Rally for the Farmers! Willie Nelson and the late 20th century populist movement
- Thread starter Baconheimer
- Start date
Second Time's the Charm: Decision 1996
“Jerry Brown’s selection of Bob Kerrey as his running-mate was a masterful choice. It had the entire Rally Party running scared. There was a good reason Nebraska’s Senate delegation was an island of blue in a sea of red. Both Bob Kerrey and Jim Exon were strong campaigners and knew how to be popular in the plains at a time when Democrats were nearly wiped out there. Jerry Brown wasn’t too much of a threat, we figured. He hadn’t even broken 40% of the primary vote and had only won because of vote-splitting. He was wholly unpopular outside several coastal enclaves, but Bob Kerrey, he could remind voters of a time when the Democrats stood for the common man and that’s why he scared us so much.”
- Jim Hightower in an interview, June 2011
‘Henry Hyde proposes anti-marijuana amendment’
- Chicago Tribune, September 4th 1996
“Why are you doing this? The Democrats and Rally are going to have a field day with this shit..”
- House Majority Whip Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to Henry Hyde, September 6th 1996
“Willie, please don’t do this. You’ll tank our party’s chances.”
- Walter Mondale attempting to convince Willie Nelson not to smoke a joint in front of the White House in protest of the “Anti-Reefer Amendment”, September 8th 1996
‘Our party is unsatisfied with the choices available to us in the upcoming Presidential election. Nevertheless, we feel that we must endorse a candidate to avoid wasting our votes. The National Faith Movement will nominate Walter Mondale for the Presidency. Pat Robertson is simply too divisive and his past statements show that he is not a friend to the Jewish community, and though our party agree that many parts of the Republican are correct, we are unable to put our support behind such an anti-Jewish candidate.”
- Simcha Felder, Spokesman for the National Faith Movement, September 9th 1996
“It’s like we’re living in some liberal’s caricature of a conservative dream world. An anti-marijuana amendment? Whatever your view on its legalization, there’s no reason it needs to be outlawed in the constitution.”
- Jay Leno, the Tonight Show, September 10th 1996
“And I’ll tell you, Pat Robertson ah, will do anything to try to get black votes. Take last week when he hosted that, ah, ‘African-American Faith Summit’ Pat found twenty conservative black preachers and lined them up in the Oval Office. Then he goes off to Louisiana and tries to tell everyone there’s some sort of black conservative movement on the horizon. The white crowd eats it up, but I tell you, that’s simply not true. America’s a big place, you can find twenty or thirty people of any sort of description no matter how little sense it makes. The President is no friend of anyone that’s not a fundamentalist, white Protestant. Did you ever look at stills from when Pat had those preachers in the White House? Every time he shakes one of their hands, he looks physically ill. But what can you expect of a guy whose father signed the Southern Manifesto when he was Senator and wouldn’t even meet with President Johnson. I really hope the nation wakes up in November and votes Pat Robertson out of the White House.”
- Rev. Jesse Jackson on President Pat Robertson’s meeting with two dozen African-American preachers including J.C. Watts in the White House on September 12th 1996
“Pat -
What did I tell you? Never call me that. I’m the President you psychopath!
I’ve got news you’ll like. It looks like Bob Kerrey might have killed a few children in Vietnam.
Ohhh… I like this.
I’ll have my sources get in touch with you.
(PAUSE)
Bye, Pat.
(ATWATER QUICKLY HANGS UP)”
- A conversation between Former Chief of Staff Lee Atwater and President Robertson, late September 1996
‘BOB KERREY KILLED WOMEN, CHILDREN IN VIETNAM’
- New York Daily Post, October 3rd 1996
“It’s horrible what they’re doing to Bob Kerrey. I can tell you myself that he’s a good guy and he didn’t do these things they say he did. I’d like to do something, but it sure would be nice with him out of the race…”
- Walter Mondale in his campaign headquarters, October 4th 1996
“I stand behind Bob Kerrey one-hundred percent. I’m convinced these allegations are nothing more than a smear job against an honorable man that has served his country for decades. The fact that Pat Robertson and his henchmen would stoop to slandering the reputation of a veteran and labeling him as a war criminal is despicable and I hope the American people see through this dirty campaigning.”
