trying to kill a former US President, though he seems to have never expressed remorse for his activities in prison, either. …bin Laden became eligible for parole in 1991, one year after Colonel Sanders’ death; this marks the sixth time that the attempted murderer has been denied parole…
– washingtonpost.co.usa, 8/1/2020
“So here’s an op-ed from The Washington Post penned by someone named Nancy Pelosi (pause) Who, apparently, is a wealthy Democratic elitist – her father and brother held public offices way back when – sorry for sounding like Jim Croce there for a second – but Nancy couldn’t cut it, losing a congressional bid in 1987 to BLUTAG Rights champion Harry Britt and losing efforts to run for other offices in the 1990s. So she became a political lobbyist (pause) And in this op-ed, she tries to go after Governor Pritt for, quote, abandoning core Democratic values, unquote. (long pause) The problem Pelosi has with Governor Pritt, the thing she complains about specifically, by the way, (pause) Is the fact that in a speech she gave a few days ago, she praised President Harland “Colonel” Sanders for producing jobs without depriving workers of their human dignity, and then Pritt noted that The Colonel embraced the sentiment expressed in a Bible quote – let me pull it up here – “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” Luke 18:22. (pause) The Colonel was a refreshingly sincere politician, and Harley Brown is tapping into that nostalgia. So Charlotte Pritt is doing the same, to remind voters of the policies of Colonel Sanders instead of just the personality of Colonel Sanders. (long pause) And Ms. Pelosi is against that. (very long pause) she is an elitist who is upset that her party’s nominee is trying to win over Republicans from Brown in order to win the election. Even though the whole point of an election – even an election held under the prior system of the Electoral College – is to win over a majority of the people, and that means reaching out to people outside of your base! (such a long pause that most viewers mistake it to mean the video is over and “flip” to the next video at this point). You know, I’m not familiar with this Pelosi person, but I think I know why she kept losing elections.”
– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can, 8/3/2020
KFC RETURNS TO FIJI AFTER INGREDIENT ROW RESOLVED
…government reform in Fiji recently resulted in the deregulation of imports used in making KFC products, including salt, milks, eggs, and, according to KFC, “most of the secret herbs and spices.” …The multinational corporation shut down KFC activities in Fiji in 2003, citing “restrictive” importation tariffs and regulations. “Requiring more documentation to fit the island nation’s narrow government standards threatened to infringe on our ability to serve customers top-quality food,” Herman Cain, who was the CEO of KFC at the time of the withdrawal, claimed about the incident in 2004. At the time of the withdrawal, Fiji’s government counterclaimed that the global company was “abandoning” Fijian supporters of KFC amid rising costs, compounded by the effects of the SARS global pandemic and Cain’s conservative fiscal spending habits. Additionally, Fiji commerce secretary Mason Poulos claims, “KFC was concerned that the government was trying to force them to reveal the 11 secret ingredients, despite the fact that such a demand would go against already-established rules regarding international trade secrets.”…
– Associated Press, 8/4/2020 [2]
SHARON TATE, B-MOVIE STAR TWICE NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR, DIES AT 77
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski Hart Hartman Smith, known professionally as Sharon Tate, passed away from the long-term effects of emphysema yesterday evening, according to a comment posted on her FriendChat page by her youngest son, Lenny Hartman.
Born in Dallas, Texas on January 24, 1943, Tate made her film debut in 1961, and played small roles in films and TV shows during the 1960s. She also modeled regularly for magazine magazines. In 1967, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the cult classic “Valley of the Dolls.” However, despite being initially considered a promising actress, she failed to land high-profile roles in the 1970s, during which time she gave birth to and raised three children with her first husband. After playing one of J.R. Ewing’s secretaries in the first season of TV’s soap drama series “Dallas,” Tate disappeared into relative obscurity in the 1980s and 1990s, appearing intermittently in several low-budget and independent films, before having a career comeback in the early 2000s. In early 2002, she was nominated for her performance in a supporting role in the 2001 neo-noir thriller “Before Midnight.” Tate retired from acting entirely in 2015.
Tate is survived by three of her four ex-husbands, five of her six children, and all of her 12 grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.
COMMENTS SECTION:
Comment 1:
I’ve never heard of this person. I’ve never heard of these titles either, but they sound interesting; I’ll check them out. My condolences to her family.
– theguardian.co.usa/obituaries/5August2020
“…Coming up next, we review the ontech drives and rising calls for the major party nominees for President to debate the third party candidates in the race…”
– CBS Evening News, 8/7/2020 broadcast
“…Gabe Kaplan, retired from both acting and politics, is now making more money as a professional poker player than he ever did as the star of ‘Welcome Back, Kotter’ or as a US Senator… While Hilton-Jacobs and Travolta continue to act, Ronald Padilla tragically died in 2015 from a heart attack at the age of 66. The event prompted Epstein to continue his health advocacy until passing away from many years of heart-related health issues this past February. …The fact that many members of the show’s cast have died five years apart – Melonie Haller in a private plane crash in 2000, John Sylvester White from a heart attack in 2005, Marcia Ann Strassman from pneumonia and SARS complications in 2010, Palillo in 2015, and now Epstein – has become known ontech as ‘The Kotter Curse,’ though technetters have wildly different and contradictory theories about its cause, ranging from serious and conspiratorial to self-aware and fun…”
– Special Guest Host (former regular host, ret.) Leeza Gibbons, TON’s Entertainment Daily, “Where Are They Now?: The Cast and Crew of Welcome Back, Kotter” segment, 8/9/2020 broadcast
“There’s this ‘free and equal’ debate organization thing held every four years that hosts a debate among all the Presidential candidates, but it’s basically a debate for the third-party candidates because the Republican and Democratic nominees always get invited but never show. I don’t think that should be the case this year, especially when I keep being told that RCV is going to make third-party voting more important or prominent than ever before. It’s also dumb on a basic level. When you’re in a competition, like in a battle, you confront all your opponents, you don’t just go after the boss and ignore all the little ones. I got invited to this little debate of theirs next month. And you know what? I have decided that I will accept their invitation, and I will debate the minor party nominees.”
– Harley Brown, 8/11/2020
PRITT CAMPAIGN STILL SILENT ON IF SHE WILL DEBATE 3RD-PARTY CANDIDATES OR NOT
– The Washington Post, 8/16/2020
KARA-OOL SEEKS “JUSTICE” IN LAUNCHING NEW INVESTIGATION: Two Days Into Office, Russia’s New President Seeks “Real Answers” To Nikolayev’s Role In The Russia-Eritrea Missile Affair
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 19/8/2020
…After intensifying into a tropical storm on the 21st, Laura moved across Hispaniola, ultimately killing 28 in Haiti and 2 in the Dominican Republic…
– clickopedia.co.usa
– ourvids.co.can
…Laura devastated large swaths of Louisiana, with severe flooding and extreme damage to houses in several parishes. With Texas and Arkansas also being impacted, the storm killed 35 people in the US and cost roughly $17billion in damages…
…the storm was used as a talking point by Democratic candidates, ahead of that year’s Presidential and congressional elections in the US, as an example of why the country needed a stronger and more centralized federal government during multi-state emergencies, as opposed to the small-government policies of the Grammer administration…
– clickopedia.co.usa
“At the very least, people should treat Ranked Choice Voting like how Black people should treat the police – respect the rules, but know your rights, and fight back against all the rules that oppress your rights!”
– Utah Governor-turned-political analyst Karl Rove, KNN roundtable discussion, 8/26/2020 broadcast
TUMBLEWEEDTV ANNOUNCEMENT: Ty Burrell To Star As 1940s Business Leader Wendell Willkie In Drama Mini-Series on FDR
– thehollywoodreporter, 8/29/2020 “e-alert”
...After much internal debate over the best way to respond to Vice President Brown accepting an invitation to debate McMillan and other third-party candidates, Pritt announced on September 2 that she would accept her invitation to debate said candidates as well…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
SNL FAILS TO TOP REALITY
…the long-running show’s latest depiction of Presidential nominees Charlotte Pritt (recurring guest Katy Mixon) and Harley Brown (guest Jim Cummings) bombed, with Mixon giving a passable performance and Cummings lending his iconic voice to a lackluster script. Tonight’s sketch, in which Pritt challenges Brown to an arm-wrestling contest, demonstrated how SNL’s efforts to satirize the two candidates – especially Harley Brown – continue to hint at potential at the start only to miss the mark by the end of the segment…
– variety.co.usa/tv/reviews, 9/5/2020
Legacy
[snip]
MEMORIALS TO COLONEL SANDERS [note: this section is incomplete; you can help by expanding it]
Airfields and Airports
Colonel Sanders Airfield – opened in North Corbin, Kentucky in 1992, roughly 30 years after Sanders’ initial efforts to build an airport for the region
Col. Harland Sanders International Airport – opened in Louisville, Kentucky in 1995; often referred to as simply “Colonel Airport,” “Harland Airport,” or just “The Harland”
Bridges
Harland D. Sanders Memorial Bridge – opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1999
Sanders Family Bridge – opened in 1977 near the same ravine in which Sanders and his son almost died in an accident back in 1926
Education
Harland Sanders High School – opened in 1985 in Paducah, Kentucky
Colonel Sanders Institute of Culinary Innovation – founded in Washington, D.C. on September 9, 2020 (the 130th anniversary of Sanders’ birth) by the Sanders Association of Potomac, an organization formed in 2007 that hosts a banquet in Foggy Bottom, Potomac every September 9 to honor Sanders
The Colonel Sanders Presidential Library and Museum – opened in 1979 in Louisville, Kentucky
Colonel Sanders Public Policy Institute at Howard University – established in 1989, initially to promote the study of Sanders’ détente and negotiation skills, policies, and successes before, during, and after his Presidency
Hospitals
Colonel Sanders Children’s Hospital – founded in Canada in 1981; according to his son Harley Sanders in a 2003 interview, this was the building named after him of which Colonel Sanders was most proud
Kitchens
The White House’s “Colonel Kitchen” – a small auxiliary kitchen built during the Colonel’s second term as President, considered to be a “butler’s pantry” type of nook/mini-kitchen
Parks
Sanders and Harman Memorial State Park – founded in southern Utah in 2016 to honor the two businessmen responsible for bringing KFC to Utah
Vessels
The USS Harland Sanders – a DDG-80 Navy vessel commissioned in 1997 and set to be decommissioned in the near future
Other
Holidays – Sanders’ birthday, September 9, is observed as a “state holiday” in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah (all of which are states in which he lived at various points in his life)
International – Several nations honor Sanders, mostly with buildings and university scholarships named after him; Sanders is honor most prominently in Japan, Pakistan, and many countries in the Middle East; a statue of Sanders also stands in Ireland to honor his Irish ancestors
Sculptures – due to statues of The Colonel often being found outside of KFC outlets, there are not that many park statues for the former President, though official memorial statues (over 30 in the US alone) are distinctly different regarding material, size and composition. The most iconic of these memorial statues is one of him sitting on a bench in Ottawa, Canada’s Besserer Park. See also: list of statues of Colonel Sanders
Et cetera – Various streets, roads, boardwalks, and (due to his support of rail transportation) train stations around the globe are named after Sanders, with the most recent train station Sanders Station, the Dallas terminus of Line 1 of the Dallas-Phoenix maglev transit system, which opened in 2017
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
DOWNBALLOT ELECTIONS: Can The Democrats Win Back The Senate?
