Kentucky Fried Politics: A Colonel Sanders Timeline
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I'm surprised it took nearly forty pages for someone to make that pun.
Chapter 65: February 1992 – July 1992
Chapter 65: February 1992 – July 1992
“For God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
– John 3:16
On February 22, Presidential candidates Lee Iacocca, Estus Pirkle, Bob Dole, Ron Paul and John B. Anderson partook in a televised multi-topic debate held in Washington, D.C. Agriculture was discussed first, with Iacocca and Anderson supporting farmer bailouts during times of crisis, Pirkle and Paul opposing such measures, and Dole being on the fence. When Civil Rights came up, Iacocca, Anderson and Dole won public acclaim for their answers, while Paul controversially questioned “how far one person’s right go before they begin to suppress the rights of others?” and Pirkle suggested looking into how state-level civil rights laws “inhibited businesses,” claiming that those of “certain ‘Gravelite progressive’ states like Vermont and, uh, those kind of states” can “force a Jewish baker to make a Nazi cake.”
Education was also a divisive subject for Pirkle, who said “I want God to return to our schools so morals and decency can return to our schools.” Paul disagreed with Pirkle on this, stating that “no government, Christian or non-Christian, has the right to push federal ideas onto school districts.” Iacocca suffered on this question, while Anderson reviewed his overseeing of improved test scores during his ten years as Governor. The subject matter easily shifted Urban Development, where Iacocca was to most enthusiastic supporter of the creation of Zones of Economic Development under President Kemp.
In regards to government spending, Iacocca won cheers from the audience by saying “we need to improve efficiency so more is spent in right places,” while Paul’s history of opposing government intervention during times of crisis again and again caused him to perform poorly during this part of the debate. Paul came off more like a blind ideologist than “someone who understands the realities of leadership,” as Iacocca put it.
The debate noticeably ignored the topic of healthcare, likely due to support for UHC steadily rising since its implementation. Instead, raising the minimum wage was discussed. Dole gave an ambiguous answer that leaned toward opposing raising it over concerns of inflation and the devaluation of the American dollar, as did Paul and Obenshain, while Anderson was the only candidate to come out in favor of raising the minimum wage. Iacocca answered last, starting out saying that he was “willing to listen” to the reasons as to why it was a good idea before concluding that it was the “duty and obligation” of both management and workers to come an “agreeable wage situation” without requiring government interference.
The topic of immigration led to Obenshain’s only real “moment” in the debate; the Senator, initially the favorite of the party favorite until his campaign began to heavily underperform in early polling and fundraising goals, lambasted Bellamy for “endangering our borders” by upholding liberal “open-border” immigration policies.
The final issue of the night was military intervention. Iacocca and Anderson called for better “helping hand” policies in Latin America, while Pirkle promoted building up America’s “coverage” of US-friendly nations in Asia, the Middle East, eastern Europe, and Latin America. Conversely, Paul called to removal of all US military assets from abroad. Obenshain, for some reason, brought up America’s short-lived intervention in Angola, and said that US forces should “either be all-in or all-out.”
Most pundits considered Iacocca to be the biggest winner of the debate, with Obenshain being the biggest loser of the debate.
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
– A Chrysler Commercial featuring former CEO Iacocca, filmed in 1991 and first aired 2/23/1992
JACK KENNEDY, US SENATOR AND 1968 DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE, DIES AT 74
John Fitzgerald “Jack” Kennedy, a prominent US politician from Massachusetts, passed away in his sleep yesterday morning from adrenal and kidney failure, after a lengthy battle with Addison’s disease, according to an official statement from the Kennedy family. Born in Brookline, MA on May 29, 1917, to wealthy businessman and future US Ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy Sr. and Rose Kennedy. Upon graduation from Harvard University in 1940, he entered the US Navy. Kennedy was hailed a hero for leading the survivors of his sunk PT boat through perilous waters to safety in 1943. After WWII, Kennedy entered politics, serving in the US House of Representatives for six years, and in the US Senate for eight years, before being tapped to serve as Secretary of State under President Lyndon Johnson. He was the Democratic nominee for President in 1968, losing to incumbent President Sanders by a fairly narrow margin. Kennedy will be remembered for promoting liberal causes, from advocating civil rights to the co-establishing of the Peace Corps, the role he played as Secretary of State during the Cuba War, and to his adherence to the principles he held close to his heart. He is survived by wife Jacqueline Bouvier (also known affectionately as "Jackie"), sons John Jr. and Michael, and daughter Caroline. The funeral will be held on the Sunday, March 1.
– The Boston Globe, 2/24/1992
Upon retirement from electoral politics, he became a behind-the-scenes supporter of legalizing medical marijuana – a substance he claims eased the effects of his Addison’s disease – and only returned to politics in 1988, to work behind the scenes to support his sister’s bid for President, then later in the year to assure his brother becoming FBI Director – which must have led to J. Edgar Hoover spinning repeatedly in his grave. By 1990, Jack suffered from severe headache and diarrhea much of the time, coupled with sudden jolts of penetrating pain in the lower back, abdomen and legs. Upon his death, Senator Eunice officially became the head of the Kennedy clan, after sharing family-organizing responsibilities with Bobby whenever Jack was too incapacitated.
Just weeks after beginning his painless and diarrhea-free Eternal Dirt Nap, retired columnist Rene Carpenter – the stuffy, platinum-blond wife of NASA astronaut Scott Carpenter – came forward and admitted that she had had a brief affair with Jack Kennedy. The “summertime romance” as she put it, was in 1964, when the marriage between Jack and Jacqueline was at its worst [1]. Carpenter said she planned to wait until Jacqueline’s passing to save her “the embarrassment,” but those that don’t believe her claim she came forward after Jack’s passing because dead politicians can’t disprove accusations. However, it is quite telling that Burke Marshall, the long-time Kennedy family attorney, successfully issued a gag order against the publication of her claim in her 1993 autobiography, delaying its publication for six years.
[snip]
Jackie once said that a Jack Kennedy administration "would have been like Camelot." I think she was trying to describe it as an idyllic period, but the fact that Camelot was never a real place actually made the comment more appropriate than she realized. A Kennedy administration may have begun with an idyllic façade and shallow, glamorous aesthetics, but with Jack hiding his numerous affairs and incredibly poor health, their hidden truths would have been exposed eventually, revealing to the American public the reality that Camelot was - and always was - a myth. A ruse. A fantasy, much like the legacy that Jack Kennedy must have wished he had left behind.
– Roger Stone’s Nepotism in America: How the Liberal Elite Seek to Control Everything, Vol. II, Stone Stallion E-Publishing, 2013
“The government’s only responsibilities are to maintain basic infrastructure and national defense systems when state and local governments cannot, to promote industry and entrepreneurialism, to protect the rights of privacy, free enterprise, and other freedoms that cannot be protected at the state and local levels alone, and to assure non-invasive economic stability. With this in mind, I’d like to talk to y’all for a bit about the device that agents behind the US Treasury Department have been suing to control us for nearly two decades now – it’s called inflation. Money is the lifeblood of commerce. In order to permit the market to operate, we need to ensure a stable, non-inflationary currency. Inflation invariably distorts this commerce. Inflation leads to a misdirection of production and employment resulting in a misallocation of resources. Money which loses its value through inflation circumvents the mind by destroying the means of economic calculation and planning. Inflation is caused by printing more money. The government's monetary policies are responsible for this. Not immigration or war but our own government’s monetary policies. Keynesian spending policies and ideology and the abolishment of the gold standard have permitted the government to depreciate our currency. The answer is to eradicate the federal government’s flimsy control of the money supply. We need to divest government of its power to arbitrarily increase or decrease the money supply. In addition, we must build in pressures toward fiscal responsibility by the government with respect to the production of balanced budgets and reduction of debt. Thanks to the Balanced Budget Amendment, the federal government is now being forced to learn to live within its means, but we must do more to keep the federal government in line. That’s were the re-establishment of the Gold Standard comes in. See, the Gold Standard will stifle the hidden and deceptive tax of inflation. Inflation could be controlled if government were not able to monetize debt or manipulate reserve requirements. We must reinstate the Gold Standard, because under a 100 percent gold reserve standard or system, there would be no such thing as inflation thanks to monetary currency relying on the existing supply of gold.” [2]
– Presidential candidate Ron Paul (R-TX), 2/28/1992 stump speech
“Bellamy needs another four years to ensure our personal freedoms and sacred values are permanently snuffed out of existence” – Ron Paul (R-TX)
[snip]
“Hellamy is in cahoots with Beelzebub, arisen from the flames of Hell so the two of them can drag us all down into the fiery depths of that hopeless realm, all thanks to her misguidance. This is why I’m running: to save this country’s very soul!” – Estus Washington Pirkle (R-MS)
[snip]
“I will work with both Republicans and Democrats to keep all Americans safe, insured, healthy, educated and, of course, employed.” – Lee Iacocca (R-CA)
[snip]
“Both sides say their way is better. But look at the record. In the thirty years prior to the implementation of the Balanced Budget Amendment, Democrats controlled the Senate for all but eight years, and in those three decades, Democratic Presidents, who commanded the White House during that time for fourteen years total, only balanced the national budget five separate times. Meanwhile, Republican Presidents, who commanded the White House for sixteen years during those thirty years prior to the B.B.A., balanced the national budget thirteen times!” – Lee Iacocca (R-CA)
[snip]
“Democrats want to use the term ‘Gravelite’ nowadays instead of progressive when they should be avoiding the word socialist. I don’t care that the Soviet Union collapsed almost eight years ago, or that all the former Warsaw Pact nations have embraced democracy. Here in America, socialism is still a threat!” – Estus Pirkle (R-MS)
[snip]
“I have served as a US Senator since 1989, in the past three-and-a-half years I have done more for this country than Carol Bellamy has ever even tried to do for this country.” – Susan Engeleiter (R-WI)
[snip]
“Estus, there’s a difference between having a secular government and being a secular society!” – Lee Iacocca, rebuking Pirkle’s call for making Christianity “the official national religion”
[snip]
“We have to return confidence to America, to improve its standing on the world stage, and restore its ability to compete on the global market. We have to directly address the US trade imbalance with Japan, but not in a way that invites retaliation that affect the average Workin’ Joe. We need less corruption and more cooperation when it comes to big business, and I should know more about how big businesses work than any other man or woman on this stage tonight. We need more planning among management, labor, and government to keep unemployment down. If you don’t do some planning you’re going to be back in the soup.” [3]
– Snippets from the GOP Presidential primary debate in Manchester, NH, 3/1/1992
In early March 1992, KFC finally decided to try and capitalize off of the invention of the microwave by selling “Frozen KFC” items, launched in select supermarkets, initially for a four-month trial run.
[pic: https://imgur.com/TztFB5y ]
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
Saudi Arabia’s economy was near stagnant in the early 1990s. High taxes and a growth in unemployment was beginning to give way to discontent and civil unrest. After ignoring such contention and calls for reform for roughly two years, King Fahd announced his “Basic Law” to address such concerns on January 31, 1992. The Basic Law Decree clarified his responsibility to his people without actually promising real change; notably, he stated that “A system based on elections is not consistent with our Islamic creed, which [approves of] government by consultation [shura].” [4] Thus, King Fahd did minimum reform soon after this, save for some strides on reducing the nation’s reliance on oil revenue: limited deregulation measurements, encouragement of foreign investments, and some privatization were the largest acts. The Basic Law Decree was soon followed by an institutionalized succession decree. Issued on 1 March, the decree expanded the criteria for succession, which had been only seniority and family consensus, and led to speculations. The most significant change by the edict was that the King did acquire the right to appoint or dismiss his heir apparent based on suitability rather than seniority and that the grandsons of Abdulaziz became eligible for the throne. Privately, such a move may have been due to health-based reasons more so than political pressure. King Fahd was a heavy smoker, overweight for much of his adult life, and in his sixties began to suffer from arthritis and severe diabetes. [5]
Meanwhile, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, the grandson of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz, or “Ibn Saud,” approached King Fahd with a novel idea. With the stability of the region seemingly hanging on the promise of regionally exclusive economic benefits from regional cooperation in massive multinational projects (such as wind and solar energy investment, computer programming, and public water works projects), Sultan bin Salman, 34, saw an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to rise to world prominence and defeat their rival Iran in being the leading nation in the middle east. A Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Saudi Air Force, Sultan had flown to space in 1985 as a payload specialist on a US shuttleplane [6], just after Denton’s cancellation of the US moon landings. The prince took note of the rising prominence of the International Space Station, the 1991 formation of UNOSA (the United Nations Outer Space Agency), and the resurgence of space exploration and interest in Mars in the United States in recent years, and told the King “there’s more than enough room up there for us”...
– Madawi al-Rasheed’s The History of Modern Saudi Arabia, Sunrise Books, 2019 edition
…Suharto was furious that neither President Bellamy nor any of her Republican opponents supported implementing a second bailout package for him in order to help out his country in wake of financial crisis. Few American politicians believed him to be truthful when he claimed he was not pocketing the funds for himself, or only letting the upper classes have access to said funds. Suharto was running out of options and time; with each passing day, more and more people came to join the ranks of the people who wanted him out...
– Adrian Vickers’ A History of Modern Indonesia (Second Edition), Cambridge University Press, 2015
IACOCCA WINS N.H. GOP PRIMARY; Paul Falls to 4th Place Behind Anderson and Wead
– The Boston Globe, 3/3/1992
WILLIAM SCRANTON III DROPS PRESIDENTIAL BID AFTER FIFTH-PLACE FINISH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
– The Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/4/1992
BELLAMY WELCOMES LENNON AT WHITE HOUSE AS UK PM VISITS DC
- The Washington Post, 3/6/1992
MENACHEM BEGIN HAS DIED; Led Israel Through Peace Talks In The 1970s
…his successful efforts to establish warmer relations with Israel’s neighbors led to him sharing the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 with Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and the US’s Jimmy Carter… Begin’s tenure as Prime Minister came to a close when Begin, still distraught over the death of his wife Aliza in November 1982, and facing unpopularity over inflation concerns, resigned in May 1985. …Both Sadat and Begin maintained good relations with one another during their retirement years, both personally and professionally – each defender the other whenever one of them publicly disapproved of the actions of their respective successors… After many years of poor health, Begin died from a heart attack at the age of 78. …Sadat, 73 and suffering from health issues of his own, is nevertheless planning to attend the funeral in Jerusalem…
– The New York Times, 3/9/1992
ESTUS EEKS OUT VICTORY IN GEORGIA GOP PRIMARY
…the bridling Baptist minister upset the businessman-turned-frontrunner by winning 40.1% to Iacocca’s 38.9%, with Senator Richard Obenshain winning only 9.2% in an underperformance that may very well mark the end of his campaign if he does not perform better in the first Primary Cluster early next month. US Senator James H. Meredith, meanwhile, also underperformed, coming in fourth place with only 9.1% of the vote. US Congressman Doug Wead once again outperforming Paul, the two libertarians winning 7.2% and 5.4%, respectively...
– The Ledger-Enquirer, Georgia newspaper, 3/10/1992
Dear Bryan,
Karen and I are discovering amazing ideas out here. Really – we’re looking at local foodstuffs, not using this trip as an excuse to have a second honeymoon. Well, I’m not. But seriously, I really want to try and dabble with some exotic fruits, coconut milk, ginger, lime, vanilla, and tamarind when we get back. I’m surprised by how many dishes have French influences! After this we’ll check out Samoa, and wrap things up in Fiji before heading back to Hawaii and then back home. It’s like I said – if The Colonel could bring Kentucky to Utah, we can at least try to bring Polynesia to Florida and the Caribbean. I’ve learned a lot here from seeing how people with fish as their No. 1 food, how they use it, treat it, make it in a plethora of diverse ways. It’s been inspiring. Expensive, I'll admit (again, I’ll pay you back when I pay you back), but worth it, and I’m looking forward to trying out a lot of ideas for SpongeBob’s upon our return next week.
Me ka mahalo nui,
Steve
– private letter sent from Atafu, Tokelau, to Miami, Florida, dated 3/11/1992
In the spring of 1992, Hillenburg discovered “the optimum combination of culinary elements” for his restaurant’s crabmeat patties. One unconfirmed story goes that the “culinary formula” was discovered by accident, when Stephen tripped and accidently knocked several contents into a broth. However, the generally-accepted origin story is that Hillenburg discovered it after spending hundreds of hours working in the kitchen of his Florida home trying out culinary ideas he’s learned during a two-week trip to the Pacific several weeks earlier. Hillenburg decided to share this “culinary breakthrough” with only his closest family members, most trusted friends, and most loyal of supporters. In 2005, after a lengthy court debate, Hillenburg finally revealed the contents of the “culinary formula” to the Federal Government for FDA approval. However, FDA documentation concerning said formula contents will not be released to the public until the year 2070. As a result, rumors have consistently floated around the technet as to what the formula could be, with suggestions ranging from Tibetan Salt to MSG.
– clickopedia.co.usa/SpongeBob’s/disambiguation/restaurant_franchise
…hundreds were killed and millions of dollars were lost in damages on March 13, 1992, when a powerful earthquake rocked the city of Erzincan in eastern Turkey. Greece was the first nation to offer immediate aid, support and recovery efforts. The quake struck near the region of Pontus, along the North Anatolian Fault, leading to local Kurdish inhabitants assisting in efforts to clear debris and search for survivors. Yugoslavia sent in civil engineers to amend housing and power lines in the more developed areas.
Assistant efforts even reached as far away as the lavish Varosha resort in Cyprus, Greece. A long-popular tourist destination, the resort manager told one reporter at the time that his traffic was “unseasonably low” as more and more people in the region did what they could to help out. This rush of goodwill was in astonishing and stark contrast to the centuries-old feud that once existed between Greeks and Turks. Most sociologists and politicians believe this radical shift in relations happened in the wake of the Bulgarian Plot of 1971, in which said country’s former government attempted a false flag maneuver in the 1970s to pit Greece and Turkey against one another. Upon the plot’s explosive exposure, Greeks and Turks, already reconciling under new leadership in both nations, now have a shared enemy in Bulgaria...
– The Atlantis, Greek-American newspaper, 2020 retrospective
IACOCCA WINS NEVADA GOP CAUCUS; Wead Surprises Pundits With Second-Place Showing
– The Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/17/1992
MODERATOR CAROLE SIMPSON (played by Ellen Cleghorne): Good evening everyone and welcome to tonight’s GOP Presidential debate. Most of you watching this know who the Republican candidates are, but for those of you who can’t find anything better to watch on TV than eight stuffed suits drone on and on for an hour about things you don’t care about, we’ll introduced each candidate anyway. First, heeerrrreee’s Lee Iacoccaaa!