- Jerry Brown, October 6th 1996
“The Senate Select Committee on Ethics has begun an investigation into the allegations leveled against the Senator from Nebraska.”
- Chairman Bob Smith (R-NH), October 6th 1996
“The time has come for me to leave the Democratic ticket for the Presidency. I had hoped that the American people would be able to separate the lies from my record, and I still hold out hope that the majority of this country can see through Republican mudslinging, but after long thought, I have come to the conclusion that the Democratic ticket will be harmed by my presence. I introduce the man that will take my spot, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke. Schmoke is an honorable man, and I hope that lies and false allegations will not convince you otherwise.”
- Senator Bob Kerrey, October 10th 1996
“Bob Kerrey will tell you he’s not guilty, but look, he resigned from the ticket. Clearly he has something to hide. I think it says something about Jerry Brown that he even chose a war criminal. If he can’t even figure out that the man that’s supposed to succeed him to the Presidency is a murderer, how can we trust him to pick Cabinet Secretaries that won’t lie down to lesbian and communist interest groups? The fact Jerry Brown has the nerve to keep running for President after changing his mind three times in one week might be the most ridiculous thing in the history of American politics.”
- President Pat Robertson, October 14th 1996
“Why would the American people elect a pothead hippie as President. This is the same people that said ‘No’ to Bill Scranton, and for all of his failings, Bill Scranton was a much better man than Jerry Brown. I don’t even think Jerry Brown is a Christian, anyway.”
- President Pat Robertson at a campaign rally, October 18th 1996
‘VOTE ON NOVEMBER 12TH’
- From an infamous flyer distributed by Robertson-affiliated groups
“I am the most anti-Robertson candidate in this race. I promise that I will fight for real American values, like freedom, equality, and the rule of law, not the things Pat Robertson passes of as the hallmarks of our country. I earnestly hope that you will consider not just yourselves, but all generations of future Americans when you go to the polls next Tuesday.”
- Jerry Brown, October 28th 1996
Republican: 56 (+3)
Democratic: 30 (-4)
Rally for the Farmers: 12 (+1)
Independent: 2 (-)
- United States Senate Election Results, November 5th 1996
Republican: 241 (+17)
Democratic: 103 (-51)
Rally for the Farmers: 87 (+36)
Independent: 4 (-2)
- United States House of Representatives Results, November 5th 1996
“We really had high hopes in ‘96. Knocking off Robertson seemed to like it’d be a pretty easy task. In retrospect, it’s pretty amazing how overconfident we were. Sure, Robertson was disliked by nearly half of Americans, but the economy wasn’t so bad and even if you disapproved of his performance, there wasn’t really anything he’d actually done that affected the lives of the average American. I wish I could go back and tell myself all that - the shock of losing was perhaps the worst moment of my adult life.”
-Jerry Brown Presidential Campaign Manager Stephen Berger in a 2011 interview for Ken Burns’ ‘The Nineties’
- Jim Hightower in an interview, June 2011
‘Henry Hyde proposes anti-marijuana amendment’
- Chicago Tribune, September 4th 1996
“Why are you doing this? The Democrats and Rally are going to have a field day with this shit..”
- House Majority Whip Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to Henry Hyde, September 6th 1996
“Willie, please don’t do this. You’ll tank our party’s chances.”
- Walter Mondale attempting to convince Willie Nelson not to smoke a joint in front of the White House in protest of the “Anti-Reefer Amendment”, September 8th 1996
‘Our party is unsatisfied with the choices available to us in the upcoming Presidential election. Nevertheless, we feel that we must endorse a candidate to avoid wasting our votes. The National Faith Movement will nominate Walter Mondale for the Presidency. Pat Robertson is simply too divisive and his past statements show that he is not a friend to the Jewish community, and though our party agree that many parts of the Republican are correct, we are unable to put our support behind such an anti-Jewish candidate.”
