Carter wins the 1980 election

[Max Sinister]

Why Harding? Carter is pretty much Harding's opposite in terms of personal integrity.

I'd say Mark E. meant this in terms of his competence.

But hey, the challenge only said "make him win in 1980", not "hold Democrats in power for longer".

 

[Electric Monk]

More importantly, how does popular culture change?

Here's what's in and what's out:

TV: Obviously, there's no Family Ties, but I think we also lose shows that reveled in ostentatious greed, like the prime-time soaps (Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest, etc.). We lose over-the-top Cold War paranoia shows like The Day After. Crime and legal procedurals are probably still popular, but I would expect them to be more socially conscious and message-driven, like L.A. Law and later, Law & Order, rather than the anything-justifies-getting-the-bad-guy mindset of shows like Hunter. Violence on TV is probably more regulated, so you probably miss out on TV wrestling and later shows like American Gladiators. On the other hand, sitcoms are probably largely unaffected, which means you still have Cosby; I think you also still have sitcoms like Diff'rent Strokes and Silver Spoons that play to liberal tropes. Children's TV continues to be regulated, so the next wave of cartoons would look more like Challenge of the Superfriends than OTL's toy-driven shows; you'd still have the Smurfs, but say goodbye to Transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Man and the like. That probably means that Robotech breaks out even more so than OTL
[…]

 

[Mark E.]

I'd say Mark E. meant this in terms of his competence.

I was thinking of perception of control and accumulating reputation. But yes, integrity was no comparison.

 

[GeographyDude]

I said it was the alternative, not Reagan’s alternative lol. This is a thread about Carter winning, although you’d need no Volcker appointment for Carter to do wage and price controls.

Okay, I’m glad you put it out there.

But it’s probably an area we’re going to disagree. I just don’t see price controls as the best solution to a dicey economy which is experiencing both inflation and unemployment.

 

[GeographyDude]

book published in Nov. 2018

This brother’s a conservative, I’m a liberal.

But I agree with his basic premise that good jobs are more important than a bunch of stuff.

 

[dw93]

Carter winning 1980 means the Democrats keep the Senate that year, only to lose it in 1982. The economy from 1981-1982 more or less goes the same way as Volcker is still Fed Chairman, thought the Deficit would be lower without the Kemp Roth Tax Cut. Tensions between the US and the USSR are still tense, but not to the extent of OTL without the "Evil Empire" speech. I think Howard Baker or George Bush would narrowly go on to defeat Walter Mondale in 1984, even if we see the kind of recovery in 83 and 84 that we saw in OTL, as there's bound to be fatigue with Democrats and Carter's presidency, even a two term one, will be seen as one that saw tough times more often than not. Carter's standing with the public and with historians will be a little more favorable though.

 

[Amadeus]

Carter winning 1980 means the Democrats keep the Senate that year, only to lose it in 1982. The economy from 1981-1982 more or less goes the same way as Volcker is still Fed Chairman, thought the Deficit would be lower without the Kemp Roth Tax Cut. Tensions between the US and the USSR are still tense, but not to the extent of OTL without the "Evil Empire" speech. I think Howard Baker or George Bush would narrowly go on to defeat Walter Mondale in 1984, even if we see the kind of recovery in 83 and 84 that we saw in OTL, as there's bound to be fatigue with Democrats and Carter's presidency, even a two term one, will be seen as one that saw tough times more often than not. Carter's standing with the public and with historians will be a little more favorable though.

Bush would be damaged by his failure as a VP candidate. So Baker is more likely. But in this scenario you could also see younger moderates like Lamar Alexander or John Heinz make an impact.