My bet is that Jerry Brown will look after the utterly disappointed Rumsfeld with an offer he couldn't refuse...
Four More Years - The Presidency of Richard M. Nixon
- Thread starter ASRI
- Start date
BROWN PLANNING TO ANNOUNCE RUNNING MATE AFTER DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION – WHO IS ON SHORTLIST?
July 19th, 1992
PRESIDENT WARNS BROWN COULD HAND WHITE HOUSE TO REPUBLICANS
July 24th, 1992
GINGRICH HITS KENNEDY ON ECONOMY – BLAMES PRESIDENT FOR RISING UNEMPLOYMENT, GREATER POVERTY GAP
July 26th, 1992
BROWN – “I CAN WIN.”
July 31st, 1992
LATEST POLL – KENNEDY 36, ASHCROFT 46, BROWN 18
August 1st, 1992
IN PRIMETIME ADDRESS, PRESIDENT ATTACKS REPUBLICANS FOR OBSTRUCTION – “THEY HAVE ENDANGERED OUR NATION, AND FORCED MILLIONS TO WORK FOR LESS, ALL FOR POLITICAL ENDS”
August 5th, 1992
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION OPENS
August 17th, 1992
TENNESSEE GOVERNOR AND SENATE CANDIDATE AL GORE DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS – “ONLY UNITED CAN WE ENSURE THE AMERICAN DREAM FOR ALL”
August 18th, 1992
PUNDITS ALREADY SPEAKING OF GORE IN PRESIDENTIAL TERMS – COULD HE RUN IN 1996?
August 19th, 1992
VICE-PRESIDENT CLINTON ATTACKS ASHCROFT AND BROWN FOR “IRRESPONSIBILITY” – CLAIMS BROWN RUN IS ABOUT EGO.
August 19th, 1992
PRESIDENT KENNEDY ACCEPTS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION. USES ADDRESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE MISTAKES, BUT PROMISES TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN SECOND TERM.
August 20th, 1992
MIXED REACTION TO KENNEDY ADDRESS – SOME SAY SPEECH LACKED INSPIRATION
August 21st, 1992
BROWN TO ANNOUNCE RUNNING MATE ON AUGUST 31ST
August 23rd, 1992
BREAKING: FORMER KENNEDY STAFFER SELENA SCHUMER CLAIMS SHE IS PREGNANT WITH PRESIDENT’S CHILD
August 26th, 1992
NO COMMENT FROM WHITE HOUSE – PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAS NO FURTHER CAMPAIGN APPEARANCES SCHEDULED THIS WEEK
August 27th, 1992
FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ED KOCH CHOSEN AS RUNNING MATE FOR JERRY BROWN. KOCH SAYS HE IS “HONOURED TO WORK ALONGSIDE A TRUE PATRIOT”
August 31st, 1992
PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS NATION TONIGHT AT 9PM ET
September 1st, 1992
PRESIDENT KENNEDY ADMITS “INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP” WITH SCHUMER, BUT DENIES HE IS THE FATHER OF HER UNBORN CHILD
September 1st, 1992
PRESIDENT PLUMMETS IN LATEST POLLS – ASHCROFT 48, BROWN 26, KENNEDY 23
September 3rd, 1992
CAN PRESIDENT RECOVER FROM SCANDAL, OR IS HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN DEAD IN THE WATER?
September 4th, 1992
July 19th, 1992
PRESIDENT WARNS BROWN COULD HAND WHITE HOUSE TO REPUBLICANS
July 24th, 1992
GINGRICH HITS KENNEDY ON ECONOMY – BLAMES PRESIDENT FOR RISING UNEMPLOYMENT, GREATER POVERTY GAP
July 26th, 1992
BROWN – “I CAN WIN.”
July 31st, 1992
LATEST POLL – KENNEDY 36, ASHCROFT 46, BROWN 18
August 1st, 1992
IN PRIMETIME ADDRESS, PRESIDENT ATTACKS REPUBLICANS FOR OBSTRUCTION – “THEY HAVE ENDANGERED OUR NATION, AND FORCED MILLIONS TO WORK FOR LESS, ALL FOR POLITICAL ENDS”
August 5th, 1992
DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION OPENS
August 17th, 1992
TENNESSEE GOVERNOR AND SENATE CANDIDATE AL GORE DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS – “ONLY UNITED CAN WE ENSURE THE AMERICAN DREAM FOR ALL”
August 18th, 1992
PUNDITS ALREADY SPEAKING OF GORE IN PRESIDENTIAL TERMS – COULD HE RUN IN 1996?
