Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran
That sounds prone to misunderstandings.
Change anyone's history/environment and you fundamentally change their present self.
I don't think you should use "our" Reagan in an alternate timeline when so much else is different.
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I disagree. A shorthand is a must unless we are producing detailed alternate history books and associated biographies. More than just a paragraph or three is getting into overkill (which I admittedly am prone to do).
The Reagan of 1976 is pretty much the same man as in 1980, especially if the only difference in the timeline is when he became President, as per Astromancer's Squeaky Timeline. The Reagan of Ruff-1 timeline is practically unimportant to the story, he is just acting as in the 'official' story is in our timeline - he was somehow responsible for bringing the Soviets down. Just at the wrong time as it turned out.
Now a Reagan that stayed a liberal Democrat, or a working actor, or a
Scout Master,
that would be open to broad interpretation.