…several Republican-held seats are vulnerable, but inconsistent polling is putting the dynamics several races into question…
Comments Section
>COMMENT 1:
I would say that Woodfin is a long-shot, but according to the latest polling, he’s within striking distance; he could pull off an upset!
>COMMENT 2:
If Hadley wins in Georgia, it’d be the first time ever that both Senators of one state are Black!
>COMMENT 3:
I doubt Mathis can unseat Branstad in Iowa, even with her shifting to the right.
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
She initially tried to tie him to HDB, which was an idiotic move considering Brown’s actually very popular in Iowa!
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yeah, that was just dumb of her; for her to win, she has to hope voters forget about that
>COMMENT 4:
I wonder if Thomas can retain Osborne’s seat
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
In deep-red Kentucky? Yeah, good luck with that
>COMMENT 5:
I’m waiting to see how well Chafee will perform in Wyoming
>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
I’m more interested in how well Stollings will do in WV, especially since it looks like Farrell’s siphoning votes away from him
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Isn’t that a governor election?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Yes.
>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
What about North Dakota’s governor election? Somehow a former candidate for NYC Mayor in 2013 is the Democratic nominee? WTF?
>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Hi, North Dakotan here, and um, yeah, he moved up here in 2014 to, uh, get away from his past life, so to speak…
– majoritytowin.co.usa, 9/12/2020 thread
…In other news, in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, members of the Arthur Nibbs Cult are protesting violently in front of the prison holding him, demanding his release…
– BBC World News, 13/9/2020 broadcast
…The extensive new study reveals that the nine leading causes of death in the US are the following in descending order: heart disease, cancer, accidents/unintentional injuries, respiratory diseases, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, pneumonia, and nephritis…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 9/14/2020
Moderator Christina TOBIN: “Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Free and Equal elections Foundation Presidential Debate. These election debates aim to give a voice to all Presidential candidates regardless of their party affiliations or standing in the polls. Tonight, we are honored to welcome eight candidates onto tonight’s debate stage: Vice President Harley Brown of the Republican Party, Governor Charlotte Pritt of the Democratic Party, New York City Mayor Jimmy McMillan of the People’s Party, Doctor Steve Novella of the Bigfoot Party, Reverend Dario Hunter of the Green Party, Ms. Stacey Prussman of the Liberty Party, Mr. Dennis Michael Lynch of the Sensible Party, and Professor Jodi Dean of the Socialist Alliance.”
PRITT: “We need to raise the minimum wage concurrently with anti-inflation efforts to keep wages and prices in step with one another in a way that is fair.”
BROWN: “The government needs to keep it’s grubby mitts out of state-level affairs. Read the Constitution, people! I have, and I’ll admit, it’s not exactly an easy read, but it’s worth getting through because the Constitution is this country’s instruction manual. So read the constitution, and you’ll see that the tenth amendment specifically states that, if the Constitution doesn’t say it’s a federal responsibility, then it’s a state-level responsibility.”
PRITT: “One thing that Harley Brown recently said that I actually agree with is the fact that a dollar stretches much father in Idaho or West Virginia than it does in L.A. or New York. But Harley doesn’t support raising the national minimum wage so it reflects places like New York where the dollar stretches the least, even though doing so would encourage an economic flattening of the wildly different price ranges found across the country and strengthen connections and trade between states.”
DEAN: “Cybersecurity would not be an issue if we nationalized the technet in this country. The People’s Republic of China has a somewhat oppressive version of such a policy, so we could take that model, improve it, and apply it to our technet services here at home. That’s how you protect private information, Harley.”
HUNTER: “I agree with Pritt on the notion that there needs to be a Child Tax Credit for the NITR, and Unemployment Insurance Reform in the wake of the rise of automation, but we have to go father than that. Maybe not as far as Jodi wants to go, but still much father than what Charlotte’s proposing.”
McMILLAN: “Neither Mr. Brown nor Ms. Pritt will pledge to supporting and signing into law a Federal Rent Control Act. In fact, I and Professor Dean are the only candidates in this race that support this vitally-important measure.”
LYNCH: “Charlotte, you’re wrong. The feds shouldn’t invest in schools and small businesses and public transit agencies, businesses and the people of this country’s many communities have to do all that. Hard work and determination is what built this country 244 years ago and it is what will keep this country great 244 years from now.”
McMILLAN: “I’d like to take a minute to talk about some brothers and sisters of the Great American Family that get ignored way too often – the Native Americans. Their tribal governments need assistance to catch up with the rest of America. Even basic needs like water, food and healthcare are lacking, and it is abhorrent. In this country, children deserve only the best breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
– transcript snippets, the Free & Equal Presidential Debate, 9/21/2020
…The debate was considered “bizarre” by many outlets, but in retrospect it became quite apparent and understandable why the major party nominees (both considered to be the biggest “winners” of the affair) participated. Some studies had suggested that Ranked Choice Voting’s friendliness to third party candidate would lead to undecided and independent voters ranking third-party candidates above the Democratic and GOP nominees. Hoping to reverse the trend and have those voters rank the major party nominees first, the plan of the Harley Brown campaign was to get everyone who supported the third-party nominees to select Brown as their second choice, which could be vital if the election was not determined until the second “round” of vote-counting. And Brown believed that the best way to do this was to be on the F&E debate stage, where his “professionalism and experience,” as he reportedly put, would contrast sharply with the “radical half-baked ideas of people clearly not ready national politics or even national television.” When the Pritt campaign figured this out, they followed suit. Indeed, post-debate polling showed support for “unpolished” candidates like Hunter and Prussman dropping…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
CHICKEN DINNER SUMMIT IN JERUSALEM SEES RECORD TURNOUT
…the summit saw the biggest turnout of both participants and viewers in years. …Controversy preceded the summit because the focus of these annual events “is meant to be on local organizers from across the middle east,” explains the head of the Oman delegation. “But this time, Iraq’s former President was part of the Iraqi delegation.” There was concern that the Summits are developing into a “Mini-U.N.,” which the Oman delegation leader claims could negatively impact their usefulness in maintaining peace in the region. “Shifting focus from the local scale to the leaders of the region’s nations may inhibit the effectiveness of these summits to bring the region’s citizens together in the name of harmony and keep open the lanes of dialogue that have kept us strong, united and stable for most of the past forty-plus years.”
[pic: imgur.com/i3qqfo1.png ]
Above: a rabbi and an imam shaking hands in Jerusalem at this year’s “CDSiJ”
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 27/9/2020
…the celebration of the birth of his latest grandchild on September 29, 2020 resulted in the very rare assembly of all of Donald’s children, who totaled in at 11 children (6 sons and 5 daughters) from 5 out of 7 marriages and 1 engagement to 7 women total:
Mary Theresa Hinterberger (1976-1979) – Donald Jr. (b. 1976) and Eric (b. 1978)
Sarah Heath (1985-1994) – Pepper (b. 1986), Charlie (b. 1988), Katrina (b. 1990), Maryanne (b. 1991), and Richie (b. 1993)
Jennifer Prodgers (engaged 1994, broke up 1995) – Barron (b. 1994)
Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (2001-2002) – Timothy (b. 2002)
Ericka Cruz (2002, annulled 2002) – 0
Oksana Fedorova (2005-2006) – Alexandra and Zia (twins; b. 2007)
Vanessa Minnillo (2014) – 0
Sarah Heath (2019-present) – 0
[snip]
If Donald has a favorite child not named Donald, it’s Timothy, the product of Donald’s brief time as an in-law of the British royal family. Noble blood courses through Tim’s veins, and his father’s pride in that ironically has kept Tim all the more aware of his non-royal heritage. Rejecting his father’s “corporatism,” Tim currently supports multiple charity projects with his mother, Lady Sarah, the niece of Queen Elizabeth II. Donald’s third favorite son is most likely Barron, followed by Eric…
The Trump Organization currently consists of roughly 300 business entities of which Donald Trump is the principal, or, in some cases, sole owner. Roughly half of them use the Trump name. Founded in 1923, the company remained in his father’s hand while Donald was playing for the MLB, but took over the company in 1984. The organization has a diverse portfolio with investments in real estate, primarily regarding casinos, hotels, restaurants and film studios…
– Kate Bohner’s The Art of The Don: The Unofficial Biography of Donald Trump, Times Books, 2020 edition
KFC COMES TO THE CONGO: First Outlet Opens In Kinshasa After 8-Year Effort
– The Associated Press, 9/30/2020
BROWN: “I think space exploration should be funded by companies instead of the government. Charlotte wants NASA to work with companies, though, while I want to expand NASA’s military potential before countries like China try and lay a claim to the cosmos.”
PRITT: “As President, I would raise the nation’s Top Marginal Tax Rate. From 1944 to 1951, and again from 1954 to 1963, it was at 91%. Under President Sanders it was lowered to 75% and under Presidents Denton, Dinger and Grammer it’s slowly dropped all the way down to 33%. I am an FDR Democrat; as President, I will raise it all the way up to 90%.”
MODERATOR: “Governor Pritt, how would your administration pay for federal spending on ‘Green’ infrastructure projects?”
PRITT: “By raising taxes on the wealthy, the people who can afford it the most. It is important that we research the feasibility of applying new technology to highways, bridges, country roads, public transit, electric vehicles, Maglevs, airports and seaports. Under my Governorship, several such projects have been launched in West Virginia, so I have seen what works and what doesn’t.”
BROWN: “No, no, no, if you want to fiddle around with infrastructure, own up to it, don’t stick other people with the bill just because they can afford it. You want the rich to pay? Incentivize them! Get them to work with the government through private contracts and tax breaks.”
