Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes II
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The four states of the Upper South--Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. These four states have some of the highest per capita income of any U.S. state--all except Tennessee are above $80,000 (2014 USD), and even then, it's at $79,500. These four states are commonly classified as bedroom states--the states are highly gentrified and suburbanized and serve as home for the professional middle and upper class who work in the Great Lakes Sprawl.
Arkansas
Arkansas is more swingish than the other Upper South states, mostly as a legacy of the Black Belt states in the east. The Arkansas Democratic Party has historically been under the control of the Blythe family--the descendants of late 20th century comedian and jazz musician Slick Willy Blythe and his son, U.S. Senator Jefferson Blythe. Former U.S. Attorney General Jordyne Blythe ran for President in 2132 as the standard bearer of the Democrat's progressive wing, but lost easily to Benjamin G. Thurman. Still reeling from the defeat, Jordyne Blythe has taken control of the Arkansas Progressive Party to serve as her political machine. Incumbent Republican Yvette Clark was extremely popular heading into 2134, and also a liberal Republican by even Arkansas standards. The Progressives ran a Blythe cousin, former State Senator Jackson Blythe for Governor, managing to actually run to the left of Clark, while the morbibund Democrats rallied around former U.S. Representative Warren Ashley--a noted social conservative. Clark campaign on expanded Arkansas Medicaid programs, increased education funding and incentives for Arkansas college graduates to stay in-state--Jackson Blythe suggested that maybe all health care should be nationalized and wanted to cut the state's private school voucher program. Clark easily rolled to reelection, but the Progressive Party managed to establish its roots as a potential opposition.
Kentucky
Kentucky is a firmly Republican state, and like other Upper South Republican Parties, it is rather socially liberal and pro-big business. But that's not to say that the Kentucky Democrats are completely powerless--in fact, the Kentucky Democrats control houses of the state legislature. Both parties have come to a largely illegal agreement wherein the Republicans control the executive, the Democrats control the legislature and the judiciary alternates. Not to say there's a lot of bipartisanship--rather, the state parties come to agreement over various important issues, let the legislature and governor know what's what. This means the Democrats largely nominate pushovers and sacrificial sheeps for governor--but 2131 nominee K.D. Hatchett was particularly noteworthy. A racist and xenophobic conspiracy theorist, he won the Democratic primary against a band of no-names largely because he was the only one who ran any state-wide television ads. The Republican primary battle was likewise uneventful as it usually was, with Lieutenant Governor Davis K. Anderson winning the nomination. Anderson easily won election, becoming the seventh consecutive incumbent Republican lieutenant governor to be elected governor.
Tennessee
Tennessee, like Arkansas, tends to be more elastic and swingish than its neighbors, largely due to the Piedmont metropolitan area extending into southern Tennessee. Governors are term-limited to one term, and Democrat Heather Newell left office with low approval ratings due to a worsening state budget issue and slow population and economic growth. The Democrats tabbed Tennessee Teamster Treasurer Mike Nevers as their candidate, while the Republican field was between former Ambassador Chelsea Benson and U.S. Representative Ralph Ibanez. Benson had the backing of the state's large number of conservative Christians while Ibanez was the establishment's favorite, and also the early favorite. But Benson was an active and charismatic campaigner, and her upset over Ibanez was one of the surprises of 2134. While Benson was a bit too socially conservative more a great many Tennesseeans, most voters didn't think that the Democrats had a way to get the state out of its budget woes--especially since it was the Democrats who got them into it in the first place! The election was a rather close one because of this, but Benson came out on top by almost 9 points.
West Virginia
When West Virginia Governor Ray Parker died in a tragic plane crash in the summer of 2133, Senate President Jared Keplinger became the Acting Governor and a special election was called for the spring of 2134. Keplinger's ascension to the governor's mansion wasn't without controversy, since the chamber had been split 17-17 just two weeks before Parker's death, but a defection gave the Democrats a narrow 18-16 majority. Keplinger declined to run for the job full time, and the task instead fell to West Virginia Secretary of State Virginia Maloney, a relative moderate who was sometimes criticized as being a nanny-stater due to a campaign centered on expanded security cameras, stop and frisk, higher taxes on tobacco and a ban on large soft drinks. The Republican nomination was tightly contested between State Auditor Dakota Lehman, U.S. Representative Hope Rockefeller (great-granddaughter of U.S. Senator P.J. Rockefeller and a cousin to Thurman administration official Olympia Rockefeller), businessman Hollis Swisher and American Federation of Teachers National Vice President Brandy Mulgrew. Lehman had the backing from the state's financial interests, and managed to win a narrow and tightly-contested primary (she defeated Rockefeller by less than 2,500 votes). Lehman was a noted blue-green, with one of the largest and important planks of her campaign was the expansion of the state park system and tax incentives and breaks to build up and down rather than out. The election was marked with low turnout, and was fairly close between Lehman and Maloney, but Lehman won due to the state's more Republican lean.
