Camelot or Camenot?

I'm shivering in anticipation of what Plan Indigo will unleash on Obama. :eek::D

Keep 'em coming, RB.
 
“In February 2007, the Democratic and Republican parties fielded two candidates each to succeed the popular incumbent Democratic President Robert Kennedy. Democrats, in a historic first, had not one but two viable African-American candidates for the presidency. As was made clear almost immediately, they came from two different wings of the party: Obama was a self-proclaimed ‘progressive’ though not affiliated with any Democratic caucus. Ford was the New Democratic leader in the Senate, a well known economic moderate and social conservative: he had been a vocal supporter of the Defence of Marriage Act as a House candidate in 1998. As in all Democratic contests since at least 1980, ideology, not personality was the issue.”

Sen. Jeb Bush on the stump, March 2007
Jeb%20Bush.jpg


Nancy Pelosi could not endorse a candidate because of her official position as Minority Leader, yet she had been one of the ones to encourage Harold Ford to enter the race. Yet she was highly suspicious of the motives of both Attorney General Hillary Clinton and Vice President Bayh not to enter the race. Both had been discussed as potential nominees for months in senior Democratic circles, both were well-qualified and both were DLC Democrats who could easily obtain Kennedy’s active support by running. Yet neither did. Bayh might not want to be President, but Clinton sure does, and that’s no secret to anyone in this town. Pelosi considered, and then dismissed the possibility that some ‘Machiavellian ruse’ was being orchestrated by the White House. He has the motives, means and opportunity to severely damage Barack but Bob could not have convinced Hillary to drop her lifelong ambition to fulfill a personal vendetta of his.

Senate Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), 2008
Nancy+Pelosi.jpg


“I am very pleased with Harold out-raising BO by a few million in Q1 as well as what appears to be a stronger organization. Harold also has youth and idealism on his side: nearly a decade younger than Obama, in my opinion a more versatile speaker, at repartee along with the set piece. No question Obama delivers an excellent set speech, but I’ve done 90% of my work with the pen, not the microphone. All you have to do is go into the Congressional Record: which bills were passed, which Obama opposed. He opposed Social Security, DOMA, and free trade with Colombia but supported tort reform: if Harold keeps on emphasizing that he supported Social Security and Colombia he should be able to land a few blows. DOMA should only be reserved for certain speeches to certain people at a certain time, but good luck getting votes from Hispanics or conservative black preachers if and when Harold publicizes it. But what no one knows, including Hillary, is the issue of Obama’s pastor. I know that whole story from Richie and Bill Daley and all one of Harold’s people needs to do is purchase a tape of Wright’s recent sermons, particularly the ones about AIDS and Jews. Play it for a few people from the Times, a couple of days before Super Tuesday. That way we can get him out of the way and Harold will be our nominee. It is quite innocuous, with no hint of anything but pure coincidence.
- RFK Diaries, Apr. 9

Barack Obama was quite happy with a good start to his presidential campaign. The job he’d wanted ever since entering the Senate a decade earlier now seemed within his grasp. Ford was a good opponent, and at least there would be no confusion as to where they stood on the issues. Both had agreed to a series of debates to be held between them starting in June, and Obama had come out the loser both on style and content. Voters had preferred Ford’s moderation to Obama’s progressivism, and his younger opponent had appeared much more hawkish on foreign policy. Most of all, no longer would he have to deal with his nemesis in the White House after the election. Like all Washingtonians, Obama could not believe that Clinton had foregone her presidential ambitions, nor was he convinced that the President had convinced Clinton to ‘clear the decks’ to enable his devious manoeuvring. Obama remained as hostile to the President as ever, and once told his press secretary, Robert Gibbs that ‘if you want to understand Kennedy, you have to understand that he is a good friend of Karl Rove’s and it is no accident either. They use the same methods: quietly, methodically, using dirty tricks, smears and carefully aimed rhetoric to either co-opt you or destroy you. There are enemies and there are friends, nothing in between. If more people knew that there would be less naïveté about the man and less respect for him as well.’
-Excerpted from Shadow Wars: Robert Kennedy, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party

Mutual Contempt: Obama blasts DOMA before Human Rights Watch, June 2007
Barack-Obama-Speech-Ohio.jpg


"I am thrilled to be among friends today ,as I have been for the past 20 years while fighting for the moral values that we cherish."
- President Kennedy before the Catholic Bishops' Conference, June 11
51316078.jpg