BROWN: I’m gonna take a SWAG – that’s short for Scientific Wild-Ass Guess – and say that 90% of what the feds do under Democratic administrations is as unconstitutional as the Communist Manifesto.” [3]
BROWN: “As President, I’d slash the budgets for the federal Departments of Labor, of Education, of Energy and Technology, and even two of my favorites, the VA and NASA, because while they all provide important services they’ve become too big for their britches. If America was a Volkswagen beetle, it’s taking a load that’d crush a 20-ton dump truck. [3] I’m talking about student loans – monitoring the border and recreadrugs – it’s all too expensive, so I say we place the burden onto those who want recreadrugs, and onto state governments that want to build up the border. I’d take Grammer’s support of private enterprise picking up the slack for NASA missions and I’d kick it up to 11.”
BROWN: “I strongly defend all kinds of freedom, including religious freedom, freedom from oppression, and freedom to pursue whatever makes you happy so long you don’t purposely target others. But if purposely hurting others is what makes you happy, guess what, I support mental health programs, too – funded at the state level, of course.”
PRITT: “We need to take the tax burden off the working class and the most vulnerable and put it back onto the billionaires. …No more tax breaks for corporations.”
PRITT: “You want to avoid violating the Balanced Budget Amendment, Harley? Then don’t strip the meat off the bones of badly-needed social services. Instead, demand the elitists with all the money pay their fair share. A tax system that treats people fairly is possible. The money for programs is out there, and it can be available… I am tired of tax dollars being used to give incentives for businesses to come into states only to use that money give themselves raises and hire local workers part time for minimum wage and zero benefits. That is criminal. That is criminal. And we have to stop that. We have to stop corporation from holding communities hostage. We have to invest more in small businesses than in giant mega-conglomerates.” [4]
BROWN: “I agree, you hit the hammer right on the nail with that one. We should invest more into small businesses. But, you know what, that’ll make small businesses become big businesses, and you hate those, so your plan of attack needs some tweaking. It’s got some weak spot. And another thing, Charlotte, not all big companies are bad. A mom-and-pop shop doesn’t suddenly switch into some Evil Corporation Mode once it hires its 100th worker. Look at Harley motorcycles! I’ve been a strong supporter of them for years not just because of their awesome products, but because they treat their workers with respect and pay them decent wages.”
– transcript snippets, the first Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/6/2020
INTERVIEW: John Lennon on Turning 80
…“I’m not old. I look it, but I’m not. Maybe I’m Immortal. I Feel It And I Look It, After All.”…
– Tumbleweed Magazine, 10/9/2020
PRITT: “The government is obligated to give people the opportunity to do well in life.”
Moderator Jennifer RUBIN: “Mister Vice President, Americans are converting to electric and other renewable energy modes at historic rates. How can you justify driving a gas-powered Harley Davidson when the leader of America is often viewed as a reflection of the American people?”
BROWN: “I can justify my driving an ol’ Harley with three simple words: freedom – of – choice. I yield the rest of my time for answering that insulting and un-American question.”
BROWN: “We must restore constitutional enumeration and power back to the people and the states. On this front, I will charge in like Grammer, only I will go even farther than all the good stuff he’s done these past eight years.”
RUBIN: “The next question is for both of you. The death penalty – yes or no?”
PRITT: “All lives are sacred, from a newborn child to a hardened criminal. It is immoral to condemn people to death, and due to the number of times that an innocent person has been found guilty, only for the evidence proving their innocence to come out after they have been executed, it is irresponsible, too.”
BROWN: “I actually agree with you on this point, Charlotte. A dead criminal can’t atone for their sins. Instead of electrocuting these monsters, or giving them a lethal injection, I say we just flog them – that’s right, bring back the ol’ fashioned, tried-and-true methods of making criminal bastards truly pay for their crimes. [5] Hey, it’s not as permanent a solution as killin’ em. And for those who can’t or won’t atone, isn’t a lifetime of denied freedom more appropriate than what to them might be the sweet release of death anyway? Come on, it’s common sense!”
PRITT: “Harley, you say you are a constitutionalist, but what about the fact that the constitution’s preamble states that the constitution is meant to, quote, ‘form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity’? You know what all that means, right? It means that it is not unconstitutional, but in fact very constitutional for the government to protect the public welfare of this country. It is the duty and responsibility of the federal government to promote peace – like with police precinct reform – to provide common defense – which you definitely support – and to support the well-being of its citizens.”
BROWN: “Charlotte, Welfare doesn’t mean free money, it means helping out those who need help. America is a strong place, but, people, liberals would have you think that every single one of you is a weakling who needs a nanny state telling you exactly what to do with your lives. Like we can’t make the right decisions on our own. That’s not how it’s been in this country since Grammer and I won in 2012 and 2016 and it won’t go back to that under my administration.”
PRITT: “The median household income must match the median house price and median gross rent for month.”
PRITT: “For the last thirty years, a larger share of America’s Gross Domestic Product has been from financial, insurance, and real estate than from manufacturing. Customer service and technical innovation and assistance is not just America’s future but it is its present and it is its recent past as well.”
BROWN: “You have a choice, folks: either me and Jenny, or Charlotte and Kwame. Either a biker and a beauty queen, or a schoolteacher and a normal guy. Take your pick!” [6]
– transcript snippets, the second Pritt-Brown Presidential debate, 10/10/2020
…Another political controversy received national attention on October 13, when Pritt voiced her “strong opposition” to a proposed state bill in Texas that would outlaw workers from electing union leaders by secret ballot. Pritt remarked that an “open ballot” would illegally inhibit he workers’ right to privacy and leave them exposed to reprisals from management. “It’s a clear effort to stop workers from unionizing before voting can even be scheduled, let alone held. …Workers have the right to vote however the workers see fit, not how management sees fit.” The bill, introduced by Republicans in the Texas Senate, would also oppose current labor rights established under Governor Friedman in 2007, such as the right to recall union leaders, a transparency regulations meant to minimize the possibility of back-door deals between management and union officials. “As President I would do everything in my power to protect worker pension funds,” Pritt explained.
Brown, on the other, took a different approach to the controversy. “I think unions should represent all employees who desire membership, but any union must be scrutinized if that union discriminates against any worker who chooses to stand by their rights and not be intimidated into joining said union.” Brown elaborated, “my main problem with unions – and this is from experience – is the excessive union fees. Unions have to be kept in line, and management has to be kept in check, but neither of those things are government responsibilities. It’s up to the people – the customers, the locals, the workers themselves – to monitor and manage those kind of things.”
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE SOLE JOHNSON-RAOUL VP DEBATE
…each Vice Presidential nominee touted their respective resumes, with Raoul boasting his voting record in the US Senate and Johnson describing her success as Governor… The debate was unique in that it was between two non-white candidates... Raoul fiercely criticized Vice President Brown for his history of divisive comments, while Johnson accused Pritt of capitalizing of greatly exaggerating her gubernatorial tenure and questioned the ability of both Pritt and Raoul to lead during a hypothetical military crisis… Most may agree that this debate was a draw, but still was an insightful look into the dynamics of both the race and the major-party tickets…
– Associated Press, 10/15/2020
BREAKING: Former Russian President Nikolayev Flees Home Amid Investigations, Current Whereabouts Unknown!
– KNN, 10/16/2020
SPONGEBOB’S NOT-SO-UNDERSEA CUISINE: Seafood Chain to Expand Menu to Non-Oceanic Offerings
[pic: imgur.com/D3Sfgyg.png ]
Above: some of the many food items offered on S.B.U.C.’s new menu for people who suffer from seafood allergies, such as shellfish and shrimp
…the company has a history of striving to display and promote health and safety information in order to expand its base of customers to those who typically avoid eating out due to allergies, or because “greasy spoon” stereotypes…
– Nation’s Restaurant News trade publication, mid-October 2020 issue
PRITT PICKS UP STEAM IN FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
…when it came to cybersecurity, Pritt gave a nuanced answer concerning balancing privacy and individual activities ontech with combating cyberterror and hacking endeavors, calling for a strengthening of President Grammer’s hacking prevention efforts. Brown disagreed and claimed Grammer “won’t go far enough,” and made the controversial statement “we really should treat a cyberattack from another country – that we can confirm was greenlit by that country’s government – as an act of war,” citing cyberattacks in previous years as being damaging to America’s economy and national defenses. “Hostile foreign elements have got to understand that when you poke a bull, you get its horns.” Pritt contrasted Brown boisterous sabre-rattling by applauding President Grammer’s efforts to improve US-PRC relations and be “caring but cautious” on the world stage…
[snip]
…The discussion then moved on to automation, Pritt gave an impassioned answer defending her support for a Federal Freedom Fund to cover workers left jobless from the effects of manufacturing jobs going oversees or disappearing due to automation. Brown commended her enthusiasm, but suggested that instead of the federal government working with state governments to provide for workers and fund rehiring programs, he, as President, would promote high tariffs on foreign imports and persecute businesses who commit “the treasonous act” of outsourcing…
– The Washington Post, 10/20/2020
…In the final weeks of the election, Brown complained of the US military becoming less influential overseas as Americans turned “inward,” concerned more about domestic issues than foreign ones. However, upon seeing that such talk was failing to gain support from voters, Brown’s campaign considered shifting focus more to the Vice President’s personal side.
Brown had been married three times and had fathered nine children during his lifetime. In 2020, his youngest was 11 and his oldest was roughly 38; his third oldest daughter had had a child out of wedlock, and the child was raised alongside his younger siblings. Brown said in 2014 that “they motivate me to give them a world better than the one they got now.” [7] Brown had legally changed his name to Harley Davidson Brown in the mid-1990s and had originally planned to change his name back to what it originally was when he became President, saying “if you have a passion for something, changing your name is the easiest way to bring it up in conversation.” Brown became a born-again Christian in November 1994, when during a dark and rainy day, the recently-divorced commander-turned-taxi driver “felt God mentally, and non-audibly speak to him.” In 1997, a Kenyan priest signed and notarized a document stating that the mystical encounter had been a message from God.
Brown’s campaign decided to only promote certain aspects of this bio, and only to certain groups…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
“Because the American government is so powerful, the American people must keep it in check to ensure it works for them, not against them. The government is meant to be a vessel, funding services to help people reach their dreams! …We need to improve the quality of American education, reverse Global Climate Disruption, and increase worker representation! We need to fix old concepts and introduce new concepts, like ‘Assured Employment,’ and protect our planet from further corporate abuse.”
