AHC: Make Gerald Ford's Prediction Come True

Amadeus

In 1989, former President Gerald Ford predicted that the US would eventually have a female President. He believed that rather than being elected in her own right, the first female President would be VP to a male President and she would take office upon her predecessor's death. Moreover, this would "probably come some time in the next four or eight years."
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Of course, Ford was totally wrong - over thirty years later the US has had one female Vice-President but still no woman has served as President. Your challenge is to make Ford's prediction come true: have it so that after 1989, a woman becomes President upon the death of her predecessor. Bonus points if it happens within "four or eight years" of 1989.
 

Theoretical_TJ

Amadeus said:
In 1989, former President Gerald Ford predicted that the US would eventually have a female President. He believed that rather than being elected in her own right, the first female President would be VP to a male President and she would take office upon her predecessor's death. Moreover, this would "probably come some time in the next four or eight years."
.

Of course, Ford was totally wrong - over thirty years later the US has had one female Vice-President but still no woman has served as President. Your challenge is to make Ford's prediction come true: have it so that after 1989, a woman becomes President upon the death of her predecessor. Bonus points if it happens within "four or eight years" of 1989.
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Bob Dole and Kay Bailey Hutchison narrowly win 1996 and the stress of the job or something kills Dole.

Ann Richards wins the Texas Governorship in 1992 and is VP to Al Gore who gets assassinated. Let’s say Bush 41 wins 1992 but the Rs are toast in 1996.
 

Nivek

Amadeus said:
In 1989, former President Gerald Ford predicted that the US would eventually have a female President. He believed that rather than being elected in her own right, the first female President would be VP to a male President and she would take office upon her predecessor's death. Moreover, this would "probably come some time in the next four or eight years."
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@EternalMadness1997
 

Theoretical_TJ

If New Jersey’s Christine Todd Whitman had held pro life views instead of pro choice ones she’d have been very high on the Republican VP track in 2000, arguably for either McCain or Bush. If Bush is assassinated or suffers a freak accident (he was far too healthy for something otherwise to kill him, with a resting heart rate in the 40s). McCain might be a different story health wise.

Other Democratic possibilities could include Dianne Feinstein of California or Barbara Mikukski of Maryland, the former only as a counter to a very moderate D nominee.
 
Suzon

Suzon

Ross Perot / Ann Richards 1992? Perot dies in his second term and Ann Richards becomes president.
 

MrHappy

Amadeus said:
Perhaps Paul Tsongas wins in 1992, and VP Dianne Feinstein succeeds him when Tsongas dies? (He died in 1997).
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Dianne Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992. Why would would the Democratic nominee select a VP in 1992 whose already committed to their own election campaign in a different race? Also, at this point Feinstein had a slim resume, mayor of San Fran and a lost CA governor race in 1990.
 

Deleted member 139407

Amadeus said:
Perhaps Paul Tsongas wins in 1992, and VP Dianne Feinstein succeeds him when Tsongas dies? (He died in 1997).
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MrHappy said:
Dianne Feinstein was first elected to the Senate in 1992. Why would would the Democratic nominee select a VP in 1992 whose already committed to their own election campaign in a different race? Also, at this point Feinstein had a slim resume, mayor of San Fran and a lost CA governor race in 1990.
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If Paul Tsongas wanted to pick a female VP for the '92 election, he could have picked a few women to the post (the following list is in no particular order):
  • Congresswoman from Colorado's 1st District Patricia "Pat" Schroeder (By '92, she had been serving for nearly 20 years)
  • EDIT: Congresswoman from Texas's 18th District Barbara Jordan (She served for 6 years in the House and would revive the Massachusetts-Texas ticket akin to Kennedy-Johnson. However, due to her MS, which was recently brought to my attention, she would not have been a serious contender.)
  • Congresswoman from California's 5th District Nancy Pelosi (Floated as a potential VP to Clinton IOTL, by '92 she had served in Congress for 5 years and was fairly Progressive before becoming a New Democrat; being a founding member of the Progressive Caucus only to leave in 2003 says... things...)
  • Senator from Maryland Barbara Mikulski (It's not unheard of to have two incumbent Senators appear on a ticket together)
  • 18th Governor of Arizona Rose Mofford (4 April, 1988 - 6 March, 1991)
No, Texas Governor Ann Richards would not be a good pick because by '92, she would've served a grand total of... 1 year as Governor of Texas. Neither would Kentucky Governor Martha Collins because the trial and conviction of her husband in 1993 in an influence scandal would tarnish the hypothetical Tsongas/Collins ticket as "corrupt influencers" almost guaranteeing a Bush re-election. Not to mention, IOTL it sunk any attempt at a political comeback.

