We all know the story of actor Ronald Reagan, who went on to become the Chairman of the Walt Disney during the 1980's. Reagan's was beneficial in attempting to bring to life Walt Disney's vision of EPCOT. A city focusing on futurism and the moving ahead in American society. Reagan was also beneficial in Then-General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, to visit America. By showcasing him the values of capitalism by giving Gorbachev a tour through Walt Disney World and eventually worked towards forming a so-called "Culture Detente" between the West and East during the Cold War.
DBWI: Ronald Reagan never becomes the CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
- Thread starter TheKennedyMachine.
- Start date
Reagan never runs for President then? Bush/Carter in 1980 election? With Bush getting into office?
If you want him to not be at Disney, then you have to get him out of showbiz. IOTL Reagan almost primaried Richard Nixon in 1966 but ultimately decided not to. In fact, Reagan credited considering a run for the governor's office as the catalyst to switch fully to the business leadership side of Hollywood, leading to his time at Disney. Maybe either have Reagan somehow primary Nixon and win or have Nixon lose in 1962 to Pat Brown. Either way requires butterflying away Nixon's moderately successful 2-term presidency.
I guess not, really. Reagan was really surprisingly beneficial in sort of "ending" the Cold War. Keep in mind, Reagan worked with the Bush Administration when it came to diplomacy between the USA and USSR.
I still remember when he sent Gorbachev a set of Mickey Mouse Cartoons that had been made in the 1960's.
Oh yeah. I remember that! I think Reagan would've made a huge impact as Governor, possibly setting him up for the 1968 election, or even 1980.
And didn't Gorbachev look really uncomfortable in that Davy Crocket Coon Skin cap?
None were as hilarious as when Reagan got Maggie Thatcher to sing the theme to the Micky Mouse club in 83 though. She never lived that one down.
My father told me about that once! He said that he was one of the cameramen during that.
Spitting Image had a load of fun with that one.
The Gorbachev/Thatcher duo in "The Chicken Song" is the greatest thing ever.
It's been blamed for the relatively poor performance of the Tories in the 1987 election compared to the post Falklands landslide. That the victory was so narrow killed off any talk of the proposed Poll Tax.
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I recall their being rumors that Gorbachev actually had a good laugh out of that one. Is that true?
In the interview I saw he wouldn't answer that, but he did struggle to supress a grin.
Dolan
Banned
Yeah, especially with the introduction of Gogol Duckovich, the middle-management Communist Party Administrator of the Soviet Union who happened to be Scrooge McDuck's Brother-in-law (and thus Donald's Uncle).
Said Balding Russian Duck were clearly an affectionate parody of Gorbachev himself, and being shown in very sympathetic light helps the cultural dentete of the 1990-2000s.
Comrade Gogol is definitely one of the biggest thing Disney brought from and into the Soviet Union.
I remember when Reagan created the EPCOT Institute, a organization that would bring in the world's most talented artists and engineers to work for the Walt Disney Company. The EPCOT Institute was even recognized by the United Nations!
One thing I could see is Carter not having a second term, the Republicans screwed the pooch hard especially by attacking Reagan in the leadup to the election causing him to turn on them. Carter then getting the hostages released days after the election restored some confidence in him, which caused Carter and Reagan to become good friends. I remember Reagan's funeral and seeing Carter as one of the pallbearers, that was a touching sight.