Jesus Walks: A History of the War on Terror, 1979-1992
- Thread starter DStecks
- Start date
I'm surprised the Iranians aren't making a bigger effort to evict Desert One now that they know where it is. Given the limited forces the Americans have there, a concerted push by the Iranians should be enough to bring it down. Hell, simply bringing up tube artillery would effectively shut the place down. The Post-Revolution Iran may be hamstrung by the chaos of revolutionary purges and the loss of American military aide but they do have the capability to bring down a single location deep in their own country, despite its fortified nature.
This is an excellent timeline, but I just can't forgive you for ousting Timothy Dalton as James Bond. He was the best!
My thinking would be that after the rescue of Blue Team, the Iranians would be too afraid to commit a large force to clearing Desert One, on the chance that it would just be another trap.
This is great, I think reagen isnt going to win, and that will heavily influence American history, I cant wait.
Let's hope Carter manages to accomplish some things in his second term that he couldn't in his first. Such as Labor Law Reform, Consumer Protection, Tax Reform, Health Care Reform.
Carter's closing statement in the debate really makes me curious as to how US-Soviet relations will develop if he wins the election. Will the earlier part about the Camp David meeting between Carter and Brezhnev be brought up as canon again? If so, then the consequences of the decisions made there will result in significant butterflies re: the Cold War. A potentially much shorter (or at least less chaotic) Soviet military presence in Afghanistan combined with an even closer Soviet-Indian alliance would make southern Asia much more interesting - though possibly in the Chinese sense of the word. Also, how would events unfold in other hotspots of this time period - like Central America and Southern Africa?
Not fully, though there will be an American-Soviet "understanding" vis-a-vis Afghanistan and Iran; and possibly more cooperation in a future development I'd rather not reveal.
I'm not very knowledgeable about Southern Africa, unfortunately. However, there will be developments in Northern Africa, and as for Central America, well, the People's Temple may... complicate things.
Chapter 16
LAX, November 4th, 1980:
Tony Mendez gives his wife a last kiss goodbye before he boards his plane to Istanbul, where filming of Argo: A Cosmic Conflagration will commence.
America is in flames. A great crowd of people flee in terror as a plane buzzes low overhead, barely above a great obelisk, dropping a strange cloud upon them. Atop a grand stage, a man with greying temples swears an oath upon the Bible. A great seated man made of stone is consumed by flame. Finally, a great voice booms from overhead: “This is the judgement of the LORD upon an unholy people!” One man in the screaming crowd stands transfixed. Pat Robertson watches as the world around him dissolves.
The clouds above are ripped open, as if by a great hand, and a glowing being descends from above. The creature appeared as a man with four wings and four faces, one of a man, one of a lion, one of an ox, and one of an eagle. The creature opened its four mouths, and they spoke in unison.
Pat Robertson awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat. He turned over to see his wife Adelia, still sleeping peacefully. Shocked awake by his nightmare, he quietly got out of bed, not disturbing his wife’s sleep, and left the room.
He wiped the sweat from his brow as he sat down on the living room couch, and turned on the television, setting the volume to the lowest audible level. He turned the TV to CSPAN, hoping to use the endless political droning to lull himself back to sleep.
The newscast continued, but Robertson paid no attention. Is this what my dream was about? He wondered. Carter was a godly man, but he was willing to work with the Soviets, avowed haters of religion. And what could Robertson do about it? He was one of the most prominent televangelists in America, but what was a preacher to a president?
Maybe God really had spoken to Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson, maybe he just convinced himself of it, who knows. But there, on that couch, Robertson resolved himself; not just in his mind, or his heart, but in his very soul, that for America to survive the wrath of God’s judgement, he must become the President of the United States of America.
Chapter 16: God’s Gonna Cut You Down
"Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!""
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!""
LAX, November 4th, 1980:
Tony Mendez gives his wife a last kiss goodbye before he boards his plane to Istanbul, where filming of Argo: A Cosmic Conflagration will commence.
“You know, Tony, when you said you were retiring, I hoped that meant you’d be able to spend more time at home.” She said with a grin.
“It’s just two months in Istanbul. Compared to the postings I used to go on, it’ll feel like no time at all.” He replied. He gave his sons one last hug, and boarded the plane.
“It’s just two months in Istanbul. Compared to the postings I used to go on, it’ll feel like no time at all.” He replied. He gave his sons one last hug, and boarded the plane.
---------------------------
America is in flames. A great crowd of people flee in terror as a plane buzzes low overhead, barely above a great obelisk, dropping a strange cloud upon them. Atop a grand stage, a man with greying temples swears an oath upon the Bible. A great seated man made of stone is consumed by flame. Finally, a great voice booms from overhead: “This is the judgement of the LORD upon an unholy people!” One man in the screaming crowd stands transfixed. Pat Robertson watches as the world around him dissolves.
The clouds above are ripped open, as if by a great hand, and a glowing being descends from above. The creature appeared as a man with four wings and four faces, one of a man, one of a lion, one of an ox, and one of an eagle. The creature opened its four mouths, and they spoke in unison.
“The LORD has shown you this, a warning of what will come to pass.” The creature said.
Robertson cowered in fear. “What…. What must I do to stop this?”
“REPENT!” The creature spoke, “There must be repentance in the land, or swift judgement will fall upon her people!”
Robertson cowered in fear. “What…. What must I do to stop this?”
“REPENT!” The creature spoke, “There must be repentance in the land, or swift judgement will fall upon her people!”
Pat Robertson awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat. He turned over to see his wife Adelia, still sleeping peacefully. Shocked awake by his nightmare, he quietly got out of bed, not disturbing his wife’s sleep, and left the room.
