AHC/WI: Senator Jerry Brown in 1982

-He could've kept his promise not to run for President in 1980.
-He could've attacked Pete Wilson harder on his flip flop on Prop 13.
-If Tom Bradley could've gotten African-American turnout higher for the governor's race it would have likely helped Brown in the senate race.
-Actually attack Wilson's biggest strength (his record on crime in San Diego), and force Wilson further to the right and blur the differences between the two of them.



If he made it to the senate he probably would have been more of a show horse senator and a very visible and vocal critic of the Reagan administration. Probably would've been on environmental committees. Probably would have considered a run for President in 1984 depending on Reagan's popularity in early 1984. He probably would have sat out 1984 and been on Mondale's short list for V-P. After Mondale's loss he would used his time in Washington to better his relationships with the Democratic party's establishment. He likely would have been very critical during Iran-Contra and used it as part of his reasoning for running for president in 1988. After Gary Hart drops out in 1987 most of his supporters would go to Brown. Brown would beat Dukakis and Jackson in the primaries. He likely would have been forced to have to pick a Midwestener or southerner as his running mate. He'd want to pick Jesse Jackson but would have been pressured to pick somebody else. Brown would likely have picked Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate considering they would have spent four years in the senate together and had the same views primarily on the environment. He likely would have had a better chance of beating Bush than Dukakis did but who knows what Lee Atwater would've done with Brown's record as governor or his votes as a senator. I still think after eight years of Reagan/Bush the voters would have been ready for a change and Brown would have won a somewhat close election. Ending Jerry Brown's career as a senator.

I think the senate would have bored Jerry Brown and even in OTL he probably only saw it as a way to get even closer to the White House. Either in 1984 or 88. I couldn't see him being a lion of the senate being there for decades like Ted Kennedy.
 
The easiest way is Hinckley aims better, other ways have been mentioned, but it was Reagan's support for Wilson that was a significant factor.

He runs for president in 1988, and probably wins.
 
Top