AHC: A Different 1996

I was going to make this a generic "Get Bob Dole the Presidency Challenge" but getting him the White House in 1980 or 1988 would be an easy way out. Make Bob Dole the victor of the 1996 Presidential Election with a P.O.D. after January 20, 1993, it'll be hard, but I'm sure there's a way.
 
Monica Lewinsky (or someone else) goes public in early 1996. allowing Dole to campaign against Clinton on the basis of his personal immorality and causing Clinton to narrowly lose.
 
The U.S. was more polarized -- so the margins are smaller -- but a Republican win in '96 strikes me as on the same order as a Democratic win in '84.

In 1996, kids were dropping out of college and getting millions of dollars in venture capital to start up businesses with plans like "oh, hey, wouldn't it be neat if there were some sort of place online where I could order Ben & Jerry's at 3 am when I'm stoned?"

I just don't see how you're going to defeat an incumbent President when the economy is that idiotically strong, no matter how many Monicas there are.
 
I recall reading somewhere, and of course I can't find it now, that many of Clinton's advisers were engaged in hand-wringing over a potential Jesse Jackson challenge in either the primaries or the general election. They were able to avoid that problem, obviously, but it seems to me like that would be a good place to start for Dole to win.

So, let's see. In mid-1995, Jackson holds a press conference and announces what everyone has been fearing for months: tired of the rightward shift of the Democratic party under the guidance of the Democrats for the Leisure Class, he will challenge president Clinton for the party's nomination. Jackson never has a lead in any of the polls nationally, but does manage to take Illinois, Michigan, and South Carolina during the race. The damage, however, is done. Many liberals are disaffected with Clinton's shift to the center, many centrists are disaffected by his pandering to the left in the primaries, many minorities are convinced to stay home rather than vote for Clinton.

Dole wraps up the primaries in a similar fashion to OTL. Buchanan makes his threat that he will break away from the party unless Dole picks a pro-life VP. Unlike OTL, though, he selects first-term senator Rick Santorum as his running-mate. Santorum's youthful energy and charisma are a balance to Dole's age and clumsiness with words, and the Republican ticket receives a poll bounce, virtually tying them with Clinton/Gore at 47% each.

Come election day, Dole/Santorum hold on to a slim 48% to 47% lead to win the race 273 to 265.

genusmap.php.png
 
Unlike OTL, though, he selects first-term senator Rick Santorum as his running-mate. Santorum's youthful energy and charisma are a balance to Dole's age and clumsiness with words, and the Republican ticket receives a poll bounce, virtually tying them with Clinton/Gore at 47% each.

:eek:

I think you're going to need a POD in the fall of 1957 to turn OTL's Rick Santorum into something other than a far-right gaffe machine, no?
 
Top