alternatehistory.com
RightTosser - Hands Reversed
Hands Reversed
(revised)
I'm glad to have gotten this off of my chest. If you didn't notice, this is a US-as-UK analogue list, with some deviations. I was going to do a UK-as-US list but found that my knowledge of British politics was wanting greatly. Also, AFAIK, British politics/society lacks a figure who is distinctly Trump.
Some musings:
I'm not sure how good Bob Dole is at being John Major. For one, he does have the dullness, but on the other hand he is significantly older and was substantially more well known in American politics than Major was in British politics during the same timeframe. However, he was the runner up in 1988, so he is probably the most realistic choice. Also, Donald Rumsfeld is totally Michael Heseltine. Pretty sure you can draw parallels between the 1988 GOP primary (Rummy briefly ran and would have been the front runner if Reagan would have remembered his phone number back in '80) and the 1990 Conservative leadership contest (Heseltine the runner-up). I can also see the case for Heseltine being Bush the Elder, though.
I'm rather proud of myself for casting Susan Collins as Theresa May. Good ideological fit, methinks. They are both in the same age neighborhood and both entered their first political offices in 1997.
Yes, the 2001 GE was a Labour landslide, but I needed the 2000 election to be deadlocked so that referendums could be a thing. Also, Bill Frist resigned so that he could return to the Senate. If he was vacating his seat in 2000, Bob Corker (or someone else) would have run then instead of in 2002, and Frist would have had a wide-open primary when Fred Thompson retired in '02.
I'm also rather proud of "Not Tom, Just Jerry" as the analogue for "Not Flash, Just Gordon". It's even more fitting when you consider that Brown's '04 election opponent was TOM DeLay. I swear to you that I pretty much randomly chose DeLay as the '04 GOP nominee, and that the slogan came later.
Is Pat Toomey a good analogue for Phillip Hammond? Likewise for Paul Ryan as George Osborne and Mark Kirk as David Cameron.
Jerry Brown just had to be Gordon Brown because, well, Brown.
I made Lieberman be Blair because both stood out to me as being monumental hawks (and also moderates/centrists in general) in comparison to the rest of their party. I thought of having the Brits start a dubious war with Argentina so that Lieberman could controversially intervene, but that just sounded kooky. Not as kooky as the Troubles flaring back up and the US getting involved, though.
Speaking of wars, the Gulf War is delayed so that the recession doesn't come until after the 1992 election, such that Dole is able to win re-election and Reform doesn't emerge as an electoral force until the '96 election.
The '08 housing crash happened more or less as OTL because I figured that banking policy would be largely the same as OTL under a moderate/centrist Democratic admin. (See: Bill Clinton)
Is Ameri-pol Boris Johnson possible/feasible with a POD in the mid-'80s?
I didn't have analogues for the Liberal Democrats, SNP, or UKIP because I feel that in the US political system they'd just be factions of either of the major parties. It's simpler that way, too.
I apologize if this list or any portion thereof, including the above 'musings', are carcinogenic in nature.
(revised)
Incontrovertible evidence of Bush the Elder's involvement in Iran-Contra is leaked, putting him out of the contention for the 1988 election. Dole, the new heir to Reagan's throne, wins the primary easily. Dukakis and the Democrats wage a vigorous campaign criticizing the GOP for the whole Iran-Contra affair, but 'Honest Bob' is able to successfully isolate himself from the controversy and win a surprising landslide victory.
41
Honest Bob, Honestly Dull
Robert J. Dole (GOP-KS)
1989-1997
Vice President
44. John G. Tower (GOP-TX)
1989-1997
1988 def. Michael S. Dukakis / Lloyd M. Bentsen (DEM-MA/TX)
1992 def. Mario M. Cuomo / Zell B. Miller (DEM-NY/GA)
In his first term, Dole oversees the end of the Cold War and is able to make the argument that his steady hand is necessary to forge a stable post-Cold War order. Nonetheless, Cuomo leads in the polls on Election Day and everyone is surprised when Dole scores a convincing victory. Dole's second term is turbulent, with conflicts in the Persian Gulf and the Balkans. Skyrocketing oil prices bring about a recession which costs the GOP greatly in the 1994 midterms, despite victory abroad. The passage of NAFTA, the recession, continued ethics scandals, and a divide on abortion combine to produce a contentious GOP primary ending in a rebellion of the populist center and right under the banner of the Reform Party. The GOP is defeated in a landslide by Joe Lieberman, a "New" Democrat.
