alternatehistory.com

Our story begins in 1977, when Barack Obama's mother gets a teaching job at the same college where my mom taught. Our mothers introduce us. We become very close friends, even though I am a freshman and he is a junior. At the end of the year, Ann decides to return to Indonesia. Barry decides to stay and finish his senior year. He stays with us. During the 1978-1979 Academic Year We live together and are on our high school speech and debate team together. After he graduates, Barry and I stay in touch.
The next P.O.D. comes in 1988, when Jesse Jackson makes DC Statehood an important part of his campaign.His opponents agree with him. It takes an important part of the Democratic platform.*In 1991, After the defeat of Marion Berry, Congress passes the Washington DC Statehood Bill. President Bush signs it.*In 1995 Marion Berry becomes the 2nd Governor of the state of Washington DC. The next important development comes in 2002, when Puerto Rico becomes the 52nd state.
Our story moves along in 2004, when Arlen Specter makes his Bush needs to appoint Pro Choice federal judges statement earlier. His primary opposition is more energized and defeats him. In the general election Democrat Joe Hoeffel defeats Republican Pat Toomey.
We now come to 2008 and we see John McCain attempt to name Joe Lieberman as his running mate. The Republican convention rejects him, but accepts his seconds choice, Sarah Palin. McCain alienates much of the Republican base with his efforts to make a pro choice liberal one heart beat away and his big tent rhetoric.*McCain's campaign faces two October surprises. First the New York Times publishes a story charging McCain with an inappropriate relationship with a women lobbyist. McCain immediately ended his usual cordial relationship with the press. He later issued a firm denial claiming fidelity to his wife. This brought media attention to the extra marital affair he and his current wife had while he still married to his first wife. Sarah Palin brought charges of extremism when she charged, without proof, that the Federal Government is stockpiling ammunition to use against the American people. The media also began to focus on Palin's ongoing relationship with the Alaska Independence Party.
The McCain campaign would suffer defeat earning only 40 % of the popular vote to Obama's 55 % and Bob Barr's 2% and Alan Keyes 1%. In the Electoral College Obama would triumph 425 ( That is OTL plus Puerto Rico, Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana and Arizona.) to McCain's 120. Congressional Democrats also achieved success. In the House they scored a 279 seat majority. In the Senate the Democratic 66 seat majority came in part with the Republican no shows defeating Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Georgia's Saxbe Chamblis.
During his first two years in office, the large margins allowed President Obama to enact the Stimulus Package, the Auto Bail Out, The Affordable Care Act, The Dream Act, and The Cap and Trade Act.
2010 brought dark omens for the Democratic Party, The year began with Republican Scott Brown's victory in the race to fill the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. In the fall elections, Republicans would win a historic landslide of 80 seats to win a 242 majority in the house. The Democrats enjoyed better luck in the Senate, where the kept their filibuster majority with 62 seats. In the competitive Pennsylvania race, incumbent Joe Hoeffel won reelection. In Illinois, Democrats were fortunate to have Don Hoffman win the nomination. The early frontrunner State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias had to answer questions about the failing bank he worked for and the loss of value of the Illinois College fund. Hoffman defeated former Congressman Mark Kirk by a narrow margin. Democrats scored a victory in Kentucky, when Republican candidate appeared on the Alex Jones radio show. Jones went on a tirade blaming President Bush for the 9/11 attacks. Rand did not comment but praised Jones before leaving the show.Before surrendering complete control of Congress, the Democrats used 2010 Lame Duck session, to end the Bush tax cuts for the rich. The Obama Tax Bill kept the breaks for lower and middle class incomes but raised rates on the wealthy.
The filibuster proof margin allowed Democrats in 2011 to confirm President Obama's choice of Elizabeth Warren to head the new Consumer Protection Bureau. It allowed the Senate to negotiate from a position of strength during the debt ceiling and fiscal cliff negotiations. 2011 was also the year that I convinced my old friend to submit an immigration reform program with a path to citizenship for illegal aliens, When the program died in the Republican House, it helped secure Democratic votes among Hispanics.
2012 proved to a year of recovery for Democrats. Rick Santorium's victory in the Michigan primary dealt a blow to the Romney campaign. ( In 2009, I convinced Barry Obama to put a religious freedom exemption in the contraception mandate of the Affordable Care Act, one that applies to Churches, Schools,Hospitals and private businesses. So the birth control issue does not come up.) Santorium scored a upset victory in the Washington Caucuses. In what became a lasting trend, he won defectors from Romney and finally recognized as the Anti - Romney Gingrich campaign collapsed. Super Tuesday stood as a victory for Santorium. Romney won only his home state of Massachusetts, heavily Mormon Idaho and Virginia where Santorium was not on the ballot. Santorium not only won Ohio but scored upset victories in Vermont and Georgia. His win in Georgia eliminated Gingrich as a candidate. As the primaries unfolded, Romney won only the East coast states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Washington DC as well as Puerto Rico, Mormon dominated Utah as well as Guam and the Northern Marina Islands. After sweeping the May primaries, Santorium's upset victory in California, won enough delegates for a first ballot nomination.
The fall election brought controversy to Santorium. When he criticized the 47% of the population that depends on the government, he faced a backlash. More important was his views on birth control, which became public during round of Romney mud slinging in April. The difficulty Santorium faced came from his agreement with Todd Akin. The discussion of birth control and rape and abortion during the first debate, obscured President Obama lackluster performance. In the final weeks of the campaign, Santorium expressed support for Richard Mourdock's views on rape and pregnancy. In final result Santorium won just 39 % of the popular vote to Obama's 56% Libertarian candidate Ron Paul won 4%. In the electoral college Obama won 462 electoral votes ( That is OTL states plus Puerto Rico, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, The 2nd District of Nebraska, Montana, Arizona, and Alaska.) to Santorium's 83.
President Obama could look forward to friendly Congress. Democrats won a 232 seat majority in the house. Democratic victories in Nevada, Arizona and Indiana and the win of a Democratic supporting independent in Maine, boosted the Democratic majority to 65. Democrats were disappointed that Scott Brown defeated Democrat Ed Markey in Massachusetts.
In his first year of his second term,President Obama was able to get his Democrat Congress to pass a tax reform package to cancel the sequester. The Democratic filibuster proof majority in the Senate was also able to confirm Susan Rice as Secretary of State.
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