Reagan is Dead, Lennon is Alive: A Collaborative Timeline in the 1980s

May 15, 1981: New president George Bush surprises many with his selection of Margaret Heckler, congresswoman from Massachusetts, for vice president. If confirmed, she'd become the first female vice president in history.
May 30, 1981 - After 15 days of talks and debates, Margaret Heckler was confirmed by an overwhelming 82 to 3 vote in the Senate. The three dissenters were conservative Republicans.

{put the year as 83, making it 2 years and 15 days lol longest confirmation in history?}
 
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I like it. One question, 82 to 3? Where are the remaining 15 senators? Abstaining?

All 47 Democratic Party Members voted in favour of her and only 35 of the Republican.

Confirmed
1) Howell Heflin (D- AL)
2) Jeremiah Denton (R - AL) [As one of the earliest and highest-ranking officers to be taken prisoner in North Vietnam, Denton, stated in his senate speech "That a female close to the office of President, can't do any worse than what President Johnson did, maybe even show a bit of compassion")
3) Dennis DeConcini (D - AZ)
4) Dale Bumpers (D - AR)
5) David Pryor (D - AR)
6) S. I. Hayakawa (R - CA)
7) Alan Cranston (D - CA)
8) Gary Hart (D - CO)
9) Chris Dodd (D - CT)
10) Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. (R - CT)
11) William V. Roth, Jr. (R - DE)
12) Joe Biden (D - DE)
13) Lawton Chiles (D - FL)
14) Paula Hawkins (R - FL)
15) Sam Nunn (D - GA)
16) Spark M. Matsunaga (D - HI)
17) Daniel K. Inouye (D - HI)
18) Charles H. Percy (R - IL)
19) Alan J. Dixon (D - IL)
20) Dan Quayle (R - IN)
21) Roger Jepsen (R - IA)
22) Nancy Landon Kassebaum (R - KS)
23) Bob Dole (R - KS) [With his wife in the White House, who was he to moan of another woman there, might even help Elizabeth's career)
24) Walter D. Huddleston (D - KY)
25) Wendell H. Ford (D - KY)
26) J. Bennett Johnston (D - LA)
27) Russell B. Long (D - LA)
28) George J. Mitchell (D - ME)
29) William S. Cohen (R - ME) [Famous for being one of the first Republicans to call for Nixon's Resignation]
30) Paul S. Sarbanes (D - MD)
31) Charles Mathias, Jr. (R - MD) [a liberal Republican in the Senate, and frequently clashed with the conservative wing of his party.]
32) Ted Kennedy (D - MA)
33) Paul Tsongas (D - MA)
34) Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D - MI)
35) Carl Levin (D - MI)
36) David Durenberger (R - MN)
37) Rudy Boschwitz (R - MN) [Compared the conservative views as out dated as slavery and racism]
38) John C. Danforth (R - MS)
39) Thomas F. Eagleton (D - MS)
40) John Melcher (D - MO)
41) Max Baucus (D - MO)
42) Edward Zorinsky (D - NE)
43) Jim Exon (D NE)
44) Howard W. Cannon (D - NV)
45) Gordon J. Humphrey (R - NH)
46) Warren B. Rudman (R - NH)
47) Harrison Schmitt (R - NM)
48) Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D - NY)
49) Al D'Amato (R - NY) [Liberal Republican]
50) Harrison A. Williams (D - NJ)
51) Bill Bradley (D - NJ)
52) Quentin N. Burdick (D - ND)
53) Mark Andrews (R - ND) [Supporting his party]
54) Howard Metzenbaum (D - OH)
55) John Glenn (D - OH)
56) David L. Boren (D - OK)
57) Don Nickles (R - OK) [Supporting his party]
58) Mark O. Hatfield (R - OR) [Liberal Republican]
59) John Heinz (R- PA)
60) Arlen Specter (R - PA)
61) John H. Chafee (R - RI)
62) Claiborne Pell (D - RI)
63) Ernest F. Hollings (D - SC)
64) Larry Pressler (R - SD)
65) James Abdnor (R - SD)
66) Jim Sasser (D - TX)
67) Howard Baker (R - TN) [Although moderate conservative, many believe his wife was the main reason for his vote]
68) Lloyd Bentsen (D - TX)
69) John Tower (R - TX) [A fellow Texan Senator throwing support behind a Texan President]
70) Jake Garn (R - UT)
71) Robert T. Stafford (R - VT) [Liberal through and through]
72) Patrick Leahy (D - VT)
73) Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (I/D - VI)
74) John W. Warner (R -VI) [Elizabeth Taylor's husband, need I say more]
75) Henry M. Jackson (D - WA)
76) Slade Gorton (R - WA)
77) Robert C. Byrd (D - WV)
78) Jennings Randolph (D - WV)
79) William Proxmire (D - WI)
80) Bob Kasten (R - WI) [Although an outspoken conservative, as a 39 year old senator, he wanted to toe his parties line of supporting their president]
81) Malcolm Wallop (R - WY) [Voted out of support for his party's president]
82) Alan K. Simpson (R - WY) [His father Milward Simpson had been 1 of 6 Republican senators who voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Alan would not follow in his stupidity]