He wiped the sweat from his brow as he sat down on the living room couch, and turned on the television, setting the volume to the lowest audible level. He turned the TV to CSPAN, hoping to use the endless political droning to lull himself back to sleep.
“In one of the closest elections in recent memory,” said the newscaster, “we can now call the election for President James Earl Carter. This will be his second term as President….”
The newscast continued, but Robertson paid no attention. Is this what my dream was about? He wondered. Carter was a godly man, but he was willing to work with the Soviets, avowed haters of religion. And what could Robertson do about it? He was one of the most prominent televangelists in America, but what was a preacher to a president?
Maybe God really had spoken to Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson, maybe he just convinced himself of it, who knows. But there, on that couch, Robertson resolved himself; not just in his mind, or his heart, but in his very soul, that for America to survive the wrath of God’s judgement, he must become the President of the United States of America.
---------------------------
Final Election Results:
Reagan/Crane: 261 Carter/Mondale: 277
---------------------------
"Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down"
-Johnny Cash
Final Election Results:
Reagan/Crane: 261 Carter/Mondale: 277
---------------------------
"Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler, the gambler, the back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down"
-Johnny Cash
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Bonus Material 5: 1980 Presidential Election Retrospective
(For those browsing this from the table of contents, the following is massive spoilers.)
So, what was it that finally won the election for Carter? As with most things in history, trying to narrow it down to just one cause can't be done.
The 1980 election in OTL was a perfect storm of factors stacked against Carter. The stagnant economy. The hostage crisis. And of course, Ronald Reagan's sheer force of personality. Carter had a reputation as well-meaning but utterly incompetent for the Presidency, a reputation that even a number of historical reappraisals of him have not shaken. When discussing the OTL 1980 election, the question is not "What went wrong for Carter?" but "Did anything at all go right for Carter?"
ITTL, Carter has the advantage of a humiliating hostage crisis being transformed into a tragedy, which always have a tendency to create a "rally-around-the-flag" effect. While the swift military action in Iran was not always as successful as planned, and in some cases (Evening Light) only succeeded in a technical sense, it helped to reverse his reputation as weak-willed. While the economy was still facing the same issues as OTL, a fresh war has a way of distracting from that. Still, Reagan played that to his advantage well, and the economy prevented the election from being a total wash for Carter.
Another factor helping Carter was his ability to leverage successes into PR boons; his endorsement from Arizona native Tony Mendez may have been key to his victory in the otherwise very close Southwest. His overtures at peace with the Soviets helped win him enough support in the Northwest, though this was somewhat mitigated by his reluctance to address the USSR's human rights abuses.
Furthermore, Carter was able to leverage his Baptist bona fides to keep the South behind him, even as it begins to swing Republican. American Christianity in the late 70's is strongly in favour of social programs, and the selection of Phil Crane as Reagan's running mate may have hurt his appeal with them. While the Moral Majority continues its work of associating Christianity with the GOP, for now, Carter's genuine faith and populist appeal has won him the South, though whether any other Democrat will be able to replicate it remains to be seen.
In conclusion, while Carter triumphing over Reagan seems incredible, even impossible, it is important to remember that even a year of changes have made the ITTL election an entirely different beast than OTL, and made it one which largely favoured an incumbent, regardless of party or personality.
(For those browsing this from the table of contents, the following is massive spoilers.)
So, what was it that finally won the election for Carter? As with most things in history, trying to narrow it down to just one cause can't be done.
The 1980 election in OTL was a perfect storm of factors stacked against Carter. The stagnant economy. The hostage crisis. And of course, Ronald Reagan's sheer force of personality. Carter had a reputation as well-meaning but utterly incompetent for the Presidency, a reputation that even a number of historical reappraisals of him have not shaken. When discussing the OTL 1980 election, the question is not "What went wrong for Carter?" but "Did anything at all go right for Carter?"
ITTL, Carter has the advantage of a humiliating hostage crisis being transformed into a tragedy, which always have a tendency to create a "rally-around-the-flag" effect. While the swift military action in Iran was not always as successful as planned, and in some cases (Evening Light) only succeeded in a technical sense, it helped to reverse his reputation as weak-willed. While the economy was still facing the same issues as OTL, a fresh war has a way of distracting from that. Still, Reagan played that to his advantage well, and the economy prevented the election from being a total wash for Carter.
Another factor helping Carter was his ability to leverage successes into PR boons; his endorsement from Arizona native Tony Mendez may have been key to his victory in the otherwise very close Southwest. His overtures at peace with the Soviets helped win him enough support in the Northwest, though this was somewhat mitigated by his reluctance to address the USSR's human rights abuses.
Furthermore, Carter was able to leverage his Baptist bona fides to keep the South behind him, even as it begins to swing Republican. American Christianity in the late 70's is strongly in favour of social programs, and the selection of Phil Crane as Reagan's running mate may have hurt his appeal with them. While the Moral Majority continues its work of associating Christianity with the GOP, for now, Carter's genuine faith and populist appeal has won him the South, though whether any other Democrat will be able to replicate it remains to be seen.
In conclusion, while Carter triumphing over Reagan seems incredible, even impossible, it is important to remember that even a year of changes have made the ITTL election an entirely different beast than OTL, and made it one which largely favoured an incumbent, regardless of party or personality.
Hooray, no Reagen revolution... reads Robertsons dreams, oh no, not a Robertson Revolution !!!
!!!
How did Reagan win West Virginia? Up until recently it was one of the most Democratic states in the Union, and was one of the few states that voted for Carter in 1980