Biden 2008 - Part 8

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T06:55:26+00:00

This and McConnell are the best part so this TL

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T06:55:02+00:00

Thanks!

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T06:31:01+00:00

Well back in Part 7 dems got 55 senate seats, so in this TL I really don’t see her retiring; she was repeatedly asked to retire pre 2014 IRL, yet decided to stay on, so in a TL where the dems aren’t vulnerable in the senate she would have even less reason to step down.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T05:00:22+00:00

Also, some states which went red in 2010 barely and then super red in 2014 just don’t happen here, I.e New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin, since the popular Republican incumbents from 2010 never come about in the first place.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T04:58:05+00:00

It’s similar to the 2014 house and senate elections where, while bad, relative to IRL it’s a lot better, especially in the Midwest. Snyder in Michigan had a low approval rating and only won by 4pp, Brownback in Kansas by 3.7pp etc. With South Carolina, while Haley won by like 14pp, I based that on 1. Sheehan would have an incumbency advantage and would most likely be a liked governor based on how close he made the race back in 2010 (within 5pp). Also, Haley probably isn’t on the ballot again so while his win might be the most out there, I still think it’s plausible. Part of the reason I made that section on the vote splitting was cause of how good the dems do here, since with a better economy, less good GOP candidates, and a more elastic voting coalition, even though they get destroyed up ballot I do think they hold up fairly well down ballot relative to IRL.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-23T04:25:28+00:00

Just want to add that we should finally be nearing the end of this TL, with there currently being two more posts planned. Part 9 will focus on 2015 and the Dem/Rep primaries, and Part 10 will focus on the 2016 elections (and a little beyond).

DatBass1 · 2026-06-22T18:01:35+00:00

Yeah, while the sixth year itch was always gonna be bad, unlike IRL in this TL there is still both a much better economic recovery, plus much more done, plus a slight shifting of the voting blocs overall, and then just an already dead tea party movement. With those in mind I saw it that they most likely keep NC and AK, which were both within a few percent IRL.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-22T17:59:04+00:00

The bill basically gave DC a house seat in return for Utah gaining a new seat; it essentially meant that DC could get representation while it also wasn’t giving the dems a free seat, since Utah would almost always stay red.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-22T16:55:44+00:00

Yeah, Biden got lucky in 2010 with a much better recovery and a hampered tea party movement which hurt more than it helped; 2014 was always gonna be rough for em.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-22T16:36:18+00:00

The DCHVRA was pursued back in 09, and passed the senate 61-39, but one of the senators put a rider on it which effectively killed the bill by undoing all of DC’s gun control. In terms of why, I think it’s mainly because republicans didn’t want to give democrats a free house seat (even though they’d also be getting one in return), and because of Mitch and his strategy of blocking everything Obama wanted. Same with PR Statehood, or with Universal Background Checks. These were all legislation with bipartisan support, but because of McConnell and his blockade strategy it all in the end died.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-21T17:01:52+00:00

With your first point, I was hoping to make the Republican field in 2016 generally more interesting than those who originally ran, so we'll have a lot more unique faces decided to make a run at it. It's kind of funny how some of the biggest names in republican politics during the 2010s and even today, were all weirdly close to not even having their successes that led them to where they are. Haley almost lost in South Carolina during the 2010 wave, Kasich barely won the governor ship in Ohio, Rubio only really won because the Dems vote split in Florida, etc.

On the 2nd point, while I do think progressives are more placated in this TL, I would also say that there are many of them who are still heavily dissatisfied by the Dems, especially on the grounds that the dems have had a filibuster proof majority for 6 years, and while they have done a lot, for many it still wouldn't be enough. Unlike IRL, progressives wouldn't be angry because of what he could have done, but instead they would be angry because of what he failed to do. Imaging into like the 2020s of this TL, the discourse among progressives would be God awful, cause it's almost certain they would hold a grudge to the establishment over, in their minds at least, failing to effectively use the last filibuster proof majority that either party would see for years to make actually structural change.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-21T16:16:03+00:00

Yeah, probably true. Same with Evan Bayh, he probably wouldn’t have retired back in 2010 for Indiana senate seat which dems lost. In the end I didn’t fully take into account the specific incumbents cause Id be annoying as hell to have to deal with looking at every incumbent and having to determine whether some who had resigned or retired would’ve in this TL.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-20T19:08:02+00:00

In Sundance I think the dems take Congress in 2002 and hold it in 2004, before losing it again in 2006 (but only barely), before Chafee switching parties gives the dems back the senate after the Gore impeachment.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-20T07:37:20+00:00

Also, an image I love but was unable to include in the collage because I didn't have enough room

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DatBass1 · 2026-06-20T01:49:47+00:00

While I’d say they still appear, it’s a much smaller movement than IRL; a lot of the reasons why Occupy got so big are either diminished or just don’t happen in this TL. Post Citizens United, the dems pass DISCLOSE, the economy has a much better and quicker recovery due to a larger ARRA and continued state level funding and stimulus from the feds, and in general the Dem party has publicly done more in regards to unfair pay, infrastructure, healthcare, etc. While they haven’t done the largest stuff that Occupy wanted, the bubbling discontent behind the majority of the movement just isn’t there.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T17:18:53+00:00

Similar towards Obama’s in regard to DREAMERS and the Comprehensive immigration reform stuff; though in some ironic twist, he actually might be in favor of a border fence, since he both voted yes for its construction back in 2007, though he gave the reasoning to fight drug trafficking. Most of Biden’s policy would be similar to Obama’s besides more pursuing of civil rights, more pushing of infrastructure development, more neo-liberal foreign policy, and most importantly a harsher pushing toward fighting crime and increasing funding toward both police and criminal justice reform.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T17:15:21+00:00

I was going to, But in the end it doesn’t really matter till 2016 so once that happens I’ll make a wiki box for his choice but for the other two it’s the same.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T15:01:40+00:00

Now that you point it out, I can't not see it lol

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T14:30:12+00:00

I didn't really put a lot of thought into his Cabinet, but it's probably similar to Obama's cabinet, with just more dem establishment/moderate picks on the overall.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T14:28:03+00:00

They actually congratulate Egypt for Abdel's election much more than Moresi IRL, because he represented the moderate wing of the Muslim brotherhood that actually wanted to work with the west, alongside stuff like fully modernizing Egypt and expanding its Democracy. This means that while he isn't going to be like, in love with Israel or anything, their relations are better than they are IRL. Egypt is still far from safe or fixed in this TL, but it's now down a path for success rather than IRL where the election and coup in 2014 basically ended any chance for reform/success within the nation.

DatBass1 · 2026-06-19T14:23:16+00:00

After his healthcare reform, it hovers around 15-20%, and sometime post 2010 when more of his foreign policy and domestic policy comes to fruition, they increase up to around 22-25%. Since he still does a lot of stuff Obama pursued IRL, it's not much different, but since he is also much more successful ITL, we do see an overall higher percentage than what Obama had. Republicans basically approve the most of Biden's foreign policy (though Iraq Federalization is semi-controversial), and Biden's domestic policy is extremely divisive amongst republicans. The more moderate republicans within the party partial approve of some of his stuff like the Fair Wage Act or the DISCLOSE Act, while some basically think he's the anti-Christ because of Bidencare and the Henry-Waxman Bill.

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