Chapter 87: August 2003 – February 2004
Chapter 87: August 2003 – February 2004
“One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny.”
– Bertrand Russell
August 27, 2003. That was when Mars made its closest approach to Earth in over 60,000 years. Timing, opportunity, and luck all seemed to be on our side.
“Now remember, no keggers while you're down there,” joked Frankie.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to miss out on that,” Zorba added.
“Don’t worry, Frankie, I'll keep an eye on them,” replied Willie McCool. My guess is our pilot thought this comment was inappropriate, given Frankie’s temporary eyepatch, for he then said, with a switch to a more serious tone of voice, “Um, no offense,” while motioning with his hand to his left eye.
“None given, none taken,” answered Frankie with a polite shrug.
Kicker, Willie, Charmin’, Poutine, Crackle and I boarded the landing module Seeker 3 without incident and soon detached from the Milestone to begin orbital descent.
[snip]
“Contact light, and we’re clear for– ”
The module came to a stop with a sudden and awkward lurch to the left, slanting and sliding into the touchdown spot in Jezero Crater. Sensors were not able to determine the exact strength of the soil below us, but it was still apparent that the Seeker’s weight had collapsed a more malleable section of the Martian surface. A planet covered in volcanic basalt rock, and we touched down in a thicker-than-typical mound of Martian dust, a top layer of soil containing sodium, potassium, chloride and magnesium, fine like talcum powder, and, in this one spot in particular, just as collapsible under the weight of our module as a sandcastle is under the weight of a dune buggy’s speeding tires.
“Status report, people,” asked McCool.
“Scanners functioning normally,” stated Sharman, “oxygen systems and life support systems normal.”
“Engine?”
“Fuel’s not damaged, no detectable leakage of any sort. A manual inspection would not hurt, though,” Crackle reported.
“Well, the plan is to step outside anyway. Suit up, everyone,” McCool put on his helmet and unbuckled himself.
When everyone was prepped for exiting the module, and we had all double-checked each other’s suits for good measure, our CO tried the door on his side of the module to discover one overlooked aspect of the Seeker 3 coming to a stop at a 20-degree angle on its left.
“The door’s jammed over here. It’s pushed up and into the ground.” McCool turned around, said, “We’re not getting out this way,” and then looked at me.
My seat, the one originally intended for Frankie Chiang Diaz prior to his health crisis, lied beside the only other entryway into the vessel. “Um, here, let me scoot over, sir.”
“Denied, Anderson. Look at the space in here. Attempting to, um, scooch over across those controls could make for some damage. To your suit, to the controls...”
“Then you and I can just back up and – “
“It’s too risky, Mike,” Sharman said as she looked at the space surrounding us. “There’s not enough floor clearance. You could damage your suit, and the three spare suits are in the back over here,” she pointed over to the corner of the cabin, which was starting to feel smaller and smaller the more we discussed the matter.
Kicker just came out and said it. “Mike, either you step out first to make room for the rest of us, or none of us are going anywhere.”
I sighed, “Where are those robot rovers when you need them? They could open Willie’s door from the outside, I’d bet.”
“The Surveyor’s ten miles northeast of us,” Poutine spoke up. “Oh, you were being sarcastic, weren’t you? Right. Sorry about that.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled, “Well, alright then.” And I thought, God, I hope I can remember the line.
The stepladder down was, roughly, a foot off the ground, but I eyeballed it and I believed I could jump it with ease. Being 38% lighter than I was on Earth due to Mars’ gravity, my steps had a bit of a bounce to them, but it was a bounce noticeably smaller than the ones made when Gus Grissom, and then Ted Freeman, stepped onto the Moon in their own famous descent off a stepladder on March 7, 1969, more than 44 years prior.
33 million miles away, roughly 2.5 billion people, more than a third of the world’s population, was watching the almost-live feed from the cameras and transmitting equipment the Surveyor and Discovery rovers had set up for us months prior. I found comfort in the fact that none of those 5 billion eyes could see my face through my sun visor. I figured that if they could see my face, many would cheer, and, undoubtedly, others would jeer, at the surprise – that I, not, Willie, was to become the first man on Mars.
I myself? I felt like I was going to hurl from the unwanted limelight and attention. I was not supposed to even be in the Seeker 3. I was supposed to work aboard the Milestone. Instead, because of a blood clot taking out my superior’s eye, and then because of loose soil and a jammed door, I, Michael Anderson, a payload commander for NASA, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, a timid but adventurous African-American man from Spokane, Washington, became the first human to step foot on Mars.
