Alternate Wikipedia Infoboxes V (Do Not Post Current Politics Here)
- Status
Some context:
So basically the U.S. does not withdraw from the Philippines in 1992 since the Philippine Senate votes for the Americans to remain. As a result, Chinese belligerence in the South China Sea by the 2010s is kept on check and contained.
So basically the U.S. does not withdraw from the Philippines in 1992 since the Philippine Senate votes for the Americans to remain. As a result, Chinese belligerence in the South China Sea by the 2010s is kept on check and contained.
Deleted member 92121
This one was a bit dark. Though probably not the most controversial.
1. Ops
2. A upcoming entry. You can find out if you look for her enough.
3. Now that's a big Opsie
4. You bet! They're arleady made. One of those will be posted tomorrow. Still deciding on which one.
I figured that he being trained from birth by a bunch of scientist to be some ubermensch would be a little bit too "Super hero/villain origin". I wanted something more grounded.
As for the assistants, they were there. It was just turning into a long text and I decided to omit them explicitly. But they all worked with him at some point, met different fates, and have VERY different opinions about their former employer.
His OG origin is that his father assembled a team of scientists to raise him to be Peak Human.
Sure, but I would still think "his wealthy father decided to raise him to be..." is still doable. And then you could have him be a bit of a psychological mess because of it.
The 2012 Beijing mayoral election was the fifth democratic election for the Mayor of Beijing, the chief executive of the capital of China, held on the 7th September that year concurrently with elections to Bejing City Council. Since he had been serving as Chief Whip of the Progressive caucus in the National Congress, incumbent Mayor Tang Baiqiao had become significantly unpopular and was seen as a neglectful Mayor; in April 2011, Tang announced he would not run for re-election to a second term due to feeling overworked, effectively leaving Chair of the City Council Zang Xihong carrying out a lot of his duties.
Consequently, a lot of the backlash towards Tang passed onto Zang at this point, and with the Progressives expected to lose control of the City Council in the following year's election, Zang elected to put herself forward as Progressive candidate for Mayor. Initially this was widely mocked, but Zang proved herself a savvy administrator in the months leading up to the mayoral primaries, distanced herself and her policy agenda from Tang and managed to appeal to the Progressive base by presenting herself as a young, reformist leader with policy moves such as increases to the minimum wage and arguing for the recognition of gay marriage in the city.
Hoping to counter this, the Kuomintang picked as their candidate Xi Jinping, a personally popular figure among Beijing conservatives regardless of party, who led the Kuomintang caucus on the City Council and was a vocal and well-publicized critic of Tang's passivity as Mayor, with a well-funded team that incorporated many technocratic graduates working in places like Zhongguancun (a technology hub sometimes known as 'China's Silicon Valley') who used social media to boost his profile effectively with slogans like 'we need a Mayor for progress, not a Progressive Mayor'.
Also helping Xi's chances were the third-party candidates and the fact that at first glance they threatened Zang more than him. Communist Chen Lei proved a vocal critic of both Xi and Zang, and refused to endorse Zang for the runoff, a major worry for the Progressives in areas like Shunyi where the Communists were stronger than them. By contrast, not only were the Economic Liberals not in good shape nationally due to their alliance with the Kuomintang giving the latter a majority in the National Congress diluting their strength as a protest vote, but their candidate Liu Tienan did encourage his supporters to vote for Xi second, giving him a good chance of winning enough transfers from that party to win the instant runoff.
However, during the summer of 2012 something interesting happened: a meme took off among left-wing Chinese of making pictures and artwork comparing Xi to Winnie the Pooh. It quickly became clear that this infuriated Xi, as when asked about it by a reporter, he described it as an 'immature and pathetic tactic', and rumors started to circulate that Xi supporters were reporting these memes for hate speech and had even contacted both Google and Baidu en masse to try and have such memes taken down. This only increased the amount of attention to the election and mockery towards Xi, with Progressives even turning up to Xi's rallies with Winnie the Pooh-themed masks, and on a few occasions police were called due to scuffles between pro- and anti-Xi campaigners threatening to turn violent.
Unsurprisingly, the election's results were awaited eagerly by political analysts both in China and worldwide, eager to see how 'the meme election' or 'the Pooh election', as it was sometimes nicknamed, would turn out. At first, the omens were good for Xi- he beat Zang by over a percentage point in the first round (something even Wang Qishan was unable to do when he won the Mayoralty for the Kuomintang in 2000), and the combined vote for Zang and Chen did not add up to a majority of the vote. On top of that, the Progressives lost far too much ground in the City Council elections to hold power, and a Kuomintang-led coalition was seen as the only plausible option.
However, as the transfers were counted for the instant runoff, Zang started to take a lead; experts have guessed that many third-party voters were originally planning to put Xi as their highest choice of the major parties, but switched to Zang because of the controversies Xi's campaign faced and his perceived immaturity about the memes mocking him. When the instant runoff concluded, it was found Zang had won by a 5.8% margin, making her the first woman elected Mayor of Beijing in a significant upset.
