Walter Mondale's Presidency (01/01/1988)
The Presidency of Walter Mondale has held a strong approval throughout its entire course. Mondale made history by appointing Ruth Bader Ginsburg to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He also oversaw the Senate ratify the 27th Amendment, the Equal Rights Act, in 1985. The economy has greatly improved in America. The Soviet Union is starting to show its final stages of decay, as it begins to erode its communist system into a more democratic one. This is contributed to heightened US Pressure to pull out of Afghanistan. Mondale has been praised for his strong stance on communism and for being a passionate fighter for equality. Despite being hated by staunch arch-conservatives, his firebrand Progressive stances have had a lasting effect on all of America, and he is regarded by many as one of the greatest Presidents of this century, as well as all of American history.
Current Approval of President Mondale
55% approve
34% disapprove
11% no opinion
1988 Democratic Primary
Candidates:
Vice President Reubin Askew of Florida
Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts
Reverend Jesse Jackson of Washington DC
Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York
Vice President Reubin Askew has been pointed to, as most vice presidents are, as the obvious successor to Mondale, but Askew has only gained support from party moderates, an increasingly shrinking portion of the Democratic Party. Not to mention Mondale has not made any official endorsement for the primaries, and has openly called for a women President one day or another. That statement encouraged 5 term representative from New York Geraldine Ferraro to launch a presidential campaign of her own. There have also been candidacies from Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, who wants to bring what he has coined "The Massachusetts Miracle" to Washington and Reverend Jesse Jackson of Washington DC, who wants to bring the US down "A far more progressive road than Mondale could ever dream of".
1988 Republican Primary
Candidates:
Former Senator Howard Baker of Tennessee
Former Representative Bob Dornan of California
Learning from their mistakes the GOP has decided to take a more moderate route with their candidate for President this year. The front runner for this years primary is Former Senator Howard Baker, who was the Senate Minority Leader for 8 years from 1977 to 1985. While only getting 6th in the Republican Primary during his 1980 run, Baker has put full effort into this years run, hoping to utilize the Old Guard of the GOP, his 2 decade long political career, and military experience as a WW2 vet. His only primary challenge is from controversial former Representative Bob Dornan of California, who lost his seat in the election of 1982, trying to take it back in 1984 and losing in one of the closest house races in US history.
1988 National Independent Primary
Candidates:
Businessman Ross Perot of Texas
Businessman Lee Iacocca of California
The Battle of the CEOs as its been dubbed by some, the National Independent Party's 1988 Primary is being contested by 2 political outsiders, hoping to change the dynamic of politics altogether in what looks to be one of the closest election years in history. Ross Perot of Texas, the CEO of Electronic Data Systems, leads in polls by a narrow margin. Lee Iacocca, who hasnt personally campaigned for the nomination, still has Ross Perot keeping his guard up, as more left wing members of the party hope to take the party from the Rockefellerites.