Enjoy 'The End of History - 1996' with a new Director's Cut! More running mates, paths, and endings to find!

The End of History

by ItsAstronomical

with the help of others

Sources

Harris Wofford

Before he became a Senator, Harris Wofford was a Kennedy aide, helping to form the Peace Corps.
He wrote a book, which I linked here, about perhaps one of the most tumultuous decades in American history - the 1960s.
Wofford was obviously a creature of his enviornment. He worked in the era where Dr. King rose to fame.
The same decade where the world was gripped with death and tragedy.

Harris Wofford - Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense of the Sixties

Pete Wilson

Pete Wilson is a one of a kind, the last of an era where California was truly a swing state.
In modern days, he has many critics - some of whom give him credit for California being blue.
Wilson grew up in an era where Nixon ruled, and so he learned how to make one hell of a comeback.
He was sometimes a moderate, sometimes arch-conservative, but often a winner.
While he did not write a book like Wofford did, a lot of articles helped shape him here.

Los Angeles Times - THE TIMES POLL : Wilson’s Popularity Plummets With Voters (after running in 1996 in the real world)
UPI - Wilson drops out of presidential race (after running in 1996 in the real world)
Pete Wilson - Securing Our Nation's Borders (his immigration policies were seen as very right-wing)
Pete Wilson - ENERGY CRISIS: What California Must Do (Opinion written during California's energy crisis of early 2000s)
The Center For Public Integrity - The Buying of the President 1996 - Pete Wilson (A bit opinionated)

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union is an overarching plot point here, and dictates a lot of what happens between the two candidates.
Of course, we don't see much of it this time around.
Perhaps if there is a sequel, they will be more relevant.
I would recommend Collapse to anyone interested in knowing how the Soviet Union collapsed.

Vladislav Zubok - Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union

Lore

The point of divergence begins on a fateful August day. On August 19th, 1991, a coup d'état is pulled off in the Soviet Union, ousting not only Gorbachev but also Boris Yeltsin from power, quickly allowing the State Committee on the State of Emergency, or the GKChP to assemble some form of a functioning government. Little can be done by the outside world as the GKChP begins to roll back many of Gorbachev's economic and social reforms.

Of course, this wasn't to last - it couldn't last. Pretty quickly, some of the Soviet Republics - most notably Ukraine, declare the Soviet Government illegitimately in power, and begin to ignore orders from Moscow, as do parts of the military. Pretty quickly, the collapse of the Soviet Union goes into an all out civil war. The Baltic States fight a long independence war, but many flee the country - and some don't look back.

The violent imagery from the Soviet Union are a perfect distraction for slightly worsening economic situations, and voters see George Bush's stable leadership as crucial in this bloody, dark, and final era of the Cold War. President Bush wins a narrow but hard-fought re-election over Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. In their official autopsy, Democrats blame a lack of a proper foreign policy platform, as that was voters' main concerns during much of the election.

Special Thanks

I want to thank everyone who playtested. There was a lot of fine tuning needed to make this mod what it is.
Nina and Jet were also especially helpful with all the custom things scattered across the mod - like the VP tooltips or the CSS.
Bringing the world of The End of History to life would not have been possible without their help.
Thank you to Luuwuu for everything, obviously.
Oh, and of course...

...thank you for playing!

- Astronomical

What are you doing here?! Go play the mod again!

'Health care as a right—you know who started that line of thinking? A guy named Harris Wofford, who was a senator from Pennsylvania.'' - Rush Limbaugh

Harris Wofford is the junior Senator from Pennsylvania - a loyal Democrat since serving as an advisor for Kennedy. Few expected that his appointment and election to serve the late Senator Heinz' term would catapult him to the Democratic nomination for President. After winning re-election in 1994, Wofford has been emboldened to run for President.

Wofford cannot only campaign on Bush's unpopularity - he will have to define himself on issues that he has not focused on, especially the growing concern in regards to foreign policy.

Congratulations! You have won the 2016 election.

In spite of a hard-fought challenge from Donald Trump, you have become the first woman elected to serve as President.