Due to a combination of his feeling humiliated and the wishes of the minor parties, Xi resigned the Kuomintang caucus leadership and passed on the position of Chair of the Council to the party's deputy leader, Ding Xuexiang. Effectively, the roles of the major parties had reversed, with Zang's new mandate and office giving her newfound power and Ding's unexpected promotion putting the new City Council government in the legislature on the back foot. Six years later, Zang would win a landslide victory in her re-election campaign, and the Progressives would regain control of the City Council.
(For anyone wanting to see the 2018 election, it's here, and as always the background for this TL is here.)
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Here is the Country infobox for my Stuart Restoration timeline (Previous Post). The British isles are fairly similar to OTL, but Britain still controls Ireland and much of their colonies have been integrated in an Imperial Federation. I have also updated the previous infoboxes of the King and his heir, if anyone wants me to post them I will. I also have to credit FriendlyGhost for making the coats of arms for me.
Deleted member 92121
The PULP of the matter
(A realistic take on Pulp heroes)
"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!"
A common enough phrase, every boy and girl hears it in some point during their childhood. If you happen to live in NYC, you've seen the grafitti on the walls. If not, then you saw it in the movies, tv shows, or documentaries covering the most infamous (and admired) of the 1930's Vigilantes.
It all started in May 2, 1931, when a group of 3 muggers were found beaten nearly to death and tied up in a Hell's Kitchen alleyway. When they woke they would go on to ramble about the Shadow that lived, and the spirit that now walked the streets with a thirst for vengeance. It made for some unusual headlines, and thus The Shadow was born.
Of all the crimefighters from that decade, The Shadow stands out in two categories. First, none was more violent and bloody. While other "heroes" fell short of murder, this masked NYC vigilante had no such qualms. From May 1931 to September 1943, at least 132 murders have been officialy recognized as having been carried out by the figure. Smaller criminals such as robbers, pimps and dealers would usually be found beaten or, at the very least, permanently traumatized. But with organized crime, things were completely different. No other vigilante orchestrated a more precise and thorough attack on the criminal underworld of any american city ever. The Shadow was ruthless in his attacks, from the murders of Lucky Luciano in 1935, Vito Genovese in 1938, or Albert Anastasia in 1939, no criminal boss was safe from his attacks, almost always carried out by handguns. These antics would gain the figure immense support amongst the media and the public, who were mostly glad to see these powerful men dead, regardless of any due process.
The second aspect that made The Shadow so unusual was the mystery and the ammount of question that always surrounded the figure. Most criminologists find it hard to separate the actual vigilante from the ocean of urban myths that emanated from his actions, be them ghosts, magical mind control, or immortality. In fact, many find it hard to determine if the Shadow was in of itself a single individual, or a group of figures. What was proven in the 1937 Ross Hearings was that there existed a "Shadow Syndicate" of figures cooperating and aiding the masked figure(s) in its exploits. The 2020 Netflix documentary series "Light upon The Shadow" claimed to have identified at least 31 individuals that had been at some point members of such a syndicate, with only two still being alive by the time of filming.
The Shadow operations came to an end, just as suddenly as they had begun, somewhere in late 1943. Most vigilante action taking his name after that has been deemed copycat. The identity of the individual or group remains a mystery to this day. Former Vigilante and writer Richard Curtis Van Loan claimed in 1946 to have a suspicion, but never ellaborated. Margot Lane, "Madame Shadow" herself, was always suspected of knowing the true identity of the masked vigilante, but never confirmed nor denied the facts.
A figure with incredible impact in New York and American society as a whole, "The Shadow" remains as controversial as he was famous. His continuing presence in popular culture could be seen in the great success that was the 2019 FX miniseries "Heroes: Shadow". To this day the FBI's Department of Vigilante Affairs maintains a heavy presence in New York City. The Bureau's official position is that it would not have been feasable for a single individual to have conducted such operations.
Lamont Cranston remains an american mystery. Most haven't heard the name. But in 1930's New York he was the most coveted, mysterious and popular of bachelors.
What is know about his early life is that he was born to a lower class shipyard worker and a housewife around Brooklyn. Details grow thin until the american entry in WW1, when Cranston volunteered for the Army. Eventually he was deployed to Siberia, during the US intervention in the Russian Civil War. It was there, while traveling with his regiment about 40 miles outside Vladivostok, that Cranston disappeared.
For over 10 years the man remained missing. Today there is a large number of books, articles and even some tv episodes on the History Channel dedicated to his mystery, but at the time he was simply another casuality of the Siberian cold. The have been a number of reported sightings (most deeply untrustworthy). Some say he rode with the Mad Baron Sternberg in Mongolia around 1921. Others that he was seen in Lhasa consulting with monks, or governing opium dens in central China as the "White Devil of Wuhan". Living in the Royal Court at Kabul, Fighting pirates near Formosa, leading pirates near Formosa, drinking tea with Gandhi. Most of it speculation and High society gossip.
Regardless of his experiences, Lamont Cranston returned to New York City at the dawn of 1931, a considerably wealthy and educated man. Purchasing a luxurious Penthouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Cranston soon became the talk of the town.
A veritable "Jay Gatsby" of the 1930's, his parties and gatherings were the stuff of legend. Yet the man himself was not often seen in his own events. Sometimes he would go missing for weeks at a time. Many were the cases of his romantic affairs, yet none seemed to last or ammount to anything significant.
