Worst Case Scenario IV: Ascension of a New Star
by J.T. Tate

2008

January-March - Primary season becomes a feeding frenzy across America. Democrats, Republicans, Socialists, Libertarians, and even Communists vie for popular support. However, the undeclared Clark Hamilton seems to be a possible frontrunner in the public's eyes. No other Patriot candidate will enter the race because of his support. On February 12, Hamilton announces that he will indeed run for the Presidency, and in his short statement calls on all Americans to support Patriot candidates for Congress, Senate, and local offices. He joins the apparent Republican and Democrat frontrunners, Jeb Bush (McCain has declined to run again) and Dennis Kucinich to set up a significant Presidential race.

April-August - The primaries wind down, and Bush and Kucinich secure their parties’ nominations. Bush calls for more reconstruction programs, limited price controls, tax cuts and for some job programs to revitalize the economy, as well as more border patrols and international conferences to help promote America's security. Kucinich, pulling much leftist support from the Greens and Socialists in a “Blue-Red-Green coalition”, calls on the nationalization of numerous industries across the land, firm price controls, and higher taxes on the wealthy, while calling on closer integration with the United Nations and Western Europe, even to the point of calling for a single global economic board to unite the WTO and IMF in hopes that this will help the global economies.

Hamilton and the Patriot leaders formulate their own platform, seen by many as radical but also as palatable by the people. On economic issues, they advocate the temporary nationalization of several industries; institution of an unprecedented peacetime draft to open more jobs up and promote security; large-scale work programs the likes of which has not been seen since the New Deal to finish rebuilding and to bring the economy back up to speed; strong wage and price controls; a drastic cut in federal spending on other programs deemed irrelevant. a flat-rate income tax; and finally a one-time scaled net worth tax on the wealthy to bring funds back to the government. In security issues, the Patriots call on the new military draftees to be recruited along with other military to assist local police in fighting crime and in rooting out corruption; the recall of all American military stationed overseas (except for those in a couple of urgent spots) to help to protect America's borders; closer ties with Russia and China to promote international security; and finally a more isolationist and independent policy on dealing with other nations and threats to America. They also support a bill to enact emergency powers to the President to help make this a reality. At the Patriot National Convention, Hamilton's words ring throughout the nation and much of the world;

"These plans that I have outlined are radical, yes. They are new and they are beyond anything we have ever attempted before. Desperate times require desperate acts, my fellow Americans. All you have on the other sides are those who want to try the same old formulas. These formulas don't work anymore! If we are going to save this nation we must be willing to sacrifice and work hard. I assure you, my fellow Americans, this will not be in vain. We need a new America; a strong and united America which will restore the days of old, the days where we were that shining city on a hill, looked up to by the rest of the world; loved and respected by our friends and feared by any who would be our enemies. We need leaders who can drive our creative spirit, not politicians who test the wind every day to see what they will do. The power is yours! Go, and vote for the Patriots! It is we who aren't afraid to speak the truth and to do the hard things! Let us rely on Almighty God to look kindly on our efforts and bless our nation again. Let us renounce our selfishness and our hedonistic lifestyles and do what is best for all of us. With the help of the Lord we will see this through, and if He is on our side we cannot fail! Join with me! Let us stand shoulder-to-shoulder and say that America's greatest days are ahead, and that we will cast aside any who stand in our way!"

Many are shocked, but many more are riveted by his speech. Voters across the nation begin switching their registration to Patriot. Democrats and Republicans work together to try to derail this campaign. He also shocks the nation by announcing Condoleeza Rice's defection to the Patriot cause and her selection as his running mate.

September-December - General Hamilton criss-crosses the nation in his bid for the presidency, whipping up support among many spanning the classes. The blue-collar population and even the unions get on his bandwagon in many instances. While still snubbed by elites, he is becoming an even greater national hero to the common man. The other parties and candidates use every trick in their book to make him look bad, but little can be done. Only a week before the first debate is Hamilton allowed to participate; he handily wins all three and shows the energy and passion that few have seen from any politician in many, many years. Even several Congressmen and Senators from other parties endorse Hamilton. He spends 100 hours before the election personally traveling to as much of the nation as he can to promote "the cause".

When election day rolls around, an almost 90% turnout is seen in the nation's precincts. By the close of the last precincts on the west coast, the results are in; Hamilton wins 60% of the popular vote and takes 329 electoral votes (over Kucinich’s 132 and Bush’s 77) to become the new President-Elect. In his victory speech he pronounces this as the new dawn of American greatness and prosperity. Many of those from other parties who have supported him promptly shift their allegiance to the Patriots as the transition begins. Because of the election results and the party changes, the American Patriots are poised to take control of both houses of Congress.

2009

January - The American Patriot Party takes over control of Congress and the Presidency. A large "Under New Management" banner in front of the Capitol symbolizes the new order that the American public expects. The Inauguration, however, is a much more quite affair because President Hamilton refuses to spend more of the public money than he has to. He starts his term with promises to revitalize the economy, crack down on crime, and to make America strong again. He also asks the new Congress to enact the 32nd Amendment so that he may have the power to quickly implement new programs to get the nation back on its feet. Needless to say, this idea horrifies civil libertarians, liberals, and not a few conservatives. However, the rest of the nation is desperate, and there is a slim majority of the American people who support the move, leading Congress to take up the matter as its first order of business.

