Elizabeth Dole - Jeanne Kirkpatrick 1996

Elizabeth Dole's record and resume is pretty amazing, even prior to her being a Senator.

-Worked in the Johnson White House
-Supporter of the Women's Liberation Movement in the 1970s and Equal Rights Amendment
-Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (1973-1979)
-Director of the Office of Public Liaison (1981-1983)
-Secretary of Transportation (1983-1987)
-Secretary of Labor (1989-1991)
-President of the American Red Cross (1991-1999)

Dole was also the first woman to ever head a branch of the military, as the Coast Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation when she was Secretary.

Covering just about every area of domestic policy, the only thing Dole really lacks is Foreign Policy chops. Jeanne Kirkpatrick works given how she was UN Ambassador, on the National Security Council, the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Defense Policy Review Board, and chaired the Secretary of Defense Commission on Fail Safe and Risk Reduction of the Nuclear Command and Control System,

They're also somewhat bipartisan considering how they both were Democrats who became Republicans.

What if Elizabeth Dole and Jeanne Kirkpatrick had been the 1996 Republican ticket?
 
Elizabeth Dole's record and resume is pretty amazing, even prior to her being a Senator.

-Worked in the Johnson White House
-Supporter of the Women's Liberation Movement in the 1970s and Equal Rights Amendment
-Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (1973-1979)
-Director of the Office of Public Liaison (1981-1983)
-Secretary of Transportation (1983-1987)
-Secretary of Labor (1989-1991)
-President of the American Red Cross (1991-1999)

Dole was also the first woman to ever head a branch of the military, as the Coast Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation when she was Secretary.

Covering just about every area of domestic policy, the only thing Dole really lacks is Foreign Policy chops. Jeanne Kirkpatrick works given how she was UN Ambassador, on the National Security Council, the Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Defense Policy Review Board, and chaired the Secretary of Defense Commission on Fail Safe and Risk Reduction of the Nuclear Command and Control System,

They're also somewhat bipartisan considering how they both were Democrats who became Republicans.

What if Elizabeth Dole and Jeanne Kirkpatrick had been the 1996 Republican ticket?

I think that Colin Powell could be much better as a VP with Elizabeth Dole, then again it is up in the air as to whether he would even agree to it. Ignoring the multi-racial multi-gender ticket I just proposed, I do think that either way people still won't accept a woman as a Presidential nominee in 1996, if not for any other reason then that in 2016 a good amount of people were at least a little apprehensive about a female nominee, let alone 20 years earlier.
 
First, Liddy is not going to run until Bob has his final chance. Second, if she did (and won the nomination) she is not going to choose another woman as her running mate. Having a woman heading the ticket will be "radical" enough; I don't think the GOP (or the country) was ready for an all-female ticket in 1996. Third, even if she did want to choose another woman, why Kirkpatrick? Kirkpatrick's record was in foreign policy, and in 1996 with the Cold War over, "why we should back Latin American authoritarian dictators as a lesser evil than Communism" was not exactly a subject that was stirring the American electorate.. .
 
@David Flin, let us hear your opinions of Mrs. Jeane Kirkpatrick. I recall she had some small involvement in our favourite subject - the Falklands.

*furiously stirs*

Do you want something printable? She was an idiotic right-wing disorganised fool who was politically tone-deaf and who carried grudges way beyond what any sane person would consider sensible. She managed to embarrass pretty much everyone she was involved with in 1982, put Reagan into a difficult position. She managed to upset both the Argentines and Britain with her lunacy in the UN, for no advantage to the USA. She was outmanoeuvred in the "Winning Political friends" stakes in Washington by the British Ambassador, who actually understood how to get on the right side of people.

If I'm honest, I could see Kirkpatrick managing to lose if she stood unopposed.
 
Do you want something printable? She was an idiotic right-wing disorganised fool who was politically tone-deaf and who carried grudges way beyond what any sane person would consider sensible. She managed to embarrass pretty much everyone she was involved with in 1982, put Reagan into a difficult position. She managed to upset both the Argentines and Britain with her lunacy in the UN, for no advantage to the USA. She was outmanoeuvred in the "Winning Political friends" stakes in Washington by the British Ambassador, who actually understood how to get on the right side of people.

If I'm honest, I could see Kirkpatrick managing to lose if she stood unopposed.

This is why I love your commentary David. You get right through the bare bones and start exposing the bloody mess underneath.
 
Do you want something printable? She was an idiotic right-wing disorganised fool who was politically tone-deaf and who carried grudges way beyond what any sane person would consider sensible. She managed to embarrass pretty much everyone she was involved with in 1982, put Reagan into a difficult position. She managed to upset both the Argentines and Britain with her lunacy in the UN, for no advantage to the USA. She was outmanoeuvred in the "Winning Political friends" stakes in Washington by the British Ambassador, who actually understood how to get on the right side of people.

