alternatehistory.com

Joe Heck
Unlucky as Hell
2009-2013
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Like Trent Lott before him Sam Brownback wanted a more moderate running mate to appease the center, and he found Joe Heck, who like Lamar Alexander was only moderate by the standards of the times.​

Heck was not initially from Nevada. He was born in Queens and raised in Pennsylvania. He obtained a medical degree and would serve as a reservist in the Army. Heck founded the Specialized Medical Operations group in Maryland, specializing in assisting EMTs, military personnel, and police in medical practice and research. Heck would later move to Las Vegas, where he volunteered as a medical coordinator for various local law enforcement groups, including the Las Vegas SWAT group. He continued his affiliation with the armed forced, including a time in Pakistan assisting in training combat medics. In 2004 he parlayed this into a political career.​

Heck was elected to the Nevada State Senate from Clark County. As a practicing Doctor he sat on various Committees dedicated to Medicine and Healthcare. And although Heck would later be seen as a moderate he was strongly right wing in the legislature, calling for large tax cuts and an end to many environmental protections. He gained nationwide attention, and praise from the right, for a blistering speech attacking the idea of Nationalized Healthcare. In 2006 he used this momentum, and a general record of diligent, if conservative, service into a run for Governor of Nevada. Having not even finished his first term in the legislator he was seen merely as a token opposition for US Representative Jon Porter’s nomination. However just a month before the primary Porter was tragically killed in a Car accident in Carson City. This propelled Heck into the leading position for the nomination, on a staunchly conservative platform. Heck took advantage of the general support in 2006 for the GOP to win the general election, taking a more moderate course then in the primary.​

As Governor Heck proved much more moderate then his tone as a legislator would have suggested. He did relax environmental regulations, and taxes were cut. Yet he resisted efforts for more draconian laws regarding illegal immigrants, perhaps seeing the way the winds were blowing and fearing for the future of the Nevada Republican Party. His wife having once been a victim of domestic violence, Heck pushed for and received a major bill aiming to end violence against women and providing aid to victims, although it was mute on the issue of abortion which enraged both sides of the debate. This was all achieved in 2 years, a fact that earned Heck the title (from Republicans) “Most Productive Governor in America”.​

Still he had only 4 years in elected office by 2008, a fact that most felt left him out of the Vice-Presidential selection. But Sam Brownback was no ordinary candidate and felt that Heck would be moderate enough to placate worried swing voters, but not so moderate to disagree with his conservative vision too much. Despite still mainly being known nationally as “that state legislator guy who hates universal healthcare” Joe Heck was hitting the national campaign trail.​

Joe Heck was not an utter disaster on the campaign trail, but that is the best that can be said of him. He was a decent speaker, but nothing to write home about. He had never won a major election without a wave behind him or an opponent dying, and his inexperience showed. With no major gaffes this would not have been a problem in normal years, but against the firestorm that was Rahm Emmanuel he was at best anemic. At the Vice-Presidential debates Rahm Emmanuel dances circles around him, and he was widely caricatured as a punching bag. A memorable Saturday Night Live Sketch compared him effectively to Charlie Brown. As the drought declaration hit Heck made his mark made in a series of speeches hitting the Celeste administration. Then election night came and went, and Joe Heck was no longer the sympathetic tail to the Brownback campaign.​

As it became apparent that the Brownback/Heck ticket had won thanks to narrow victories in Nevada and Colorado attention turned towards Heck’s Nevada. Liberal websites would site any number of issues in rural counites (issues that in all honesty could be found in urban ones as well”, all of them run by Heck allies. Reports of attempted voter suppression in Latino districts. Suddenly Joe Heck was as hated by the left as Sam Brownback himself.​

For all his trouble Joe Heck found himself isolated from the Brownback White House. As the economy stuttered Brownback found himself dealing with a defiant Democratic Senate who disagreed with his assessment that the economy needed much less in the way of regulation. Efforts to restructure Medicare floundered, and his push for massive corporate tax cuts never got off the ground. Brownback, perhaps unfairly, took it out on Heck, blaming him as President of the Senate for the failures. Heck was able to help wrangle some tax cuts out of the Congress, but Brownback’s dreams of a Lott like push to the right were dead. The Administration now looked to be floundering as the economy began to collapse. A small uptick in 2009 caused hope in the GOP for midterm success, but by summer Goldman Sachs was falling to pieces, GM was declaring bankruptcy and the recession returned with full force. After the midterms Brownback no longer had any excuse to blame Heck for failing to get anything through the Senate, not with the House painted blue as well.​

Heck had little to no influence on foreign policy, playing no part in the Singapore Joint Protocols for Peace in Kashmir, an achievement that most consider the high point of the Brownback administration. However not being involved in foreign policy, as he was not involved in the Timor Crisis that led to Indonesian withdrawal from the Columbo Pact.​

As 2012 dawned it was apparent to all that the Brownback administration was doomed to reelection failure, and it was obvious who would be the one to defeat them. Heck preformed better then in 2008, but he was the only one to do this and he was defending a sinking ship. Brownback was verbally beaten around the debate stage, just as Heck had been 4 years prior. Heck also faced a fiery opponent, one who had refused to even attend Brownback’s inauguration. The Vice President did his best, but again lost the debates, coming across as in awe of his opponent rather then as against him. Election Day came and went, and there were no miracle rallies this time.​

Heck went to the inauguration and smiled and waved. Then he returned home to Nevada and his medical practice. There has been some speculation about a return to politics for Heck, but after the long four years there is little love for anyone from the Brownback administration.​