“I’ve been applying constant but soft pressure on the donors to ease off on Obama and give as much as possible to Harold without the diversion looking obvious to anyone outside the loop. PI has been conceived so that nothing can be traced back to me or anyone close to me, either directly or indirectly. It is a series of coincidences that just happen to give HF the nomination. One thing is for certain: if Obama somehow wins the nomination, I will be hoping for a Republican victory and will not lift a finger for Obama in the general election. Well, if we’re not counting the middle finger. I win both ways: if Obama loses to Bush or Romney, both of whom I would support covertly over Obama, his presidential possibility is finished. If Ford wins and is defeated, Obama will be 55 in 2016 and be a thoroughly jaded Washington insider. A candidate might still be electable but have lost his lustre and electoral raison d’être. If I had blown it in 2000 I might have been viable in 2008, but it would’ve been a Nixonian ‘can we win with someone who previously narrowly lost despite being the heir apparent’ sort of thing. If I had to choose between Bush and Romney I’d choose Bush: Romney is a John Kerry clone in constantly flip-flopping on core issues that infuriate his party’s base. As I’ve always said: flip-flops should be reserved for the beach, not a presidential campaign. Bush can also take the Hispanic vote: speaks the language, has a Hispanic wife, is RC, and can highlight Obama’s social liberalism.”
- RFK Diaries, Dec. 9
 

Teleology

Banned
This is starting to get ridiculous, the style is impeccable (the "writing" as far as the personalities being conveyed), but the timeline itself is just as much a wank as a successful Sealion. I like fun stuff that doesn't worry about plausibility, but this is more of an art piece than a pulpy, two-fisted "nazis versus dinosaurs" sort of thing.

The fact that it seems to take itself so seriously makes me have to point out how much of a wank it is. It's not actually a POD timeline, it's a counterfactual; the types of timelines I like. You've obviously determined you wanted a Robert Kennedy Jr. wank and manipulated everything to fit all too perfectly into one big implausibly perfect end.

Even if you keep the implausible premises like a Kennedy losing his second term despite keeping the economy from exploding, because he's too liberal (the Kennedies being the guys who do liberal well and make it work) in order to set up the whole "supremacy of the center-right in America" thing that leads up to the RKjr ascendancy...even if you hose the fact that a society with more active Kennedies would be way more interested in John Jr. than Bobby Jr., even if you take all those shortcuts that I would of taken and would have gladly recommended...

Even with all that, you still should have a few stumbles and miss-steps on the road. But no. Bob stops 9/11, Bob wins two terms, Bob is easily able to control the unruly Democrats in Congress, Pelosi cooperates with him when she has no reason to (too old for presidential ambitions and ideologically opposed to him), nobody takes liberal Democrats seriously, the bumbling Harold Ford Jr. is able to out-charisma Obama (even though you've played up the fact that Obama is a savvy political machinist; apparently he has all the downsides of that quality and none of the benefits), and it seems that Code Indigo is going to go off without a hitch.

Something would go wrong. Even if it was just minor stuff, it wouldn't have been that easy.

What it boils down to is this is a counterfactual that alters reality to have probability not function, instead this world operates on the laws of narrative. And the physical force pushing all events, no matter how improbable, is the idea that liberalism is dead and that the center-right will always triumph over the right and the left.

Which would be great, kind of like a "communism triumphant in America" timeline or a "America goes fascist timeline"; the ones that aren't well-developed like Reds! but instead are based on a desired outcome. Again, the kind of thing I'm quite fond of; because it's a great way to have Aztecs as a superpower or other crazy stuff that would be almost impossible to work plausibly random cause and effect around.

But I feel this timeline isn't honest. Nobody up front said "buckle up!" like they would for say the Walt Disney presidency in "A World of Laughter, A World of Tears".

So while I applaud your posting craftsmanship, the well-written dialogue and the use of photos and whatnot, I think that you haven't made the disclaimers and general style necessary for something this wankish to be considered well-written as a timeline and not as a story.

Interesting read, but BobJr.Wank (or more likely, center-wank/wing-screw) is still wank.
 
“At the beginning of 2008, all Americans’ eyes were transfixed on that year’s presidential election. After over a year of electioneering, now the candidates would be put to the electoral test in all 50 states and the various territories. No candidate had yet established a firm lead for their respective party’s nomination, though Obama and Bush were leading their opponents narrowly in trial matchups. Both parties were equally enthusiastic about the election: Democrats to determine where their party stood and Republicans to take back the White House after fifteen years of Democratic rule. President Robert Kennedy had not endorsed a candidate, but his call for ‘measured economic expansion and continuation of the renewable energy program’ in his final State of the Union on Jan. 27 was seen as a veiled endorsement of Ford, though it was not.”