If I'm honest, I could see Kirkpatrick managing to lose if she stood unopposed.

Huh. Fun to think about. Maybe another woman is needed then. Based off of your description, no wonder she contemplated running with Ross Perot.


I think that Colin Powell could be much better as a VP with Elizabeth Dole, then again it is up in the air as to whether he would even agree to it. Ignoring the multi-racial multi-gender ticket I just proposed, I do think that either way people still won't accept a woman as a Presidential nominee in 1996, if not for any other reason then that in 2016 a good amount of people were at least a little apprehensive about a female nominee, let alone 20 years earlier.

A woman - African American ticket in 1996 would be pretty progressive (and a ticket comprised of a feminist and a rockeller republican at that!) but I'm skeptical Powell would say yes. His wife would never let him. On the other hand, maybe VP is different from President in her mind? Probably not but who knows.

First, Liddy is not going to run until Bob has his final chance. Second, if she did (and won the nomination) she is not going to choose another woman as her running mate. Having a woman heading the ticket will be "radical" enough; I don't think the GOP (or the country) was ready for an all-female ticket in 1996. Third, even if she did want to choose another woman, why Kirkpatrick? Kirkpatrick's record was in foreign policy, and in 1996 with the Cold War over, "why we should back Latin American authoritarian dictators as a lesser evil than Communism" was not exactly a subject that was stirring the American electorate.. .

All-female 1996 as a gambit in a probably guaranteed to lose elecion is just a fun though experiment. Plus, Foreign Policy is the reason I say Kirkpatrick works. Dole has experience in just about every field except for that, and Kirkpatrick would do a good job as the electoral "attack dog" that VPs typically are.


Aside from Kirkpatrick, what women were available to be VP in 1996?
Christine Todd Whitman was just elected Governor in 1994.
Governor Kay Orr was defeated in 1990.
Olympia Snowe was in Congress from 1979-1995 and was elected to Senate in 1994

Looking at Congress...

Susan Molinari was elected to the house in 1990 and was Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference starting in 1995
Pat Saiki was a congresswoman from 1987-1991, lost a Senate bid, and then became administrator of the Small Business Administration
Lynn Martin was a congresswoman from 1981-1991, Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference from 1985-1991, lost a Senate bid, and then became Secretary of Labor from 1991-1993

I'm not sure the country was ready for an asian woman VP in 1996 any more than it was ready for an all-woman ticket in 1996 (referring to Saiki) but who knows.

Lynn Martin actually works pretty well, having had lots of legislative experience, been in House GOP leadership, and been a Cabinet Secretary. Plus her home state of Illinois was still considered winnable at the time I believe, and she was from a pretty swing-y area I think.
 
I think that Colin Powell could be much better as a VP with Elizabeth Dole, then again it is up in the air as to whether he would even agree to it. Ignoring the multi-racial multi-gender ticket I just proposed, I do think that either way people still won't accept a woman as a Presidential nominee in 1996, if not for any other reason then that in 2016 a good amount of people were at least a little apprehensive about a female nominee, let alone 20 years earlier.

If Colin Powell were willing to serve as VP nominee, Bob Dole would readily have chosen him in OTL, despite some grumblings from the right.
 
It's interesting, certainly. The ticket as printed though would go down in flames. In 96 it's going to take a lot to beat Clinton and this Dole has an even worse chance than her husband actually did. An all female ticket is quite progressive and may set the GOP up nicely in 2000 especially after the scandal comes out. What it might do, is set Elizabeth Dole up for another run in 2000. Scandal worn and weary, the country turns to the other party, and the other gender in droves.
 
I reckon Jean Kirkpatrick was way out of the mainstream. Am I wrong?

Not out of the mainstream of the Reagan-era GOP. But by 1996, the question of whether the US should support Third World anti-Communist dictatorships against Communism--the issue with which Kirkpatrick was most associated--was of no particular concern even to Republicans; the end of the Cold War had largely made it moot. (Her position on the Falklands was related to this--she was sympathetic to an Argentine regime that had brutally crushed left-wing opposition, and worried that its fall would mean if not a Communist, then at least an anti-US Peronist Argentina.)
 
It's interesting, certainly. The ticket as printed though would go down in flames. In 96 it's going to take a lot to beat Clinton and this Dole has an even worse chance than her husband actually did. An all female ticket is quite progressive and may set the GOP up nicely in 2000 especially after the scandal comes out. What it might do, is set Elizabeth Dole up for another run in 2000. Scandal worn and weary, the country turns to the other party, and the other gender in droves.

The first woman president is a Republican who is an ex-democrat who served in the Johnson Administration and was a self-described member of the women's liberation movement. Now THAT is good writing.


In hindsight, Dole-Martin works better than Dole-Kirkpatrick.

Also, how can this ticket do worse than Bob Dole did? The man was a dinosaur that was out of touch with the period he was running in.
 
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