What If Jerry Brown in 76?

No but I think the more the most aggressive types harp on this issue, the more they'll be seen as unnecessarily negative. I won't claim to know anything about this woman but unless she's scandal prone I think the American people would move past it eventually.

"Mr. President, do you use the Lincoln bedroom for your out of wedlock trists with the lady who's career has exploded by having her face plastered all over globe? Or do you prefer the Resolute desk?"

I'm not saying that it's objectively important, but to pretend that this wouldn't be an issue in the 1970s is fanciful.
 

Chapman

Donor
"Mr. President, do you use the Lincoln bedroom for your out of wedlock trists with the lady who's career has exploded by having her face plastered all over globe? Or do you prefer the Resolute desk?"

I'm not saying that it's objectively important, but to pretend that this wouldn't be an issue in the 1970s is fanciful.

And I didn't say it wouldn't be an issue, just that I imagine the American public would move past it in time. If the biggest "scandal" of President Brown's career is his bachelorhood and dating life then I think he'll be one successful President.
 
When my parents got married, my father was two months away from turning 40 while my mother had just turned 38. According to my parents, even as fairly ordinary working class people they endured a not insignificant amount of social stigma for still being single while they were both close to middle age. (This was before they started dating). My father especially would get a lot of dirty looks and nasty comments from people who seriously balked at the idea of an unmarried man in his late 30s.

Of course, this is incredibly shallow and judgemental behavior. Your personal life is nobody else's business. But this was the mid 1990s, when attitudes toward romantic relationships were more relaxed than in the 1970s. If the POTUS was an unmarried man dating a singer, that would cause problems with a lot of people. It shouldn't cause problems, but it would nonetheless.

Ted Heath faced similar questions as your father did in the UK in this period. His bachelorhood was never an uninteresting detail in the press. To this day, there are gossip columns alleging that he may have been gay. Or a paedophile. Or some other baseless accusation.

I very much doubt that bringing an out of wedlock relationship into the White House would make the Jerry Brown gossip less intense than Ted Heath faced.
 

Chapman

Donor
Damn so in reality Jerry would end up like Jimmy Carter. Although I wonder how Jerry would deal with inflation? Do we see some tax cuts for the middle class? Also once Brown gains some momentum could we see a stop Brown movement? If the primary looks like it's headed toward Jerry vs Jimmy could we see a stop Jerry and Jimmy movement?

Tax cuts for the middle class sound like a possibility, though I think Brown's bigger priority would be cutting spending wherever he could. He probably wouldn't beef up the military the way Reagan did in the 1980s either. As for the primary, if it comes down to the two of them running neck-and-neck then the establishment Democrats might have a better chance at stopping them altogether. Hubert Humphrey might be asked to make another go of it, perhaps with either Brown or Carter tapped for VP to help unite the party.
 
Ted Heath faced similar questions as your father did in the UK in this period. His bachelorhood was never an uninteresting detail in the press. To this day, there are gossip columns alleging that he may have been gay. Or a paedophile. Or some other baseless accusation.

I very much doubt that bringing an out of wedlock relationship into the White House would make the Jerry Brown gossip less intense than Ted Heath faced.

With Brown, you could have a situation like the one depicted in "The American President" where people ask questions about where the President's girlfriend is spending her nights...

...which of course is nobody's business and totally irrelevant to Brown's ability to serve as President. But that is not how the media or the voters would feel.
 

GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
"Mr. President, do you use the Lincoln bedroom for your out of wedlock trists with the lady who's career has exploded by having her face plastered all over globe? . . .

lindar-hollywood.jpg

Linda Ronstadt was bigger than Jerry Brown ever was!

This only changes if he’s actually elected president.
 

GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
Tax cuts for the middle class sound like a possibility, though I think Brown's bigger priority would be cutting spending wherever he could. . .
If Pres. Brown does push for a middle class tax cut, it changes the American political calculus, at least for a generation.
 

marktaha

Banned
Ted Heath faced similar questions as your father did in the UK in this period. His bachelorhood was never an uninteresting detail in the press. To this day, there are gossip columns alleging that he may have been gay. Or a paedophile. Or some other baseless accusation.

I very much doubt that bringing an out of wedlock relationship into the White House would make the Jerry Brown gossip less intense than Ted Heath faced.
Heath was totally single - I suspect asexual.
 

GeographyDude

Gone Fishin'
“ . . . Manufacturing accounted for about 23% of gross output in 1997 (the first year for which such data are available) but just 18.5% last year [meaning 2016]. . . ”
This is manufacturing as a share of the overall economy.