- Simcha Felder, Spokesman for the National Faith Movement, September 9th 1996
“It’s like we’re living in some liberal’s caricature of a conservative dream world. An anti-marijuana amendment? Whatever your view on its legalization, there’s no reason it needs to be outlawed in the constitution.”
- Jay Leno, the Tonight Show, September 10th 1996
“And I’ll tell you, Pat Robertson ah, will do anything to try to get black votes. Take last week when he hosted that, ah, ‘African-American Faith Summit’ Pat found twenty conservative black preachers and lined them up in the Oval Office. Then he goes off to Louisiana and tries to tell everyone there’s some sort of black conservative movement on the horizon. The white crowd eats it up, but I tell you, that’s simply not true. America’s a big place, you can find twenty or thirty people of any sort of description no matter how little sense it makes. The President is no friend of anyone that’s not a fundamentalist, white Protestant. Did you ever look at stills from when Pat had those preachers in the White House? Every time he shakes one of their hands, he looks physically ill. But what can you expect of a guy whose father signed the Southern Manifesto when he was Senator and wouldn’t even meet with President Johnson. I really hope the nation wakes up in November and votes Pat Robertson out of the White House.”
- Rev. Jesse Jackson on President Pat Robertson’s meeting with two dozen African-American preachers including J.C. Watts in the White House on September 12th 1996
“Pat -
What did I tell you? Never call me that. I’m the President you psychopath!
I’ve got news you’ll like. It looks like Bob Kerrey might have killed a few children in Vietnam.
Ohhh… I like this.
I’ll have my sources get in touch with you.
(PAUSE)
Bye, Pat.
(ATWATER QUICKLY HANGS UP)”
- A conversation between Former Chief of Staff Lee Atwater and President Robertson, late September 1996
‘BOB KERREY KILLED WOMEN, CHILDREN IN VIETNAM’
- New York Daily Post, October 3rd 1996
“It’s horrible what they’re doing to Bob Kerrey. I can tell you myself that he’s a good guy and he didn’t do these things they say he did. I’d like to do something, but it sure would be nice with him out of the race…”
- Walter Mondale in his campaign headquarters, October 4th 1996
“I stand behind Bob Kerrey one-hundred percent. I’m convinced these allegations are nothing more than a smear job against an honorable man that has served his country for decades. The fact that Pat Robertson and his henchmen would stoop to slandering the reputation of a veteran and labeling him as a war criminal is despicable and I hope the American people see through this dirty campaigning.”
- Jerry Brown, October 6th 1996
“The Senate Select Committee on Ethics has begun an investigation into the allegations leveled against the Senator from Nebraska.”
- Chairman Bob Smith (R-NH), October 6th 1996
“The time has come for me to leave the Democratic ticket for the Presidency. I had hoped that the American people would be able to separate the lies from my record, and I still hold out hope that the majority of this country can see through Republican mudslinging, but after long thought, I have come to the conclusion that the Democratic ticket will be harmed by my presence. I introduce the man that will take my spot, Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke. Schmoke is an honorable man, and I hope that lies and false allegations will not convince you otherwise.”
- Senator Bob Kerrey, October 10th 1996
“Bob Kerrey will tell you he’s not guilty, but look, he resigned from the ticket. Clearly he has something to hide. I think it says something about Jerry Brown that he even chose a war criminal. If he can’t even figure out that the man that’s supposed to succeed him to the Presidency is a murderer, how can we trust him to pick Cabinet Secretaries that won’t lie down to lesbian and communist interest groups? The fact Jerry Brown has the nerve to keep running for President after changing his mind three times in one week might be the most ridiculous thing in the history of American politics.”