Rejected
Barry Goldwater (R - AZ) [Are you surprised?]
Strom Thurmond (R - SC)
Jesse Helms (R-NC) [Senator No, need I say more, the guy fought anything he considered to be liberalism]

Abstainers
1) Ted Stevens (R - AK)
2) Frank Murkowski (R - AK)
3) William L. Armstrong (R - CO)
4) Mack Mattingly (R - GA)
5) James A. McClure (R - ID)
6) Steve Symms (R - ID)
7) Richard Lugar (R -IN)
8) Chuck Grassley (R - IA)
9) Thad Cochran (R - MS)
10) Pete V. Domenici (R - NM)
11) Paul Laxalt (R - NV) [Previously referred to as "The First Friend" due to being one of Ronald Reagan's closest friends in politics, Laxalt, did not attend this vote]
12) John P. East (R - SC)
13) Bob Packwood (R - OR)
14) Orrin G. Hatch (R- UT)
 
April 12, 1981: Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, orders that the "five political requests" from Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone and hunger striking prisoner, Bobby Sands, are met. Thatcher, decrees that this is not backing down to terrorist, but supporting simple demands of prisoners. Many press say she has done this so as to not turn Bobby Sands into a martyr.

April 13, 1981: After 44 days on hunger strike, Bobby Sands, enjoys his first meal, a home cooked meal, brought in a parcel, wearing non prison uniform during his first visit.
 
July 2, 1981: The UK has successfully changed the law to ensure no prisoner can be made an MP again, as happened with Sands [POD hasn't removed the 9th April '81 by-election]. Sands' public statement on this is ignored in Britain but not in either of the Irelands.

July 18, 1981: Bobby Sands makes a public statement - specifically citing his position as an elected MP - on the riots and Powell. He says that if Powell is claiming the UK is so diseased and unstable, why shouldn't the Northern Irish leave to the more stable, riot-free Republic? Powell and Thatcher release hurried joint statements, with the latter citing Sands as proof that "such discourse [as Powell's] will bring about results he claims to hate". The DUP and Conservatives are at daggers drawn.

July 24-5, 1981: The Long Hard Weekend: Sinn Fein organise a "shutdown" of Northern Ireland, pivoting off Sands' recent successes and the weakened Thatcher government. Workers down tools, prisoners stop responding, and angry protestors shut down the weekend traffic. It ends on Sunday for the optics (and most trading is shut then anyway). 200,000 Catholics take part; a number of workers and shop-owners are forced to go along under threat of violence. Unionist mobs and the UVF have tooled up in advance and violence breaks out from Friday night to Sunday morning, the British Army desperately forcing the two sides apart - all of this expected and hoped for by organisers, as the world sees the Protestants 'start it'. Seven people die, of which one is a soldier, one is a shopkeeper beaten for not being open (seventeen shops are hit in Belfast), and one turns out to be a home invasion assault.

July 26, 1981: Thatcher orders a series of raids on both sides in Northern Ireland - the republicans expected this but the unionists are caught off guard - with quiet instructions to "find something". Fifty two people are arrested, though only seventeen will be charged in the end. Sands is put in solitary confinement for a week, which he also expected. The British press is full of "leaks" about Powell's actions fanning the flames, which Powell definitely expected but it does hurt him in Britain. Thatcher announces "no more" and that "any wreckers" will face "consequences" in the province. The late night news, and morning papers, will learn that the seventh death on the Long Hard Weekend was on a protestant girl who'd been dating a catholic and this was likely a planned murder, taking advantage of the riots.
 
31 October, 1981: Construction begins on the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier 'CVN-71'. At the ceremony, President Bush announces it will be named the USS Ronald Reagan.
 
May 14, 1981: Although security is stepped up, Pope John Paul II is shot assassinated by Mehmet Ali Ağca, a Turkish gunman, who is apprehended by Swiss guards, as Pope John Paul II, enters St. Peter's Square in Vatican City to address
It is later found this was on orders from the Soviet KGB to shoot him.

May 30, 1981: The 1981 Papal Conclave is held to replace Pope John Paul II.
 
June 15, 1981: Justice Potter Stewart meets with President Bush to discuss his retirement from the Supreme Court, because at the age of 66, he wanted to spend more time with his grandchildren and that he wanted to retire from the Court while he was still in good health. Bush asks him to hold on until the dust has settled following the assassination. Justice Stewart agrees to hold his seat until October.

