alternatehistory.com

March 18th, 1987


"Mr. Iacocca, we have an appearance scheduled in Topeka tonight, followed by an election watch party in Wichita tomorrow evening." Iacocca perked up at this news.


"I can't wait! I love these people! These Midwesterns, they are the ones who understand what I'm saying. The East and West are far too polarized politically..." He trailed off, seeing the face of his aide. It was filled with concern.


"Sir, I don't want to rain on your parade, believe me. But someone has to say it. We are wasting our time here!" Iacocca was confused by this sudden turn.


"Wasting our time with what? This conversation? What do you mean?"


"No, sir. In this state! We have this place locked up, there is no question about it. We will win here in Kansas by upwards of 30%, but for what? A single extra delegate? We need to start committing time to the Northeast - New York is coming up, and if we can rally the labor unions, we might have a shot!"


Iacocca fell absolutely silent, contemplating. Finally he spoke.


"Get. Out."


"Sir?" The aide was taken aback.


"Leave. You are fired. Get out of here."


As the downtrodden and enraged aide gathered his things and stormed out, he tore a poster of Iacocca taped to the wall in half and threw the remnants of the ad to the ground.


"I'll bill you for that!" Iacocca screamed at the man as he slammed the door.


Suddenly aware of the presence of all of the eyes in the room staring at him, Iacocca pivoted.


"Anybody want to join him? Keep looking and you're all welcome to go hang out with your pal in the unemployment line!"


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March 19th, 1988



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March 21st, 1988


Standing in the hallway of a recording studio in downtown Detroit, Eddie Kendrick spotted David Ruffin as Ruffin sauntered towards him. Ruffin was in one of his flashier suits, a white coat with a black dress shirt underneath. On his head he wore a white fedora adorned with black cloth.


"How's it going, Corn?" Ruffin asked, calling Kendrick by his old nickname from the Temptations days. As they exchanged a handshake, Kendrick noticed a pin standing out on Ruffin's jacket.


"What's this, Ruff?" Kendrick asked, tapping the pin with his pointer finger. Ruffin chuckled.


"It's a pin for Jesse Jackson. Some people don't seem to know that there is a primary coming up in a few days." Kendrick didn't know that Ruffin had been keeping any eye on politics at all - he had known he had been passionate about Civil Rights when the Temptations toured the segregated South, but that was about it.


As they walked into the recording booth, it was as if Ruffin had read Kendrick's mind.


"I might not know everything about his policies," Ruffin said with a grin, "but us brothers gotta stick together."


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March 24th, 1988


"I am here, standing with you in Detroit, because I care about you. I care about all of you immensely. The auto workers, and the labor union members, and all of you.


You know who is not here in this city? Mr. Lee Iacocca.


All I hear about on the campaign trail from this Iacocca is how much of a hero he is in this city, and this state. That he saved the city, as if he is some sort of merciful God who glanced at this place and it was magically fixed.


And yet, three days before the primary in Michigan, Mr. Iacocca is nowhere to be found. He is currently in Fargo, North Dakota, as a matter of fact.


What does that tell us? Well, it tells us that he is taking all of you for granted.


He seems to believe that he doesn't even need to stop here in this city, or this state, and he will still win here by a wide margin because all of you are indebted to him somehow.


Well, how about we show him differently?


You all are indebted to no one. You owe your vote to no one. This is America, this vote is your choice.


Would you rather stand with a man who has pledged his support to the labor unions that have held the autoworkers together, or the man who would rather turn a profit than raise the wages of his work? Would you rather vote for the Rainbow Coalition or a tyrant?


The choice is yours, but it should be clear. Do not support oligarchy, support democracy!"


Jesse Jackson at a rally in Detroit, Michigan


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March 26th, 1988