Challenge: Make 'Your Dad/Mom' President in 2004

I have an idea for a 'Your Mom' wank. Bascially take your own parent/guradian/self if parents are passed on by 2004 in your own OTL. Then create a POD that allows your relative to become President of the US by 2004. I think this could be fun as it would involve strange immigrations and or twists and turns. Feel free to use 'My Dad' if you dont want to give away proper names on the internet(s).
 
Let's see, my dad was a colonel in the army when he retired in '03. Maybe when he commanded that logistics taskforce in the Gulf War, they don't get blocked by the dawdling group in front of him, he has a more distinguished service, hailed as a war hero, Al Gore becomes president in 2000, my dad is popular enough to run.
 
Double POD!

POD #1-William Westmoreland dies of a heart attack on his way to Vietnam; the United States adopts the "spreading inkblot" strategy that succeeded in the Philippines, and it succeeds again in Vietnam. As a result, Lyndon B. Johnson successfully initiates the Great Society, and keeps it going in his presidency until 1972. With American confidence high after Vietnam, we wind up in Nicaragua during the 1980's. Boots on the ground and all that.

POD #2-My dad doesn't drop out of West Point after two months. Instead, he stays in, and becomes successful in the military with surprising speed. He becomes part of the intervention force in Nicaragua, and winds up a war hero.

As a result of the Great Society, the inner city neighborhoods remain much stronger. Thus, parishes throughout cities in the Northeast and Midwest aren't closing, but growing. My father, an Italian Catholic from one of those neighborhoods, runs on a socially moderate/economically liberal ticket sometime in the mid-1990's, and supported by a strong urban Catholic vote, wins the presidency.
 
...Given as the last time some of my family could have qualified as "American Citizens" was in 1783, when they left, I don't think it's happening. ;)
 
hmm... seeing as the only american born citizens are my sister and me, this would be hard. Also seeing as my parents are lazy when it comes to the public and community, hmm....

1st POD- Hitler never grows the mustache

2nd POD(the one that actually affects history)- The Invergordon Mutinya leads to more military mutinies in the UK. An authoritorian communist party comes into power with military support. While most flee to Canada, my grandparents escape to America and become major voices in bring democracy back to Europe. With the influx of British immigrants becoming citizens in Massachusetts, my grandpa becomes Senator as a republican.

with the influx of conservatives fleeing the British Empire, Quebec becomes home to many radical groups demanding independence from the increasing population of English Canada. When Quebec militias begin terrorizing major Canadian cities. King George VI (who made Canada the new home of the monarchy after King George V died in the Red Revolution of 1930) abolishes the parliament and rules Canada as a Dictatorship (after the fall of Britain he became paranoid swearing to never lose another centimeter of his land). After the US declares war on Canada (with now Canadian refugees calling for there home land to be freed) my grandfather leaves congress to fight the war to free Canada; becoming not only a US hero, but a savior of his Canadian and British brothren. After the war he is knighted by King Edward VIII (US brings him back to the throne).

Riding on my Grandfather's popularity in not only defending British freedom, but also defeating the Commies during WW2 and his later work as Secretary of State(from end of the war in 1943 to his death in 1984), my father becomes governor of Toronto in 1990(parts of Canada were Ceded to the US after WW2) and later the first President from a former Canadian territory (his father's prestige wins over the US, while his british ties win over the newer states that were ceded after the war) with help of the increased Conservative Anglo-Americans living in the north and new states of former Canada, and his strong position on how to aid the new nations of Europe after the break up of Greater Germany (and its puppet state New Rome), the US's closest European ally. (next to the US puppet state of the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland):p
 
By 2004 implies they could have been but then left office, right? It's hard to imagine my mom having the stomach for politics of any kind.:) But, both my stepdad and my biological dad need PODs that almost certainly mean they don't meet my mom. Or...do they?

POD: My stepdad's parents die in an accident in 1945, leaving him and his siblings orphans. Instead of being in a family where they are told they can't do stuff and aren't encouraged and supported no matter what they want to do, they are adopted by the family of one of my mom's best friends. Since my stepdad is only 7, much of his personality is there, yet he's also got a family now that will encourge him to follow his dreams.

he joins the air foce instead of the Navy, and becomes a well-known fighter pilot, but chooses not to stay, partly because my mom's friend has become pregnant out of wedlock, so he comes back home to help support her in the middle '60s instead of re-enlisting. He starts getting involved in local politics while my mom is married, has me, and divorces. (Yeah, a POD ahe marries her is almost ASBish, sadly, and before means he likely doens't meet her.)

(The one I call my) dad's life experiences have helped him become a good moderate Republican; moderate to liberal on some social issues, but geneally conservative. He's in the state Senate by the 1970s. My mom's friend suggests my moma nd he get together once while he's campaigning at our county fair, a couple years after they met in OTL. My mom likes him, but also doesn't want to have me bothered by all the hoopla of politics. However, they keep in touch. My mom realizes that he's the one meant for her.

Instead of the really old gobernatorial candidate we had, my dad runs for governor, where Reagan still has enough coattails he's elected. With me in high school, and interested in politics at that time, I'd be spending more and more time takling with him, and my mom would realize that it's a great match. Jowever, with her concerns for me and my handicaps, and not wanting to leave her home area just yet, he is smart enough to realize he can't propose till I'm ready to go to college. they marry in the summer of 1988, less than 10 years after they married in OTL.

