TL Idea: Thoughts?

[Wayside]

Okay, so I've been thinking over a potential TL, and I wanted to send up a trial balloon, so to speak, since it might stretch the bounds of plausibility a bit.

In this TL, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton decides to capitalize on her national popularity and makes like Reagan in '76, running against the sitting president for the nomination in 2012. Unlike Reagan in '76, however, she narrowly wins the nomination, and then the presidency. However, on the campaign trail, she rudely dismisses a question from a teenager about youth rights. Said teenager goes on to found a new youth rights movement that winds up in direct opposition to President Clinton.

In early 2013 (I'm thinking around March), Clinton announces that the U.S. will be directly intervening in Syria, using airstrikes against the regime and sending trainers to assist rebels on the ground. This sharply divides the Democratic party, and the youth rights movement plans a march on Washington in protest. Violent clashes between protesters, police, and eventually the army, put America on the long, bloody road to revolution.

Possible Title: Wild in the Streets: President Clinton and the American Spring

So, yeah... I can absolutely see some issues with it from my perspective, but I wanted to put this out there, to see how it might go over. If anyone has any comments or criticisms, please feel free to send 'em my way. And if anyone has any good sources that might help with the research part of writing this TL, I'd be glad to hear about them.

Thank you for your time,
Wayside

 

[Gog (♀)]

Obama was too popular and strong to be challenged like Ford, who was very weak

 

[Wayside]

I'm not conflating the two circumstances, just drawing a comparison, since that was the last time an incumbent president had been threatened so severely. I definitely realize I'm venturing into ASB territory, given that Clinton made it clear she wasn't running, but at the same time, Obama's approval ratings in autumn of 2011 were concerning to a lot of people. That, coupled with Clinton's comparatively high numbers, economic stagnation, and Republican victories in 2010, might have had some former Clinton supporters who reluctantly supported Obama in 2008 getting second thoughts. I'm not saying it's a likely scenario or anything, just a "what if?" I've been thinking about.

 

[Statesman]

I think if you wanted to have the American Spring type thing it would be better just to have HRC elected in 2008. But tread lightly there, I'd advise.

 

[Charles RB]

I guess you could engineer an "American Spring" revolt under President Clinton* but I seriously doubt intervention in Syria would cause it. The protests would not be big enough, nor 'personal' enough for most protestors. You need another Occupy or a very large Ferguson, some domestic issue or discontent that blows up.

* Though you'll need people to get shot if you want to do that. Who's going to shoot protestors here? I doubt Clinton would sign off on that as easily as happened in Egypt, Ukraine etc.

 

[Wayside]

I think if you wanted to have the American Spring type thing it would be better just to have HRC elected in 2008. But tread lightly there, I'd advise.

Rule of Cautious Editing Judgement? True, very true.

My main reason for wanting to go with 2012 instead of 2008 is that in 2012, national politics was far more interconnected. Big data and social media played major roles, and helped define the election. It's a cliche to say so, sure, but it's fundamentally true. 2012 also took place during/in the aftermath of major events such as the Arab Spring and Occupy, which are major influences on this TL idea. 2012 offers more in the way of possibilities.

I guess you could engineer an "American Spring" revolt under President Clinton* but I seriously doubt intervention in Syria would cause it. The protests would not be big enough, nor 'personal' enough for most protestors. You need another Occupy or a very large Ferguson, some domestic issue or discontent that blows up.

That's ultimately my concern going into all of this-that the series of events is just too improbable. One alternative I had was that the intervention in Syria turns the country into an even more calamitous failed state, which gradually pushes the U.S. into even more a quagmire. There could also be a domestic cause-again, I'm just testing the waters.

* Though you'll need people to get shot if you want to do that. Who's going to shoot protestors here? I doubt Clinton would sign off on that as easily as happened in Egypt, Ukraine etc.

I don't see her signing off on that either, but Kent State wasn't ordered by Nixon. A couple of violent incidents between police and protesters could put her between a rock and a hard place, politically.

It occurs to me now that putting "American Spring" in the title is pretty over-dramatic. Maybe "The Uprising of 2013"?

 

[Dunning Kruger]

Youth rights!?! The only way you get protests and bloodshed is if the draft is reinstated. And the only way the draft is getting reinstated is if its WWIII. So, if you want to do this, I suggest the ASB section or the Writers Forum. Or, more likely, pick a POD in 1969 or 1970 and go crazy. Because that actually has some potential.

 

[Wayside]

Youth rights!?! The only way you get protests and bloodshed is if the draft is reinstated. And the only way the draft is getting reinstated is if its WWIII. So, if you want to do this, I suggest the ASB section or the Writers Forum. Or, more likely, pick a POD in 1969 or 1970 and go crazy. Because that actually has some potential.

That was a second idea of mine, and one that seems better-suited, with a POD int he 1969 People's Park protests in Berkley. One innocent bystander was killed during those, and in retrospect, it's probably a more realistic idea.

 

[phx1138]

I'm by no means expert, but AFAIK, "youth" (a term I'm no fan of) are pretty apathetic to what politicians & Presidential candidates are doing, preferring to work with/in local or regional groups ("grass roots", another term I'm no fan of). Getting a movement to oppose Hillary ?

OK, "Honk if you hate Hillary" is catchy, but...

 

[Corjomc]

Need a POD that weakens Obama but not the Democrats