So I popped the clutch in 1st while starting the bike and everything went dark.  Actually I didn't "pop" the clutch as much as not even compress it when hitting the ignition.

 After it lurched and died I had nothing with the key turned to Drive, and only rear running/brake lights when turned to Park.

 I was able to jump-start the bike but I now have rapid flashers (Blue Collar Bobber bullets, not stock).

 Can anything weird besides a short in the wiring, or the need for a new battery have happened that I am just unaware of?

or the clutch safety switch.

"Drive should be on.  And with the key in park, only the tail light or license plate light should be on."

 I double checked and I have zero power to lights while the key is turned to drive and I have power to both rear turn signals and the tail light/plate light when the parking lights are on.

 All of my turn-signals work, they just rapid flash, they are not LED.  Specifically they all are on, and they all have the brighter filament active while signaling, just faster.

 I will check the clutch safety, I didn't think to check.

maybe the connectors popped loose during the lurch...
But the starter button goes thru the right connector to the left connector the the clutch safety switch, then back thru the left connector to the decomp controller then to the starter relay.
You can check you have power to the starter button by pulling the clutch safety switch connector and seeing if you have 12v (or so) on one of the wires when you push the button.

Nobody can type words with sufficient impact to fix it.
Stop doing what you are doing.
Put it in neutral.
Does it start?

You can keep saying it doesn't work.
Try hearing this.
A guy rode home.
Parked it.
Ate lunch.
Went to return to work.
Bike no start.
Seemed dead.
Connector under tank had vibrated loose.
Yours might be barely connected.
Solving the problem by retyping it hasn't worked.
Maybe a more proactive approach is needed.

 Maybe there is some confusion here.

 To clarify:

 I have utilized the advice here to go through a process of checking the recommended testing and potential fixes.

 Step one was to verify all wiring connections are secure including the connector under the tank.  The tank was drained and removed, the seat removed, and all connections were unsecured checked for damage and cleanliness then re-secured.

 All fuses were replaced.  Upon doing this the bike will now start, and turn-signal flashers operate as they did before.

 After this process I then had the bike placed into 1st gear and with the key in the appropriate position, when the ignition switch was compressed the bike lurched forward and died.  This was repeated 10 times for verification, two other bikes of identical year (1995) went through the same process and they only made a loud click and did not engage the engine.

 This shows that out of 30 attempts 1/3 of those attempts result in a lurching bike, all from one bike 100% of the time.

 My conclusion is that at this time the only remaining issue is that the clutch safety is not working correctly.

 This assessment is intended as an informational update indicating that multiple known issues have been reduced to one by following the suggested steps provided here.

 One observation I have made is that the diagram provided above indicates two 20A fuses while my bikes contain one 20A and one 30A.

Most bikes don't have a clutch safety switch ,it is always a good habit to learn to hold the clutch lever in when starting any bike in gear, it also means that you'll have both hands on the bars if the bike does lurch forward ,and thus less chance of it being dropped. because that switch sees movement each time you start or shift the bike it tends to fail early on , it may be a boon for new first time riders , but becomes just one more thing to check when your bike wont start.(PITA) I bypassed mine years ago and never looked back. The bike can still be started in neutral without use of the clutch, but may try to lurch slightly if the oil is cold.
     Both fuses should be 20 amp, a 30 amp fuse is overrated for the wire size may cause damage before the fuse pops.

the clutch is not compressed it takes more of a stomp to force the bike into first gear where it lurches forward and dies, or runs depending on throttle amount.

Doing that is 100% stupid.
The bikes action is 100% normal.
That's why it Has a clutch.