What if these guys won?

jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

What it says, I've been wondering on any changes or butterflies if ten of these chaps or chapettes had won their election (either in self contained timelines or not)

1. James Roosevelt, California Gubernatorial election 1950 or Mayor of LA 1965
2. Shirley Temple Black, 1967 House of Representatives
3. Henry Ford, 1918 Michigan Senate election
4.Oliver North, 1994 Virginia Senate election
5.Elmo Zumwalt, 1976 Virginia Senate election
6. Jerry Springer, 1982 Ohio Gubernatorial, 2003 Ohio Senate
7. William Westmoreland, 1974 South Carolina gubernatorial
8. G. Gordon Liddy, HoR 1968
9. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., 1924 New York Gubernatorial election
10. Hunter S. Thompson, 1970 Pitkin County election for Sheriff

So, any ideas?
 

NKVD

Jerry Springer getting elected after his show turned into what it is now is pretty much impossible. But if he did get elected to the Senate, I'm sure CSPAN would be a lot more interesting. :p
 

John Fredrick Parker

Donor
Thought the OP would look better in chronological order (also adhering to Craigo's request, if that's fine with Jack...)

1. Henry Ford, 1918 Michigan Senate election
2. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., 1924 New York Gubernatorial election
3. Upton Sinclair, 1934 California gubernatorial
4. James Roosevelt, California Gubernatorial election 1950 or Mayor of LA 1965
5. Shirley Temple Black, 1967 House of Representatives
6. G. Gordon Liddy, HoR 1968
7. Hunter S. Thompson, 1970 Pitkin County election for Sheriff
8. William Westmoreland, 1974 South Carolina gubernatorial
9. Elmo Zumwalt, 1976 Virginia Senate election
10. Jerry Springer, 1982 Ohio Gubernatorial, 2003 Ohio Senate
11. Oliver North, 1994 Virginia Senate election
 

Craigo

If TR Jr. or James Roosevelt had won their races, they would have been considered presidential timber, in 1928 and 1952-1956. Al Smith and possibly FDR would not have run for President.
 
jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

Here's a few more

Jack Kevorkian, 2008 HOR
Kinky Friedman, 2006 Texas Gubernatorial
Nick Clooney, 2004 HOR
FDR Jr., 1966 New York Gubernatorial
Steven Almond, 2009 Cedar Rapids Mayoral
Harold Stassen in any other election other than President
 

Craigo

John Fredrick Parker said:
Make that last part "likely" -- without Al Smith as Governor of New York, the path is not set for FDR to win the office, which means his 1932 campaign is butterflied out...
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My take is that while Al Smith taking him under his wing was important, it was not necessary for FDR to resurrect his career. FDR was as active in Democratic politics as he could be in the 1920s, maintaining extensive correspondence with other party leaders. He had state and federal experience and a national profile, as well as a famous last name. And he can kiss and make up with Tammany with or without Smith in Albany. See After Wilson, by Douglas Craig.

He can make a bid without Governor Smith, but it's the fact that his cousin is likely running for re-election in 1928 with a strong economy that's the problem. If TR Jr. runs for President and closes the door on re-election as Governor, then FDR can still make it.
 

NKVD

What about Cindy Sheehan? She ran against the Pelosi in 2008 as an independent.

It would be quite interesting if she won the election. And she didn't have any more of a chance of winning than Kevorkian. :rolleyes:
 
jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

jack_donaghy_is_the_shado

MKN said:
What about Cindy Sheehan? She ran against the Pelosi in 2008 as an independent.

It would be quite interesting if she won the election. And she didn't have any more of a chance of winning than Kevorkian. :rolleyes:
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Doh forgot about Sheehan! Kevorkian is defintely asb, and would likely get death threats almost immediately.

Also, how about Sharon Angle, Alvin Greene, and Jesse Unruh in '70?
 

Geekhis Khan

Lemon flavoured said:
Thompson winning that Sheriff election would be amusing.
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IIRC he pretty much planned to immediately abdicate to Bob Braudis.

Interestingly, with more effort placed at "mobilizing the stoner vote" he could have actually won. I know I've wanted to do a story where he'd won that and then went on to get elected to the HOR in time for the Reagan-era drug policy debates. :D
 
Ariosto

Ariosto

Henry Ford would admittedly be interesting, considering he was a strong proponent of the League of Nations and ally to Woodrow Wilson. He had also for the most part turned over his company by then to his son, so there really would not be any major changes there. Possibly he manages to bring some additional support to the Treaty of Versailles, but it still fails due to Republican Opposition.

However, he would likely remain just that, a voice in the Senate, and likely would refuse to run again in 1942, assuming he serves or lives that long. The absolute earliest I could see him realistically running would be 1928, and he would already be in his seventies, so that is a no go.