On the political front, it is unclear how much of your agenda you will be able to push forward with the current Congress. Hopefully your victory has helped Democrats further down the ballot. Start packing and prepare to move back into the White House!

Sorry! You have lost the 2016 election.

Many of your supporters are despondent that you have faltered to the likes of Donald Trump. Many in the left wing of the party are furious that you pushed their candidate aside, only to lose. Time will tell how Trump operates as President. As for you, a long and sometimes ambiguous political career seems to be coming to its end.

Sorry! You have lost the 2016 election.

No candidate secured a majority in the Electoral College. However, the Republicans won a majority in Congress and will elevate Trump to the Presidency. Time will tell how things go in that regard. As for you, a long and sometimes ambiguous political career seems to be coming to its end.

'No state in the Union has a greater future than California. No other state is so blessed by geography and generosity, economic dynamism and diversity, and a creative and resilient people.' - Pete Wilson

As the incumbent Governor of the Golden State, Pete Wilson has built a name for himself not just in California, but throughout the nation. With an expected Democratic wave in 1994, Pete Wilson is Republican's best bet for the Presidency - provided he can hold onto his gubernatorial seat.

Wilson is clearly setback by the current administration - but he can point to his work in California as proof of his policies' success, and his ability to cooperate across party lines. He will also have to attack Wofford on issues such as immigration.

Congratulations! You have won the 2016 election.

In spite of a hard-fought challenge from Hillary Clinton, you have shocked the world with your election victory.

On the political front, you have the bully pulpit in your favor, but support in Congress in uncertain. Will you govern as a more traditional conservative, or will you make a break from orthodoxy?

Sorry! You have lost the 2016 election.

Many of your supporters are despondent that you have faltered to the likes of Hillary Clinton. Republicans in general believe this was a very winnable election, and are enraged that you came in to blow it. Luckily, there are any number of ways for you to take advantage of your newfound exposure. One rumor even has you founding a television station to profit from the aggrieved sensibilities of your followers. The future is in your hands.

Wow! You have pulled out 2016 election.

No candidate secured a majority in the Electoral College. However, the Republicans won a majority in Congress and will elevate you to the Presidency. Time will tell how things go in that regard. Any mutual affection between you and Congress is predicted to be short-lived, but you've pulled off a number of surprises to get this far.

David Durenberger is a Republican Senator from Minnesota, and an early supporter of Wilson's campaign. His appearance on the ticket would help with moderating Wilson's image further, although his track record has been mixed - he voted for both Bork and Thomas during their Supreme Court appointment votes.

Some advisors are worried aboutt Durenberger's legal issues - in which there was a brief investigation into Durenberger's misuse of public funds. Durenberger has pressed his innocence, but the history of investigation may make some voters nervous.

Trent Lott is a Senator from Mississippi, and in the conservative wing of the party. His placement on the ticket would help with the south - an area that may have deflated turnout given the economy and Wilson's stance on issues such as abortion. He is also seen as a rising figure in the Republican Party - currently serving as Senate Minority Whip.

Of course, having someone pro-choice and pro-life on the ticket could make things awkward. Wilson will have to balance this appeal to form a broad coalition. Lott's conservatism, especially as a southern Republican could also fire up black voters nationally - for Wofford.

Alan Keyes is a former ambassador, radio talk-show host, and a candidate for the nomination. While he failed to win a single contest, his best showing was out west and in parts of the south. He is widely known as a firebrand conservative, but since the growth of his radio show, has taken measures to moderate his stances, which has given him a large source of publicity and connections in recent years that could be of good service.

His strongly conservative rhetoric will have to be balanced with both concessions to the Christian Right to get him on board, and moderates to keep them from abandoning ship. Keyes would also make history as the first black Vice President.

Jesse Helms is a Senator from North Carolina, and the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He briefly considered a run for the nomination, but quickly changed his mind due to his age. Despite this, his experience in foreign policy could definitely be an assset to Wilson's campaign - especially during an election so decisively focused on it as this one.

