A Presidency: Walter Mondale 1984 - 1992

Could this have happened?

  • Yes

    Votes: 24 52.2%
  • No

    Votes: 22 47.8%

  • Total voters
    46
1984: The recession of 1982 extends its hands beyond 1983 to 1984 unemployment peaks in mid 1983 at 12.3% while inflation remains low because of interest rate hikes the signs of economic depression is showing, the Tax cuts have not delivered Reagan's promise of prosperity, unwilling to cut the defense budget to increase Government revenue the Congress shuts down not willing to budge it becomes a serious crisis as Ronald Reagan's popularity sinks from a high of over 60% in 1981 to a low of 38%.
 
If Volcker isn't appointed by Carter, it's pretty damn likely, actually, though the election would be close thanks to Mondale being further to the left that most elections. Hart would win by a larger margin if he was nominated.
 
If Volcker isn't appointed by Carter, it's pretty damn likely, actually, though the election would be close thanks to Mondale being further to the left that most elections. Hart would win by a larger margin if he was nominated.

With unemployment being so high in early 1983 and inflation conquered (and one must remember that the inflationary spike of 1979 to 1981 would have eased in any event--it was largely the consequence of the increase in energy prices that followed the Iranian Revolution) the Fed is going to ease interest rates whether Volcker is there or not. Combined with the tax cuts and increases in defense spending, it is hard to see how this will not result in some degree of economic recovery in 1983-4. Maybe not as much as in OTL but a 58%-41% victory is not going to be defeated by a slightly less robust recovery.
 
The 1984 Democratic presidential primaries actually attracted more high profile entrants than normally happens, because things were bad economically in 1983 and Reagan was perceived as weak. As other commentators have noted, you just have to have the 1984 boom not happen. Of course, presidential administrations have noticed this and have gotten very good at engineering booms/ bubbles during election years, which has been one of the reasons why the US has had a spate of two term presidencies.

The other way to do this would be for Reagan to show obvious signs of senility, on live TV, during the second debate, which probably would have led to a messy last minute substitution of GHW Bush as the nominee.

Or Reagan could just decide not to run for a second term, which apparently was considered.

The OTL 1984 landslide is one of those things that are actually easy to butterfly away. Everything lined up in just the right way for it to happen.
 
It could happen, but an '85-'93 Mondale Presidency could mean that the 1990s are more Republican than OTL. The GOP will probably hold onto the Senate through the 1980s, possibly retake the House in 1990 if Mondale is that unpopular by then and they will redraw the districts. On top of that, the GOP would stand a good chance at retaking the White House in 1992 or at the very latest 1996.
 

departue

Gone Fishin'
IF Mondale wins reelection its along climb for him to have achieved that. he joins the ranks of Thomas JEFFFERSON .Richard Nixon AS ViCE PRESIDENT S WHO had 2 terms as presidents. to kick it off he is the vice president to a one term president.that lost relection. Mondale would have to do something extraordinary to win 84 then 88 since he is not very charismatic,
 
IF Mondale wins reelection its along climb for him to have achieved that. he joins the ranks of Thomas JEFFFERSON .Richard Nixon AS ViCE PRESIDENT S WHO had 2 terms as presidents. to kick it off he is the vice president to a one term president.that lost relection. Mondale would have to do something extraordinary to win 84 then 88 since he is not very charismatic,
So long as the economy doesn't tank between January of '85 and November of '88, Mondale could pull it off. Granted it would be an uphill battle, but a Mondale winning in 1984 and getting re elected in '88 isn't ASB.
 
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