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Kaddeus' Chronicles

Presidents of the United States of America

2001-2009: George W. Bush / Richard B. "Dick" Cheney (Republican)
-00:
Al Gore/Joe Lieberman (Democratic)
-04: John Kerry/John Edwards (Democratic)
2009-2011: John Edwards / Barack H. Obama (Democratic)
-08:
Mitt Romney/Charlie Crist (Republican)
2011-2013: Barack H. Obama / vacant (Democratic)
2013-2018: Chris Christie / Rand Paul (Republican)
-12:
Barack H. Obama/Lincoln Chafee (Democratic)
-16: Brian Schweitzer/Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)
2018-2019: Rand Paul / vacant (Republican)
2019-2021: Rand Paul / Brian Sandoval (Republican)
2021-present: Richard Ojeda / Nina Turner (Democratic)
-21:
Brian Sandoval/Chris Sununu (Republican), Jesse Ventura/Kanye West (Libertarian)

So I was reading Game Change lately (fantastic book by the way, an absolute must-read if you want to learn more about the 2008 presidential election), and was just floored by the utter insanity of the Edwards campaign. From what the book described, Rielle Hunter was basically blowing Edwards' horn so hard that he thought that he was an almost messianic figure, if you'll pardon the pun. Add that to learning about a potential Obama-Edwards pact for Iowa and sprinkle in a bit of worse habits aided and abetted by the most powerful office in the land and I came up with this hot mess.

Basically - John Edwards wins Iowa, knocks out Hillary Clinton, and chooses Obama as his running mate, as he had toyed with in 2008 OTL. With the power of the DNC and the presidency behind him, he manages to delay the eruption of the extramarital scandal until only months before the 2010 midterms. Adding that onto Edwards' woes from his fiercely populist agenda causing him to lock horns with Congress, the Democrats get absolutely thrashed. With the Party increasingly viewing him as an albatross around their necks, howls for a pound of flesh from the empowered libertarians in the Republican caucus thanks to Edwards' borderline abuse of power in obstructing investigations, Reid, Pelosi, and Obama put increasing pressure on the President to resign, warning that they might not have the votes to prevent conviction in the Senate, in no thanks to terrified moderates who shall not be named like Heidi Heitkamp.

The first dilemma of Obama's presidency is whether or not to pardon the former President, a decision which the erudite Commander-in-Chief drags his feet on, citing an ongoing investigation that eventually loses momentum. What doesn't lose momentum, however, is Ron Paul's insurgent campaign for the 2012 Republican nomination that soon leapfrogs the poor dreams of Willard Mitt Romney's family values comeback, among others. The Congressman waltzes to the nomination as Democratic staffers across the country down copious amounts of alcohol to cope for the decimation of their agenda and Governors steel themselves to lock horns with a potential new President hellbent on cutting anything that's so much as been looked at by the federal government.

Their nightmares, however, do not come to pass. A week before the RNC opens, Ron Paul passes away from a sudden stroke, brought on by a combination of old age and physical exertion from campaigning. Tampa begins in chaos, with a floor fight unlike any other erupting on the floor. From David Duke breaking single digits in the delegate count for a brief round, Governor Mike Huckabee making some...racially insensitive comments, and Rand Paul, the heir apparent being quickly found to apparently not have inherited all of his father's charisma and passion, a very exhausted Republican Party throws its weight behind the maverick Chris Christie, who anoints Rand Paul as his second-in-command as an olive branch to a suspicious libertarian faction of the GOP.

Christie and Paul proceed to defeat Barack Obama and his hail Mary VP-pick, Lincoln Chafee by a decisive margin. ("A last-ditch effort to save a candidacy coming in the form of a quixotic Vice Presidential pick? After Ferraro and the Chafe, the donkeys have certainly got the market cornered on that one!" A Republican remarks, blissfully unaware of the hellworlds elsewhere that exist on Election Night.). The New Jersey Governor is initially popular as a bipartisan moderate, while Rand Paul makes grumbling noises in the background over being denied what was, for a brief few moments, his birthright. Their tax cut proposal, while initially popular enough to ensure lower-than-expected losses in the 2014 midterms, quickly comes back to bite them. Brian Schweitzer, the Governor of Montana rises amidst the chaos, defeating Hillary's second run for the nomination as the Party sours on establishment liberal picks in favour of more populist, down-to-earth candidates. It's enough to narrowly clinch the popular vote, though not the Electoral College.