In his first act as President, Hamilton sends word to the United Nations and the NATO remnant that all US troops in most parts of the world are being withdrawn immediately because, in the President's words, "America needs more peacekeepers at the moment than these other nations." Only token forces of a few hundred are left in Bosnia, Kosovo, and the other hotspots. America completely dismantles its bases in Europe, excepting a small contingent in England. The President also secretly begins negotiations to withdraw American troops from Korea, but will agree to sell its materiel to the South. Over the next few months, thousands upon thousands of servicemen return home to their families in order to begin helping America back on its own two feet.

February - Debate rages in Congress over the Contingency Bill, to give the President emergency powers. The Patriots back the bill wholeheartedly; some Republicans and Democrats reluctantly decide not to stonewall the bill due to growing support among the people. Across the world, other governments chime in on the possibility; Eastern Europe, the EU nations, Canada, Australia, and the Latin American governments go on record opposing the idea, due to its being a "step toward dictatorship", but more importantly because that possible dictatorship will be seen as right-wing; some are already calling the President a not-so-secret fascist. Russian and Chinese officials publicly proclaim neutrality, but privately feel that Hamilton is someone they can work with, and even moreso if he is given more power. Hamilton proclaims that this is merely a temporary measure, though it will remain in effect until America is “back up to speed.” He also declares that he has no intention of establishing an ideology, religion, or any other idea to jeopardize personal freedoms, and will not limit them unless there is no other way to protect America's security.

March - The Contingency Act passes the House of Representatives by a mere six votes. The Senate experiences a joint Republican-Democratic filibuster until the Senate Majority Leader calls on a rules change to end the filibuster for this bill, which passes by a slim five-vote majority. The President calls in police to keep any Senators from leaving the chamber, and after three days' debate the bill is passed by a mere four votes. It is immediately taken to the President for his signature. The Contingency Act, now the law of the land, authorizes the President to introduce bills straight into the House and Senate floors, bypassing committees. He is also granted personal power over the Federal Reserve, Treasury Departments, taxation and to make the national budget. His control over the military is also enshrined and he is allowed to use the military to ensure order. All of these can be overridden by a 2/3 Congressional vote. A week later, President Hamilton announces his program to place the economy on the road to recovery, restore order to the streets, and rebuild America's armed forces.


Finally, taxes on all with incomes of less than $100,000 are suspended for one year, while the upper classes will pay a great deal; a one-time net worth tax is declared. Those with wealth exceeding $5M will pay 15% of that in a one-time tax; those who have over $50M will pay 20%; those with over $200M will pay a whopping quarter of their wealth to the government in this tax. And to those who don't "wish to play", the President promises that their assets will be tracked and seized should an attempt be made to move them to foreign accounts.

Many who feared dictatorship feel their fears justified by the new measures. Others feel that it is time to carry out desperate acts for desperate times. In general, though, the opposition can only fume and denounce the President - since the military and police are firmly behind him - and privately hope that he fails and that they can regain power in the next election. The President also enlists the aid of churches, synagogues, mosques, and charitable organizations to make a massive drive to assist the downtrodden and get work and shelter for them. He also removed many restraints placed on religious groups without terrorist ties so that they can more freely work with people.

April-June - Millions of out-of-work people are checking in with government agencies to get public works jobs or to join the military. The tremendously wealthy begin paying their first installments of their net worth tax to the government to help fund the new projects (or as some are calling it, the New American Order). The United Nations denounces America's "lack of leadership" in its withdrawing of UN funds, but some nations feel the US is justified. Hamilton's "Fireside Chats" reiterate his reputation as a charismatic yet down-to-earth speaker; he speaks and illustrates his points in a way that seems to mesmerize the American people; his informal demeanor (including his "fireside chat uniform", viz. a pair of slacks and a button-down shirt without a tie) and his perceived sincerity help give the people optimism about the future.

Due to the influence of his son, the formerly “religious but unaffiliated” President Hamilton becomes a zealous convert to Orthodox Christianity. His regular church attendance increases his standing even more among religious right people, and his reading of the Bible and the Fathers becomes legendary.

Europe - Tensions continue to be on the rise here. EU member states begin silencing opponents of the EU in large numbers. According to opinion polls, majorities in both Greece and Italy would like a vote on whether to withdraw from the EU. Despite the cool reception of the EEA by the EU governments, Greece, Italy, and Austria maintain warm relations with EEA members to the point where many Greeks would prefer to switch their membership due to religious, cultural, and political factors. The EEA continues to maintain a tenuous balance between keeping Russia and the EU out but still promoting cordial relations as best as is possible.

Russia - With his grip firmly in control of his new Russian empire, President Putin allows a mild relaxing of oppressive laws. After seeing some of the acts carried out by the Patriots in the USA he begins implementing similar measures in Russia proper and promotes these measures in the Russian-controlled territories. In October Putin and Hamilton meet for the first time at Camp David and discuss many of the difficulties the world has been facing. They part ways as friends and end up with a trade agreement and a pledge of greater US-Russian cooperation. Putin also promises that he will not interfere with any of the governments of the EEA without their express request to do so.

May-December - The United States continues to recover well - unemployment is practically gone, crime has plummeted (especially in the largest cities) with police being backed up by federal troops, the debt of the nation is cut dramatically with the net-worth tax (despite loud protests from many of the more wealthy Americans), and all in all everything seems to be improving at a dramatic rate. In a poll taken just after Christmas, Hamilton’s approval rating hits a record high of 94%, a testimony to the work he has done. However, his seizure of large amounts of money through heavy taxes and his actions with regards to martial law and against civil liberties has brought him many enemies among the elite, and they begin to consider options to take Hamilton down.

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