Senator Mike Ditka is in his 3rd term, and is rumored to be joining the race for the 2020 Republican nomination. But what if, for some reason, he decided not to run? Who would be the Republican candidate? Would Governor Obama be a Senator ITTL? Would Donald Trump still run for Governor of New York? Would he still be a Democrat? Would SNL have brought back Da Superfans sketch? Would this change the Presidency at all?
DBWI: No Senator Ditka
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If I remember correctly, him running and succeeding as an independent Did surprise quite a few people and did lead to a butterfly of changes.
Despite being a self-proclaimed “ultra-conservative”, he became more moderate after his disaterous first term. Obama mentioned becoming governor because he felt he should get more experience after Mike Ditka made a fool of himself.
Trump is in jail since running for the governor pretty much made him open for all the bad stuff he committed and his Empire was pretty sold off to bidders.
Despite being a self-proclaimed “ultra-conservative”, he became more moderate after his disaterous first term. Obama mentioned becoming governor because he felt he should get more experience after Mike Ditka made a fool of himself.
Trump is in jail since running for the governor pretty much made him open for all the bad stuff he committed and his Empire was pretty sold off to bidders.
colonel
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Despite his first term problems McCain actually considered him as a running mate in 2008. Ditka certainly would have helped more than Sarah Palin, but Hillary Clinton likely still would have won. Talk about a first term disaster -- she almost single handily is what allowed the Republicans to give Romney two terms with dominant majorities in both house plus more governors and state legislatures than any party in our history.
Yeah, but the Republicans have colossally screwed up the economy and the Recession just grew into a Depression. That and their growing stance on the culture wars and so on have made people very much sick of them.
Dikta's absence would probably have meant no one passed the Safety in Organised Sports Act of 2011 (SOS Act), which led to a reshaping of the landscape or professional sports. Different NFL sure, but imagine no concussion substitute rule in soccer (a direct result of the SOS and FIFA needing to come to America), no SOS mandated retirement funds for former players.
His defence of Al Franken also sunk the #metoo movement. Franken might have resigned otherwise and not become SecState in 2018 when Kirsten Gillibrand was forced to resign in disgrace.
His defence of Al Franken also sunk the #metoo movement. Franken might have resigned otherwise and not become SecState in 2018 when Kirsten Gillibrand was forced to resign in disgrace.
colonel
Donor
That what was said after Romney's first term when he beat Bernie Sanders like a drum. Rightly or wrongly Americans still blame the economy on Hillary Clinton & her policies. Bush may have handed her an economy on the ropes but she pounded it into the ground. Raising taxes in the Great Recession is what almost turned it into a Depression. Remember we only had 1 quarter of growth in her term and that was just 1.2 per cent coming after the Republican Congress overrode her veto of their tax cut. Maybe if she had done what her husband did and sign some bills she could have taken some credit, but refusing even to negotiate is part of the reason that even today she is having trouble raising funds for her library. Besides while we're in a double dip Recession now, the last quarter growth was flat (and may yet be revised upward) --that is not good, but hardly a "Depression," and it follows an average of over 3% growth for 2017 & 2018. If the Democrats are smart they'll take up Joe Manchin - virtually the only Democrat running who could win a red state. I know Elizabeth Warren in leading in their polling, but she will just be Bernie Sanders rerun.
colonel
Donor
Yeah, I never did get Romney appointing 3 Democrats in a row as his Secretary of State & 2 in a row a Treasury.
He never really cares about political parties, if he thinks a person is right for the job, they get appointed.
I wouldn’t say Ditka “sank” the #metoo movement, but it made people a lot more cautious about how to deal with perpetrators. At the beginning, defending a perpetrator was career suicide; now it’s more acceptable to stand by a friend or colleague who committed such an offense with the understanding that they don’t agree with it being necessary to kill their career.
As for Ditka’s work on SOS, he single-handedly saved the NFL in many people’s view - he ran off Roger Goodell, who fought the law tooth-and-nail, and he’s the reason there’s even labor peace in the league, thanks to his recommendation of former IL governor Barack Obama as Goodell’s replacement. Obama and DeMaurice Smith have a working relationship that even baseball envies.
The other rumor I've heard WRT Ditka is that instead of running again (or for POTUS) he will replace Obama as the NFL Commissioner so Obama can flip to be NBA Commissioner, it's an open secret that as much as he enjoys running the NFL he is a basketball fan at heart and NBA Commissioner is his dream job.
I also heard that former President Bush was gonna be the new MLB commissioner, and that Manfred was retiring.
(OOC: I don't think Manfred is retiring IOTL anytime soon, I just think Dubya would be great in charge of the MLB)
(OOC: I don't think Manfred is retiring IOTL anytime soon, I just think Dubya would be great in charge of the MLB)
Yeah, I’ve heard that rumor, but the NFL will be really reluctant to let Obama go, especially to a competing league. It won’t be up to them beyond making the man they call the Gov an offer he can’t refuse, but I just don’t see it happening.
Eh, Bush is enjoying retirement. I could have sent it many years before, but at this point, he’d probably just be a consultant.
OOC: W as baseball’s commish is an awesome POD and one I would love to explore, but I don’t have time to write a TL.
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