42
New Democrats, New America
Joseph I. Lieberman (DEM-CT)
1997-2005
Vice Presidents
45. Robert J. Miller (DEM-NV)
1997-2001
46. William H. Frist (GOP-TN)
2001-2003 (res.)
47. E. Gerald Brown (DEM-CA)
2003-2005
1996 def. Robert W. Kasten / Daniel R. Coats (GOP-WI/IN), Lee A. Iacocca / John F. Akers (REF-CA/MA)
2000 def. John E. "Jeb" Bush / William H. Frist (GOP-FL/TN), Lee A. Iacocca / Patrick J. Buchanan (REF-CA/VA)
After achieving over a fifth of the vote in 1996, the Reform Party under Lee Iacocca is ready to strike again in 2000, with an aim at victory. For maximum populist appeal, Iacocca campaigns on a promise to institute a national referendum system if elected. The fall election is close, deadlocked, and sent to the House and Senate for a historic compromise. Lieberman and the Democrats retain the Presidency, Frist and the Republican establishment get the veep slot, a resolution to the abortion question, and the retention of NAFTA, and Reform secures the passage of a Referendum Amendment to the Constitution. Unfortunately for Reform, their movement begins to fade with the passage of the Referendum Amendment. Lieberman's administration is marked by steady economic growth and limited overseas interventions within the scope of humanitarian operations and acting bi- or multi-laterally alongside key US allies.
43
Not Tom, Just Jerry. Not Two, Just One.
E. Gerald Brown (DEM-CA)
2005-2009
Vice President
48. Theodore Strickland (DEM-OH)
2005-2009
2004 def. Thomas D. DeLay / John R. "Jock" McKernan (GOP-TX/ME)
After two defeats with "compassionate conservatives" at the helm, it's time for the doctrinaire wing of the GOP to take back their party and country. However, with the populist conflicts of the 1990s resolved, a continued split in the GOP over the trade issue, and with New Democratic Liebermanism popular in the country, it seems that America just isn't thinking what DeLay and Jock are thinking. Late into Brown's term, the economy enters a recession caused by a crash in the housing market.
44
Exit Now
Mark S. Kirk (GOP-IL)
2009-2015 (res.)
Vice Presidents
49. Paul D. Ryan (GOP-WI)
2009-2015 (res.)
50. Susan M. Collins (GOP-ME)
2015
2008 def. E. Gerald Brown / Theodore Strickland (DEM-CA/OH)
2012 def. Barack H. Obama / Joaquín Castro (DEM-IL/TX)
2011 Electoral College referendum: 51% RETAIN
2014 Puerto Rican statehood referendum: 72% STATEHOOD
2015 NAFTA referendum: 52% LEAVE
A combination of incumbency fatigue and the recession would lead to a GOP victory, however narrow. Upon taking office, Kirk initiated entitlement reform in the hopes of achieving a balanced budget and scaling back the welfare state, all while overseeing the national legalization of same-sex marriage. Referendums on the Electoral College and Puerto Rican statehood produced results favorable to the administration, (to retain and for statehood, respectively) while the trade issue loomed in the background. Despite protests from the left stemming from his austerity measures and entitlement reform, Kirk was able to secure re-election by guaranteeing a referendum on NAFTA membership if re-elected. That move would prove to be his undoing. In the wake of the NAFTA referendum, VP Ryan would resign in order to allow Congress to choose Kirk's successor. Kirk would resign shortly thereafter.
45
Merkel of Maine
Susan M. Collins (GOP-ME)
2015-present
Vice President
51. Patrick J. Toomey (GOP-PA)
2015-present
2016 def. Bernie Sanders / Alan M. Grayson (DEM-VT/FL)
Initial expectations for the Vice Presidential vote in Congress placed New York Senator and former NYC Mayor Boris Johnson as the likely winner, but the entry of key Johnson ally Chris Christie into the race shocked observers and precluded Johnson's candidacy. Other candidates included Kelly Ayotte, Dan Coats, and Marco Rubio, who promised to make Tim Scott his VP if elected. In the end, the contest came down to Ayotte and Collins, of whom the latter prevailed. Collins' administration has mostly been concerned with exiting from NAFTA and negotiating a replacement bilateral trade agreement with Canada. In the 2016 election, Collins/Toomey was able to score a landslide victory over an unprecedentedly liberal and staunchly redistributionist Sanders/Grayson ticket representing a crumpled Democratic Party.