The mystery that was Lamont Cranstons vanished on January 18, 1944. At first most believed he would pop up again in a few weeks, perhaps in one of his parties. But he never did. No family even showed up to claim his fortune. There has been talk of a very generous, detailed and expansive will, covering dozens of individuals. But the details are legaly sealed for another twenty years.
Margot Lane, or "Madame Shadow" as she was known in her younger years, is a figure of high repute and history in New York City. Born to the wealthy Lane Steel fortune, Margot had a privileged upbringing and education. Her privilege allowed her to pursue her dream career, that of Journalism. In 1932 Lane became the youngest collumnist in the New York Times. As most women in her profession, she was expected to run little more than a fashion or gossip column by her male colleagues. Not content with that, Lane grew fascinate by the growing Vigilante presence in the United States, in particular NYC's very own "Shadow".
Throughout the decade Margot would cover the adventures and exploits of that violent vigilante, gaining a readers following in the millions. The ammount of information and details in her column was so high, that many suspected she had to know the figure personally. This earned her the knickname "Madame Shadow" which she gladly embraced. It also earned her the ire of criminal groups that attempted to murder or kidnapp her at least 4 times from 1934 to 1941.
Following the end of the Shadow operations, Lane moved on to cover other Vigilante cases throughout the United States and write a number of books on the subject, though she never reached the same level of connection she held to the Shadow. While retiring from the profession in 1975, she remained deeply influential in journalistic circles until her death, and is seen as an example to many.
.........................
Previously: Doc Savage
MUCH more satisfactory. Though I see you're going with the radio version of his true identity, rather than the Pulp Magazine version.
Hmm, so if he's the only one who killed, I guess you won't be doing The Spider?
You mentioned that you're gonna do the Green Hornet; will you also be reffing his ancestor the Lone Ranger?
Other possibilities; Operator No. 5, Nick Carter, G-8, the Avenger, Moon Man, Domino Lady, the Black Bat, the Phantom Detective, the Whisperer, the Park Avenue Hunt Club, hte Secret Six.
(this is assuming a relatively narrow definition of the term; personally, I tend to a rather broader definition)
For his crim college, I can see him losing it thanks to the horrific use of eugenics, and the people who work there who actually do want to reform the criminals, help reform the place into the best criminal reform center in the nation, maybe even the world.
I can also see Patricia distancing herself from savage and trying to be like savage but better and with morals.
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The Court party was a collection of various disparate groups and factions that were united either in their support of Bute's administration or their opposition to the alternatives. The Court comprised of Butites, followers of Bute that included some former Tories, pro-Bute Whigs and the majority of Scottish Members of Parliament who traditionally backed whatever government was in power. The Court also included several conservative to moderate Whig factions including the conservative Grenvillites and Foxites and the moderate Bedfordites. Lastly the Court also included a number of former Tories, malcontent opposition Whigs and Independent Members of Parliament who were fond on the new government and the new reign. Much of the Court's political strength lay in both treasury boroughs and open boroughs, the former including many seats in the south-west of England and the latter including the number of seats where something near to a genuine electoral contest occurred. The Court was often referred to as 'Tories' by opposition Whigs, though a significant amount of the Court's members were either Whigs or Independents.
The opposition was divided among four broad groupings, with three being near to factions of parties. The largest of these factions were the Pelhamites who were referred to as Whigs. Once the dominant force in British politics, they had been deprived of placemen or 'Swiss' MPs, Members of Parliament who voted with the government out of their own political and career self-interest. The Whigs were comprised mainly of those MPs pledged to and supportive of former the Prime Minister, the Duke of Newcastle. Newcastle's break with Pitt also saw Pitt's unofficial following in Parliament, the Pittites or the 'Patriots' emerge a strong force in mainly urban seats where they gained the support of electors and local politicians who supported Pitt who strongly objected to Bute's pro-peace beliefs. A rump of several dozen Tories who while favourable to Bute stubbornly clung to their political independence and sat as Tories. The label of Tory here is potentially misleading as most of these MPs preferred other nomenclatures such as 'Country Party', 'Independents', 'Country Gentlemen' or representatives of the 'Old Interest'. Tory strength was particularly strong in ancestrally Cavalier English counties, Oxfordshire and in urban areas where Tory radicalism ensured victories.
Estimates after the election suggested a nominal plurality for the Court, with 121 Members pledged to Newcastle, 96 to Bute, 73 rump Tories, 83 'King's Friends', 58 Pittite Patriots, 22 to the Duke of Bedford, 22 to Henry Fox, 14 to other pro-Court politicians, and 69 Independents, noted as Doubtful or Absent.
The presidency was vacant coming into the election, with Vice President Francis Warren, a Republican from Wyoming, having served as Acting President since 1909. Warren was not chosen as a candidate, as the three major party candidates were former Speaker of the House Champ Clark of Missouri, the Democratic candidate, Congressman William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska, who was the Progressive candidate, having previously been the Populist Party candidate in 1896, 1900, and 1904, and Governor Charles Evans Hughes of New York, the Republican candidate. The candidates' respective running mates were Congressman Joseph Goulden of New York, Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey, and Senator Wesley Jones of Washington.
