alternatehistory.com

28 years ago today, Michael Jackson shocked the world when he announced his retirement from show business at the age of 22 and that his album Off The Wall was his last. He decided to enter a career in politics.

In 1982, Jackson was elected to the California State Assembly from a district in suburban Los Angeles.

In 1992, Jackson upset Congressman Barbara Boxer in the Democratic primary and was elected to the US Senate. He became the first Jehovah's Witness to serve in the Senate.

In 2000, he became the first African-American nominated on a major party ticket when Al Gore picked him as his running mate. But George W. Bush would be elected President.

Senator Jackson was the leading voice against Bush's invasion of Iran. In 2004, he won most of the primaries and won the Democratic nomination for President. His selection of Richard Gephardt as his running mate helped cement labor union support was well as winning the states of Missouri and Ohio. It wasn't until 1AM that Jackson was declared the winner of the Presidential race and became the first African-American President of the United States.

If Jackson decided to stick with his music career, would he still have made more successful records? Jackson and his brothers had their biggest success in the 1970s and his solo album coincided with the end of the disco era, and I think he would have struggled to adapt to the public's ever changing tastes in music.
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