What would the consequences have been if Ronald Reagan had died in the assassination attempt in 1981?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_assassination_attempt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reagan_assassination_attempt
And conspiracy theories pop up among both Left and Right.Bush becomes president.![]()
And conspiracy theories pop up among both Left and Right.
Reagan is viewed more favorably than OTL.
because of course Lord Reagan the Incorruptible and Unblemished single-handedly saved the worldBush becomes President, but doesn't push for the Tax Cuts because he is a Big Government Republican with no real agenda.
His Popularity reaches a high of 80% after the assassination, and he is firm on Foreign Policy which causes the left to agitate for fear of nuclear war.
Without the Tax cuts Bush's domestic economic program which is little more then negotiating a slower rate of wasteful government spending causes the recession to continue.
The Democrats fight for the nomination include former VP Mondale, Senator Gary Hart, and Jesse Jackson. Hart manages to steal the nomination from Mondale by offering Jackson the VP slot. They win a narrow election because the Soviet Union is still a concern for many Americans despite the poor economy.
Massive Government spending including economic aid to the Soviet Union disguised as "Trade" based on Barbara Tuchman's "Stuffed Goose" theory.
The Soviets take this as weakness. Gorbachev, who came to power as a reformer to counter Reagan's anti-communism crusade, retires. Yuri Andropov remains as General Secretary and in Good Health.
President Hart is shocked when the Soviet's invade Iran, taking Iraq's side in the war. He makes strong diplomatic protests but does nothing.
NATO breaks apart, and U.S. forces leave Europe. The Defense budget is slashed, and in an effort to preserve the peace President Hart agrees to a treaty that dismantles existing U.S. missiles in exchange for planned Soviet ones.
Soviet back Communism spreads through out the world. China becomes paranoid and a nuclear war breaks out between it and the Soviet Union. When President Hart refuses to back the Soviet pre-emptive strike on China Soviet Missiles strike the U.S., and Hart is killed when Washington, D.C. is destroyed.
President Jackson offers a surrender after the Soviet strike destroys the remaining few U.S. ICBMs.
Of course that's the best case scenario.