August 19th, 1992
VICE-PRESIDENT CLINTON ATTACKS ASHCROFT AND BROWN FOR “IRRESPONSIBILITY” – CLAIMS BROWN RUN IS ABOUT EGO.
August 19th, 1992
PRESIDENT KENNEDY ACCEPTS DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION. USES ADDRESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE MISTAKES, BUT PROMISES TO MAKE IT RIGHT IN SECOND TERM.
August 20th, 1992
MIXED REACTION TO KENNEDY ADDRESS – SOME SAY SPEECH LACKED INSPIRATION
August 21st, 1992
BROWN TO ANNOUNCE RUNNING MATE ON AUGUST 31ST
August 23rd, 1992
BREAKING: FORMER KENNEDY STAFFER SELENA SCHUMER CLAIMS SHE IS PREGNANT WITH PRESIDENT’S CHILD
August 26th, 1992
NO COMMENT FROM WHITE HOUSE – PRESIDENT KENNEDY HAS NO FURTHER CAMPAIGN APPEARANCES SCHEDULED THIS WEEK
August 27th, 1992
FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ED KOCH CHOSEN AS RUNNING MATE FOR JERRY BROWN. KOCH SAYS HE IS “HONOURED TO WORK ALONGSIDE A TRUE PATRIOT”
August 31st, 1992
PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS NATION TONIGHT AT 9PM ET
September 1st, 1992
PRESIDENT KENNEDY ADMITS “INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP” WITH SCHUMER, BUT DENIES HE IS THE FATHER OF HER UNBORN CHILD
September 1st, 1992
PRESIDENT PLUMMETS IN LATEST POLLS – ASHCROFT 48, BROWN 26, KENNEDY 23
September 3rd, 1992
CAN PRESIDENT RECOVER FROM SCANDAL, OR IS HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN DEAD IN THE WATER?
September 4th, 1992
Gotta wonder if Koch's sexuality will be an issue in this campaign. It was never a major problem in New York, but in national politics, especially in terms of whisper campaigns, you've got to think there will be a great deal of speculation about whether or not he's gay. That can hurt, especially in 1992 when there was still a stigma attached to gay men coming out of the 1980s due to the AIDS epidemic.
So we have the choices of Kennedy, Ashcroft, and Brown.
I don't know whom I'll support.
Voter turnout will be quite low due to the lack of good choices.
Ashcroft was suprisingly liberal in some aspects:
-He helped enact tougher standards and sentencing for gun crimes, increased funding for local law enforcement, and tougher standards and punishment for people bringing guns into schools
-During his tenure as governor, Missouri enacted its first hate crimes legislation, creating penalties for ethnic intimidation and crimes committed for motives based on race, color, religion, or national origin
-During his tenure as governor,the legislature enacted the Missouri Victim's Bill of Rights, which allows crime victims to be informed of and present at criminal proceedings, the right to restitution, the right to protection from the defendant and the right to be informed of the escape or release of a defendant.
-As a senator, he convened the only Senate hearing on racial profiling, on March 30, 2000, with Senator Russ Feingold, where he stated that racial profiling is unconstitutional and said that he supported the concept of legislation requiring that statistics be kept of police actions
That was from Wikipedia.
That probably won't convince many liberals to vote GOP, but it shows that Ashcroft wasn't a total right winger.
I am banking on Ashcroft being elected due to Kennedy's "problem" and Jerry Brown's 3rd party bid.
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
I don't know whom I'll support.
Voter turnout will be quite low due to the lack of good choices.
Ashcroft was suprisingly liberal in some aspects:
-He helped enact tougher standards and sentencing for gun crimes, increased funding for local law enforcement, and tougher standards and punishment for people bringing guns into schools
-During his tenure as governor, Missouri enacted its first hate crimes legislation, creating penalties for ethnic intimidation and crimes committed for motives based on race, color, religion, or national origin
-During his tenure as governor,the legislature enacted the Missouri Victim's Bill of Rights, which allows crime victims to be informed of and present at criminal proceedings, the right to restitution, the right to protection from the defendant and the right to be informed of the escape or release of a defendant.