- President Pat Robertson, October 14th 1996
“Why would the American people elect a pothead hippie as President. This is the same people that said ‘No’ to Bill Scranton, and for all of his failings, Bill Scranton was a much better man than Jerry Brown. I don’t even think Jerry Brown is a Christian, anyway.”
- President Pat Robertson at a campaign rally, October 18th 1996
‘VOTE ON NOVEMBER 12TH’
- From an infamous flyer distributed by Robertson-affiliated groups
“I am the most anti-Robertson candidate in this race. I promise that I will fight for real American values, like freedom, equality, and the rule of law, not the things Pat Robertson passes of as the hallmarks of our country. I earnestly hope that you will consider not just yourselves, but all generations of future Americans when you go to the polls next Tuesday.”
- Jerry Brown, October 28th 1996
Republican: 56 (+3)
Democratic: 30 (-4)
Rally for the Farmers: 12 (+1)
Independent: 2 (-)
- United States Senate Election Results, November 5th 1996
Republican: 241 (+17)
Democratic: 103 (-51)
Rally for the Farmers: 87 (+36)
Independent: 4 (-2)
- United States House of Representatives Results, November 5th 1996
“We really had high hopes in ‘96. Knocking off Robertson seemed to like it’d be a pretty easy task. In retrospect, it’s pretty amazing how overconfident we were. Sure, Robertson was disliked by nearly half of Americans, but the economy wasn’t so bad and even if you disapproved of his performance, there wasn’t really anything he’d actually done that affected the lives of the average American. I wish I could go back and tell myself all that - the shock of losing was perhaps the worst moment of my adult life.”
-Jerry Brown Presidential Campaign Manager Stephen Berger in a 2011 interview for Ken Burns’ ‘The Nineties’
That's a fucking surreal conversation if I've ever seen one.
Republican: 56 (+3)
Democratic: 30 (-4)
Rally for the Farmers: 12 (+1)
Independent: 2 (-)
- United States Senate Election Results, November 5th 1996
Republican: 241 (+17)
Democratic: 103 (-51)
Rally for the Farmers: 87 (+36)
Independent: 4 (-2)
- United States House of Representatives Results, November 5th 1996
Wow. That's just... wow.
Anyone else voting for Leno 2000 on the Tripartisan Alliance ticket?
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I guess Jerry Brown won’t be Fuhrer one day.
At least Robertson’s got him covered
At least Robertson’s got him covered
Admiral Halsey
Banned
Damnit I was really hoping for an electoral clusterfuck. I'm guessing Pat won several states due to vote splitting.
1984: Walter Mondale/Geraldine Ferraro
1984 Democratic Primaries def. Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson
1984 Presidential Election - 13 EVs, 40.6% (Defeat)
1984 Senate Election - 47 seats (Defeat)
1984 House Election - 253 seats (Victory)
1986 Senate Election - 54 seats (Victory)
1986 House Election - 258 seats (Victory)
1988: Gary Hart/Michael Dukakis
1988 Democratic Primaries def. Lloyd Bentsen, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jesse Jackson
1988 Presidential Election - 324 EVs, 48.2% (Victory)
1988 Senate Election - 59 seats (Victory)
1988 House Election - 259 seats (Victory)
1990 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1990 House Election - 241 seats (Victory)
1992: Gary Hart/Michael Dukakis
1992 Democratic Primaries def. Bill Bradley
1992 Presidential Election - 44 EVs, 30.4%
1992 Senate Election - 45 seats (Defeat)
1992 House Election - 219 seats (Victory)
1994 Senate Election - 34 seats (Defeat)
1994 House Election - 156 seats (Defeat)
1996: Jerry Brown/Kurt Schmoke (replacing Bob Kerrey)
