Presidential Election TL | 1988
- Thread starter NickCT
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while bawlexus91 was my inspiration and i took the format from him the actual substance is far different. i'm sure u remember, in his campaign, reagan sought a third term...none of that is in here and in his campaign he had cuomo running, etc. the plots are completely different but i did take the format
Yeah, that's what I meant.
Anyway, and this is probably repeating what I said earlier, Rumsfeld woudl have the mot interesting list of qualifications, having worked in foreign policy (Ambassador to NATO, Secretary of Defense, Envoy to the Middle East), domestic policy (Congressman, Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity), and insider experience (Assistant to the President, Whitehouse Chief of Staff, work in three administrations) as well as private sector work. That's a very attractive resumer, in my opinion.
OTL means Our Time Line. In real life, Wright had to resign as Speaker. Look at his Wikipedia article to see why.
ahh okay, i did know about the financial corruption. interesting point.
JUNE 22, 1987: BILL CLINTON STAYS OUT OF CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT; SAYS ENDORSEMENT WILL BE MADE IN MICHIGAN ON JULY 3RD
Governor Bill Clinton (D-AR) has decided to stay out of the Presidential Campaign
Governor Bill Clinton (D-AR) has decided to stay out of the Presidential Campaign
Governor Bill Clinton (D-AR) recently announced he would be staying out of the Democratic contest for President. "I do not feel I am ready to be President at the current point in time, I am very much committed to the people of Arkansas and being Governor of this great state!" drawing scattered applause. "Run, Bill, Run!" was a growing chant that spread through the crowd. Eventually Clinton stopped beating around the bush, "But I will make an endorsement in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 3rd and I hope to see all of you there! Thank you all and God Bless!" Unfortunately Clinton made no hints as to who he would be endorsing, leaving the door open for speculation, but each candidate knows whether or not they're receiving his endorsement. Dale Bumpers was in a campaign event in New York when he heard that Clinton would stay out of the campaign, "I wish the Governor all the best, he's doing a fine job running Arkansas." However Ted Kennedy announced, "I suppose I'll see the Governor in Michigan than, I have a campaign in Ann Arbor as well for July 3rd!" Many people took this as Ted Kennedy implying he was getting the endorsement of Clinton, but Kennedy backtracked, "I'm not implying anything." NBC's Tom Ritchie was available for comment, "While I'm not surprised to see Clinton out of the race I think his endorsement will be going to Kennedy, Gore, or even Jesse Jackson. Gore would probably be leading the pack for the endorsement, however."
On the Republican side of things, Donald Rumsfeld was in Topeka to flash his foreign policy experience, "I'm a former Secretary of Defense and I've advised the President as his Chief of Staff AKA: Right-hand man. I'm ready to take the next step and have my own right-hand man. Will you join me in restoring foreign sanity to the nation?" However Missouri's Governor, John Ashcroft, took a surprising turn at the end of a speech in Manchester, "We need more than morning in America, we need results. As Governor of Missouri I've gotten things done and I'm ready to turn America around. This debt crisis is too large for us to handle, I promise to rein it in!" Very much attacking Ronald Reagan and his politics, Ashcroft raised an interesting point: the nation's growing deficit. Democratic candidate and front runner Geraldine Ferraro commented on Ashcroft's speech saying, "I encourage the governor to look at my campaign. He's a little late. At the 1984 Convention I warned us all, I was the one who said we must not leave our kids a mountain of debt. America is addicted to spending and I promise to cut it. Ronald Reagan handed the American people the bill, a bill for the interest on our national debt...which was larger than the entire cost of the federal government under John F. Kennedy. Take a look at my convention speech, it's all there." Ferraro's comments got her beneficial national attention.