I took the small leap off the ladder and, upon landing, took in the scenery before me. The dawn sky had some blue to its overall pinkish tone, a reversal of the color palettes of Earth’s sunrises and sunsets, and the rocky terrain had more shades of yellow, red, orange, grey and brown than I anticipated. Soaking it all in, I found myself to be at a loss for words. A sort of mental fog rolled into my head as I was overwhelmed by the moment, the realization of where I was. McCool was supposed to say, “We have journeyed far in the spirit of discovery and in pursuit of answers, and with this footstep, we just made history.” All I could say was “My stars, what a view.” McCool would instead say the scripted line as he descended off the ladder.
Internally, I cracked the old joke, Hey, I think I can see my house from here!
Above: Willie, sun visor up, preparing for the flag planting (left); me, sun visor down, taking a look beyond the crater (right)
– Michael P. Anderson’s A Million Different Things, Borders Books, 2006
“Oh, they definitely found something up there. They’re just not saying what.”
“You really think so?”
“Do you really think the government would let NASA spend all that time, effort, and money just on some trip to some lousy crater? Oh no, they found evidence of intelligent life up there. Just look at the live feed, and you’ll see how often they ‘lose’ the image for a few seconds, or even for several minutes.”
“From solar flares.”
“From alleged solar flares, but they almost never lose audio contact. That’s just too convenient. There was some kind of cover-up, I tell ya. How else could they have gotten whatever they found up there into the Seeker 3? On the return trip, they’ll probably keep it on ice in the food supply area, now that the from-Earth half of the food supply’s gone, hey, all that empty space, it’s the perfect hideaway!”
“I suppose.”
– Host Art Bell (before his retirement from the program in late 2003) and recurring caller Conspiracy Joe on KDWN’s late night political call-in talk radio program Coast to Coast AM, Sunday 8/29/2003
“Our presidents can send people to other plants but can’t send food to other mouths. The SARS pandemic has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that a strong, centralized, nationalized government is best equipped for handling national emergencies. If Russia was still the Soviet Union, they would have only had a fraction of the number of SARS cases they got. …We need to work for more competent and compassionate leadership in the Congress and we need a true representative of the people in the White House. That’s why I’m running for the Democratic nomination for President.”
– US Senator Peter Isaac "Pete" Diamondstone (Liberty Union-Vermont), 8/30/2003
As September approached, the SARS crisis in the US was essentially lower for a majority of states, with cases dropping to below those of the common cold and the seasonal flu overall. Despite these optimistic signs, parents homeschooling their children remained on the rise. Thousands of children would not return to public school in September 2003 over parents’ fears concerning their children’s health and safety. However, 60% of the children homeschooled in the 2003-2004 school year would return to either private or public school by the start of the 2007-2008 school year…
– Tim Brookes’ SARS, Governance, And The Globalization of Disease, Borders Books, 2014
The marstronauts tried fast-growing produce like radishes. They were only staying for a fortnight, or two weeks, and that is how long that vegetable takes to bear fruit after breaking through the soil (they had germinated on board the Milestone and kept delicately in cargo during the descent to the surface); hence the term “a radish’s worth of time” catching on in the astronomer community and ultimately becoming a fairly common phrase.
While Sharman and McCool tended to radishes and other crops in the temporary inflatable greenhouse, Melvin and Payette installed solar panels and related equipment in order to study the Martian atmosphere. Anderson and Krikalev tended to the engine systems and to the task of digging out the Seeker 3 so it could launch back to the Milestone properly. All systems were checked and maintained regularly by all six members of the landing party; contact and communication with the Milestone was frequent. Every night the crew shared meals and slept without elbow room in the small cabin of the Seeker, and every day they ventured out on the surface.
The collecting data – mainly via soil samples – was meant to help scientists determine exactly the Red Planet’s history. The planet, especially Jezero Crater, had experience repeated periods of wet and dry climate, and the nature of several unique features at Jezero Crater were documented in depth.
On August 29, Krikalev and Payette ventured south of the landing site to seek out water sources and document landscape features. The next day, the Surveyor rover dropped by, but was more interested in photographing the marstronauts’ boots than stay still for a photo-op before heading west. Testing for radiation, and studying the effect of wind and sun on Mars was daily.