Iowa caucuses (D), Jan. 3, 2008
FORD, HAROLD: 54.6%
OBAMA, BARACK H.: 45.3%
(R)
ROMNEY, W. MITT: 50.7%
BUSH, JOHN E.: 49.2%

New Hampshire primary (D), Jan. 8
OBAMA, BARACK H.: 52.3%
FORD, HAROLD, 46.6%
(R)
BUSH, JOHN E.: 55.8%
ROMNEY, W. MITT: 44.1%

“On Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, both Ford and Bush won enough delegates to become their parties’ presumptive nominees, and both Obama and Romney withdrew. Romney endorsed Bush, but Obama pointedly declined to endorse Ford. Only under extreme pressure from fellow Democrats such as Minority Leaders Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, as well as Obama’s benefactor Richard Daley, did he offer a tepid endorsement of Ford. Pelosi was ‘appalled and disgusted’, Daley was incredulous, but President Kennedy was one of the few who were not surprised. ‘He’s an asshole, a sore loser who can’t man up to his defeat.’ Privately he told Hillary Clinton (‘sneeringly’ in her diary) that ‘I thought only little children pouted, teenagers sulk, and certain types of girls backbite. Obama is a mixture of all 3 in my opinion.’ Kennedy endorsed Ford on Mar. 13 in Indiana, timed for ‘the right electorate at the right moment at the right time’ as Clinton later recorded. Obama had retreated to the Senate, yet called on his supporters to work for Ford in the general election.”

“I spent yesterday thinking about how right Dad was. It was the 40th anniversary of the kickoff of his presidential run back in March and soon I’ll be heading to Arlington in June for the 40th memorial Mass. How long it has been, when I stop and think about it. Now all the kids are either in graduate school or will soon make me a grandfather though I’m nowhere near old enough to fill the role in my opinion. He was partially correct: we would be ready for a black President in 40 years, but not elect one because of excessive one-party incumbency. Maybe the electorate will prove me wrong and him right. Regardless of the outcome, I will leave in January knowing that my legacy is secure on all fronts, and that the country is better off than when I entered office nearly 8 years ago. It is time to hand power to someone else, even if I definitely have another 4 years left in me if the opportunity had been allowed me.”
- RFK Diaries, May 17
“On June 6th, President Kennedy went with his uncle and other family members to Arlington National cemetery to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his father’s death. No one spoke, it was what the President himself called a ‘silent vigil’ and no reporters or anyone not invited was present. Kennedy and the DNC were preparing for the Convention in August, where he would pass the torch to Harold Ford. Throughout the summer speculation buzzed about in both parties as to whom the presumptive nominees would select as their running mates. On July 28th Jeb Bush announced his selection: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, popular among conservative Republicans and Southerners, with an eye on securing moderates as well. Ford chose Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, and both were seen as aids to their ticket-mates.”

“My fellow citizens, fellow Democrats,
It has been a great pleasure to serve this party as an elected official for the past 21 years and as a regular member for my entire adult life. We have had our triumphs and our tragedies, merriment and melancholy, successes and failures. Yet, what do we have to show for it? A stronger America, an America where seniors do not have worry about their pensions being depleted, an America where more and more young people are going to college or returning to complete their higher education. Being an American is more than just a stamp on your passport, more than one of the many regional accents we hear across this country. It is a question of the spirit, of vitality, of individual responsibility, community improvement, caring for one’s fellow citizens. The GNP tells us everything about America except what we should value most: the quality of our air, the education of our children, and the plight of the most vulnerable members of our society…”
- President Robert Kennedy’s DNC farewell address, Aug. 26
President Kennedy delivers his valedictory address, DNC Chicago, Aug. 26, 2008
51123490.jpg


“Polls showed a tight race between Ford and Bush, but in the end it call came down to a few crucial states…”
Election Night, Nov. 4
“I’m Wolf Blitzer in the CNN Election Center as we begin live coverage tonight. Polls have now closed in the East and CNN can now project that the Democrats will sweep New England…”
genusmap.php

(R) John E. Bush/ Piyush Jindal: 286 EV, 51.1%
(D) Harold Ford/ Ted Strickland: 252 EV, 48.8%
Incumbent President: Robert Kennedy (D)
President-elect: Jeb Bush (R)

Congressional-House
Republican: 236 seats (+1)
Democratic: 199 seats
Incumbent Speaker: Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Congressional-Senate
Republican: 54 seats (-4)
Democratic: 46 seats
Incumbent Majority Leader: Jon Kyl (R-AZ)
President-elect Bush declares victory, Nov. 4
IW_bush031807.jpg


“During the presidential transition, many felt relieved yet saddened: an era had ended and a new Republican era was beginning. Kennedy quietly began contemplating his future: after two decades in public life his political career had come to a close. As early as 2005 he had decided to retire to Hyannis without further ado, and cooperated fully with the incoming Bush administration. On January 20, 2009, Robert Kennedy and Jeb Bush, scions of their respective parties’ dynasties, mounted the Inaugural Stand to transfer power much as had been done 24 years earlier. Chief Justice Stephen Breyer administered the presidential oath: “I, John Ellis Bush, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God.”
Kennedy did not stay for the inaugural ceremonies, but boarded SAM 25000 for the short flight back to New York. Aboard the 747, he turned to his wife Emily. “Well, it wasn’t Camelot, but it wasn’t Camenot either, was it?”