NBC's Tom Ritchie responded to Ferraro, "What's interesting about Gerry's candidacy is she can play the 'I told ya so' card and pull it off very well, she connects with the American people VERY easily. It's going to be tough to beat her, especially in state's like New York and Minnesota, states she and Mondale carried four years ago." Ferraro's response prompted Ted Kennedy to release his own plan for cutting the spending, but Kennedy's message fumbled and it looked like he was being reactive rather than proactive, which damaged his credibility. Political Analyst Roger Hark commented on the Kennedy Fumble, "Kennedy's plan was probably set to be released today anyways but unfortunately Ferraro had gotten on the air not long before. He should've delayed his plans and he could've easily gotten a bump, it was dropped from the start. Unfortunate for the Senator really, he hasn't been able to buy a break." The Americans for Truth in Politics, a recently-formed Political Action Committee, released a 45-second commercial nationwide questioning Kennedy's actions on the night of the Chappaquiddick Incident in Massachusetts repeatedly referencing Kennedy as the "Disgraced Senator of Massachusetts" when the television ad closed it should Mary Jo Kopechne's grave in black-and-white with the words "Should the man who did this get your vote?" The powerful advertisement was, in a similar fashion to the "Daisy Girl Ad" by LBJ removed almost immediately but it has been circulated via news programs, with obvious negative effects for the Senator and his campaign.
JULY 3, 1987: BILL CLINTON ENDORSES REV. JESSE JACKSON IN ANN ARBOR EVENT; NEW POLLS HAVE NEW RESULTS
At a rally in Ann Arbor, Jesse Jackson (pictured) received the endorsement of Bill Clinton
At a rally in Ann Arbor, Jesse Jackson (pictured) received the endorsement of Bill Clinton
"...and so I encourage you all to give a hand to the man I've decided to endorse: Reverend Jesse Jackson!" finished Governor Bill Clinton as the crowd began to applaud. Jackson gave a speech and then concluded by thanking Bill Clinton for his support. Clinton's endorsement was sought by every candidate. The High Profile Endorsement account is 1 for Ferraro and 1 for Jackson with all their opponents at 0. Political Analyst Roger Hark summed things up, "Bumpers was probably hoping he could get Clinton's support, I'm sure he's upset about not getting the endorsement, but hey what can you do? He's going to have to push hard if he wants to make things work out for his campaign. What's unfortunate for Donald Rumsfeld today is that he received the endorsement of Dick Cheney...and no one is covering it." Donald Rumsfeld did indeed get the support of Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney but unfortunately, as Roger pointed out, little attention was paid. Cheney's simple press statement didn't match Clinton and Jackson giving stirring speeches. Meanwhile Senator Kennedy was in Ann Arbor as well today hoping to draw crowds from the Jackson/Clinton event and he was moderately successful. With 3,400 people attending the Jackson/Clinton event Kennedy nearly beat them, attracting 3,250 people or so to his speech. Unfortunately Kennedy was forced to respond to the circumstances regarding the Chappaquiddick scandal that's continued to haunt his campaign. He has agreed, however, to appear on Larry King Live for a tell-all interview on July 7th. The move is risky but could pay off if the Senator plays his cards right.
In other news there are new polling numbers for both Republicans and Democrats with somewhat surprising results, especially in the Republican field.
Republican Primary Poll (Nationwide)
Senator Bob Dole | 23%
Fmr. Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld | 22% (+4%)
Televangelist Pat Robertson | 17% (-3%)
Fmr. Senator Paul Laxalt | 8% (-2%)
Governor John Ashcroft | 7% (+3%)
Senator Orrin Hatch | 6%
Congressman Jack Kemp | 5% (+2%)
Fmr. Sec. of State Alex Haig* | 2% (-1%)
Fmr. Governor Harold Stassen* | 1% (-1%)
Undecided/None of the Above | 9% (-3%)
* denotes those not yet an official candidate
The results show Donald Rumsfeld closing in on Senator Bob Dole. It also shows Pat Robertson's leveling off since the immediate post-debate spin. Most interesting, however, is the 3-point gain by Missouri Governor John Ashcroft. Ashcroft has been nondirectly attacking President Reagan's policies promising a return to "social normalcy" and declaring "the real morning in America begins when we end this reckless spending" his numbers have gone up, showing (at least a small portion) some republicans are tired of Reagan's rhetoric and Ashcroft is the only one with the balls to venture in to that attack mode. When it comes to the Democrats there isn't a whole lot that's unexpected:
Democratic Primary Poll (Nationwide)
Fmr. Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro | 20% (+1%)
Reverend Jesse Jackson | 18% (+6%)
Senator Al Gore | 17%
Senator Dale Bumpers | 15% (+1%)
Senator Ted Kennedy | 15% (-2%)
Undecided/None of the Above | 15% (+2%)
* denotes those not yet an official candidate
The numbers show, again not surprisingly, a lot of Clinton supporters switching over to Jesse Jackson's campaign after the endorsement. The results of the endorsement are continuing to be seen nationwide. Clinton has launched a vigorous schedule for Jackson which has prompted Walter Mondale to get out and campaign in Minnesota (strengthening Ferraro's appeal there) And, by mid-August, he'll have visited every state he won in the 1984 Campaign at least once, urging former Mondale supporters to back Ferraro, calling her the "woman of ideas". Interestingly this election seems to have turned in to the "Battle of the Surrogates" and, unfortunately for Senator Kennedy, he's fallen behind because of that recent advertisement concerning Chappaquiddick. Hopefully his interview with Larry King will pay off, or else the Massachusetts Senator may be forced to withdraw.