Back on the Milestone, Dc Robertson continued to study the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the human body. “Bone mineral density loss, central nervous system issues, eyesight impairment,” Robertson counted off.
Commander Chiang Diaz understood the opportunities his condition was giving her, but he found no comfort in it. “I’m your guinea pig, eh, Doc?”
In the Milestone’s Black Box recordings, you can hear Robertson reply, “Frankie, of course not! Ooh, that’s so morbid!”
Chiang Diaz then remarks. “Eh. Any way that I can help out will make this trip worth it. I hope.”
Back on the surface, the landing party did physical testing of their own, observing weight, strength, health, performance, and other physical differences between activities on Mars versus activities on Earth.
On August 31, The Manned Mars Mission confirmed to NASA that Jezero Crater was once flooded with water, and now had a very diverse assortment of clay deposits and clay minerals such as magnesium and even small amounts of iron, which form in the presence of water. The lake bed in the center of the crater, discovered in 1998 and from which the crater received the name Jezero (in several Slavic languages it is the word for Lake), was found to have grooves similar to the rings of a tree, and gave enlightening insight into the details of the planet’s history.
The search for signs of ancient life, however, continued on with only circumstantial on non-indisputable evidence to promote the idea. The Seeker’s cargo compartments were filled to maximum capacity with samples of sediment layers for good measure.
[snip]
On September 10, the Seeker 3 reconnected to the Milestone and began the long trip home.
– Harland McKeeble’s Dreams, Reality and Legacy: The Epic Journey of The Milestone and Seeker, Heinlein Books, 2020
BOMBSHELL! AUDITORS FIND EVIDENCE OF GOVERNOR ACCEPTING KICKBACKS FROM RUSSIAN COMPANIES
– The Sacramento Union, 9/3/2003
…On the morning of September 3, when state police visited the Governor’s mansion, workers and interns informed them that the Governor had disappeared. At some point during the point, he had left the premises. His car was gone, and so were two suitcases. Police put out an APB for Rohrabacher after inspecting the room. Upon Dana’s wife suggesting they check the airports, Governor Rohrabacher was soon found at Sacramento International. He was attempting to board a flight to Vladivostok…
– Robert Stewart’s Radical Capitalist: The Story of A Freewheeling Dana Rohrabacher, Herald Tribune Press, 2015
…With Dana Rohrabacher being convicted and removed from office by the state senate, Lieutenant Governor John L. Burton is now the Governor of California…
– CBS Evening News, 9/3/2003
MEREDITH: 36%
ALLEN: 12%
RODHAM-CLINTON: 11%
GOETZ: 9%
MUSGRAVE: 6%
NOLAN: 5%
OTHER: 10%
UNSURE/“None of the Above”: 11%
– Gallup national GOP primary polling, 9/4/2003
JOE MEDICINE CROW TO RECEIVE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL
…are receiving the minimum two-thirds sponsorship requirement for the chamber to move forward on it, the US Senate has passed a bill to award Joe Medicine Crow the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’s highest expression of national appreciation given to individuals or institutions that contribute to American culture, innovation, or security. Crow is an inspiration to many due to his work in preserving Native American culture and History, and for his status as the sole living Native American war chief. Crow is to receive this medal for his significant actions during World War Two…
– The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, Montana newspaper, 9/4/2003
BURTON PICKS ST. ASSEMBLYPERSON DEBBIE COOK TO BE NEW LT. GOV.
– The Los Angeles Times, 9/5/2003
September 6: Hurricane Isabel forms
– weather.gov.usa/hurricane-isabel/timeline
…September 6 brought about yet another race riot, this one in Socorro, New Mexico. A minor traffic stop led to a police officer putting an 81-year-old Hispanic man in the hospital after the senior citizen questioned the reason for him and his grandson, who was driving, being pulled over. Rumors that the elderly man was killed only increased the crowd soon protesting the police station. A couple of pepper spray spurts later and the street corner was inundated with riotous frenzy. Jesse Jackson immediately responded to “Hispanic-Americans fighting back against police brutality” toward the growing Hispanic community in Socorro by personally flying west, his Attorney General to tow in highlight the judicial answers to the injustice brought on by racism in police culture...