-As a senator, he convened the only Senate hearing on racial profiling, on March 30, 2000, with Senator Russ Feingold, where he stated that racial profiling is unconstitutional and said that he supported the concept of legislation requiring that statistics be kept of police actions
That was from Wikipedia.
That probably won't convince many liberals to vote GOP, but it shows that Ashcroft wasn't a total right winger.
I am banking on Ashcroft being elected due to Kennedy's "problem" and Jerry Brown's 3rd party bid.
Wishing you well, his majesty,
The Scandinavian Emperor
Epilogue
January 20th, 1993
This was not what was supposed to happen.
Edward Moore Kennedy had once decided that he would never seek the presidency, after watching two of his brothers cut down in their pursuit of the office. Only his loathing of Richard Nixon, and the corrupt power Nixon had surrounded himself with, had pushed him into running in 1980. Then he had lost through Nixon’s dirty tricks, and he resolved to fight once again for the nation’s highest office. The presidency would have been his in 1984, had it not been for the suicide of his wife Joan. Perhaps if he had won then, he could have avoided the war in Syria, the terrorist attacks, the recession.
This was not what was supposed to happen.
It was 10:02am, and in one hour and fifty-eight minutes, Kennedy would relinquish his office to former Missouri Governor John Ashcroft. Kennedy had no doubt in his mind that he would have retained the White House for himself and his party, if not for the bitterness of Jerry Brown, and for Kennedy’s own demons. Ted Kennedy loved women, perhaps too much, and that love had cost him the Oval Office.
This was not what was supposed to happen.
Where are they now?
Spiro Agnew - After resigning in disgrace in 1973, Agnew wrote several books, and later appeared as a commentator for Rupert Murdoch’s U.S. News Channel. He died in 1996.
John Ashcroft - Originally a long-shot for the White House, Ashcroft won the presidency along with his Vice-President Newt Gingrich. His term of office was fairly unsuccessful, as a series of tax cuts and ill-fated foreign interventions in Africa and the Middle East led to a ballooning deficit. In his inaugural address, Ashcroft announced he would serve only one term, to prevent “falling victim to pride and hubris”. Many speculated this was part of a deal made with Gingrich at the 1992 convention. Ashcroft left office with low approval ratings, but remained an advocate for conservative causes.
Lloyd Bentsen - Bentsen was never able to shake the ghost of the war in Syria. He blamed himself for not doing more to stop it, and was notably frank about it in his memoirs. Struggling with depression for the rest of his life, Bentsen died in 2002 of a massive heart attack.
Joe Biden - Elected Vice-President in 1996, Biden was thrust into the Oval Office following the death of President Bill Clinton two years later. In his first address to Congress he announced he would not seek a full term, and despite presiding over peace and prosperity - after hunting down the groups responsible for Clinton’s assassination - Biden was true to his word. Missing political life, he briefly considered running for the Democratic nomination in 2004, but decided against it. He still lives in his native Delaware.
Jerry Brown - Brown was widely blamed for costing the Democrats the 1992 election, and he left the party shortly after. Despite garnering just over twenty percent of the vote, he resisted calls to form a third party, and instead chose to run for a second term as Governor of California in 1994. The Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer split his vote, enabling Pete Wilson to take the Governor’s Mansion for the Republicans. Brown made an ill-fated run for Mayor of Oakland later in the decade, but other than that, his political career was dead.
Dick Cheney - Working in the private sector after leaving the Nixon White House, Cheney ran for Congress in 1992. He served six terms before quietly retiring. Despite ill-health, he still lives in his native Wyoming.
Bill Clinton - Ted Kennedy’s Vice-President won the Democratic nomination in 1996, beating out Tennessee Governor Al Gore and New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. Choosing Senate Minority Leader Joe Biden as his running mate, Clinton led the Democrats back to the White House. He promised a new era of bipartisanship, and was relatively successful until he was assassinated by far-right terrorists in late 1998. His widow, Hillary Rodham, went on to serve as Governor of Illinois and Vice-President of the United States.
John Connally - Upon leaving the Vice-Presidency, Connally served in the Nixon Cabinet before returning to Texas for another term as Governor. He left office in 1987, and died in early 1993 of pulmonary fibrosis, a lung complaint.