However, New Jersey does as New Jersey does, and Christie is soon too embroiled in a scandal over contracts being handed out to old friends in the Garden State in an infrastructure bill that slowly snowballs. Paul seizes his chance and forces Christie out in the backrooms, but fails to live up to the expectations as the six-year itch bites down hard against the President's crusade against Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, to name a few. The Republicans stare down the electoral abyss as Christie works his retail politics behind the scenes, pulling strings for moderate Governor Brian Sandoval to stage an upset in the primaries against the President. Furious libertarians walk out to join Jesse Ventura's campaign, which, while winning no states, is enough to doom the GOP. With the triumph of firebrand Governor Ojeda in the 2020 election, Americans pray that this Democratic President won't be as much of a disaster as the last two.


The first lesson a politician learns is just how fickle the press can be. If they're unlucky, it's also their last.

John Edwards, 44th President of the United States, was a very unlucky man.

Rielle Hunter. The National Enquirer. His own staff - damn them all to hell. Elizabe-

No.

It was far past time for that now.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Edwards took his seat in front of the Resolute Desk. Barack was there in the corridor, not even sparing him a glance. The Party had moved on, even if he hadn't. The scandal had rocked Washington for the past 3 years, building to a growing crescendo that climaxed in the Republican landslide of 2010. The libertarians hobbled his feet all throughout that session of Congress, throwing his new War on Poverty to the wayside.

Hell, Ron Paul, Ron Paul had dragged himself out of the dredges of the House like a bat out of hell, railing against a new Nixon and a new Watergate while enthralling college crowds that had previously been his on the virtues of government non-intervention. Harry had come in just hours ago, grimly informing the President what he'd perhaps known would come since the day he laid his lips on the passionate intern.

And now, it had come to this.

As the cameraman mouthed the countdown, Johnny Reid Edwards thought himself nothing more than a sinner.


2008-2012 Elections Composite.png
 
Some generic hellscape doom scenario I made early last year: looking back at it now I definitely wouldn't have made Wisconsin that close, but everything else I'm quite satisfied with! Really need to learn how to change the colours outside of paint.net though.
269-269 NYT Page.png
 
2017-2022: Chief Executive Carrie Lam 林鄭月娥 - 刻舟求劍
2022-2028: Chief Secretary for Administration John Lee 李家超 - 官逼民反*
2028-2032: Secretary for National Security Chris Tang, 鄧炳強 - 一誤再誤
2032-2036: President of the Legislative Council Starry Lee, 李慧琼 - 水能载舟
2036-2037: Secretary for Administration Holden Chow, 周浩鼎 -

2037-2039: Former Chief Executive Chris Tang, 鄧炳強 - 星星之火
2039-2047: Chief Executive Chris Tang, 鄧炳強 - 可以燎原
2047: Daybreak - 黎明破曉


*Assassinated
 
Senators of the 122nd United States Congress (2033-2035)