– Nancy Skelton and Bob Faw’s Thunder In America: A Chronology of The Jesse Jackson White House, Texas Monthly Press, 2016
JACKSON, US ATT. GEN. EDWARDS VISIT SOCORRO, NM, AMIDST RACE RIOTS
…In his speech, the Attorney General called for peace and reconciliation between “all members of this richly diverse community.” …“This riot, as terrible and destructive as it is,” Jackson told the assembly of Hispanic locals, “highlights the very issues that must end – not just here, but anywhere and everywhere else in these United States where communities are divided on race, where working classes either oppress or are oppressed, and where these divisions are strengthened by poor education and employment inequality. …Any prohibition of any of our fellow American citizens from having a life that is free, fair and equal, solely due to their skin color or country of origin or any other type of prejudice, is a betrayal of the very foundations and ideals of this republic.” The Attorney General then met with the Mayor while the President met with police officials…
– The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 9/7/2003
NEW MEXICO RIOT SIMMERS DOWN, MAYOR CREDITS PRESIDENT’S VISIT
– The Chicago Tribune, 9/8/2003
KFC EXECUTIVE ANNOUNCES SENATE BID
…Herman Cain, the CEO of KFC’s parent company, Finger Lickin’ Good, Inc., has abruptly given the multimillion-dollar global corporation two weeks’ notice in order to launch a run for the US Senate seat being vacated by the retiring incumbent, Dr. John Skandalakis (D-GA)...
– The New York Times, side article, 9/9/2003
…Cain knew that the Board was considering firing him; he did not want to give them the satisfaction, nor allow them to ruin his career. The retiring of Senator Skandalakis gave Cain an opportunity – an exit strategy – and he took it.
His brisk departure pleased Harley, who told the Board in a teleconference, “We can finally do what I’ve been saying we should do – improve standards and customer outreach, not cut corners. Give a little, get a lot, but give a lot, and you get even more.” Harley wanted the parent company’s new CEO to chart a new course for Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Cain’s remaining supporters on the Board only humbly commented on the positive aspects of his tenure and legacy. KFC’s domestic sales decline did continue under his watch, but it did slow down considerably from the 1999-2001 freefall. The Board credited Cain’s BEAM program, that taught workers how to “make our patrons smile” by teaching employees how to smile, present themselves, and be well-received by customers, as being behind the stopping of the freefall. As a result, this program was one of the few elements of “The Cain Era” left intact after his departure from FLG Inc.…
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
YUGOSLAVIA SENDS AID TO ETHIOPIA, SOMALIA TO COMBAT SARS
…Yugoslavia’s latest efforts to strengthen ties with African countries, led by the nation’s latest Presidium, Lojze Peterle of Slovenia, is both a humanitarian gesture and the Yugoslavic government’s attempt to maintain influence over trading policies with several nations in Africa…
– tumbleweed.co.usa/news, 9/10/2003
FLG INC. BOARD SELECTS NEW CEO
…the search to succeed outgoing CEO Herman Cain has already ended thanks to “Company Elders” Harley Sanders, Mildred Sanders-Ruggles and Pete Harman all endorsing a single candidate. Initially a Sunday school teacher, Mary Lolita Starnes Hannon, 72, joined the “KFC family” in 1962, and oversaw the operations of 24 KFC outlets in Mississippi by 1980, at which point she became regional manager, and then joined the FLG Board of Directors in 1989. Outside of KFC, Hannon supported Colonel Sanders’ charitable donations to religious organizations; she is also known for opening her home to religious, social, and charitable gatherings, leading to her being well-connected and to her developing a friendly rapport with The Colonel. [1]. Hannon was chosen over KFC Head Executive David Novak, Takeshi Okawara (the head of KFC Japan), and several other potential picks, all from inside the company, in contrast to Cain, who was an “outsider” selection. The Board likely hopes that a leader with deep roots in the corporation, in tune with its work culture and familiar with both its basics and details, will set FLG Inc. in a new and better direction, and finally turn the company around after years of domestic stagnation…
– The Wall Street Journal, 9/12/2003
September 12: Isabel reaches its peak intensity northeast of the Leeward Islands as it continues its north-northwest trajectory towards the U.S.’s Eastern Seaboard
– weather.gov.usa/hurricane-isabel/timeline
FOX MCKEITHEN, MAVERICK LOUISIANA GOVERNOR, ENTERS GOP RACE FOR PRESIDENT
– The Washington Post, 9/14/2003
On September 15, the Supreme Court made its landmark “Brill v. Cohen” decision. Associated Justices Schroeder, Lord, Nealon, Bacon, and Sandel, and Chief Justice Page in positioning themselves on the one side; Associate Justices Sneed, Garza, and Thompson found themselves on the other side.