Bob Dole - His career destroyed by the bribery scandal, Dole lived a quiet life in Virginia, never visiting his beloved home state of Kansas again. He died in 2009.
R. Budd Dwyer - The Pennsylvania Governor was likely facing a lengthy jail sentence after being arrested on corruption charges. Choosing to end his own life before he was sentenced, he hung himself in his cell. It is speculated he did this to ensure that his family would receive his state pension.
Gerald Ford - The former Vice-President and later U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations lived a quiet life in retirement with his wife Betty. He served on numerous corporate boards, stepping down due to ill-health in the late 1990s. He died in 2001.
Newt Gingrich - The former Speaker of the House seemed to be reducing his power by serving as Vice-President to John Ashcroft, but Gingrich used the time to set himself up for a run at the White House himself. Convinced he would win, Gingrich suffered from overconfidence, and while he and his running mate Jack Kemp ran a decent campaign, the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton defeated Gingrich by a solid margin. Still a relatively young man, he ran for the Georgia Senate seat in 1998, winning handily. He is currently serving his third term.
Edward Kennedy - It would not be an exaggeration to say that losing the White House in 1992 seriously damaged the long-term health of Teddy Kennedy. He made only rare public appearances, and reportedly suffered from serious alcoholism. A massive heart attack in 1998 ended his life, aged sixty-six.
Bob Kerrey - The former Vice-President eventually made a full recovery from the attempt on his life. He mainly worked in the private sector, but served eighteen months in the Senate following the sudden death of Ben Nelson.
Henry Kissinger - Kissinger’s political career was thought to be over after he resigned as Secretary of State, but he returned as Special Advisor in the waning years of the Nixon White House. Since then, he has been a respected voice in the international community, but has also been criticised for his role in the widening of the war in Vietnam. Now in his late eighties, he lives in New York City.
John McCain - A distinguished Senator, McCain was chosen as President Joe Biden’s Vice-President following the death of Bill Clinton. When Biden declined to seek the presidency in 2000, McCain ran in his place, selecting Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate. The ticket went on to lose narrowly, and McCain was forced into retirement.
Ronald Reagan - While he would lose the presidential election in 1984 to Ed Muskie, Ronald Reagan’s political career continued. Deeply affected by the death of his friend Rock Hudson, Reagan spent the next decade as an advocate for AIDS research. He convinced the Kennedy White House to support a bill to allocate funds, but such requests fell on deaf ears once John Ashcroft was president. Reagan withdrew from public life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1997. He died in 2006.
Donald Rumsfeld - Missing out on a chance to win the Republican nomination in 1992, Rumsfeld waited eight years before trying again. This time, with greater experience, he saw off all his challengers, such as Texas Governor Jeb Bush, Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney and former California Governor Pete Wilson. Rumsfeld selected Indiana Senator Dick Lugar as his running mate, and the two went on to defeat John McCain and Al Gore. Rumsfeld would preside over a fairly quiet first term, and be re-elected in 2004 over Bill Bradley and Patrick Kennedy. He chose not to seek a third term, and left office in 2009, the first President to serve two terms since Richard Nixon.
And finally…
Richard Nixon - Who would have thought that ol’ Dick Nixon would be the longest-serving President in American history? Sixteen years in office restored Richard Nixon’s self-confidence, and he left office in great spirits. The collapse of Syria into war was blamed on his administration, but Nixon refused to accept responsibility. He spent his retirement giving speeches – mainly on foreign policy – and offering counsel to any politician who asked for it, including Presidents Muskie, Bentsen, Ashcroft, Clinton, Biden and Rumsfeld (Ted Kennedy wanted nothing to do with him, for obvious reasons).
Pat Nixon died in early 1994 of a massive stroke, and family noticed a sharp deterioration in the former President’s physical condition. His final public appearance was at the inauguration of his son-in-law Edward Finch Cox as New York Senator in January 1995. Richard Nixon died on November 8th, 1995, aged eighty-four. His funeral was an international occasion, with hundreds of dignitaries from around the world coming to pay tribute. Nixon is remembered as a personally flawed, but very effective President of the United States.