Alabama: Tommy Tuberville (R, 2020), Katie Britt (R, 2022)
Alaska: Sara Rasmussen (R, 2028), Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak (I, 2030)
Arizona: Mark Kelly (D, 2020), Ruben Gallego (D, 2024)
Arkansas: Tom Cotton (R, 2014), Leslie Rutledge (R, 2028)
California: Alex Padilla (D, 2021), Alex Lee (D, 2027)
Colorado: Michael Bennett (D, 2009), Brianna Titone (D, 2028)
Connecticut: Chris Murphy (D, 2012), Erick Russell (D, 2028)
Delaware: Chris Coons (D, 2010), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D, 2024)
Florida: Marco Rubio (R, 2010), Francis X. Suarez (R, 2030)
Georgia: Jon Ossoff (D, 2020), Raphael Warnock (D, 2020)
Hawaii: Brian Schatz (D, 2012), Lisa Kitagawa (D, 2024)
Idaho: Brandon Woolf (R, 2024), Priscilla Giddings (R, 2028)
Illinois: Tammy Duckworth (D, 2022), Lauren Underwood (D, 2026)
Indiana: Todd Young (R, 2016), Todd Rokita (R, 2030)
Iowa: Joni Ernst (R, 2014), Randy Feenstra (R, 2028)
Kansas: Jake LaTurner (R, 2028), Rui Xu (D, 2032)
Kentucky: Rand Paul (R, 2010), Daniel Cameron (R, 2026)
Louisiana: Julia Letlow (R, 2026), Stephanie Hilferty (R, 2028)
Maine: Jared Golden (D, 2024), Stacey Brenner (D, 2028)
Maryland: Chris van Hollen (D, 2016), Carl W. Jackson (D, 2024)
Massachusetts: Ayanna Pressley (D, 2026), Michelle Wu (D, 2030)
Michigan: Mallory McMorrow (D, 2026), Yousef Rabhi (D, 2030)
Minnesota: Peggy Flanagan (DFL, 2030), Samantha Vang (DFL, 2032)
Mississippi: Cindy Hyde-Smith (R, 2018), Shad White (R, 2027)
Missouri: Josh Hawley (R, 2018), Eric Schmitt (R, 2022)
Montana: Steve Daines (R, 2014), Tom Winter (D, 2030),
Nebraska: Ben Sasse (R, 2014), Leiroin Gaylor Baird (D, 2030)
Nevada: Adam Laxalt (R, 2022), Yvanna Cancela (D, 2026)
New Hampshire: Chris Pappas (D, 2026), Rebecca Kwoka (D, 2028)
New Jersey: Cory Booker (D, 2012), Andy Kim (D, 2024)
New Mexico: Martin Heinrich (D, 2012), Hector Balderas (D, 2032)
New York: Kirsten Gillibrand (D, 2008), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D, 2028),
North Carolina: Ted Budd (R, 2022), Natalie Murdock (D, 2032)
North Dakota: Kevin Cramer (R, 2018), Kelly Armstrong (R, 2028)
Ohio: Tim Ryan (D, 2022), Frank LaRose (R, 2024)
Oklahoma: James Lankford (R, 2014), Markwayne Mullin (R, 2022)
Oregon: Jeff Merkley (D, 2008), Shemia Fagan (D, 2028)
Pennsylvania: John Fetterman (D, 2022), Malcolm Kenyatta (D, 2024)
Rhode Island: Jorge Elorza (D, 2030), Sam Bell (D, 2032)
South Carolina: Tim Scott (R, 2012), Nancy Mace (R, 2028)
South Dakota: John Thune (R, 2004), Paul TenHaken (R, 2032)
Tennessee: Bill Hagerty (R, 2020), David Kustoff (R, 2028)
Texas: James Talarico (D, 2030), Lina Hidalgo (D, 2032)
Utah: Mike Lee (R, 2010), Deidre Henderson (R, 2028)
Vermont: Becca Balint (D, 2024), Tanya Vyhovsky (D/VP, 2028)
Virginia: Abigail Spanberger (D, 2026), Suhas Subramanyam (D, 2030)
Washington: T'wina Nobles (D, 2028), Yasmin Trudeau (D, 2030)
West Virginia: Alex Mooney (R, 2024), Moore Capito (R, 2028)
Wisconsin: Mike Gallagher (R, 2028), Eric Genrich (D, 2030)

Wyoming: Cynthia Lummis (R, 2020), Rachel Rodriguez-Williams (R, 2024)
 
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Prime Ministers of Canada:

2015-2023: Justin Trudeau (Liberal)
-15: def. Stephen Harper (Conservative), Tom Mulcair (New Democratic), Gilles Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois), Elizabeth May (Green)
-19 (min.): def. Andrew Scheer (Conservative), Yves-Francois Blanchet (Bloc Quebecois), Jagmeet Singh (New Democratic), Elizabeth May (Green), Maxime Bernier (People's)
-21 (min.): def. Erin O'Toole (Conservative), Yves-Francois Blanchet (Bloc Quebecois), Jagmeet Singh (New Democratic), Annamie Paul (Green), Maxime Bernier (People's)


2023-2033: Pierre Poilievre (Conservative)
-23 (min.): def. Justin Trudeau (Liberal), Jagmeet Singh (New Democratic), Yves-Francois Blanchet (Bloc Quebecois), Anna Keenan & Chad Walcott (Green), Maxime Bernier (People's)
-26 (min.): def. Anita Anand (Liberal), Blake Desjarlais (New Democratic), Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Bloc Quebecois), Anna Keenan & Chad Walcott (Green)
-28: def. Mark Carney (Liberal), Blake Desjarlais & Ruth Ellen Brosseau (New Democratic), Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné (Bloc Quebecois), Anna Keenan & Chad Walcott (Green)


2033-: Blake Desjarlais (New Democratic)
-33 (min. w/ S&C): Pierre Poilievre (Conservative), Sean Fraser (Liberal), Anna Keenan & Chad Walcott (Green), Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Bloc Quebecois)
-
34 MMPR Referendum: 60.1% YES/OUI, 39.9% NO/NON
 
Right, haven't touched this in a while. Moreso a free-flowing braindump here inspired by some musings on Discord.

Starting off with a hot take: the most successful iteration of a Bernie presidency may not have been Bernie 2016 or Bernie 2020, but...Bernie 2024. Bear with me here.

