Joseph Stalin, Mayor of New Orleans

Quite impossible. The man was mad. Even if, for some reason, his parents had emigrated to the US in the late 19th century, Uncle Joe would probably never be elected to be anything. He was a paranoid schitzophrenic. Despite all the wierdos and crooks that Louisianans elected in the past, I don't think they would have been able to stomach the likes of Stalin.
 
Wtf?

And why not have Hitler as the mayor of Schenectady, NY while we're at it? Or how about Castro in Topeka, KS, Mao in Albequerque, NM, Pol Pot in Scranton, PA, Lenin in Dumfries, Va, and for good measure, why not put Karl Marx in charge of my hometown of Roanoke? (it was called Big Lick in those days.):confused:
 
And why not have Hitler as the mayor of Schenectady, NY while we're at it? Or how about Castro in Topeka, KS, Mao in Albequerque, NM, Pol Pot in Scranton, PA, Lenin in Dumfries, Va, and for good measure, why not put Karl Marx in charge of my hometown of Roanoke? (it was called Big Lick in those days.):confused:

It's called a Challenge--create a TL where this happens.
 
Quite impossible. The man was mad. Even if, for some reason, his parents had emigrated to the US in the late 19th century, Uncle Joe would probably never be elected to be anything. He was a paranoid schitzophrenic. Despite all the wierdos and crooks that Louisianans elected in the past, I don't think they would have been able to stomach the likes of Stalin.

He was schizo? I knew he was paranoid and perhaps a bit sociopathic (when his first wife died, he told a friend that all his warm feelings for humanity were gone), but I've never heard that theory before.

Furthermore, although Stalin was evil, he was also a very good organizer. He was smart enough to get the job controlling the other jobs (General Secretary) rather than the job that let him make fiery speeches.

Perhaps instead of Mayor of NO, he could end up something like a corrupt party boss?
 
This should be in ASB. We already have a schizo for mayor here in N.O., and his name is Ray Nagin.:D:D And while we are at it, let's have Saddam Hussein as mayor of Miami, and Achmedinajad as mayor of Los Angeles.:D:D
 
This should be in ASB. We already have a schizo for mayor here in N.O., and his name is Ray Nagin.:D:D And while we are at it, let's have Saddam Hussein as mayor of Miami, and Achmedinajad as mayor of Los Angeles.:D:D

I was about to say. This seems really, really ASB-y.
 
WI: Joesph Stalin probably got badly screwed up by his abusive father, so, hypothetically:

An American priest traveling abroad in Gori, Russia is asked by a tearful Ekaterina Dzhugashvili to adopt her baby boy. The PoD: Stalin's Father has a frightful night were he nearly kills his own child--and that's where it begins.

The ITTL Joesph D. (Perhaps anglicized to Douglas) is taller from better nutrition, and isn't hit by two carriages and smallpox. Although born from Georgia, he has little in common with the OTL's Koba--he retains a dominant personality and is very clever in acquiring power, but Joe Douglas is not a fundamentally criminal character who robs banks for revolutionary causes.

An excellent student (like OTL), Joe Douglas becomes interested in politics in his late teens. Thereafter, Joe Douglas becomes part of the Regular Democratic Organization, the Democratic Political Machine in Louisiana, rubbing shoulders with judges, legislators, and representatives. At age 30, in 1908, Douglas called in a few favors and became a member of the New Orleans City Council. He did not like the current mayor, Martin Behrman, but in his own fashion, he hid these feelings and responded by quietly assuming power in bureaucratic roles.

Joe Douglas was a hard worker, he was also a master of understanding organizations. When he made a shocking decision to run against Behrman in the 1912 election, a stunned Behrman could not believe how outmaneuvered he was. And thus, Joe Douglas became the Mayor of New Orleans in 1912. He has a long career ahead of him as well...
 
WI: Joesph Stalin probably got badly screwed up by his abusive father, so, hypothetically:

An American priest traveling abroad in Gori, Russia is asked by a tearful Ekaterina Dzhugashvili to adopt her baby boy. The PoD: Stalin's Father has a frightful night were he nearly kills his own child--and that's where it begins.

The ITTL Joesph D. (Perhaps anglicized to Douglas) is taller from better nutrition, and isn't hit by two carriages and smallpox. Although born from Georgia, he has little in common with the OTL's Koba--he retains a dominant personality and is very clever in acquiring power, but Joe Douglas is not a fundamentally criminal character who robs banks for revolutionary causes.

An excellent student (like OTL), Joe Douglas becomes interested in politics in his late teens. Thereafter, Joe Douglas becomes part of the Regular Democratic Organization, the Democratic Political Machine in Louisiana, rubbing shoulders with judges, legislators, and representatives. At age 30, in 1908, Douglas called in a few favors and became a member of the New Orleans City Council. He did not like the current mayor, Martin Behrman, but in his own fashion, he hid these feelings and responded by quietly assuming power in bureaucratic roles.