JULY 8, 1987: KENNEDY NUMBERS RISE AFTER RISKY INTERVIEW PAYS OFF; BUSH MAKES ENDORSEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT
Kennedy (pictured) holds a rally after his interview with Larry King is roaring success
Kennedy (pictured) holds a rally after his interview with Larry King is roaring success
Tonight the poll numbers are in, 40% of Americans feel that Ted Kennedy is more electable after the interview then before, 55% say the same, and 5% feel he is less electable. The interview with Larry King has greatly paid off with 40% more Americans willing to look at his candidacy. Throughout the interview Massachusetts Senator Edward Moore Kennedy addressed questions concerning the Chappaquiddick Incident that has continued to haunt his campaign, even today. With supporters amazed by his performance, the 9% who were undecided in the last poll seem to be drifting to Kennedy's Camp, Gerry Ferraro won't, however, let them go without a fight. She recently released a barrage of newspaper, radio, and television advertisements in almost every state in an effort to win the primaries and keep the undecideds from making their minds up so early. While Democrats continue to dominate the headlines, Republican Candidate John Ashcroft got his wish of a second debate between primary contenders. CBS HAS AGREED TO HOST A DEBATE ON AUGUST 4, 1987 FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES AND AUGUST 11, 1987 FOR DEMOCRATIC CONTENDERS With more details to come, many Republicans are hoping to be impressed by the two newcomers Orrin Hatch and Ashcroft himself and possibly explore the ideas of a candidacy for one of them. "It's up to us to lead a new path for all Americans. We must pave the way. If we don't, who? If not now, when? If we fail to lead our children and grandchildren will pay the price," said Missouri Governor John Ashcroft at a campaign event in Iowa. He's continued to lean Anti-Reagan, but also inform voters of the long term effects of tax cuts. "I promise all of you: no new taxes. But I cannot promise you a decrease from your current taxes," the line had mixed opinions and reminded a lot of analysts as Walter Mondale's fatal "We're both going to raise taxes, Ronald Reagan won't tell you...I just did." Ashcroft's campaign is picking up steam across the nation though and he'll be in New Hampshire and then California in the coming days talking about what he'll do as Commander-in-Chief.
In other news Vice President George H.W. Bush will announce his presidential endorsement at a rally in Iowa on July 28, 1987. "I'll be in Ames on...on July 28th and I encourage y'all to come out and see who'll I'll be supportin' come the Iowa Caucuses. I hope that, uh, we'll see a lot of folks out there...a lot fo folks who want a different kind of candidate. Thank y'all very much that's all." Speculation has grown over who pundits feel Bush will announce his endorsement for. Donald Rumsfeld has very bad relations with Vice President Bush and John Ashcroft has failed to keep from attacking the Reagan/Bush Administration. Most can't see Bush supporting someone as conservative as Pat Robertson or dull as Bob Dole. Leaving Orrin Hatch, John Kemp, and Paul Laxalt...all longshot contenders (making endorsements unlikely) unfortunately for those who are impatient there's really no obvious choice for Bush's endorsement. It'll be quite interesting to see what will be done in anticipation of the endorsement. On the Democratic side, they fail to feel amused by this and have continued chipping away at the President's approval ratings...and eachother's. However Mario Cuomo has announced his Presidential endorsement will be made July 29th in Albany, New York. Geraldine Ferraro is the clear front runner for Cuomo's endorsement.
