AH Challenge: An American Iron Lady

Maybe Jennifer Dunn could do it (butteflying away her illness and early death of course)...she was one of Newt's hatchet people in the house in the 90's and conservative enough to meet the OP I think...

guestimated scenario

Moynihan comes down with a severe illness in 1996 and has to resign; Pataki appoints Jennifer Dunn to his seat; Dunn wins a special election to finish the term

John McCain wins the nomination for the republicans in 2000 and picks Dunn for VP and they beat Gore 51-49

McCain's cancer flares up and he has to resign in 2002 with Dunn becoming president; winning reelection in 2004 and 2008 (again her illness butterflied away somehow)
 
BW, Jennifer Dunn was from Washington, not NY. She's too conservative to win statewide IMO- the last Republican senator from there, Slade Gordon, was to the left of a few Blue Dogs Dems and got defeated anyways.
 
It wouldn't be impossible. Ronnie was a New Deal Democrat in his day. But I don't know how you'd get her enough of an electoral history to back her.



No. The American public has been, by the majority, consistently Left of Center to Liberal on issues. Even in the Reagan era, the public disagreed with Ronnie on everything. It's just that the economy was fine, so he got reelected. However, before the economy picked up in time for 1984, though most people personally liked him, 70% said they wouldn't vote for him again. In short, its the economy. Always has been. The problem is, firstly, Liberal was smeared into a 4 letter word and distorted. So even though most people are Liberals (which you find when you ask them about issues rather than what they call themselves), most don't identify themselves as such because they don't understand the word or believe it means something evil and nasty (a sissy driving a Prius who refuses to say Merry Christmas, for example). Most self-identify as Moderates.

Actually, the best way to describe Americans is "conservative egalitarians". Overall, they are philosophically right-wing. They like the free market, rugged individualism, big military, etc. In practice, they like liberal programs. They like social security and Medicare, and they always want to spend more money on education. It even holds true to equal rights. America was once more overly ambivalent to civil rights, but overall like its results in action--including affirmative action. The Reagan Administration was surprised to find many business interests, former opponents of affirmative action in the 60s, opposed to its removal in the 80s.

We like conservative ideas in theory. We like liberal ideas in practice.
 
BW, Jennifer Dunn was from Washington, not NY. She's too conservative to win statewide IMO- the last Republican senator from there, Slade Gordon, was to the left of a few Blue Dogs Dems and got defeated anyways.

my bad, I was confusing her with someone else

elizabeth dole is the only other suitable republican who comes to mind (fowler was too liberal for the OP)
 
Suppose in (1988) George H. W. Bush, for health reasons or otherwise, decides against running for the Republican nomination for President, and Jeane Kirkpatrick does as she had originally thought about doing; could she do well enough that she would possibly be placed on the ticket as the runner-up?​
 
This was the topic of the 1986 film "Riders of the Storm" (released in some countries as "American Way"), a political comedy in which a bunch of Vietnam vets operating a pirate TV station from a vintage B-29 try to sabotage the electoral campaign of a Mrs. Westinghouse, a right-wing presidential candidate who attempts to come across as the American Margaret Thatcher.

That was a quirky movie if I ever saw one.
 
Hilary Clinton was the only real candidate so far.

That actually makes me think... A lot of the early influences on Hillary's politics were quite conservative, and she canvassed for Nixon in 1960 and read Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative. Ironically, she might be the perfect candidate to fulfill this challenge.
 
That actually makes me think... A lot of the early influences on Hillary's politics were quite conservative, and she canvassed for Nixon in 1960 and read Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative. Ironically, she might be the perfect candidate to fulfill this challenge.

Well, lets see. Through her College Years she was a Rockefeller Republican until after the 1968 Republican Convention, at which some of Nixon's tactics, especially those of the "Southern Strategy" permanently alienated her from the Republican Party. In order to avoid this, her leftward drift that occurred during her tenure at Wellesley College would also have to be avoided, thus not only keeping her views more in line with that of the Republican Party, but would keep her an influential figure within the Young Republicans, thus giving her stronger credibility within the Party. She must also avoid getting interned at "Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein" to, again, prevent left-ward drift.

She likely would begin working in Washington in 1972, and would remain there rather than proceeding down to Arkansas; that is, if she manages to pass her bar exam which she failed in OTL. She could just as well move back to Illinois, where she is known, and start a Law Practice there.

I can imagine her becoming the Attorney General of Illinois and then its Senator in 1980, but I am not sure how realistic that is.​
 
Well, lets see. Through her College Years she was a Rockefeller Republican until after the 1968 Republican Convention, at which some of Nixon's tactics, especially those of the "Southern Strategy" permanently alienated her from the Republican Party. In order to avoid this, her leftward drift that occurred during her tenure at Wellesley College would also have to be avoided, thus not only keeping her views more in line with that of the Republican Party, but would keep her an influential figure within the Young Republicans, thus giving her stronger credibility within the Party. She must also avoid getting interned at "Treuhaft, Walker and Burnstein" to, again, prevent left-ward drift.

She likely would begin working in Washington in 1972, and would remain there rather than proceeding down to Arkansas; that is, if she manages to pass her bar exam which she failed in OTL. She could just as well move back to Illinois, where she is known, and start a Law Practice there.

I can imagine her becoming the Attorney General of Illinois and then its Senator in 1980, but I am not sure how realistic that is.

Sounds realistic, or maybe an open congressional seat first. If Hillary remains a Goldwater Girl, then she can try and primary Chuck Percy.
 
Sounds realistic, or maybe an open congressional seat first. If Hillary remains a Goldwater Girl, then she can try and primary Chuck Percy.

Part of me does not think she would run for the House. She was best known around the Chicago area, and one would assume thus she would open her practice there. However, Republican Candidates often face uphill battles there, and while the State Party might try to recruit her, I imagine she would view a position such as Attorney General as more viable.

As for being a Goldwater Girl, I can't imagine her remaining that Conservative, especially if she were to remain with the Young Republicans. More likely in my mind that she supports his bid for reelection. One should also note that he appeared like W before the 2004 Presidential Election; invincible and a shoe-in for reelection. Even if she were a GG she might not run against him of fear of jeopardizing her political career.

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To build on my original premise, and assuming that on the national stage politics remain similar so as to simplify matters; Reagan is elected with George Bush as his running-mate, with Rodham privately voting for John Anderson while becoming a Senator herself. Reagan's tenure is cut short by John Hinckley and Bush thus becomes President. I am not sure who the Vice President would be under such a situation. Part of me wants to say he appoints Gerald Ford as a "temporary" until the 1984 Presidential Election, but I am sure there are other choices, better choices.

Depending on who it is that is Vice President, Hillary Rodham may or may not run for the Presidency in 1988.​
 
Odd thought regarding the scenario I have above. It is possible that you might have Hillary Rodham as the Republican Nominee and Bill Clinton as the Democratic Nominee, which might produce an awkward situation given I simply imagined their relationship not going anywhere rather than never existing.​
 
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