– Charlotte Pritt, 10/22/2020 rally
“Reality doesn’t yield to dreams, Charlotte. Fiscal restraint isn’t fun put it’s needed, and badly, to assure economic security and stability and to maintain basic programs for healthcare and retirement like Social Security. That thing has to be protected or else it’ll empty out in a decade or so. …The next generation of Americans must be encouraged, not discouraged, to keep their morals, for when it is their turn to lead this nation. And that preparing starts with respecting all lives, both fetal and post-fetal. It starts with a strong military to protect families at home and allies abroad from would-be evildoers... It is time for America to return to its roots – its basic foundations of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness – as we step into this new decade together. Now who’s with me?”
– Harley Brown, 10/23/2020 rally
…One last political topic was the calls to diversify the sources for social security, with Pritt, Brown and even Jimmy McMillan promoting various assortments of US and international stocks, bonds, private equity, real estate, clean energy sources, and other strategies. One news item that received much attention and seemingly served as this cycle’s mini-“autumn surprise” was a White House report on the 2019 federal budget which revealed that a fiscal deficit had been covered in 2013, 2014 and 2019 (and one under a previous administration, in 2003) by dipping into the fed’s Social Security fund. The report concluded that, even with surplus investments in 2019, Social Security was still set to dry up in roughly 12 years. Whoever won the 2020 election would thus have to diversify the funds for Social Security to keep it solvent…
– Penelope Miller-Martin’s For Now: The 2020 Election, Ascension Book Center, 2021
“The time has come to choose which path our country will go down over these next four years. ‘What future do we want?’ Is the question. It’s time to determine what future we want for our children, our country, our veterans, our families, ourselves, our countrymen, our retirees, our grandchildren, our communities, our workers, and our planet.”
– Charlotte Pritt, 10/29/2020
[pic: imgur.com/jMYJRrz.png ]
Gov. Charlotte Jean Pritt (WV) / US Sen. Kwame Raoul (IL) (Democratic) – 77,912,051 (45.79%)
US VP Harley Davidson Brown (ID) / Gov. Jennifer Sandra Johnson (FL) (Republican) – 72,076,263 (42.36%)
NYC Mayor Jimmy McMillan (NY) / Gov. Krist Novoselic (WA) (People’s) – 8,235,319 (4.84%)
Dr. Steven Paul Novella (CT) / fmr state Assistant Att. Gen. Brett Joseph Talley (AL) (Bigfoot) – 2,126,890 (1.25%)
Rev. Dario Hunter (OH) / Ms. Monica Moorehead (NJ) (Green) – 2,024,799 (1.19%)
Ms. Stacey Hope Prussman (NY) / Mr. Asif Mahmood (CA) (Liberty) – 1,786,587 (1.05%)
Fmr st. GOP Chair Dennis Michael Lynch (NY) / Ms. Claudeliah J. Rose (TX) (Sensible/Moderate) – 1,565,391 (0.92%)
Prof. Jodi Dean (MA) / US Army Cpl. (ret.) Michael D. Prysner (CA) (Socialist Alliance) – 969,862 (0.57%)
Fmr st. Rep. Emily Payton (VT) / Charles Kraut (VA) (independent) – 833,741 (0.49%)
Mr. H. Brooke Paige (VT) / Mr. Konstantinos Roditis (CA) (True Republican) – 442,393 (0.26%)
Fmr st. sen. Max Abramson (NH) / fmr st. sen. Nancy Argenziano (FL) (Reform) – 408,362 (0.24%)
Mr. Ben Zion (AZ) / US Air Force Sgt. (ret.) Tamika Lyles (FL) (Future) – 204,184 (0.12%)
Ms. Kim Ruff (AZ) / Mr. Erik Gerhardt (PA) (Union Labor) – 119,105 (0.07%)
Min. Creflo Dollar (GA) / Ptr. Randy Alan White (FL) (Salvation/Becoming One Real Nation Again (B.O.R.N. Again)) – 68,061 (0.04%)
Ms. Cris Ericson (NY) / Mr. Dan Burke (NJ) (Exposure) – 34,729 (0.02%)
Prof. Eric Thomas Chester (MA) / Mr. Kenneth Blevins (PA) (Civic) – 33,431 (0.02%)
Mr. Reid Kane (VT) / Mr. Dan Vacek (MN) (Liberty Union) – 17,015 (0.01%)
All other first-round votes cast – 84,975 (0.05%)
Total first-round votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)
Final Round count
Dem – 89,176,262 (52.41%)
GOP – 80,345,414 (47.22%)
Exhausted ballots – 629,559 (0.37%)
Total votes cast – 170,151,235 (100%)
– clickopedia.co.usa
Presidential Elections by Popular Vote Share:
Year: Democratic-Republican-Other
[snip]
1960: 49.7-49.6
1964: 44.5-43.4-11.7
1968: 55.1-40.6
1972: 48.2-43.9
1976: 58.1-39.7
1980: 51.5-43.3-4.7
1984: 57.8-41.2
1988: 46.5-41.6-7.6
1992: 50.0-48.8
1996: 60.3-38.1
2000: 51.0-47.9
2004: 58.2-40.1
2008: 43.7-44.3-11.2
2012: 47.7-48.9-2.1
2016: 49.2-45.0
2020: 52.4-47.2
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
November United States Senate election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Seats: 35 of 104
Seats needed for majority: 53
New Senate majority leader: Marjorie Osterlund (D-PA)
New Senate minority leader: Webb Franklin (R-MS)
Seats before election: 48 (D), 54 (R), 2 (I)
Seats after election: 56 (D), 45 (R), 3 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1
Full List:
Alabama: Randall Woodfin (D) over incumbent Spencer T. Bachus III (R)
Alaska: Scott Kawasaki (I) over incumbent Kevin Meyer (R), Corey Flintoff (D) and John Wayne Howe (Alaskan Independence)
Arkansas: incumbent Jim Guy Tucker (D) over Ricky Dale Harrington Jr. (R)
Colorado: Amy Stephens (D) over Darryl Glenn (R); incumbent Langhorne “Lang” Sias (R) retired
Delaware: incumbent Marjorie “Midge” Osterlund (D) over James DeMartino (R)
Georgia: R. J. Hadley (D) over Buzz Brockway (R) and Amy Kremer (Bigfoot); incumbent Bob Barr (R) lost re-nomination
Idaho: incumbent Dr. Rex Floyd Rammell (R) over James Vandermaas (D)
Illinois: Napoleon Harris (D) over Chuck Weaver (R), Willie Wilson (ID), Martine Rothblatt (Bigfoot) and James Comey (I); incumbent Kwame Raoul (D) retired
Iowa: Elizabeth Ann “Liz” Mathis (D) over incumbent Terry Branstad (R) and Jason Buckley (Liberty)
Kansas: incumbent Carla J. Stovall (R) over Monique Singh-Bey (D)
Kentucky: Whitney Westerfield (R) over Reginald “Reggie” Thomas (D); incumbent Martha Layne Osborne (D) retired
Louisiana: Antoine Pierce (D) over incumbent appointee Suzanne Haik Terrell (R)
Maine: incumbent Angus King (I) over Jared Golden (D) and Derek Levasseur (R)
Massachusetts: incumbent Demetrius J. Atsalis (D) over Kevin A. O’Connor (R) and Raymond Eveleth Fowler (Bigfoot)
Michigan: Abdul El-Sayed (D) over incumbent Terry Lynn Stern Rakolta (R) and Valerie Willis (Taxpayers)
Minnesota: incumbent Sharon Sayles Belton (D) over Karin Housley (R) and Christopher Fleming (Bigfoot)
Mississippi: incumbent Peter H. “Pete” Johnson (R) over J. P. “Jay” Hughes Jr. (D) and Woody Evans (Bigfoot)
Montana: Jenny Eck (D) over G. Bruce Meyers (R) and Rebecca Douglas (Bigfoot); incumbent Larry R. Williams (R) retired
Nebraska: incumbent Orrin Hatch (R) over Preston Love Jr. (D)
New Hampshire: incumbent Yvonne Katrina Lantos (D) over Regina Birdsell (R)
New Jersey: incumbent Lisa Perez Jackson (D) over Hirsh Singh (R) and Dan Burke (Larry McDonald Was Right)
New Mexico: incumbent Roberto Mondragon (D) over Elisa Martinez (R) and Bob Walsh (Liberty)
North Carolina: incumbent Dan Clodfelter (D) over Theodore Paul “Ted” Budd (R) and Shannon Bray (Liberty)
Oklahoma: incumbent Steve Largent (R) over Sheila Bilyeu (D)
Oregon: incumbent Jefferson Smith (D) over Brad Avakian (R), Winona LaDuke (Green) and Ibrahim Taher (Pacific)
Potomac: incumbent Anthony A. Williams (D) unopposed
Puerto Rico: Brenda Lopez de Arraras (D) over incumbent Norma Burgos (R) and Maria Elvira Salazar (Conservative)
Rhode Island: incumbent Elizabeth H. Roberts (D) over Scott Avedisian (R)
South Carolina: incumbent J. Gary Simrill (R) over Mandy Powers Norrell (D)
South Dakota: incumbent SuAnne Big Crow (R) over Dennis Feickert (D)
Tennessee: incumbent Dr. Manny Sethi (R) over Madeline Anne Rogero (D)
Texas: incumbent Mac Thornberry (R) over Ruben Hinojosa (D), Solomon Ortiz Jr. (La Raza Unida) and Ronald Bailey (Bigfoot)
Virginia: incumbent Donald McEachin (D) over Omari Faulkner (R) and Nick Freitas (Boulder)
West Virginia: Charles S. Trump IV (R) over Mike Pushkin (D); incumbent Sylvia Mathews Burwell (D) retired
Wyoming: incumbent Foster Stephen Friess (R) over Lincoln Chafee (Liberty) and Jason Shogren (D)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
United States House of Representatives results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Seats: All 441
Seats needed for majority: 221
New House majority leader: Ed Markey (D-MA)
New House minority leader: Larry Lee Householder (R-OH)
Last election: 237 (D), 204 (R), 0 (I)
Seats won: 245 (D), 195 (R), 1 (I)
Seat change: D ^ 8, R v 9, I ^ 1
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
…[Dennis] Kucinich won his first congressional term in 1972, in what was a decent year for Democrats. Initially maintaining a strongly anti-abortion voting record (which would continue until 2002), Kucinich also maintains a voting record that was otherwise ideologically between the moderate-leaning President Mondale and the progressive Vice President Gravel. After losing re-election in 1978, Kucinich moved to Anaheim, California to accept a teaching position, but four years later, was elected back to the US House from that city’s Congressional seat. Repeatedly called a carpetbagger, Kucinich lost re-election in 1984, which was a deplorable year for Democrats. Kucinich then moved a third time to New Mexico to work for an alternative energy company. In 1988, he won a fifth non-consecutive term in the US House, but again lost re-election in 1990. In early 1991, Kucinich became a US Undersecretary of Energy and Technology under President Bellamy, and in 1993, moved back to Ohio. After re-establishing himself in his initial home town and practicing law for a few years, he lost a bid to return to the mayorship, but then successfully ran for his old House seat in 2000; he served until losing re-election in 2010. He then unsuccessfully ran for Governor in 2014, then won election back to the House in 2018. He just won re-election, and will begin his twelfth term in the House on January 3…
– clickopedia.co.usa
ED FOREMAN (b. 1933)
…Foreman, a Republican, served in the US House of Representatives from Texas for three terms (1963-1971) before retiring to unsuccessfully run for a US Senate seat. After serving as an assistant to the US Secretary of the Interior (1971-1973), he won election back to the House from New Mexico in 1974, but lost re-election in the “blue wave” of 1976. He served in Congress once more, from Arizona (1981-1987) and controversially supported Denton long after Arizona voters had stopped, resulting in him losing re-election. In 1996, Foreman was elected to the House yet again, this time from California, in the Red Wave of 1996, where he supported President Dinger’s handling of the War on Recreadrugs; he retired from his seat to unsuccessfully run for Governor. After moving yet again, he returning to the House after winning a House special election in Nevada in 2007, but after receiving a higher-paying role at a political think tank in Idaho, resigned in early 2008 and moved to Nampa soon after. In 2020, he launched an unsuccessful Independent write-in bid for Idaho’s 1st district House seat, and in December 2020 announced his permanent retirement from active politics due to poor health…
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
“The amazing – and scary – thing about the Republicans is that, even when suffering defeat, the GOP manages to display an impressive capacity for comeback. (short pause) Even in the bleakest moments of the Lukens Hush Money Scandal, when polls showed that only 20% of people were comfortable identifying themselves as Republican, polls a year later bucked predictions of the demise of the Republican party, as those numbers had already risen to 40%. (long pause) Think about that for a moment. (long pause) So, what I’m saying is, Harley Brown caused them to lose tonight, and lose badly, but I am certain that pro-Brown Republicans are just going to blame this on Pritt or Grammer or the anti-Brown Republicans, while anti-Brown are going to point to the truth – that if Brown had not been such a controversial candidate, he definitely would have won this race. (short pause) So, make no mistake, they are going to bounce back from this.”