JULY 29, 1987: BUSH MAKES SURPRISING ENDORSEMENT; CUOMO ANNOUNCES HIS CHOICE; BUMPERS PICKS UP STEAM AFTER EVENT IN IOWA
George Bush (left) and Bob Dole (right) appeared together in Ames, Iowa for Bush's endorsement announcement
George Bush (left) and Bob Dole (right) appeared together in Ames, Iowa for Bush's endorsement announcement
In what's surely a huge plus for the Bob Dole Campaign, Vice President Bush announced his endorsement for Senator Dole calling him "the visionary we need to lead America forward" Adding to the shock factor was influential Senator Strom Thurmond also announcing his support for Dole at the same rally. "We're excited to have them a part of our team," Dole said at the rally yesterday. Dole was visibly happy about the endorsement as he should be. NBC's Tom Ritchie broke it all down, "Well Dole's going to get a huge bump from both of these high profile endorsements, it's quite obvious that Dole is going to come out well ahead of the pack unless some of the other candidates can steal big endorsements to die down Dole's momentum a bit. A picture of Thurmond, Dole, and Bush makes a great tv ad and as the saying goes, a picture is worth 1,000 words." Clearly Dole's going to have an easier fight against Donald Rumsfeld if he continues to pick up major endorsements. Word has yet to come on when President Reagan will announce his choice, but many assume it's right around the corner. Of course Reagan's endorsement will have a lot of weight behind it and we no for sure it won't be going to John Ashcroft. Some people are suggesting former Senator Paul Laxalt but many more suggest the President will seal the deal and announce his endorsement of Dole, albeit guaranteeing him the election. However endorsers only guarantee their vote and for the time being most of Bush's supporters have already left.
After stirring speeches by both Governor Mario Cuomo and Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro the two proceeded to march in a parade, Ferraro on Cloud 9 after such an important endorsement. Political Analyst Roger Hark explained just how important Cuomo's endorsement really is, "Well it locks up New York for her, but it also shows she's a serious candidate. Many people thought she'd die down by now, but she's won two high profile endorsements and I'm positive more are to come. Jesse Jackson and Al Gore are going to have to step it up if they have any hope of bringing her down. Kennedy and Bumpers are making good efforts but I'm not sure they can pull it off. Ferraro's in, unfortunately for the guys, in her own league right now and clearly unbeatable at this stage of the campaign." Hark's analysis was echoed by other commentators and talking heads throughout the day with the endorsement being early this morning. Ferraro closed her speech by saying, "I just hope the Republicans are ready to have their butt kicked by an Italian-American woman, 'cuz I'm ready to deliver it!" Fortunately for Ferraro her quick release of tax statements in the 1984 campaign have paid of in 1988 and any questionable dealings regarding her husband were quickly cleaned up. While it's extremely unlikely many people at the parade had handmade signs saying "Ferraro/Cuomo '88" which as most constitutionally-inclined voters are aware New York's electors wouldn't be able to vote for both Ferraro and Cuomo because they're both from New York. However Italian-Americans can still hope, can't they?
Stealing some of the spotlight today Dale Bumpers made an impressive speech in Iowa today, stealing some of the spotlight from Ferraro. In his speech, which was beautifully written, he demanded an end to the partisan politics and called out Geraldine Ferraro on her experience while talking about his various achievements in the Senate. While Ferraro had no official response Bumpers concluded his speech with another high profile endorsement for today: Joe Biden of Delaware announced his support for "Bumpers for President" calling Bumpers "someone with a mission: a mission to get things done" With Biden's endorsement under his belt and a great speech attracting national headlines in Iowa the Bumpers Bandwagon is plowing forward and opening doors to possibly win the Democratic nomination. Bumpers for President Campaign manager Patty Short commented to the press, "We're excited about our chances to pull forward and take home the nomination. Americans want a new kind of leadership and they're seeing it from Dale."
