* AccidentalAesop: While having a [[TakeAThirdOption viable third party]] might be valuable, but they can still be MirroringFactions to two major American parties if the radicals, which ironically one of the Freedom Party's major flaws is its attraction of extremists of all political spectrum for better or for worse, who would cause further gridlock into the legislative process and refuse to compromise even for a mutually beneficial outcome.
* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments:
** [[spoiler: Ann Richards]] meeting with the families of the victims of the Columbine massacre. [[spoiler: She doesn't]] put blame on anyone, [[spoiler: she is willing to lend an ear]] to the victims rather than all the pundits.
** Stephen Colbert celebrating [[spoiler: Ann Richard's victory. After getting shot in the leg and mourning Wellstone's death, he really did earn it]].
* HarsherInHindsight: Islamic terrorists [[spoiler: bombing Paris.]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/November_2015_Paris_attacks 'Nuff]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Hebdo_shooting said]]
** Far-right terrorism rising in the US by galvanized Neo-Nazis and the KKK? Also this.
** As it was published before the accusation of sexual harassment, Harvey Weinstein's death in this universe became less likely to have sympathy nowadays other than being one of the victims from the racially motivated attack by Stormfront).
* IronWoobie: Jeb Bush. While [[UsefulNotes/GeorgeWBush his brother]] was too depressed to continue politics after their father is killed, Jeb is able to carry on, and become Governor of Florida earlier than OTL and later [[spoiler: President of the United States]].
* JerkassWoobie: Ross Perot is at times, an ill-tempered and nasty prick. But during his term he has deal with many destructive terrorist attacks, [[spoiler: nearly being assassinated, and then being wrongly accused of being bribed by the Chinese government]], all of which drive him into fear and paranoia, so you can feel sorry for him.
* MoralEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Paul Wellstone's murder for Stormfront]].
* NightmareFuel:
** [[spoiler: Nagoya getting nuked]], especially Clay Mulford's account.
--> '''Clay Mulford''': We were literally astonished, all the staff along with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defence, the Secretary of Commerce, the National Security Advisor, the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, the CIA and FBI Directors, and all. The President had just put the phone back after speaking with Ambassador Holbrooke who immediately put the blame on [[spoiler: the Aum Shirinkyo cult, and we were now receiving images from a camera embarked on the USS Carl Vinson, which happened to be near Nagoya at the time. We could still see the mushroom cloud rising from the ashes of the city, barely distinguishing the lights of the city on fire, the boats left without home port and drifting… An atmosphere of total apocalypse. Total annihilation. What Armageddon might have looked. I never saw the President like that, and he was my father-in-law. His eyes were filled with tears, he remained dumb, shocked, gaping and staring. The only thing he said after five minutes was, " 'Please, Jeane. Tell me it’s not my fault.' "]]
** [[spoiler: David Duke's execution. You don't really pity the jerk, but seeing him scream and beg for his life is pretty unsettling. The warden of the prison committed suicide a couple of years afterward]].
* StoicWoobie: [[spoiler: Ann Richards]] has to deal with Iraq falling into chaos, Stormfront terrorism, the Columbine massacre, recession, [[spoiler: awful rumors about homosexuality]], [[spoiler: a belligerent Russia, and the Freedomites and Republicans all opposed to her domestic agenda. But her response to this is a calm face, and a cigarette in her hand]].
* UnconventionalLearningExperience: The massive amounts of research on various non-mainstream political figures and events led the readers to become aware of them along with being on the forum board allowing them to discuss such subjects.
* ValuesResonance: This story's major theme of increased polarization between left and right, the rise of political and religious extremism, and cultural divide with the proliferation of the internet along with its flaws like echo chambers and proliferation of misinformation played well in TheNewTens.
* TheWoobie:
** George W. Bush, after his father is murdered.
** Stephen Colbert. [[spoiler: Being wounded by an assassin, and reading his tearful recollection of Wellstone's murder, having worked for him, will make you want to hug him and tell him it will be alright]].
** Newt Gingrich, of all people, becomes one. [[spoiler: Losing one of your colleagues by an assassin's bullet, and the being left paralyzed from the waist down]] makes you one.