41
Honest Bob, Honestly Dull
Robert J. Dole (GOP-KS)
1989-1997
Vice President
44. John G. Tower (GOP-TX)
1989-1997
1988 def. Michael S. Dukakis / Lloyd M. Bentsen (DEM-MA/TX)
1992 def. Mario M. Cuomo / Zell B. Miller (DEM-NY/GA)
In his first term, Dole oversees the end of the Cold War and is able to make the argument that his steady hand is necessary to forge a stable post-Cold War order. Nonetheless, Cuomo leads in the polls on Election Day and everyone is surprised when Dole scores a convincing victory. Dole's second term is turbulent, with conflicts in the Persian Gulf and the Balkans. Skyrocketing oil prices bring about a recession which costs the GOP greatly in the 1994 midterms, despite victory abroad. The passage of NAFTA, the recession, continued ethics scandals, and a divide on abortion combine to produce a contentious GOP primary ending in a rebellion of the populist center and right under the banner of the Reform Party. The GOP is defeated in a landslide by Joe Lieberman, a "New" Democrat.
42
New Democrats, New America
Joseph I. Lieberman (DEM-CT)
1997-2005
Vice Presidents
45. Robert J. Miller (DEM-NV)
1997-2001
46. William H. Frist (GOP-TN)
2001-2003 (res.)
47. E. Gerald Brown (DEM-CA)
2003-2005
1996 def. Robert W. Kasten / Daniel R. Coats (GOP-WI/IN), Lee A. Iacocca / John F. Akers (REF-CA/MA)
2000 def. John E. "Jeb" Bush / William H. Frist (GOP-FL/TN), Lee A. Iacocca / Patrick J. Buchanan (REF-CA/VA)
After achieving over a fifth of the vote in 1996, the Reform Party under Lee Iacocca is ready to strike again in 2000, with an aim at victory. For maximum populist appeal, Iacocca campaigns on a promise to institute a national referendum system if elected. The fall election is close, deadlocked, and sent to the House and Senate for a historic compromise. Lieberman and the Democrats retain the Presidency, Frist and the Republican establishment get the veep slot, a resolution to the abortion question, and the retention of NAFTA, and Reform secures the passage of a Referendum Amendment to the Constitution. Unfortunately for Reform, their movement begins to fade with the passage of the Referendum Amendment. Lieberman's administration is marked by steady economic growth and limited overseas interventions within the scope of humanitarian operations and acting bi- or multi-laterally alongside key US allies.
43
Not Tom, Just Jerry. Not Two, Just One.
E. Gerald Brown (DEM-CA)
2005-2009
Vice President
48. Theodore Strickland (DEM-OH)
2005-2009
2004 def. Thomas D. DeLay / John R. "Jock" McKernan (GOP-TX/ME)
After two defeats with "compassionate conservatives" at the helm, it's time for the doctrinaire wing of the GOP to take back their party and country. However, with the populist conflicts of the 1990s resolved, a continued split in the GOP over the trade issue, and with New Democratic Liebermanism popular in the country, it seems that America just isn't thinking what DeLay and Jock are thinking. Late into Brown's term, the economy enters a recession caused by a crash in the housing market.
44
Exit Now
Mark S. Kirk (GOP-IL)
2009-2015 (res.)
Vice Presidents
49. Paul D. Ryan (GOP-WI)
2009-2015 (res.)
50. Susan M. Collins (GOP-ME)
2015
2008 def. E. Gerald Brown / Theodore Strickland (DEM-CA/OH)
2012 def. Barack H. Obama / Joaquín Castro (DEM-IL/TX)
2011 Electoral College referendum: 51% RETAIN
2014 Puerto Rican statehood referendum: 72% STATEHOOD
2015 NAFTA referendum: 52% LEAVE
A combination of incumbency fatigue and the recession would lead to a GOP victory, however narrow. Upon taking office, Kirk initiated entitlement reform in the hopes of achieving a balanced budget and scaling back the welfare state, all while overseeing the national legalization of same-sex marriage. Referendums on the Electoral College and Puerto Rican statehood produced results favorable to the administration, (to retain and for statehood, respectively) while the trade issue loomed in the background. Despite protests from the left stemming from his austerity measures and entitlement reform, Kirk was able to secure re-election by guaranteeing a referendum on NAFTA membership if re-elected. That move would prove to be his undoing. In the wake of the NAFTA referendum, VP Ryan would resign in order to allow Congress to choose Kirk's successor. Kirk would resign shortly thereafter.
