Earliest Possible "Minority" Presidents

just curious about hoover's vice president would he still get the blame for the great dression the way hoover did?
Assuming he does one would imagine that this would make it very easy for racists to stop a minority political candidates for at least a generation
 
When was the first female cabinet member? IMHO that would be the very earliest chance for a woman, if you can blow up all the rest! Not unless you get the sympathy vote, widow type of situation where for example Eleanor Roosevelt has a chance if she continues in politics. Maybe Mrs Wilson (tho some might say she was effectively president anyway)?

Actually, when was the first black cabinet member?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf

Dr. Robert C. Weaver, a young economics expert from Harvard University and a race relations adviser. He worked with the White House to provide more opportunities for African Americans. In 1966 he became the first black cabinet member, appointed by Lyndon B. Johnson as Secretary of the newly created Department of Housing and Urban Development

I might as well answer myself...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_African-American_United_States_Cabinet_Secretaries

Weaver doesn't look very black there...

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
In truth, many people found it strange that Obama was elected when he was elected, so I`d think that really was the earliest instance for minority presidents.

Perhaps it would actually be easier to prevent his election and delay minority presidents from an alt-historical perspective. I mean, a lot of people (at least in Europe) still think Obama was only elected because of how much Dubya hurt the standing of the Republicans - in other circumstances, things might be quite different.
 
In truth, many people found it strange that Obama was elected when he was elected, so I`d think that really was the earliest instance for minority presidents.

Perhaps it would actually be easier to prevent his election and delay minority presidents from an alt-historical perspective. I mean, a lot of people (at least in Europe) still think Obama was only elected because of how much Dubya hurt the standing of the Republicans - in other circumstances, things might be quite different.

I thought that he was elected because the chance of Mccain dying and leaving the presidency to Palin was a risk few was willing to take (or approximetalialy 47% of all Murrricans, as it's also called).

And the fact that he was Black (though I'd describe him as more of a gray/brown variety) got him more votes than him being the whitest man alive ever would.
 
Eleanor Roosevelt? Maybe a reaction to a truly nutty Republican ticket (McCarthy/LeMay) Eleanor sneaks in as a VP choice (maybe under Stevenson) and then POTUS dies in office? Long Shot...

MLK? Again, a long shot. He doesn't die in Memphis, Nixon fights tooth and nail, barely survives impeachment, but ruins the Republican brand. Carter wins 1976, with MLK as VP. Carter dies in office ...

Colin Powell - obvious - Clinton scandel prior to 1996, Republicans run Powell against Gore in 1996.

True outside-the-box:
Amelia Earhart. Completes her trip. Is at Pearl on Dec 7 - gets into the air in a P-40 - somehow. Shoots down some Zeros and Vals - becomes an even bigger heroine. No more combat in WWII, becomes General of WAAF, shuttles bombers across the Atlantic. Leading advocate of women's rights. Comes out early against Vietnam, becomes darling soldier-woman of the left. Goldwater/Lemay beats Nixon but then blows up even more spectacularly, and McGovern/Earhart wins in 1968. McGovern dies ...

Mike Turcotte
 
True outside-the-box:
Amelia Earhart. Completes her trip. Is at Pearl on Dec 7 - gets into the air in a P-40 - somehow. Shoots down some Zeros and Vals - becomes an even bigger heroine. No more combat in WWII, becomes General of WAAF, shuttles bombers across the Atlantic. Leading advocate of women's rights. Comes out early against Vietnam, becomes darling soldier-woman of the left. Goldwater/Lemay beats Nixon but then blows up even more spectacularly, and McGovern/Earhart wins in 1968. McGovern dies ...

Cool, but she was 71 in '68. And who says she was a Democrat? Why not Eisenhower's running mate in '52, elected on her own in '60?
 
When was the first female cabinet member? IMHO that would be the very earliest chance for a woman, if you can blow up all the rest! Not unless you get the sympathy vote, widow type of situation where for example Eleanor Roosevelt has a chance if she continues in politics. Maybe Mrs Wilson (tho some might say she was effectively president anyway)?


Frances Perkins, selected to head the Department of Labor in 1933.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Perkins
 
I thought that he was elected because the chance of Mccain dying and leaving the presidency to Palin was a risk few was willing to take (or approximetalialy 47% of all Murrricans, as it's also called).

And the fact that he was Black (though I'd describe him as more of a gray/brown variety) got him more votes than him being the whitest man alive ever would.

We must live in different timelines, given that Joe Lieberman would've given Obama a landslide due to Palin being a net benefit for McCain (he would've lost independents anyways, but she helped Republican turnout a lot), and that an analysis of Americans who said they were less or more likely to vote for Obama because of race (net -2-4%) and swings between Kerry in 2004 and Obama 2008, Obama lost around 8 states (AK, GA, LA, MO, MT, TN, SC, WV), primarily because he's black.
2008WhiteObama.png

2008WhiteObama.png
 
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We must live in different timelines, given that Joe Lieberman would've given Obama a landslide due to Palin being a net benefit for McCain (he would've lost independents anyways, but she helped Republican turnout a lot), and that an analysis of Americans who said they were less or more likely to vote for Obama because of race (net -2-4%) and swings between Kerry in 2004 and Obama 2008, Obama lost around 8 states (AK, GA, LA, MO, MT, TN, SC, WV), primarily because he's black.
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You're obviously alot more knowledgable in this than I am. I was only going by my own rational reasoning. Seeing some of the same hysteria going on right now about possibility of the new pope being the first black pope etc. It's kinda typical. The first black/women/minority anything obviously holds alot of appeal to alot of people.

And I honestly cannot fathom that people wanted someone like Palin in a position of power...

Do you know if there ever were done any polls on how many Americans listed Obamas colour of skin as one of their major reason for voting for him?
 
Barring some horrible scandal with Obama or Biden, I think its fairly safe to say that unless his running mate was Jesus Christ himself, McCain would have lost 2008.
 

Robert

Banned
Edward Brooke (R., Mass) could have been a Presidential contender had not the Rockefeller wing of the GOP not sided with the Southern Democrats to limit his access to the media.
 
I almost want to say Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1984 or 1988 but... no, not quite him. Somebody of his stature in the same election probably could do it, but not the man himself. If that makes any sense.
 

Max Rakus

Banned
I Like what Mike said about Amelia Earhart becoming a political figure but remember she is from Kansas a pretty conservative state and even if she moves somewere else these conservate views might still impact her
 

Max Rakus

Banned
And also maybe Kennedy can use her for her conservative views for the south in 1960 or even 1964 if he survives
 
IIRC, Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor, was the first woman in the cabinet, beginning in 1933. Don't think there were any black cabinet members until perhaps Lyndon Johnson's elected term and in any event likely that person would have been SecHEW, which was way down the list of presidential succession.
 
After Roosevelt dies Axis 5th Columnists manage to set a bomb off at a cabinet meeting; killing Truman and the attendant secretaries. Miss Perkins is not present because she was touring a factory or at some kind of conference. She thens becomes President. Both the President and all other cabinet secretaries have to do since Labour was the newest goverment department.

Also since the VP didn't attend cabinet meetings until the 1950s it was to take place during a VP vacancy (or the VP must die in some other way). She doesn't run for office on her own in '48, citing her age & a desire to retire from public life. Yes, I know IRL she served on the Civil Service Commision & taught college until her death, but the retirement excuse is a diplomatic way to avoid running for office without casting attention on her gender. She refused to cave into pressure to resign though; aware of how horrible a precedent that will set.
 
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