– political analyst Kyle Kulinski, OurVids.co.can livestream, 11/3/2020
United States Governor election results, 2020
Date: November 3, 2020
Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 12
Seats before: 26 (D), 26 (R)
Seats after: 28 (D), 24 (R)
Seat change: D ^ 2, R v 2
Full list:
Delaware: incumbent Stephanie Hansen (D) over John Machurek (R)
Indiana: Ben Quayle (R) over Jonathan Weinzapfel (D), Karen Freeman-Wilson (Green) and James J. Hughes (Bigfoot); incumbent John R. Gregg (D) retired
Missouri: incumbent Catherine Hanaway (R) over Sylvester “Sly” James Jr. (D)
Montana: Robert Ernest Quist (D) over Albert Olszewski (R) and Danielle Egnew (Bigfoot); incumbent Barack “Rocky” McCain (R) retired
New Hampshire: Martha S. Hennessey (D) over incumbent Darryl W. Perry (R) and Nicholas Groff (Bigfoot)
North Carolina: Rachel Hunt (D) over incumbent Cherie K. “Cherry” Berry (R)
North Dakota: incumbent Jasper Schneider (R) over Anthony Weiner (D)
Puerto Rico: Eduardo Bhatia (D) over incumbent Raul Labrador (R) and José Jaime Pierluisi (I)
Utah: incumbent Robert Wood Young (R) over Jani Iwamoto (D)
Vermont: Faisal Mahmood Gill (D) over Emily Payton (R) and Cris Ericson (Independent); incumbent Jeffrey “Jeff” Weaver (D) retired
Washington: Ron Sims (D) over Drew C. MacEwen (R) and Jeffrey Paul Bishop (Bigfoot); incumbent Krist Novoselic (D) retired
West Virginia: Craig Blair (R) over Ron Stollings (D) and Paul T. Farrell Jr. (Independent Democrat); incumbent Charlotte Pritt (D) retired
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
“HARLEY-CHARLIE” LAFPICS RESURGE AMID BROWN LOSS
…one of the many lafpics going fervid ontech right now is one that makes a reference to the October 29, 1972 Peanuts TV special “You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown” [8]:
[pic: imgur.com/tFjinMv.png ]
Above: The screenshot image, edited to “Harley” (left) vs. the original unedited screenshot (right)
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/4/2020
…The Defense party endorsed Brown while the Progressive and Pragmatic parties endorsed Pritt… Because the total number of candidates on each state ballot varied, write-in candidates claimed the vote-counting process under the new RCV system lowered the chances of write-in votes impacting the election unless they reached “impossibly high” numbers, as candidate Emily Payton put it…
Most Green, Moderate and Socialist Alliance voters wrote down Pritt as their second choice, while Brown was the second choice for most who selected the True Republican, Liberty, Reform and Bigfoot parties as their first choice. Voters who ranked the People’s ticket first equally divided their second-place ranking on their tickets between Pritt and Brown...
…As voting did not conclude until a candidate received a majority, counting the votes took longer than usual, with Pritt not being officially declared the winner until 7:00 AM the next morning, and confirmed with President Grammer and Vice President jointly VidCalling Pritt to congratulate her on her victory...
– clickipedia.usa.org
“You all won’t be disappointed by this unprecedented opportunity. …The people have chosen the way forward. Tonight was the first step. …The time has come for a government that works for the people, that works to create jobs, protect our planet, teach our children, and build a better present and future for everyone!”
– Charlotte Pritt, 11/4/2020
Analyst Paul SOGLIN: “I’m not surprised that counting the votes took so long – RCV has never actually been performed on a scale this large before.”
Analyst Janice FINE: “Indeed, and, about that, can I also say this? It’s interesting that, according to the rules laid out by the National Initiative, if the popular vote winner had not been determined by December 22, the Emergency Electoral College would have gone into effect. But in this election’s instance, with Pritt having won 283 EVs, she still would have won the Presidency.”
Analyst Karl ROVE: “There, right there, see? This election didn’t need the RCV mucking it up – Pritt would have still won without it, so why do why need it? The answer is we don’t, and that’s why I support another National Initiative be held to vote to reinstate the Electoral College.”
FINE: “Well, if that’s the hill you’ve chosen to die on, sure, go for it, whatever.”
– KNN roundtable discussion, 11/4/2020 broadcast
…Grammer’s graceful acceptance of the results contrasted with Brown, who openly questioned the “security” of Ranked-Choice Voting but nevertheless formally conceded the day after the election and congratulated Pritt with a short phone call. However, in a phone interview with KNN on November 5, the Vice President ranted about losing. …At one point, he suggested that voters whose ballot were exhausted ahead of the final round should be allowed to vote again to have a say in which final two choices they were prefer “Lots of people who backed conservative third party candidates all wrote their preferred candidates down for second place, so many of them received boosts in the initial runoffs before ultimately being eliminated during the runoff process. That’s not fair at all!”
Religious supporters of Brown appeared even angrier over the election results, with many ontech claiming it “defied God’s will.” Within a few hours of the results being declared official, and possibly spurred by Brown’s rant on KNN, rioting engulfed parts of cities across the US, with the most violent incident being a religious biker throwing a Molotov cocktail into a police car in Amarillo, Texas on November 6, injuring two. Conspiracy theories ontech quickly began spreading the rumor that “the Democratic establishment” had stolen the election from Brown. Other pro-Brown technetters who did not take the results well claimed Pritt was morally corrupt (without providing much detail) and would lead the nation “down a dark path of despair,” as one put it…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/DmwMeEN.png ]
– A lafpic showing Brown being upset at the election loss, first posted, 11/6/2020
…However, on November 7, Brown went on national TV to urge his supporters to respect the rule of law and “prove that you are above this sort of thing. Trust me, nobody is more upset over this election than I am, but what’s done is done, there’s no changing it. On January 20, 2021, Charlotte Pritt will become President, but on January 20, 2025? That might be another story.” Brown’s hint at a possible second run in 2024 seemed to have done the trick, as the angry crowds stayed online, but they emptied the streets and returned order to the affected cities…
– researcher Ed Romano’s debut book Defending Democracy: The Grammer Years, Borders Books, 2022
“Poor Harley. He worked so hard for this job.” As he leaned back into his half of the loveseat, the President reflected on the past several days, accepting of the people’s choice, but disappointed at what their choice was.
“I’m just happy it’s all over,” said the First Lady as sat beside him. “After almost eight years in this place, we’re finally almost out of here.” She kicked off her shoes and sank into the soft upholstery, resting comfortably after a long and tiring day of calls and meetings. The staff had retired for the night, the youngest had been asleep for over an hour, and the Upstairs Residence was refreshingly silent.
“Oh, it hasn’t been that bad,” her husband replied.
“No, it’s been worse,” Marissa rebutted. She wrapped her arm around her husband, and added softly and uneasily, “This place almost killed you, Kelsey. You haven’t forgotten the heart attack. And I don’t remember there being so many wrinkles and white hairs when we started here.”
“You’re still beautiful.”
“I was talking about you.”
“Oh. Well then, um, well I have been getting on in years, and I’ll admit, I am getting a bit sick of these walls. It’s probably why I keep agreeing to meet with people in other places.” Indeed, Grammer often traveled to visit governors and other political leaders at their home turf, and would invite such individuals to the White House less frequently than typical Presidents would have.
Marissa groaned as she nestled into the loveseat and watched the small bits of flame flickering in the fireplace. “But we’re stuck here until January. Another three months of running around and running ourselves ragged. Especially for you.”
“Me?”
“You have to meet with Pritt, help her wean into the office.”
“Oh yeah, right. But after all her attacks on my Presidency, I’m not looking forward to it. I wish it were Harley with whom I was meeting. He’s prepped for this job for years.” As Grammer looked into the fireplace, an idea formed in his mind. “Honey.”
“Yeah?”
“Where did you say you wanted to spend Thanksgiving.”
“Same place where I wanted to celebrate Christmas, our old home in L.A.,” Marissa answered.
“Hmm,” Grammer thought aloud as he reached over to the coffee table and folded open his lar phone. “Let’s see. The Senate’s going to be in session from the 16th to the 20th. The House is staying in session until then. But both chambers reconvene on the thirtieth and stay open until December 18th. He could get some stuff passed.”