The three candidates all received similar levels of support, with Clark winning in the south, Bryan being strong in the midwest and on the Great Plains, and Hughes performing well on the Eastern seaboard. This resulted in a hung election, with none of the three candidates being able to claim the necessary 266 electoral votes to win. Bryan and Wilson led the way with 211, and 36.3% of the popular vote, while Clark and Goulden finished second in the electoral college with 178 electoral votes and 28.5% of the popular vote, and Hughes and Jones finished third in the electoral college with 142 votes, but with 31.5% of the popular vote. The remaining popular votes were split between minor factions, such as the Populist, Socialist, and Prohibition parties. This was the first time that the Progressive Party had won the most electoral college or popular votes in a presidential election.
With the electoral college split, the election was thrown to Congress to decide in a contingent election. The Senate was to vote between Wilson and Goulden for the vice presidency, while the House of Representatives could choose between each of the three major candidates, with each state receiving one vote. Republicans held the plurality of the seats in both chambers, but there was no majority party. Goulden, a relatively anonymous moderate member of Congress, was chosen by the Senate by a
However, while the Constitution required the Senate to chose between the top two candidates in the electoral college balloting for Vice President, the House of Representatives was to pick between the top three candidates for President - Bryan, Clark, and Hughes. Each state voted as a bloc, with states that were tied abstaining from the balloting. With forty-seven states represented in the House, the vote of twenty-four would be required to elect a President. In the first round of balloting, sixteen states voted for Clark, fourteen for Bryan, and eleven for Hughes, while six were unable to reach a consensus and abstained. While Clark had a strong base of support from the southern representatives, who were reluctant to vote for either the "radical" Bryan or the "Yankee Republican" Hughes, he had little chance of winning the vote of ten other states. Meanwhile, the Progressive members of Congress were unwilling to vote for anyone except Bryan, whom they saw as the rightful President, as he had won the most electoral college votes, the largest share of the popular vote, and had carried more states than the other two candidates. Finally, the Republicans were also unwilling to vote for either Clark or Bryan, and it soon became clear that a consensus had been reached
While a number of follow-up votes were held over the following months, as the Constitution was understood to require, no progress could be made, and it was clear that Clark, Bryan, and Hughes would not receive the necessary 24 state-votes. For the second consecutive election, a deadlocked House of Representatives was unable to elect a President, and on Inauguration Day, March 4th, 1913, Francis Warren, the 26th Vice President, acting as the 27th President, handed over power to Joseph Goulden, the 27th Vice President, acting as the 28th President, in a muted ceremony at the White House.
While there was outrage from many Progressives, who felt that the election had been "stolen" from Bryan, and even some minor civil unrest in some western states as the outcome of the election became clear, the precedent of the House of Representatives failing to elect a President had been set four years previously with the installation of Warren as Vice President, and Warren had served four years in the office, acting as President with little controversy considering the unusual circumstances.
Goulden's term in office proceeded relatively unremarkably. The House of Representatives elections in 1914 even saw a swing towards the Democrats, as
Stone vetoed five bills while he was acting as President, something that neither Warren nor Goulden had done even once while in office. The conflict between the legislative and executive branches came to a head in December of that year, when, as he had threatened to do, Stone vetoed the Revenue Act of 1915, which had been supported by Progressives and Republicans alike. The Congress attempted to override his veto, but were unable to do so because of the votes of Stone's southern Democratic allies, and the Revenue Act failed.
As Republican candidate Hughes had been a moderate Governor of New York, who had advocated for some progressive policies, it was agreed that the House would once again vote for the presidency, and that the Progressive members of the House would switch their votes from Bryan to Hughes. This resulted in twenty-six states voting for Hughes, sixteen for Clark, and five states not voting, which meant that Charles Evans Hughes was elected as the 29th President of the United States on December 16, 1915, more than three years after the initial election had taken place. William Stone stopped acting as president after 227 days serving in the office, most of which had come while Congress was out of session. This was the only time in United States history that congressional action had directly led to the replacement of a president, and, following the passage of the Twentieth Amendment, this can now only occur through impeachment.
Hughes served out the remaining year and 78 days of the presidential term, but lost his bid for re-election in 1916 to Progressive candidate Hiram Johnson, who championed the passage of the Twentieth Amendment, which changed the procedure for contingent elections in the House, ensuring that the non-election in 1908 and 1912 could not be repeated.