LEE IACOCCA (played by Phil Hartman [7]): Thanks, Carole. Folks, I know I don’t have any prior political experience, but I promise that a vote for me means a Kentucky-Fried Chicken in every pot and a Chrysler in every garage. Because I’m a straight-talker would doesn’t beat around the bush. I’m honest and to-the-point. So let me just say right off the bat that as President, every citizen will be required to attend at least one MLB game a year. No refunds.
MODERATOR: The next candidate may have gotten lost on his way to water aerobics at his retirement community center, Barry Goldwater.
BARRY GOLDWATER (played by Guest Star Bill Murray): Now that ain’t fair, I’m in my prime. What other 83-year-old do you know who looks this good?
MODERATOR: Beside him is OBGYN doctor-turned-Senator who someone got through two Ark Waves without incident, Ron Paul.
RON PAUL (played by guest star David Faustino): I have three things to say: “invest in Gold,” “get off my yard,” and “Invest In Gold!” [pause] That’s all, Carole, thank you.
MODERATOR: Alright. Candidate number four is either a Governor from someplace, or an extra in a Cheech Marin film, Bill Scranton the Third.
WILLIAM SCRANTON III (played by David Spade): We have to be excellent to each other and come together right now over me, dudes and dudettes. We have to make peace with Mother Earth, Brother Sun, Sister Mary Francis and Father Time Machine.
MODERATOR: Um, wait a minute, you shouldn’t be here; I just got around to reading this two-week-old newspaper, and it says here you dropped out.
SCRANTON: I dropped what?
MODERATOR: Out, out of the race.
SCRANTON: I did? Woah, Bummer. Who did I endorse?
DOUG WEAD (played by Rob Schneider): You sure you’re not a libertarian?
MODERATOR: Congressman Wead, you wait your turn and – oh, you know what, these introductions are taking forever. Let’s move on to the Q&A. First question: law and order.
J. J. POLONKO JR. (played by Guest Star Mark Metcalf): Now I have something to say about that!
MODERATOR: Former Vice President Polonko! Does your presence here mean you’ve decided to enter the race after all?
POLONKO: No, it means I was able to get past security! Now listen up, because I only have a few minutes before their sedatives wear off: we need more police to stop America from becoming a police state, and we need more guns on the streets to protect us from all the other guns on the streets!
PAUL: Heh. And people say I’m crazy.
POLONKO: I will have no insubordination from the likes of you, now drop and give me twenty you howdy-doody ripoff! I said now!
[Paul, intimidated, drops to floor and begins doing sit-ups while Polonko stands over him]
MODERATOR: That’s enough of that topic – this sketch is already too long – let’s just cut to religion. Estus?
ESTUS PIRKLE (played by Dana Carvey): I hear ya. Gentlemen and your women, I can’t guarantee that you’ll get into heaven if you vote for me, but if I’m President, either by a witch’s curse or a monkey’s paw or what-have-you, I will definitely lead you into heaven. Now, does nuking us into oblivion work for y’all or should I be more subtle? ’Cause I don’t do subtlety. I didn’t have a child beheaded just because I was bored.
MODERATOR: You mean the child that was beheaded in one of your Christian films.
PIRKLE: Uh, yeah, film, right, yeah…
SUSAN ENGELEITER (played by Victoria Jackson): Can I say something?
MODERATOR: Why not?
ENGELEITER: I’m proudly Irish, like Colonel Sanders was Irish. I have children, and Colonel Sanders had children.
MODERATOR: And why does this qualify you for the Presidency?
ENGELEITER (now wearing a white suit): Because I care about agriculture and farmers, just like the Colonel.
MODERATOR: And this will bring the GOP to victory in November...how?
ENGELEITER (now wearing a white suit, white goatee and white wig): It will bring back sense and sensibility to the White House, like during the good ol’ days of Colonel Sanders, yee-hah! Uh, the Colonel was a cowboy, right?
MODERATOR: Let’s just skip to the closing statements. Senator Meredith, me and all the rest of the media have been ignoring you this whole time. Your opening and closing argument, please.
JAMES MEREDITH (played by Chris Rock): Yeah, let me just do some truth-slinging here. The fact is that Americans time and time again have shown that they want a sensible and trusted figure in the White House. With that in mind, I have to wonder: how the hell am I not doing better in the polls?! You all see what I’m running against, right?!
[Cut to wide shot of Wead smoking what may or may not be a cigarette and offering it to Scranton who is starring off into space, Paul still doing sit-ups while Polonko watches, Pirkle fidgeting while nervously hugging an oversized bible, Iacocca holding up a K-Car poster while wearing a baseball cap, Goldwater using an oxygen tank, and Engeleiter in full Colonel garb and holding a KFC bucket.]
MEREDITH: My path to the nomination should be way easier than this, certainly easier than looking directly at this camera (looks at camera) and saying “Live to New York From Saturnight Day.”
[buzzer sound]
MODERATOR: Ooh, sorry, you messed up that line big-time. That automatically makes you the biggest loser of this debate. And for the record, the line goes like this…
[wide shot as Cleghorne spins around to face Camera 2, and other cast members move from podiums to join Cleghorne to get into shot.]
ALL CAST MEMBERS: Live From New York, It’s Saturday Night!
– SNL sketch, Saturday 3/21/1992
IACOCCA WINS GOP MARYLAND PRIMARY IN LANDSLIDE; LIPINSKI DRAWS 10% ON DEMOCRATIC SIDE
– The Roanoke Times, VA newspaper, 3/24/1992
FORMER FIRST LADY SANDERS REVEALS SECRETS TO HEALTHY RETIREMENT
…despite her advanced age, Claudia still insists on driving herself around town, conceding only to letting her security detail ride shotgun with her. “But I know my limits. I do let them drive for long stretches of busy highway. But I drive over to meet with some friends, or to visit my grandchildren, I can still do that and I don’t plan on giving it up any time soon!”
– Golden Living, a “senior living” monthly magazine for elderly Americans, March 1992 issue
[pic: imgur.com/csFV6X5.png ]
– Claudia Sanders’ driver’s license, c. March 1992
“Prime Minister Nielsen’s recent use of Section 26, a provision of our country’s Constitution meant for actual emergencies, to ask the Queen to appoint eight new Senators, is a new low for our nation’s leader. To go against his own party and pass a national Sales Tax that poll after poll shows Canadians, voter and politician alike, are dead-set against it, demonstrates his inability to understand or address the actual wants and needs of this country. Unfortunately, this incident only adds to his past scandals with patronage, and unwanted expansion of “big government” ideas. As a fellow Progressive Conservative, will still support him in the August general elections, but I do so for the sake of the party more than for the sake of him continuing to serve as prime minister.”
– Lincoln MacCauley Alexander, African-Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and a member of Canadian Parliament for Hamilton West since 1968 (PC-ON) (1922-2012), 3/28/1992 statement
The 1991 referendum led Gheorghe Apostol resigning from the Presidency, putting the 80-year-old President of the Senate, Alexandra Barladeanu (1911-1997), in charge of the government. Subsequent bilateral negotiations over the creation of a “United Romania” were headed by Barladeanu and Moldova’s President Mircea Snegur (b. 1940), and led to the agreement that Presidents would relinquish power, assemble a transitional caretaker government headed by a Romanian-and-Moldovan Unity Council, and hold new elections across the board ahead of official unification in December 1992. Almost immediately, Snegur, as well as Romanian PM Petre Roman (b. 1946), expressed interest in running, as well as a “wild card” candidate that his supporters believed would be the only candidate capable of truly uniting the people of two nations merging into one: former King Michael I of Romania (b. 1921), who had served as Romania’s monarch from 1927 to 1930 and again from 1940 to 1947…
– Lavinia Stan’s Post-Communist Romania: The Politics of Memory, Cambridge University Press, 2nd edition, 2019
IACOCCA WINS STATE GOP PRIMARY
– The Brattleboro Reformer, VT newspaper, 3/31/1992
MERCOURI ELECTED NEW PM OF GREECE!
Athens, GREECE – After decades of political activism, starting with being a founding member of the center-left political party PASOK [8] before becoming said party’s standard-bearer and Leader of the Opposition in 1989, former actress and singer Melina Mercouri was elected Prime Minister in last night’s Greek General Elections. A member of the Hellenic Parliament for Piraeus B since 1977, Mercury, 71, served as Greece’s Minister for Culture under Andreas Papandreou’s first and second terms. Prior to entering Parliament, she had an illustrious acting and singing career that saw her win three Golden Globe nominations, two BAFTA Award nominations, and an Academy Award nomination, the last one being for her performance in the celebrated 1960 film Never on Sunday. Last night, Mercouri defeated incumbent Prime Minister Alexandros Onassis of the Centre Union party, and the Cyprus-based Glafcos Clerides of the Democratic Rally, the most conservative of Greece’s largest political parties, to become Greece’s first-ever female Head of State. King Constantine II has already performed the formality of formally invited her to lead parliament...
– The Atlantis, Greek-American newspaper, 4/2/1992
The final GOP debate of the 1992 Presidential primary season took place on April 4th. With Iacocca sweeping three of the “First Four” contest, most other candidates were hoping for impressive gains in the Primary Cluster to be held in just three more days.
Senator Richard Obenshain used the debate to go after solar energy companies, essentially accusing them of hypocrisy for the high levels of mined coal and quartz needed for the building of the actual panels; it was his only memorable debate moment.
Iacocca, meanwhile, doubled down on his main campaign planks. “Disgruntled workers across the country are uncertain of their economic futures in these uncertain times. We have better healthcare, but we have no market security. Companies in Japan are threatening are job numbers more and more every day, and we need a President who knows how to stand up to them and who will stand up to them. We need to put Main Street over Wall Street!”
Meanwhile, Ron Paul, Doug Wead, and Barry Goldwater all sought to lead the libertarian faction of the party, while Obenshain and Jack Raese essentially cancelled each other out. Pirkle continued to call for “a more Christian society” in his bombastic manner shaped by decades behind a pulpit; conversely, Senator Meredith presented himself as cool and collected, calling for bipartisanship and a balance between “welfare programs that are too easy to become addicted to, and a heartless attitude of having a government that does not help those who need the help our government can easily provide.”
– Doron P. Levin’s Behind the Wheel: Iacocca’s Handling of Cars, Sports, and Politics, Opus Publishers, 1997
…well it seems Lee Iacocca has cemented his status as the frontrunner for the GOP nomination for President, having won most of the Republican party primary contests held in ten states tonight. South Dakota, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Utah all went to Iacocca, while Minister Pirkle won South Carolina, Louisiana, Oklahoma and his home state of Mississippi. Senator Meredith’s best showing of the night was in his home state of Mississippi, where he came in second place with roughly 35% or so of the vote…
– anchor Norman Robinson, New Orleans’ WDSU-TV Channel 6 (NBC), 4/7/1992 broadcast
…Governor Anderson dropped out after failing to win Massachusetts, finally putting his candidacy out to pasture. Despite failing to win significant delegates, percentages, or momentum in the libertarian-leaning states out west such as South Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma and Utah, Paul decided to remain in the race still. Fearing a Ron Paul victory, Senator Goldwater dropped out soon after to endorse Congressman Wead…
[SNIP]
Outside the debates and campaign trails, Iacocca emulated the Colonel not just by exuding the image of a down-to-earth businessmen who cared about working stiffs but by also reminding people of how, like the Colonel, Iacocca had made small appearances in movies and TV shows over the years. He played the character “Park Commissioner Lido” in one 1986 episode of Miami Vice, appeared on the 1985 TV Special “Bob Hope Buys NBC?” as himself, and participated in bits on Good Morning America in 1986, the Late Show with David Letterman in 1990, and an extensive 60 Minutes Interview in 1991.
Pirkle responded to this tactic by reminding listeners of the three obscure Christian “promotion” films he starred in during the 1970s. Renewed focus on these films, though, led to heavy scrutiny by many media outlets for the films’ explicit presentations of violence. In early, the Iacocca campaign capitalized on finding an old copy of Pirkle’s most controversial film, 1971’s “If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?,” by airing an ad condemning Pirkle for fearmongering and depicting child murder. Pirkle’s refusal to apologize for these film elements led to his rallies becoming louder but smaller as he gained more evangelical followers but lost support from most other voter types…
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
In just three years, PM de la Hunty had stirred up multiple detriments and benefits ahead of the 1992 federal election. Government transparency was her highest accomplishment. Attempts to implement financial reparations for aborigines and the descendants of aborigines removed from their ancestral homelands, and other government misdeeds, however, was her biggest failure, with even her own party rejecting the notion. However, Aborigine activists still praised for the effort, as it did raise awareness of their plight in a way not seen since “BabaKiueria.” De la Hunty’s expansion of healthcare and education were major accomplishments as well. Her promotion of direct democracy initiatives, on the other hand, made her fewer friends in the parliamentary hierarchy each time she brought it up; even high-ranking officials within her own party shied away from doing away with the established hierarchical system. As a result, de la Hunty spent the start of the 1990s pushing for greater environmental protection measures and opposing the Australian neoliberalism policies pushed by the more right-leaning members of her party. This, along with her support of some Labor talking points, her rejection of nuclear weapons and her being untrusting of nuclear technology, siphoned many voters away from the Labor party.
On April 10, 1992, Shirley de la Hunty won another term over Robert James “Bob” Ellicott of the Labor party as the National Party continued its slip into irrelevance…
– Jeremy Moon and Campbell Sharman’s Australian Politics And Government: A History, Cambridge University Press, 2003
Abbas al-Musawi (born c. 1952) was a belligerent[1] Lebanese Shia cleric and founder of a minor [2], obscure [3] terror group and self-declared “political party”[4] called Hezbollah, founded in the 1980s in opposition to the 1978 Atlanta Peace Treaty and the annual Chicken Dinner Summit in Jerusalem [5]. Hezbollah was meant to “undermine” peace processes in the Middle East in order to “affirm Shia superiority”[1], and was founded by former supporters of the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran and other militant groups either rejected or made illegal by several Middle Eastern countries [6-when?]. Abbas, considered a radical by most [7-better citation needed], and his allies believed their respective nations “sold out” during the peace process of the 1970s, and opposed Israel above all other groups [1]. When Osama bin Laden, the Saudi national serving time for wounding Colonel Sanders in an assassination attempt in 1980, became eligible for parole in 1991, members of Hezbollah published material in defense of him [2]. Bin Laden was denied parole for violating prison rules and for showing no sincere signs of reform; he is still in prison today [8]. Despite gaining attention from this effort, al-Musawi opposed Hezbollah going mainstream; he also rejected the theocratic state in Lebanon due to his belief that the rising tourism industry in Lebanon and the entire region during the 1980a and 1990s [9] were causing Lebanon to be “corrupted by western imperialism” [1]. A 1992 sex scandal concerning al-Musawi being discovered by his allies to have violated Shia laws caused his “underground” movement to splinter into two groups, one supporting Al-Musawi and one opposing him [3]. An attempted cam bombing of a bank in Beirut led to increased scrutiny from authorities soon after this [10-when exactly?], leading to both groups losing members. Hezbollah existed from 1985 until the unofficial dissolve of the pro-Abbas faction in 1997 and the official dissolve of the anti-Abba faction in 1999.
– clickopedia.co.usa
PRIMARY CLUSTER 2: LAST NIGHT’S RESULTS: IACOCCA WINS 7 OF 10 CONTESTS!
…the businessman won Rhode Island, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Connecticut, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Nebraska, while Minister Pirkle narrowly won Iowa. Senators Engeleiter and Obenshain secured their home states of Wisconsin and Virginia, respectively…
– The New York Times, 4/15/1992
For the fiscal year of 1991, the first year effected by the BBA, the federal government’s April 1992 report showed a slight budget surplus. While taxes did go up on millionaires and billionaires in mid-1990, the budget was also balanced thanks to adding interest to Treasury bonds.
Meanwhile, Iacocca made a gaffe on a radio guest spot on April 16, in which he called for Tax Credits for Charitable Contributions. This statement “started a debate nobody asked for,” as US Senator Jack Raese (R-WV) described it soon afterwards. In the same radio segment, Iacocca also stated that he wanted to “audit” the Federal Reserve, which is no more a part of the federal government than Federal Express. These remarked led to many Democrats and Bellamy supporters argue that Iacocca was too inexperienced for the position of US President…
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
John’s creation of public works projects aimed at lower employment helped to improve the nation’s economy as the summer neared. With inflation slowly dropping as well, John set out to establish a nationwide jobs guarantee program, and support vocational schooling initiatives. In regards to foreign policy, John called for peace in the war-torn nations of Sri Lanka, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Colombia, but privately refused to consider the notion of sending UK ground troops to an thg of these places…
[pic: https://imgur.com/g9yGl3f ]
Above: John about to meet with Home Secretary Tony Blair in London; the two often feuded on spending limits.
– Jacqueline Edmondson’s A Legend’s Biography: The Lives And Times of John Lennon, London Times Books, 2010
LAST NIGHT’S GOP PRIMARY RESULTS: WEAD WINS ARIZONA, DOLE WINS KANSAS, IACOCCA WINS MINNESOTA AND NEW YORK
…the Estus campaign failed to win any more than 30% in any of the four contests…
– The Arizona Republic, 4/22/1992
SENATOR ENGELEITER BOWS OUT OF PRESIDENTIAL RUNS, CITING LOW FUNDING
..."I will support whichever sensible and winnable candidate my party selects to be its Presidential nominee"...
– The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/23/1992
A ROYAL SCANDAL?: Theories And Rumors Sweep Britain as Anne, Princess Royal Divorces Capt. Mark Phillips Without Warnings Or Reasons!
– People Weekly, US tabloid, 4/24/1989 issue
The United Nations Framework Convention on Global Climate Disruption (or UNFCGCD) is an international environmental treaty adopted on March 25, 1992, and opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 3 to June 14, 1992. It then entered into force on August 12, 1993, after a sufficient number of countries had ratified it. With its objective being to “stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the global climate system,” the framework sets non-binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines how specific international treaties (called "protocols" or "Agreements") may be negotiated to specify further action towards the objective of the UNFCGCD.
