Challenge: Pelosi v. Clinton

In fall 2007, a terrorist attack kills the President and Vice President, and Senate president pro tempore Robert Byrd dies of a heart attack when he hears the news, leading to Pelosi's inauguration as President of the United States.

She announces an intention to run for the Presidency, but current candidate Hillary Clinton has no inclination to defer.
 

Penelope

Banned
In fall 2007, a terrorist attack kills the President and Vice President, and Senate president pro tempore Robert Byrd dies of a heart attack when he hears the news, leading to Pelosi's inauguration as President of the United States.

She announces an intention to run for the Presidency, but current candidate Hillary Clinton has no inclination to defer.

Yeah that's what I was thinking too.

This one wasn't as impossible as your LBJ / RFK ticket in 68, lol.
 
OK, in regular circumstances without LOS things. But LBJ-RFK in '68 was a toughie. And quite impossible. If you've read the "Newsweek" conversation, you know of what I speak.
 

Penelope

Banned
Allright. I have an idea for a much earlier POD even if it is probably borderline ASB.

1st : No Dan Quayle, Bush decides instead to nominate Former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld in 1988.

2nd : Al Gore decides against going to a baseball game with his son in 1989, as a result, his son is never struck by a car, and thus Al Gore runs for President in 1992. He beats Bill Clinton in one of the most contested and notorious political upsets in political history, and nominates Jerry Brown as his running mate.

Al Gore narrowly loses to incumbent George H W Bush in 1992 by a very slim margin.

Clinton clinches the nomination in 96, and wins over Rumsfeld/Dole.

When Clinton leaves office in 04, Pelosi runs, clinches the nod, and becomes the first woman POTUS to be elected. However, she is definately not as electrifying as Clinton was, and a string of several gaffes and terrible political decisions led to a low approval rating of 47% in fall 07.

Hillary Clinton announces that she will run for the nomination in 08.

Yeah, I know, it's a bit ASB, but it's something I thought up on the spot, what I have to lose by posting it? :)
 
So Pelosi is being LBJ to Hillary's RFK? That's interesting, but Pelosi was hardly known in 2004. Sorry, but I'd like an open fight in 2008.
 

Penelope

Banned
So Pelosi is being LBJ to Hillary's RFK? That's interesting, but Pelosi was hardly known in 2004. Sorry, but I'd like an open fight in 2008.

That's true, but Pelosi was never really well known because the Dems never "came back with a punch" untill 2006, and with a likely Dem Majority in ATL 2004, I'd imagine she would have "run" for Speaker of the House earlier.
 
If they competed in 2008, I think Hillary would win. Though I'm willing to see a President Pelosi scenario. If there are two moderate or liberal candidates, someone else can come up the middle.
 

Penelope

Banned
I kind of set it up for the exact same scenario as LBJ vs RFK.

Challanger to the incumbent wins, incumbent runs for a different party, with the Republican Candidate in the middle of it all winning about 40ish electoral votes.

@ Constantinople. Hah, amen, I shudder at the option of President Pelosi, even though its intresting.
 
Unless someone else comes in to divide the moderate vote, Hillary will win. Pelosi is my personal ideological bete-noire, just as Cheney is for others.
 
Lyndon Johnson would not run for a third party, he knew Bobby had defeated him. You should read their last conversation before his murder- LBJ basically said "I never hated you, this was a misunderstanding." After all the anti-RFK venom, LBJ deserved every bit of that. And even if he strong-arms the convention, RFK becomes POTUS in '76- if Sanders can win the '70 primary. But that was unfortunately not to be in OTL. Going back to Pelosi v. Hillary- but if you want to know, read Mutual Contempt, which is excellent.
 

Penelope

Banned
Lyndon Johnson would not run for a third party, he knew Bobby had defeated him. You should read their last conversation before his murder- LBJ basically said "I never hated you, this was a misunderstanding." After all the anti-RFK venom, LBJ deserved every bit of that. And even if he strong-arms the convention, RFK becomes POTUS in '76- if Sanders can win the '70 primary. But that was unfortunately not to be in OTL. Going back to Pelosi v. Hillary- but if you want to know, read Mutual Contempt, which is excellent.

That's probably true, but RFK vs LBJ vs Goldwater is an awesome scenario for a political junkie like me! :D

-Back to Pelosi V Clinton.

Clinton would undoubtably win, but I do think Pelosi might have the odasity to run for a third party. Maybe McCain or Romney for a Republican Nominee, who would be devastated by Pelosi and Clinton.
 
You do not need the President Pro tem of the senate out of the way for the Speaker to succeed under the current law.

I have to say I suspect that Ms Pelosi would be a better President than most folk on this board feel, however the only circumstances under which it could happen would be tragic and probably VERY scary
 
Top