Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes V (Do Not Post Current Politics Here)
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In February of 1931, President Herbert Hoover is invited by the Oregon Republican Party to attend the Lincoln Day Banquet in Portland. Upon arrival at the Portland Train Station, Hoover his wife, Lou Henry Hoover, were met with a large protest of unemployed Portlanders. Among the crowd, an agent of the Secret Service notices a suspicious figure in the crowd, a man in his mid thirties, who wasn't holding a sign or shouting, with his hand in his pocket. Noticing this, the agents rushed the President and First Lady to their car while other agents and Police Officers wade into the crowd in search of the man. After sifting through the angry crowd, the man wasn't found.
The next evening on the 12th, the Lincoln Day Banquet was in full swing at the Multnomah Hotel. During the event, Hoover gave a positive speech, expressing his belief in American Exceptionalism, his belief in the legacy of Abraham Lincoln (the first Republican President), and his hope for a bright future for the American people. The most memorable part of the speech was his intention to run for a second term in the upcoming election in 1932, which was met with full applause from the crowd. Outside, there was a full horde of protesters, who were kept at a safe distance from the hotel by the Portland Police Department and the Oregon State Militia. The crowd started to become hostile again as Hoover and Lou are seen leaving, but that was the mere beginning of their problems. Before the Hoovers had gotten within ten feet of the car, there was a sudden sound, the sound of something impacting against flesh, followed by the sound of a rifle shot. Hoover slouched forward as he clutched his abdomen, his wife catching him. This was no use as Hoover received a second projectile to his chest, followed by the sound of the second rifle shot. This time, the crowd caught on to what was a happening and burst into panic.
As the protesters scattered, the Secret Service practically threw the President and his wife into the car before it sped off. After the car disappeared down the road, the Police and Militia fanned out to find the shooter. Practically every person on the surrounding streets were stopped, frisked, and questioned. Eventually, a rifle was found stashed in a back alleyway, a sporterized Springfield '98, the American copy of the Krag Jorgenson. Two blocs down, several police men and militiamen found a men walking down the street. The man was told to stop, but kept going. When and militiaman, identified as Corporal Arthur Simmons, got close and put his hand on the man's shoulder, the man spun around and shot the him with a pistol in his pocket, killing Simmons instantly with a shot through the heart. A shoot out commenced between the shooter as he ran down an ally. A police officer, named Oliver Thompson, a veteran of the Great War, grabbed the Militiaman's Springfield and proceeded to to fire at the shooter. After a third round, the shooter spun around as a bullet went through his arm. As Thompson approached the shooter to apprehend him, the shooter flipped onto his back and tried to slash at Thompson's leg with a hunting knife. In response, Thompson cracked the shooter in the head with the butt of the rifle, knocking the shooter out.
Upon arriving a the station, the shooter is identified as Lewis Harrison. Upon being interrogated by Officer Thompson himself, Harrison explained that he was the former owner of a popular sporting goods store in the area. After the Stock Market Crash in 1929, Harrison began to lose business, losing his store in 1930. This also wasn't Harrison's first run in with the police as he was arrested soon after an altercation between him and his wife several months before, resulting in her leaving and taking their children with her. This became the event that sent Harrison over the edge, forming his plan to kill the man who he blamed for his misfortunes, President Herbert Hoover. He gathered several weapons he managed to hide away after his store shut down, these weapons include the sporterized Krag and a Colt 1903 pocket pistol, the latter being his personal pistol. Originally, Harrison planned on going to Washington D.C. and shooting Hoover, but changes plans upon reading about Hoover's visit to Portland. He explained how he made two plans, A and B, respectively. According to Plan A, he would shoot Hoover as soon as he arrived at the train station, right in front of everyone who can see. But due to the heavy police presence, and almost getting caught, he switched to Plan B, where he would take position at a neighboring building and shoot Hoover with the Krag, unfortunately, this plan succeeded. The whole of Harrison's plan was compiled in a journal that was found in his jacket at the time of his arrest.
During the Harrison's interrogation, there was a knock at the door. Thompson let the knocker in. The knocker was revealed to be the Chief of the Portland Police, who looked coldly at Harrison. Upon being asked what had happened, he turned to Thompson as said five words that practically turned Thompson's back bone to ice. "President Herbert Hoover is dead." Despite getting to hospital in time, Hoover unfortunately bled out as the second bullet hit a major artery. Across the country on the East Coast, Vice-President Charles Curtis was awoken in the middle of the night with the terrible news by the Secretary of State Henry Stimson and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. Curtis took the Oath of Office on the family bible, making him the 32nd President of the United States. Lewis Harrison is later convicted of one count of First Degree murder, one count of Second Degree Murder, attempted murder of a Police Officer, and various other charges that ultimately lead him to the electric chair one month later. Harrison would replace Hoover as the most hated man in America while Hoover himself, despite his poor handling of Great Depression, was mourned all across the nation and the world.