Manufacturing jobs as a share of all jobs have declined even faster.

To me, this is easily one of the top structural issues because the combo of Manufacturing + Unions was so highly successful in producing a large number of middle-income jobs. If Pres. Brown can get rolling with several different somethings to take it’s place, he will be remembered very fondly! :)

Or, people will think they’re obvious moves. Funny how things sometimes work that way.
 
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lindar-hollywood.jpg

Linda Ronstadt was bigger than Jerry Brown ever was!

This only changes if he’s actually elected president.

At a certain point though, voters would get sick of all the drama surrounding Brown's personal life like they did with the Lewinsky scandal. If the scrutiny is that intense, it could generate sympathy for Brown who would be seen as the victim of an unfair witch hunt. But it would be a major source of controversy, with some people siding against Brown with others defending him.
 
Heath was totally single - I suspect asexual.

Denis Healey was at Oxford with him and later said that upon Ted Heath learning that two of his Conservative classmates were shacking up he said "I can’t imagine anyone in the Conservative Association doing that!"
 
At a certain point though, voters would get sick of all the drama surrounding Brown's personal life like they did with the Lewinsky scandal. If the scrutiny is that intense, it could generate sympathy for Brown who would be seen as the victim of an unfair witch hunt. But it would be a major source of controversy, with some people siding against Brown with others defending him.

I'm imagining Francois Hollande on steroids.
 
"Mr. President, do you use the Lincoln bedroom for your out of wedlock trists with the lady who's career has exploded by having her face plastered all over globe? Or do you prefer the Resolute desk?"

I'm not saying that it's objectively important, but to pretend that this wouldn't be an issue in the 1970s is fanciful.
To be fair to Brown he would not be the first President not married that goes to James Buchanan. Also perhaps we could get the first-ever live Presidental wedding with Brown and Rondstadt :D fun fact if Jerry did that he would be the second-ever President married while President the first being Grover Cleveland.
 
This is manufacturing as a share of the overall economy.

Manufacturing jobs as a share of all jobs have declined even faster.

To me, this is easily one of the top structural issues because the combo of Manufacturing + Unions was so highly successful in producing a large number of middle-income jobs. If Pres. Brown can get rolling with several different somethings to take it’s place, he will be remembered very fondly! :)

Or, people will think they’re obvious moves. Funny how things sometimes work that way.
Well Brown was anti-NAFTA so maybe we could see some tariffs to try and keep those jobs here.
 
Denis Healey was at Oxford with him and later said that upon Ted Heath learning that two of his Conservative classmates were shacking up he said "I can’t imagine anyone in the Conservative Association doing that!"

I find that quote interesting not just because of what it says about Heath's personal life, but also the fact that two people from opposing ends of the political spectrum could be friends....you don't often see that anymore.
 
To be fair to Brown he would not be the first President not married that goes to James Buchanan. Also perhaps we could get the first-ever live Presidential wedding with Brown and Rondstadt :D fun fact if Jerry did that he would be the second-ever President married while President the first being Grover Cleveland.
The first President to marry in office was John Tyler; he married his second wife, a 24-year-old New York society babe, in 1844. (They had seven children, and as of 2021, one of their grandchildren is still alive.)

Cleveland was the second President to marry in office.

The third President to marry in office was Woodrow Wilson, who married his second wife in 1915.

Brown would have been the fourth.


As to the effect on his Presidential run: this was the 70s. I was there. No one would be much bothered. Brown was a bachelor, Rondstadt was a single adult. It would be more of a problem if he didn't have a sweetheart. As long as they didn't "frighten the horses", nobody would get upset.

Nelson Rockefeller got in trouble for divorcing his first wife, and marrying again immediately to a woman who had divorced her husband only a month earlier.

Bill Clinton got in trouble for adultery and workplace canoodling with a youngster - and lying about it. (BTW, that was what brought down Profumo - he lied to the House of Commons.)
 