More importantly, my dad is chosen as a "favorite son" of the Midwest as V.P. over Dan Quayle, someone who is only a touch older but seems much more intelligent and able to handle the media and such. He teases me that, "I'm going to be Vice President. That means I'll have all the time in the world to spend with you and Mom."

It becomes one of those hilarious, well-known political quotes, especially when further butterflies lead to President Bush dying in 1991. My dad is re-elected in 1992, as he adopts some of Perot's policies of eliminating waste and is willing to oppose NAFTA. (My parents were both Perot supporters for a while in '92.) With Perot "bought off," he becomes an somewhat 4easy win. While he never wanted the office in OTL, he remarks that, "As long as God has put me here, I owe it to the people to do what's right."

He goes down as an averge to slightly above-average President, leaves office in 1997, as it's obvious he'll have some problems in '96, with the Republicans in power 16 years and him wanting to get back to private life. Also, he's made some enemies, as some in the Republican party don't like how he's cut spending and also done things in a more "common sense way" and not done things politically the way they'd like.

As he expects, a Democrat is elected in '96; Sam Nunn, partly for his expertise on foreign policy, which my dad didn't hve any of, as he chose to focus solely on domestic issues and ignore foreign affairs.
 
Unfortunately, I'm not seeing any way for either of my parents to become President while still being my parents; there are just too many circumstances that would be altered.

Besides, as much as I love my mom and dad, neither of them are really fit to be President. My dad has issues with depression, and my mom...

...

Well, actually, my mom just might be good at it...she's always been good at organization, and leading people...

I still don't see any way she could manage it, however, given her personal history.
 
Hmmm. How does the law stand on adoption? My mother was born in Germany, but adopted into a US family very young and moved to New York State. If my grandfather hadn't taken a job in Germany, she'd likely have stayed and gone to college in Buffalo (my grandfather was a journalist, the family valued education and there would have been the money), and from there you could see a political career. She's smart and outspoken. Of course, President is improbable, but it happens to someone every four years.
 

yourworstnightmare

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Hmm, for this to work I need to get my family to America somehow.... must think about it some more... but for my family (where neither of my parents are that much in to politics) it is close to ASB.
 
Hmmm. How does the law stand on adoption? My mother was born in Germany, but adopted into a US family very young and moved to New York State. If my grandfather hadn't taken a job in Germany, she'd likely have stayed and gone to college in Buffalo (my grandfather was a journalist, the family valued education and there would have been the money), and from there you could see a political career. She's smart and outspoken. Of course, President is improbable, but it happens to someone every four years.

You have to have been born in the United States, or U.S. territory. (If you could manage to get her born in an embasssy... :) Seriously, the idea you had was the best.

As for the improbability, hey, that's why I used the Vice Presidency. I can't see any of my family being that interested, and with what I used there was so much turning and twisting, it was incredible..

I think it should be expanded so, if someone just can't make it in this country, they can make it so they're leaders of whatever country they're from. Although, with some countries, it would be even harder.
 
My mother's parents emigrating before she was born is possible- she was Irish and getting away from the troubles makes sense. (Me still being here is trickier but here goes)

My still being born is tricky. I guess my mother, who was a student nurse going to Korea is possible and maybe my father somehow getting drafted by the British army to that client could have happened.

I guess my mother does something heroic. She also falls in love with my father whilst treating him.


Anne Murphy gets so much publicity for her heroism that someone thinks it would be interesting to run her for some office ( a very long shot.)

Somehow that 25th amendment does not go through, Watergate happens and the idea of a Congress WOMAN from New York being likely to clean house better when a Special Presidential election happens after Nixon's conviction and removal from office....


Alternatively it is less likely tht my British father's parents would have emigrated before 1925 (my grandfather was a fairly succesful Businessman in London) still they move to a small town some place. They manage to start an equally succesful French Polishing firm there.

Dad (with my dubious uncle hopefully staying on the other side of the pond and thus not stealing from the business ) gradually makes his way in small town politics and seems by the late 80s to be a plausable candidate for VP.

(NB Both of these assume they had better health which probably means they drank less and gave up smoking by 1960)
 
Dad seves in Vietnam war, manages to assaiante Ho Chi Min, becomes war hero, runs in 1996. There.
EDIT:Yes, it's unlikey, but it works.
 
This one is actually pretty easy for me, as my dad did have political aspirations early on in life. Had he not gone to law school instead, his plan was to run for office in his native Texas, and he believes he could have easily beaten George W. (and I believe him to), thus leading him to become president.
 
Mines actually easy.
John Williams is elected to the House of Representatives from the 6th district of Massachusetts in 1988. In 1992 he is named treasury Secretary, due to his background in accounting and banking. After Gore loses the 2000 Election Williams who had returned to the House after Clinton left, was rumored to be a front runner in 2004. With the Banking industry heavily favoring him and the backing of Maine Senator and former Majority Leader George Mitchell, Williams easily wins the Democratic nomination after Kerry, places an abysmal 4th in Iowa, leaving the field to Williams. Running on a stricter regulation and Centrist Democrat Campaign, Williams leads the Democrats to beat George Bush in a very slim 270 to 268 victory.
 
My Dad runs in 2004, and is swept into Office by the Zombie Vote, Dad died in His Plane Crash back in 1988.

My Mom Runs and with the Backing of the Gray Panthers, becomes the first 88 year old Female to be elected POTUS.
 
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