“What?” The First Lady asked, confused.
“Marissa, dear,” Grammer said, “How’d you like to beat the holiday rush and blow this popsicle stand early?”
--- --- ---
Color returned to Brown’s face. Excitement filled his falcon-like Irish-blue eyes. “What?”
“You heard me,” the President reiterated his decision. “We told our kids this morning. They’re surprisingly indifferent to it. I guess this place never truly felt like home to any of them either. Not even to Billie,” referring to his six-year-old son. “Then again, Billie’s first question was if his toys are coming with us, which they are.”
“I-I don’t know what to say, Kelsey.”
“Now you do understand that it’ll just be until January 20, right?” The President emphasized.
“Yeah, I get it.”
“I’m not cancelling the election results here.”
“I know that, I’m not an idiot,” Brown said.
“Okay then.”
Brown “played it cool,” but even Grammer could tell that the man was holding back a beaming grin of joy that would have stretched wider than a Cheshire Cat’s.
– Kathryn Millstone’s The Grammer Administration, Borders Books, 2021
“…We have freed millions of Americans from the binds of federal red tape. We have lowered taxes, brutalized criminals, and confronted kingly dictatorships in Africa. We did it all together, without inflating the size of government, or inhibiting the innovation of the American individual. However, as my friend Harley Brown puts it, you can’t get a car out of the mud without getting dirt on yourself. The past eight years have been trying, and they have been tiring, and I do not believe that I am up to the task of executing the remaining duties and responsibilities of this office in my current state of exhaustion. In light of this, I will resign from the Presidency, effective noon tomorrow… …Harley Brown will serve out the remainder of my term until Governor Pritt is sworn in on January 20th…”
– President Kelsey Grammer, 11/9/2020 televised address
>COMMENT 1:
What?! I’m sorry…What??!!
>COMMENT 2:
Wow. I did not see that coming.
>COMMENT 3:
Frasier has left the building!
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Get out.
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 3:
Yes, that is what Grammer just did, how observant of you.
>COMMENT 4:
Huh, I didn’t know he was in poor health
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
He’s not, he’s just sick and tired of the office.
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
No, no, he’s only doing this to win over the evangelicals in love with Harley
>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 4:
That makes no sense. He’s leaving office and active politics
>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 4:
I think he’s done this b/c legacy
>>REPLY 3 to COMMENT 4:
He’s doing this so his friend Harley gets to be President, even if just for a little while. Pure and simple
>COMMENT 5:
Wait, after tomorrow, there’s 71 days left until Pritt gets sworn in. And if HDB gets sworn in at noon, that’s only half a day. Pritt also gets sworn in a noon on the 20th. So if we only count the actual full days, the number of (full) days for which HDB will be President is…69.
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 2 to COMMENT 5:
Nice
– usarightnow.co.usa, comments section of 11/9/2020 e-alert
[pic: imgur.com/1IhM9q6.png ]
– President-Elect Charlotte Pritt (D-WV) reacting to President Grammer’s sudden and unexpected resignation, 11/9/2020
“I’m just happy Joni’s okay with all this,” Brown chuckled as he took his hand off the Bible. The new First Lady, Joni Brown, had suddenly found herself in charge of planning Thanksgiving and Christmas activities at the White House, and all the hosting duties connected to them. But Joni was a quick thinker, and swiftly merged Marissa’s abandoned ideas with the plans Joni had had for 1 Circle Observatory.
The biker left the small-scale swearing-in ceremony on the South Lawn and entered his new office with a smile sprawled out across his face. Brown had reportedly been despondent in the days immediately after the election, with one of Brown’s daughters later stating that he had seemed “lost.” Another daughter says he was “perplexed” and “confused…he had been so certain he’d been President,” and that many around him sought to cheer him up by suggesting he run again in 2024. When Grammer decided to resign, though, Brown’s attitude immediately turned around. Brown reportedly told his second-oldest son that he saw Grammer’s decision as “God opening a window… It proved to Dad that Grammer was a true Christian and that he had believed in Brown all along.” Other Brown supporters, especially evangelicals thought similarly, and immediately began to hold Grammer in high regard.
Entering the Oval Office, Brown’s Chief of Staff, Lisa Marie, dramatically presented to him his new work station. “The Resolute Desk: for the next 71 days, she’s all yours.”
Brown knew it was all just temporarily, but he was determined to do as much as he possibly could with the time in office he’s just been granted. The new President sat in the Presidential chair and began to leak tears of joy and he carefully caressed the desk. Looking up, he put his arms outward and proclaimed, “I am here for you, God. I am here for you at last. I will not disappoint you!”
– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022
[pic: imgur.com/BrpQhVX.png ]
Harley Davidson Brown, the 46th President of the United States of America
Anderson COOPER: “So what exactly can he actually do during his time as America’s second-shortest-serving President?”
Former US Senator Daniel MONGIARDO (D-KY): “It depends on congress’ schedule. Two major recesses are fast approaching, so he may have to just try and get something that has already been introduced, or is in committee, uh, to get a vote when congress is still in session.”
COOPER: “And when Congress is not in session?”
MONGIARDO: “He’ll have to resort to signing lots and lots of Executive Orders.”
– KNN roundtable discussion, Wednesday, 11/11/2020 broadcast
After promoting Christianity and small-government policies, Brown’s third order of business was selecting a Vice President. The decision came after a major debate in the first hours and days of the Brown administration unfolded over whether or not the Vice Presidency should even be filled.
“If it’s vacant, who’ll preside over the certification of the election results on January 6?” Asked Brown. Several Cabinet members – all of whom were "retainees" from the Grammer administration – were not sure of the answer. Secretary Rodham-Clinton believed that the responsibility went to House Speaker Markey, but was not “100% certain.”
“That settles it, then,” Brown decided.
Despite continued support for the notion of not “wasting time,” Brown proceeded with his support of “legitimizing” his short time in office with a Vice President of his very own. However, the dynamics were unique in that no incumbents wanted to yield their current offices for less than three months of the Vice Presidency. Not even Brown’s running mate, Jennifer Johnson, expressed interest in stepping down from the governorship of Florida when she was already planning out her gubernatorial agenda for 2021.
Immediately, another debate developed, this one being over who the Vice Presidency should go to – a politician, or pretty much anybody interested in what Brown dubbed “the ultimate temp job.” Knowing time was limited, Brown wanted someone who could leave the biggest impact by simply holding the position, but also wanted an ally in the seat as well.
Subsequent conversations with Brown’s inner circle led to the White House writing up a long-form shortlist of 20 considerations on November 12. These candidates were the following:
Outgoing US Ambassador to South Africa Andrea Barthwell of Illinois – an African-American diplomat with a background in medicine, her nomination would potentially win over Democrats in the Senate
Former state Lands Director Walt Bayes of Idaho – at almost 80 years old, this religious “fanatic” would “keep the snipers away,” as Brown half-joked
Outgoing State Senator Judy Burges of Arizona – firmly in favor of minimizing immigration to the US, her nomination would appeal to many GOP Senate conservatives
Former US Senator Patty Cafferata of Nevada – the experienced retired politician still had many friends on the Capitol Hill
US Army Brig. Gen. (ret.) John Alan Coey of Wisconsin – also deeply religious, this political activist veteran of Libya and North Korean was often viewed as a more extreme and less successful version of Brown himself
Outgoing US VP Domestic Policy Advisor Bonnie Dumanis of Potomac – Brown appreciated this openly BLUTAGO former Californian prosecutor’s law-and-order chops and had endorsed her unsuccessful bids for elected office
Activist Derrick Evans of West Virginia – having worked on the Brown campaign in his home state, this unsuccessful candidate for public office openly “applied” for the job in a social media stunt that caught the White House’s attention
Businessman Darryl Glenn of Colorado – an African-American donor and unsuccessful candidate for public office, his deep pockets appealed to several of Brown’s wealthier supporters
Former US Senator Bo Gritz of Idaho – this former Presidential candidate had been an early supporter of Harley Brown, so selecting him would be almost like returning the favor
Former US Senator Betty Ireland of West Virginia – selecting this former politician was an idea backed by “Ken,” the White House’s new Communications Director [9]
Activist Jo Rae Perkins of Oregon – Perkins worked on the campaign in her home state; an unsuccessful candidate for public office, she was passionate, but had “wild” claims concerning Ranked Choice Voting
Former Governor Bernard Peters of Vermont – the “King” of Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom” region, this long-beard outdoorsman and deer hunter got along well and agreed on most policies
Former Governor Sharon Woodall Hewitt of Louisiana – Brown considered this retired politician and former “oil rig worker” to “one tough Momma”
Former US Senator Paul Hillyard of Utah – supporters of the retired “heart of the Senate” urged him to express interest in serving out the position
Outgoing Undersecretary of the Interior Diane Humetewa of Arizona – selecting this career politician appealed to “Kelly,” the new Counsel to the President [9]
US White House Chief of Staff Lisa Marie of Idaho – Marie had been in her new office for only two days, but she had served as Brown’s “right-hand ma’am” as VP Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2020 and as his 2020 campaign manager
US Attorney General Susana Martinez of New Mexico – she and Brown got along well; her selection would make her America’s first Hispanic Vice President
Radio talk show host Laurie Roth of Washington – Roth was a big-time supporter of Brown and a very generous donor, shoring up money from listeners of her show to donate to his campaigns in 2012 and 2020
Businessman Clay John Schexnayder of Louisiana – this unsuccessful candidate for public office was a fierce supporter of Brown, and Brown appreciated it
Former Governor Lynn Swann of Pennsylvania – an African-American personality on ESPN since leaving the governorship, Brown was a fan of this former star athlete
On Friday, November 13, Brown finalized a second shortlist of 10 people: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Evans, Glenn, Ireland, Marie, Perkins, Peters, and Schexnayder. On Saturday, November 14, after discussing the shortlist with several Senate leaders, the list was narrowed down again, this time to just five people:
[Pic: imgur.com/RlRmDLn.png ]
Left to right: Barthwell, Bayes, Dumanis, Marie, Peters.
Wanting to announce a nominee by Monday, Marie pulled her name from consideration after Barthwell withdrew and threw her support behind Dumanis; Marie followed suit under the belief that Dumanis would “perfectly double down” on Brown’s most prominent themes – law-and-order, small government, and protection of BLUTAGO rights. This narrowed the list down to “the lesbian lawmaker, the long-bearded logger, and the doomsday prepper,” as Brown reportedly put it. “There’s no time for a second option, a fallback choice, since there’s barely enough time to push through the first option.”