Thus, the Supreme Court ruled 6-to-3 that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the US Constitution, which was adopted all the way back in 1868. The ruling thus required all 50 US states and the federal district of Washington, DC, plus all US territories, commonwealths and other “Insular Areas,” to recognize and allow the performance of same-sex marriages and issue marriage licenses, certificates, and/or other required documentation, on the same terms and conditions used for opposite-sex marriages, and with the same rights and responsibilities that come with marriage.
At the time of the court decision, either same-sex marriage or “civil unions” were already legal in 26 states (starting with Massachusetts in 1995) and in Washington, D.C., with several state legislatures already in the process of legalizing it.
The Supreme Court case actually stemmed from seven lower-court cases from five states culminating in a multi-state class-action lawsuit being filed in 2001 over discrimination after two lower-courts ruled against the plaintiffs arguing for same-sex marriage legalization. One of the cases began all the way back in 1997 over a funeral director refusing to host services for a widower and his deceased husband, upon learning that “Michelle” was a French man, not a woman, despite the director having already been paid for said services. A second central case centered on Indiana’s Health Commissioner Dr. Neal L. Cohen, who had denied a marriage license to community organizers David P. Brill and Matt Foreman. Nearly a year after oral arguments and briefings were made for both sides (with Brill received legal assistance from Mark Leno, Fred Karger, and other prominent individuals), and with the Supreme Court consolidating focus on the most pressing and prominent case – the one concerning Indiana’s Health Commissioner, hence “Brill v. Cohen” – the judges’ ruling essentially reversed the Indiana circuit court ruling, on the aforementioned grounds of violating the 14th Amendment.
Above: the Supreme Court building
– Brandon Teena’s The Rise of BLUTAG Rights: The Story of the Bi-Lesbian-Undefined-Trans-Asexual-Gay Movement, Scholastic, 2019
…Denny Rehberg, Republican Governor of Montana, is refusing to acknowledge this month’s landmark Supreme Court ruling, and so is ordering law clerks across to state to not give out marriage licenses to same-sex couples…
– KNN, 9/16/2003
“The South’s desire for the federal government to keep its hands off how they do things is very understandable. The South has been this way since forever. In the words of Henry Grattan, ‘Control over local affairs is the essence of liberty.’ The people of the South understand this sentiment and what this means. However, there is a difference between being a state and being an autonomous territory, and the southern states have to acknowledge that with all of the benefits of being in the union comes what to some of them may be the detriment of having to follow and obey the major orders, rules, and rulings sent out by Washington, by Congress, and by the Supreme Court, to all US states, northern and southern.”
– Former US Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA), 9/17/2003
September 18: Isabel makes landfall near Drum Inlet in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, between Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras, at approximately 1:00 PM
– weather.gov.usa/hurricane-isabel/timeline
MAUREEN REAGAN IS DEAD AT 62
…the former US Senator and 1988 Republican nominee for President passed away from complications from both melanoma and SARS. Reagan, who was born on January 4, 1941, to actor and future governor Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman, began her career in radio and television at a young age, but moved on to business and political fundraising in the 1970s. After her father served as Governor of California from 1971 to 1979, and being the 1976 Republican nominee for President, Maureen successful ran for a US Senate in 1980. After maintaining a moderate-to-conservative voting record, Reagan declined running for a second term in 1986 to instead challenge incumbent Jack Kemp for the GOP nomination for President in 1988. What began as a longshot bid eventually became one of the greatest upsets in modern political history, as Reagan became the first person to deny an incumbent President their own party’s nomination in well over a century. The contest also made Maureen and her father the only father-daughter duo to both be nominated for President by major political parties in the US. However, she struggled to win over socially conservative Republicans who had backed Kemp, Wyoming Governor Thyra Thompson, or several other candidates during the primaries over Maureen being twice divorced and quietly supporting granting women legal access to abortion at the national level instead of just the state level. Because of this and other issues, Reagan lost that election Democrat Carol Bellamy… …Reagan was first diagnosed with the deadliest form of skin cancer in 1995, roughly seven years after running for President, and underwent treatment immediately. However, additional aggressive bio-chemotherapy treatments in 2001 failed to defeat the growth of tumors throughout her body, including her brain. According to her family’s spokesperson, contracting a mild case of the SARS virus last year “has inhibited her recovery efforts,” according to a press release four months ago. …Her death comes almost exactly two years after her father passed away from the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2001, after her father was diagnosed with it in 1990… Friends and family remember Maureen for her wit and charm, and for her loving and caring nature. TV’s David Hyde Pierce, with whom she worked on funding Alzheiner’s research during much of the 1990s, told reporters earlier today that “When life gave her lemons, she didn’t make lemonade. She threw the lemons back and made whatever beverage she felt like having.” …She is survived by husband Dennis Revell, two biological children, two adopted children, ex-husbands John Filippone and David Sills, brothers Michael and Ron, sister Christine, mother, Jane Wyman, and stepmother Nancy Davis...
