Alternative History
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Timeline for the alternative universe in which the 22nd Amendment was never passed.

1947

The 22nd. Amendment is passed in the Senate but fails in the House.

1959

President Eisenhower announces that he will not seek a third term in 1960. Although he wishes to run, Mamie and his doctor convence him that a third campaign would kill him.

1966

Ronald Reagan is elected Governor of California with a 23% margin over Pat Brown.

1968

After a strong showing as a write-in in the Wisconsin primary, Governor Ronald Reagan announces his candidacy for the presidency.

Reagan wins primaries in Pennsylvania, Oregon, California, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Illinois.

At the Republican National Convention, Reagan wins the nomination with 782 delegate votes to Richard Nixon's 292 and Nelson Rockefeller's 177. Reagan chooses Michigan Governor George Romney as his running mate.

In November, the Reagan/Romney ticket defeats the Humphrey/Muskie (Democrat) ticket and the Wallace/Chandler (American Independent) ticket.

1969

President Reagan pledges in his inaugural address to win the Vietnam War in one year or withdraw. Reagan also nominates Richard Nixon to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Reagan also nominates Warren Burger as Associate Justice, both Nixon and Burger are easily confirmed.

Congress passes the Economic Recovery Act of 1969 which cuts the top income tax rate from 70% to 55%.

In June, U.S. and Allied forces invade North Vietnam and within a month capture Hanoi.

Apollo 11 lands on the Moon.

Republican Senate Leader Everett Dirksen dies and is replaced (thanks to Reagan's support) by Roman Hruska.

1970

In July, North Vietnam surrenders and is joined with the South to form the Republic of Vietnam (ROV).

With the victory in Vietnam, Republicans retake control of Congress, Gerald Ford becomes Speaker of the House and Roman Hruska becomes Senate Majority Leader.

1971

President Reagan announces that the U.S. will begin construction of a new missile and space defense system.

Congress passes the Balanced Budget Act of 1971, which cuts the top income tax rate to 40% and provides for spending cuts that will balance the budget by 1977.

1972

Reagan nominates William Rehnquist and Robert Bork Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court, both are confirmed.

65% of U.S. troops are out of Vietnam.

President Reagan wins renomination unopposed.

Democrats engage in a fierce battle and nominate George McGovern and Tom Eagleton (Eagleton would later be replaced by Sargent Shriver).

President Reagan wins 50 states and over 62% of the popular vote.

1973

The Supreme Court rules (5-4) in favor of Wade in the Roe vs Wade case and declares that the unborn have constitutional rights under the 14th. Amendment.

80% of U.S. troops are now out of Vietnam.

1974

With success in Vietnam and the domestic front, the Republicans continue their majority in Congress.

1975

Reagan nominates Antonin Scalia to the Supreme Court, his is confirmed fairly easily.

Having achived great success on the domestic front, Reagan now turns to the Soviet Union and decides to seek a third term.

1976

Republicans re-nominate Reagan and Texas Senator George H.W. Bush for VP (George Romney had decided not to seek a third term as Vice President).

Mo Udall defeats Jimmy Carter, Scoop Jackson, and others in the Democrat primaries and becomes the party nominee. Udall chooses Carter as his vice-presidential nominee.

Congress balances the budget for the first time since 1957.

In November, Reagan defeats Udall in a landslide and the Republicans also retain both houses of Congress. Gerald Ford retires as Speaker and House Majority Leader John Rhodes is elected as Speaker. Roman Hruska retires from the Senate and Barry Goldwater is elected Senate Majority Leader.

1977

President Reagan continues in the conservative tradition and pushes the Economic Freedom Act of 1977 through Congress which provides for a three-bracket tax system of 10%, 20%, and 30%.

1978

The U.S. build a permanant station on the Moon and have nearly completed the SDI program.

Reagan and Soviet Dictator Leonid Brezhnev hold their first sumit at Helsinki, Finland

The Iranian revolution is defeated by the Shah and Iran remains an U.S. ally until the present day.

1980

President Reagan is renominated by the Republicans over liberal Republican Congressman John Anderson.

The Democrats nominate Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Mississippi Governor Cliff Finch for vice-president.

Illinois Congressman John Anderson launches a bid for the presidency as an independent.

Reagan/Bush wins re-election over Kennedy/Finch and the Republicans retain control in the House and Senate.

1981

President Reagan is shot but soon recovers. Reagan also nominates Sandra Day O'Conner as the first female Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

1982

Brezhnev dies and Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of the USSR.

1984

Vice President George H.W. Bush is elected over Walter Mondale.

1985

The Soviet Union desolves and the Russian Federation is formed.

1986

Bush nominates Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.

Democrats retake control of the House of Representatives after 16 years of Republican control.

1987

Saddam Hussien's Iraq invades Kuwait.

1988

U.S., Iranian, and other allied forces invade Iraq and Kuwait and depose and kill Saddam.

Vice President George H.W. Bush is re-elected over Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, and the Republicans retain the Senate.

1989

With U.S. help, the Northern Alliance defeats the Taliban and forms a U.S. freindly democratic government.

Bush appoints Edith Jones to the Supreme Court.

1990

Bush appoints J. Clifford Wallace to the Supreme Court, Wallace will become the first Mormon to sit on the Court.

Democrats take control of both houses of Congress for the first time in two decades.

1991

Bush appoints David Souter to the Supreme Court.

1992

President Bush retires and Vice President Jack Kemp wins the Republican nomination over several challengers. Kemp picks Bob Dole as his running mate a choice which costs him many conservative votes.

Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton wins the Democrat nomination and chooses Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his VP.

That November, Clinton defeats Kemp by a narrow margin thanks to Perot's vote splitting.

1993

Clinton appoints Ruth Bader Ginsburg to the Supreme Court.

1994

Republicans write the 'Contract with America' and retake the House and Senate.

1996

Former Senator Pat Buchanan defeats Senator Bob Dole for the Republican nomination and chooses former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney as his running mate.

President Clinton is renominated unopposed.

That November, the Buchanan/Cheney ticket defeats the Clinton/Gore ticket by a close margin.

1998

Republicans retain the majorites in Congress.

2000

President Buchanan is renominated by the Republicans unopposed.

Vermont Governor Howard Dean wins the Democrat nomination and chooses Dick Gephardt as his VP.

President Buchanan defeats Dean in a landslide that November.

2001

North Korean Terrorists attack the World Trade Center on September 11. President Buchanan responds by invading North Korea.

2004

Under heavy international pressure, the People's Republic of China allows free elections.

President Buchanan is renominated unopposed by the Republicans.

North Carolina Senator John Edwards wins the Democratic nomination and chooses Massachusetts Senator John Kerry as his running mate.

President Buchanan defeats Edwards 52% to 46% in the popular vote. Buchanan also wins 366 electoral votes to Edwards' 172

2005

The People's Republic of China is dissolved.

President Buchanan appoints Edith Jones as Chief Justice and Sam Alito as Associate Justice.

2006

China, Mongolia, and Taiwan unite to form the Democratic Republic of China (DRC).

2008

Florida Governor Jeb Bush is nominated by the Republicans and chooses former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as his running mate. In the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama wins the Democratic nomination and chooses Delaware Senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

Early October polling shows Governor Bush leading Senator Obama by 4%.

In November, Bush narrowly defeats Obama and wins the election by a 3 point margin.

2009 John Ellis Bush is sworn in as the 41st. President of the United States.

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