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Greater Virginia - The Civil War
Greater Virginia - Reconstruction
Greater Virginia - The Gilded Age
Greater Virginia - The Progressive Era
Greater Virginia - The Roaring Twenties
Greater Virginia - The Great Depression
Greater Virginia - World War II and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Era
Going into the 1940 Convention Virginia would fall behind Franklin Roosevelt, as did most delegations, and along with South Carolina voted for Wallace for Vice President over Speaker Bankhead. But there were signs of dissension as the Byrd Organization still was able to send a vocal and sizable minority with the state delegation that were kept from voting their preferences due to the Convention Unit Rule. This presented warning signs to Roosevelt that a reversion to the Byrd Organization could prove problematic for national policy, which is why Roosevelt pushed Senator Neely to run for Governor in 1941 and keep the New Deal Consensus in state appointments. This would backfire very quickly, as even as conservative isolationist Senator Rush Holt was replaced with New Deal internationalist Kilgore and Neely would be easily elected Governor, Harry Byrd would be elected Senator in the 1942 midterm and become a thorn in the side of Roosevelt throughout the remainder of his Presidency. Despite Byrd’s presence in the Senate, Governor Neely would still be in charge of patronage for the state and as such western Virginia would have the edge in national delegations going into the 1944 Convention; so even as Neely grew to resent the job of Governor, desperately wanting to get back into the Senate, he did perform the role Roosevelt wanted. Though this would prove a mixed blessing for Roosevelt at the 1944 Convention as Virginia’s loyalty to Roosevelt, a vocal minority wanting to back Byrd aside, led to Southern opposition being scattered...but it also led to Virginia lined up behind Henry Wallace for Vice President. Virginia holding onto its unit rule, despite the National Committee pushing for dissolution, meant that Wallace held the delegate lead on the second ballot and held back a planned rush to Truman. It would take a third ballot, and Illinois, to finally break the flood for Truman. Virginia would play a similar role at the Republican Conventions, where the westerner contingent was even more prominent, backing Dewey at the 48 Convention and more prominently for Taft in the 1952 Convention. When Eisenhower failed to win the Republican nomination on the first ballot it looked like the anti-Eisenhower forces may prevail...only for Minnesota to buck Stassen on the second ballot, who they were nominally but weakly pledged to, and get Ike right up against a majority which encouraged the other delegations to abandon their original pledges for the war hero. Despite the eastern shift in Virginia politics after the rise in Civil Rights protests in the fifties, westerners would continue to hold the balance of power at Democratic Conventions and so in the 1956 and 1960 Democratic Conventions, Virginia would buck the trend of the rest of the South backing Kefauver over Kennedy for Vice President in 56, and backing Humphrey over Johnson for President in 60.
World War II, and the immediate post War time period would be a time of transition for the United States. After a war against a great evil, where soldiers both black and white had served, there was agitation for equal rights...and just as much agitation to return to normal. As President Truman embraced civil rights and more populist rhetoric, eastern Virginia would begin to see a resurgence of the Republican Party. So even as Truman won the state, and Matthew Neely once again ousted Senator Byrd in 1948, there were signs of the changes in the state. Vice President Barkley would be forced to act as tiebreaker after the 1950 elections and Republicans would ride Eisenhower’s coattails into control of Congress, Ike would win Virginia in both 1952 and 1956, and would hold the Senate until after the 1956 election; Vice President Nixon would have to break ties after the 1954 midterms. Harry Byrd would make yet another return to the Senate defeating William Laird, serving after the death of Harley Kilgore, using Laird’s refusal to sign the Southern Manifesto as a campaign issue during the 1956 Special Senate Election. The Democrats would get the Senate back just in time for President Eisenhower to intervene in the South to end segregation and call for a Civil Rights bill. Majority Leader Johnson would maneuver a watered down version of the bill through the Senate in 1957, to appease both wings of his party. This sort of middle day would trickle down to Virginia where an all eastern ticket would be elected Governor and Lt. Governor, with both candidates having supported segregation loudly but also declining to oppose federal orders. By contrast, Harry Byrd was as vicious as always, demanding that Virginia commit to “massive resistance” to federal intervention in Virginia. To mollify Byrd, an ally of his named Absalom Robertson would be appointed to replace Matthew Neely upon his death, but Senator Byrd would prove to be out of step with the mood of the state and in 1958 would be replaced with another Byrd, Robert Byrd who would become a leading figure nationally in the decades to come; Robertson would lose in a special election to Jennings Randolph. The next few years would see a back and forth as national efforts on Civil Rights would result in eastern turnout, while in other years power would drift back west. Robertson would unseat Jennings Randolph the same year Kennedy won Virginia, the following year westerner Attorney General Wally Barron would become Governor and in 1964 Harry Byrd would make his final return to the Senate, unseating Robert Byrd the year of the Civil Rights Act and Lyndon Johnson’s landslide victory.