(And here's a map of all the states done so far)
Arkansas
Arkansas is more swingish than the other Upper South states, mostly as a legacy of the Black Belt states in the east. The Arkansas Democratic Party has historically been under the control of the Blythe family--the descendants of late 20th century comedian and jazz musician Slick Willy Blythe and his son, U.S. Senator Jefferson Blythe. Former U.S. Attorney General Jordyne Blythe ran for President in 2132 as the standard bearer of the Democrat's progressive wing, but lost easily to Benjamin G. Thurman. Still reeling from the defeat, Jordyne Blythe has taken control of the Arkansas Progressive Party to serve as her political machine. Incumbent Republican Yvette Clark was extremely popular heading into 2134, and also a liberal Republican by even Arkansas standards. The Progressives ran a Blythe cousin, former State Senator Jackson Blythe for Governor, managing to actually run to the left of Clark, while the morbibund Democrats rallied around former U.S. Representative Warren Ashley--a noted social conservative. Clark campaign on expanded Arkansas Medicaid programs, increased education funding and incentives for Arkansas college graduates to stay in-state--Jackson Blythe suggested that maybe all health care should be nationalized and wanted to cut the state's private school voucher program. Clark easily rolled to reelection, but the Progressive Party managed to establish its roots as a potential opposition.
Kentucky
Kentucky is a firmly Republican state, and like other Upper South Republican Parties, it is rather socially liberal and pro-big business. But that's not to say that the Kentucky Democrats are completely powerless--in fact, the Kentucky Democrats control houses of the state legislature. Both parties have come to a largely illegal agreement wherein the Republicans control the executive, the Democrats control the legislature and the judiciary alternates. Not to say there's a lot of bipartisanship--rather, the state parties come to agreement over various important issues, let the legislature and governor know what's what. This means the Democrats largely nominate pushovers and sacrificial sheeps for governor--but 2131 nominee K.D. Hatchett was particularly noteworthy. A racist and xenophobic conspiracy theorist, he won the Democratic primary against a band of no-names largely because he was the only one who ran any state-wide television ads. The Republican primary battle was likewise uneventful as it usually was, with Lieutenant Governor Davis K. Anderson winning the nomination. Anderson easily won election, becoming the seventh consecutive incumbent Republican lieutenant governor to be elected governor.
Tennessee
Tennessee, like Arkansas, tends to be more elastic and swingish than its neighbors, largely due to the Piedmont metropolitan area extending into southern Tennessee. Governors are term-limited to one term, and Democrat Heather Newell left office with low approval ratings due to a worsening state budget issue and slow population and economic growth. The Democrats tabbed Tennessee Teamster Treasurer Mike Nevers as their candidate, while the Republican field was between former Ambassador Chelsea Benson and U.S. Representative Ralph Ibanez. Benson had the backing of the state's large number of conservative Christians while Ibanez was the establishment's favorite, and also the early favorite. But Benson was an active and charismatic campaigner, and her upset over Ibanez was one of the surprises of 2134. While Benson was a bit too socially conservative more a great many Tennesseeans, most voters didn't think that the Democrats had a way to get the state out of its budget woes--especially since it was the Democrats who got them into it in the first place! The election was a rather close one because of this, but Benson came out on top by almost 9 points.
West Virginia
When West Virginia Governor Ray Parker died in a tragic plane crash in the summer of 2133, Senate President Jared Keplinger became the Acting Governor and a special election was called for the spring of 2134. Keplinger's ascension to the governor's mansion wasn't without controversy, since the chamber had been split 17-17 just two weeks before Parker's death, but a defection gave the Democrats a narrow 18-16 majority. Keplinger declined to run for the job full time, and the task instead fell to West Virginia Secretary of State Virginia Maloney, a relative moderate who was sometimes criticized as being a nanny-stater due to a campaign centered on expanded security cameras, stop and frisk, higher taxes on tobacco and a ban on large soft drinks. The Republican nomination was tightly contested between State Auditor Dakota Lehman, U.S. Representative Hope Rockefeller (great-granddaughter of U.S. Senator P.J. Rockefeller and a cousin to Thurman administration official Olympia Rockefeller), businessman Hollis Swisher and American Federation of Teachers National Vice President Brandy Mulgrew. Lehman had the backing from the state's financial interests, and managed to win a narrow and tightly-contested primary (she defeated Rockefeller by less than 2,500 votes). Lehman was a noted blue-green, with one of the largest and important planks of her campaign was the expansion of the state park system and tax incentives and breaks to build up and down rather than out. The election was marked with low turnout, and was fairly close between Lehman and Maloney, but Lehman won due to the state's more Republican lean.
(And here's a map of all the states done so far)
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If there isn't a pseudo-Working Families party in NY, I'll be disappointed.
Probably a Communist front.
Swiss science fiction writer Giorgio Tsoukalos was a frequent guest for Blythe's in the late 90s and into the 00s.
Green front, I wager. Those sneaky greenies!Probably a Communist front.
Epstein
Banned
I guess the gentrification of the South is pretty inevitable thanks to the Midwestern sprawl, but still, it's rather sad to see things turn out that way.
What's going on with the Mid-Atlantic states, btw? I'm assuming NYC lost its status as a world city sometime around the Deluge, but other than that I'm not sure what it'd look like.
Yeah, NYC is but a shadow of its former self, but it still tries to be a world city--Chicago thinks it's cute. Maryland and Delaware are still home to a large number of commuters for D.C. and beyond. New Jersey is kind of like the Vegas of the Atlantic Seaboard. Atlantic City all day, e'ryday.
Well, hey, it was founded by a pretty cool guy:
They only changed the name after he died.
It isn't so much that they cooperate as that they maintain non-aggression towards one another. The government forces are too powerful for them to spare resources on one another.
Also three-sided conflict infoboxes squash the text and make it hard to follow.
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