Normand Rafferty

From Wikimerica, the United States encyclopedia
 	 	 	
 	 	 	
Official Portrait, 2237 	 	 	
95th President of the United States 	95th President of the United States 	95th President of the United States 	95th President of the United States
In office 	 	 	
January 20, 2237 – January 20, 2241 	 	 	
Vice President: Monty Delagarza 	 	 	
Preceded by: Teodoro Bohannon 	 	 	
Succeeded by: Walker Madden 	 	 	
19th First Servant of State of Germany	19th First Servant of State of Germany	19th First Servant of State of Germany	19th First Servant of State of Germany
In office 	 	 	
January 20, 2237 – January 20, 2241 	 	 	
Second Servant: Henrich Reish 	 	 	
Preceded by: Teodoro Bohannon 	 	 	
Succeeded by: Walker Madden 	 	 	
Personal details 	Personal details 	Personal details 	Personal details
Full Name: James Normandy Rafferty 	 	 	
Born: January 1, 2155 	 	 	
Died: January 12, 2244 (aged 89) 	 	 	
Resting place: Hall of the Presidents 	 	 	
James Normandy Rafferty (January 1, 2155 - January 12, 2244) was an American author, military leader, and politician who served as the 95th President of the United States from 2237 to 2241.
== Early Life ==
James Normandy Rafferty was born on January 1, 2155 to Alice and James William Rafferty in Fairfield, Connecticut. While Rafferty's family was initially wealthy, they largely fell under extreme economic burdens during the Vu Administration. Because of this, they were impoverished by the time of Rafferty's birth. Because of this, Rafferty's childhood would be one of immense difficulty and constantly moving homes. By the time Rafferty was 18, Rafferty's mother had died, as he and his father lived in the boroughs of New York City.
During his childhood trauma, Rafferty developed a coping mechanism through writing. Rafferty had started doing this by the age of 11, and by the time he was 14, he published his first book entitled Welcome Home, which was a story of how a teenage boy had to live in a sentient environment that was looking to kill him. Throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, Rafferty would become renowned as a young prodigy. This would be positive for him during the Presidency of Roscoe Pasquale, who was open to the freedom of expression. Upon the commencement of the Dietrich Administration, however, many anti-Imperialists would use Rafferty's work as an allegory for the Imperialist Party's totalitarian tendencies. To stop this, President Barron Dietrich dispatched the CIA arrest Rafferty and his father. On December 31, 2174, Rafferty was apprehended by the CIA and imprisoned. 
In an attempt to stay alive, Rafferty negotiated with the Imperialist government. Rafferty promised that if he was released unharmed, he would write stories which glorified the Imperialist Party, and additionally promised to enlist in the United States Military. Seeing this as favorable to the execution of a relatively well-known author, the Imperialists agreed to Rafferty's offer. Because of this, he would work for the Imperialists over the course of the next 19 years. 
== Sabotage of the Imperialists ==
During his time in the US Military, Rafferty gradually rose through the ranks, until eventually becoming a Colonel in 2192. The following year, Rafferty and his command would be dispatched to the Pacific to fight the Republic of Krameria. During the American-Kramerian War, the Kramerian military would consistently defeat Rafferty, as was common amongst many American officers. However, Rafferty used the war as an opportunity to finally counter the Imperialists after nearly two decades. 
While Rafferty appeared loyal to the United States Military to his larger brigade, Rafferty established a secret chain of command alongside around 100 soldiers under his command. When not actively engaged in battle against the Kramerians, Rafferty would work to sabotage the Americans by providing them with false intel and raiding supplies amongst other methods. Over the course of the next year, Command Sergeant Major Cameron Arkin would take note of suspicious behavior from Rafferty. In 2194, Arkin used this to take action against Rafferty and mutiny. Rafferty was forced into exile, and would lead his 100 soldiers back to New England, in which they proceeded to aid the Democracy of Freland. 
Because of this, Rafferty became renowned amongst the anti-Imperialist rebellions in the United States. He became commonly known as "Colonel Rafferty" by both the Imperialist Party and the anti-Imperialists, which is a title that he never abandoned. Later in life, Rafferty reported that "[the "Colonel" title] is more than a military position to [him]. It's a reminder of what [he] was able to do for [his] country's people." 