As for his Senate Career itself, I am not sure if it would provide any PODs. It would depend on the amount of influence he had accrued in the Senate by the time Roosevelt came into Office, and what his policies would be. All I know is that he would likely support Lend-Lease unless by that time bad-blood had developed between him and Roosevelt.
 

TNF

Henry Ford would probably try and do his best to get the League of Nations through, but it's not going to happen regardless. As the twenties dawn, Ford becomes more and more conservative as he did IOTL, and his anti-semitism probably starts dripping out more openly. He'll probably be re-elected easily in 1924 despite the Republican tide nationally, and he'll do better of course if he actually switches parties and becomes a Republican. Re-elected again in 1930 and 1936, and 1942, he'll die before his seat is up again in 1948. There's always the possibility that Ford seeks the Democratic nomination in 1928 or 1932 or even 1940 as an isolationist, anti-war candidate against Roosevelt.

T.R. Jr. getting elected Governor of New York in 1924 probably postpones FDR's rise. The term back then was every two years, so he'll be re-elected in 1926 and 1928 rather easily (I don't see him running for President against Hoover) but sit out 1930, when FDR will get the nod himself. FDR wins the Presidential Election in 1932. T.R. Jr. probably stays quiet in politics for the rest of his life, though he might try for the Senate or something later.

Upton Sinclair is re-elected in 1938. His programs are borrowed by FDR at the national level, infusing even more leftism into the New Deal, and Sinclair probably ends up in the Senate at some point in the late thirties or forties.
 
Ariosto

Ariosto

TNF said:
Henry Ford would probably try and do his best to get the League of Nations through, but it's not going to happen regardless. As the twenties dawn, Ford becomes more and more conservative as he did IOTL, and his anti-semitism probably starts dripping out more openly. He'll probably be re-elected easily in 1924 despite the Republican tide nationally, and he'll do better of course if he actually switches parties and becomes a Republican. Re-elected again in 1930 and 1936, and 1942, he'll die before his seat is up again in 1948. There's always the possibility that Ford seeks the Democratic nomination in 1928 or 1932 or even 1940 as an isolationist, anti-war candidate against Roosevelt.
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I agree with this up until the 1940's. Ford had suffered a number of strokes in the late 1930's, so I am not sure he would be up to the task to actually run for the Presidency, even if you didn't include the fact that he would seventy seven at the time. Most likely he is pressured into leaving the Senate in 1942 in return for being able to choose his successor.

Also, he supported at the very least Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom, so I don't know if he actually was isolationist as in the Bob Taft sense or just wasn't keen on openly joining the War.

TNF said:
T.R. Jr. getting elected Governor of New York in 1924 probably postpones FDR's rise. The term back then was every two years, so he'll be re-elected in 1926 and 1928 rather easily (I don't see him running for President against Hoover) but sit out 1930, when FDR will get the nod himself. FDR wins the Presidential Election in 1932. T.R. Jr. probably stays quiet in politics for the rest of his life, though he might try for the Senate or something later.
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Depending on how T.R. Jr. handles the depression, I don't see him not running in 1930.

Also, it is possible that if Roosevelt ran in 1928 (which he likely still would have) and lost (which is also likely) than I doubt Tammany Hall would renominate him in 1930 unless there was no one else who they figured was effective.

Again, it all depends on how T.R. handles the Depression in New York.

TNF said:
Upton Sinclair is re-elected in 1938. His programs are borrowed by FDR at the national level, infusing even more leftism into the New Deal, and Sinclair probably ends up in the Senate at some point in the late thirties or forties.
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Agreed.
 
Lemon flavoured

Lemon flavoured

Geekhis Khan said:
IIRC he pretty much planned to immediately abdicate to Bob Braudis.

Interestingly, with more effort placed at "mobilizing the stoner vote" he could have actually won. I know I've wanted to do a story where he'd won that and then went on to get elected to the HOR in time for the Reagan-era drug policy debates. :D
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Any such debates would be hilarious.
 

Emperor of Scandinavia

MKN said:
Jerry Springer getting elected after his show turned into what it is now is pretty much impossible. But if he did get elected to the Senate, I'm sure CSPAN would be a lot more interesting. :p
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that gives me a great idea!!

Bill Clinton is still impeached, but by now Jerry Springer is senate majority leader during the impeachment hearings.

SO, imagine having the hearings live on C-Span with Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Monica Lewinsky live arguing over whose fault the affair is.

Alternately- it would have been awsome to have seen Bill, Hillary, and Monica all on the Jerry Springer show trying to "sort" out their problems.


Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
 
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