EDIT: I was hesitant to put Geraldine Ferraro on the list because she had already served as the VP nominee to Walter Mondale in '84 and, geographically, you'd have a Massachusite and a New Yorker. However, that isn't to say she isn't qualified to be VP and then President. She was definitely one of the most qualified women to be President.
 
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Amadeus

Mr. Havana said:
If Paul Tsongas wanted to pick a female VP for the '92 election, he could have picked a few of women to the post (the following list is in no particular order):
  • Congresswoman from Colorado's 1st District Patricia "Pat" Schroeder (By '92, she had been serving for nearly 20 years)
  • Congresswoman from Texas's 18th District Barbara Jordan (She served for 6 years in the House and would revive the Massachusetts-Texas ticket akin to Kennedy-Johnson)
  • Congresswoman from California's 5th District Nancy Pelosi (Floated as a potential VP to Clinton IOTL, by '92 she had served in Congress for 5 years and was fairly Progressive before becoming a New Democrat; being a founding member of the Progressive Caucus only to leave in 2003 says... things...)
  • Senator from Maryland Barbara Mikulski (It's not unheard of to have two incumbent Senators appear on a ticket together)
  • 18th Governor of Arizona Rose Mofford (4 April, 1988 - 6 March, 1991)
No, Texas Governor Ann Richards would not be a good pick because by '92, she would've served a grand total of... 1 year as Governor of Texas. Neither would Kentucky Governor Martha Collins because the trial and conviction of her husband in 1993 in an influence scandal would tarnish the hypothetical Tsongas/Collins ticket as "corrupt influencers" almost guaranteeing a Bush re-election. Not to mention, IOTL it sunk any attempt at a political comeback.

EDIT: I was hesitant to put Geraldine Ferraro on the list because she had already served as the VP nominee to Walter Mondale in '84 and, geographically, you'd have a Massachusite and a New Yorker. However, that isn't to say she isn't qualified to be VP and then President. Of her time, she was definitely one of the most qualified women to be President.
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A Nancy Pelosi Presidency in the 1990s would make an interesting TL!
 
EternalMadness1997

EternalMadness1997

marktaha said:
I love the USA That's why I dreaded the idea of President Palin
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Histor32 said:
You really hate the USA don't you
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Well that would go with the mentioning that brought me here, funny enough.

Since someone already mentioned that idea guess the obligation is off of me. I would bring up the current VP but um, I'm not going near modern US politics with a ten foot pole.
Why I decided to cut my Land of Confusion TL short.

Going with Gerald Ford's prediction about a first female president starting as VP which my friend summoned me here with, basically just make the winning candidate have a woman VP and find some way to get the P out of the picture. There are some valid options IOTL or you could even make the President go with a different running mate than OTL if there are valid options.
 

Amadeus

EternalMadness1997 said:
Well that would go with the mentioning that brought me here, funny enough.

Since someone already mentioned that idea guess the obligation is off of me. I would bring up the current VP but um, I'm not going near modern US politics with a ten foot pole.
Why I decided to cut my Land of Confusion TL short.

Going with Gerald Ford's prediction about a first female president starting as VP which my friend summoned me here with, basically just make the winning candidate have a woman VP and find some way to get the P out of the picture. There are some valid options IOTL or you could even make the President go with a different running mate than OTL if there are valid options.
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Clinton makes a woman his running mate in '92, for whatever reason is forced to resign over the Lewinsky scandal, and his VP becomes President? This is deviating from Ford's prediction as Clinton obviously does not die, but that is another way to get a female President after she had previously been VP.
 

Theoretical_TJ

Amadeus said:
Clinton makes a woman his running mate in '92, for whatever reason is forced to resign over the Lewinsky scandal, and his VP becomes President? This is deviating from Ford's prediction as Clinton obviously does not die, but that is another way to get a female President after she had previously been VP.
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Here’s one. She (hypothetical VP) catches Clinton in the act or even more Clinton’s brazen enough to sexually harass the VP just a bit too far.

Jordan wouldn’t be an option because she had MS and was pretty frail by the 1990s, but that was good thinking.
 
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