Joe Douglas was a hard worker, he was also a master of understanding organizations. When he made a shocking decision to run against Behrman in the 1912 election, a stunned Behrman could not believe how outmaneuvered he was. And thus, Joe Douglas became the Mayor of New Orleans in 1912. He has a long career ahead of him as well...

Joseph Stalin as President of the United States...

o_O
 
Joe Steele...

Possible. He could take the name of his adopted father, who happens to be named Steele, if we like.

Joe Steele, however, can not be president, as the Constitution does not allow it. I would suspect, however, he'd make it to either being Governor or Senator of Louisiana. He can't make it to the top US office. But he can rise above being the mayor of New Orleans, and the next step would involve WW1...

Looking good for Joe Douglas...
 
Possible. He could take the name of his adopted father, who happens to be named Steele, if we like.

Joe Steele, however, can not be president, as the Constitution does not allow it. I would suspect, however, he'd make it to either being Governor or Senator of Louisiana. He can't make it to the top US office. But he can rise above being the mayor of New Orleans, and the next step would involve WW1...

Looking good for Joe Douglas...

Hamburger was referring to the HT short-story "Joe Steele," in which Stalin is president of the USA between 1933-1953.
 
Quite impossible. The man was mad. Even if, for some reason, his parents had emigrated to the US in the late 19th century, Uncle Joe would probably never be elected to be anything. He was a paranoid schitzophrenic. Despite all the wierdos and crooks that Louisianans elected in the past, I don't think they would have been able to stomach the likes of Stalin.

Even if he was on meds (or concocted some way to hide all that from public view) and was of a different political persuasion - say, par example, supporting FDR?
 
WI: Joesph Stalin probably got badly screwed up by his abusive father, so, hypothetically:

An American priest traveling abroad in Gori, Russia is asked by a tearful Ekaterina Dzhugashvili to adopt her baby boy. The PoD: Stalin's Father has a frightful night were he nearly kills his own child--and that's where it begins.

The ITTL Joesph D. (Perhaps anglicized to Douglas) is taller from better nutrition, and isn't hit by two carriages and smallpox. Although born from Georgia, he has little in common with the OTL's Koba--he retains a dominant personality and is very clever in acquiring power, but Joe Douglas is not a fundamentally criminal character who robs banks for revolutionary causes.

An excellent student (like OTL), Joe Douglas becomes interested in politics in his late teens. Thereafter, Joe Douglas becomes part of the Regular Democratic Organization, the Democratic Political Machine in Louisiana, rubbing shoulders with judges, legislators, and representatives. At age 30, in 1908, Douglas called in a few favors and became a member of the New Orleans City Council. He did not like the current mayor, Martin Behrman, but in his own fashion, he hid these feelings and responded by quietly assuming power in bureaucratic roles.

Joe Douglas was a hard worker, he was also a master of understanding organizations. When he made a shocking decision to run against Behrman in the 1912 election, a stunned Behrman could not believe how outmaneuvered he was. And thus, Joe Douglas became the Mayor of New Orleans in 1912. He has a long career ahead of him as well...

Very good...are you going to continue this?

Perhaps Joseph Douglas will meet up with another prominent Louisianan whom is well known to AH...
 
WI: Joesph Stalin probably got badly screwed up by his abusive father, so, hypothetically:

An American priest traveling abroad in Gori, Russia is asked by a tearful Ekaterina Dzhugashvili to adopt her baby boy. The PoD: Stalin's Father has a frightful night were he nearly kills his own child--and that's where it begins.

The ITTL Joesph D. (Perhaps anglicized to Douglas) is taller from better nutrition, and isn't hit by two carriages and smallpox. Although born from Georgia, he has little in common with the OTL's Koba--he retains a dominant personality and is very clever in acquiring power, but Joe Douglas is not a fundamentally criminal character who robs banks for revolutionary causes.

An excellent student (like OTL), Joe Douglas becomes interested in politics in his late teens. Thereafter, Joe Douglas becomes part of the Regular Democratic Organization, the Democratic Political Machine in Louisiana, rubbing shoulders with judges, legislators, and representatives. At age 30, in 1908, Douglas called in a few favors and became a member of the New Orleans City Council. He did not like the current mayor, Martin Behrman, but in his own fashion, he hid these feelings and responded by quietly assuming power in bureaucratic roles.

Joe Douglas was a hard worker, he was also a master of understanding organizations. When he made a shocking decision to run against Behrman in the 1912 election, a stunned Behrman could not believe how outmaneuvered he was. And thus, Joe Douglas became the Mayor of New Orleans in 1912. He has a long career ahead of him as well...

Very interesting. By the way there is absolutely nothing ASB about TLs with people like Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini living lives as immigrants in the USA and acheiving high public office. It does not take an act of divine intervention to have these peoples' parents immigrate to the USA. On the other hand, such PoDs are really just an excercise for fiction writing, not "serious" AH.
 
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