– The Los Angeles Times, 9/18/2003
The deadliest post-ruling attack happened on the night of September 19, when The Cactus Jack, a BLUTAG bar in Zanesville, Ohio, was hit in an arson attack. While most the people inside managed to get out without serious injury, many did receive burn wounds, and, tragically, the building burned to the ground, taking with it 17 patrons and half of the staff members on duty that night. The tragedy highlighted the level of homophobia that still existed in the US, and made BLUTAG activist Brandon Teena announce “The Supreme Court ruling will mean nothing if we cannot convince our opponents that we do not want opponents. We want to be treated equally by not just American law but by our fellow Americans.”
– Matthew Wayne Shepard’s Unmasked And Unafraid: A History of the BLUTAGO Rights Movement, Pressman Publications, 2020
RNC CHAIRMAN JOINS OTHERS CONDEMNING UNKNOWN BLUTAG BAR ARSONIST
– The New York Times, 9/20/2003
September 20: the hurricane dissipates, having become extratropical the day before
– weather.gov.usa/hurricane-isabel/timeline
LOVE IS LOVE IS LOVE: With Same-Sex Marriage Now Legal, Can Polygamy Please Be Next?
…already, several individuals and groups in four separate states have filed for “multi-party” marriage licenses, using the argument that the choices of three (or more) consenting adults should not be regulated by the government. If our country truly upholds and follows the concept of the separation of Church and State, then whatever happens to the souls of polygamists is between them and God – it is nobody else’s business…
– The Deseret News, Utah newspaper, controversial op-ed, 9/21/2003
PRESIDENT REHBURG? MONTANA GOVERNOR EYES THE WHITE HOUSE
– The Columbus Evening Dispatch, 9/22/2001
– Harley Brown for Mayor Commercials, 9/24/2003
“The citizens of America who oppose the President’s mishandling of SARS need to have a real voice in this election, and they need to have a real leader in the White House. That is why I am running for President.”
– Former Governor Bettye Frink (R-AL), 9/25/2003
However, Shintaro Ishihara’s fall from power did not end with him losing the office of Prime Minister. Nearly two years later, with the LDP increasingly uncomfortable with his fiscally conservative and isolationist positions, Ishihara was being kept out of party discussions and ignored by moderate and liberal party leaders. Sensing a majority of members of the Diet wanted to essentially ousted from the LDP, he left the party to found his own…
– Alec Dubro and David E. Kaplan’s Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld, University of California Press, 2003
[pic: imgur.com/OVP7aTc.png ]
– Former Vice President James Meredith and his wife reach out to potential primary voters in a live-stream Q&A session ontech, held in his kitchen with one of their grandsons present, 9/28/2003
ISHIHARA FORMS NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY: Former PM Vows To Win Next General Election With A “Red Sun Coalition”
…anti-American sentiment from the early 1990s are persisting nationwide, especially among older and middle-class voters who approve of Ishihara’s more populist talking points…
– The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 9/29/2003
Was S.A.R.S. Created In a Lab?
Okay, so I first though the Republicans created SARS because it looked like it was going to hurt the Jackson White house, but after Prezy JJ responded to it so quickly I thought it was too quickly and the Democrats actually gaining seats in November made me think they had something to do with it breaking out to create a rally-around-the-flag effect for the midterms. But now I’m starting to think maybe someone else benefited from it, maybe Xinjiang separatists or some anti-social introverted extremists. What do you think?
REPLY 1:
I think your abode lacked proper air circulation during quarantine.