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So fascism except its adherents go around saying "true *fascism" has never been tried"? That's pretty scary.
This is incredibly well made!
Kind of, more or less.
TSK doesn't ever devolve into outright dystopia, but it does get pretty darn scary at times. The timeline's equivalent of WW2 is started by nuclear strikes, features weather warfare, tactical and strategic nuclear destruction and a postwar reconstruction of India which makes the Marshall Plan look like a walk in the park. Just one example.
So was Bryan's Populist Party here related to the historical one or just recreated by Bryan as an electoral vehicle?
Gentleman Biaggi
Banned
After two centuries of Tammany Hall rule, many would think that New Yorkers were tired of it and its corruption. However, Tammany-supported governor Andrew Cuomo faced very little opposition, as the Socialists, New Whigs, and Republicans were unable to find candidates that could properly oppose him. Even a write-in candidacy for former anti-Tammany state senator Anthony Weiner was destroyed, as the machine suppressed almost every Weiner voter and they filled the campaign with attacks on Koch's sexuality and “personal life”, limiting him to only .2% of the vote. Even after 219 years, Tammany rule never got old...
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Inspired by discussion in this thread, here is Austria's legislative election of 1982 following the death of Engelbert Dollfuss (1892-1981) and the dissolution of the Federal State of Austria (19ò4-1981).
The Christian-democratic Austrian People's Party, led by Rudolf Kirchschläger, was able to win 68 seats and lead the government after entering a coalition with the liberal Austrian Democratic Union under Norbert Steger, which won 25 seats. The Social Democratic Party of Austria, led by Bruno Kreisky, became the main opposition force with 40 seats. Jörg Haider, a leading youth figure within Dollfuss's former Fatherland Front, led the right-wing Christian Social Party into third place with 36 seats, and anti-Dollfuss activist Franz Muhri helped the Communist Party of Austria gain 14 seats.
The race was a contentious one, with the main issue being how to establish a post-Dollfuss Austrian state. The ÖVP, SPÖ, and ÖDU promised to ensure that democratic values as inscribed in the new constitution would continue and be protected at all costs while the CSP and KPÖ were much less firm in this commitment. The CSP, recreated following the dissolution of the Fatherland Front, was inarguably the most pro-Ständestaat ("corporate state," as the Federal State of Austria was colloquially known as) and pro-Dollfuss party of the election, promising a strong "law and order" stance on internal crime and "government corruption." Haider was criticized by all other parties for seemingly complimenting the F.S.A. at every turn, but the victorious ÖVP also treaded carefully in terms of full-blown criticisms of the F.S.A., for opinion of Dollfuss's reign were still relatively on the positive side. Regardless, in the end, more voters chose parties committed to democratic ideals and a government committed to protecting and promoting human rights throughout the nation and across the European countryside.
The Christian-democratic Austrian People's Party, led by Rudolf Kirchschläger, was able to win 68 seats and lead the government after entering a coalition with the liberal Austrian Democratic Union under Norbert Steger, which won 25 seats. The Social Democratic Party of Austria, led by Bruno Kreisky, became the main opposition force with 40 seats. Jörg Haider, a leading youth figure within Dollfuss's former Fatherland Front, led the right-wing Christian Social Party into third place with 36 seats, and anti-Dollfuss activist Franz Muhri helped the Communist Party of Austria gain 14 seats.
The race was a contentious one, with the main issue being how to establish a post-Dollfuss Austrian state. The ÖVP, SPÖ, and ÖDU promised to ensure that democratic values as inscribed in the new constitution would continue and be protected at all costs while the CSP and KPÖ were much less firm in this commitment. The CSP, recreated following the dissolution of the Fatherland Front, was inarguably the most pro-Ständestaat ("corporate state," as the Federal State of Austria was colloquially known as) and pro-Dollfuss party of the election, promising a strong "law and order" stance on internal crime and "government corruption." Haider was criticized by all other parties for seemingly complimenting the F.S.A. at every turn, but the victorious ÖVP also treaded carefully in terms of full-blown criticisms of the F.S.A., for opinion of Dollfuss's reign were still relatively on the positive side. Regardless, in the end, more voters chose parties committed to democratic ideals and a government committed to protecting and promoting human rights throughout the nation and across the European countryside.
