Here is the second installment of the a world I'm calling the Old Dominion (here is the first). I've fixed three details, so see if you can find them.
The 1990 general election of the Kingdom of Virginia took place on July 10th, 1990, and was the first election during the reign of Charles II. With Prime Minister Byrd aging, and with the economy in decline, his resignation as party leader in 1988 was not a surprise for most. He was succeeded by Bill Brock, a traditional, conservative, aristocratic Tory. This choice, while welcome among the party establishment, was not well met by the voters, especially as many of them were struggling to make ends meet. On the other side, the Christian People's Party had elected Lawton Chiles, who, although also from a well-to-do backgrounds, had gained a reputation as a man of the common people. He was also known as a leader in education reform, and a key part of the party's platform was the establishment of a Department of Education, an issue where the Tories, along with the Church of Virginia, had traditionally favored private and charter schools. With the previous CFL leader John Jenrette facing corruption charges, the election of the famous conservative-turned-liberal Tom Turnipseed, energized much of the party's base.
While all the major parties figured that the recession would be the election's focus, few expected the rise of the Republicans. The death of Mary II and the ascension of her son was a major shift for the nation, especially given her almost 40 year rule. But Charles would prove much less of a steady hand than his mother, at first. Thee monarchy had always had a rocky relationship with the Virginian people, but Charles' violation of the increasingly traditional role of the monarch as a silent figurehead would prove quite controversial. His marriage to a Catholic had already alienated him from many of the nation's Presbyterians and other Protestants, but his outspoken comments favoring Virginian intervention in the conflict in the Low Countries were heavily unpopular, and further distanced him from the average Virginian, who had little concern for the war. This also hurt the Tories, traditionally seen as the party of the crown, and Brock's defense of the king would heighten his perceived distance from the average voter. Chiles' famous ability to charm voters was a stark comparison, supposedly covering more square feet in his campaign than any candidate in history. But the greatest populist in the campaign proved to be Pat Buchanan. A Tory, he left the party over the king's statements, and, along with two former CPP members, formed the Republican Party. Although they were not radically opposed to the monarchy, they wanted to suppress its influence. Beyond that, they were equally opposed to the prospect of intervention in the Low Countries, and considered the existing candidates elites with their own interests at heart, and wanted to reform the political system to cut the influence of the powerful, Buchanan famously declaring "the peasants are coming over the hill, and we are storming this castle." Although he was accused of being Cromwellian and anti-Catholic (despite his own Catholicism), Buchanan gathered a following, and by Election Day had made at least some of a dent. The big winners were Chiles and the CPP, who had promised to take back government from the governing class in Charlestown. With a parliamentary majority, time would tell if they could succeed. After this election, Charles would take a quieter role, and his popularity has since recovered.
The 1990 general election of the Kingdom of Virginia took place on July 10th, 1990, and was the first election during the reign of Charles II. With Prime Minister Byrd aging, and with the economy in decline, his resignation as party leader in 1988 was not a surprise for most. He was succeeded by Bill Brock, a traditional, conservative, aristocratic Tory. This choice, while welcome among the party establishment, was not well met by the voters, especially as many of them were struggling to make ends meet. On the other side, the Christian People's Party had elected Lawton Chiles, who, although also from a well-to-do backgrounds, had gained a reputation as a man of the common people. He was also known as a leader in education reform, and a key part of the party's platform was the establishment of a Department of Education, an issue where the Tories, along with the Church of Virginia, had traditionally favored private and charter schools. With the previous CFL leader John Jenrette facing corruption charges, the election of the famous conservative-turned-liberal Tom Turnipseed, energized much of the party's base.
While all the major parties figured that the recession would be the election's focus, few expected the rise of the Republicans. The death of Mary II and the ascension of her son was a major shift for the nation, especially given her almost 40 year rule. But Charles would prove much less of a steady hand than his mother, at first. Thee monarchy had always had a rocky relationship with the Virginian people, but Charles' violation of the increasingly traditional role of the monarch as a silent figurehead would prove quite controversial. His marriage to a Catholic had already alienated him from many of the nation's Presbyterians and other Protestants, but his outspoken comments favoring Virginian intervention in the conflict in the Low Countries were heavily unpopular, and further distanced him from the average Virginian, who had little concern for the war. This also hurt the Tories, traditionally seen as the party of the crown, and Brock's defense of the king would heighten his perceived distance from the average voter. Chiles' famous ability to charm voters was a stark comparison, supposedly covering more square feet in his campaign than any candidate in history. But the greatest populist in the campaign proved to be Pat Buchanan. A Tory, he left the party over the king's statements, and, along with two former CPP members, formed the Republican Party. Although they were not radically opposed to the monarchy, they wanted to suppress its influence. Beyond that, they were equally opposed to the prospect of intervention in the Low Countries, and considered the existing candidates elites with their own interests at heart, and wanted to reform the political system to cut the influence of the powerful, Buchanan famously declaring "the peasants are coming over the hill, and we are storming this castle." Although he was accused of being Cromwellian and anti-Catholic (despite his own Catholicism), Buchanan gathered a following, and by Election Day had made at least some of a dent. The big winners were Chiles and the CPP, who had promised to take back government from the governing class in Charlestown. With a parliamentary majority, time would tell if they could succeed. After this election, Charles would take a quieter role, and his popularity has since recovered.
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