Greater Virginia - Reconstruction
Greater Virginia - The Gilded Age
Greater Virginia - The Progressive Era
Greater Virginia - The Roaring Twenties
Greater Virginia - The Great Depression
Greater Virginia - World War II and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Era
Going into the 1940 Convention Virginia would fall behind Franklin Roosevelt, as did most delegations, and along with South Carolina voted for Wallace for Vice President over Speaker Bankhead. But there were signs of dissension as the Byrd Organization still was able to send a vocal and sizable minority with the state delegation that were kept from voting their preferences due to the Convention Unit Rule. This presented warning signs to Roosevelt that a reversion to the Byrd Organization could prove problematic for national policy, which is why Roosevelt pushed Senator Neely to run for Governor in 1941 and keep the New Deal Consensus in state appointments. This would backfire very quickly, as even as conservative isolationist Senator Rush Holt was replaced with New Deal internationalist Kilgore and Neely would be easily elected Governor, Harry Byrd would be elected Senator in the 1942 midterm and become a thorn in the side of Roosevelt throughout the remainder of his Presidency. Despite Byrd’s presence in the Senate, Governor Neely would still be in charge of patronage for the state and as such western Virginia would have the edge in national delegations going into the 1944 Convention; so even as Neely grew to resent the job of Governor, desperately wanting to get back into the Senate, he did perform the role Roosevelt wanted. Though this would prove a mixed blessing for Roosevelt at the 1944 Convention as Virginia’s loyalty to Roosevelt, a vocal minority wanting to back Byrd aside, led to Southern opposition being scattered...but it also led to Virginia lined up behind Henry Wallace for Vice President. Virginia holding onto its unit rule, despite the National Committee pushing for dissolution, meant that Wallace held the delegate lead on the second ballot and held back a planned rush to Truman. It would take a third ballot, and Illinois, to finally break the flood for Truman. Virginia would play a similar role at the Republican Conventions, where the westerner contingent was even more prominent, backing Dewey at the 48 Convention and more prominently for Taft in the 1952 Convention. When Eisenhower failed to win the Republican nomination on the first ballot it looked like the anti-Eisenhower forces may prevail...only for Minnesota to buck Stassen on the second ballot, who they were nominally but weakly pledged to, and get Ike right up against a majority which encouraged the other delegations to abandon their original pledges for the war hero. Despite the eastern shift in Virginia politics after the rise in Civil Rights protests in the fifties, westerners would continue to hold the balance of power at Democratic Conventions and so in the 1956 and 1960 Democratic Conventions, Virginia would buck the trend of the rest of the South backing Kefauver over Kennedy for Vice President in 56, and backing Humphrey over Johnson for President in 60.
World War II, and the immediate post War time period would be a time of transition for the United States. After a war against a great evil, where soldiers both black and white had served, there was agitation for equal rights...and just as much agitation to return to normal. As President Truman embraced civil rights and more populist rhetoric, eastern Virginia would begin to see a resurgence of the Republican Party. So even as Truman won the state, and Matthew Neely once again ousted Senator Byrd in 1948, there were signs of the changes in the state. Vice President Barkley would be forced to act as tiebreaker after the 1950 elections and Republicans would ride Eisenhower’s coattails into control of Congress, Ike would win Virginia in both 1952 and 1956, and would hold the Senate until after the 1956 election; Vice President Nixon would have to break ties after the 1954 midterms. Harry Byrd would make yet another return to the Senate defeating William Laird, serving after the death of Harley Kilgore, using Laird’s refusal to sign the Southern Manifesto as a campaign issue during the 1956 Special Senate Election. The Democrats would get the Senate back just in time for President Eisenhower to intervene in the South to end segregation and call for a Civil Rights bill. Majority Leader Johnson would maneuver a watered down version of the bill through the Senate in 1957, to appease both wings of his party. This sort of middle day would trickle down to Virginia where an all eastern ticket would be elected Governor and Lt. Governor, with both candidates having supported segregation loudly but also declining to oppose federal orders. By contrast, Harry Byrd was as vicious as always, demanding that Virginia commit to “massive resistance” to federal intervention in Virginia. To mollify Byrd, an ally of his named Absalom Robertson would be appointed to replace Matthew Neely upon his death, but Senator Byrd would prove to be out of step with the mood of the state and in 1958 would be replaced with another Byrd, Robert Byrd who would become a leading figure nationally in the decades to come; Robertson would lose in a special election to Jennings Randolph. The next few years would see a back and forth as national efforts on Civil Rights would result in eastern turnout, while in other years power would drift back west. Robertson would unseat Jennings Randolph the same year Kennedy won Virginia, the following year westerner Attorney General Wally Barron would become Governor and in 1964 Harry Byrd would make his final return to the Senate, unseating Robert Byrd the year of the Civil Rights Act and Lyndon Johnson’s landslide victory.
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The Kingdom of Hawaii has survived with two major political parties, the National Liberal and Kuokoa for both the left and the right respectively. Kuokoa is the older of the two, being embroiled as a pro independence party, and much admired with freedom fighters during the Imperial German occupation throughout the 1920s. Eventually, the headaches by the local rebels convinced Kaiser Wilhelm to formally grant the colony independence, with the last german forces leaving via a rocket launch in 1949. With the absence of the Germans, the political vacuum was hastily filled with the older Kuokoa and the newly minted National Liberal party.
Kuokoa
Steadfast since 1909 with the merger of the Anti-Annexation and Independent Parties into the conservative powerhouse today, Hawaiian politics was shaped much by their actions, with many early Prime Ministers coming from it until the 1960s with the implementation of a two party system. It's administration is also infamous for accepting numerous german refugees and colonial expatriates from the unsteady German empire, including war criminals such as Otto Dirlewanger and Adolf Eichmann. It's biggest influence was the tenure of self proclaimed Emperor of America Ronald Reagan, who opted to flee lest he be murdered by vengeance hungry mobs for the mushroom clouds that loomed above Dallas and New York City. He would argue for supply side economics and preside over a record economic boom in the state, buoyed by international investment and business friendly policies being implemented. However, it was sent to a surprise upset in the 2017 general election, becoming the opposition and downgrading former Prime Minister Linda Lingle to the title of Vice Prime Minister.