When Franklin Roosevelt announced that he would run for the Presidency in 1932, it was practically guaranteed he would get the Democratic Nomination and eventually the Presidency. After all, his cousin was Theodore Roosevelt, the popular twenty sixth President of the United States. At the DNC at Chicago Stadium, Roosevelt gained the nomination as presumed. But this victory would be short lived as while Roosevelt was leaving the DNC that night, along with several others, a man popped out from behind a corner and emptied his revolver into the group. A total of five people were hit, two of them being Chicago Mayor Anon Cermak and the now Candidate Franklin Roosevelt. The former took a bullet in the lung, while the latter took a bullet through the temple, killing him instantly. The assassin in question was identified by the Chicago Police as Italian immigrant, Giuseppe Zangara. Upon being questioned, Zangara admitted to the act saying, "I have the gun in my hand. I kill kings and presidents first and next all capitalists." He then went one to say that Lewis Harrison, the man who killed President Hoover the previous year was an inspiration to him. After Roosevelt was confirmed dead, the Vice-Presidential Candidate John Nance Garner of Texas was now the main candidate, while the Democratic Party desperately needed to find a Vice-Presidential candidate.
In June of 1932, the Republican National Convention as in full swing. Earlier that month, President Charles Curtis announced that he would not seek a term of his own as President. This caused the RNC to descend into chaos of who to nominate for the Presidency, ultimately becoming deadlocked. To break the lock, the Convention chose former Senator Joseph Irwin France of Maryland for the Presidency while the Vice-Presidential nomination was given to Senator John J. Blaine of Wisconsin. After the Assassination of Assassination of Franklin Roosevelt and John Nance Garner becoming the main candidate, the Democrats chose Maryland Governor Albert Richie to be his running mate, and as a counter to Joseph France, Maryland being his home state.
Several days after the new Vice-Presidential candidate was chosen, the nation was surprised as former New York Governor Al Smith announced that his third party candidacy, with James Reed of Missouri as his running mate. The ticket he ran under was that of the Progressive Party, following the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 and Robert Le Follette in 1924. But unlike Roosevelt and La Follette, who were not on the ballot on at least one or two states, Al Smith wasn't on the ballot in about half of the country, only appearing on the ballots in New England, the Great Lakes area, the Midwest, Kentucky, and Missouri, while the Democratic parties in the Solid South refused to have on the ballot, while in the Southwest and West Coast, he appeared as a write-in candidate, but even then those votes were barely if at all counted, leaving the amount of Pro-Smith votes in those areas a mystery. While in the North, the vote was heavily split between Smith and Garner voters, thus given many states to the France/Blaine ticket, ultimately giving the Presidency to another Republican, much to many American's surprise and disdain. Some people speculate that the victory was given to the Republicans thanks to President Curtis's handling of the Bonus Army in Washington, in which he allowed the marchers to stay, as long as they protest peacefully, as opposed to allowing the Army to push the marchers out, thus giving the election to the Democrats. It is also speculated that Curtis decided to leave the Marchers alone as he did not wish to meet the same fate as President Hoover and President-Elect Roosevelt.
Despite winning a majority in Electoral College, Joseph France didn't gain the required amount of electoral votes to win. The decision was then left to the House of Representatives. With John Nance Garner, the Democratic Candidate, still the Speaker of the House, was concerned over over a deadlocked Congress and the chaos amongst the American people that would unfold. As an act of good will, Garner concedes and gives the victory to France, much to the displeasure of the Democrats. While Congress avoids deadlock, a new political organization based out of Asheville, North Carolina establishes its presence. This organization is known as the Silver Legion of America, led by a man whose name would echo throughout American history in the coming years. His name is William Dudley Pelley.
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Richard Nixon is (both fondly and less so) remembered as the second most ruthless FBI Director in the bureau's existence. As an agent he grew to be a great ally of J. Edgar Hoover and was personally involved in COINTELPRO, helping compile an 'enemies list' for the program to target. Despite his involvement in the targeting of civil rights figures such as Martin Luther King, he was instrumental in the arrest of Byron de la Beckweth, who was behind the murder of campaigner Medgar Evers in 1962. He also personally criticised Hoover over inaction regarding Emmett Till's murder. He presided over the successful Jonestown Siege, where radical preacher Jim Jones and his "flock" were taken into custody with minimal damage done. By the time of Hoover's death, Nixon's personal reputation as the Most Notorious Agent In America and The Man Who Crippled the Black Panthers led him to be slotted by President Baker as his successor. While FBI Director, Nixon would conduct his own ruthless operations against drug pushers and gangbangers, especially in poor African American cities like Baltimore and Chicago. This brought him into conflict with President Heston as knowledge of the operations only came to him in 1980, after much recrimination and violence. Heston became cautious of firing Nixon, aware that it was an election year and that he was aware of how much incriminating data he could have. The election of John Gavin allowed Nixon even more power as he ramped up illegal wiretapping against alleged "subversives". Terror attacks by supporters of Palestine and MOVE put Gavin under great strain and led him to allow Nixon to compile a list of "extreme threats" to the United States. By the time of the Clements administration, the FBI seemingly had more power than any time in its history. This would change drastically after misplaced intelligence led FBI forces to conduct a raid on what they thought were MOVE headquarters, which turned out to be a community centre. A dozen deaths as a result of the botch led to Nixon's resignation in 1990. He would go on to become a commentator on foreign policy until his death in 1998, leaving behind a controversial reputation.
