alternatehistory.com
The Fiancier Turned Funeral-goer
Bill Brock
The Financier Turned Funeral-goer
1981-1989
The 1980 Republican Primaries were supposed to have been the coronation of Ronald Reagan. Throngs of GOP officials lined up to pay their respects and beg for money and power from the movie star turned Governor turned Presidential hopeful. And although Bill Brock was theoretically neutral as RNC chair he knew where the butter was coming from. Or at least where it was supposed to be coming from.
Brock was a navy veteran and son of a Tennessee Democratic Senator. He’d started in his father’s party but jumped over to the GOP in time for his run for Congress in the 3rd District. An odd choice considering the 3rd was a traditionally Democratic district, but one that paid off. In 1970 he managed to knock off Al Gore from his Senate seat by attacking the sitting senator as being too liberal. He’d then had the misfortune of facing the heat for the Watergate scandal in 1976 and lost his seat after one term. His specialties as Senator had been Labor and Finance. He’d managed to parlay this into a stint as the RNC Chairman and, it was presumed, a role helping Ronald Reagan unseat Jimmy Carter, organizing funding for party members and in doing so accruing far more influence then a freshman senator ever could have.
The George Bush started talking about Voodoo Economics, and the rest is history.
As Bush began to realize he might actually be President, probably sometime after he won the Texas primary, thoughts began to idly drift to Vice Presidential picks. The hunt began in earnest after Reagan dropped out following disappointment in New Jersey. Reagan openly turned down any efforts to have him round out the ticket, and so did Gerald Ford. The Bush campaign feared accusations of a pro quid quo and so wished to avoid anyone who had supported Reagan too openly, but still sought out a more conservative voice. And so, Bill Brock was pulled out of planning the convention and given the promotion of a lifetime. Democrats jeered at the Bush/Brock ticket, eagerly pointing out how neither had served in public office since 1977, but their jeers meant nothing to the voters, who sent Bush to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Brock to Number One Observatory Circle.
Bush was an experienced Washington insider, and Brock’s single term in the Senate provided fewer connections there then past or future Vice Presidents. So, Brock found himself relegated to more traditional roles, cutting ribbons, attending funerals for third world dictators. Bush and Brock were always friendly, but Brock never quite found his way into the inner circle, ending up with odd jobs and projects. Brock became Bush’s point man during the air traffic controller’s strike in 1981 and helped end the strike via negotiations, despite his own advice to take a hardline against them. He made diplomatic overtures in Latin America (though he cut off a meeting in El Salvador on account of bloodstains on a carpet). His tenure would see his attendance of two Soviet leaders, one for each term, and he met with Gorbachev early during the Russian’s rise to power. In the 1984 reelection campaign he performed admirably against Dale Bumpers, but Dale Bumpers performed admirably against Bill Brock (the debate was not very consequential). Brock’s second term would be dominated by what the media dubbed “Guerrillagate”, albeit indirectly.
As it emerged that weapons had been given to Hezbollah in exchange for cash and hostage released, and that said cash had been turned over illegally to the Contras in Nicaragua questions emerged about who knew what and when did they now it. For Bush the answer is murky at best, but Bill Brock managed to avoid being involved at all. This led to him being trotted out repeatedly as Bush did damage control about the expanding scandal, which now involved Iran. Brock faithfully toed the party line and defended his President and his friend. It made him the butt of more then a few jokes, but he pushed forward. Still he found himself breaking more tie votes then usual (which still wasn’t very many) as Bush’s term came to a close.
Going into 1988 Brock was seen as a strong potential candidate for the GOP. He stood for the years of solid tax cuts and fair deregulation that had helped the consumer. However, he was no heavy weight, and despite an early lead in the polls he slipped in Iowa to Bob Dole, who had become the unlikely right-wing contender. Brock faded, just as Reagan did, and watched as his shoes were filled with New Hampshire centrist Warren Rudman. Brock, ever dutiful, campaigned for Dole with a strong earnestness in the fall alongside Bush, but proved unable to save his plodding campaign. In retrospect Brock losing to Dole reflects a weakness that likely would have doomed him in the fall had he been nominated.
Brock retired from politics after 1988, writing his memoirs from a new home in Maryland along with the occasional opinion piece criticizing the new President and her hard-working Vice President.
