Alternative 1992 Election

[Lincoln Republican]

In January, 1992, President George HW Bush is advised by his doctors he must either relinquish the stresses of the office of the Presidency, or risk possible fatal heart problems.

Not wanting to leave Barbara a widow, on Monday, January 27, 1992, President George HW Bush resigns the Presidency of the United States, and at noon the same day, Vice President James Danforth Quayle is sworn is as the fourty second President of the United States by Chief Justice William Rehnquist.  The new President promptly nominates experienced, quick witted, and dynamic orator, New York Senator Alfonse D'Amato to become the new Vice President, and he is quickly confirmed by the Senate.  D'Amato had been serving in the Senate since 1981.

With the power and prestige of the Presidency behind him, and with Vice President D'Amato campaigning along with him, President Dan Quayle secures the Republican Presidential nomination with no meaningful opposition.

On the Democratic side, in a surprise upset, former California Governor Jerry Brown defeats Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, Tennessee Senator Al Gore, Lyndon LaRouche, former Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas, and Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder to win the Democratic Presidential nomination.  Brown had been Governor of California 1975-83.

In a bold move, Brown chooses Virginia Governor Douglas Wilder as the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, making Wilder the first African American to be on a major party ticket.  Wilder has been serving as Governor of Virginia since 1990.   

How does this election of 1992 turn out?
Republican President Dan Quayle (IN)/Vice President Alfonse D'Amato (NY)
Democratic Former Governor Jerry Brown (CA)/Governor Douglas Wilder (VA)

Maps?

[George W. Hobbes]

AMERICA WILL FLY WITH QUAYLE (AND D'AMATO) '92.

[Kevin]

Heres what I think the results would have been.

[WalterMitty]

nice story, winfield.

please allow me to expand it a little.

with the nation under-whelmed by the choice between president quayle and governor moonbeam, paul tsongas talks openly of running as a third party candidate for the 'sensible center'.  texas billonaire ross perot encourages tsongas and offers his financial backing.

in late august of 92, tsongas announces his intentions of running an idependent candidacy for the highest office in the land.  at the boston press conference, tsongas introduces his running mate and fellow deficit hawk, republican senator warren rudman of new hampshire.

during the campaign, the quayle/d'amato ticket polls very well with evangelicals and white rural dwellers.  the brown/wilder ticket does well with the far left and african americans.  tsongas/rudman predictably do well with independent minded voters, new englanders and suburban voters.

here is how election day turns out:



quayle/damato: 38%, 252 EVs
brown/wilder: 33%. 203 EVs
tsongas/rudman: 29%, 83 EVs

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank  you Walter.

OK, no one has won the election with a majority of the electoral votes.

The election goes to the House of Representatives, who are to vote on the top three candidates.  The House in 1992 before January, 1993, when the new House is sworn in, consists of 267 Democrats, 167 Republicans, 1 Independent. 

Normally, they would vote on a straight party line vote, therefore making Brown President.  However, in this case, some more conservative Democrats decide to go with Tsongas as Brown is unacceptable to them.

The vote               Brown    Quayle    Tsongas       
Democrats            184                       83
Republicans                         167
Independent                                        1
Total                     184         167         84

The House fails to agree on a President.  The election goes to the Senate, who are to vote on the top two candidates.

The Senate in 1992, before January, 1993, when the new senate is sworn in, consists of 57 Democrats, 43 Republicans.  Some of the southern Democrats simply cannot accept the extreme liberal Brown.

The vote                       Brown    Quayle
Democrats                    50
Southern Democrats                      7
Republicans                                 43
Total                             50           50

Still no President elected.

Vice President Dan Quayle casts the deciding vote for himself, therefore, making himself the fourty second President of the United States.

[Citizen James]

Thank  you Walter.

OK, no one has won the election with a majority of the electoral votes.