AUGUST 4, 1987: DEBATE PROVES ASHCROFT, HATCH READY TO FIGHT WITH THE BEST OF 'EM, STUNNING PERFORMANCES LEAVE MANY VOTERS CHANGING THEIR MINDS
There's no question that Bob Dole failed to impress at the Republican debate held today in Iowa. In attendance were Bob Dole, Pat Robertson, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Laxalt, Orrin Hatch, John Ashcroft, and Jack Kemp. With Bob Dole and Donald Rumsfeld getting most of the questions in the first half of the 2-hour debate Hatch quipped, "I know my face isn't as pretty as Senator Dole's, but if I could be allowed to, oh I don't know, answer a question tonight I'd appreciate it." As the audience roared with laughter they showed disapproval of the moderator's bias by continuously applauding Senator Hatch, the longest applause of the night. When all candidates were finally treated equally Hatch and John Ashcroft shined in the debate, proving their legitimacy. "I'm serous about taxes, I don't feel they should be raised a penny, but the time is now for serious spending reform. Why do we treat prisoners better than those in poverty? Why is there so much wasteful spending in Washington these days when we could end that spending and decrease our deficit? Why has Washington continued to ignore common sense proposals?!" Ashcroft received the only standing ovation tonight after making that remark. The debate received a jaw-dropping 39 million viewers tuned in to tonight's debate. While the audience was polled directly after the debate polling began at 9:30 when the debate finally concluded. Here's the poll of the audience: 22% said John Ashcroft won the debate, 18% said Orrin Hatch won, 16% said Donald Rumsfeld won, 10% said Paul Laxalt won, 10% said Pat Robertson won, 4% said Bob Dole had won, 3% said Jack Kemp had won and 17% were undecided The poll conducted of those at home show very similar results: 26% say Ashcroft won, 22% say Hatch won, 17% say Rumsfeld won, 12% say Laxalt won, 7% say Robertson won, 3% say Dole won, 3% say Kemp won, and only 10% were undecided.
Now John Ashcroft and Orrin Hatch will be able to see just how big of a bump they can get coming out of this debate. One thing to note is that Ashcroft was directly questioned on whether or not Reagan was doing a good job. Ashcroft said, "It's not my place to comment, but we should be thinking about the future. Furthermore one of the responsibilities is being a party leader and I don't think our leader has helped us win house seats." Ashcroft continuing wording the blame on the Democrats in congress rather than the President himself.
AUGUST 11, 1987: DEMOCRATIC DEBATE HELPS JACKSON, FERRARO HOLDS HER OWN, KENNEDY STUMBLES
As Kennedy (left) stumbled, Jackson (center) impressed, and Ferraro (right) held her own
As Kennedy (left) stumbled, Jackson (center) impressed, and Ferraro (right) held her own
In one of the best debates in political history a record 44 million people tuned in to watch Democrats fight it out to stand out among the pack. Unfortunately those 44 million people saw an extremely poor performance by Ted Kennedy. Senator Kennedy, despite an impressive interview on Larry King only a few short weeks ago, failed to impress...well anyone...in the debate held earlier tonight. The debate lasted two hours and lasted from 7:00 to 9:00. Unlike last debate Geraldine Ferraro didn't go after Kennedy, instead she focused on her plans as President rather than the past. Kennedy didn't notice this. Here's an excerpt that shows Kennedy's poor performance:
Congresswoman Ferraro: "...that's why as President I'll support a universal health care proposal..."
Senator Kennedy: "(interrupting) Congresswoman Ferraro, the American people can see through your tricks. Universal health care is something I've worked on throughout my time in the senate."
Congresswoman Ferraro: "Senator, please, I respect your record in the Sen..."
Senator Kennedy: "No, I think..."
Moderator JJ Curtis: "Senator Kennedy, allow the Congresswoman to finish or I'll have to throw you at."