List of Presidents of the United States
35. John F. Kennedy – January 20th 1961-November 22nd 1963
36. Lyndon B. Johnson – November 22nd 1963-January 20th 1969
37. Richard Nixon – January 20th 1969-January 20th 1985
38. Edmund Muskie – January 20th 1985-September 7th 1985
39. Lloyd Bentsen – September 7th 1985-January 20th 1989
40. Edward Kennedy – January 20th 1989-January 20th 1993
41. John Ashcroft – January 20th 1993-January 20th 1997
42. William J. Clinton – January 20th 1997-October 3rd 1998
43. Joseph Biden – October 3rd 1998-January 20th 2001
44. Donald Rumsfeld – January 20th 2001-January 20th 2009
45. Al Gore – January 20th 2009-present
List of Vice-Presidents of the United States
37. Lyndon B. Johnson – January 20th 1961-November 22nd 1963
38. Hubert Humphrey – January 20th 1965-January 20th 1969
39. Spiro Agnew – January 20th 1969-October 10th 1973
40. Gerald Ford – October 17th 1973-January 20th 1977
41. John Connally – January 20th 1977-January 20th 1981
42. Howard Baker – January 20th 1981-January 20th 1985
43. Lloyd Bentsen – January 20th 1985-September 7th 1985
44. Jerry Brown – November 28th 1985-January 20th 1989
45. William J. Clinton – January 20th 1989-January 20th 1993
46. Newt Gingrich – January 20th 1993-January 20th 1997
47. Joseph Biden – January 20th 1997-October 3rd 1998
48. John McCain – October 3rd 1998-January 20th 2001
49. Richard Lugar – January 20th 2001-January 20th 2005
50. Rick Santorum – January 20th 2005-January 20th 2009
51. Carol Moseley – January 20th 2009-present
Defeated Presidential tickets
1960 – Richard Nixon/Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
1964 – Barry Goldwater/William E. Miller
1968 – Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie, George Wallace/Curtis LeMay
1972 – George McGovern/Sargent Shriver
1976 – Edmund Muskie/Lloyd Bentsen
1980 – Edward Kennedy/Reubin Askew
1984 – Ronald Reagan/Bob Dole
1988 – Howard Baker/R. Budd Dwyer, Pat Robertson/Larry McDonald
1992 – Edward Kennedy/William Clinton, Jerry Brown/Ed Koch
1996 – Newt Gingrich/Jack Kemp
2000 – John McCain/Al Gore
2004 – Bill Richardson/Barbara Boxer
2008 – Rick Santorum/George W. Bush
January 20th, 1993
This was not what was supposed to happen.
Edward Moore Kennedy had once decided that he would never seek the presidency, after watching two of his brothers cut down in their pursuit of the office. Only his loathing of Richard Nixon, and the corrupt power Nixon had surrounded himself with, had pushed him into running in 1980. Then he had lost through Nixon’s dirty tricks, and he resolved to fight once again for the nation’s highest office. The presidency would have been his in 1984, had it not been for the suicide of his wife Joan. Perhaps if he had won then, he could have avoided the war in Syria, the terrorist attacks, the recession.
This was not what was supposed to happen.
It was 10:02am, and in one hour and fifty-eight minutes, Kennedy would relinquish his office to former Missouri Governor John Ashcroft. Kennedy had no doubt in his mind that he would have retained the White House for himself and his party, if not for the bitterness of Jerry Brown, and for Kennedy’s own demons. Ted Kennedy loved women, perhaps too much, and that love had cost him the Oval Office.
This was not what was supposed to happen.
Where are they now?
Spiro Agnew - After resigning in disgrace in 1973, Agnew wrote several books, and later appeared as a commentator for Rupert Murdoch’s U.S. News Channel. He died in 1996.
John Ashcroft - Originally a long-shot for the White House, Ashcroft won the presidency along with his Vice-President Newt Gingrich. His term of office was fairly unsuccessful, as a series of tax cuts and ill-fated foreign interventions in Africa and the Middle East led to a ballooning deficit. In his inaugural address, Ashcroft announced he would serve only one term, to prevent “falling victim to pride and hubris”. Many speculated this was part of a deal made with Gingrich at the 1992 convention. Ashcroft left office with low approval ratings, but remained an advocate for conservative causes.
Lloyd Bentsen - Bentsen was never able to shake the ghost of the war in Syria. He blamed himself for not doing more to stop it, and was notably frank about it in his memoirs. Struggling with depression for the rest of his life, Bentsen died in 2002 of a massive heart attack.