Gerald "Gerry" Ford is regarded as one of Michigan's finest. Going straight from an economics degree at the University of Michigan to the Detroit Lions, he became one of their most formidable players, bringing them to victory in 1937 and 1941 as well as reaching the Championship Game in 1939. He took a break in 1942 to serve his country in World War 2, returning in 1946, later on helping win in 1951. He retired, but only briefly, before he became the Lions' Head Coach, while also engaging in philanthropic activities. He had success in this venture, before retiring from football for good in 1965. He was shot dead by a cop in the 1967 Detroit Riots. The Gerald Ford Arena was built in Grand Rapids in 1993.
The Reverend James Carter is notorious within the Southern Baptist Convention for his frequent squabbles with other leadership figures and in particular the Grahams and Falwells. He has often been at the forefront of speaking out against greed and warmongering, which puts him in conflict with his more conservative counterparts. He has taken part in charity operations for over thirty years and the Carter Foundation donates hundreds of millions each year to helping the global poor.
Ronald Reagan, while not quite one of the legends of Hollywood, stands fairly reputable by the standards of today. Brought to stardom by his role in King's Row, he would eventually go on to play George Bailey's younger brother Harry in Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life. His success would gradually grow over the course of the late 1940's, appearing in moderate supporting roles in movies like Sunset Boulevard. However, his appeal began to dry up, and in desperation he turned to work for the director Ed Wood, playing parts in Glen or Glenda? and rather notoriously, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Work failed to pop up to him and eventually, he retired from acting in the late 1960's, his last "gig" being a series of advertisements for Marlboro Cigarettes. He became notable again in the late 90's when he lead an awareness campaign regarding Alzheimers, before dying in 2006.
George Bush has become something of the typical image of a modern day oilman, ten gallon hat and all. After moving out to Texas from New England to make a name for himself in the market, he set up Zapata Petroleum with a number of friends. Through his association with the company, he was travelling worldwide, particularly concentrating on Mexico and the Caribbean. He made four attempts at winning electoral office in Texas as a Republican, in 1964, 1966, 1968, and 1970. The last attempt swore him off for good, and he remained with the company. During this period, Bush led the company to merge with the nascent Exxon company. In 1975, he was promoted to CEO after a very impressive number of years working within the company. While CEO, he would have to deal with a continuing global oil slump that was only slowly dying, as well as an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 1982. He handled these deftly, and when he handed over power in 1992, Exxon's profits had nearly doubled. He went on to become a prominent donor in the Republican party.
Jeff Blythe has received an exaggerated, somewhat image as a result of the biopic starring Woody Harrelson released some years back but his life was a wild ride nonetheless. Born in Hope to a travelling salesman and a nurse, the young Blythe spent most of his early life there, his father eventually moving the family out to east Texas when their son was about six years old. Clinton excelled in high school and eventually moved on out to Georgetown University, where he began pursuing a career in law. After graduating from Yale, he worked briefly at the Dallas DA's office before setting up his own private practice. He rather notoriously defended Major James D. Quayle at his Court Martial for possible friendly fire in the Cyprus War (Quayle was acquitted, going on to become Secretary of Defense under President Springsteen), then helping put the murderer Ted Bundy behind bars, something which would earn him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His success as a trial lawyer would end up being a detriment to him, as he began hosting lavish parties at his Manhattan Condo and developed a serious cocaine addiction. His habit of philandering was also a badly kept secret on the New York nightlife scene. He features as an inspiration to Patrick Bateman in Bret Easton Ellis' novel American Psycho. The 90's became a cooldown period for him as he worked on a number of smaller cases across Texas, while the new millennium provided him new opportunities as the world of cyber crime grew. In 2005 his lifetime of poor eating habits caught up to him and he succumbed to a heart attack.