It's major factions include Goldwater Conservatism, named after the former President of the United States Barry Goldwater, infamously known for glassing Beijing "to test Mao's resolve in Vietnam." Hawaii was luckily spared, and during a quick false name change and the application of a fake mustache, the Arizonan became a citizen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Finding much with the burgeoning libertarian movement within Hawaii, he shaped the Kuokoa party and was elected chairman as appreciation and acknowledgement of his efforts.
Today, Kuokoa remains in opposition, though has big plans for next election, seeking to take back their majority in moderating their conservative issues while buoying kitchen table issues in front of potential voters.
National Liberal
The little brother from another mother to Kuokoa, National Liberal has been the ruling party, controlling the Prime Minister, majorities in the House of Nobles and Representatives and an impressive handful of Provincial Governors under their banner. It's shrinking conservative faction has all been shut out of power, with those disillusioned with the far left ideals opting to look to the opposition for answers. In place of it's conservative wing rose a far right environmentalist, copying many ideals cherished in Aloha Aina, with a staunch defense of mother nature through militant and right wing actions.
It has also been the subject to german influence, with Herman Ige Goring, named after the former Prussian President, wooing the hotly contested and fiercely fluctuating german-hawaiian vote. The point of their headquarters being within the old German Harbor settlement of Wilhelmshaven is abundantly clear in it's purpose, to suction enough german-hawaiians to keep their majority. However, these people must downplay the association with environmental fascism, as many are descendants of religious minorities who had to flee thanks to far right regimes within Germany or Austria-Hungary. The National Liberal has a strong lock on the localized african community, with an often 70 to 28 split in favor of NL over Kuokoa. However, the tiny population has not proven enough to flip a few seats, though altering demographics within the Kingdom seem to be making it closer to a reality in future elections.
Kuokoa
Steadfast since 1909 with the merger of the Anti-Annexation and Independent Parties into the conservative powerhouse today, Hawaiian politics was shaped much by their actions, with many early Prime Ministers coming from it until the 1960s with the implementation of a two party system. It's administration is also infamous for accepting numerous german refugees and colonial expatriates from the unsteady German empire, including war criminals such as Otto Dirlewanger and Adolf Eichmann. It's biggest influence was the tenure of self proclaimed Emperor of America Ronald Reagan, who opted to flee lest he be murdered by vengeance hungry mobs for the mushroom clouds that loomed above Dallas and New York City. He would argue for supply side economics and preside over a record economic boom in the state, buoyed by international investment and business friendly policies being implemented. However, it was sent to a surprise upset in the 2017 general election, becoming the opposition and downgrading former Prime Minister Linda Lingle to the title of Vice Prime Minister.
It's major factions include Goldwater Conservatism, named after the former President of the United States Barry Goldwater, infamously known for glassing Beijing "to test Mao's resolve in Vietnam." Hawaii was luckily spared, and during a quick false name change and the application of a fake mustache, the Arizonan became a citizen of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Finding much with the burgeoning libertarian movement within Hawaii, he shaped the Kuokoa party and was elected chairman as appreciation and acknowledgement of his efforts.
Today, Kuokoa remains in opposition, though has big plans for next election, seeking to take back their majority in moderating their conservative issues while buoying kitchen table issues in front of potential voters.
National Liberal
The little brother from another mother to Kuokoa, National Liberal has been the ruling party, controlling the Prime Minister, majorities in the House of Nobles and Representatives and an impressive handful of Provincial Governors under their banner. It's shrinking conservative faction has all been shut out of power, with those disillusioned with the far left ideals opting to look to the opposition for answers. In place of it's conservative wing rose a far right environmentalist, copying many ideals cherished in Aloha Aina, with a staunch defense of mother nature through militant and right wing actions.
It has also been the subject to german influence, with Herman Ige Goring, named after the former Prussian President, wooing the hotly contested and fiercely fluctuating german-hawaiian vote. The point of their headquarters being within the old German Harbor settlement of Wilhelmshaven is abundantly clear in it's purpose, to suction enough german-hawaiians to keep their majority. However, these people must downplay the association with environmental fascism, as many are descendants of religious minorities who had to flee thanks to far right regimes within Germany or Austria-Hungary. The National Liberal has a strong lock on the localized african community, with an often 70 to 28 split in favor of NL over Kuokoa. However, the tiny population has not proven enough to flip a few seats, though altering demographics within the Kingdom seem to be making it closer to a reality in future elections.
Deleted member 92121
The PULP of the matter
(A realistic take on Pulp heroes)
Britt Herod Reid was born with the proverbial golden spoon in his hand. The son of legendary newspaper magnate Edward Herod Reid, Britt grew up in absolute luxury in Reid Castle, beneath the golden California sun. Spoilt beyond believe, Britt spent most of his childhood and formative years spending his father's money on every item of pleasure he could get his hands on.
That all changed suddenly when, in 1934, his father dropped dead. Reid was left in charge of a major newspaper conglomarate. In order to calm investors and shareholders, he decided to personally take the helm over one of the most prosperous of his newspapers: The Daily Sentinel.