Initially, an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) produced the text of the Framework Convention during its meeting in New York City, NY, US, in early February 1992. Due to its almost-universal membership, the UNFCGCD enjoys broad legitimacy. [9]
The parties to the convention have met annually since 1992 in order to assess worldwide progress in addressing Global Climate Disruption. The establishing of multinational protocols issuing legally-binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their output of greenhouse gas emissions would begin with the Kiev Protocol of 1995…
– clickopedia.co.usa
…Despite the high number of delegates won in Alabama earlier tonight, Minister Pirkle has no clear path to the nomination now, due to Iacocca’s concurrent victories in Pennsylvania and Ohio tonight. Only through a brokered convention occurring could someone other than Iacocca feasibly win the Republican nomination for President now, and, at this moment, such a scenario seems very unlikely…
– NBC News, 4/28/1992
…Governor [Donald] Kennedy look to America’s last frontier when molding the state’s 1992 Coastline Preservation Act. Environmental experts had recently claimed that the contents spilled in the Chevron Oil Spill of ’87 had been successfully removed from Alaska’s southern coastlines, and that the areas were now safe for animal species to return to (as evidenced by the slow but steady return of many species of fish and birds to the area in the years since the spill) without observers having to worry about them...
– Robert Wilder’s Listening to the Land and Sea: The Politics of Environmental Protection in California, University of Sacramento Press, 1999
“Bellamy’s federal spending habits are out-of-control. As President, I will assemble the smartest American minds on the planet to work with me in creating a more fiscally efficient. Colonel Sanders did it before, and with me as President, we can do it again!”
– Presidential candidate Lee Iacocca (R-CA) at political campaign rally in Gary, IN, 5/3/1992
…Iacocca easily achieved victory in tonight’s GOP Presidential primaries held in, Delaware, Indiana, North Carolina and Montana, with D.C. voting for the already-suspended candidacy of Senator Meredith…
– CBS Evening News, 5/5/1992
On May 6, Ross came out in support of a bill in the state legislature calling for the legalization of medical marijuana. This was a major controversy at the time because most Americans were still very much unaware of the fact that weed can help those suffering from illness. A Gallup poll taken in 1991 showed that roughly a third of US citizens polled opposed marijuana in general [10], demonstrating the effectiveness of President Denton’s War on Recreadrugs. However, renewed interest in medical marijuana among researchers had begun during this period as well, and had been praised by many cancer patients and medical experts. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ross had met with such promoters and so studied the matter closely. He later told his sister-in-law, though, that he worried if “people can be responsible with this. It can hurt or help, like cars or beer,” no doubt thinking about the alcoholism rates that plagued Alaska during the 1980s. “I think for the non-medical stuff, people will need programs for when you become addicted, because you can’t force people to not be addicted,” he added, thinking ahead. “It’s the whole ‘forbidden fruit’ idea.”
– R. Lynn Rivenbark’s With the Stroke of a Brush or Pen: The Life of Bob Ross, Brookings Institution Press, 2012
RAESE WINS WRITE-IN VOTE IN WV GOP PRIMARY
– The Charleston Gazette-Mail, West Virginia newspaper, 5/12/1992
CRITICS CLAIM PROPOSED “AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES” ACT WOULD RUIN BUSINESSES, LOWER EMPLOYMENT RATES
…the bill’s core intent to outlaw discrimination based on one’s disabilities is not being opposed. Instead, the contentious aspect of the “disabled rights” bill fresh out of committee is it requiring employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to employees with disabilities, such as ramps and elevators.
House Speaker Robert Smith Walker (R-PA) has claimed that small businesses such as diners and offices in developed regions will not have “sufficient space” for such architectural renovations. “How are Mom & Pop shops, sandwiched together in places like Hoboken, or, for a better example, the hillsides of San Francisco, supposed to install wheelchair ramps in places where there’s barely any room to walk?”
Other members of the House have raised concerns in recent days over another detail of the bill: its alleged ability to make it easier for merely temporarily disabled individuals to apply for disability. “Someone suffering from a broken arm or a sprained ankle would get the same treatment as a paraplegic if this passes,” US Congressman Ira W. McCollum Jr. (R-FL) claimed in a statement made the day before yesterday.
“This bill will intimidate employers into avoiding hiring disabled Americans due to legal risks,” Congressman John Vincent “Vin” Weber (R-MN) added during a CBS interview yesterday. “Furthermore, many mentally disabled Americans across the country are able to find work right now thanks to government keeping a long leash on such hiring practices. A rise in federal scrutiny – hiring a deficient fella for a job he wants to do, and that the boss thinks he can do, but the feds think they know what’s best for both of them – that is going to hurt the harmless mentally disabled people willing to work more than any other group of disabled Americans.” [11]
With congress operating under a decades-old committee system, the bill could easily pass with a large “un-veto-able” majority in the Senate, Weber, added, “that is, if it somehow manages to get past the House.”
– The Washington Post, 5/14/1992
“Why don't we make distinctions between people who use drugs and people who abuse them? We automatically conclude that everyone who uses marijuana, for example, needs drug treatment. I agree that marijuana can have some harmful effects on the user, but, obviously, so can alcohol. I drink a glass of wine almost every night with dinner. Does that mean that I need an alcohol-treatment program?” [12]
– Orange County Superior Court Judge Jim Gray (R-CA), Los Angeles Daily Journal op-ed, 5/15/1992
“Alaska Governor Bob Ross has announced that he will attend both the Democratic and Republican national conventions this summer, and will be giving art lessons to delegates at both functions. He will also be taking requests for caricatures at the Republican convention, but has yet to confirm that he will be giving private painting lessons to Minister Pirkle, who is having trouble depicting the three-quarters face angle for his paintings of Democrats burning in a lake of fire in Hell.”
– Kevin Nealon, “Weekend Update” sketch, SNL, 5/16/1992
FED EXPANDS ECONOMIC CRASH MINIMIZATION EFFORTS, CLAIMING “EXTRA SAFETY MEASURES” ARE “NECESSARY”
– The Financial Times, 5/18/1992
…As in political news, Major League Baseball Commissioner Lee Iacocca won the GOP primaries held in Washington state and the US Virgin Islands earlier tonight with ease…
– CBS Evening News, 5/19/1992
BELLAMY SIGNS CHILD PROTECTION FROM OBSCENITY ACT INTO LAW
…essentially backing up a similar bill passed in 1988 in the aftermath of the Second Ark Wave, the new act dictates that all makers of pornographic material must keep record of all models they employ, and that all said employees must to be at least 18 years old. The act will also grant states the ability to raise the severity of sentencing for those found guilty of violating these and other measures meant to protect the underage from obscenity and indecency…
– The Washington Post, 5/20/1992
…In Washington, D.C., the Supreme Court ruled 5-to-4 on the merits of large bank mergers. Relating to the US Justice Department’s investigation into attempts by Chemical Bank and Manufacturers Hanover Corporation to merge in 1991, Chief Justice Johnson sided with Justices Sneed, Fogel, Levi and Bacon to rule that both large banks could go forth with the merger after all. This case has evolved into a question on how big a corporations should be allowed to grow before it creates a monopolistic economic environment at a global, national, state, or even local level...
– KNN, 5/22/1992 broadcast
JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY ROOSEVELT
State Senator Kathleen Kennedy-Roosevelt (D-MA) (b. 7/4/1951), daughter of FBI Director Robert F. Kennedy, Michael Roosevelt (b. 1946), son of former US Representative James Roosevelt II and grandson of former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, are proud to announce the birth of their fourth child and first son. Weighing 6 pounds 2 ounces at birth, the newborn son is named after his late uncle Jack Kennedy. Kennedy-Roosevelt and Roosevelt met in 1968 and married in 1970, and are the proud parents of Anna Kennedy-Roosevelt (b. 1972), Elizabeth “Betsey” Kennedy-Roosevelt (b. 1975), and Sara Kennedy-Roosevelt (b. 1979)…
– The Boston Globe, celebration section, 5/25/1992
GOP PRIMARIES: Iacocca Wins Arkansas, Idaho, And Kentucky With Little Opposition
– The Idaho State Journal, 5/26/1992
…With Iacocca already becoming the nominee-in-waiting, he easily swept the final round of primaries, held on June 2. California, New Mexico and North Dakota went to Iacocca in landslides, while supports of former Vice President Polonko entering the race successfully mounted a write-in campaign in Polonko’s home state of New Jersey…
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
[pic: https://imgur.com/0yBCMta.png ]
Popular vote:
Lee Iacocca – 6,642,507 (52.7%)
Estus Pirkle – 2,445,249 (19.4%)
Susan Engeleiter – 1,323,459 (10.5%)
Doug Wead – 894,910 (7.1%)
J. J. Polonko Jr. – 41,153 (3.5%)
James Meredith – 189,065 (1.5%)
John B. Anderson – 151,252 (1.2%)
Richard Obenshain – 113,439 (0.9%)
William Scranton III – 100,835 (0.8%)
Jack Raese – 75,626 (0.6%)
Bob Dole – 50,418 (0.4%)
All other votes – 176,461 (1.4%)
Total popular votes – 12,604,378 (100%)
– clickopedia.co.usa
Bob Lutz, Iacocca’s successor at Ford, remarked “I am confident that Lee will do great things for America,” and increased in involvement in the GOP strategy for the Midwest. [snip] ...Meanwhile, the battle to be the next Commissioner of Major League Baseball continued. CEO of Trans International Airlines and former Olympic Games organizer Peter Ueberroth was again considered for the position, as was executive VP of Coca-Cola Fay Vincent, Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig, former general manager for San Francisco Giants Spec Richardson, Houston Astros manager George Bush, and pitcher-turned-businessman Donald Trump. The feud between Bush and Trump that had begun in 1980 flared up again during this period as Trump publicly belittled Bush, questioning his intelligence and calling him an “elitist [who] thinks wearing a cowboy hat makes him a cowboy.” Bush countered by reminded fans of Trump’s role in the controversial “museumifying” of Fenway Park, referring to it being retired and turned into a public park/museum in 1986. This feud was bad publicity for the managers, causing them to turn away from both Bush and Trump. With a less public feud between Vincent and Selig cancelling each other out as well, managers were torn between Ueberroth and Richardson. Finally, Yogi Berra, the former manager for the Yankees and the Mets serving as Acting Commissioner, was elected as a compromise choice.
With the nomination unquestionably his for the taking, Iacocca finally stepped down as MLB Commissioner on June 3rd. Acting Commissioner Yogi Berra reluctantly accepted the promotion to official Commissioner, but only for another two years, noting that “Things will be more peaceful in management when managers start getting along better.”
– John Helyar’s Lords of the Realm: The Real History of Baseball, Ballantine Books, 1994
…Bellamy’s sole major primary opponent was retiring Bill Lipinski, who served as a US Representative from Illinois, from 1983 to 1993 and again from 1999 to 2005. Lipinski was basically ignored by the Bellamy campaign, with his call for a debate between the two of them going unanswered. Lipinski focused heavily on the New Hampshire and Georgia primaries, but after months of poor fundraising, received only 7.1% of the vote in the former, and 5.2% of the vote in the latter. However, during the first March Cluster, Lipinski did surprisingly well in the Arkansas and Oklahoma primaries garnering 11.6% of the vote in the former, and 15.3% of the vote in the latter – enough to merit a total of five delegates at the 1992 Democratic National Convention. However, outside of these two contests and the following Democratic primaries held in Alabama (6.1%), North Carolina (7.3%) and Mississippi (8.0%), Lipinski failed to win any more than 4% of the vote in any of the other primary races...
– clickopedia.co.usa/1992_Democratic_Party_Presidential_primaries
The nicest comparison that one can make between Thomas Kinkade and Bob is that both preferred the straightforwardness of realism. To quote Bob, “If I paint something, I don’t want to have to explain what it is.” [13] While he was a painter whose works were similar to those of Bob, albeit with a much heavier emphasis on Christian Values tones, Kinkade failed to fill the void left behind by Bob entering the political world. However, this failure may have had more to do with Kinkade’s scandalous personality more so than his artistic prowess.
Kinkade tried to replace Bob Ross in the art world, with his kitschy paintings emphasizing light and pastoral imagery that made him very commercially successful, but nonetheless failed to eclipse Bob’s iconic image. While journalist Laura Miller described Kinkade’s creations as “a bunch of garish cottage paintings,” [13] others noted that Kinkade lacked Ross’s soothing voice, or humble demeanor, and more still picked up on the greater sense that it was all about commercialized merchandise, the raw and sincere urge to teach people to draw found in Bob’s works being woefully absent from Kinkade’s paintings. In Tom’s defense, though, the academics who previously has expressed concern over Bob’s success, and what it implicated about the West’s perception of art, now had a newer, better, easier, more vulnerable target. But on the other hand, using the Christian “hook” to sell his paintings was “too obvious to so many” observers.
By the end of the 1990s, Kinkade was a millionaire, something Bob never became even when becoming Governor, due to his charitable contributions. However, Kinkade had a long history of cursing and heckling other artists and performers. He once even fondled a woman’s breasts at an artist convention in South Bend, Indiana [14], though the situation never went to court. Reports of Kinkade being either arrested, cited, or banned from a store for public urination while drunk popped up in news more than once during the 1990s. In 1992, for instance, the L.A. Times reported Kinkade created a public disturbance at a restaurant and had to be asked to leave after punching a waiter. Such instances tarnished his image, and while he still managed to have a financially-profitable painting-making empire and career, Kinkade never reached the iconic levels achieved by Bob.
Bob himself, meanwhile, was too busy working in Juneau to focus much on Kinkade’s antics…
– Kristin G. Congdon, Doug Blandy, and Danny Coeyman’s Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon, University Press of Mississippi, 2014
In 1992, Zhelyu Zhelev, Bulgaria’s President since 1985, was forced to confront a national crisis a short time into his second and final term. The nation’s post-Soviet migration to wealthier ex-communist nations such as Romania and Poland, and even United Turkestan, was creating a “brain drain” in Bulgaria’s cultural and education fields. On June 14, 1992, former Foreign Minister Petar Mladenov responded to this and the nation’s worsening economy by attempting to launch a socialist coup against Zhelev. With a band of 200 former communist Bulgarian soldiers and other supporters, Mladenov sought to invade the President’s official residence, the Boyana Residence in the capital city of Sofia. When a flank of 50 coup participants were successfully repelled by national troops, a second flank of 40 plotters launched a round of mortar attacks onto the capital building. The attacks killed three civilians, five police officers, and injured 28. Rumors of a violent dictatorship on the verge of rising to power, city residence took up arms. Over 500 locals converged on the source of the mortar attacks, leading to Mladenov’s men becoming surrounded a quickly surrendering. Meanwhile, Mladenov and his remaining followers attempted a front-door maneuver, only to be plowed down by defense reinforcements.
In an ironic twist, Mladenov’s intelligence – that Zhelev was meeting with leader of parliament at the official residence at the time – was incorrect. Zhelev was actually in the nearby city of Pernik, meeting with local farmers.
While Mladenov was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted coup, the event raised calls for bolder government action to combat the economic situation that was causing the nation’s best and brightest to seek employment elsewhere. Zhelev responded by establishing policies meant to support “knowledge transfers” among employers, and offering tax breaks and pay raises for tutors and educators of all kinds. Zhelev and his cabinet worked with local leaders to promote a culture of support in Bulgarian workplaces. Modernization, and giving learners of all ages time to transition to newer ways, was given high priority, as well as the investing of government funds into obtaining factory and farming tools, plus books and teaching equipment for schools. A test of these new nationwide measurements indicated a 10% drop in academic and highly-educated Bulgarians moving out of the country in the first year of their implementations, and thus they were continued…
– Frederick B. Chary’s The Modern Balkans: The History of Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Romania and Turkey After The End of the Cold War Era, Greenwood Publishers, 2018 edition
…For those of you just tuning in, things have taken a turn for the worse in the western African country of The Ivory Coast, where a cam bomb has killed at least 7 people in the country’s economic capital and largest port city of Abidjan two hours ago. The cam bomb targeted the office building of a local oil pipeline repair company in the city’s suburb of Marcory, which has become a high-income part of the city in recent years. In the Ivory Coast, a rising number of the nation’s poorest citizens are calling for fairer distribution of wealth being brought in by oil deals with the neighboring country of Ghana, which is also suffering from similar unrests. As a part of this outrage at the disproportionate share of the nation GDP, the people of Sanwi, a region just east of the city of Abidjan, declared independence in 1991. The I.C. President, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, has blamed a Sanwi terror group for the cam bomb, and has just condemned the Sanwi separatists as “traitors” and the protestors elsewhere in the country as “elements of anarchy.” This is a developing story…
– KNN, 6/16/1992 broadcast
GUEST: “Iacocca is not really a Republican, he’s too liberal in too many places to be a Republican.”
HOST: “There have been rumors of you mounting an independent or third-party bid for the Presidency. Can you tell us anything about that right now?”
GUEST: “I can tell you that I’m not going to run this fall, but if a fellow Republican wants to go for third-party or independent run or something like that, and they promote returning America to its Christian roots in order to save it from a morally corrupt future, well, they’ll have my support, I can tell you that right now.”
– Minister Estus Pirkle (R-MS) guest appearing on Meet the Press, 6/17/1992
REPORT: CRIME RATES IN NYC BOROUGHS ON THE RISE
– The New York Post, 6/18/1992
“Let’s return America to its previous conditions of security. Let’s have it so, once again, someone can sleep with their windows open, when policemen were everyone’s friend, and they never shot anyone unless they really, truly deserved it. When we didn’t have to worry for our lives when walking down a city street or a country road. …America is at its best when people can trust one another. Only when kindness overcomes suspicion and fear do we achieve our goals, for it is through those goals that we obtain greatness and glory and even salvation.”
– Lee Iacocca, in a prepared hard-on-crime speech written to win over religious voters, 6/20/1992
EXTRA!: CHINA’S CHAIRMAN LI XIANNIAN IS DEAD!
…this development could have major ramifications both in and out of China…
– The New York Times, 6/21/1992
…Li dying two days shy of his 83rd birthday caused the factor of age to be prominent in the party’s consideration for whom would become Li’s successor. With Vice Chairman Lee Teng-hui (b. 1923) already serving on an interim basis, party elders initially considered making him official Chairman. However, Lee’s support of the full democratization of China’s markets and his strongly internationalist tendencies put him at odds with the party’s lingering “old guard.” Two alternative candidates, Wan Li (b. 1916), a moderate and advocate for constitutional reforms, and compromise candidate Zhao Ziyang (b. 1919), were deemed too old for the twelve-year-long term. Thinking outside of the box, party leaders eyed Zhu Rongji, the popular 63-year-old Mayor of Shanghai since 1987. A wealthy academic allegedly descended from the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu was a highly respected fighter of corruption who supported internationalism, but “so long as the will of the people of China remain at the forefront at all times.” Zhu’s record as mayor demonstrated a willingness to make tough decisions to keep economy roaring, which showed that he had the ability to plan for both short-term and long-term situations. Impressed by these aspects (but more so, his being more reluctant to attempt radical change than Lee Teng-hui), the party elders made their decision, and Zhu unexpectedly found himself accepting the position of Premier of the PRC on June 28, and officially began his twelve years the next month…
– Shan Li’s China in the Twentieth Century, Cambridge Press, 2003
Jim Collins grew tired to Novak’s sugar-coating awful quick. “Cut the crap,” the CEO said. “Just tell us how bad it is!”