Expecting a similar performance as last time by Ferraro, Kennedy aides had prepped the Senator to focus on Ferraro, stay defensive, and go out on the attack. When that was clearly not the mood the debate was in, Kennedy stumbled. Even though Senator Kennedy had managed to briefly turn his performance around at the end it was far too little way too late. "It was sad to see such a great public servant fall like that, I don't know what's happened to Kennedy in this election, he's just fallen apart," explained NBC's Tom Ritchie. The debate, which was also held in Iowa, allowed Jesse Jackson to explain his positions clearly and ultimately paid off for him. Gerry Ferraro held her own and a poll of the audience on who they felt the winner was revealed the following results: 28% say Jesse Jackson won, 26% say Geraldine Ferraro won, 23% say Dale Bumpers won, 19% say Al Gore won, 2% say Ted Kennedy won, and 2% were undecided. At home however those numbers were slightly different: 26% say Jackson won, 23% say Ferraro won, 21% say Bumpers won, 20% say Gore won, 4% say Kennedy won, and 6% are undecided. Kennedy is going to have to work hard to regain the lead he was preparing for after the King Interview.
Rumsfeld and Hatch are doing grreat, plus Rumsfeld's got a great resume.
Shouldn't Jackson get called out for some comments he made during the 1984 election?
Shouldn't Jackson get called out for some comments he made during the 1984 election?
I'll look in to it, but I'm about to release state-by-state maps in addition to nationwide polls since all this big news
AUGUST 26, 1987: NEW POLLING RELEASED
Ferraro (left) and Rumsfeld (right) now lead in national polls
Ferraro (left) and Rumsfeld (right) now lead in national polls
New national polls have been released, the first since July 3rd. The polls show some big changes, most notably a new front runner in the Republican side of things. Donald Rumsfeld is now beating Senator Bob Dole in national polling! This poll conducted of 5,500 likely Republican voters shows the following results:
Republican Primary Poll (Nationwide)
Fmr. Sec. of Defense Donald Rumsfeld | 26% (+4%)
Senator Bob Dole | 18% (-5%)
Governor John Ashcroft | 13% (+6%)
Senator Orrin Hatch | 12% (+6%)
Televangelist Pat Robertson | 10% (-7%)
Fmr. Senator Paul Laxalt | 8%
Congressman Jack Kemp | 3% (-2%)
Fmr. Sec. of State Alex Haig* | 2%
Fmr. Governor Harold Stassen* | 1%
Undecided/None of the Above | 7% (-2%)
* denotes those not yet an official candidate
A horrible performance in the debate coupled with a relaxed campaign schedule has cost Bob Dole a lot of ground, despite an endorsement from George Bush. In fact many pundits agree that if it wasn't for Bush's endorsement Dole's five point fall would've been a seven or eight point fall as televangelist Pat Robertson saw. Senator Hatch and Governor Ashcroft are doing surprisingly well, but Rumsfeld is continuing to dominate the pack, even when you go state-by-state:
A lot of states are undecided. Those in the midwest are generally Hatch vs. Rumsfeld while the more you move towards the east the more it generally becomes Ashcroft vs. Rumsfeld. When you look at the Democratic field, nationally, there are some moderately surprising results:
Democratic Primary Poll (Nationwide)
Fmr. Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro | 23% (+3%)
Senator Al Gore | 20% (+3%)
Senator Dale Bumpers | 19% (+4%)
Reverend Jesse Jackson | 19% (+1%)
Senator Ted Kennedy | 14% (-1%)
Undecided/None of the Above | 8% (-7%)
Geraldine Ferraro in preventing a major bump for Jesse Jackson by releasing a series of attack ads replaying comments by Jesse Jackson from the 1984 Presidential Campaign. One campaign ad by Ferraro shows a black-and-white photo of a street corner in Israel. As it continually zooms in on the street corner Jesse Jackson saying, "I'm just sick and tired of hearing about the Holocaust!" followed by Jackson again saying, ""four out of five [of Nixon's top advisors] are German Jews and their priorities are on Europe and Asia". The photo begins to turn from black-and-white and the noise of a thunderstorm plays until the photo is completely in color. Geraldine Ferraro's convention address plays, "To those who have watched this administration's confusion in the middle east as it has tilted first towards one and then another of Israel's long time enemies and wonder, Will America stand by her friend and sister democracy I say: America knows who her friends are in the Middle East and around the world, America will stand with Israel always." The ad was quite effective and Ferraro is taking an astonishing 45% of the Jewish vote, Jackson is left with 2%. When you go state-by-state Ferraro continues to dominate the ongoing fight for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States.