In 2016, Bernie can take the Senate to a tie thanks to a boost for Kander and McGinty being dragged across the finishing line - but the House is still going to be Republican. 2018 likely sees further losses even if Bernie can pass EOs, and keep in mind this is a world where the Republicans manage to contain the crazy and probably throw up neo-Scott Walker or some other hack. Also, while the bottom doesn't completely fall out for the Democrats in the rurals and WWC regions, their inroads into the suburbs might be halted or even reversed. It'd be a whole lot of misery until alt-COVID hits and then Sanders either scrapes something together to face 4 more years of gridlock. Without COVID, he likely goes down to a loss.

As for 2020, while I believe Bernie would've performed the 2nd best (3rd most electable of that field was Klob, for the record), he wouldn't be the best candidate to flip Georgia, especially with those crucial suburbanites in Greater Atlanta. While you can make the case for a worse J6 giving him more breathing room (if you wanted to be fun with it, wafer-thin 218-217 R majority in the House?), you'd have to wait for the 2022 midterms for any sort of weirdness to fully manifest. Georgia might be gone, but maybe Barnes could be competitive...? Again, needs some handwavium.

This bring us to 2024. After Biden falls short in 2020, 2022 would have been a blue wave of epic proportions, especially coupled with an alt-Dobbs ruling. Tim Ryan would win Ohio, Barnes takes Wisconsin, Fetterman flips Pennsylvania...you know the drill. Point is, the Democrats would have a lot more legislative ground to stand on. You'd likely get a few more Squad members in as well. Furthermore, this is a Democratic coalition that is, for better or for worse, much more clearly ideologically sorted. You wouldn't have to deal with any stillborn suburban shifts and explore the ramifications of that - it'd be a clean, fairly liberal majority.

Sanders in 2024 would be running as a "third time's the charm" candidate - and who's to say he wouldn't be vindicated? After 8~ years of Trump (depending on whether or not an early health scare gets to him), Bernie gets to go up against some successor of Trumpism - I suspect DeSantis would flail, and that any of the President's direct family wouldn't carry the same star power. You'd see some tortured attempt to bridge the country clubbers and the Trumpists. Also, throw in a No Labels run from Someone?

Nonetheless, Sanders would get in with healthy majorities in Congress, managing to hold together to Biden coalition while riding a wave of disaffection against the Republicans to victory.

What comes next would make for an interesting timeline as well - while the Democrats have a majority and are, as the past year has proven, more disciplined than the Republicans, Sanders is nonetheless quite a ways away from the median Democrat. Negotiations with the House and Senate, especially with the foreign scene more unstable (invasion of Venezuela? Ukraine chaos?) and the domestic scene untamed, would be fascinating - how would President Sanders handle a Democratic coalition that united on beating Trump but not much else? While you'd see surprising amounts of pragmatism from him, some of the moderates might get quite grumpy.

And of course, the elephant in the room: Sanders' age. I'd expect him to be a one-termer, but not sure if he would govern as such. Having him pass or suffer a scare just before the 2026 midterms would be a very handwavey way to stem the bleeding. Nonetheless, his VP would be pivotal here as well.

The point of such a timeline wouldn't be to be some sort of lefty wank, but rather assess what a Sanders presidency would be, especially with the dawn of a truly "modern" Democratic coalition of sorts from the suburbanites to the socialists. Here's a rough sketch. @Comrade Izaac , I think you'll like this.


Businessman Donald Trump of New York / Governor Mike Pence of Indiana (Republican) 2017 - 2025
-16: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of New York/Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia (Democratic)
-20: Former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware/Senator Kamala Harris of California (Democratic)

Senator
Bernie Sanders of Vermont / ??? (Independent & Democratic) 2025 - 2027
-24: ???/??? (Republican), ???/??? (No Labels)

Vice President
??? of ??? / ??? (Democratic) 2027 - 2033
-28: ???/??? (Republican)

???/??? (Republican) 2033 - present
-32: President ???/Vice President ??? (Democratic)
 
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Right, haven't touched this in a while. Moreso a free-flowing braindump here inspired by some musings on Discord.

Starting off with a hot take: the most successful iteration of a Bernie presidency may not have been Bernie 2016 or Bernie 2020, but...Bernie 2024. Bear with me here.

In 2016, Bernie can take the Senate to a tie thanks to a boost for Kander and McGinty being dragged across the finishing line - but the House is still going to be Republican. 2018 likely sees further losses even if Bernie can pass EOs, and keep in mind this is a world where the Republicans manage to contain the crazy and probably throw up neo-Scott Walker or some other hack. Also, while the bottom doesn't completely fall out for the Democrats in the rurals and WWC regions, their inroads into the suburbs might be halted or even reversed. It'd be a whole lot of misery until alt-COVID hits and then Sanders either scrapes something together to face 4 more years of gridlock. Without COVID, he likely goes down to a loss.