That lasted for a while. But soon enough Reid grew bored of the serious life, desiring to partake in the thrill of the forbidden once more. At this point the 1930's Vigilante phenomenon was in full swing, and Reid saw a chance to capitalize on that. But there were arleady plenty of men and women running around fighting crime. That was old news, and he desired to be unique. And what could be more unique then a masked villain, taking down the competition? Fighting crime from a different angle.
It was around the same time that Britt met Kato Miyagi, an immigrant for Okinawa and stuntman trying to earn a life for himself. Britt was very impressed with the martial skills displayed by Kato, and took him on as his personal assistant. For decades it was rumored around Hollywood that the two were a couple. Nothing was ever said to their face, of course. Not unless one desired to have one's reputation completely destroyed by two dozen different media outlets. But it was a open secret.
The other secret, however, was that the couple were also partners in crime. Operating from Reid's customized "Black Beauty supercar", they would attack criminal venues, ranging from chop shops to mob nightclubs. The word soon spread about the "Green Hornet", master of the Los Angeles criminal underworld. In time, not only the LAPD were hunting down the Hornet, but also every criminal in town, as well as every vigilante.
Reid's fortune allowed the pair a great degree of leeway, managing to have the best tools needed for their jobs, and the best laywers to shut down any public inquiry. At times he would've the Sentinel publish misleading information in order to draw suspicion away from his identity.
The most famous of the Hornet's exploits was certainly the 1947 shootout with gangster Mickey Cohen, wich resulted in the later's death. By the 1950's the pair stated to go into semi-retirement, and suspicion about their activities, personal and criminal, begun to be more broadly aknowledge.
Reid did not take getting old very well. His hedonistic tendencies begun to return, in search of more personal gratification. In 1969, after getting heavily intoxicated in a Hollywood party, Reid decided to challenge Steve McQueen to a car race on the Pacific Coast Highway. McQueen accepted, and Reid promptly drove off a cliff to his death.
In his will Britt Reid left his entire fortune to Kato Miyagi, totaling aroung 4.8 Billion dollars. Kato admitted to the couple's relationship, as well as to their secret identities in 1972, and their biography written by Margot Lane was a global success. In time Kato became very active in the LGBTQ community, donnating millions to AIDS research.
......................
Previously: Doc Savage , The Shadow
(A realistic take on Pulp heroes)
Britt Herod Reid was born with the proverbial golden spoon in his hand. The son of legendary newspaper magnate Edward Herod Reid, Britt grew up in absolute luxury in Reid Castle, beneath the golden California sun. Spoilt beyond believe, Britt spent most of his childhood and formative years spending his father's money on every item of pleasure he could get his hands on.
That all changed suddenly when, in 1934, his father dropped dead. Reid was left in charge of a major newspaper conglomarate. In order to calm investors and shareholders, he decided to personally take the helm over one of the most prosperous of his newspapers: The Daily Sentinel.
That lasted for a while. But soon enough Reid grew bored of the serious life, desiring to partake in the thrill of the forbidden once more. At this point the 1930's Vigilante phenomenon was in full swing, and Reid saw a chance to capitalize on that. But there were arleady plenty of men and women running around fighting crime. That was old news, and he desired to be unique. And what could be more unique then a masked villain, taking down the competition? Fighting crime from a different angle.
It was around the same time that Britt met Kato Miyagi, an immigrant for Okinawa and stuntman trying to earn a life for himself. Britt was very impressed with the martial skills displayed by Kato, and took him on as his personal assistant. For decades it was rumored around Hollywood that the two were a couple. Nothing was ever said to their face, of course. Not unless one desired to have one's reputation completely destroyed by two dozen different media outlets. But it was a open secret.
The other secret, however, was that the couple were also partners in crime. Operating from Reid's customized "Black Beauty supercar", they would attack criminal venues, ranging from chop shops to mob nightclubs. The word soon spread about the "Green Hornet", master of the Los Angeles criminal underworld. In time, not only the LAPD were hunting down the Hornet, but also every criminal in town, as well as every vigilante.
Reid's fortune allowed the pair a great degree of leeway, managing to have the best tools needed for their jobs, and the best laywers to shut down any public inquiry. At times he would've the Sentinel publish misleading information in order to draw suspicion away from his identity.
The most famous of the Hornet's exploits was certainly the 1947 shootout with gangster Mickey Cohen, wich resulted in the later's death. By the 1950's the pair stated to go into semi-retirement, and suspicion about their activities, personal and criminal, begun to be more broadly aknowledge.
Reid did not take getting old very well. His hedonistic tendencies begun to return, in search of more personal gratification. In 1969, after getting heavily intoxicated in a Hollywood party, Reid decided to challenge Steve McQueen to a car race on the Pacific Coast Highway. McQueen accepted, and Reid promptly drove off a cliff to his death.
In his will Britt Reid left his entire fortune to Kato Miyagi, totaling aroung 4.8 Billion dollars. Kato admitted to the couple's relationship, as well as to their secret identities in 1972, and their biography written by Margot Lane was a global success. In time Kato became very active in the LGBTQ community, donnating millions to AIDS research.
......................
Previously: Doc Savage , The Shadow
- Status