Ferraro has successfully taken away some of Kennedy's states in New England especially Connecticut. Furthermore she's got the hold on Iowa and New Hampshire as well as key early states throughout the primaries. Ferraro is clearly the one to beat in the fight for the Democratic nomination. Kennedy did manage to keep his fall to a minimum however, showing a core base of support...a loyal base that won't be going anywhere but everyone's wondering how long he'll hang in to the race before having to bow out.
If Farrero and Rumsfeld win the nominations, it'll be a great match up. Mind if I give you suggestions for this TL?
Have Rumsfeld vs Farrero for the election (no idea who their running mates could be.)
while i dnt have the actual top of the ticket yet, each potential nominee has their own veep to go with it
SEPTEMBER 11, 1987: FORMER SPEAKER TIP O'NEIL ENDORSES GERALDINE FERRARO, FERRARO BANDWAGON SHOWING NO SIGN OF SLOWING DOWN; FORMER PRESIDENT FORD MAKES ENDORSEMENT
Geraldine Ferraro (left) and former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil (right) discuss Ferraro's role in the House (photo taken in 1983)
Geraldine Ferraro (left) and former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil (right) discuss Ferraro's role in the House (photo taken in 1983)
There's no one who doubts Ferraro's friendship with former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil, but today that friendship led to an endorsement. At a campaign stop in Massachusetts, the former Speaker walked out on stage. Ferraro supporters immediately knew that it meant an endorsement from the well-respected former lawmaker. "There is only one candidate with the vision and the commitment to change how Washington works and restore equal rights for all. Ladies and Gentlemen please welcome our next President: Geraldine Ann Ferraro!" O'Neil's endorsement is a huge bonus for Ferraro, not that she needed it. The former congresswoman has been the front runner for quite some time. Ferraro has picked up several high profile endorsements in the past few months. In June she received Walter Mondale's endorsement, in July she received Mario Cuomo's support, and today she got the endorsement of former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neil. The Ferraro bandwagon shows no signs of slowing down as we get closer and closer to the first primary and caucuses. Political Analyst Roger Hark commented on Ferraro's success saying, "We doubted her. It seems that when all the odds are stacked against her, Ferraro does her best. She's wowed us and continues to wow the nation. She could become the first female President." An astonishing 87% of Democratic women, 56% of Independent women, and 38% of Republican women support Ferraro's candidacy as she continues to pick up momentum heading in to states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Jesse Jackon's has been stumbling ever since Ferraro successfully resurfaced the "Jew" comments he made in 1984. While Gore and Bumpers remain popular they've been out of the headlines, not really making much noise. Kennedy's campaign continues to stumble and looks as if he's trying to avoid the nomination!
Republicans were surprised when attending an event for Donald Rumsfeld turned in to a Gerald Ford endorsement rally. At 2:00 when the event started "Hail to the Chief" began booming as Rumsfeld and Ford walked out to center stage waving to the crowd and, much like the reaction at the Ferraro/O'Neil event the crowd knew what this meant. The cheered enthusiastically as Donald Rumsfeld beamed. "I'm so excited to be here, Chicago, to endorse my good friend. My former Chief of Staff. My former Secretary of Defense. I'm so excited to proclaim today that I am formally endorsing Donald Rumsfeld to become the next President of the United States!" As the crowd cheered and applauded Rumsfeld waved and shook hands. At the end of the event Ford and Rumsfeld worked a rope line, signing autographs and shaking hands for the crowd of 3,100 people gathered in Chicago to watch a man who looks like he'll be the next Republican nominee for President. CNN's Nicolas Hammerstein commented on Ford's endorsement of Rumsfeld, "I was surprised, frankly, to see Ford make an endorsement but then again him and Rumsfeld have very good relations. Rumsfeld's campaign which no one took seriously in February is leading the way, much like Ferraro on the Democratic side. Rumsfeld now has the support of Ford and Cheney -- two big names in the Republican party. I think Rumsfeld may end up pulling this off." Rumsfeld's support continues to grow across the nation but Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has also been making headway in some key battle ground state and even Missouri Governor John Ashcroft isn't that far off from taking the state of Iowa. The Republicans look like they may even go to a deadlocked convention.