Joe Biden - Elected Vice-President in 1996, Biden was thrust into the Oval Office following the death of President Bill Clinton two years later. In his first address to Congress he announced he would not seek a full term, and despite presiding over peace and prosperity - after hunting down the groups responsible for Clinton’s assassination - Biden was true to his word. Missing political life, he briefly considered running for the Democratic nomination in 2004, but decided against it. He still lives in his native Delaware.
Jerry Brown - Brown was widely blamed for costing the Democrats the 1992 election, and he left the party shortly after. Despite garnering just over twenty percent of the vote, he resisted calls to form a third party, and instead chose to run for a second term as Governor of California in 1994. The Democratic candidate Barbara Boxer split his vote, enabling Pete Wilson to take the Governor’s Mansion for the Republicans. Brown made an ill-fated run for Mayor of Oakland later in the decade, but other than that, his political career was dead.
Dick Cheney - Working in the private sector after leaving the Nixon White House, Cheney ran for Congress in 1992. He served six terms before quietly retiring. Despite ill-health, he still lives in his native Wyoming.
Bill Clinton - Ted Kennedy’s Vice-President won the Democratic nomination in 1996, beating out Tennessee Governor Al Gore and New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. Choosing Senate Minority Leader Joe Biden as his running mate, Clinton led the Democrats back to the White House. He promised a new era of bipartisanship, and was relatively successful until he was assassinated by far-right terrorists in late 1998. His widow, Hillary Rodham, went on to serve as Governor of Illinois and Vice-President of the United States.
John Connally - Upon leaving the Vice-Presidency, Connally served in the Nixon Cabinet before returning to Texas for another term as Governor. He left office in 1987, and died in early 1993 of pulmonary fibrosis, a lung complaint.
Bob Dole - His career destroyed by the bribery scandal, Dole lived a quiet life in Virginia, never visiting his beloved home state of Kansas again. He died in 2009.
R. Budd Dwyer - The Pennsylvania Governor was likely facing a lengthy jail sentence after being arrested on corruption charges. Choosing to end his own life before he was sentenced, he hung himself in his cell. It is speculated he did this to ensure that his family would receive his state pension.
Gerald Ford - The former Vice-President and later U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations lived a quiet life in retirement with his wife Betty. He served on numerous corporate boards, stepping down due to ill-health in the late 1990s. He died in 2001.
Newt Gingrich - The former Speaker of the House seemed to be reducing his power by serving as Vice-President to John Ashcroft, but Gingrich used the time to set himself up for a run at the White House himself. Convinced he would win, Gingrich suffered from overconfidence, and while he and his running mate Jack Kemp ran a decent campaign, the Democratic candidate Bill Clinton defeated Gingrich by a solid margin. Still a relatively young man, he ran for the Georgia Senate seat in 1998, winning handily. He is currently serving his third term.
Edward Kennedy - It would not be an exaggeration to say that losing the White House in 1992 seriously damaged the long-term health of Teddy Kennedy. He made only rare public appearances, and reportedly suffered from serious alcoholism. A massive heart attack in 1998 ended his life, aged sixty-six.
Bob Kerrey - The former Vice-President eventually made a full recovery from the attempt on his life. He mainly worked in the private sector, but served eighteen months in the Senate following the sudden death of Ben Nelson.
Henry Kissinger - Kissinger’s political career was thought to be over after he resigned as Secretary of State, but he returned as Special Advisor in the waning years of the Nixon White House. Since then, he has been a respected voice in the international community, but has also been criticised for his role in the widening of the war in Vietnam. Now in his late eighties, he lives in New York City.
John McCain - A distinguished Senator, McCain was chosen as President Joe Biden’s Vice-President following the death of Bill Clinton. When Biden declined to seek the presidency in 2000, McCain ran in his place, selecting Tennessee Senator Al Gore as his running mate. The ticket went on to lose narrowly, and McCain was forced into retirement.
Ronald Reagan - While he would lose the presidential election in 1984 to Ed Muskie, Ronald Reagan’s political career continued. Deeply affected by the death of his friend Rock Hudson, Reagan spent the next decade as an advocate for AIDS research. He convinced the Kennedy White House to support a bill to allocate funds, but such requests fell on deaf ears once John Ashcroft was president. Reagan withdrew from public life after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 1997. He died in 2006.
