I wish you would have included one of our first political action in this quest, our support for lower taxes on veterans in California with support from Reagan. Also love how Bruce is playing himself down with 'semi-active' conservative, buddy you started a new faction in the party.
Sorry for forgetting that, admittedly a missed opportunity from me. Although at the same time, one can interpret this as Bruce viewing his charitable actions as non-political and more basic decency, or he doesn't think such causes should be political which can be interesting narration.
Also what would Nixon and other hard line party members think about this?
Probably think Bruce and Curb are naive idealists who are sabotaging the War on Drugs for their fluffy nonsense, only for them to realize sometimes love and compassion is better than guns blazing.
As a European in a parlementry democracy with many parties it is very fasinating and confusing to see such wierd and contradictory coaltions in the same party. Like how Hubert H Humphrey and Ted Kennedy shared the same party as Strom Thurmond and George Wallace. And now in this quest Mike Curb and Bruce O'Brian with Pat Buchannon and Pat Robertson. But in the name of turning Califonia into a red state in the election ,the religious right need to shut up and focus on their own state, LOL.
American political parties have always had high degrees of factionalism and independence since the first party system with the Democratic-Republicans and Federalists. Nowadays both parties are extremely uniform, but in the 20th century it wasn't uncommon for each party to represent to have divisions based off of interpretations of liberalism and conservatism. I think it's a consequence of us not having a Parliamentary system and fixed terms, not to mention focus on federalism so politicians are more focused on personal platforms, carrying ideological banners, and local needs than rallying to the party for the sake of it.
In terms of presidential elections and control of congress, both parties had their own regional strategies that they had to compromise with regional interests, most infamously Democrats and the Dixiecrats. The different power plays of the factions will be interesting going forward, though for now Rockefeller Republicans still persist in the East Coast and combined with California Club Republicans it'll make for very interesting party agendas and administrations.
Another butterfly in the "O'Brian Hall" with very intresting ramifications. I think the some dems are exaterating Bruce's influence here, refugees from communist nations have a tendency to vote for anti-communist and anti-socialist polticians, though Bruce still has a influence as 92% is a bit too large on anti-communist grounds alone. Also like how one half of the Republicans denies the O'Brian hall allegation and the other half is like "More untapped voters?! Yes, please!" might see some softening on anti-immigration in the Republican party though greater voter engagment for immigrants is good for everybody.
Well Magoose did mention that Vietnamese and Romanian refugees heavily idolize Bruce, and when your hero and the man who saved your family endorses one party, then you vote for said party. Both demographics tended to vote heavily Republican OTL and it probably makes a difference in thatCalifornia is Bruce's state whereas say Cubans and Dominicans living in Florida would see a tad more diversity. Also, it kind of didn't help that the Democrats never really made any plays for this ethnic group, and Vidal's dogshit campaign combined with immigrant anxieties to voting for a Black man in Bradley would push to GOP.
Although that being said on Romanians, while most may be Republicans, they absolutely love and adore Jimmy Carter and had the Romanians gained citizenship before 1980, Carter would carry them. Carter for his aid to Romania is probably heavily idolized and adored throughout the country and I can see stuff like streets named after him, statues or Romanians liking peanut butter more. Internal party drama towards Carter like Ted Kennedy's primary run and most of the party being more towards the Left would push most Romanian-Americans towards the GOP, helped by Reagan's more fervent anti-Communism.
Before 9/11, there were many wings and groups of the Republican Party who genuinely wanted to reach out to certain ethnic groups, and ironically enough Muslim and Arab Americans favored Republicans due to conservative culture. It's also kind of interesting IRL how certain Hispanic nationalities tend to flock heavily towards the Republicans, keeping Texas and Florida Red and making Hispanics overall very competitive instead of monolithic. Whether it's due to bigotry, electoral pragmatism or genuine idealism; I think many Sunbelt Republicans would be pro immigrant with Asians and Latinos being courted heavily to balance the Black vote.
I'm reading a book called 'Wake us up when it's over'. It's about the 1984 election, but also about the events leading up to the election with the decline of 'New Deal' democrats of LBJ and Carter and the rise of Conservatism once espoused by Goldwater in '64 culminating in the '84 election redeeming the loss of '64. So it's nice that Barry Jr. is continuing his father's redemption in being elected in CALIFORNIA as a Goldwater, imagine if he tried to do it in '68 or the seventies.
I thought it'd be fun to have Barry Goldwater Jr. win his Senate race on a landslide versus his Dad's landslide defeat, although Sr. still served on the Senate will into the 80s and sort of got the last laugh ideologically, even if in the 70s and 80s he became more of a true Libertarian and adopted some Left cultural positions. When researching the Republican Senate primary, I figured that Jr. thanks to working on committees which are far more successful here and his anti-government and privacy planks mixing well with Hillsgate would win the primary versus Pete Wilson. Shame Bruce couldn't endorse anybody, but I think he'd align with Goldwater.
It also helps Barry if his opponent is a moron, my God what was he doing with that Romania and Pearl harbor comment? I thought that Dems should uphold FDR as an idol and as an icon a la Lincoln for the Republicans, also that Romania comment would have people call him a pinko, even from his own party form the blue dog dems. And that Polanski comment, yuck. Good luck in LA and SF. The Democratic party of California might reform the selection process to prevent such a loss again.
Those controversies weren't me rigging the game so Goldwater would win on a landslide, they are legit positions that Gore Vidal held. He lambasted FDR's embargo on Japan and proclaimed that Pearl Harbor was a provoked response and FDR had insider knowledge the attack was coming. He also did genuinely state that Polanski's 13 year old victim was a hooker and it was a non-issue. Vidal is honestly a Far-Left wacko but OTL he did place third in the Democratic primary, and with the guys who were before him resigning with Jerry Brown or getting arrested by Hillsgate, then Vidal would manage to eck out a victory off of plurality.
For the Democrats, it's not that the party has a bad primary system, it's just that Vidal was the candidate with the most national spotlight and name recognition, had extensive support from established party leaders and Liberal icons (most of whom distanced and condemned him here when his crazy stuff came to light), probably had good funding, and benefitted from Progressive anger towards Reagan.
That's one of the downside of American primaries. Anyone can with enough momentum and support clinch the nomination for their position even if they're an unstable character or heavily out of line with party dogma. That being said, the DNC will do all it can to make sure the next couple of election cycles will have likable Liberals or Centrists win the field depend on the state, and for the California party the winners outside of progressive bastions like San Francisco will most likely try to copy Bradley.
[]There is something that we need to do first. (THe USFL will not suffer some... setbacks)
Let's go USFL.
[]The Beatings will continue until the Cartels are Stopped (Meanwhile at the Border, Local police are getting help from a DEA special task force, who have one mission. Stop the drugs.)
Damn, all three are pretty great choices. I think I'll go with this, because rehabilitation needs the elimination of supply in order to be its most effective.
[]Wait Nick What now: Jack Kirby has all but demanded you play Nick Fury in the new animated TV show he's cooking up. Something about… having the Eastwood Astetic, without needing Clint. Alright, you'll go for it. DC: ???
So does this mean that the Marvel anime will be releasing this year?
[]An unforeseen surprise: Carries in labor, and you both thought she had another two weeks. But it seems that God and the baby had other plans. DC:
How long will we stay at home to help Carrie with baby George until we begin Conan? We should have some paternity leave and be a good day and help our family with the new Gosling.
Also poor Sarah and Joseph, they already had toshare a birthday and now their little brother is gonna have his birthday right aftewards.