1996 Democratic Primaries def. Bob Kerrey, Paul Tsongas, Marion Berry, Al Swift, Doug Wilder
1996 Presidential Election - 83 EVs, 28.8% (Defeat)
1996 Senate Election - 30 seats (Defeat)
1996 House Election - 103 seats (Defeat)
1984: Ronald Reagan/George Bush
1984 Republican Primaries def. Various opposition
1984 Presidential Election - 525 EVs, 58.8% (Victory)
1984 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1984 House Election - 182 seats (Defeat)
1986 Senate Election - 46 seats (Defeat)
1986 House Election - 177 seats (Defeat)
1988: George Bush/Jack Kemp
1988 Republican Primaries def. Pat Buchanan, Bob Dole, Pete Dominici, Jack Kemp, Pete du Pont
1988 Presidential Election - 213 EVs, 42.6% (Defeat)
1988 Senate Election - 41 seats (Defeat)
1988 House Election - 175 seats (Defeat)
1990 Senate Election - 46 seats (Defeat)
1990 House Election - 188 seats (Defeat)
1992: Pat Robertson/John Heinz
1992 Republican Primaries def. Jack Kemp, William Scranton III
1992 Presidential Election - 472 EVs, 38.9%
1992 Senate Election - 52 seats (Victory)
1992 House Election - 200 seats (Defeat)
1994 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1994 House Election - 229 seats (Victory)
1996: Pat Robertson/John Heinz
1996 Republican Primaries def. Donald Trump
1996 Presidential Election - 371 EVs, 40.7% (Victory)
1996 Senate Election - 56 seats (Victory)
1996 House Election - 241 seats (Victory)
1988: Willie Nelson/Jennifer Wesner
1988 Rally Primaries - Unopposed
1988 Presidential Election - 0 EVs, 8.8%
1988 Senate Election - 0 seats (Defeat)
1988 House Election - 2 seats (Defeat)
1990 Senate Election - 1 seat (Defeat)
1990 House Election - 6 seats (Defeat)
1992: Willie Nelson/Bruce Babbitt
1992 Rally Primaries def. Unopposed
1992 Presidential Election - 22 EVs, 27.3% (Defeat)
1992 Senate Election - 3 seats (Defeat)
1992 House Election - 14 seats (Defeat)
1994 Senate Election - 11 seats (Defeat)
1994 House Election - 48 seats (Defeat)
1996: Walter Mondale/Jim Hightower
1996 Rally Primaries def. Ross Perot, Jim Traficant
1996 Presidential Election - 84 EVs, 30.2% (Defeat)
1996 Senate Election - 12 seats (Defeat)
1996 House Election - 87 seats (Defeat)
1984 Democratic Primaries def. Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson
1984 Presidential Election - 13 EVs, 40.6% (Defeat)
1984 Senate Election - 47 seats (Defeat)
1984 House Election - 253 seats (Victory)
1986 Senate Election - 54 seats (Victory)
1986 House Election - 258 seats (Victory)
1988: Gary Hart/Michael Dukakis
1988 Democratic Primaries def. Lloyd Bentsen, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jesse Jackson
1988 Presidential Election - 324 EVs, 48.2% (Victory)
1988 Senate Election - 59 seats (Victory)
1988 House Election - 259 seats (Victory)
1990 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1990 House Election - 241 seats (Victory)
1992: Gary Hart/Michael Dukakis
1992 Democratic Primaries def. Bill Bradley
1992 Presidential Election - 44 EVs, 30.4%
1992 Senate Election - 45 seats (Defeat)
1992 House Election - 219 seats (Victory)
1994 Senate Election - 34 seats (Defeat)
1994 House Election - 156 seats (Defeat)
1996: Jerry Brown/Kurt Schmoke (replacing Bob Kerrey)
1996 Democratic Primaries def. Bob Kerrey, Paul Tsongas, Marion Berry, Al Swift, Doug Wilder
1996 Presidential Election - 83 EVs, 28.8% (Defeat)
1996 Senate Election - 30 seats (Defeat)
1996 House Election - 103 seats (Defeat)
1984: Ronald Reagan/George Bush
1984 Republican Primaries def. Various opposition
1984 Presidential Election - 525 EVs, 58.8% (Victory)
1984 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1984 House Election - 182 seats (Defeat)
