The liberal Republic

[hurricanehink]

I just read this all the way through. Very enjoyable read! It feels West Wing-ish, but man, imagine actual competent governance for that many years. Here’s hoping Brown wins and America truly becomes a liberal republic.

[hurricanehink]

Looking like a Brown victory, with a possible Reagan win in the popular vote.

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Great description of this chaos playing out - I'd love for the next update to include what the election chaos is doing nationally. Is it affecting the stock market? (election dispute + Iran + economic downturn... yikes!)

How about culturally? The 2000 disputed election was brilliantly covered by Jon Stewart. This timeline's Johnny Carson would be interesting - I imagine he might have some of the key players on to court public opinion (or, this being 1976, maybe TV isn't as influential as a medium?) SNL has been around for a few years at this point (presumably still in this timeline). Dana Carvey eventually played Jerry Brown in 1992, but he was on SNL in 1980, so he could play him, against Harry Shearer who played Ronald Reagan OTL.

And if you don't want to dig into the culture stuff, no worries. I'm engaged in this timeline at this point, it's very well done!

[hurricanehink]

I suspect there might be some major changes regardless who wins. If Brown wins, there could be a push among Republicans for a nationwide popular vote - after all, the 26th amendment (lowering voting age to 18) was only nine years in the past at this point, so the amendment process would be known to this crop of politicians. If Reagan wins, I suspect the Democratic congress might reign in the power of the presidency a bit, while also pushing for voting rights (that had just been protected 15 years earlier in the Voting Rights Act of '65).

[hurricanehink]

Love the update!

[hurricanehink]

Great update! I wonder with there being two females in the administration, that the "Year of the Women" (in 1992) might move up a decade, especially since OTL, Reagan nominated O'Connor as the first female SCOTUS.

With Pat Brown's resignation, there's an opening on SCOTUS for the first female justice. In our timeline, we had several women on the court by 1980 (most appointed by Carter).
Here are women in the federal judiciary OTL:
Ruth Bader Ginsberg - DC Court of Appeals (since 1980), age 47
Cornelia Kennedy - 6th District Court (since 1979), age 57
Amalya Kearse - 3rd District Court (since 1979), age 43
Carolyn King - 5th District Court (since 1979), age 42
Phyllis Kravitch - 5th District Court (since 1979), age 60
Stephanie Seymour - 10th District Court (since 1979), age 40
Mary Schroeder - 9th District Court (since 1979), age 40
Dolores Sloviter - 3rd District Court (since 1979), age 48
Patricia Wald - DC Court of Appeals (since 1979), age 52
Shirley Hufstedler - 9th District Court (since 1969), age 55

Some other possibilities:
Catherine Kelly - Associate Justice for DC Court of Appeals (since 1967), age 63
Mary Coleman - Michigan State Supreme Court Justice (since 1979, on court since 1973), age 66
Rose Bird - Chief Justice for California (since 1977, appointed by Jerry Brown), age 44

I think Hufstedler would be the smart choice politically, although Rose Bird would interesting as well, since she was nominated by Brown (so he knows her), and she would be on the court for some time.

Also one more thing: Potter Stewart retired in May 1981 in our timeline, so Brown might get another judge. I'm excited for the Brown administration, great work as always President Johnson!

[hurricanehink]

Will Linda Ronstadt continue her music career as First Lady, even if she wouldn’t be able to hold concert tours? (or would she be able to even with Secret Service?)

In our timeline (IOT), Ronstadt released her platinum-selling album Mad Love in February 1980. I don't think anything from this timeline butterflies that away. In summer 1980 OTL, Ronstadt did a run of Pirates of Penzance, which had... mixed reviews, but the production was on Broadway from January 1981 to November 1982. I imagine this run doesn't happen in this timeline, which could be a great thing for Ronstadt's career, since it was followed by a series of albums of albums from the Great American Songbook (a decidedly major career shift). Ronstadt might not be able to hold concert tours, but there's nothing stopping her from inviting musicians to the White House. Imagine another Woodstock, but at the White House, and instead of Nixon's War on Drugs, we get earlier decriminalization of cannabis, Farm Aid... many possibilities!

[hurricanehink]

I love the update. Can't wait to see how Brown helps the US truly become a liberal republic, instead of the weird center-right country we've become. I love the SCOTUS choice, sorry if I spoiled that and you were already planning for Hufstedler!

[hurricanehink]

I like the idea of the PV winner getting 50 EV’s. Could’ve had Presidents Gore and Hillary Clinton in OTL.

[hurricanehink]

Really enjoying this, including the Brown administration so far. Between the economic plan, getting the first female SCOTUS approved, and a stronger focus on events at home, I look forward to see how the 80's evolve, and see what a liberal 1980s would've looked like. Dare I dream - universal healthcare? Maybe the early investment in infrastructure will prevent the early urban collapse in OTL, and encourage high speed rail, and earlier urban renewal? Maybe an earlier tech boom? Maybe free trade agreements, like an earlier NAFTA?

In OTL, the Canada-US free trade agreement was in 1988, which became NAFTA in 1994. I don't know much about 1980s economics, but outsourcing was already become prevalent by the 1980s OTL. The repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act would certainly play into that. The 1980s were also when China was starting to institute some reforms after they started opening up in 1979 (although those reforms came to a halt in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre).