David C. Novak, the vice-chair of sales, relented. “The line’s only bringing in 60% of the revenue we thought it would. The products are even underperforming at locations with high temperatures, where frozen foods typically sell really well.”
“Maybe we should invest more into the advertising?” suggested Board Chairman Harold Omer.
Novak shook his head. “We’re losing both money and customers on this. People want fresh, already-hot KFC, not something they have to warm up at home. We’re offering something that not enough people want, and so we’re not seeing the results we expected to see.”
Board member Bob Yarmuth asked, “But they can improve, right? Maybe we can lower the price for a limited time to drive up demand?
“I don’t think that would change much,” board member Joe Ledington assessed.
“I think we should cut our losses and discontinue the line. Best case scenario, it’ll get a niche following like the Ollieburger and we’ll bring them back on a smaller scale or something,” Novak concluded.
“I disagree,” CEO Jim Collins announced. “I say we give it another four months, give it a chance. Market it some more, try to get people to buy by saying ‘while supplies last’ in all advertisements.”
“Isn’t that a little underhanded?” Ledington asked without fear of reprisal due to the workplace’s typically friendly culture.
“A little white lie like this would hurt nobody, Joe,” Collins said.
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
…Breaking news: California, God’s Etch-a-Sketch, was hit by another major earthquake just moments ago, at roughly 11:57 PM, local time. Estimated at the moment to be of a magnitude of 7.4, the quake struck Palm Springs and has awoken people across southern California. More details will be available in time, as this is a breaking news story…
– Overmyer Network Nightly News, 6/28/1992 broadcast
Burton was juggling several projects at once in the 1990s. After working on “Batman” (1989) and its prequel “Batman: Year One” (1990), he agreed to make one more Batman movie before returning focus on other projects. His co-producing of the 1992 film “Spiderman,” with River Phoenix as Spiderman, Harry Bernard “Ben” Cross as the Green Goblin, and a red-haired Selena Quintanilla-Perez as Mary Jane Watson in her film debut, was concurrent with his directing of “Batman Returns,” the final stand-alone Batman film in which Nicholas Cage starred as the Cape Crusader. Although criticized for its tone being even darker than its two predecessors, the third installment of the “Cage the Bat” Trilogy won praise for its action sequences, actor performances, music score, and special effects. More importantly, its ability to bring in roughly $280million on a budget of $84million allowed Burton to exit the franchise on an amicable note.
[snip]
Burton first thought up idea of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in 1982, and ultimately made a development deal on the concept with Disney in 1991. Disney executives had originally shied away from such dark subject matter, but had recently changing their minds on the dark material in reaction to the rising prominence of the Riot Grrrl and Riot Boi subcultures suggesting that making “dark and edgy” material aimed at adolescents would be a financially lucrative investment. Katzenburg was more enthusiastic about the technical aspects of the project, believing it could revive interest in stop motion, and promote the implementation of CRI (Computer-Rendered-Imagery) into future projects (and its use in a few scenes in “The Nightmare Before Christmas” ended up being considered groundbreaking at the time).
However, Burton would not direct due to continuing commitments to other film projects such as 1994’s “Ed Wood,” co-producing another Superman film, and possibly co-directing a “Justice League” film. Additionally, Burton did not want to be involved in “the painstakingly slow process of stop motion” [15]…
…Production began on T.N.B.C. in September 1992 to a large budget, and was released on October 29, 1994…
– Kale Hanke’s Beyond Burton: An Unauthorized Biography Of A Filmmaker, St. Martin’s Press, 2010 edition
DESIGNERS RACE IN SHOWCASE OF GREEN ENERGY POSSIBILITIES
Austin, TX – The Sunrayce, unofficially called The American Solar Challenge (or A.S.C.), is an annual competition that sees college teams design, build, test and race their own solar-powered land vehicles in a lengthy road rally-type event. The race stretches across thousands of miles of public roads, with venue locations varying yearly for this cross-country display of technological innovation. The three-days-long event began with festivities marking the start of the race in Austin today, with the finish line in El Paso to most likely to be reached on Independence Day…
[pic: https://imgur.com/2OttGs3.png ]
Above: last year’s winner races past the finish line as spectators cheer on.
– The Houston Chronicle, 7/2/1992
WHY DID "TAKE THAT" STAY AROUND FOR SO LONG?: Of All The Teen Bands To Come Across The Pond During The British Invasion Of The 1990s, Why Did This One Stick Around Longer Than All The Rest?
By Tim Roney
In 1991, music mogul Nigel Martin-Smith wanted to capitalize on the rising popularity of teen bands, boy bands, and, most recently, “riot” bands, and sought to create a band that targeted all three demographics – and then some. With the idea of a less-edgy New Kids on the Block in mind, Martin-Smith brought together Gary Barlow (the singer), Howard Donald (the DJ), Jason Orange (the dancing painter), Mark Owen (the footballer) and Jason Brown (the “rebel”) to create “Take That” later that year.
Wanting to break out from the other British boy bands of the era, Martin-Smith attempted a wide array of musical pop styles to find something that was both distinct, yet widely appealing. He decided to try everything, or, to use an American expression, throw it all on the wall and see what stuck.
Marketing played a key role. Through talks with managers of bands involved in The Scene That Celebrates Itself, a self-explanatory movement from the early 1990s from England that caught on in most of Europe but only parts of the States, Martin-Smith became aware of how pop songs were marketed in the US, and began to study like finals were just around the corner.
With magazine-ready personalities, the music itself was more crucial than the look. Writing by songwriter Gary Barlow, “whose music is in the tradition of Elton John and George Michael,” Davis told Billboard in October 1995 [16], was vital. After several early songs aired in late 1991 and early 1992 proved too “soft,” as in too safe to appeal to edgy teens and not memorable enough to appeal to older audiences, Martin-Smith opted for a shift in style, focusing just on America’s youth. When planning the group’s first album release, Martin-Smith and the band decided to release both “edgy” songs and “soft pop” songs to see which were more successful in the UK before expanding outward.
Wanting to capture a “middle-pond” singing and dancing rhythm, one that would translate to sales in Europe and America, Martin-Smith took to some drastic measures according the band members. The five boys were forced the band to watch “hours and hours” of MTV and American music videos, “at least an hour a day for three weeks straight at one point,” according to a group interview in 2005. This possible violation of the Geneva Convention, though, may have worked for radio program listeners, as American sales of their music finally saw a spike upwards by the end of 1992 – especially after the release of their first album.
Take That’s debut studio album, “Take That & Party,” was released on 17 August 1992. It was a major success, briefly reaching number one on the UK Albums Chart and staying in the UK Top 75 album chart for just over a year and a half. The band began to take Europe by storm.
But still the numbers were not satisfactory for Martin-Smith, especially as the pop market was becoming increasingly saturated by other British and American music gems. He wanted to try something bigger, something that would garner more attention and expand American awareness.
Hence, the American Tour of 1993…
– billboard.co.usa/articles
BELLAMY/LITTON RENOMINATED ON LAST NIGHT OF DNC IN NYC
…the party platform calls for defense of the rights of “all sidelined groups,” for greater environmental protection action due to rising concern over Global Climate Disruption, for congress to pass a National Initiative and Referendum Amendment to be ratified by the states, and – the largest plank – implementing a landmark Federal Guaranteed Employment bill “by the end of 1994”…
– The Washington Post, 7/16/1992
Bob received twelve votes for VP from delegates critical of Litton’s reluctance to enthusiastically support the more progressive planks of the 1992 Democratic platform, such as the decriminalization of recreational drugs deemed less harmful than alcohol, such as marijuana; a substantial raising of the minimum wage; greater legal protection measurements for BLUTAGOs, and racial and ethnic minorities; greater regulation of carbon emissions; and greater support of labor unionization efforts. Litton feared such political promises could not be kept if Republicans retained control of the House, and these twelve delegates responded to this doubt put promoting Bob, who was more supportive of these ideas, over Litton. …When asked about rumors that Bob would serve in Bellamy’s cabinet (most likely as Secretary of the Interior) if she won a second term later that year, Bob said “I’m honored, but no thanks. My focus right now is being Governor. It’s a bad idea to use two paintbrushes at once, so I’m not going to be running for one job when I already have a job. And this is a good job, too. I think I’m doing a good job here. I’m helping people, and that’s the sign of a job being done right, at least in my book.”
– Kristin G. Congdon, Doug Blandy, and Danny Coeyman’s Happy Clouds, Happy Trees: The Bob Ross Phenomenon, University Press of Mississippi, 2014
Iacocca agreed with President Bellamy in exploring the potential of the TechNet. The US’s IBM, Apple, and Motorola were not the sole leaders of innovation on the increasingly-global home computer market. The UK’s Amstrad was gaining prominence, as was Japan’s Nintendo. From the Middle East, Packard Bell was on the rise, too. Led by Binyamin Alagem, an Israeli-American entrepreneur, and given dual government funds in exchange for serving Israeli and Palestinian customers, in accordance with the economic “guidelines” of the Atlanta Peace Treaty of 1978, PB’s early success was inspirational to other technet innovators in the Middle East. Stateside, after defeating John Sculley in a power struggle for CEO of the company [17], Steve Jobs was making NeXT the leading company for both higher education computer programming and for education-related technological innovation, leading to Jobs meeting with President Bellamy, Technology Secretary Kyros, key US Senators, and Lee Iacocca several times just in the year 1992 alone.
– Joy Lisi Rankin’s Computers: A People’s History of the Information Machine, Westview Press, 2018
Meanwhile, the surprisingly resilient self-declared government established on Barbuda had finally succumbed to the will of both the people and the federal authorities. On July 27, 1992, after nearly a year in control of the island and with its people firmly against his “reign,” a large raid on the captive governmental building was successful. Nibbs was shot in the arm and captured alive…
– Carrie Gibson’s Empire’s Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2020 edition
FMR GOV. PEROT ENDORSES IACOCCA
– The Houston Chronicle, 7/27/1992
After rioters overpowered the home of one of VP Sudharmono, leading to local police firing on civilians, killing 17 people and injuring 26 more, Suharto’s last allies began distancing from him. The Sudharmono Mansion Massacre soon led to Suharto’s the nation’s leader since 1965, announce on June 28 the implementation of a 60-day freeze on banks in order to allow the government “breathing room” to address the financial crisis. Instead, behind closed doors, Suharto was preparing to resign. His vacating of the office on July 28 put the national crisis squarely in the lap of the unpopular Sudharmono, and almost immediately, a power struggle begin. Sudharmono (b. 1927) was ambitious and planned to end inflation with marketing reforms. Meanwhile, Suharto’s preferred successor, Try Sutrisno (b. 1935), a close ally of Suharto and commander of the Armed Forces, began openly rebuking the new President’s ideas while building a league of supporters within the Indonesian government.
– Adrian Vickers’ A History of Modern Indonesia (Second Edition), Cambridge University Press, 2015
REPORT: Economy Recovery Is Slower Than Expected
…the economic state left behind in the wake of the 1990 recession and the 1991 Hantavirus “mini-recession” is improving, but not as quickly as the federal government anticipated…
– The Wall Street Journal, 7/30/1992
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] Not implausible: https://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/fashion-flashback-the-real-housewives-of-nasa-astronauts/ (“J.F.K. made clear [Rene] was his favorite” of the Apollo astronaut’s wives)
[2] Italicized parts of quote found here: http://www.quebecoislibre.org/001028-11.htm
[3] Italicized part is OTL quote: https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0124/012422.html
[4] Italicized passage pulled from Source 73 on his wiki page
[5] Italicized passage pulled from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahd_of_Saudi_Arabia
[6] OTL!
[7] I was going to pick Farley for this role, or a Guest Star like William Shatner or John Belushi or Robert De Niro, but Phil Hartman played Iacocca on SNL IOTL FYI: https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/get-to-know-me/n9794
[8] OTL!
[9] All segments here that are in italics are directly from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Framework_Convention_on_Climate_Change
[10] According to this: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-so-many-americans-now-support-legalizing-marijuana-in-4-charts , this: https://news.gallup.com/poll/267698/support-legal-marijuana-steady-past-year.aspx and other sources that show similar polling results, the disapproval number in 1991 was between 20% and 25% in OTL.
[11] Source 15 of the 1990 American with Disabilities Act’s wiki page: Thomas DeLeire’s “The Unintended Consequences of the Americans with Disabilities Act” (2000) reports that the employment rate of men with disabilities dropped by 7.8% between 1991 and 1995 IOTL, regardless of age or education level, and with the most affected being young, less-educated and mentally-disabled men.
[12] OTL quote!: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/James_P._Gray#Quotes
[13] OTL quote.
[14] According to his wiki article.
[15] According to Source 15 on The Nightmare Before Christmas’ wiki page
[16] These Italicized words, along with some un-italicized adjectives I used here to describe this group, are from here: https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop-shop/6634332/take-that-america-analysis-boy-band-week
[17] IOTL, Jobs lost this power struggle because the board of directors sided with Sculley while Jobs was visiting the Soviet Union on a business trip for Apple. ITTL, such a business trip doesn’t occur; instead, Jobs is supported by then-Governor Ross Perot (a backer of Jobs, as mentioned in January 1985 ITTL) and uses that political weight to win over the board!
The next chapter's E.T.A.: Soon!
Thanks!
Thank you and thank you!
1. Good eye, that's typo, the caption should read "Homer," not "Seymour," thanks for pointing it out!
2. Thanks!
3. Good idea!
Thanks!
I was going to have the 1993 hantavirus outbreak from OTL be a bit worse, but I decided to move it up two years due to coronavirus and to add a bit of suspenseful-ness to early 1991. It also works as an additional GOP criticism, claiming Bellamy overreacted to it, for Republicans to use in 1992.
Thanks for commenting, everyone; I truly appreciate the feedback!
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Here's hoping that Romania restores the Monarchy and strengths democracy in Eastern Europe. Quick question is the Monarchy of Greece still around.
Chapter 66: August 1992 – December 1992
Chapter 66: August 1992 – December 1992
“It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”
– Jan-Luc Picard (OTL)
SUMMER OLYMPICS END IN BARCELONA
...the band "Queen" marked the conclusion of the closing ceremonies with their hit "Barcelona"... with Euro-Disney heading their way and the summer games a complete success, Spain is preparing for some very prosperous years ahead of them…
– The San Francisco Chronicle, 8/9/1992
CHINESE AND INDIAN DELEGATES GRILLED AT U.N. FOR HIGH AIR POLLUTION RATES!
…things heated up at a multinational conference at the U.N. building today when French delegates lambasted the representatives of China and India for downplaying their nations being first and second, respectively, on the U.N.’s official list of nations that contribute the most to annual air pollution rates. India’s officials countered by pointing to America being a number four (Brazil is at number three), while China’s delegates questioned the accuracy of the scientific measurements used when compiling the list…
– The New York Post, 8/10/1992
In a 2014 interview, former White House Chief of Staff Joan E. Spero recalled another incident of Carol’s impatience showing. “I was trying to get her to partake in a PR stunt of sort, a quick interview for one of those waiting-room magazines, a fluff piece on her daily routine, her friends, favorite foods and movies, things like that. More about personality than policy, which we knew wasn’t her game. She’d smile that warm, inspiring smile, but she disliked talking about herself, especially if it had nothing to do with helping people. So she kept rescheduling it and putting it off until we just cancelled it. Carol’s scheduled was too full, “stuffed with meetings,” I remember I said. And behind closed doors, Counselor to the President Diane Ravitch said, “Carol is too busy being President to really run for President.”
Indeed, Carol likely would have preferred a front-porch campaign of old, but the modern media world of soundbites and PR stunts had arrived. In private, Spero and other worried that “too much progressivism so quickly,” as Advisor John Seigenthaler put it, would “drive progressive turnout down as they now think that all is well, and…drive conservative and moderate turnout sky-high,” causing Bellamy to lose in a “shocking” upset, a reversal of 1948. “That would be a real-life tortoise-and-hare kind of moment,” Seigenthaler feared.
[pic: https://imgur.com/ffPg4Wi ]
Above: Bellamy at a cabinet meeting, c. August 1992
– Thomas Hennen Carter’s Bellamyville: The Rise And Struggles Of An American President, Scribner publishers, 2018
KFC JAPAN HOLDS AN ANNUAL MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ITS CHICKENS
If you happen to swing by the grave of Col. Harland Sanders, former US President and founder of the KFC fast food empire, at the Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, you may see buckets of chicken placed around his memorial, flanking an eternal flame and multiple flower arrangements. In Japan, though, you may see statues of the beloved Colonel at a memorial service for KFC Japan’s chickens.
Each year, in a solemn and serious tradition dating back to 1983, KFC Japan holds an annual memorial service for the brave chickens whose lives were lost in service of sating Japan’s hunger for fried chicken. The memorial service, known as Chicken Thanksgiving, is an annual event reportedly meant to be a way for the company to give thanks for the birds. Each year, according to the Japanese news source SoraNews24, the President of KFC-Japan, as well as other high-ranking executives in the company, plus “key workers along the supply chain such as meat processors, sales reps, and seasoning producers,” gather at one of Japan’s temples to appreciate, remember, and honor the chickens that are so valuable to their business. They also “pray for safe and healthy meat during the following year.”
The memorial, typically held in the summer, dates to the origins of Chicken Thanksgiving, when KFC Japan launched a marketing campaign promoting “Kurisumasu ni wa kentakkii!” or “Kentucky for Christmas!”, which helped turned buckets of chicken from a fast food dinner to an annual holiday feast. Now, the tradition is so popular that the chain relies on it for a third of its annual income. [1]
– Time Magazine, August 1992 issue
…As the 1990s began, T.O.N. was on the decline as KNN began to siphon away viewers. Aiming to stay relevant in the saturated market, Mr. Overmyer sought to mimic the successful actions of the network’s competitors by launching T.O.N. O’ Toons [2], spoken as “ton o’ toons,” a new network channel dedicated entirely to broadcasting animated programming. The company quickly obtained both pre-existing material not already taken by the rest of the Big Five. By the middle of the decade, T.O.N. was producing original content for “Ton O’ Toons.” For example, the network ultimately gained the rights to the Defender of Dynatron City TV series (1993-1999) in 1992, and to Jimmy Neutron (1998-2009) in 1997...
