"Hipster" PMs and Presidents Thread

[ShortsBelfast]

Indeed, what about the late Sir Edward Archdale as a NI PM at a Stormont where Big House Unionism lingered on a bit longer. Too moderate for OTL NI politics, he was probably the most economically literate of the NI political class since the fall of Faulkner (not that there has been a lot of competition I grant you).

 

[KiwiEater]

Oh, and let's add Orville L. Hubbard.

Orville L. Hubbard and Colonel Sanders. I'd vote for it. Popcorn and chicken

 

[Utgard96]

Orville L. Hubbard and Colonel Sanders. I'd vote for it. Popcorn and chicken

Orville Hubbard was Dearborn's hardline segregationist mayor. Are you sure you're not thinking of Orville Redenbacher?

 

[Indicus]

Paul Hellyer is today basically the Canadian Lyndon LaRouche, but he was a cabinet minister in both Pearson's and Trudeau's cabinets as a fairly conservative Liberal, and ran for the Liberal nomination in 1968. He ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in 1976, apparently, though he alienated Red Tories by lambasting them for not being "true conservatives". He could have won either leadership election. And if his views change while he's in office, Canada gets a prime minister who says shit like:

The United States military are preparing weapons which could be used against the aliens, and they could get us into an intergalactic war without us ever having any warning...The Bush Administration has finally agreed to let the military build a forward base on the moon, which will put them in a better position to keep track of the goings and comings of the visitors from space, and to shoot at them, if they so decide.

I would like to see what (alien) technology there might be that could eliminate the burning of fossil fuels within a generation...that could be a way to save our planet...We need to persuade governments to come clean on what they know. Some of us suspect they know quite a lot, and it might be enough to save our planet if applied quickly enough.

We have a long history of UFOs and of course there has been a lot more activity in the last few decades since we invented the atomic bomb. They are very concerned about that and that we might use it again, because the whole cosmos as a unity, and it affects not just us but other people in the cosmos, they are very much afraid that we might be stupid enough to start using atomic weapons again.

 

[KiwiEater]

Orville Hubbard was Dearborn's hardline segregationist mayor. Are you sure you're not thinking of Orville Redenbacher?

Oh whoops. I am an idiot.

 

[Utgard96]

Oh whoops. I am an idiot.

Happens to the best of us.

 

[Gordian]

Orson Welles (yes, that Orson Welles) reportedly floated a Senate bid in 1946 in Wisconsin for the seat that was eventually won by Joe McCarthy. While 1946 was a Republican wave year and the Democratic candidate lost by 20 points IOTL, he could possibly try years later, maybe in the late 1950s as the Democrats picked up the gubernatorial and both Senate seats. He's certainly interesting as some sort of Reagan-esque actor-turned-politician.

 

[Gonzo]

Paul Hellyer is today basically the Canadian Lyndon LaRouche, but he was a cabinet minister in both Pearson's and Trudeau's cabinets as a fairly conservative Liberal, and ran for the Liberal nomination in 1968. He ran for the Progressive Conservative nomination in 1976, apparently, though he alienated Red Tories by lambasting them for not being "true conservatives". He could have won either leadership election. And if his views change while he's in office, Canada gets a prime minister who says shit like:

He was the logical choice for PM in NSS.

 

[Gordian]

I believe it was @Aolbain who first discovered him, but Winston Churchill (the American one) is an interesting and underutilized person. A novelist who's fame surpassed that of his British counterpart in the early 1900s, he was a progressive Republican who ran for the Republican nomination for Governor of New Hampshire in 1906 and lost. He also backed Roosevelt and the Progressive Party in their split with the GOP in 1912, running as the Progressive candidate for Governor of New Hampshire in that year's election.

 

[Beata Beatrix]

Orson Welles (yes, that Orson Welles) reportedly floated a Senate bid in 1946 in Wisconsin for the seat that was eventually won by Joe McCarthy. While 1946 was a Republican wave year and the Democratic candidate lost by 20 points IOTL, he could possibly try years later, maybe in the late 1950s as the Democrats picked up the gubernatorial and both Senate seats. He's certainly interesting as some sort of Reagan-esque actor-turned-politician.

He was encouraged to do so by no less a man than FDR.

 

[Bulldoggus]

Though I think the most he could get is HUD in a future Democratic administration.

If he can find the time between ethics probes.

 

[Francisco Cojuanco]

"Ambisextrous", as she described it. Which would probably shut her out of Alabama politics today, let alone in the 1940s.

As well as most state's politics until, oh, 2005.

 

[Aolbain]

William E. Russell and John A. Johnson: Semi-progressive Democratic Governors elected (and re-elected) in overwhelmingly Republican states. Johnson, the son of desolate immigrants, was famous as a charismatic speaker and Russell won his first term (after two failed attempts) at age 33. They both ran for President (in 1896 and 1908, respectively) but WJB got in the way. They also suffered of poor health, Russell dying of an heart attack just after the 1896 Democratic Convention and Johnson passing away due to complications from a surgical procedure in 1910.

 

[Beata Beatrix]

William E. Russell and John A. Johnson: Semi-progressive Democratic Governors elected (and re-elected) in overwhelmingly Republican states. Johnson, the son of desolate immigrants, was famous as a charismatic speaker and Russell won his first term (after two failed attempts) at age 33. They both ran for President (in 1896 and 1908, respectively) but WJB got in the way. They also suffered of poor health, Russell dying of an heart attack just after the 1896 Democratic Convention and Johnson passing away do to complications from a surgical procedure in 1910.

Oh, yeah, Russell was the Democratic TR of your game, right?

 

[Aolbain]

Oh, yeah, Russell was the Democratic TR of your game, right?

Yeah, with a dash of JFK thrown in. I probably played up his left-wingery a bit too much but narrative comes first etc.

 

[Nofix]

William E. Russell and John A. Johnson: Semi-progressive Democratic Governors elected (and re-elected) in overwhelmingly Republican states. Johnson, the son of desolate immigrants, was famous as a charismatic speaker and Russell won his first term (after two failed attempts) at age 33. They both ran for President (in 1896 and 1908, respectively) but WJB got in the way. They also suffered of poor health, Russell dying of an heart attack just after the 1896 Democratic Convention and Johnson passing away due to complications from a surgical procedure in 1910.

I actually used John A. Johnson in my first TLIAD...and, um, he was more of less a fill-in for Bryan in 1908. He lost, badly, and set up the scenario for Bryan to came back in 1912.

 

[Indicus]

I actually used John A. Johnson in my first TLIAD...and, um, he was more of less a fill-in for Bryan in 1908. He lost, badly, and set up the scenario for Bryan to came back in 1912.

How did Johnson win Minnesota?

 

[Nofix]

How did Johnson win Minnesota?

Favorite son-ism. Bit of a stretch in hindsight, even for a narrow victory, but that was my thought process back then.

 

[Aolbain]

Favorite son-ism. Bit of a stretch in hindsight, even for a narrow victory, but that was my thought process back then.

Not that unreasonable. He managed to get elected in a state where the Democratic Party might as well have been a mythical creature.

 

[Deblano]

I'd say one example would be Former Governor of Vermont Jim Douglas (2003-2011). Maybe he could be President or Vice President in a TL featuring a more moderate/liberal Republican Party.