2032With the Great Recession of 2007-2030 finally ending and economic growth resuming after years of chaos at both home and abroad, the nation breathes a sigh of relief as a kind of prosperity returns and it begins to select leadership for the post-recessionary period. Two decades of a depressed economy has wrecked havoc on the traditional political alignments of the country; with the Obama realignment in 2008, the Democratic Party became, in effect, the nation's only party capable of winning and holding office. The Republican Party collapsed in the face of demographic shifts and the moderating of the Democratic Party to the point that, from the vantage point of a century prior, it was almost unrecognizable; it is now a hodgepodge of upscale 'liberaltarians' on the coasts and those who still cling to the old liberal ideas of a regulated economy and support for labor unions. Needless to say, it's an unhappy marriage.
The right has largely moved into the Democratic camp; a lot of prominent conservatives now support the traditionalist-populist wing of the Democratic Party, led by Missouri Governor Gauss Law. Law won the Democratic nomination in spite of opposition from within the party from the Wall Street-aligned liberaltarians, although since his nomination, he has tacked to the center to appease these voters. He is joined by Minnesota Governor Windjammer, a fellow traditionalist-populist Democrat, although one with significant support from the defense contracting industries. The declining Republican Party has likewise decided to support the Democratic ticket for President.
On the left, disgruntled populist Democrats (of a decidedly more socially liberal variety) have split the party and allied themselves with the emerging socialist movement. Heralded by the election of Socialist Alternative City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant in 2013 and subsequent victories by other socialists in Seattle and Chicago, the movement expanded as the economy continued to stall and war abounded abroad. The United Socialist Party was formed at a conference in Chicago in 2022, bringing together existing socialist parties into a federated, uniform structure for the first time. The USP has selected Illinois Senator TNF for President and New York Congressman SWE for Vice President. The USP is campaigning on a "real socialist program" for recovery from the recession, promoting cooperatives and unions, and taking on the power of the "Wall Street banksters."
Governor GaussLaw of Missouri and Governor Windjammer of Minnesota (Democratic Party/Republican Party): 51% of the popular voteSenator TNF of Illinois and Congressman SomeoneWhoExists of New York (United Socialist Party): 49% of the popular vote