1986 Senate Election - 46 seats (Defeat)
1986 House Election - 177 seats (Defeat)
1988: George Bush/Jack Kemp
1988 Republican Primaries def. Pat Buchanan, Bob Dole, Pete Dominici, Jack Kemp, Pete du Pont
1988 Presidential Election - 213 EVs, 42.6% (Defeat)
1988 Senate Election - 41 seats (Defeat)
1988 House Election - 175 seats (Defeat)
1990 Senate Election - 46 seats (Defeat)
1990 House Election - 188 seats (Defeat)
1992: Pat Robertson/John Heinz
1992 Republican Primaries def. Jack Kemp, William Scranton III
1992 Presidential Election - 472 EVs, 38.9%
1992 Senate Election - 52 seats (Victory)
1992 House Election - 200 seats (Defeat)
1994 Senate Election - 53 seats (Victory)
1994 House Election - 229 seats (Victory)
1996: Pat Robertson/John Heinz
1996 Republican Primaries def. Donald Trump
1996 Presidential Election - 371 EVs, 40.7% (Victory)
1996 Senate Election - 56 seats (Victory)
1996 House Election - 241 seats (Victory)
1988: Willie Nelson/Jennifer Wesner
1988 Rally Primaries - Unopposed
1988 Presidential Election - 0 EVs, 8.8%
1988 Senate Election - 0 seats (Defeat)
1988 House Election - 2 seats (Defeat)
1990 Senate Election - 1 seat (Defeat)
1990 House Election - 6 seats (Defeat)
1992: Willie Nelson/Bruce Babbitt
1992 Rally Primaries def. Unopposed
1992 Presidential Election - 22 EVs, 27.3% (Defeat)
1992 Senate Election - 3 seats (Defeat)
1992 House Election - 14 seats (Defeat)
1994 Senate Election - 11 seats (Defeat)
1994 House Election - 48 seats (Defeat)
1996: Walter Mondale/Jim Hightower
1996 Rally Primaries def. Ross Perot, Jim Traficant
1996 Presidential Election - 84 EVs, 30.2% (Defeat)
1996 Senate Election - 12 seats (Defeat)
1996 House Election - 87 seats (Defeat)
Urbanites, I would assume. The agrarian message of the Rallyists is unlikely to resonate as well in Chicago, Boston or Detroit, so it’s likely that states like Massachusetts and Illinois are still under Democratic control.
Now I kind of wish you'd written this TL.
The President would like to remind you that these flyers were distributed by other people that he has no connection to. Plus, it was probably a typo anyway.
Yeah, that's it.
Impressive. Thanks!
Basically, coastal Democrats, urban machine politicians (particularly the Daleys), neoliberals, New Englanders, and surburbanites. That all said, there are a number of holdouts. People like Robert Byrd and Bob Kerrey are still relatively popular, Byrd because much of West Virginia is still loyal because of their historic ties to the Democrats. To be honest (with exceptions like Representative Bundy), much of the difference between the Democrats and Rally comes in their tone. The Rally takes a much more populist tone while the Democrats are a bit more establishment.
markus meecham
Banned
This will only make their victory sweeter in the end of all this (if this doesn't end in nuclear fire or evangelical dystopia, ofc)
By the way, next up I intend to cover downballot races, then do the 1997-98 update (which will be eventful if anything)
Look forward to the Coen brothers talking about their latest movie and John Heinz in the limelight.
Look forward to the Coen brothers talking about their latest movie and John Heinz in the limelight.
Speaking as someone who did my version of farmer's party becomes big, I don't get this Rally for the Farmers at all
Mondale, Bruce Babbitt, Angus King, Willie Nelson, Ted Kaczynski and Ross Perot?
This doesn't make sense
Mondale, Bruce Babbitt, Angus King, Willie Nelson, Ted Kaczynski and Ross Perot?
This doesn't make sense
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