As for 2020, while I believe Bernie would've performed the 2nd best (3rd most electable of that field was Klob, for the record), he wouldn't be the best candidate to flip Georgia, especially with those crucial suburbanites in Greater Atlanta. While you can make the case for a worse J6 giving him more breathing room (if you wanted to be fun with it, wafer-thin 218-217 R majority in the House?), you'd have to wait for the 2022 midterms for any sort of weirdness to fully manifest. Georgia might be gone, but maybe Barnes could be competitive...? Again, needs some handwavium.

This bring us to 2024. After Biden falls short in 2020, 2022 would have been a blue wave of epic proportions, especially coupled with an alt-Dobbs ruling. Tim Ryan would win Ohio, Barnes takes Wisconsin, Fetterman flips Pennsylvania...you know the drill. Point is, the Democrats would have a lot more legislative ground to stand on. You'd likely get a few more Squad members in as well. Furthermore, this is a Democratic coalition that is, for better or for worse, much more clearly ideologically sorted. You wouldn't have to deal with any stillborn suburban shifts and explore the ramifications of that - it'd be a clean, fairly liberal majority.

Sanders in 2024 would be running as a "third time's the charm" candidate - and who's to say he wouldn't be vindicated? After 8~ years of Trump (depending on whether or not an early health scare gets to him), Bernie gets to go up against some successor of Trumpism - I suspect DeSantis would flail, and that any of the President's direct family wouldn't carry the same star power. You'd see some tortured attempt to bridge the country clubbers and the Trumpists. Also, throw in a No Labels run from Someone?

Nonetheless, Sanders would get in with healthy majorities in Congress, managing to hold together to Biden coalition while riding a wave of disaffection against the Republicans to victory.

What comes next would make for an interesting timeline as well - while the Democrats have a majority and are, as the past year has proven, more disciplined than the Republicans, Sanders is nonetheless quite a ways away from the median Democrat. Negotiations with the House and Senate, especially with the foreign scene more unstable (invasion of Venezuela? Ukraine chaos?) and the domestic scene untamed, would be fascinating - how would President Sanders handle a Democratic coalition that united on beating Trump but not much else? While you'd see surprising amounts of pragmatism from him, some of the moderates might get quite grumpy.

And of course, the elephant in the room: Sanders' age. I'd expect him to be a one-termer, but not sure if he would govern as such. Having him pass or suffer a scare just before the 2026 midterms would be a very handwavey way to stem the bleeding. Nonetheless, his VP would be pivotal here as well.

The point of such a timeline wouldn't be to be some sort of lefty wank, but rather assess what a Sanders presidency would be, especially with the dawn of a truly "modern" Democratic coalition of sorts from the suburbanites to the socialists. Here's a rough sketch. @Comrade Izaac , I think you'll like this.


Businessman Donald Trump of New York / Governor Mike Pence of Indiana (Republican) 2017 - 2025
-16: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of New York/Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia (Democratic)
-20: Former Vice President Joe Biden of Delaware/Senator Kamala Harris of California (Democratic)

Senator
Bernie Sanders of Vermont / ??? (Independent & Democratic) 2025 - 2027
-24: ???/??? (Republican), ???/??? (No Labels)

Vice President
??? of ??? / ??? (Democratic) 2027 - 2033
-28: ???/??? (Republican)

???/??? (Republican) 2033 - present
-32: President ???/Vice President ??? (Democratic)

hold on mate ive got a whole long form response to this but i'm out at the moment. ill be back to this soon
 
Some additional musings on this in the foreign policy scene.

Europe:

A President Trump means a much more isolationist approach to the trans-Atlantic alliance. With Europe more alone as Russia ramps up its aggression, Germany might elect the more realist Greens and Baerbock as Chancellor - just in time to face off against Putin as he goes for broke against Ukraine. Whilst the European forces are not nearly as effective as the joint effort OTL, Zelensky still manages to salvage the western half of Ukraine. Melenchon might make it to the second round in France? Orban definitely wins re-election.

Asia:
With a more severe Russo-Ukrainian War, Kishida is muscled out of the 2021 LDP leadership race by a recovered Abe. Can't decide if him biting the bullet or not as he did makes it more interesting - I think this could definitely lead to a PM Takaichi situation where she gets to wave the bloody shirt. CDP-Ishin grand coalition to defeat an increasingly authoritarian LDP might be an interesting move here, especially as she scrambles to cover up a faction funds scandal (remember, the ongoing kerfuffle was ignited by the fact that Abe's assassination let the Tokyo Metropolitan Prosecutorial Department finally move against the Seiwakai...)
 
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