The sunset days of the Hayden Administration seemed to carry a warm glow of stability and non-controversy that would have floated Vice President Roosevelt into office. But October 2004's sharp recession, and Hayden's unpopular imposition of austerity measures, cut any romance out of the campaign. Kennedy, freshman Assemblyman from New York, scion of a gleaming political family, sailed to the nomination and took Wesley Clark, who led anti-government forces during the Hot Seventies, as his running mate. Roosevelt, a pre-eminent member of the Socialist Party's hard left, forged a common platform with the Communists that advocated the socialization of all industries, abolition of wages and replacement with labor-based Transferable Work Point Credits, and extremely high income and wealth taxes. United Center, who had been excluded from the traditionally nonpartisan policymaking process, adopted a far more moderate platform calling for a negative income tax, job retraining programs, infrastructure investment, and removing unnecessary regulations.
Kennedy's charisma, wide-ranging appeal, and the unpopularity of his rival broke the Socialists' 25-year spell in government and swept his party to power.