45
Merkel of Maine
Susan M. Collins (GOP-ME)
2015-present
Vice President
51. Patrick J. Toomey (GOP-PA)
2015-present
2016 def. Bernie Sanders / Alan M. Grayson (DEM-VT/FL)
Initial expectations for the Vice Presidential vote in Congress placed New York Senator and former NYC Mayor Boris Johnson as the likely winner, but the entry of key Johnson ally Chris Christie into the race shocked observers and precluded Johnson's candidacy. Other candidates included Kelly Ayotte, Dan Coats, and Marco Rubio, who promised to make Tim Scott his VP if elected. In the end, the contest came down to Ayotte and Collins, of whom the latter prevailed. Collins' administration has mostly been concerned with exiting from NAFTA and negotiating a replacement bilateral trade agreement with Canada. In the 2016 election, Collins/Toomey was able to score a landslide victory over an unprecedentedly liberal and staunchly redistributionist Sanders/Grayson ticket representing a crumpled Democratic Party.
I'm glad to have gotten this off of my chest. If you didn't notice, this is a US-as-UK analogue list, with some deviations. I was going to do a UK-as-US list but found that my knowledge of British politics was wanting greatly. Also, AFAIK, British politics/society lacks a figure who is distinctly Trump.
Some musings:
I'm not sure how good Bob Dole is at being John Major. For one, he does have the dullness, but on the other hand he is significantly older and was substantially more well known in American politics than Major was in British politics during the same timeframe. However, he was the runner up in 1988, so he is probably the most realistic choice. Also, Donald Rumsfeld is totally Michael Heseltine. Pretty sure you can draw parallels between the 1988 GOP primary (Rummy briefly ran and would have been the front runner if Reagan would have remembered his phone number back in '80) and the 1990 Conservative leadership contest (Heseltine the runner-up). I can also see the case for Heseltine being Bush the Elder, though.
I'm rather proud of myself for casting Susan Collins as Theresa May. Good ideological fit, methinks. They are both in the same age neighborhood and both entered their first political offices in 1997.
Yes, the 2001 GE was a Labour landslide, but I needed the 2000 election to be deadlocked so that referendums could be a thing. Also, Bill Frist resigned so that he could return to the Senate. If he was vacating his seat in 2000, Bob Corker (or someone else) would have run then instead of in 2002, and Frist would have had a wide-open primary when Fred Thompson retired in '02.
I'm also rather proud of "Not Tom, Just Jerry" as the analogue for "Not Flash, Just Gordon". It's even more fitting when you consider that Brown's '04 election opponent was TOM DeLay. I swear to you that I pretty much randomly chose DeLay as the '04 GOP nominee, and that the slogan came later.
Is Pat Toomey a good analogue for Phillip Hammond? Likewise for Paul Ryan as George Osborne and Mark Kirk as David Cameron.
Jerry Brown just had to be Gordon Brown because, well, Brown.
I made Lieberman be Blair because both stood out to me as being monumental hawks (and also moderates/centrists in general) in comparison to the rest of their party. I thought of having the Brits start a dubious war with Argentina so that Lieberman could controversially intervene, but that just sounded kooky. Not as kooky as the Troubles flaring back up and the US getting involved, though.
Speaking of wars, the Gulf War is delayed so that the recession doesn't come until after the 1992 election, such that Dole is able to win re-election and Reform doesn't emerge as an electoral force until the '96 election.
The '08 housing crash happened more or less as OTL because I figured that banking policy would be largely the same as OTL under a moderate/centrist Democratic admin. (See: Bill Clinton)
Is Ameri-pol Boris Johnson possible/feasible with a POD in the mid-'80s?
I didn't have analogues for the Liberal Democrats, SNP, or UKIP because I feel that in the US political system they'd just be factions of either of the major parties. It's simpler that way, too.
I apologize if this list or any portion thereof, including the above 'musings', are carcinogenic in nature.
- ersatz-york
- Word Count: 590