Characters / TROUSA

Main Character Index Superpowers: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | United States of America | United Kingdom | French Republic Major Powers: Republic of China Other Countries By Region: North America | South America | Europe | Asia | Africa Miscellaneous: Miscellaneous Countries

United States of America

Official Name: United States of America

Ruling Party: Democratic Party - Liberals

Ideology: Liberalism

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• But Thou Must!: The US's initial focus tree to respond to the Suez Crisis has two branches, representing whether Kennedy's attempts to bring both Eden and Nasser to reason to deescalate the Crisis succeed or not. Both branches are locked until the UK responds to Kennedy's phone call; in practice, only the left one can be taken in-game, since Eden will never even consider Kennedy's offer (and the entire game is written to take that into account).
• Dirty Coward: The UK and Soviets view them as this for not lending them aid during the Second World War to instead focus on just Japan.
• Foil: Each 1968 Presidential candidate is a reaction to the president who won the 1964 election:
  • J. William Fulbright, the Dixie Democrat who promises to 'uplift' African Americans while rejecting civil rights and letting racial tensions simmer, is challenged by George Romney, who promises to support not only minorities, but also every American who believes in a better tomorrow.
  • Hubert Humphrey, who tries to reform the US into a welfare state and fights for racial equality, faces off against Ronald Reagan, who accuses his predecessor of trampling over individual rights, bankrupting America and weakening the populace in the name of 'desegregation' and 'equality'.
  • Richard Nixon, who pursues détente with rival superpowers and cares little about civil rights, is opposed by Robert F. Kennedy, a harsh critic of his policies who becomes the face of the neo-progressive movement, promising to aid the American worker and bring war to the tyrants of Europe.
  • Nelson Rockefeller, who wins the 1964 election on a platform of civil rights, runs against George Wallace, a Southern Democrat who presents himself as a moderate opposed to the President's forced integration.
• Historical Downgrade: Lyndon Johnson serves as Hubert Humphrey's Vice President like his real life counterpart did under John F. Kennedy, he cannot ascend to the Presidency, since Humphrey cannot be assassinated.

John F. Kennedy

Role: President^note Head of State

Party: Democratic Party - Liberals

Ideology: Liberalism

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• We Hardly Knew Ye: Just like in real life, Kennedy is assassinated in November 1963, less than two years after game start.

Estes Kefauver

Role: Vice President^note Head of Government (JFK cabinet), President^note Head of State (JFK succession)

Party: Democratic Party - Liberals

Ideology: Liberalism

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• Bittersweet Ending: In the event his anointed successor Hubert Humphrey loses the 1964 election, and Nixon instead becomes the 39th US President, Kefauver retires from politics with decisively mixed feelings. While happy and proud to have completed the work Kennedy started, he is worried about what the Nixon presidency might bring, knowing that it presents a very real treat to his legacy, but he also feels powerless to do anything about it.
• Earn Your Happy Ending: Should Hubert Humphrey become the 39th President of the United States, a content Kefauver happily hands off the presidency to him, happy to have completed the work Kennedy started and looking forward to enjoying his retirement from politics.
• Short-Lived Leadership: Kefauver becomes the 38th US President in the wake of Kennedy's assassination, provided he survives his earlier heart attack. Aware of how just close a call he just had, Kefauver recognizes that his bad health makes him unfit for being anything but a transitionary figure. As a result, he more or less immediately declines to run for a re-election in 1964 and instead put his full weight behind endorsing Hubert Humphrey as the next Democratic presidential candidate.
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: As Kefauver has no interest in being re-elected and even plans to entirely retire from politics once his impromptu term as President is over, he dedicates his time in the office to pass as radical a version of Civil Rights act as he can get away with, hoping that he can both finish Kennedy's work and strike as massive a blow against racism as he possibly can.

Hale Boggs

Role: Speaker of House of Representatives, President^note Head of State (JFK succession)

Party: Democratic Party - Conservatives

Ideology: Traditional Conservatism

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• Reluctant Ruler: Boggs, Speaker of the House of Representatives, is content with his seat in Congress and has no desire to become President, until forced to do so when President Kennedy is assassinated, and in the event Vice-President Kefauver had previously died of a heart attack. In the 1964 election, he does not run for a second term, instead endorsing J. William Fulbright to be the Democratic Party's candidate.

Hubert Humphrey

Role: President^note Head of State (1964 election)

Party: Democratic Party - Progressives

Ideology: Social Democracy

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• Affectionate Nickname: Humphrey, the Happy Warrior of the Plains, is a champion for racial equality, empathy for your fellow man, and the transformation of America into a welfare state.
• Internal Reformist: Humphrey plans to radically change American society to address racial and class inequality, believing that Kennedy's reforms did not go far enough.

Richard Nixon

Role: President^note Head of State (1964 election)

Party: Republican Party - Moderates

Ideology: Traditional Conservatism

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• The Paranoiac: Nixon has grown deeply paranoid since losing to Kennedy in 1960. Even if he can win in 1964, he never truly accepts his previous defeat, something that might eventually cost him the Presidency.