Of course, Helms is a staunch conservative on every issue of the day - another reason he decided not to make a run for the White House. Some of these positions may fire up liberals to support Wofford, so finding a way to hedge this is key.

William Cohen is an outgoing Republican Senator from the state of Maine. During this time, he has served on both the Intelligence and Armed Service Committees, which will add experience to the ticket. He has also been a strong advocate for supporting the diaspora population that has fled the Soviet Union.

During his tenure, Cohen has often found himself at odds with conservative groups, who express reservations about his nomination. He is a moderate Republican, much more than Wilson - which is part of the reason he decided to not run for re-election to the Senate. Cohen is pro-choice, just like Wilson is, which will certainly draw ire from the right. Of course, if Wilson is looking to chart a new direction for the Republican Party, Cohen is an experienced and capable pick.

Howell Heflin is the senior Senator from Alabama, known for works on ethics through the Alabama Supreme Court and Ethics Committee in the Senate. To say he's an odd pick is an understatement - on social issues and foreign policy, he and Wofford tend to differ, and this may present a problem going into the campaign season.

However - both Wofford and Heflin are described as populist. Both were opposed to NAFTA, and both were strongly against plans to weaken measures on consumer protection. It may take some moderation, or perhaps a shakeup in messsaging to make a ticket with him work, but if used correctly, Heflin could be a very successful running mate.

Ann Richards is the Governor of Texas, and was Wofford's main primary opponent. Her time as Governor has seen her lead a slightly more liberal than expected administration, which could make her a good source of outreach to the South - althought it's unknown if her presence alone could carry Texas.

She is also known as a fierce campaigner, and is battle-tested after a tough challenge from George W. Bush, son of President Bush. She would, of course, be the first female Vice President, which could help improve Wofford's numbers with the key female vote.

Tom Daschle is the incumbent Senate Majority leader, and a protege of George Mitchell. He indirectly supported Kent Conrad in the primaries, although he is more than happy to serve as Wofford's running mate. His status as Senate Majority Leader would emphasize experience with the ticket, given Wofford's short tenure as a Senator. He would also emphasize Wofford's interest in reforming healthcare.

However, Daschle's leadership position does Wofford no favors if he's looking to run a more outsider campaign, and his home state of South Dakota is unlikely to be competitive barring something extraordinary.

Max Baucus is a fellow Senator, who has been representing the Big Sky Country of Montana since 1978. He has a populist streak similar to Wofford's, but he is more conservative than his. His home state of Montana could be won by the Democratic Ticket, but only has 3 electoral votes.

He is against a public healthcare system that Wofford has campaigned on and proposed, which is perhaps his biggest weakness. Wofford could, of course, turn this into a strength for him, if he plays his cards right.

Lee Hamilton is a Congressman from Indiana - but more importantly, is the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This position is very valuable, and could give Wofford the foreign policy rapport he needs to seal the deal and win this election.

Indiana has the potential to be competitive this election if everything goes right for Wofford and the Democrats. However, Hamilton is 65, and a ticket of two older men might cause some concerns when Wofford be the oldest President at the point of inauguration.

Claiborne Pell is a longtime Senator and Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee - and the namesake of the Pell Grant. Although he is uneasy about taking the position of running mate, he would obviously add plenty of experience to the ticket. He has stated to Wofford that if nominated, and if they win, he will not run for renomination in 2000.

Rhode Island is unlikely to be competitive and is already squarely in the Wofford camp, but the Wilson campaign has been eyeing up New Hampshire and Maine, so on that front Pell could help.

Russ Feingold is a lot like Wofford in many ways - a maverick, liberal from the competitive Midwest region. Party leaders see these as his main weaknesses, something that needs to be covered up or pruned with a safer running mate like Daschle, Hamilton, or Heflin. Some advisors argue that Russ would double down on these traits, and Begala thinks it'd be for the better.

Wisconsin is a must-win state, and Feingold was able to win in 1992 even as Bush carried the state, so there's a track record of Feingold running a strong campaign. Nevertheless, his selection would make clear that Wofford's campaign is squarely focused on thrusting liberalism back into the White House.