The election goes to the House of Representatives, who are to vote on the top three candidates.  The House in 1992 before January, 1993, when the new House is sworn in, consists of 267 Democrats, 167 Republicans, 1 Independent. 

Normally, they would vote on a straight party line vote, therefore making Brown President.  However, in this case, some more conservative Democrats decide to go with Tsongas as Brown is unacceptable to them.

The vote               Brown    Quayle    Tsongas       
Democrats            184                       83
Republicans                         167
Independent                                        1
Total                     184         167         84

The House fails to agree on a President.  The election goes to the Senate, who are to vote on the top two candidates.

The Senate in 1992, before January, 1993, when the new senate is sworn in, consists of 57 Democrats, 43 Republicans.  Some of the southern Democrats simply cannot accept the extreme liberal Brown.

The vote                       Brown    Quayle
Democrats                    50
Southern Democrats                      7
Republicans                                 43
Total                             50           50

Still no President elected.

Vice President Dan Quayle casts the deciding vote for himself, therefore, making himself the fourty second President of the United States.

Well, in your scenerio, Quayle isn't VP anymore, he's POTUS.  But replace Quayle with D'Amato and you have a plausable scenerio.

[Lincoln Republican]

Thank  you Walter.

OK, no one has won the election with a majority of the electoral votes.

The election goes to the House of Representatives, who are to vote on the top three candidates.  The House in 1992 before January, 1993, when the new House is sworn in, consists of 267 Democrats, 167 Republicans, 1 Independent. 

Normally, they would vote on a straight party line vote, therefore making Brown President.  However, in this case, some more conservative Democrats decide to go with Tsongas as Brown is unacceptable to them.

The vote               Brown    Quayle    Tsongas       
Democrats            184                       83
Republicans                         167
Independent                                        1
Total                     184         167         84

The House fails to agree on a President.  The election goes to the Senate, who are to vote on the top two candidates.

The Senate in 1992, before January, 1993, when the new senate is sworn in, consists of 57 Democrats, 43 Republicans.  Some of the southern Democrats simply cannot accept the extreme liberal Brown.

The vote                       Brown    Quayle
Democrats                    50
Southern Democrats                      7
Republicans                                 43
Total                             50           50

Still no President elected.

Vice President Dan Quayle casts the deciding vote for himself, therefore, making himself the fourty second President of the United States.

Well, in your scenerio, Quayle isn't VP anymore, he's POTUS.  But replace Quayle with D'Amato and you have a plausable scenerio.

Right, sorry, I missed that.  Thanks for the correction.

How could I have demoted Quayle back to VP, especially in my own story?

He's only been President for one year.

[WalterMitty]

wouldnt the congress vote in state delegations?

in other words, each state gets a vote?

[Ben.]

Perot wins... Quayle comes a second with somthing like 35% of the vote while Brown scrapes 20-25%.

[Lincoln Republican]

wouldnt the congress vote in state delegations?

in other words, each state gets a vote?

Yes, that's what I understand.  However, I don't know the break down of the congressional delegations in 1992, so I simplified it.

I was, however, reading as well, that if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote, the House of Representatives votes on the top three candidates.  If no one wins a majority in the House, the Senate votes on the remaining two candidates, with the Vice President casting the tie breaking vote if necessary.

[George W. Hobbes]

President Perot!

That'd be an interesting four years.

[bullmoose88]

wouldnt the congress vote in state delegations?

in other words, each state gets a vote?

Yes, that's what I understand.  However, I don't know the break down of the congressional delegations in 1992, so I simplified it.

I was, however, reading as well, that if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote, the House of Representatives votes on the top three candidates.  If no one wins a majority in the House, the Senate votes on the remaining two candidates, with the Vice President casting the tie breaking vote if necessary.

IIRC, the Democrats had a pretty big lead as to who controlled the state delegations

[Erc]

Hmm...something to research there...

[Dr. Cynic]

Quayle VS Brown? Ugh! Well, I'd vote for Tsongas.