J. William Fulbright

Role: Secretary of State^note Foreign Minister (JFK cabinet), President^note Head of State (1964 election)

Party: Democratic Party - Southerners

Ideology: Southern Paternalism^note Anocracy

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• Divided We Fall: Fulbright faces the problem of the Democratic Party threatening to splinter over the issue of Civil Right Reforms and his own open opposition to them. The Progressive faction, led by Hubert Humphrey, demand substantial reforms or they plan to split off and start an independent party, and they are backed by Robert F. Kennedy, who threatens to switch sides and run as a Republican if his brother's legacy is disrespected. From the other side, Fulbright's own faction, the Dixiecrats, are putting pressure on him to stay true to his promises of avoiding any kind of radical reforms and threatens to break off too if he fails them.
• Hero-Worshipper: Since his youth, Fulbright has greatly admired President Woodrow Wilson, a man who believed in a world safe for democracy and sought to bring equality to blacks by uplifting them through education.
• Resign in Protest: Fulbright resigns from his seat as Secretary of State to protest how President Kennedy handles the Suez Crisis, believing that the US should support the UK, a fellow 'free democracy', instead of Gamal Abdel Nasser, a 'totalitarian' and 'fascist' dictator.
• Wake-Up Call: At first, Fulbright adopts a policy of ignoring the on-going Civil Right Protests against his presidency, hoping the protesters will eventually tire themselves out. This only cause the situation to go From Bad to Worse, when the protesters, instead of quietly dispersing over time, are instead angered by Fulbright's lack of public reaction, and several of the protests instead turn into out-and-out riots. This forces Fulbright to realize that he will have to act, for better or for worse.

Nelson Rockefeller

Role: President^note Head of State (1964 election)

Party: Republican Party - Liberals

Ideology: Traditional Conservatism

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• Taking Up the Mantle: After President Kennedy's death and his successor Hale Boggs passed a weakened Civil Rights Act, Rockefeller and the liberal Republicans channel the popular rage at this perceived insult to Kennedy's legacy to take over the GOP and run in the 1964 Presidential election.

Robert F. Kennedy

Role: President^note Head of State (Nixon is President, 1968 election)

Party: Democratic Party - Progressives

Ideology: Neo-Progressivism^note Social Democracy

In-Game Biography ^{Click to Show} Four... Four long years of delayed progress has led to increasing unrest while poverty-stricken citizens remain in the dust. Now Bobby stands victorious over Nixon, promising to return back to Camelot and a government for the people.

Despite being born into the political dynasty of the Kennedy family, the man possesses an empathy unheard of across the political spectrum, yet it did not begin this way. First, a lawyer, he quickly attached himself to JFK's own political career. His role was taken as his brother's Hatchetman, working ruthlessly and willing to make enemies if it meant helping Jack and the Kennedy family. He fought corruption within the labor unions with the righteous fury of a crusader but was able to manipulate his brother's political opponents with the sorts of dirty tactics better found in a spy. Had his life continued on the expected path, he would have remained his brother's keeper, working in service of the family. Instead, John Kennedy is dead, and Bobby was left adrift as the new patriarch of the Kennedy clan. Forced to forge his own identity, he became a senator for New York, becoming nothing short of a hero to the downtrodden people of America. His popular approach to governance and his struggle against racial injustice have earned him the admiration of progressives across America.

Bobby fights for the memory of his brother, but unlike his brother, he has a strong and emotional sense of catholic morality. His presidency is not merely the return of a Kennedy but aims to transform the Democratic Party into a vehicle for social change. Not merely a struggle taken up by the old party professionals, but to let all people take a role in the development of Party and society. Some fear that his ruthlessness, paired with the assured righteousness of his ambitious cause may tear apart the fabric of society, and yet others feel that perhaps that is exactly what is needed to heal it. An unflinching, unyielding look into the wounds of the nation.

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• War Hawk: Throughout the course of Nixon's presidency, Kennedy becomes the champion of the growing Neoprogressive movement, according to which men should fight for freedom both at home and abroad, against the tyranny of both 'Violet' and 'Red' imperialism.

George Wallace

Role: President^note Head of State (Rockefeller is President, 1968 election)

Party: Democratic Party - Southerners

Ideology: Right-Wing Populism^note Traditional Conservatism

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• Opportunistic Bastard: When he started his political career, Wallace was a moderate liberal who denounced the KKK and was well-liked by black lawyers and clients. After his humiliating defeat when running for Governor of Alabama in 1957 on one of the most racially progressive platforms in history, he attempted another round in 1962 and won by a landslide with the infamous rhetoric 'Segregation Now, Segregation Forever'. When J. William Fulbright is defeated by Nelson Rockefeller in the 1964 Presidential election, Wallace starts to lie and flip flop, presenting himself as an honest champion of the common man and a moderate opposed to Rockefeller's policy of forced integration, while trying to bury his past segregationism.
• Taking Up the Mantle: After Fulbright lost in 1964, Wallace takes it upon himself to take up the Southern cause.

George Romney

Role: President^note Head of State (Fulbright is President, 1968 election)

Party: Republican Party - Liberals

Ideology: Social Liberalism^note Liberalism

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Ronald Reagan

Role: President^note Head of State (Humphrey is President, 1968 election)

Party: Republican Party - Conservatives

Ideology: Fusion Conservatism^note Fiscal Conservatism

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