AHC: make the 80s a liberal decade

JoeMulk

Banned
How could you make the 80s be remembered as a decade of liberalism? political/cultural/whatever
 
Two things:

No Vietnam. No rise of Conservatism from the long string of precautions because of it.

Or

GOP wins in 1976. Though that means more a Democrat in 1980 than Liberalism in the 80s. Liberalism suffered because of fracturing in the Vietnam war era within it, militarism of elements of the New Left, and the economic problems of the 70s.
 
Ford wins the 76' election. Not too hard a POD considering how close he came in real life. By the time 1980 comes around, rampant inflation coupled with twelve years of GOP control of the White House leads to a Democratic victory. The Democrats are certain to maintain control of the Senate in 80' as the republicans will be taking the blame for the poor economy of the 70's.

Assuming Paul Volker or someone else gets appointed to the Fed who can get inflation under control in time for the 84' election, the Democrats are guaranteed to retain the White House. Coupled with majorities in Congress, the 80's are politically a liberal decade.
 
Two things:
No Vietnam. No rise of Conservatism from the long string of precautions because of it.

Not just Vietnam. The rise of Reagan ultimately has more to do with George Wallace than Barry Goldwater. Basically, avoid Carter. Have a liberal Democrat win in '76 and '80 or just in '80.
 
Ford wins the 76' election. Not too hard a POD considering how close he came in real life. By the time 1980 comes around, rampant inflation coupled with twelve years of GOP control of the White House leads to a Democratic victory. The Democrats are certain to maintain control of the Senate in 80' as the republicans will be taking the blame for the poor economy of the 70's.

Assuming Paul Volker or someone else gets appointed to the Fed who can get inflation under control in time for the 84' election, the Democrats are guaranteed to retain the White House. Coupled with majorities in Congress, the 80's are politically a liberal decade.

This -- with the caveat that the Democratic President is actually likely to be a proto-DLC guy (like Brown or Hart), but since Tip O'Neil's still Speaker, the Congressional leadership's going to push the administration (being of the same party) in a liberal direction...
 
This -- with the caveat that the Democratic President is actually likely to be a proto-DLC guy (like Brown or Hart), but since Tip O'Neil's still Speaker, the Congressional leadership's going to push the administration (being of the same party) in a liberal direction...
What's wrong with Mo Udall? Hugh Carey? Adlai Stevenson III?
 
What's wrong with Mo Udall? Hugh Carey? Adlai Stevenson III?

First -- had forgotten about him, a real possibility.

Second -- hadn't heard of him, though he strikes me as a guy who'd pass on the opportunity. Third -- just unlikely, as he'd be associated with the two losses of his father.
 
Ford winning in 76 definetly leads to a much more Liberal 1980's.

In the UK, Ted Heath calling the election a few weeks after he did in OTL would probably bring this about too-he leads the Tories to a narrow victory in March 1974.

The issues that plagued the Tories when they were in opposition (leading to Thatcher becoming leader OTL) still happen, though as they're the governing party, their is greater attention devoted to them in the media.

Combine that with a crap economy, the Northern Ireland 'troubles' and Heath's generally unenspiring leadership, a Labour victory is almost certain at the next election. If that happens at the last possible moment (Feb 1979) Labour can probably hold on until the Falklands happen, meaning labour win big in 1983 most probably.
 
On this subject, perhaps the... divise nature of Trudeau and 'Trudeauism' may have brought in itself the return of conservators one day to the helm of Canada. Earlier or later...
 
Explain that. I might know what you mean, but I wanna be sure.
Civil rights backlash did it more than Vietnam IMO. Civil rights backlash made it easy for the (often) Republicans to expand. Vietnam just broke up the Democratic Party, making it easier for the Republicans.
 
On this subject, perhaps the... divise nature of Trudeau and 'Trudeauism' may have brought in itself the return of conservators one day to the helm of Canada. Earlier or later...

It seems that he strengthened Canada immensely in his generation, but laid the seeds for the regionalism of the 1990s.
 
Civil rights backlash did it more than Vietnam IMO. Civil rights backlash made it easy for the (often) Republicans to expand. Vietnam just broke up the Democratic Party, making it easier for the Republicans.

That belies the change in political affiliation, though. The South was already slowly but surely going Republican long before any of that as more and more people moved to the cities and became White Collar. Civil Rights may have hastened that, but even then, that ignores a lot. For decades and decades it was vote Republican for the White House -which became the norm with increasing frequency-, but Democratic state and locally. Reagan quickened that to being vote Republican across the board, before it got totally wiped away by I think Clinton's era in the 94 GOP sweep.
Historic developments are like planting seeds. Some grow. Some get covered with snow and die. Some grow so far before withering, but they give off seeds which grow into something similar but different. I say that to set up the logic that it's not hard to keep the South voting Democrat on a state wide basis even if they vote Republican for the White House. And it may not even be impossible to keep them from not voting Democratic for the White House. The South was lost over gradual phases and likewise due to a number of situation, not just Civil Rights legislation, which can be addressed.
 
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