Interestingly, without having Reagan in office, the US wouldn't have likely signed the 1985 Plaza Accord - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Accord - in that, the US dollar was weakened so it could be more competitive with the French franc, German marc, and the Japanese yen - this agreement caused a sugar rush to the Japanese economy, which then led to the lost decade of the 1990s. Without that, the US dollar likely remains strong throughout the decade, especially if more companies stay in the US. Japan stays competitive as a manufacturing hub (possibly to the detriment of China).

Also, assuming nothing has changed from OTL, then Portugal and Spain have transitioned to democracy by this point. We'll see how the butterflies of this timeline have affected Europe, the Cold War, the state of communism, all that fun stuff. Looking forward to it all!

[hurricanehink]

Really enjoying this, including the Brown administration so far. Between the economic plan, getting the first female SCOTUS approved, and a stronger focus on events at home, I look forward to see how the 80's evolve, and see what a liberal 1980s would've looked like. Dare I dream - universal healthcare? Maybe the early investment in infrastructure will prevent the early urban collapse in OTL, and encourage high speed rail, and earlier urban renewal? Maybe an earlier tech boom? Maybe free trade agreements, like an earlier NAFTA?

In OTL, the Canada-US free trade agreement was in 1988, which became NAFTA in 1994. I don't know much about 1980s economics, but outsourcing was already become prevalent by the 1980s OTL. The repeal of the Taft-Hartley Act would certainly play into that. The 1980s were also when China was starting to institute some reforms after they started opening up in 1979 (although those reforms came to a halt in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre).

Interestingly, without having Reagan in office, the US wouldn't have likely signed the 1985 Plaza Accord - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Accord - in that, the US dollar was weakened so it could be more competitive with the French franc, German marc, and the Japanese yen - this agreement caused a sugar rush to the Japanese economy, which then led to the lost decade of the 1990s. Without that, the US dollar likely remains strong throughout the decade, especially if more companies stay in the US. Japan stays competitive as a manufacturing hub (possibly to the detriment of China).

Also, assuming nothing has changed from OTL, then Portugal and Spain have transitioned to democracy by this point. We'll see how the butterflies of this timeline have affected Europe, the Cold War, the state of communism, all that fun stuff. Looking forward to it all!

NAFTA without Mexico would give Free Trade a much better rep, and give us room for the TPP later on.

Mexico's economy was doing poorly in the 1980s, partly due to the high oil prices. NAFTA without Mexico, plus Australia, NZ, Japan, and the EEC (predecessor to EU), would certainly make a strong trade bloc. And given the Soviet Union's presence from Eastern Europe to near Alaska, politicians would still have a global perspective. That's as opposed to OTL 1990s, when there was so much attention on Europe, from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the Yugoslav Wars. And if the US has stronger ties to the East and the West, then China might not grow so quickly, and instead the Asian Tigers secure their place as industry hubs.

[hurricanehink]

Interesting, the NY bill is de facto Romneycare. If that's already passed in 1982, either Brown or whoever is the Dem prez after him can make it a national law. 20-30 years ahead of time.

Canada passed their universal healthcare law in 1984 in OTL, so the timing is there, especially in a timeline that didn't see the end of the era of big government (w/ Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush2)

[hurricanehink]

Given Brown's victory map from 1980, I could see him picking a midwesterner. Birch Bayh just won his re-election, which could help Indiana, or maybe John Glenn from Ohio, who also won re-election and ran against Brown for the 1980 primary. Hmm, Moonbeam and the first man to orbit Earth, maybe this timeline ends with a Lunar colony

[hurricanehink]

Good choice of Carter, I think he could be a key player given his calm demeanor. I’m looking forward to seeing the liberal agenda. OTL 1980s were dominated by deregulation, tax reduction, the War on Drugs, “Star Wars” and the arms race against USSR, Afghanistan, and Iran/Iraq war. With the Johnson administration going to 1972, and a fairy moderate/liberal Rockefeller dominating the 70s, I think we could see a very different 1980s.

[hurricanehink]

Brown needs to propose some big legislation if he wants to do well in the Midterms! As governor OTL, Brown proposed using satellites for communication purposes (maybe earlier GPS adoption?) OTL, Reagan opened up GPS to the public after Korean Air Lines Flight 007 was shot down in 1983. Maybe with better Soviet relations, that disaster can be avoided, and the 90s tech boom can start earlier.

Also, Brown was staunchly pro-environment. Maybe earlier switch to electric cars? I'm sure gas prices are getting high with the Iran-Iraq war.

[hurricanehink]

Just want to announce that I'll briefly "pause" the TL for roughly two or maybe three weeks. As I move into a new home, I'm just too busy for the time being. I'm confident everything will be said and done in the first ten days of June, so the next update will consist the final month before the midterms (results will be provided after that).

Thanks so much for keeping this timeline going all these years! There aren’t many timelines with a historic point of departure that go for over a decade in the story. It takes time and research to make the alt history plausible, so do whatever you need to do to stay inspired, and good luck with the move!

[hurricanehink]

The cease fire is a real October surprise! And not the usual tragic one.

[hurricanehink]

Great update as always. The format of this timeline is great, alternating between interviews, stories, elections. It’s a good variety.