– clickopedia.co.usa/The_Overmyer_Network
THE DEFENDERS OF DYNATRON CITY (film)
Premiered (on T.O.N.): August 16, 1992
Genre (s): surrealist, action, comedy, sci-fi, adventure
[snip]
CAST:
Whoopi Goldberg as Ms. Megawatt
Christopher Walken as Dr. Mayhem
Pat Fraley as Jet Headstrong
Candi Milo as Buzzsaw
David Foley as Toolbox
[snip]
Synopsis:
Set in the future, a team of transforming superheroes protect the bustling metropolis from the evil Dr. Mayhem and his robot accomplices.
Trivia Facts:
Trivia Fact No. 1: The made-for-TV movie was made to drum up support for the eponymous video game that was released in December 1992; the game’s release was delayed for roughly six months due to concerns that the hit detection requirements were too specific and thus too hard for playability. Similarly, the film’s release date was pushed back from February to August in order to improve its animation quality.
– www.mediarchives.co.usa/The_Defenders_of_Dynatron_City [3]
MAN-MADE OASIS: The Artificial Cities of Southern Israel
…businesses and even government agencies from Palestine and Egypt are collaborating with Israeli businesses and government agencies to “build up” the desert-filled, sparsely-population areas of southern Israel with impressive terraforming projects, creating dozens of Jewish communities. Currently, less than half are complete, creating images of paved roads that empty out into sandy nothingness, and skeletal layouts of buildings that will one day be stores, hospitals, community centers, schools, sports centers, and – most likely – thousands upon thousands of affordable homes. Taking a page out of Libya’s water systems, companies are installing miles of pipe from Tel-Aviv to water these artificial oases…
– National Geographic, August 1992 issue
For example, presumptive nominee Lee Iacocca entered the 1992 RNC without a pre-selected running mate. He had vetted many, and had compiled a shortlist, but wanted to find a specific kind of politician. The business wanted someone experienced, but not considered part of the party elite; he wanted a younger politician to offset him turning 68 during the fall campaign; most of all, he wanted someone who could unite the party by winning over dissatisfied Pirkle voters, and, to a lesser urgency, the former supporters of Wead, Paul and Goldwater as well.
In Iacocca’s case, the initial top four choices were Senators Meredith and Engeleiter, Governor Scranton, and Congressman Wead. Engeleiter would “steal Carol’s thunder,” but was a fellow moderate who was not too appealing to the conservative faction of the party. Meredith, an African-American, would be a bold and unprecedented pick. Meredith’s biggest drawback, though, was that he would likely fail to help Lee get legislation passed; his independent nature had made him few friends in that chamber, and was known for making him publicly call out members of his own party for policies with which he disagreed. Undoubtedly, flashbacks to the public spats between Mondale and Gravel took root in Lee’s head. Scranton would be a “doubling-down” on Iacocca’s Midwestern strategy, and Wead, while only a congressman, nevertheless was still very popular with the libertarian faction.
However, conservatives were most enthusiastic for the fifth name on the list – freshman US Senator Larry Miles Dinger of Iowa.
Born and raised in what the man himself described as “bucolic” Iowan town, Larry Miles Dinger had served in the US Army in Cambodia from 1968 to 1970 before graduating from Harvard Law in 1974 and serving in the US House from 1977 to 1981. Dinger garnered foreign policy experience with several ambassadorial positions under President Denton, until stepped down in September 1986 in protest of the Denton’s involvement in scandals; this act helped him stay popular enough in DC circles for him to become President Kemp’s U.S. Undersecretary of Defense. Dinger, a Democrat until 1967, showed bipartisanship when he accepted the role of US Ambassador to the United Nations under Bellamy, but stepped down 11 months later to successfully run for a US Senate seat in 1990, at the relatively young age of 44. In the time since, his voting record implied his selection would cover all of the bases needed to beat Bellamy [4] in November.
[pic: imgur.com/1kApcbK.png ]
Larry Miles Dinger, c. 1991
At the 1992 Republican National Convention (held from August 17 to August 20 in Houston, Texas), several delegates voiced concern that Dinger was “not tested” in regards to his voting record in Congress. While considerably to the right on most issues, most of Dinger’s Senate work had focused on committees concerning agriculture and foreign affairs. Thus, the Senator connected well with rural voters far better than the rust belt businessman. Furthermore, his short time in the Senate made him not a part of the party elite while still hinting at an ability to get legislation passed. “Larry’s like a self-made jigsaw piece, filling up enough of the spaces here and there to get the job done,” Lee noted in private to his campaign manager at the time. However, delegates persisted he go for a bolder choice such as Senators Meredith, Engeleiter or Claudine Schneider of Rhode Island. To counter this, Dinger focused on both “bread-and-butter” concerns like the rising price of gas and other issues and “the moral necessity of obtaining individual liberty” during his August 18 convention speech, which received resounding cheers from both the libertarian and “Pirklesque” camps. As a result, Dinger won 76% of the convention’s Vice Presidential delegate count, with Meredith in second place with 11%, Senator Barbara Cubin of Wyoming in third with 7%.
– Suzanne M. Leland’s The Suit Circuses: A Look At Presidential Conventions in The U.S.A., 2016 edition
PIRKLE ENDORSES IACOCCA/DINGER ON FINAL DAY OF RNC
– The Houston Chronicle, 8/20/1992
SUCCESS AND STRENGTH, AT HOME AND ABROAD
– Unofficial Iacocca’92 slogan, first used c. late August 1992
MITCHELL LEADS PROG-TOMS TO PLURALITY VICTORY!
…Maggie Mitchell led the Progressive-Tomorrow party to a plurality of MP seats in tonight’s elections, best Paul Martin Jr. of the Liberal party, and incumbent Prime Minister Erik Nielsen of the Conservative party, who fell to third place. Mitchell win most likely work with the Liberals to form a working “minority” government. …Nielsen faced criticism from his own party in recent months over difficulty passing legislation. He was unpopular in the Maritime Provinces for imposing a two-year moratorium on cod fishery to boost the cod population in the area, but without a plan for the hundreds of thousands of fisherman who lost revenue or had resorted to fishing for other local fish. This wrench in the fishing industry especially hurt PCs in Newfoundland, were they performed miserably tonight. Nielsen’s opposition to capital punishment dismayed social conservatives, and his gaffe last month – stating “rural children can be just as smart as urban children” when discussing rural-urban test score differences, despite stemming from the rural Yukon – did not exactly help his standing with voters in the prairie provinces, either. …Mitchell will be the first female elected Prime Minister and the second woman to serve as Prime Minister (after Sheila Copps’ short-lived tenure)…
– The Globe and Mail, Canadian newspaper, 8/24/1992
In 1992, Bellamy came out in support of the leaders of western Europe, led by the UK’s PM John Lennon, in demanding that the PRC had to accept Taiwan joining the WTO if the PRC wanted to join as well. With the Western Turkestan Camps Crisis still fresh in the politburo’s minds, the PRC reluctantly agreed.
– Bo Yibo’s The Dragon and The Eagle: Chinese and American Dances, Daggers and Dinners, English translation, 1998
PATH OF TERROR: Hurricane Andrew Wreaks Havoc in S. Florida
…one of the most destructive hurricanes in Florida’s history is mercilessly hitting the Sunshine State, killing eight people so far and creating hundreds of millions of dollars in damages so far...
– The Sun-Sentinel, 8/25/1992
[pic: https://imgur.com/MwrUdbR ]
...Bellamy has sent out the National Guard to help rescue survivors from debris, maintain order at shelters and hospitals, and clamp down on riots and looting...
– The Miami Herald, 8/28/1992
FIRST LADY OF ALASKA PASSES AWAY
Juneau, AS – Alaska’s First Lady Jane Ross has passed away from cancer, according to an official family statement. A camera-shy and humble First Lady, Jane nevertheless promoted the arts, creativity and higher education programs for children, and advocated for greater funding for children’s hospitals. Jane’s death comes as a surprise and as a shock to the people of Alaska, as, while their First Lady was known for her privacy and for her timidity, especially in regards to interviews, her cancer diagnosis was never made public. Governor Bob Ross (I-AS), who, according to anonymous members of his staff, is “beside himself,” “despondent,” and “lachrymose,” has cleared his calendar for the next month. Memorial services specifics, however, have yet to be announced.
– The Washington Post, 9/1/1992
MITCHELL SWORN IN AS CANADA’S NEWEST PM
– The Calgary Sun, Canadian newspaper, 9/4/1992
BELLAMY: 47.1%
IACOCCA: 46.5%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 6.4%
– NBC national poll, 9/9/1992
Michael Craig “Mike” Judge (b. 10/17/1962) is a producer, musician, mathematician, writer, animator, voice actor, and retired physicist. [snip] Judge graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 1985 and initially worked in physics and mechanical engineering before moving to Silicon Valley in 1987, where he found work at a low-level position in Apple Inc., and began playing bass in a local band. Finding more success in music than at Apple, he left the company in 1989 to co-found Frog Splatter, an alternative rock band under the Black Top Records label. His hit single “Cornholio” peaked at #1 on the charts for six weeks in September 1992. During his subsequently successful musical career, he worked on music-related projects with Tommy Chong, Anson Funderburgh, Doyle Bramhall and many others. He collaborated with Nirvana in 1995, and formed a lasting friendship with Kurt Cobain in the process. …He did not begin to develop an interest in animation until the mid-to-late 1990s [5], partially due to the social situations of that era…
– clickopedia.co.usa
HOUSE REJECTS DISABLED RIGHTS BILL OVER EMPLOYMENT RATES CONCERNS; Dems “Workshopping” Alternative Bill
– The Washington Post, 9/14/1992
…Arthur Nibbs was quickly brought to trial and found guilty of treason. After being sentenced to life in prison for his role in the unlawful occupation of government property and the wounding of a total of five officers, Nibbs famously proclaimed on September 16th that “I and my brothers-in-arms will not go unavenged – in 25 years, all the oppressors and betrayers and their precious elitist homes and buildings will be blown away and destroyed! There will be nothing left of them – Barbuda will be cleansed! That is our promise!”
– Carrie Gibson’s Empire’s Crossroads: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day, Atlantic Monthly Press, 2020 edition
While Bellamy focused heavily on Education, Civil Rights, and Children-related topics such as food security, and touted her Healthcare accomplishments, Iacocca focused more on Agriculture, the old “Kempian” talking point of Urban Development (“ZEDs helped enfranchise thousands of Black people nationwide, and you can thank Republicans for that!” Iacocca proudly boasted more than once), and Government Spending (“The Feds must improve efficiency so more is spent in the right places!” went another Iacocca talking point meant to cash in on nostalgia for “the good ol' days” of President Colonel Sanders). While immigration was not a major issue in this election cycle, it still played a role in Iacocca’s efforts to win immigrants eligible to vote over to the Republican side. Many Hispanics and Catholics from socially conservative cultures flocked to Iacocca’s camp. Furthermore, while most in the GOP were to the right on immigration, Iacocca himself was a left-leaning centrist on the subject due to him being the son of immigrants, a note he brought up more than once when stumping in immigrant-high areas in the Midwest and Northeast. The economic issues of minimum wage, social programs, taxation, unions, and business regulations was where the two differed the most, and yet both campaigned heavily in the rust belt for the blue collar labor vote.
However, the biggest issue for Iacocca was Japan’s seemingly unstoppable growth. Apart from a minor recession in 1987 from which they quickly recovered, Japan was dominating industries, threatening us employment with a brand-new concept with which many Americans were starting to become familiar – outsourcing.
[snip]
…Sexism was once again prevalent in the race, with Bellamy supporters claiming that criticisms of her taxation policies were driven by gender discrimination more so than by economics. However, Bellamy’s biggest weakness in the eyes of many was her foreign policy record, with many Republicans claiming her humanitarianism went too far when she made a grain deal with the ruthless dictatorship of North Korea...
– Thomas Hennen Carter’s Bellamyville: The Rise And Struggles Of An American President, Scribner publishers, 2018
“I say, ‘Why are you wishing away the middle class?’ If these workers who were making $18 an hour are retained to work at McDonald’s for $3 an hour, they ain’t going to buy any cars or houses. The wage problem isn’t take-home pay. That’s only $10 out of $20. The other world market is by most accounts expected to narrow the $1,200 gap between Japanese and American per-car production costs. We have $600 a car that we think we will get reduced through productivity improvements – robots and the like. About $300 is direct labor. We can get a piece of that by attacking these millionaire doctors we’re breeding. We’ve never needed them, and we especially don’t need them now. We’re not trying to reduce health care. We’re trying to get at competitive health care rates, and there’s no competition because there’s too much government control.” [6]
– Lee Iacocca, chiding the White House at an open-to-the-press political fundraiser in Washington D.C., 9/21/1992
“HOSEA, AARON & RALPH” BRINGS THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGACY TO CHILDREN AND IS A MUST-SEE FOR ALL
Juanita Terry Williams, the primary torchbearer of her late husband’s legacy, partnered with DIC Entertainment, L.P. to create a film about the three most celebrated Civil Rights icons of the 1960s, all of whom were cut down in their prime – one by plane crash, two by assassination. The film, a star-studded animated home video release available since Friday, centers mainly on Williams’ late husband most especially; she hopes it will make children “see Hosea Williams as more than a name in a history book, or the name of every other boulevard in every other southern city.” Aiming to entertain and educate, the video is a fast-moving hour concerning two present-day friends, one white and one black, who end up travelling back in time and befriending Hosea, meeting him first as a young teenager chased out of town by a lynch mob, then after being a soldier in WWII, and later as a new rising star in the Civil Rights Movement. This is where our two protagonists meet Ralph Abernathy, Hosea’s higher-ranking friend, and Aaron Henry, a political firebrand. After learning of Henry’s assassination, and that Hosea will soon die next, followed later by Ralph, the two main characters try to prevent all three fates by bringing them to the present, only to discover what the world might have been like without the efforts of their three new friends.
A passion project of Juanita’s for several years, the film boasts impressively detailed and fluid animation for DIC production, combining exclusive archival footage from the estates of Williams, Henry, and Abernathy with the film’s animated world via merging real-life material onto windows, backgrounds, picture frames, and even the elections in the characters’ eyes. The film also touts an all-star cast that includes Whoopi Goldberg, David Alan Grier, Danny Glover, Angela Bassett, Ron Pallilo, Demond Wilson, Christopher Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Guillaume, Ron Glass, Roscoe Lee Brown, Whitman Mayo, Susan Tomalin, and Oprah Winfrey.
“Hosea, Aaron & Ralph,” released through Tumbleweed Home Entertainment, is available for $16.99.
– Lynne Heffley, film critic, The Los Angeles Times, 9/24/1992 [3]
BELLAMY: 47%
IACOCCA: 46%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 7%
– CBS national poll, 9/27/1992
..Under Bellamy’s instructions and her Attorney General’s supervision, the Justice Department began increasing the scope and depth of its investigations into money laundering schemes relating to cocaine trafficking relating to the United States, and began working with INTERPOL, plus law enforcement officials in Colombia and Italy, as part of these investigations. The movements were publicized by her campaign, which was motivated by politics. Several members of her inner circle wanted to combat GOP claims that Bellamy was soft-on-crime over her support of pardoning nonviolent offenders, and for opposing for-profit prisons, ideas painted in 1992 as “stepping stones to rampant and unchecked crime sprees,” as US Senator Mario Biaggi (D-NY) put in late September 1992…
– Sinclair Dinnen’s The Laws of the 1990s: Changing Legalities For Changing Times, Arturo Books, 2003
They were gaining on us. Their boat was not much bigger than ours but wasn’t what scared us. It was their guns. Lots of them. Each man with a gun and black-and-red flag on their body to show which side of things they were on. They intimidated us. The captain too. The bells rang. The crewman scattered around in organized panic. We had been told about the river pirates prior to the trip, but we, apparently, had not been careful enough. We’d been spotted. And they were gaining on us.
When they got close enough to the cargo ship. The crewmen took out oars and hoses to try and keep them back. Didn’t work. One of the younger crewmen got too jumpy. He ran below deck and came big with the flare gun. The only weapon on board. He fired it at them. He missed. When he tried to fire again one of the pirates shot him. He and his flare gun fell overboard before anyone could do anything. That first bullets led to more, and we hit the deck. The pirates boarded within minutes like lions taking down an elephant. One of the pirates looked at me, spit on me, and said something in Spanish. I could only make out “Americano” or something like that. Then I found out what it’s like to take a rifle butt to the back of the head. At least you can’t tremble in fear when you’re unconscious.
– National Geographic photographer Robert F. Sisser’s account of encountering Colombian River Pirates while documenting the Colombian Civil War, 1993 statement
[pic: https://imgur.com/hDcMGqC ]
– A boat of ELN guerillas similar to the ones that attacked Robert Sisser’s envoy on 10/2/1992
The situation in Colombia was escalating in intensity as both sides began to resent the ongoing presence of non-Colombia ground forces, especially American troops. Bellamy’s efforts to pull out proved difficult. “She called it the Jenga dilemma. If you pull out too soon, and our allies fail to fill the void, the enemy wins. If you pull out too slowly, locals resent your lingering presence, our allies lose support while the enemy gains support, and the enemy wins,” noted Peter Flaherty, Bellamy’s Secretary of State at the time, in a 2003 interview.
Inland, ELN guerillas took to the country’s many rivers to attack perceived threats. On October 2, 1992, such attacks led to the kidnapping of an American journalist and his photographer, in turn leading to the two men being held hostage for five days before US and Colombian police stormed the guerilla’s outpost, culminating in a firefight that resulting in the deaths of all of the guerillas, and all of the survivors limping away with bullet wounds.
Farther out to sea, larger ships, namely international cargo ships traveling through the Panama Canal Zone, were at a high risk of such attacks from members of FARC, the left-wing guerilla movement heavily involved in kidnapping, ransom, and extortion. FARC members inland focused more on illegal mining, and participating in the recreadrug black market. Upon the successful extraction of the American hostages, Bellamy visited UN headquarters in New York to call for international crackdowns on Colombia guerilla activities and for stronger security measures to be put into place for vessels traveling through waters close to Colombia.
In the UK, PM John Lennon replied by calling for royal navy vessels to “escort” British ships using the Panama Canal Zone, citing five attempts made by sea-bound FARC guerillas to board British freights in the past eight months. Heads of State of other nations issued similar declarations soon after.
– Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin’s Leadership In Turbulent Times, Simon & Schuster, 2018
BELLAMY: 52%
IACOCCA: 44%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 4%
– CBS national poll, 10/7/1992
“Under a second term of President Bellamy, if parents want to leave their child alone with their child’s grandmother, the grandmother will have to be licensed by the federal government. Licensing grandmothers, think of that, that’s what the Carol Cronies mean when they say family, they mean big brother. When we say family, we mean ‘honor thy mother and thy father.’” [7]
– Estus Pirkle, stumping for Lee Iacocca in Wausau, Wisconsin, 10/8/1992
KING SISAVANG VATTHANA OF LAOS DIES AT 84
…Born on November 13, 1907, King Sisavang Vatthana ruled for roughly 33 years, from his father’s death in 1959, throughout a bloody civil war against the Pathet Lao during the 1960s and early 1970s, and to the start of expanding democratization efforts. The King passed away in his sleep from natural causes, according to the royal family’s official statement. The southeast Asian country’s geopolitical position may likely shift away from American alliance now. The nation’s new ruler, upon an official coronation early next year, will be the current Crown Prince, Vong Savang (b. 1931), a popular figure within Laos who favors his country joining the Non-Aligned Movement led by Yugoslavia over continuing his father’s favoritism toward the U.S. “and its imperialistic tendencies,” as Vong Savang put it in a 1986 interview. Meanwhile, Vong Savang’s eldest son and future Crown Prince of Laos, Soulivong Savang (b. 1963), is an openly avid Anglophile...
– The San Francisco Chronicle, 10/9/1992
The 10/10/1992 debate was not good for Bellamy. Iacocca attacked the President on her inability to lead American Armed Forces to victory in Colombia or to successfully oversee peace talks in that country, either. Bellamy had hoped that Colombia’s new constitution, which was promulgated on 4 July 1991, would cease the violence. “We have boots on the ground down there getting mowed down by mercenaries, cam bombs, and ruthless guerilla fighters. Their atrocities can’t be erased from history with an amnesty agreement,” Iacocca said, referring a controversial part of the failed peace talks. Iacocca also reminded viewers of Bellamy sacking her U.S. Ambassador to Colombia, Benjamin Fernandez (R-CA), over the failure of the peace talks, as an indication of her poor “judge of character,” as Iacocca put it, and of the “Colombian River Pirates” crisis from earlier in the month. Bellamy’s rebuttal, implying Republican Presidents had poorer judgement skills (“you remember Denton, don’t you? You had great things to say about him not too long ago.”), received both nods of approval and shaken heads of disapproval from the live audience.
Bellamy’s best defense was to rebuke Iacocca’s rhetoric by reminding viewers of his alleged lack of foreign policy experience. Her challenger countered these points by bringing up his signing of multiple business deals with manufacturers across the globe, leading to Chrysler and Ford getting materials for its US-base factories from countries across the globe. Iacocca also mentioned how, as MLB Commissioner, had negotiated a deal with players for a pay raise in 1988 to avoid a strike that would have cancelled the World Series that year, using it and the aforementioned business ventures as example of his ability to work with adversarial elements; “that’s the skillfulness I’ll bring to negotiations with congress.”
The only thing Carol and Lee agreed on in this debate, other than promoting nuclear proliferation, albeit at different paces, was the promotion of space exploration, with both candidates favoring a Mars landing within the next ten or fifteen years. Experts at the time believe that the next closest the two planets would be closest to one another would be in 2003, when they’d be only 33.9 million miles apart [8]. How to cover the costs of such an endeavor, however, was where the candidates differed once more. Due to her frustrations with the limitations of the Balanced Budget Amendment, Bellamy promoted the idea that NASA, private organizations, and the “International Community” should “split the check,” in response to Iacocca’s blunt promotion of exclusively NASA and America-based companies “pave the way” instead.
Most viewers believed Iacocca won the debate. While both candidates maintained cool demeanors, some viewers stated Bellamy seemed more “flustered” than the supposedly less-experienced Iacocca.
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
…Bellamy’s standing in the polls have dropped roughly 3 points in the wake of her poor performance debate this past Saturday evening. On the other hand, the likeability of both major party nominees is at a historic high. Additional polling reveals that most undecided voters are concerned more about the economy, which is growing, but sluggishly, and about foreign policy, much more than he personality of each candidate…
– ABC News, 10/12/1992
“When I look at the poll numbers right now, and I see that Lee only has a slight lead, like 2 percent, I think, and I truly think this, I think that Ron would have had this election in the bag by now if he had been nominated. He’d be polling at least 5 points ahead right now. But, well, the people have spoken, I mean, they spoke, uh, they chose Lee, and, you know what, if you are not free to choose wrongly and irresponsibly, you are not free at all.” [9]
– Jacob Hornberger, former campaign regional manager on the Ron Paul ’92 Presidential campaign, TV interview, The Overmyer Network, 10/13/1992 [10]
…On October 12, 1992, a severe earthquake shook Cairo, the capital of Egypt at the time, leaving hundreds dead. In a demonstration of how far the citizens of the region had come from the consistent clashes of yesteryear, multiple Israeli organizations sent aide and funds for recovery efforts …Israeli volunteers noted the hospitality, with one writing “our presence is welcomed with open arms. I do not think it is because it is a time of crisis. There is no subdued or hidden trace of hesitation, fear or suspicion among the people here.”…
– Ami Ayalon and Nikki Zagha’s Our Delicate Peace: The Making and Preservation of the Modern Middle East, Scobell Books, 2009
“This may have been interesting to farmers in Missouri and Iowa, but for everyone else in the country who made the mistake of watching this tonight, this debate was more boring than Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon and more inconclusive than The Shining. Each one of them – Larry and Jerry – kept trying to say ‘no, I’m more of a country bumpkin than you!’ Except neither pink pillar of Suit Filling even tried using kitschy salt-of-the-earth sayings to at least keep things interesting. Just statistics on how many more tractors were made in Japan instead the US over the last year, or how many bovine asses each of them have been near this month. Nothing that’ll change the minds of undecided voters.”
– Hunter S. Thompson, reviewing the 1992 VP debate, Saturday 10/17/1992
On October 20 [1992], Turner-Kennedy Broadcasting, Inc. launched The Cartoon Network, a TV channel aiming to consist of entirely animated programs for a variety of audience ages. Ted Turner oversaw these developments much more closely than Ted Kennedy, who was more involved in the more adult-oriented content, especially politics, news, and made-for-TV films. The purchasing of MGM cartoons, Fleischer Studios cartoons, and Hanna-Barbera Productions during the late 1980s and early 1990s gave TKB extensive library of animation properties for airing on the C.N.…
– Michael O’Connor’s A Tale of Two Teds: How Kennedy And Turner Built A Media Empire, Greenwood Press, 2017
Bellamy seemed to bounce back two weeks later, during the final Presidential debate held on Saturday 10/24/1992. The discussion tended to focus more on social issues such as the Moseley v. Van Dam Supreme Court ruling and the continuation of the War on Recreadrugs. On the former topic, Bellamy supported the court decision, while Iacocca walked a careful line, noting his Catholic faith in his opposition to the ruling but noting “the law of the land means women can now choose to make their own decisions without some government red tape interfering.” He concluded that while he openly discouraged abortion, he would respect the court ruling and “the freedom of choice, and one using one’s own morals to decide when abortion should be used,” while nevertheless encouraging mothers to “let your children have a chance at life.” On the latter topic, Bellamy called for “further research” into the effectiveness on the war, while Iacocca was a steadfast supporter of the war on “that brain-wrecking junk.”
Bellamy defended her four years of accomplishments with much enthusiasm; “Healthcare was the most expensive aspect of hiring employees, but not anymore. Food insecurity was a major epidemic in this country that affected millions of children, but not anymore.” She also defended her second-term goals of cutting the number of private prisons in the US in half, and the establishment of better recreadrug addiction treatment and rehabilitation clinics, without openly promoting decriminalization.
Despite UHC becoming increasingly popular among Americans, Iacocca complained about its high cost, saying “I want there to be an incentive to keep down UHC costs,” and suggested “scaling back” unspecified parts of UHC in order to make more money available for “other parts of the federal budget.” Bellamy countered this point by stating that she wanted to bring more money into the US economy to cover UHC and other programs by making “more millionaires and billions give their fair share back to the people and nation that make it possible for them to acquire so much wealth to begin with.” Iacocca ended with segment of the debate by claiming that the U.S. would have a “friendlier and thus more effective” Congress under “less divisive leadership in the White House.”
Toward the end of debate, Iacocca returned to his criticizing of Bellamy’s foreign policy, which promote the US “overseeing democracy-building diplomatic efforts oversees, for we Americans are democracy builders.” Lee countered by criticizing her handling of crises unfolding in Ghana and Bulgaria before returning once more to Bellamy’s allegedly poor response to the “Colombian River Pirates” Crisis in October. Iacocca attacked Bellamy’s cutting of defense spending amid “chaos unfolding” in Ghana and Colombia, which Bellamy countered by discussing humanitarian and diplomatic efforts there, and again blaming the confinements of the BBA. To this rebuttal, Iacocca concluded “We need to be bolder, and more willing to swing our big stick Teddy Roosevelt talked about when we need to swing it!”
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2011 edition
BELLAMY: 49.5%
IACOCCA: 46.7%
OTHER/UNDECIDED: 3.8%
– NBC national poll, 10/31/1992
ANALYSIS: 20 REASONS WHY BELLAMY WILL WIN A SECOND TERM
– The Washington Post, 11/1/1992
[pic: https://imgur.com/M9VCqd0 ]
Tickets:
Lido A. Iacocca (CA) / Larry Miles Dinger (IA) (Republican) – 53,893,522 (50.01%)
Carol Bellamy (NY) / Jerry Lon Litton (MO) (Democratic) – 52,632,671 (48.84%)
U. Utah Philips (UT) / Barbara Ehrenreich (VA) (United Progressives) – 431,058 (0.40%)
Ronald E. “Ron” Lewis (KY) / Fred Shuttlesworth (AL) (Salvation) – 334,073 (0.31%)
Mark Andrew Skousen (CA) / Robert Nozick (MA) (Liberty) – 204,754 (0.19%)
William K. Shearer (CA) / Scott McConnell (NY) (Country) – 193,977 (0.18%)
All other votes – 75,435 (0.07%)
Total Votes – 107,765,491 (100%)
[snip]
…Lewis, a Baptist minister who managed the Pirkle campaign’s Appalachian division during the GOP primaries, created the Salvation Party and soon afterward formed its rather bottom-heavy Presidential ticket with the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, who was much more famous than Lewis due to Shuttleworth spending decades of promoting civil rights and combating homelessness. Meanwhile, A United Progressives ticket was formed when several far-left parties (Liberty Union, Progressive, A Just Society, Green, American Democratic Labor, and others) all rallied behind a single candidate in September: political activist, musician, and nearly-perennial candidate U. Utah Philips...
[snip]
…Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire and Ohio were the closest states, in that order, with all but Ohio being under 1%...
[snip]
…Many media outlets received much public scrutiny and criticism after the election for predicting a Bellamy re-election victory for weeks prior to the election. Many analysts claim that this “overconfidence” influenced voter turnout among Bellamy and Iacocca supporters…
– clickipedia.co.usa
Anchor DAN RATHER: …It’s 1:25 AM, and just moments ago, after Pennsylvania went to Bellamy, Wisconsin and its thirteen votes went to Iacocca, giving him a total of 275 electoral votes, making him the first person elected president without any prior government or even any military experience. We’re still waiting for results from Alaska, Hawaii, and Oregon, but the race is already over, it’s already won, and, uh, businessman Lee Iacocca has won it.
Political commentator JANICE FINE: I’m just shocked by this, Dan. Bellamy’s one of our greatest Presidents, and – I mean, why did so many vote for Ia-coke-head? Don’t those people realize Bellamy’s policies are making people’s lives happier, smarter, safer and more comfortable? I mean, don’t they?!
Wisconsin Governor PAUL SOGLIN: Some folks don’t know what’s good for them. Others make false correlations. They see drug cartel violence on the rise in Mexico and Colombia, and the, uh, the likes of Buckley and Limbaugh convince them it’s the incumbent’s fault. Though honestly, I can’t help but feel kind of responsible here.
Analyst TIM RUSSELL: How so?
SOGLIN: I’ve been governor for ten years, and it seems obvious that my home state’s getting pretty sick of me.
Political commentator: Or maybe, just maybe, just hear me out here, she lost because she didn’t promise enough. She promised a continuation of what she had already implemented, plus further scrutiny of the big banks, which is always a good thing, and raising the minimum wage, and voting reform. She gave a passive “I’ll look into it” kind of response to prison reform and the war on recreadrugs, both while on the campaign trail and during the debates. Maybe that wasn’t inspirational enough for undecided voters who wanted something more, something revolutionary. Iacocca didn’t represent that, but he sure did come off at times as representing it.
Journalist LESLIE STAHL: I blame it on cultural backlash.
Statistician JOHN CHANCELLOR: Why do you say that?
FINE: Oh, can I field that one?
STAHL: Alright…
FINE: Because there are more conservatives in this country than most hoity-toity college-educated, white-collar, ritzy snobs want to believe there are. Having a female President’s one thing, but a female President who institutes “socialist” healthcare, essentially greenlights gay marriage, attacks American can-do independence with nanny-state welfare programs, and defies traditional values by unashamedly staying single? That was way too much for too many pearl-clutching suburban housewives and sexist pigs euphoric for the ultra-macho days of the Ike and Colonel presidencies, and guess what? Both of those men had “Republican” next to their names, as did Lee-Hail-acocca!
RATHER: Alright, let’s settle down here, it’s been a long night for all of us.
Journalist ED BRADLEY: Also, I want to point this out, Bellamy exhausted her political capital too soon with her ambitious welfare programs. I think that played a role here. She burned too many bridges and angered too many conservatives and anti-UHC moderates on Capitol Hill pushing through UHC.
STAHL: And Iacocca was successful in attacking the President’s foreign policy shortcomings. The Colombia Peace Talks falling through, that grain deal with North ores, and, most especially for the Lee campaign, Japan leading as America falls behind in the global marketplace.
FINE: But so many women supported Bellamy!
CHANCELLOR: Actually, not all women voted for Bellamy. Many women voted for Iacocca over his alleged diplomatic skills, and many others over is ethnic born-to-immigrants roots that won over many women voters that can relate to that. Lee being a widow who was often on the campaign trail with his two daughters made him seem like a “family man,” while Bellamy’s usually-empty upper floor didn’t exactly scream, quote, “family values,” unquote, to many in places such as rural parts and the suburbs.
BRADLEY: Yes, and besides, Bellamy’s most enthusiastic backers were under 30, and do you know how unreliable they are when it comes to voting?
CHANCELLOR: I do! Of got hundreds of graphs, give me a minute to find the right one, uh, the one that – ah, here it is! Yes, turnout for voters between the ages of 18 and 28 dropped about 15% from 1988.
SOGLIN: I think what it came down to, though, was, um, it was a battle of image. Iacocca was the latest American Success Story, heavily reliant on nostalgia for Colonel Sanders, but their campaign was, in my opinion, shallow, with Iacocca’s main focus being Japan and manufacturing jobs. Bellamy’s platform was wider-ranging with good policies but lacked that certain charisma that appealed to upper-bracket suburbanites. And let’s not forget about all the aspersions Republicans have been making against her since day one!
FINE: No, they took their eyes off the prize. Too many thought she could win without their vote, that she’d win re-election in a landslide, like what I thought. But if they all thought that, she’d have gotten no votes from them at all, so at least not everyone under 30 has forgotten the tortoise-and-hare story.
RUSSELL: Well, Janice, at least it was a tight race. Less than 2% margin. Only about 1.2 million votes less than Iacocca, and way more votes than, uh, those that she won in 1988. I mean, didn’t she only get, like 46, 47 percent last time? I really should know!
STAHL: Well, um, it’s also possible that some pollsters overlooked voters who said they were undecided when they actually supported Iacocca because of social pressure, I mean they feared being considered sexist if they opposed Bellamy. Voters who assumed she’d win despite the narrow polls and thus stayed at home are another factor.
CHANCELLOR: Uh, here’s another statistic: Democrats fared even worse with evangelical Christians, from 15% in 1988 to just 7.5% this time around. Furthermore, turnout among voters without college degrees increased by 10 points, and voters without high school degrees by nearly 15 points.
BRADLEY: And it should be noted that the economy improved unequally among the states. Places like the northeast bounced back than places like parts of the south and Midwest. It’s the same thing for independent voters; Ohio, for instance, has a higher-than-average number of independents [11] and most of them went for Iacocca in the end.
STAHL: It seems Bellamy’s presidency brought about vast improvements to our ways of life, but, apparently, it was either not enough or it was too much and too soon for too many.
RATHER: Hmm, so before we switch over to Iacocca’s part headquarters for his victory speech, let me ask you all something: what’s next for Carol Bellamy?
STAHL: She’ll probably go back to promoting voting registration and keep on promoting child welfare, child protection, food security, education, things like that…
– CBS News, post-election round table discussion, 11/4/1992
“28 years ago, Colonel Sanders proved that an old dog can learn new tricks... Tonight, we rejoice in the return of common-sense business smarts to the White House! The days of high taxes going to overbearing, overwhelming, ineffective nanny-state federal programs will now be reined in! Happy days are here again!”
– Lee Iacocca in victory speech, 11/4/1992
“This election proved that an independent or third-party candidate can win the presidency, provided that they run as either a Democrat or a Republican!”