As a one year Governor, I believe Brown would need a Senator similar to Carter, as Vice President, list of possible running mates:
- Birch Bayh, Senator from Indiana since 1963. He is the only non–Founding Father to have authored two constitutional amendments. Bayh also led unsuccessful efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and eliminate the Electoral College.
- Walter Mondale, U.S. senator from Minnesota since 1964 and OTL 1976 running mate.
- Abraham Ribicoff, US Senator from Connecticut since 1963 as well as Representatives, 80th Governor of Connecticut and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in President John F. Kennedy’s cabinet. He would become the first Jewish candidate on a major American political party presidential ticket.
- Edmund Muskie, Senator from Maine since 1959, he was the running mate for Herbert H. Humphrey in 1968. IOTL he was Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of State.
- Adlai Stevenson III, Senator from Illinois since 1970, his great-grandfather Adlai E. Stevenson I was Vice President of the United States (1893–1897) during Grover Cleveland's second term. His grandfather Lewis Stevenson was Illinois secretary of state (1914–1917). His father, Adlai Stevenson II, was governor of Illinois, Ambassador to the United Nations, and two-time Democratic presidential nominee.
- Russell B. Long, Senator from Louisiana since 1948, over his 28 years, his views went from conservative to moderate.
- Ted Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts since 1962.
- Thomas McIntyre, Senator from New Hampshire since 1962.
- George McGovern, Senator from South Dakota, since 1963, he was also presidential nominee in the 1972 presidential election.
- Jennings Randolph, Senator from West Virginia, since 1958.
- William Proxmire, Senator from Wisconsin, since 1957.
- Lloyd Bentsen, Senator from Texas since 1971.
- Gaylord Nelson, Senator from Wisconsin1963.
- Joe Biden, Senator from Delaware since 1973.
- Mike Mansfield, Senator from Montana since 1953 and was retiring from the Senate in 1976.

I’ve left off all southern democrats senators as doubt they will help the ticket.
All these senators have the option to serve in Brown’s cabinet.
 
As a one year Governor, I believe Brown would need a Senator similar to Carter, as Vice President, list of possible running mates:
- Birch Bayh, Senator from Indiana since 1963. He is the only non–Founding Father to have authored two constitutional amendments. Bayh also led unsuccessful efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and eliminate the Electoral College.
- Walter Mondale, U.S. senator from Minnesota since 1964 and OTL 1976 running mate.
- Abraham Ribicoff, US Senator from Connecticut since 1963 as well as Representatives, 80th Governor of Connecticut and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in President John F. Kennedy’s cabinet. He would become the first Jewish candidate on a major American political party presidential ticket.
- Edmund Muskie, Senator from Maine since 1959, he was the running mate for Herbert H. Humphrey in 1968. IOTL he was Jimmy Carter’s Secretary of State.
- Adlai Stevenson III, Senator from Illinois since 1970, his great-grandfather Adlai E. Stevenson I was Vice President of the United States (1893–1897) during Grover Cleveland's second term. His grandfather Lewis Stevenson was Illinois secretary of state (1914–1917). His father, Adlai Stevenson II, was governor of Illinois, Ambassador to the United Nations, and two-time Democratic presidential nominee.
- Russell B. Long, Senator from Louisiana since 1948, over his 28 years, his views went from conservative to moderate.
- Ted Kennedy, Senator from Massachusetts since 1962.
- Thomas McIntyre, Senator from New Hampshire since 1962.
- George McGovern, Senator from South Dakota, since 1963, he was also presidential nominee in the 1972 presidential election.
- Jennings Randolph, Senator from West Virginia, since 1958.
- William Proxmire, Senator from Wisconsin, since 1957.
- Lloyd Bentsen, Senator from Texas since 1971.
- Gaylord Nelson, Senator from Wisconsin1963.
- Joe Biden, Senator from Delaware since 1973.
- Mike Mansfield, Senator from Montana since 1953 and was retiring from the Senate in 1976.

I’ve left off all southern democrats senators as doubt they will help the ticket.
All these senators have the option to serve in Brown’s cabinet.
Some very good picks although I do wonder how Jimmy would do against Dole in the Vice Presidental debate if he did hypothetically get tapped or V.P. 🤔 Also is there any chance Carter could get a cabinet spot?
 
Some very good picks although I do wonder how Jimmy would do against Dole in the Vice Presidental debate if he did hypothetically get tapped or V.P. 🤔 Also is there any chance Carter could get a cabinet spot?
Carter will most likely come off calm and collected against Dole as he was with Ford, however I do think Brown will want a Senator to assist him in his role.
I can imagine Carter being offered a spot on the cabinet, the highest being Treasurer.
 
Carter will most likely come off calm and collected against Dole as he was with Ford, however I do think Brown will want a Senator to assist him in his role.
I can imagine Carter being offered a spot on the cabinet, the highest being Treasurer.
I do wonder as Jonathan has pointed out in his list of possible running mates one that I don't see brought up is Mike Gravel who was still in the Senate I believe could he be a good pick for Jerry? Also, would Jimmy accept a role in Jerry's cabinet or would he accept nothing less than being Vice President?
 
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