After additional talks with Marie, Brown went with Dumanis. Wanting to give out “consolation prizes,” Brown also decided to nominate Bayes for Secretary of Education, on account of him homeschooling his 16 children, and Peters for the Interior.
Brown announced his nominations on Sunday, November 15, and urged Congress to begin hearings for them on Monday, or at least prior to the Thanksgiving break, scheduled to occur from the 21st to the 29th. Almost immediately, several conservative political figures pushed back against selecting Dumanis over Bayes or Peters, with Bayes being the preferred candidate among many evangelical members of the party. Some figures, especially ontech, even claimed that Brown had “betrayed” conservative values despite the fact that the new President had supported gay rights for years. “This just shows how many HDB voters were unaware of his actual dedication, or thought that it was all just talk,” noted political analyst Kyle Kulinski at the time. Dumanis’s selection was also criticized for her opposing to cannabis legalization and having an anti-drug record much earlier in her career; a 2008 incident in which she was investigated for corruption but found not guilty was also scrutinized. However, Brown refused to change his mind, and met with Republican Senate leaders to smoothen the process of confirming such a “historic” nominee…
– Jon Herbert’s Firecracker: The Paths of Harley Davidson Brown, Borders Books, 2022
BROWN MEETS WITH SENATE ALLIES TO PUSH THROUGH RELIGIOUS FREEDOM BILL
…the proposed legislation would bolster a similar bill passed in 2017 that exempted religious organizations from several federal taxes and regulations…
– The Washington Post, 11/18/2020
THE SENATE IS “BREEZING THROUGH” THE VP NOMINATION PROCESS
…The interviews and hearings are being conducted at a record pace when compared to the weeks-long processes that occurred for VP-appointees Jack Kemp in 1985, J. J. Polonko Jr. in 1987, and Jim Meredith in 1995… One final hearing will be held tomorrow, and then congress will reconvene on the 30th…
Comments Section:
>COMMENT 1:
Why are they spending their time on this instead of something more important?
>>REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Spitefulness. They want to be able to say they were the party that gave America its first BLUTAGO VP and first female VP
>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
But why?
>>>>REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to REPLY 1 to COMMENT 1:
Because Republican know they have to win over undecided/independent voters to win national elections. By doing this, their appeasing socially liberal people without actually promoting BLUTAGO rights.
– politico.co.usa, Thursday, 11/19/2020
SENATE QUICKLY PASSES AND BROWN QUICKLY SIGNS DIVISIVE BILLS IN LINE-ITEM CONTROVERSY
– The Chicago Tribune, 11/20/2020
BROWN, PRITT MEET AT WHITE HOUSE
…the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office to discuss the peaceful transferring of power in a conversation that was calm and professional, but noticeably lacking warmth between Brown and Pritt…
– The Washington Post, 11/21/2020
PRESIDENT BROWN JUST BROKE THE RECORD FOR PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS SIGNED IN A SINGLE DAY
…with Congress in recess, Brown is using the powers of the executive office to pass several minor policies, ranging from personal to international. Brown is ordering the capping of fines for motorcycle parking violations in federal territories such as national parks and the capital district, and ordering the phrase “In God We Trust” be added to several federal buildings, statues, and even minor items such as office and gift shop supplies like stationary and pens. Brown also signed several E.O.s meant to “beef up” America’s military defenses, especially federal cybersecurity policies. Many of these Executive Orders – such as one demanding “draconian” forms of punishment for acts of cyberterror and treason – will “very likely” by revoked under President Pritt, or struck down by America’s courts, says legal expert…
– The New York Times, Monday, 11/23/2020
POHOTO GALLERY: A Harley Brown Thanksgiving
…Take a peek at how President Brown’s family hosted Thanksgiving at the White House yesterday…
– usarightnow.co.usa, 11/27/2020
SENATE CONFIRMS DUMANIS, 83-21
…In the US Senate’s first day back in session, several moderate Senate Democrats joined a majority of the Senate Republicans in voting “yea” on Dumanis’ appointment to the Vice Presidency… Dumanis will be sworn in “immediately,” according to the White House Press Secretary…
– The Washington Post, Monday, 11/30/2020
DUMANIS ENTERS OFFICE AS AMERICA’S FIRST BLUTAG VP
– The San Francisco Chronicle, 12/1/2020
“I’m not surprised the Republicans would rather have a BLUTAG VP than a VP who looks like me.”
– Mexican-American US Congressman Tony Villar (D-CA), private conversation, leaked 12/2/2020 (Villar received much controversy for the statement)
SENATE NARROWLY APPROVES BAYES AND PETERS FOR CABINET POSTS
– The Washington Post, 12/3/2020
“Every child and every student has the freedom and the right to worship however they see fit. I’ve seen modern grade schools, there’s always some room off to the side for kids to pray to Mecca during the school day. If they can worship in school, then so can Christians and all the other groups out there. This bill will protect from legal persecution anyone who wishes to express their Christian faith on public school grounds, and that includes teachers and their curricula.”
– Harley Brown, backing a controversial “pro-prayer” bill introduced earlier in the year, 12/4/2020
BROWN SWEARS INAUGURATION SECURITY WILL BE “HIGHER THAN USUAL”
…The capitol district’s security officials are working with the Secret Service and police departments in Virginia and Potomac to secure pathways and checkpoints ahead of President-Elect Pritt’s January 20 inauguration…
– The Washington Post, 12/9/2020
“…In political news, the Senate and House have managed to narrowly pass a controversial “pro-prayer” bill. We take you now to the White House, where President Brown is signing the bill into law…”
– NBC News, 12/10/2020 broadcast
“…Already, there’s talk of Brown running for President again in 2024. (long pause) Pritt hasn’t even been sworn in yet, and the next election is already on everyone’s minds…”
– Kyle Kulinski, 12/12/2020
…2020 has seen several medical and scientific breakthroughs. …In Europe, the first 3D-printed cars (Volkswagen’s Horizon) entered production, and 5% of domestic consumer products in the US were being manufactured with 3D printing technology. Internet access levels were rising gradually, and in New Delhi, India, scientists are finishing work on preparing for the first transplant of a 3D-printed liver, which is scheduled for 2021. …Drugs to reverse glaucoma are in the vetting process. …France’s President Bové’s “homegrown” movement continued to be hostile to “foreign” innovation. While changes are inevitable, the rising trend of new technology being detrimental to current job markets and how one makes a living is leading to significant social backlashes, especially from those whose jobs are being “automated away” as well as from population groups struggling to either access, utilize, or adapt to new technology. This is nothing new, but in this current era of rising automation, it is a dilemma that must be addressed immediately…
– scientificamerican.co.usa, 12/14/2020
REPORT: Russian Officials Claim They Are "Closing In" On Nikolayev's Location
– The Washington Post, 12/15/2020
“…Winter Recess began tonight for the United States Congress; it will last for the rest of December, and Congress will reconvene with the start of the 117th Congress on January 3rd…”
– CBS Evening News, Saturday, 12/19/2020
…Brown’s next executive order ordered the relevant federal departments and agencies to ease regulations and “restrictive policies” at airports in order to shorten lines at airports in what Brown expressed as “a calling for a return to the golden age of flying.” Brown cited the policies put into place during the 1960s in the midst of the threat of “cam bombs” from Cuba as being “outdated.” Additionally, Brown dubbed additional policies established during the early 1980s in response to Libyan hostage crises and terror attacks “overkill.” These executive orders also increased funding for the express purpose of hiring more employees to shorten lines and purchasing more scanner machine so travelers would no longer have to unpack their bags before boarding. However, the effects of these E.O.s were not felt until after he left office…
– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022
“PRECAUTIONARY” ELECTORAL COLLEGE UPHOLDS PEOPLE’S CHOICE
– The Huffington Post, 12/22/2020
“Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, from our family to yours.”
– Harley Brown in official White House “Season’s Greetings” video, posted 12/23/2020
“I am very upset by America’s cowardly turn inward. America needs to be bold and assert itself on the world stage, but as this election showed, too many Americans would rather focus on trivial domestic issues than important foreign issues.”
– Bill Krystal, The Overmyer Network, 12/27/2020
…Brown was both frustrated and exhausted from trying to “cram in” as much work into 71 days as he possibly could. Complaints about the lack of time led to one of Brown’s advisors, Lisa Marie, slyly suggesting “Maybe Dumanis can give you some more time, huh? Maybe she could overturn the election on the 6th?”
Brown shook his head, “Don’t be delusional, Lisa. I lost fair and square. And by a lot. And besides, the VP can’t overturn an election on that day. If they could, it would have happened before, and I checked it out – it hasn’t happened before because it can’t Otherwise Gravel, Kemp, Bellamy, Dinger or Wellstone all would have tried.” Brown continued, “But here’s the thing. Even if they could, they wouldn’t because this capital is a district of can’ts and won’ts, and there’s a lot more won’ts than can’ts. Trust me, I’ve been here for eight years now, and for the first two, the Senate was split evenly, so I had to spend a lot of my time listening to long, boring, drawn-out bullsh*t. This is not the kind of place where huge systemic changes happen easily or overnight. So, we’re not going to waste the next 20-odd days here fighting a battle that’s impossible to win. We’re going to stay the course and do God’s work.”
– Tim Alberta’s The Modern Republican Party, Harper Collins Publishers, 2022
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Plus, I don’t want to get into a debate over whether or not including Obama in this TL, even if he is not even called that here, would be considered “Current Politics.” I’d rather avoid potentially getting into trouble over it.
[2] Based (loosely?) on an OTL issue: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-14401512
[3] Edited line pulled from this interview:
[6] A reference to his OTL 2014 closing statement
[7] I swear I either read this line somewhere or heard him say it in a video, but now I can’t find the source… D’oh!
[8] OTL special!
[9] “Ken” was his information technology director IOTL, and “Kelly” was his campaign manager IOTL:
The next chapter’s E.T.A.: June 26 at the very latest!
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Wow what a shocking chapter! I really thought Brown would win. I also was not expecting Grammer to resign after the election and for Brown to serve out the reminder of his term. That was very surprising. Excited for upcoming President Priett.
PNWKing
Banned
My latest round of "Questions", brought to you by TacoTime, the Northwest's favorite. Kind of like that one chain that went defunct in the 1980s because the founder ran third-party against Maureen Reagan and Carol Bellamy and revealed himself to be a big huge sexist.....Glen Bell was his name. Oh yeah, Taco Bell. Kind of like that, but with an emphasis on fresh ingredients.