Bill Brock
The Financier Turned Funeral-goer
1981-1989
The 1980 Republican Primaries were supposed to have been the coronation of Ronald Reagan. Throngs of GOP officials lined up to pay their respects and beg for money and power from the movie star turned Governor turned Presidential hopeful. And although Bill Brock was theoretically neutral as RNC chair he knew where the butter was coming from. Or at least where it was supposed to be coming from.
Brock was a navy veteran and son of a Tennessee Democratic Senator. He’d started in his father’s party but jumped over to the GOP in time for his run for Congress in the 3rd District. An odd choice considering the 3rd was a traditionally Democratic district, but one that paid off. In 1970 he managed to knock off Al Gore from his Senate seat by attacking the sitting senator as being too liberal. He’d then had the misfortune of facing the heat for the Watergate scandal in 1976 and lost his seat after one term. His specialties as Senator had been Labor and Finance. He’d managed to parlay this into a stint as the RNC Chairman and, it was presumed, a role helping Ronald Reagan unseat Jimmy Carter, organizing funding for party members and in doing so accruing far more influence then a freshman senator ever could have.
The George Bush started talking about Voodoo Economics, and the rest is history.
As Bush began to realize he might actually be President, probably sometime after he won the Texas primary, thoughts began to idly drift to Vice Presidential picks. The hunt began in earnest after Reagan dropped out following disappointment in New Jersey. Reagan openly turned down any efforts to have him round out the ticket, and so did Gerald Ford. The Bush campaign feared accusations of a pro quid quo and so wished to avoid anyone who had supported Reagan too openly, but still sought out a more conservative voice. And so, Bill Brock was pulled out of planning the convention and given the promotion of a lifetime. Democrats jeered at the Bush/Brock ticket, eagerly pointing out how neither had served in public office since 1977, but their jeers meant nothing to the voters, who sent Bush to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Brock to Number One Observatory Circle.
Bush was an experienced Washington insider, and Brock’s single term in the Senate provided fewer connections there then past or future Vice Presidents. So, Brock found himself relegated to more traditional roles, cutting ribbons, attending funerals for third world dictators. Bush and Brock were always friendly, but Brock never quite found his way into the inner circle, ending up with odd jobs and projects. Brock became Bush’s point man during the air traffic controller’s strike in 1981 and helped end the strike via negotiations, despite his own advice to take a hardline against them. He made diplomatic overtures in Latin America (though he cut off a meeting in El Salvador on account of bloodstains on a carpet). His tenure would see his attendance of two Soviet leaders, one for each term, and he met with Gorbachev early during the Russian’s rise to power. In the 1984 reelection campaign he performed admirably against Dale Bumpers, but Dale Bumpers performed admirably against Bill Brock (the debate was not very consequential). Brock’s second term would be dominated by what the media dubbed “Guerrillagate”, albeit indirectly.
As it emerged that weapons had been given to Hezbollah in exchange for cash and hostage released, and that said cash had been turned over illegally to the Contras in Nicaragua questions emerged about who knew what and when did they now it. For Bush the answer is murky at best, but Bill Brock managed to avoid being involved at all. This led to him being trotted out repeatedly as Bush did damage control about the expanding scandal, which now involved Iran. Brock faithfully toed the party line and defended his President and his friend. It made him the butt of more then a few jokes, but he pushed forward. Still he found himself breaking more tie votes then usual (which still wasn’t very many) as Bush’s term came to a close.
Going into 1988 Brock was seen as a strong potential candidate for the GOP. He stood for the years of solid tax cuts and fair deregulation that had helped the consumer. However, he was no heavy weight, and despite an early lead in the polls he slipped in Iowa to Bob Dole, who had become the unlikely right-wing contender. Brock faded, just as Reagan did, and watched as his shoes were filled with New Hampshire centrist Warren Rudman. Brock, ever dutiful, campaigned for Dole with a strong earnestness in the fall alongside Bush, but proved unable to save his plodding campaign. In retrospect Brock losing to Dole reflects a weakness that likely would have doomed him in the fall had he been nominated.
Brock retired from politics after 1988, writing his memoirs from a new home in Maryland along with the occasional opinion piece criticizing the new President and her hard-working Vice President.
- King of the Uzbeks
- Word Count: 870