October 1, 1981: Justice Potter Stewart resigns, allowing President Bush, the opportunity to nominate his first Justice. List fly around Washington D.C of some of the people he is thinking of, Elliot Richardson, David Souter and John Connally
Ahem......
July, 7, 1981: Potter Stewart denies rumors that he plans to retire
 

wikipipes

Banned
November 6, 1981: Unemployment in the United Kingdom soars to the once thought impossible 11.1%, the British industrial outlook is significantly worse than that of 1980.

November 10, 1981: Edward Heath appears on television to denounce Thatcher's economic policies as "cruel" and "misguided."

November 28, 1981: New Zealand Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, is ousted by Bill Rowling.

November 29, 1981: In light of the worsening economic outlook, along with opposition from within the party, senior Conservatives consider challenging Thatcher for the leadership.

December 18, 1981: Unemployment again increases to 11.4%, against the backdrop of draconian cuts and relentlessly high inflation.

January 4, 1982: Michael Heseltine, Peter Carrington, Francis Pym. Demand restraint from Thatcher, they threaten to resign, Thatcher refuses outright.
 
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August 14, 1981: During a break in the Wandering Quarrymen tour, Ringo Starr - who has been listening to some hiphop records he picked up on the way, to Paul's annoyance - puts out feelers to a few of the groups if they want to work on something together. Most think this is a joke and ignore him. The Funky 4 + 1, who had been strongarmed by Sylvia Robinson into not taking a tour offer from Blondie, smell a second chance and tentatively reach out.

August 16-October 1, 1981: While the Beatles continue touring South America and Asia, Ringo is kept distracted in a long-range legal battle with Robinson and Sugarhill Records: he would have given up but the band's behind-the-scenes clashes are giving him a temper to take out on something. Eventually a deal is made out of court to free up the Funky 4 + 1, who are threatened with a blacklisting on their way out. The legal battle and what it implied about Sugarhill's contracts has been witnessed, however.

October 2, 1981: Grandmaster Flash hits Robinson with a lawsuit he's been sitting on until he knew how the 4+1 case would go.

December 19, 1981: The Wandering Quarrymen tour ends in Liverpool, an event billed as the Beatles' last performance - the open-air venue is packed and an estimated 19m people watch it on TV.

January 5, 1982: Heseltine, Carrington, and Pym all resign, and convince Jim Prior to join them - Private Eye dubs them "the Other Gang of Four". Thatcher swiftly replaces them, with Keith Joseph as Chancellor of the Exchequer to free up Geoffrey Howe for Foreign Secretary. The events of last year make her more willing to stand her ground.
 
September 05, 1981: Fed up of Soviet pressure - he's almost been caught on tape criticising Moscow a few times - and hoping to keep his government together, Stanislaw Kania has a secret meeting with Solidarity head Lech Wałęsa and Catholic primate Józef Glemp, hinting at a coalition goverment if Solidarity steps off a bit.

September 21, 1981: Stanislaw Kania announces a new "goverment of the people" for Poland, in which both Solidarity leaders and figures from church will have government and "advisory" roles. This is arranged so that the Communist Party is still more powerful than both (they know this but this is their best shot in years), but Moscow is still unhappy and assuming Bush & the CIA had some involvement. The CIA actually were startled to see the coalition happen, which does not make Bush happy.

September 29, 1981: Iran breaks the Siege of Abadan against a superior force. [OTL] Bush has been busy with too much domestically and abroad - Poland is a new distraction and Lebanon frustrating (the lack of any massive incident is slowing down the peace talks) - and he doesn't want Iraq-Iran becoming a headache if Iran's got an actual chance. He instructs for Iraq to be pressured into an armistice deal and backdoor channels mention it to Iran.
 
September 30, 1981: Iraq doesn't respond well to being pressured into armistice and goes on a carrot-and-stick offensive to get the US to back off. Iran is more favourable: they believe the US is scared of their success and overestimating Iranian strength (neither is true), and feel they should milk that rather than risk being shown to be weaker. Discussions are had in Tehran about how much of the country they could let Iraq keep and still look the victory at home (with the assumption they'll retake the land in a few years anyway).
 
Could we make prince charles king as well? and put ford back in power?
...Probably not, in all honestly. I don't see FOrd running for another term, even after Reagan gets Martyred.THat said, Bush may get primaried come 1984, especially if, as i've put, the recession goes harsher and recovers slower ITTL.
 

Rarename91

Banned
...Probably not, in all honestly. I don't see FOrd running for another term, even after Reagan gets Martyred.THat said, Bush may get primaried come 1984, especially if, as i've put, the recession goes harsher and recovers slower ITTL.
ford was considering a 1980 run maybe 1988? he got a lots of years left in him.
 
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