Big Majority Say the U.S. Is In Decline

[harumph]

8. Election of Reagan, inflection point.

In an alternate universe, Ronald Regan (that's his last name spelling in the alt. universe) slipped and fell 3 months before the election sustaining serious brain injury, and George H.W. Bush became the republican nominee and president. Alt. George Bush while a conservative, would not go on to back the kind of tax cuts for the rich that our Reagan did, because he did not believe in "voodoo economics," but even so, was not considered likeable by either moderates or useful enough to corporatists. Accordingly, the republicans were in disarray during 1984 and John Glenn would go on to win both the 1984 Democratic nomination and later the presidency. Glenn, having a visionary streak - probably because he was a former astronaut - and you know, science - saw the early promise of alternative energy and pushed for large investments in the solar and wind markets, thereby establishing the US as the world manufacturing and IP leader in alternative energy technologies. I have an alternate me living in that universe and the last thing he said to me at my high school graduation in 1981 was "Sorry, it sucks to be you - but I've gotta go."