*** THE END***
 
First off, I wish to thank my readers for all their comments. Whether praise, constructive criticism, or both, I welcome all commentary, which will go towards improving future TLs of mine. Yes, there will be another TL coming up in a few weeks, which will be my last TL for the foreseeable future, given the lengthy nature of the project.

Now, what happened to everyone?

Hillary Clinton: Retired as Attorney General, now a Professor of Criminal Law at Stanford University.

Robert Kennedy Jr.: Retired to write his memoirs, has retreated from the public eye.

Barack Obama: Known as the Senate's "Liberal Lion" and became Majority Leader upon Nancy Pelosi's retirement in 2010.

John Kennedy Jr.: Went back to media consultancy, living happily with his wife and children in New York.

Paul Ryan: Secretary of the Treasury in the Bush Administration.

Nancy Pelosi: Retired from the Senate in 2010, now lives quietly in Los Angeles with her husband and family.

Mitt Romney: Remains Governor of Massachusetts.

Ted Kennedy: recently diagnosed with brain cancer in late 2009, prognosis is grim.

George H.W. Bush: long retired to Kennebunkport, sometimes joins Robert Kennedy on joint missions on behalf of President Jeb Bush.

George W. Bush: retired in 2006 after four terms as Governor of Texas, now living quietly in Dallas.
 
Great job, great job! I thought it was truly a great timeline.:)

I look forward to the next timeline - The Impossible Dream!;)
 
This is starting to get ridiculous, the style is impeccable (the "writing" as far as the personalities being conveyed), but the timeline itself is just as much a wank as a successful Sealion. I like fun stuff that doesn't worry about plausibility, but this is more of an art piece than a pulpy, two-fisted "nazis versus dinosaurs" sort of thing.

The fact that it seems to take itself so seriously makes me have to point out how much of a wank it is. It's not actually a POD timeline, it's a counterfactual; the types of timelines I like. You've obviously determined you wanted a Robert Kennedy Jr. wank and manipulated everything to fit all too perfectly into one big implausibly perfect end.

Even if you keep the implausible premises like a Kennedy losing his second term despite keeping the economy from exploding, because he's too liberal (the Kennedies being the guys who do liberal well and make it work) in order to set up the whole "supremacy of the center-right in America" thing that leads up to the RKjr ascendancy...even if you hose the fact that a society with more active Kennedies would be way more interested in John Jr. than Bobby Jr., even if you take all those shortcuts that I would of taken and would have gladly recommended...

Even with all that, you still should have a few stumbles and miss-steps on the road. But no. Bob stops 9/11, Bob wins two terms, Bob is easily able to control the unruly Democrats in Congress, Pelosi cooperates with him when she has no reason to (too old for presidential ambitions and ideologically opposed to him), nobody takes liberal Democrats seriously, the bumbling Harold Ford Jr. is able to out-charisma Obama (even though you've played up the fact that Obama is a savvy political machinist; apparently he has all the downsides of that quality and none of the benefits), and it seems that Code Indigo is going to go off without a hitch.

Something would go wrong. Even if it was just minor stuff, it wouldn't have been that easy.

What it boils down to is this is a counterfactual that alters reality to have probability not function, instead this world operates on the laws of narrative. And the physical force pushing all events, no matter how improbable, is the idea that liberalism is dead and that the center-right will always triumph over the right and the left.

Which would be great, kind of like a "communism triumphant in America" timeline or a "America goes fascist timeline"; the ones that aren't well-developed like Reds! but instead are based on a desired outcome. Again, the kind of thing I'm quite fond of; because it's a great way to have Aztecs as a superpower or other crazy stuff that would be almost impossible to work plausibly random cause and effect around.

But I feel this timeline isn't honest. Nobody up front said "buckle up!" like they would for say the Walt Disney presidency in "A World of Laughter, A World of Tears".

So while I applaud your posting craftsmanship, the well-written dialogue and the use of photos and whatnot, I think that you haven't made the disclaimers and general style necessary for something this wankish to be considered well-written as a timeline and not as a story.

Interesting read, but BobJr.Wank (or more likely, center-wank/wing-screw) is still wank.

I have to side with most of Teleology on this argument, I just think if you would have kept it from the point of view of Teddy like you started the timeline or in flights of fate it wouldn't have seemed so onesighted. It could have been him telling the story of his presidency, and fighting agaisnt the rising tide of New Democratisim in the party and leading up to his death in 2009. In this TL, I feel like he was just a tool as a means to an end...IDK
 
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