George Bush Junior is often considered your typical "dumb son of a businessman," in spite of his own successes. Initially, he worked low level at Exxon (his marriage to FBI Director Nixon's daughter led him to be considered for a role at the Bureau but eventually there had proved to be too much internal opposition) before going on to become more interested in sports. He owned the Texas Rangers and later was appointed Commissioner of Baseball, where he became very popular with traditional fans for his folksy, cowboyish nature. Reports of his cocaine usage and DUI led him to step down for a few years before moving on to football, where he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars. This was a bit of a disaster, and after the Jaguars left the 2000 Superbowl early, he stepped down. In 2005, he purchased the Dallas Cowboys, where he had much better luck.
Barack Obama is often considered the intellectual leader of the Supreme Court's liberal wing, and a personal friend of President Springsteen. A remarkably talented and intelligent young man in Harvard, he entered the practice of law for a time, being nominated to the position of Attorney for New York's Southern District in 1998 at the young age of 37. He served admirably in this position for three years before being appointed to the DC Circuit Court, where he ruled in favour of gun restrictions and against unlawful strip searches. Even many of his detractors noted his skill as a juror and the consistency of his dissents. This got him noticed by President Gephardt, who was looking for a younger nominee following the retirement of liberal lion Shirley Hufstedler. Obama easily sailed through his confirmation hearings, and has become one of the most respected judges, having presided over the legalisation of gay marriage, the upholding of fusion balloting in three states across the country, and the upholding of mass deportations conducted by the Brownback administration.
If you were to speak of Donald Trump only a few years ago, you would hear nothing but praise. The notoriously narcissistic film producer got his start in USC film school, his decision to study there met with disdain by his father. He used his connections to get in with the Hollywood crowd and he secured his first major movie deal in 1976, starring as Billy Nolan in the adaption of Stephen King's book Carrie. This would be followed up with a number of other successes, in particular Lex Luthor in 1979's Superman and then Rupert Thorne in 1982's Batman. Over the years Trump became a sparring partner of Warren Beatty, and the two were formidable foes for many years. Trump set up his own studio in 1990, financing the likes of the Coen Brothers and Robert Zemeckis, whose career was thought to be dead in the water. He rather notoriously was able to hire legendary director Michael Cimino, the man behind the smash hit Heaven's Gate. Trump's rather ignorant attitude towards movies meant that he was considered to be putting out schlock, with only a rare few exceptions. Still, he appreciated the fine art of cinema from time to time, and his name was mentioned many many times in acceptance speeches. Still, it became known in High Society that he was a fan of women and just loved pursuing them, in spite of their own objections. In 2015, the truth he had spent so much of his wealth on hiding came out. Dozens of women, actresses or otherwise, came out to accuse Trump of sexual harassment and assault. In due time, he would be removed from Trump Studios and his wife, twenty years his junior, divorced him. As of 2018, his trial is still being awaited, but his exposure as a sex pest opened the floodgates for a more open culture regarding sexual harassment.
What a fascinating universe. Do you have the full list for Presidents? (And according to Nixon's wikibox there were 4 GOP Presidents in a row???)
Based on all the boxes and descriptions got Gephardt from 2001-2009, Brownback from 2009-2017, and Springteen from 2017 to the present. Baker, Heston, Gavin, and Clements between 1973 and 2001? Is that right?
Just a practice piece because I’m trying to get better at Wikiboxes. Any advice?
To concede an election is purely symbolic— it's a show of good faith, not something of legal consequence. Garner is free to telegram France and wish him luck, but it does not and will not stop the electoral college from meeting to confirm the election results, nor from Congress having to vote on the president and vice president in the event of no candidate reaching a majority.
Also, frankly, you have it backwards; Garner's immediate concession wouldn't prevent chaos, it would cause it. The country just overwhelmingly voted against the Republicans, delivering overwhelming Democratic majorities in Congress (IOTL, but I don't see why it wouldn't happen ITTL); while the presidential candidate's narrow EV plurality can only be attributed to a split opposition, given he still lost the popular vote by three points. For Garner to meekly concede to France, a man representing a party so thoroughly rejected, is outrageous, and would cries of a "corrupt bargain". President France would take office with no popular mandate, few allies in Congress, and under a cloud of controversy— it's a recipe for exactly the chaos and deadlock you say Garner trying to prevent.
Maybe that's entirely the intent, for the Depression to be even worse and for a more extreme political reaction… but there are ways to achieve that without Garner taking leave of his senses.
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This is great! I'd love to see more on this world, particularly within the Commonwealth. Even on its own, a great bit of AH.
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