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jfern
Atlas Institution
Posts: 53,879
Political Matrix
E: -7.38, S: -8.36
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« on: April 05, 2005, 04:47:18 AM » |
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It's summer 1928. The stock market is booming. It looks like commerce secretary Herbert Hoover will easily win election with his running mate Charles Curtis. The stock market has been on a recent surge (more than in real life). As mid October, the stock market is at 350. People are taking bets to how many months until it hits 400. Suddenly on October 22nd, market starts massively plunging. By Friday November 2nd, it is at 250, and rapidly going down. Some companies have announced layoffs.
Al Smith announces that massive government works are needed to cure this depression.
On Tuesday November 6th, 1928,, voters go to the polls to pick the 32nd President of the United States. What had been a foregone conclusion of an election became:
Al Smith narrowly wins the popular vote 51%-47%, and takes the electoral college by a narrow 267-264. He wins Illinois by an ultra slim 49.8%- 49.7%.
The Senate is 48 Democrats and 47 Republicans. Farmer-Labor party member Senator Henrik Shipstead of MN declined to support either party, giving control to the Democrats.
More Republicans than Democrats win in the House, but many switch to the Democratic party. It finally comes down to 220 Republicans and 215 Democrats.
Al Smith pushes through agressive regulation and government programs to stop the worsening recession. He is able to get a few progressive Republicans to support his bills. However, as the recession worsens, he wants more and more, and some of these are blocked by Congress. Voters see the successes of his programs, and give him a solidly Democratic Congress in 1930. The Prohibition is repealed, and very activist programs are followed.
Independence is granted to the Phillippines. Anti-curroption legislation is passed to curb in the scandals of the last 2 Republican Presidents. Pro-union legislation is passed.
The recession finally starts ending in early 1932.
Hoover/Curtis run again against Smith/Robinson. Hoover complains of the "activist socialist" Al Smith government. Voters soundly reject Hoover's conservatism.
Al Smith beats Herbert Hoover 56%-41% in the popular vote.
In Al Smith's 2nd term, he decided to in addition to fighting for the rights of immigrants, the rights of blacks and Catholics. He comes out strongly against the KKK. Civil rights legislation was passed, over the objection of many of those in the South. However, Al Smith is still popular in the south due to all of the economic progress he has brought them.
Al Smith expresses outrage at the treatment of Jews by the German government. He offers asylum to any jewish refuges. Al Smith says that for now we should pursue isolation, but calls for increases in military spending.
In the 1936 election, Smith chooses a new running mate, Henry Wallace. Smith promises that this will be his last term. He does somewhat worse in the south, due to some backllash to civil rights, but stll wins every state.
Landon is the Republican candidate. Despite a Literary digest poll showing that Landon would win, Smith wins every single state in a 59%-40% landslide.
Al Smith takes this mandate to pursue more agressively a number of things. He legalizes and regulates abortion. He passes national health care. He passes campaign finance reform.
He starts warning of the danger of Hitler. When Chamberlain offers to appease Hitler, he angrily denounces Chamberlain. In March 1939, Hitler seizes Czechoslovakia. In September of that year, Poland is invaded, and Al Smith declares war on Germany along with Britian and Poland.
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