That's show-business!
1969-1973: John Wayne / Jim Rhodes (Republican)
1968: Robert F. Kennedy / Harold Hughes (Democratic), George C. Wallace / John Crommelin (American Independent)
Governor turned President Wayne would prove to be very controversial indeed. His program of 'New Federalism' would initiate a transfer in economic power from the federal government to the states. His stances against busing and affirmative action would win him plaudits from southern Democrats, many of whom would cross over to the GOP during Wayne's time in office. His own thoughts on race would haunt him throughout his term. However, his cabinet were the real power behind the throne, outmaneuvering congress to pass tax cuts. Wayne's surge in Vietnam failed to produce results, and another bombing run ended up going awry when a plane was shot down and the pilots kidnapped. Wayne would lose re-election by a close margin in 1972, his health already failing him. The 1972 election would be divisive, with the October Surprise of Wallace's brother's tax problems helping Wayne in the south, but not enough to overcome anti-Vietnam anger elsewhere.
1973-1981: Gregory L. Peck / Kevin White (Democratic)
1972: John Wayne / Jim Rhodes (Republican), George C. Wallace / Paul Harvey (American Independent)
1976: James Buckley / George H. W. Bush (Republican)
Peck, Wayne's successor as Governor, would also be his successor as president, having been nominated at the convention following deadlock between Muskie, Humphrey, Jackson, and McGovern. His victory in the general was held in question for a month, until a recount in Pennsylvania showed him to be the winner by just 231 votes. Peck would go about with withdrawal from the Vietnamese quagmire, introducing price controls to deal with the 'Wayne shock', spearheading an ill-fated healthcare initiative, and bringing the US into war with Iraq after a so-called 'unlawful' attack on Iran, something that would anger Peck's New Left constituency. The Gulf War was competently handled, but would still draw criticism from Republicans and Scoop Jackson. A slowing economy in time for the 1980 election allowed for the victory of a conservative icon.
1981-1985: Ronald W. Reagan / Spiro T. Agnew (Republican)
1980: Dale Bumpers / Paul Newman (Democratic)
Congressman Reagan would snatch the nomination from establishment favourite George Bush, who was still tarred by his failure to help Jim Buckley take the White House in 1976. He pulled off a landslide victory against Senator Bumpers, whose radical running mate would be mooted for future office. During his time in office, the Federal Government would see a disastrous attempt to privatize federal land and to initiate mass cuts to housing projects. 1984 would see the unpopular Reagan defeated, with the comfort that he had at least tried to implement his agenda.
1985-1989: Harry Belafonte / Charlton Heston (Democratic)
1984: Ronald W. Reagan / Spiro T. Agnew (Republican)
For many Americans, election night 1984 was a triumph. For certain others, it was a moment of despair. Nonetheless, America would get its first black president as Governor Belafonte would take advantage of the tatters of Reagan's presidency to propel him to victory. Those who thought that he would be doomed to defeat and that Senator Redford would be guaranteed victory looked very silly indeed. A new 'War on Poverty' would be launched, with Reagan's 'Free Enterprise Zones' phased out as Sanctuary Cities came into effect. Wayne's drug war would finally be wound down, though conflicts with VP Heston would hurt the messaging. Unfortunately for Belafonte, his proposed reforms to police institutions would never come to fruition as the housing crash hit in 1987, setting off a chain of events that leads to a Republican triumph in 1988, congress and all. Belafonte wasn't incredibly happy with his successor despite his civil rights work, but he had to grin and bear it.
1989-1997: Robert K. Dornan / Frederick L. Grandy (Republican)
1988: Harry Belafonte / Charlton Heston (Democratic)
1992: James S. Bumgarner / Ramón A. G. Estévez (Democratic), Clint Eastwood / Bernadine Healey (Reform)
Elected by a decent margin against the disappointment of the Belafonte administration, B-1 Bob would set about enacting one of the most radical agendas of any president. Taxes for the upper class were slashed, while labour regulation was largely undone. Dornan would trial a voucher program for Medicaid and rapidly expand charter school access. His intervention into the Israeli-Lebanon war of 1992 would lead to the second Gulf war as Iraq saw the opportunity to strike at Saudi Arabia. The brief rally around the flag effect would be enough to boost Dornan past the finish line against his two fellow Californians. Iran would see radical clerics gain more influence in government even though elections produced healthy majorities for the 'moderate' parties. Dornan would leave the third rail of Social Security untouched while also taking an axe to Belafonte's welfare programs, implementing radical workfare reforms with very few waivers. Due to congressional infighting, Dornan would leave office less than popular, but with a severe mark left upon the nation's political conversation.
1997-2001: Freddie D. Thompson / Timothy Allen (Republican)
1996: Alan Alda / Cherilyn Sarkisian (Democratic), Clint Eastwood / Cybill Shepherd (Reform)
Thompson would continue Dornan's crime crackdown, as well as a ramp up in defence spending as insurgencies began in Iraq. He would also garner goodwill from all sides of the political spectrum by signing comprehensive immigration reform, which would lead to a new era of good feelings between the US and Mexico. Campaign Finance regulations would also be put in place in an attempt to stem big money. Under Thompson, the US would enter a series of trade agreements with the European Coalition, and controversially, China. Thompson would lose re-election as the Reform party would hit a fever pitch and incumbency fatigue set in. By 2001, many were joking that the White House had a California-shaped magnet.
2001-2009: H. Warren Beatty / Alan S. Franken (Democratic)
2000: Freddie D. Thompson / Frederick L. Grandy (Republican), Cybill Shepherd / Jesse Ventura (Reform)
2004: Alan K. Grammar / Michael Stallone (Republican), Aaron Russo / John Rich (Reform)
Governor Beatty's term would be dominated by attempts to undo the Dornanite consensus, with varying degrees of success. Beatty would oversee the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing civil war which would result in the rise of the Ultra-nationalist Party for a Renewal, with the president criticised for not taking action. At home, welfare programs would be brought back with teeth, and gun control legislation would finally come to fruition. Louisiana would become the last state in the Union to ban the death penalty as a 5-4 decision from the Supreme Court (turns out one of Dornan's appointees weren't so hard-right after all), inciting anger at the activist court. Beatty was able to roll back the Dornan tax cuts and instead put through a stimulus program, with a couple million left over to prevent foreclosure (he wasn't willing to repeat Belafonte's mistakes). Beatty would win a comfortable re-election in 2004, confident in his executive ability. The next four years would be quiet on the home front as Russia marched towards the Caucus states in earnest. The 2008 election would be extremely close, mirroring 1972. The Republican candidate's slightly embarrassing background stopped him from being taken seriously by the commentators, but he was able to overcome doubts and niggles by taking strong stances on crime and the situation in Russia. Beatty's goofy Vice President came up short, losing the crucial swing state of Ohio by a sub 500 vote margin.
All Beatty could say was "I wish the best of luck to President Bollea."