Going into 1983 the economy had not only begun to recover its losses, but grow exponentially. However a funny thing happened on the way to 1984. But with the onset of a recession shortly after having been sworn in, some painful losses in the 1982 midterms (Although not as large as OTL), and growing dissatisfaction with his leadership, it appeared as though despite President Bush’s foreign policy successes, he was headed towards defeat come 1984. In terms of foreign policy, President Bush’s first term would see a balance between holding Reagan’s hard line publicly against the Soviets, while at the same time work behind the scenes to draw the Russians into a negotiated deal with respect to nuclear disarmament. Selecting New York Representative Jack Kemp as his vice president, as an olive branch to the Reaganites, Bush would implement a somewhat scaled-down, more bipartisan version of Reagan’s planned tax cuts, offset with reduced government spending. But despite being shackled to Reagan's legacy, Bush wouldn’t miss a beat. Unless Bush implemented enough of Ronald Reagan’s agenda, he would find himself facing an organized conservative uprising come 1984 and would likely lose the nomination to a more right-wing challenger. Having battled Reagan for the nomination only months earlier, Bush had called his opponents economic policy “Voodoo Economics”, drawing the ire of conservative Republicans. Perhaps one of the most experienced men ever to assume the presidency, Vice President George Bush wasn’t viewed as Reagan’s natural heir and successor. Kennedy almost two decades prior, were left to mourn. After only 69 days, the so-called Reagan Revolution was over, and millions of Americans, many of whom still with memories of the assassination of John F.
in an apparent attempt to gain the attention of Taxi Driver actress Jodie Foster. Returning to his limousine following a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton, President Reagan would be gunned down by John Hinckley Jr. Yet Reagan’s folksy charm turned out to be the silver bullet for Republicans, convincing the American people to give the former California governor a chance and ushering in what pundits had begun labeling as a radical realignment of American politics in a way not seen since the days of FDR. The heir to Barry Goldwater had overcome the odds to defeat Jimmy Carter in his bid for a second term, despite the Democrats clamour that Reagan was an ideological extremist. The election of Ronald Wilson Reagan to the presidency was a story unheard of in American politics.