– Comedian Pat Paulsen, c. 11/4/1992
November United States Senate election results, 1992
Date: November 3, 1992
Seats: 33 of 100
Seats needed for majority: 51
Senate majority leader: Robert Byrd (D-WV)
Senate minority leader: Bob Dole (R-KS)
Seats before election: 51 (D), 47 (R), 2 (I)
Seats after election: 49 (D), 49 (R), 2 (I)
Seat change: D v 2, R ^ 2, I - 0
Full List:
Alabama: incumbent Mary Texas Hurt Garner (D) over Dick Sellars (R) and Jerome Shockley (Liberty)
Alaska: incumbent Frank Murkowski (R) over Mary Jordan (D)
Arizona: incumbent Eddie Najeeb Basha Jr. (D) over Kiana Delamare (R)
Arkansas: incumbent J. William Fulbright (D) over Mike Huckabee (R)
California: incumbent Mario Obledo (D) over John Seymour (R), Gore Vidal (Natural Mind), Genevieve Torres (Green) and Merton D. Short (Country)
Colorado: Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R) over incumbent Pat Schroeder (D)
Connecticut: incumbent Chris Dodd (D) over Gary Alvin Franks (R) and Robert Giaimo (Independent Democratic)
Florida: incumbent Michael Bilirakis (R) over Harry A. Johnston (D)
Georgia: incumbent Dr. John Skandalakis (D) over Dr. Paul Broun (R)
Hawaii: incumbent Daniel Inouye (D) over Linda Martin (Green) and Richard O. Rowland (R)
Idaho: incumbent Bethine Clark Church (D) over Dirk Kempthorne (R)
Illinois: incumbent Alan J. Dixon (D) over Lynn Morley Martin (R) and J. Quinn Brisben (Socialist)
Indiana: incumbent Richard "Dick" Lugar (R) over Tom Carper (D) [12]
Iowa: John William Judge (R) over Jean Hall Lloyd-Jones (D); incumbent Harold Hughes (D) retired
Kansas: incumbent Robert J. "Bob" Dole (R) over Gloria O’Dell (D)
Kentucky: Patrick “Kelly” Downard (R) over Jim Whitlock (D); incumbent Harley Sanders (R) retired
Louisiana: incumbent Buddy Roemer (R) over Chris John (D)
Maryland: incumbent Barbara Mikulski (D) over Martha Scanlan Klima (R)
Missouri: incumbent William "Bill" Bradley (D) over Jeanne Bojarski (R)
Nevada: incumbent Barbara Vucanovich (R) over Lois Avery (D) and Joe Garcia (Country)
New Hampshire: Katherine M. Alexander (R) over incumbent Emile Dorilas Beaulieu Jr. (D)
New York: incumbent Mario Biaggi (D/Conservative) over Norma Segal (R/Liberal) and Mohammad T. Mehdi (Green)
North Carolina: incumbent Nick Galifianakis (D) over Robert Cannon Hayes (R)
North Dakota: incumbent Kent Conrad (D) over Steve Sydness (R) and Darold Larson (I)
Ohio: incumbent Carl Stokes (D) over Mike DeWine (R), Martha Grevatt (Country) and Douglas DeGood (Independent Democrat)
Oklahoma: incumbent Marvin Henry “Mickey” Edwards (R) over Steve Lewis (D)
Oregon: incumbent Walter Leslie “Les” AuCoin (D) over Dennis Alan “Denny” Smith (R)
Pennsylvania: incumbent Bob Casey Sr. (D) over Wayne Curtis Weldon (R) and John Perry III (I)
South Carolina: incumbent Fritz Hollings (D) over Thomas F. Hartnett (R)
South Dakota: incumbent Frank Farrar (R) over Franklin Edvard Denholm (D)
Utah: Rex Edwin Lee (R) over Bill Orton (D); incumbent Jake Garn (R) retired
Vermont: incumbent Madeleine M. Kunin (D) over Jim Douglas (R) and Jerry Levy (Liberty Union)
Washington: Gary Locke (D) over Slade Gorton (R); incumbent Catherine Dean May (R) retired
Wisconsin: incumbent Bronson La Follette (D) over Scott L. Klug (R)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
DEMOCRATS RETAIN SENATE CONTROL AFTER BYRD, KING PLEDGE TO CAUCUS WITH THEM: “We’ll Keep Them In Check, Republicans Too” Says Byrd
– The Washington Post, 11/4/1992
United States House of Representatives results, 1992
Date: November 3, 1992
Seats: All 435
Seats needed for majority: 218
New House majority leader: Robert Smith Walker (R-PA)
New House minority leader: Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
Last election: 223 (R), 210 (D), 2 (I)
Seats won: 230 (D), 203 (D), 2 (I)
Seat change: R ^ 7, D v 7, I - 0
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
United States Governor election results, 1992
Date: November 3, 1992
Number of state gubernatorial elections held: 11
Seats before: 34 (D), 15 (R), 1 (I)
Seats after: 33 (D), 16 (R), 1 (I)
Seat change: D v 1, R ^ 1, I - 0
Full list:
Delaware: Janet Rzewnicki (R) over John Carney (D); incumbent Michael Castle (R) retired
Indiana: incumbent Evan Bayh (D) over Lindley Pearson (R)
Missouri: Mel Carnahan (D) over William L. Webster (R); incumbent Betty Cooper Hearnes (D) retired
Montana: Gordon McOmber (D) over Marc Racicot (R); incumbent Dorothy Bradley (D) retired
New Hampshire: Chris Spirou (D) over incumbent Bob Smith (R) and Miriam Luce (Liberty)
North Carolina: incumbent Harvey Gantt (D) over Scott McLaughlin (R)
North Dakota: Edward Thomas Schafer (R) over Nicholas Spaeth (D); incumbent George A. Sinner (D) retired
Utah: incumbent Jon Huntsman Sr. (R) over Stewart Hanson (D) and Rita Gum (Populist)
Vermont: John McClaughry (R) over incumbent Jan Backus (D) and August Jaccaci (Liberty Union)
Washington: incumbent Ellen Craswell (R) over Booth Gardner (D)
West Virginia: incumbent Gaston Caperton (D) over Jack Fellure (R) and Charlotte Pritt (Green)
– knowledgepolitics.co.usa
VILLARONGA ELECTED GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO!
…retired US Army Col. Raul G. Villaronga served in operations in Berlin, Panama, and, most notable, Cuba during the Cuba War of the 1960s, before serving in Indochina during the late 1960s and early 1970s. After he retired from the military in 1984 after overseeing early-stage operations in Libya, Villaronga was elected to San Juan’s city council in 1985, and then to the state senate in 1990.
As the nominee of the New Progressive Party (the Commonwealth's version of the Republican Party), Villaronga ran an underdog campaign that supported rural development and business regulation reform, and opposed “career politicians.” Villaronga won over the initial frontrunner, Victoria Munoz Mendoza of the Popular Democratic Party (the Commonwealth’s version of the Democratic Party), a commonwealth senator and the daughter of former Governor Luis Munoz Marin, by a margin of roughly 7%. Fernando Martin Garcia of the Puerto Rican Independence Party received 3.7% of the vote.
Upon confirmation of his victory, Villaronga received a congratulatory phone call from outgoing governor Roberto Clemente pf the PD Party...
– El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico newspaper (English version), 11/4/1992
HOUSE PASSES “WATERED-DOWN” DISABILITY RIGHTS ACT AMID “RECESS” PERIOD
– The Washington Post, 11/18/1992
…and on the European continent, the Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia has granted greater autonomy to the nation’s easternmost region of Slovakia, after a nationwide referendum resulted in a slim majority of Slovakians opposing Slovakian independence, and a large majority of Czech citizens supporting Slovakian independence…
– BBC World News, 25/11/1992 broadcast
EX-KING VOTED TO BE UNITED ROMANIA’S FIRST PRESIDENT
…former monarch Michael I, having taken the adopted surname of Romanescu, was supported by and convinced to run by Radu-Anton Campeanu of the National Liberal party. Michael I famously returned to his ancestral homeland in 1987 to a cheering Bucharest crowd of over a million people. With a pro-westernization platform focused on increasing the quality of life and individual freedom, the 71-year-old man formerly known as King Michael I of Romania won in the first round with 56% of the vote. Romanescu (though many of his supporters simply call him “Michael”), who had served as Romania’s head of state from 1927 to 1930 and again from 1940 to 1947, was the heavy favorite in the regions of Bucharest and Wallachia, while former Moldovan President Mircea Snegur (b. 1940), who ran as an independent, was the preferred choice in the formerly Moldovan provinces. Snegur came in second place with 33% of the vote, while former Prime Minister of Romania, Petre Roman (b. 1946), the Christian Democratic candidate, received just under 8%. A fourth candidate in the race was Caius Traian Dragmir (b. 1939), nominee of the Democratic Socialist party and Romania’s former National Secretary for Public Information; he received roughly 3%. …A possible selling point for undecided voters was Michael Romanescu’s promise of only serving for a single five-year term… Upon his victory being confirmed, Romanescu received congratulations from the Heads of State from the US, the UK, and other countries, including from the bordering nations of the Ukraine, Bulgaria, and the newly-independent states of Transnistria and The Gagauzian Federation...
– The New York Times, 12/1/1992
In December 1992, K.F.C. announced the suspension of its Frozen KFC products line. The results of the frozen foods endeavor were more than just financially disastrous for the company; the placement of the Colonel’s face in a freezer like a cheap tenth-rate fish stick certainly lowered the company’s image of high-quality standards as well.
“The supermarket was no place for The Colonel,” CEO Jim Collins lamented.
Additionally, customer visits for average outlets had decreased during this period, suggesting a correlation, but not confirming one. Still, the apparent rejection of frozen KFC despite the price staying reasonable was enough to finally end production of them.
“You don’t see staples from McDonald’s in Shoprite or the A&P, not because they hadn’t thought of it, but because they knew better than to even try it,” argued Board member Harold Omer.
Finally, Bob Yarmuth stood up, “Aw well, no use crying over spilled milk, especially since we’re already moppin’ it up. We've simply got to just get some more milk now.”
“What do you mean?” Collins eyed him curiously.
“I mean Frozen KFC wasn’t the only marketing idea R & D cooked up last year. Gene, stand up, please.” Yarmuth gestured to the other end of the table.
A man with a gray beard from the back of the room humbly rose. This was Eugene D. “Gene” Gagliardi Jr., a 61-year-old food technologist from Pennsylvania known for his 1968 invention of the Steak-umm, the thinly-sliced frozen beef sold in supermarkets and used for homemade cheesesteaks nationwide and helped make the Philly Cheese Steak go from regional to national prominence. [13] His company, Designer Foods, Inc., had been an ally and occasional partner of Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc., for several years by now.
“Ladies, gentlemen, Gene here has come up with a new idea that I think will do really well. At least, better than Frozen did.” Yarmuth then described how Gagliardi was working closely with KFC on several project ideas. Gagliardi himself would later explained that “working for a major established corporation grants you access to a wider range of markets, and that cuts the time it takes to put my creations into consumers' hands. Basically, when you have a big company behind you, things can happen faster.” [14]
Gagliardi quickly propped up a promotional photograph and poster of what looked like pieces of KFC, only they were much smaller. “This is what I like to call popcorn chicken. Like the McDonald’s chicken nugget, only these are actual bite-sized, not two-or-three-bites-sized like those weird nugget things.” Samples were then passed around the room, with about a dozen pieces stuffed into a french-fry-like container and with napkins. Not sure of what to do during this time of contemplation, the food tinkerer added “I, uh, I wanted to call it ‘Fing’r-pickin’-chick’n,’ but um, but I agreed that popcorn chicken was more interesting, intriguing, and more accurate. And it was easier to spell.”
“So,” Collins finally spoke after finishing masticating on his third piece, “Bo, Gene, your idea is to launch mini-nuggets made out of KFC?”
“Made in the traditional manner of KFC birds, yes,” Yarmuth answered.
“What’s it made out of?” asked Board of Director Senior member Margaret Sanders.
“The trimmings, the strips and pieces left over from preparing the regular bird offerings,” Yarmuth again answered.
“Have you test-marketed this yet?” queried Omer.
“Yes, about six weeks ago. And only on a small scale with volunteers. Nothing ‘over-the-boss’s-head,’ per the JYB Code,” Yarmuth referred to the company’s internal transparency regulations in place since 1967.
“Good,” Collins nodded contemplatively. “And the results?”
“Overwhelmingly positive!” Gagliardi stated happily.
Collins peered down at the dwindling collection of “popcorn” pieces remaining on his napkin, and then looked around the room to read it. “All right, all in favor of greenlighting this, raise your hand.” With a two-thirds majority from the Board, the product was sent on its way, leading to its nationwide launch in the late spring of 1993. [15] The campaign targeted teenagers and young adults, and the company sought summer blockbuster movie tie-in promos for that year’s summer as well.
[pic: https://imgur.com/ispurSe ]
Above: a large serving of popcorn chicken
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
IN QUIET SCOTTISH CEREMONY, ANNE MARRIES NAVY OFFICER
…Anne, Princess Royal, merely months after divorce ended her first marriage, has remarried in a private ceremony to Commander Timothy Laurence, an officer of the Royal Navy…
– The Daily Mail, UK newspaper, 12/13/1992
KADYRBEKOV ELECTED PRESIDENT OF UNITED TURKESTAN
…Ishenbai Kadyrbekov of the Unity Party hails from the “internal nation” of Kyrgyzstan. He won over Turkmenistan’s Chary Karriyev of the Excellence Party and Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov of the anti-Russian Nationalist Party, 52%-to-30%-to-18%, approximately. Kadyrbekov will be inaugurated on January 5…
– Kommersant (The Businessman), Russian newspaper, 12/14/1992
CONSERVATIVE HARDLINER ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOUTH KOREA
…set to become the nation’s first non-military President since 1961 in February, Kim Young-sam of the recently-formed Democratic Liberal Party ran on an anti-corruption platform promoting government and political reform. Kim Dae-jung of the Democratic Party came in second place. Chung Ju-yung of the National Reunification Party, the 77-year-old businessman, North Korean escapee and founder of Hyundai, surprised some pundits by coming in third place; his boost in numbers may have been from South Koreans finding inspiration in the recent election of businessman Lee Iacocca to the U.S. Presidency, but this is unconfirmed. Kim Young-sam won with a simple plurality, winning 40.1% of the vote, compared to Kim Dae-jung 35.7% and Chung Ju-yung’s 22.6%...
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 18/12/1992
1992 was is the first year that the technet became entirely privatized, with the US government no longer providing public funding for it by the end of the year. President Carol Bellamy had been forced to do this in order to adhere to the B.B.A. As the year came to a close, techsites such as findit.co.usa, and others, offered access to the GTS (Global Technet System) for the first time, releasing browsers that make it easily accessible to the general public, though pricing still a major issue at the time...
– Joy Lisi Rankin’s Computers: A People’s History of the Information Machine, Westview Press, 2018
…a planned church shooting in Bozeman was foiled earlier today when a would-be mass murder entered the First Presbyterian Church in Bozeman and aimed a semi-automatic at its congregants, only for the gun to jam when the perpetrator tried to fire. He was tackled to the ground by several of the congregants and soon taken into policy. Witnesses present at the attempt are calling the gun jam a “church miracle”…
– KANB-LP (102.3 FM) radio broadcast, Kalispell, MT, 12/29/1992
“Nice view,” John said, gazing out onto the bustling city beneath the starry night sky.
“Enjoy it while you can, John” Amy said as she poured herself another drink. “Lee will probably not invite you out here.”
“Ah,” I dismissed her notion, “John can sweet-talk him into it.”
Carol sighed. From the White House balcony you can look down onto the South Lawn, out to the property’s fence – obviously too late in the night for tourists to be pointing their cameras up at us – and over to the Mall. The last of the fireworks had ceased at least a half hour ago. The New Years’ celebrations were winding down on this side of the states, but were still going strong in the middle of them, and were yet to truly begin in places like California, Alaska and Hawaii.
“I should be working right now. I always work through holidays. Even the big ones. I should be a busy little bee right now, trying to talk shop with Byrd, interrupting Gephardt doing,” she chuckled, “whatever that man does this time of year. I never thought to ask. Yeah. I should be a busy bee right now, planning out legislation, but, no, this busy bees’ wings have been clipped, folks.” She seemed to say it more to herself more than to us. Not in a depressed away, no, far from it. More like in a sober way, ironic given she said it after finishing up her third cup of the wine.
After giving a concerned look to John, he sat back in his chair, then impersonated a fog machine – he inhaled his stuff, then exhaled it “Well, where to now?”
“Huh?” Carol looked at him as if she’d been distracted by something out in the view, her thoughts broken.
“What’s next for you, luv? What’s the plan?”
She said nothing for a moment, she just looked out again, taking in the scenery once more, looking past the Mall and the Washington Monument and the city and into the distance beyond. She turned her head to the north and a bit to the east. To New York, to her home. “I guess I’ll keep doing what I do best.”
“Follow your passions,” I nodded.
John nodded, too. “That’s all anyone can do with life. Do your best. When life throws a spanner into the works, just pull it out and keep going.”
I then suggested “You could run again in ’96.”
Carol, turning to look at us, smiled warmly and replied, “If America had a parliamentary system, maybe. But ’96 is four years from now. Heh. Do you how much can happen in just four years?”
– Lyn Cornell-Lennon’s memoir, Lennon & I: Our Lives: From Liverpool to 10 Downing Street And Back Again, Thames Books, 2017
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S)
[1] All italicized passages are from OTL, as this is a real thing!: https://time.com/5755951/kfc-japan-memorial-service-chickens/
[2] Brilliant name idea, @Igeo654 , very catchy indeed!
[3] Film included in this TL per request from @Igeo654
[4] As worded by @SuperFrog in post #773
[5] IOTL, he only got into animation after seeing animation cels on display in a movie theater in 1989, a year long after this TL’s POD, and so, he didn’t see it.
[6] OTL quote; source: https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0124/012422.html
[7] This was an actual GOP talking point / claim from the 1988 election season of OTL, as seen here (at around the 13-minute mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D48mnyLrWIg
[8] According to the universetoday.com article “How Far Is Mars From Earth?”
[9] Italicized section of quote pulled from here: https://www.inspiringquotes.us/author/2677-jacob-g-hornberger
[10] Hornberger is a longtime friend on Ron Paul according to this reason.com: https://reason.com/2020/04/13/judge-jim-gray-to-seek-libertarian-presidential-nomination/
[11] According to CBS’ coverage of the 1992 election in OTL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJ8iWnZZg8 .
[12] Born in West Virginia, Carper went to college in Ohio and served in the Navy from 1968 to 1973 like in OTL, only instead of attending grad school in Delaware like in OTL, he goes to a grad school in Indiana ITTL.
[13] This information was pulled from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak-umm
[14] Italicized parts of quote found here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2003-09-17-0309160380-story.html
[15] OTL test-marketed was done in March 1992, and the nationwide launch commenced “by September 1992” IOTL, according to this source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popcorn_chicken
Thanks for commenting! OTL polls show that most Romanians aren't keen on re-establishing the monarchy itself, but the same time their approval of ex-King Mike One is actually very high!
And yes, the birthplace of Democracy still has its King (I should have mentioned that in that bit, I'll go back and add it. Thanks; good eye!)
Meant to say UN. Fixed it.
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Huzzuh long live the House of Glücksburg's southern dominion and long live Hellas and Democracy.
God I would love to see the conspiracy theories of this world.
Also I do wonder if the Japan here actually make some of their crazy plans...
Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid
Though could still never happen, costs, resources, what not.
Would not mind seeing advanced Japanese maglevs and possibly Japanese made bullet trains in America.
Also I do wonder if the Japan here actually make some of their crazy plans...
Shimizu TRY 2004 Mega-City Pyramid
Though could still never happen, costs, resources, what not.
Would not mind seeing advanced Japanese maglevs and possibly Japanese made bullet trains in America.