Donald Rumsfeld - Missing out on a chance to win the Republican nomination in 1992, Rumsfeld waited eight years before trying again. This time, with greater experience, he saw off all his challengers, such as Texas Governor Jeb Bush, Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney and former California Governor Pete Wilson. Rumsfeld selected Indiana Senator Dick Lugar as his running mate, and the two went on to defeat John McCain and Al Gore. Rumsfeld would preside over a fairly quiet first term, and be re-elected in 2004 over Bill Bradley and Patrick Kennedy. He chose not to seek a third term, and left office in 2009, the first President to serve two terms since Richard Nixon.
And finally…
Richard Nixon - Who would have thought that ol’ Dick Nixon would be the longest-serving President in American history? Sixteen years in office restored Richard Nixon’s self-confidence, and he left office in great spirits. The collapse of Syria into war was blamed on his administration, but Nixon refused to accept responsibility. He spent his retirement giving speeches – mainly on foreign policy – and offering counsel to any politician who asked for it, including Presidents Muskie, Bentsen, Ashcroft, Clinton, Biden and Rumsfeld (Ted Kennedy wanted nothing to do with him, for obvious reasons).
Pat Nixon died in early 1994 of a massive stroke, and family noticed a sharp deterioration in the former President’s physical condition. His final public appearance was at the inauguration of his son-in-law Edward Finch Cox as New York Senator in January 1995. Richard Nixon died on November 8th, 1995, aged eighty-four. His funeral was an international occasion, with hundreds of dignitaries from around the world coming to pay tribute. Nixon is remembered as a personally flawed, but very effective President of the United States.
List of Presidents of the United States
35. John F. Kennedy – January 20th 1961-November 22nd 1963
36. Lyndon B. Johnson – November 22nd 1963-January 20th 1969
37. Richard Nixon – January 20th 1969-January 20th 1985
38. Edmund Muskie – January 20th 1985-September 7th 1985
39. Lloyd Bentsen – September 7th 1985-January 20th 1989
40. Edward Kennedy – January 20th 1989-January 20th 1993
41. John Ashcroft – January 20th 1993-January 20th 1997
42. William J. Clinton – January 20th 1997-October 3rd 1998
43. Joseph Biden – October 3rd 1998-January 20th 2001
44. Donald Rumsfeld – January 20th 2001-January 20th 2009
45. Al Gore – January 20th 2009-present
List of Vice-Presidents of the United States
37. Lyndon B. Johnson – January 20th 1961-November 22nd 1963
38. Hubert Humphrey – January 20th 1965-January 20th 1969
39. Spiro Agnew – January 20th 1969-October 10th 1973
40. Gerald Ford – October 17th 1973-January 20th 1977
41. John Connally – January 20th 1977-January 20th 1981
42. Howard Baker – January 20th 1981-January 20th 1985
43. Lloyd Bentsen – January 20th 1985-September 7th 1985
44. Jerry Brown – November 28th 1985-January 20th 1989
45. William J. Clinton – January 20th 1989-January 20th 1993
46. Newt Gingrich – January 20th 1993-January 20th 1997
47. Joseph Biden – January 20th 1997-October 3rd 1998
48. John McCain – October 3rd 1998-January 20th 2001
49. Richard Lugar – January 20th 2001-January 20th 2005
50. Rick Santorum – January 20th 2005-January 20th 2009
51. Carol Moseley – January 20th 2009-present
Defeated Presidential tickets
1960 – Richard Nixon/Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
1964 – Barry Goldwater/William E. Miller
1968 – Hubert Humphrey/Edmund Muskie, George Wallace/Curtis LeMay
1972 – George McGovern/Sargent Shriver
1976 – Edmund Muskie/Lloyd Bentsen
1980 – Edward Kennedy/Reubin Askew
1984 – Ronald Reagan/Bob Dole
1988 – Howard Baker/R. Budd Dwyer, Pat Robertson/Larry McDonald
1992 – Edward Kennedy/William Clinton, Jerry Brown/Ed Koch
1996 – Newt Gingrich/Jack Kemp
2000 – John McCain/Al Gore
2004 – Bill Richardson/Barbara Boxer
2008 – Rick Santorum/George W. Bush