What are the following people up to?:
Bruce Springsteen
Charlie Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Whoopi Goldberg
Ann Rice
Ann Rule
Don Henley
Jeff Sessions
Kim Carnes
Debbie Harry
Bruce Timm
Paul Dini
George W. Bush
Marcy Carsey
Tom Werner
David Spade
James Spader
Kate Spade
Anthony Bourdain
Rod Roddy
Johnny Gilbert
Alex Trebek
Martin Sheen
Chip Taylor
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Warren Buffett
Mitch McConnell
Rudy Giuliani
Bari Weiss
Kate McKinnon
Marco Rubio
What are the following people up to?:
Bruce Springsteen
Charlie Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Whoopi Goldberg
Ann Rice
Ann Rule
Don Henley
Jeff Sessions
Kim Carnes
Debbie Harry
Bruce Timm
Paul Dini
George W. Bush
Marcy Carsey
Tom Werner
David Spade
James Spader
Kate Spade
Anthony Bourdain
Rod Roddy
Johnny Gilbert
Alex Trebek
Martin Sheen
Chip Taylor
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Warren Buffett
Mitch McConnell
Rudy Giuliani
Bari Weiss
Kate McKinnon
Marco Rubio
That was not the twist for this election I was expecting. And while I’m not the biggest fan of the policies he’s implementing, it’s nice seeing Harley using his time in the big chair productively. We shall see how he’s spends those last 20 and what Pritt’s first days have in store
Pleasantly surprised to see Pritt win, and outright shocked to see Brown get a shot at the Presidency after all, if even for a short period.
And there's more I'd like to say, but that'd be discussing recent OTL events in comparison, and I don't want to get kicked. So I'll leave it and just say that I'm looking forward to seeing the start of Pritt's presidency.
And there's more I'd like to say, but that'd be discussing recent OTL events in comparison, and I don't want to get kicked. So I'll leave it and just say that I'm looking forward to seeing the start of Pritt's presidency.
Some kids complaining to their mom about wanting some KFC while the Sanders animatronic gives a speech and spouts some inspiring words in the background, perhaps? Or is that a little too on the nose?
Too much I think. Maybe see some segments involving Johnson to Pritt was a lot of stuff from Sanders. That's the thing about this thread. It started out as a fun little idea of the man behind KFC becoming President of the United States and over time, evolved into something bigger. But it couldn't have become that way without The Colonel.
I'm honestly kinda shocked there's no backlash over this cheap trick to make Brown POTUS to ram all sorts of EOs into being.
Thanks!
TacoTime, eh? Alright, consider it canon!
Bruce Springsteen – still a famous music star; cameoed in a few Kevin Smith films and some music-themed films and TV shows but nothing major; strongly supported Jesse Jackson and Paul Wellstone but declined running for public office himself
Charlie Daniels – also a musician, a bit more prominent here than in OTL; losing a finger in a freak auger accident in 1979 led to him developing a distinct playing technique; bigtime supporter of President Dinger; passed away in December 2020 from numerous health issues
Jeff Daniels – award-winning (1 Oscar, 3 Emmys, several others) actor known for being able to play both serious and comedic roles
Whoopi Goldberg – part of the standup comedy scene of the 1980s, was in several comedies in the 1990s, and shifted into more serious roles in the 2000s before semi-retiring in the 2010s due to sepsis-related health issues but planning on a comeback “eventually”
Anne Rice – as she was born in 1941, she still becomes a writer, but I’m not sure if she still writes the same books
Ann Rule – since Ted Bundy was killed in 1969 ITTL, maybe she doesn’t become that famous of a writer?
Don Henley – The Eagles were active from 1971 to 1993, and after a reunion special in 2002 to raise funds to combat the SARS pandemic, from 200-present
Jeff Sessions – long-serving state Attorney General-turned-Associate Justice of Alabama-turned-Chief Justice of Alabama, still serving on the bench
Kim Carnes – singer most famous for a string of hit singles and well-received albums during the 1980s and, less so, the 1990s; less prominent nowadays
Debbie Harry – Blondie?! Oh definitely similar to OTL, just more famous/better-known ITTL!
Bruce Timm and Paul Dini – pretty much the same as OTL, as there’s still very much a market for comic book adaptations ITTL
George W. Bush – already mentioned several times; he played for the Houston Astros, married Patricia Nixon, and got into a physical fight with pticher Donny Trump during a game towards the end of their respective playing careers; served as the 8th MLB Commissioner from 1994 to 2012; his grandson, Harland Bush, is also the grandson of Hillary Rodham-Clinton, as mentioned in Chapter 87
Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner – still founded Carsey-Werner in 1981
James Spader – still an actor known for playing eccentric characters in movies and TV shows; mentioned previously as portraying Buz Lukens in a movie about the Denton Administration, which premiered on April 29, 2010
David Spade – mentioned previously as portraying William Scranton III on SNL in early 1992; stars and co-stars in several movies and TV shows in the 1990s and 2000s before shifting into more seriuos roles in the 2010s, most notably portraying Boston Corbett in a 2014 drama miniseries on said historical figure
Kate Spade – currently combating her depression thanks to America’s UHC system and a better public understand of mental health (depression is still a touchy subject, but’s not nearly as “taboo” of a subject as OTL)
Anthony Bourdain – excellent question; because of efforts during the 1970s under President Sanders and Mondale to raise awareness of the harmful effects of smoking, he sticks to MJ; he and his first wife, Nancy Putkoshi (m. 1985) have a daughter in 1986 who is diagnosed with severe asthma in 1989, so he quits smoking for good; his daughter’s ailment makes him more aware of other health issues and he begins to promote healthy eating habits and food choices very heavily beginning in the 1990s (as a result, he is a critic of fast-food chains, especially McDonald’s and Chik-fil-A but also KFC and others); because “having to be away from his family for 250 days a year working on his television shows was a strain,” his shows all go on hiatus in 2016 in order for him to voluntarily receive mental wellness treatment (people are a bit more aware of the signs of fatigue/duress/depression ITTL because of the mentally unwell man who assassinated the President in 1995); he returned to being a ceelbrity chef in 2019 and is still alive today, and has recently engaged in a lighthearted ontech feud with Gordon Ramsey through social media interactions
Rod Roddy and Johnny Gilbert – same as OTL
Alex Trebek – I already answered this one at the end of Chapter 118
Martin Sheen – still became an actor like in OTL, along with his sons
Chip Taylor – part of the “reeflex rock” scene of the 1970s and late 1960s; best known more so for collaborating with a wide and diverse range of other performers, especially during the US’s version of the UK’s “the scene that celebrates itself” than for any hit singles
Marjorie Taylor Greene – Because the South Forsyth High School Hostage Crisis of 1990 never happens here, Greene isn’t traumatized by the incident, which had occurred when she was 16; she still has outlandish ideas, but she’s less radical than in OTL; she currently manages a chain of FitSpot gyms and exercise equipment/supply stores across Georgia and South Carolina; she supported Harley Brown in 2020, and is currently considering a run for Congress in 2022
Warren Buffett – still a business magnate and financial investor; currently the world’s 10th wealthiest person with a net worth of roughly $88billion
Mitch McConnell – mentioned as being KY’s GOP state party chairman in 1987; ITTL, he failed to become the Judge/Executive of Jefferson County in 1977 and worked as a legal advisor for President Denton’s Justice Department from 1981 to 1985; he served as Chair from 1985 to 1989; losing bids for the US Senate in 1990 and 1996 and for Congress in 1998 and 2000 led to him finally abandoning running for office; he currently serves as the leader of several conservative think tanks and lobbying firms, using his surprisingly deep pockets to donate to various political campaigns
Rudy Giuliani – already mentioned; married Donald Trump’s sister Maryanne and ended up serving as First Gentleman of New Jersey in the early 1990s; lost later bids for public office (most notably, a third-party bid for Governor of New York in 1998) and currently manages his own law firm
Bari Weiss – not sure if she still is born given the time/distance between the major chances the POD begins making on a national scale in the 1960s and her birth in 1984, but if she is born on schedule/like IOTL, why wouldn’t she still become a writer/editor?
Kate McKinnon – she will be mentioned in the next chapter
Marco Rubio – IOTL, his parents fled from Cuba in 1956 but planned on returning permanently at a later point, with his mother even taking several trips back during the 1960s; here, his parents moved back to Cuba in 1967, after experiencing racist attacks from locals in Florida during Bryant’s H.I.P. Presidential campaign in 1964 and his father finding work in post-war Havana; if Marco still is born on schedule in 1971, it is in Havana, and if he still gets into politics, he’s currently serving in the Cuban Senate
Thank you!
Thanks!
Thank you!
All that's left to post are Chapter 121, an Epilogue, and some "index" posts
I agree!Brown's easing of airport regulations is gonna cause a serious terrorist attack if he isn't careful.
As to how we should end this thing, might I suggest a trip to Disney's Hall of Presidents in EPCOT?
I don't know, maybe?
Possibly...?
Yeah, I was thinking that, too. I was thinking of something a little more subtle, perhaps, but maybe it should end on something exciting? I'm not too sure (the epilogue hasn't been finalized (Huh. I used to criticize Stephen King for coming up with unsatisfying or lackluster endings, but now that I'm on the writer's side...I get it, Stephen. Damn, I get it!...)). Beautiful analysis, Igeo654, thank you!
There's backlash; I'll cover it in more detail at the start of the next chapter, as I ran out of space in this one (I was getting this "characters limit" notice-thing popping up).
Thanks for all the comments, everyone!
Is Centrist Circle an OTL thing, or is it something I mentioned ITTL and then forgot about?
Amtrak is doing quite well incorporating maglevs and electric/solar energy into its routes, and is the largest railway system in the US.
Biden retired from serving as Chairman of the Amtrak Board of Directors in 2017 to enjoy retirement with his wife Neilia. His son Beau (who beat brain cancer in 2014; his brother Hunter, though, died from a drug overdose in 1998 at age 29, which is why Joe supported Dinger's anti-recreadrug policies in 1999 and 2000 before finally endorsing Jesse Jackson's efforts in early 2008) took his father's old seat on the board soon afterwards.
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After spending some months binge-reading this, I’ve finally caught up to the present day (or at least to where we are right now). There’s a lot of things I wanna say about this universe, but I think it’s more appropriate for me to sum things up by borrowing a certain phrase…this timeline is finger lickin’ good.
I sure hope we get a list of all the current House members once this timeline concludes. I’m also not opposed to the idea of continuing this TL or making a spinoff to expand on this universe and answer any questions we still might have.
I sure hope we get a list of all the current House members once this timeline concludes. I’m also not opposed to the idea of continuing this TL or making a spinoff to expand on this universe and answer any questions we still might have.