Interesting update Wonder who will be in his cabinet. Nice that you find many obscure political and non political figures to use in different ways.
Chapter 63: January 1991 – July 1991
Interesting changes at McD's and KFC -hope the Chicken Kings recover stronger
Nice that the Isreali's and Palestinians are still getting on. Good legacy for Colonel Sanders
Attack of the Killer Emu - sci-fi epic right there!
Universal Health care and Non-Aligned South Africa? Better- just sort those race relations out now
Another shuffle round in Canada coming I feel...
Ignatieff got getting involved in Canadian politics, but Australian? Well, should be interesting to see how that pans out
This Technet thing will never take off....
Mouse carried plague? Well gives the rats a rest - though this could/will get bad fast
Ross Perot owning the Dallas Cowboys? I have a feeling Perot is going for a wider portfolio of companies here than he did OTL. Wonder if he got in on Microsoft ITTL?
An "optimistic rhetoric and progressive platform" winning in 90's Israel? Almost seems utopian...
Barry Goldwater Jr. an Australian ranger and environmentalist? Seems Oz is the place to be!
North American Acid Rain prevention treaty? Sounds like a mechanism for controlling CFC's and such
North Korea revolution or massive refugee crisis in the early 90's? Or Korea War II?
'shuttleplane Excelsior' - was a Captain Sulu on-board?
This Sin Nombre hantavirus is going to cause major problems isn't it...
How can anyone think making fat/sugar content in foods for children within safe limits is a 'limitation on freedom'? Esp without clear ingredients listed?
Extradition treaty with China - good foreign policy win there
This Virus is indeed going to stretch Universal Health Care - if it struggles I can see the GOP crowing its failure and wanting to demolish it
Given all the changed circumstances in this timeline, I am sort of surprised you let Atwater die on schedule rather than his cancer get caught earlier and he survive
Albania in Yugoslavia certainly gives the country even more places to open up to tourist $$$
Spongebob’s Undersea Cuisine - good luck Steven!
Ron Paul quote: *eyeroll*
First SMS sent- how long to the first LOL?
Ross spending his money to cure Alaska's booze problems is very wise indeed
Hope Czechoslovakia can hang together as 2 small nations are not going to be a strong as a bigger one - perhaps join the EEC? Would have thought Czechoslovakia qualified after 7 years of economic development?
Disneyland Barcelona is interesting as it does leave the possibility open of another resort in the East- perhaps Berlin, or Denmark- a more 'Winter Disney' experience perhaps?
Ba’ath Party failure in Iraq- terrible shame... not
KFC Double-Chicken Gravy Burger - does not sound good for you...
"child hunger rates in the United States" well at the least this Viru outbreak did some good...
That North Star Flag is definitely better than the current flag for Minnesota
Good that Denton has not just hidden away, and still got on with stuff
Jim Henson’s The Muppets on Broadway - so the variety show was finally in a theatre where it belonged! Hope Waldorf and Sandler got a VIP box to heckle from over the live audience.
"...has been indicted for purportedly committing the largest bank fraud case in history" for now I guess...
So Kentucky Fried Chicken finally becomes KFC on the logo. I kinda like the KFC one more actually
This version of The Stand has some interesting names attached to it. Very timely release too
No Japanese permanent recession then?
Nice try Leslie, nice try. Families heh?
"…and with this latest legislation measure, Boss Ross, our beloved Governor, has now doubled the total square mileage of our state’s natural parks, nature reserves, and Native American reservations to more than double what they were in 1986..." Go Bob Go!
Transnistria honestly sounds like a place made up for a comic book...
Bugger about Penn Station- but the building preservation orders are at least in place to prevent another such disaster.
Interesting changes at McD's and KFC -hope the Chicken Kings recover stronger
Nice that the Isreali's and Palestinians are still getting on. Good legacy for Colonel Sanders
Attack of the Killer Emu - sci-fi epic right there!
Universal Health care and Non-Aligned South Africa? Better- just sort those race relations out now
Another shuffle round in Canada coming I feel...
Ignatieff got getting involved in Canadian politics, but Australian? Well, should be interesting to see how that pans out
This Technet thing will never take off....
Mouse carried plague? Well gives the rats a rest - though this could/will get bad fast
Ross Perot owning the Dallas Cowboys? I have a feeling Perot is going for a wider portfolio of companies here than he did OTL. Wonder if he got in on Microsoft ITTL?
An "optimistic rhetoric and progressive platform" winning in 90's Israel? Almost seems utopian...
Barry Goldwater Jr. an Australian ranger and environmentalist? Seems Oz is the place to be!
North American Acid Rain prevention treaty? Sounds like a mechanism for controlling CFC's and such
North Korea revolution or massive refugee crisis in the early 90's? Or Korea War II?
'shuttleplane Excelsior' - was a Captain Sulu on-board?
This Sin Nombre hantavirus is going to cause major problems isn't it...
How can anyone think making fat/sugar content in foods for children within safe limits is a 'limitation on freedom'? Esp without clear ingredients listed?
Extradition treaty with China - good foreign policy win there
This Virus is indeed going to stretch Universal Health Care - if it struggles I can see the GOP crowing its failure and wanting to demolish it
Given all the changed circumstances in this timeline, I am sort of surprised you let Atwater die on schedule rather than his cancer get caught earlier and he survive
Albania in Yugoslavia certainly gives the country even more places to open up to tourist $$$
Spongebob’s Undersea Cuisine - good luck Steven!
Ron Paul quote: *eyeroll*
First SMS sent- how long to the first LOL?
Ross spending his money to cure Alaska's booze problems is very wise indeed
Hope Czechoslovakia can hang together as 2 small nations are not going to be a strong as a bigger one - perhaps join the EEC? Would have thought Czechoslovakia qualified after 7 years of economic development?
Disneyland Barcelona is interesting as it does leave the possibility open of another resort in the East- perhaps Berlin, or Denmark- a more 'Winter Disney' experience perhaps?
Ba’ath Party failure in Iraq- terrible shame... not
KFC Double-Chicken Gravy Burger - does not sound good for you...
"child hunger rates in the United States" well at the least this Viru outbreak did some good...
That North Star Flag is definitely better than the current flag for Minnesota
Good that Denton has not just hidden away, and still got on with stuff
Jim Henson’s The Muppets on Broadway - so the variety show was finally in a theatre where it belonged! Hope Waldorf and Sandler got a VIP box to heckle from over the live audience.
"...has been indicted for purportedly committing the largest bank fraud case in history" for now I guess...
So Kentucky Fried Chicken finally becomes KFC on the logo. I kinda like the KFC one more actually
This version of The Stand has some interesting names attached to it. Very timely release too
No Japanese permanent recession then?
Nice try Leslie, nice try. Families heh?
"…and with this latest legislation measure, Boss Ross, our beloved Governor, has now doubled the total square mileage of our state’s natural parks, nature reserves, and Native American reservations to more than double what they were in 1986..." Go Bob Go!
Transnistria honestly sounds like a place made up for a comic book...
Bugger about Penn Station- but the building preservation orders are at least in place to prevent another such disaster.
Chapter 64: July 1991 – February 1992
Hantavirus over? I suspect its not the last we will hear of it...
RANAPAM Treaty - another good foreign policy win
Bugger about the Civil Right bill of 1991 - maybe the year after heh?
This thread has convinced me that if I am in the USA I have to try Ollieburgers...
I wonder if the Spice Girls would be a 'Riot Grrrl' band ITTL?
"Homer Simpson, the overly-enthusiastic, patriotic, high-cultured, art-loving Mayor of New New York" that is an amazing Alt Universe turn around!
A 'statewide jobs guarantee' is an interesting thing in Alaska- I wonder if other states start looking into this sort of thing as automation begins to kick in?
Don't fancy Iacocca for President myself
The Doozy Bots - another toy driven show with little merit. I might have liked it.
I am very glad the Chicken Dinner Summits continue! Sounds like a great speech from Mubarak
Colombia still a mess... one even KFC could not fix
Shame about the McCain’s
Salty Sea Dogs sound kinda nice...
Republic of Vevcani - one more flag for Yugoslavia?
I wonder if Latvia will regret keeping the Russians in? Hope not.
Hopefully the Catholic Church are cleaning up their act ITTL after the Ark Waves
I bet a major amount of oil is found in Sanwi in 92...
Wonder if Poland is still making tons of coal and dominating the European market?
Colonel Trump? If only he earned that for military service eh
I reckon Estus Washington Pirkle is going to cost Paul a chance at the nomination
Surprised North Korea went direct to the US and not somewhere more neutral like Japan
I can see Belarus rejoining Russia here- as its a theme ITTL
No President Lukanshenko seems like a good thing
Goodbye Moldova- hello more tourist spots for Romania
Wonder if Julian Lennon will be a musician or a politician like his Dad, or indeed maybe both?
Bet there is movies made about Arthur Nibbs and his Caribbean Coup
Congratz Rev. Brown
Robert Maxwell survives? That is a very interesting change to the UK media landscape, as Murdoch has a challenge
Good move on homosexuality Estonia
Lots of possible problems in United Turkestan- hopefully a sensible leader wins out
The Balanced budget Amendment seems such a millstone around the US gov necks
Maybe NASA just needs to be given a fixed 2% of GDP?
KFC needs a new head indeed. I'm sure someone will step up
"The Supreme Court ruled that women in the United States have a fundamental right to choose whether or not to have an abortion" YES!
Indonesian revolution about to happen?
Nice to know that the 5th Beatle Billy Preston made it to 1991. Hope he has found some peace
PM JOHN LENNON - rock and fragging roll! Awesome - he would have had my vote (probably)
UK music dominated by 'The Scene That Celebrates Itself' rather than rivalries must be hacking off the tabloid writers no end with no gossip...
Yugoslavia hosts the Winter Olympics - that should boost income and help the economy
PM Lennon's 'jobs guarantee' is likely very popular, provided the jobs that come from it are more than manual labour jobs
Glad Marc Lepine was caught before he hurt anyone
The grain deal is going to be a big part of this Presidential election I figure.
Hantavirus over? I suspect its not the last we will hear of it...
RANAPAM Treaty - another good foreign policy win
Bugger about the Civil Right bill of 1991 - maybe the year after heh?
This thread has convinced me that if I am in the USA I have to try Ollieburgers...
I wonder if the Spice Girls would be a 'Riot Grrrl' band ITTL?
"Homer Simpson, the overly-enthusiastic, patriotic, high-cultured, art-loving Mayor of New New York" that is an amazing Alt Universe turn around!
A 'statewide jobs guarantee' is an interesting thing in Alaska- I wonder if other states start looking into this sort of thing as automation begins to kick in?
Don't fancy Iacocca for President myself
The Doozy Bots - another toy driven show with little merit. I might have liked it.
I am very glad the Chicken Dinner Summits continue! Sounds like a great speech from Mubarak
Colombia still a mess... one even KFC could not fix
Shame about the McCain’s
Salty Sea Dogs sound kinda nice...
Republic of Vevcani - one more flag for Yugoslavia?
I wonder if Latvia will regret keeping the Russians in? Hope not.
Hopefully the Catholic Church are cleaning up their act ITTL after the Ark Waves
I bet a major amount of oil is found in Sanwi in 92...
Wonder if Poland is still making tons of coal and dominating the European market?
Colonel Trump? If only he earned that for military service eh
I reckon Estus Washington Pirkle is going to cost Paul a chance at the nomination
Surprised North Korea went direct to the US and not somewhere more neutral like Japan
I can see Belarus rejoining Russia here- as its a theme ITTL
No President Lukanshenko seems like a good thing
Goodbye Moldova- hello more tourist spots for Romania
Wonder if Julian Lennon will be a musician or a politician like his Dad, or indeed maybe both?
Bet there is movies made about Arthur Nibbs and his Caribbean Coup
Congratz Rev. Brown
Robert Maxwell survives? That is a very interesting change to the UK media landscape, as Murdoch has a challenge
Good move on homosexuality Estonia
Lots of possible problems in United Turkestan- hopefully a sensible leader wins out
The Balanced budget Amendment seems such a millstone around the US gov necks
Maybe NASA just needs to be given a fixed 2% of GDP?
KFC needs a new head indeed. I'm sure someone will step up
"The Supreme Court ruled that women in the United States have a fundamental right to choose whether or not to have an abortion" YES!
Indonesian revolution about to happen?
Nice to know that the 5th Beatle Billy Preston made it to 1991. Hope he has found some peace
PM JOHN LENNON - rock and fragging roll! Awesome - he would have had my vote (probably)
UK music dominated by 'The Scene That Celebrates Itself' rather than rivalries must be hacking off the tabloid writers no end with no gossip...
Yugoslavia hosts the Winter Olympics - that should boost income and help the economy
PM Lennon's 'jobs guarantee' is likely very popular, provided the jobs that come from it are more than manual labour jobs
Glad Marc Lepine was caught before he hurt anyone
The grain deal is going to be a big part of this Presidential election I figure.
Chapter 65: February 1992 – July 1992
February 22: Sounds like a relatively dull debate
RIP JFK
Go back to the Gold Standard? Didn't most economies comes away from that cos it failed? Mr Paul, you are not economist
Frozen KFC? Will simply not be the same. KFC needs to be brought fresh imho!
Saudi Arabian space program? Well I have heard dafter ideas I guess- though they have a limited launch vectors. Unless they can launch out over the Arabian Sea?
PM Lennon at the White House? Heh, there is some amusement given Lennon's anti-establishment past
RIP Begin
Nice that SpongeBob’s is doing so well
The response to the Erzincan earthquake shows the butterflies caused in ITTL very nicely
One does not think Prime Minister Nielsen is getting re-elected...
King Michael I of Romania? Now there is a comeback kid!
I wonder if the Ark Wave hit Greece?
Shame PM de la Hunty could not get anything done for Australia's natives
Bye Hezbollah- no one will miss you!
Only a PM like Lennon can dig shades like those without coming across as awkward!
UNFCGCD - a UN climate change agreement in 1992? Well its good its been recognised, just needs some action now!
Looks like its going to be Iacocca after all...
I wonder what the leading candidates think of the legalization of medical marijuana?
Usual rubbish rolled out by the right for the Disabilities Act I see...
Judge Jim Gray has the right of it here. Esp as responsible Marijuana use is less socially harmful than booze
Child Protection Act is one I imagine passed both Houses with almost no trouble
That large bank merger ruling is going to come back and haunt the US...
Welcome Jack Kennedy-Roosevelt
I had to look up Yogi Berra, as that is one cool name
What will Iacocca do if he does not win the election I wonder?
President Bellamy slides into her nomination easily. Hopefully she can slide back into the White House as easily
Thomas Kinkade - oh that artist. Kitschy paintings, and he sounds like an ass
Dramatic events in Bulgaria there- make a good mini-series
That bomb in Ivory Coast, sounds almost like a false flag as an excuse to move against Sanwi
All change in China- and by the time Zhu Rongji reaches the end of his term, most of the 'old guard' will be dead...
Californian Earthquake likely to spark a wave of disaster movies, and speculation about the 'Big One' - response to this might make a big difference to voting in the election
River Phoenix as Spiderman? Man, that works so well!
A Tim Burton Spider-Man movie, plus his three Batman films? Worth a dimension jump for those alone!
Wonder if Cage continues as the Batman, or exits with the Director? Perhaps he hangs on for a DCU as it seems Burton is building one!
The Sunrayce sounds fun!
Take That break into America? And without Robbie Williams too
Federal Guaranteed Employment? That *should* be popular among the poorer workers and blue collar types, but I can see many arguments ahead
VP Bob Ross? Puts a smile on my face that idea
Hope Amstrad and the Amiga system does better ITTL as it was an excellent system that deserved better
Jobs retaining control of the board makes for some big butterflies
Slower economic recovery in an election year is bad news...
Lots going on in this update- very good chapter.
February 22: Sounds like a relatively dull debate
RIP JFK
Go back to the Gold Standard? Didn't most economies comes away from that cos it failed? Mr Paul, you are not economist
Frozen KFC? Will simply not be the same. KFC needs to be brought fresh imho!
Saudi Arabian space program? Well I have heard dafter ideas I guess- though they have a limited launch vectors. Unless they can launch out over the Arabian Sea?
PM Lennon at the White House? Heh, there is some amusement given Lennon's anti-establishment past
RIP Begin
Nice that SpongeBob’s is doing so well
The response to the Erzincan earthquake shows the butterflies caused in ITTL very nicely
One does not think Prime Minister Nielsen is getting re-elected...
King Michael I of Romania? Now there is a comeback kid!
I wonder if the Ark Wave hit Greece?
Shame PM de la Hunty could not get anything done for Australia's natives
Bye Hezbollah- no one will miss you!
Only a PM like Lennon can dig shades like those without coming across as awkward!
UNFCGCD - a UN climate change agreement in 1992? Well its good its been recognised, just needs some action now!
Looks like its going to be Iacocca after all...
I wonder what the leading candidates think of the legalization of medical marijuana?
Usual rubbish rolled out by the right for the Disabilities Act I see...
Judge Jim Gray has the right of it here. Esp as responsible Marijuana use is less socially harmful than booze
Child Protection Act is one I imagine passed both Houses with almost no trouble
That large bank merger ruling is going to come back and haunt the US...
Welcome Jack Kennedy-Roosevelt
I had to look up Yogi Berra, as that is one cool name
What will Iacocca do if he does not win the election I wonder?
President Bellamy slides into her nomination easily. Hopefully she can slide back into the White House as easily
Thomas Kinkade - oh that artist. Kitschy paintings, and he sounds like an ass
Dramatic events in Bulgaria there- make a good mini-series
That bomb in Ivory Coast, sounds almost like a false flag as an excuse to move against Sanwi
All change in China- and by the time Zhu Rongji reaches the end of his term, most of the 'old guard' will be dead...
Californian Earthquake likely to spark a wave of disaster movies, and speculation about the 'Big One' - response to this might make a big difference to voting in the election
River Phoenix as Spiderman? Man, that works so well!
A Tim Burton Spider-Man movie, plus his three Batman films? Worth a dimension jump for those alone!
Wonder if Cage continues as the Batman, or exits with the Director? Perhaps he hangs on for a DCU as it seems Burton is building one!
The Sunrayce sounds fun!
Take That break into America? And without Robbie Williams too
Federal Guaranteed Employment? That *should* be popular among the poorer workers and blue collar types, but I can see many arguments ahead
VP Bob Ross? Puts a smile on my face that idea
Hope Amstrad and the Amiga system does better ITTL as it was an excellent system that deserved better
Jobs retaining control of the board makes for some big butterflies
Slower economic recovery in an election year is bad news...
Lots going on in this update- very good chapter.