SEPTEMBER 25, 1987: NEW POLLS SHOW FERRARO BEATING RUMSFELD IN HYPOTHETICAL MATCHUP; PAT ROBERTSON DOESN'T REALIZE THE MIC IS ON, SLIPS UP IN INTERVIEW
The current graphic depicting the present front runners
The current graphic depicting the present front runners
New hypothetical polling shows the success of Geraldine Ferraro's campaign across the nation. She's been in 47 states in her journey to become President and she averages a crowd of 4,000 people want to shake the hand and have their baby kissed by the woman who may just become the first female President. However Ferraro's appeal goes up against Republican front runner Donald Rumsfeld's strong grasp of foreign policy experience. His resume is impressive, but so is Ferraro's charm. In new hypothetical polling it shows Ferraro and Rumsfeld are the strongest candidates on both sides, but when matched head-to-head it's Geraldine Ferraro who comes out on top.
Who would you elect as President?
10,000 Likely Voters (Nationwide)
Generic Democrat | 47%
Generic Republican | 44%
Undecided | 9%
Geraldine Ferraro | 50%
Donald Rumsfeld| 46%
Undecided | 4%
Geraldine Ferraro | 49%
Orrin Hatch | 44%
Undecided | 7%
Geraldine Ferraro | 49%
John Ashcroft | 44%
Undecided | 7%
Jesse Jackson | 47%
Donald Rumsfeld | 50%
Undecided | 4%
Jesse Jackson | 47%
Orrin Hatch | 47%
Undecided | 6%
Jesse Jackson | 48%
John Ashcroft | 47%
Undecided | 5%
Al Gore | 46%
Donald Rumsfeld | 51%
Undecided | 3%
Al Gore | 49%
Orrin Hatch | 49%
Undecided | 2%
Al Gore | 52%
John Ashcroft | 44%
Undecided | 4%
The polls show some interesting numbers. Ferraro and Rumsfeld remain the strongest competitors, but the polls also reveal the might of Senator Hatch and his impressive showings against Democratic candidates. "The polls ruled us out," Ferraro exclaimed at a campaign stop in Des Moines, "They ruled us out and now we're showing them! When I kicked off my campaign I told the media to watch me, because I was going to win. I hope they're watching now because, my friends, we are UNSTOPPABLE! WE ARE GOING TO WIN!" Ferraro's amazing performance as a candidate is quite different than Donald Rumsfeld. Results show this: 53% of voters feel that Rumsfeld knows more about foreign policy, 45% say Ferraro knows more, and 2% were unsure. Currently things look uncertain for the long run, we are in September and the first primaries come January 30th when the Republicans square off in Michigan and Hawaii followed on February 1st when the Republican Kansas Caucuses are held. We've got time for things to change and odds are there will be one more debate between candidates, but it may be better for Ted Kennedy to just stay out of them.
When asked, off the record, about Ferraro's attack on Jesse Jackson's "Anti-Jew" comments in 1984 Robertson said "I think the idea of supporting Israel is simply radical, Jews are unpredictable...one minute they like you then next they fight a war against you." Stunned the reporter asked, "Excuse me?" Buchanan, not realizing the green light was still on, said, "Ya heard me Brandon, Jews don't deserve our support. Never did, never will. They're unpredictable, unfriendly...not worth talking with." An aide pulled Robertson out of the interview demanding the camera be turned off. Even worse than the words is the manner Robertson made the comments. He looked hostile and visibly annoyed. His face was turning a slight red, showing his true anger. The comments have slipped up Buchanan's chances at the Republican nomination. 94% of Jewish-Americans found the comments offensive, while 58% of non Jewish citizens were offended and/or feel Jewish people have a right to be offended. Furthermore 65% of Robertson supporters are reconsidering their support for Pat Robertson. Robertson has a lot of ground to make up, especially if he tries to win the General Election because 45% of Independents have said they'll never consider voting for Pat Robertson and an additional 45% of Independents have said it was doubtful they'd consider Robertson...90% of Independents won't or seriously doubt they'll ever vote for Robertson. "Pat Robertson should just exit now," said NBC's Tom Ritchie.
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