In the Democracy of Freland's military ranks, Rafferty ascended to the position of General. He was responsible for the command of a corps, and utilized the hit-and-run tactics that were common amongst the Democracy's strategy. 
== Dedication to Bipartisanship ==
Upon the victory of the Commawatch in the Second American Revolution, Rafferty officially retired from military affairs. In 2215, he sought to return to life as an author, and dabbled in both fiction works, in addition to works of philosophy. Rafferty wrote books which emphasized the importance of disagreements, and to have all within the United States work together for the betterment of the country. Come time for the establishment of the Liberty Party, these writings helped usher in the Commawatch-Liberty Collaboration. Thus, Rafferty is commended for his work in advocating for democracy and bipartisanship. 
== Federal Government Official (2217 - 2237) ==
=== Secretary of the Interior (2217 - 2225) ===
During Rafferty's time working for the Democracy of Freland, he would work with local communities to establish direct democratic governments, until the Imperialists retook the land. Because of this, Rafferty was regarded and commended for his ability to establish governments. President Donte Alighieri II took note of this in 2216, and thus nominated Rafferty for the position of Secretary of the Interior upon his election to the Presidency. As Secretary of the Interior, Rafferty aided in establishing President Alighieri's national legal code. Primarily, Rafferty focused on aiding the impoverished within the United States. 
=== Senator (2225 - 2237) ===
Following his time in the Cabinet, Rafferty ran for Senator in his home state of Connecticut. His platform concentrated on both upholding bipartisanship and working with the newly established Liberty Party, in addition to maintaining the national legal code established in the Alighieri Administration. In the 2224 General Election, Rafferty was elected with 70% of the vote. In the Senate, Rafferty consistently supported compromise between Commawatch and Liberty Party members. During his first term in the Senate, he joined the Joint Negotiations Committee for the purpose in crafting these compromises. 
== Presidential Campaign (2236) ==
Come time for Sanford Frost's Presidency, Rafferty highly approved of how Frost took measures to reduce executive power and influence. Rafferty accredited the Imperialist Party's authoritarianism in part because of hierarchy, and the will imposed upon others not for the sake of the people's authority, but simply for the sake of instituting policy. Because of this, Rafferty viewed President Frost as highly democratic, and the exact type of President that the American people needed.
Because of this, Rafferty was devastated when Frost lost re-election, and President Teodoro Bohannon re-instituted the political use of the veto. Rafferty viewed Bohannon as "outdated", and that it was time for the United States to "progress past the partial Presidency." 
With this in mind, Rafferty declared his own campaign for the Presidency against Bohannon, and campaigned on the "restoration of balanced leadership". Rafferty would be highly popular in the Commawatch primaries, and would thus successfully obtain the nomination. In the General Election, meanwhile, Rafferty would fare extremely well against President Bohannon. In the electoral college, Rafferty obtained 62% of the vote in total to Bohannon's 38%.
== Presidency (2237 - 2241) ==
As President, Rafferty restored Sanford Frost's governance style, and made it so the President not only took into account his own party's views, but also those of the other half of the country. President Rafferty re-introduced the veto's obsoletion, and worked with both Commawatch and Liberty Party members to see national policy enacted. During his time in office, Rafferty was a highly popular President, as he regarded as one of the most democratic in American history. Following his Presidency, Rafferty would be commended for this by many Americans, including President Walker Madden, who granted Rafferty the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Due to his age, Rafferty chose not to run for a second term. He left office in 2241 with a 75% approval rating, before retiring to his home in Greenwich, Connecticut. He lived in peaceful retirement for the next three years, until dying in 2244 at age 89.
== Legacy ==
Rafferty is most fondly remembered for his military service to the nation, through sabotaging the American Imperialist Party both out in the Pacific and in New England. Throughout the 23rd century, he never abandoned the name "Colonel Rafferty", as he viewed it as what best described his service to the nation. 
Politically, Rafferty is remembered for playing a key role in the Commawatch-Liberty Collaboration, and for taking actions to ensure the voices of the entire nation are heard, as opposed to one public figure or even one party. Most historians rank Rafferty as an above-average President, and do not dispute his dedication to serving people, as opposed to an agenda or an institution.
Category:U.S. President