– conspiracytheoriesforum.co.usa, 1/11/2013 posting thread; initial poster was banned for site rules violations soon afterward
MONTANA HIT WITH CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT OVER SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LICENSE DENIALS
– The New York Times, 10/2/2003
…The peace agreement benefited the Jackson administration was well. The hostilities in Colombia seemingly coming to an end severely cut into Republican criticism of Jackson’s handling of foreign policy issues, and caused support for anti-immigration Republican primary candidates to begin to decline. President Jackson’s strategy team touted their boss as being a “tried-and-true peacemaker,” and in Colombia, “the fight [being] won” was a boon to popular Colombian President Andres Pastrana Arango, as recreadrug cartels not being arrested began to lose power and control in Colombia, and in turn flee to Central America and elsewhere…
– Miguel LaRosa and German R. Mejia’s Colombia: A Concise Contemporary History, Chronicle Books, 2013
SHEARER, DOWNER WIN JUNGLE PRIMARY
…Shearer is a sort of jack-of-all-trades, working primarily as a radio host since 1981, but has also been an actor, voice actor, comedian, writer, author, musician, director, and producer. Beginning his career as a child star, he was a cast member on SNL from 1979 to 1983, and voiced several recurring characters on the animated shows “Life In Heck and Other Fun Places” and “Futurama,” among other roles. First visiting New Orleans in 1983, Shearer moved to the city in 1988, and began being politically active soon afterward. Shearer has been critical of outgoing Governor Fox McKeithen’s policies, and entered the gubernatorial race as a businessman and outsider. …Republican Huntington Downer, a self-described “outsider” candidate, and Shearer, a middle-of-the-lane Democrat, and defeated Democrats Richard Ieyoub, Buddy Leach, Randy Ewing, and J. E. Jumonville Jr., among others, for first and second place, respectively, in tonight’s jungle primary…
– The Opelousas Daily World, Louisiana newspaper, 10/4/2003
FRED TUTTLE, FARMER-TURNED-US SENATOR, DIES AT 84
…recognizable by the baseball cap and dairy farmer overalls he wore at all times, even in the halls of the US Senate building, and by his thick Vermont accent, Tuttle startled pundits, and even himself, by winning primary and general elections for a US Senate seat in 2000. He had run as a protest candidate, and had modeled his campaign after the one depicted in the cult film “Man With A Plan,” in which Tuttle starred. Tuttle made headlines by promising to resign from his as soon as a dairy farm protection bill was passed, a promise he ultimately kept. Vermont’s “favorite son,” who made friends across DC and the Green Mountain state, and across the aisle, Tuttle passed away peacefully in his sleep, from the effects of a heart attack he had suffered several days before, after spending a long day planting potatoes in a small garden behind his humble abode. His body is spent, but his legacy will undoubtedly live on...
– The New York Times, 10/5/2003
LONDONERS RECOVERING QUICKLY FROM YESTERDAY’S MAJOR BLACKOUT
…a freak circuit breaker accident shut down electricity across London proper for seven hours, starting yesterday evening at 5:00 PM...
– Le Parisien, French newspaper, 10/6/2003
With foreign policy a no-go, Republicans went after Jackson’s handling of domestic affairs, claiming his rhetoric on recreadrug legalization and police reform as “immoral” and “dangerous,” and his expansion of the federal government and welfare programs as “oppressive” and “un-American.”
When former VP James H. Meredith began ramping up his Presidential campaign, however, he tried out a different tactic – going through old footage and reports on Jesse Jackson to uncover controversial or contradictory tidbits. On October 7, a pro-Meredith political group, the generically-titled Meredith For America, first aired a 30-second ad in which a narrator thundered, “Jesse Jackson says the Republican Party ‘harbors racist extremists.’ But in 1978, he actually supported the GOP!” The ad then showed Jackson, in archive footage, stating “Black people need the Republican party.” The ad, however, pulled the clip out of its full context. The full statement, made prior to Jackson even considering running for public office, went as follows: “Black people need the Republican party to compete for us so we can have real alternatives… The Republican Party needs Black people if it is ever to compete for national office.” [2] The group’s use of only the quote’s first six words was derided by Democrats as “misleading” and “deceptive.” Interestingly, both Jackson and Meredith stayed mute on the controversial ad until the subject ultimately left the news cycle…
– Nancy Skelton and Bob Faw’s Thunder In America: A Chronology of The Jesse Jackson White House, Texas Monthly Press, 2016
[pic: imgur.com / au8cuXp.png ]
– A promotional image for an October 2003 episode of Futurama, in which Kelsey Grammer guest starred; in the episode, Dr. Schwarzchild (Grammer) befriends Bart Farnsworth, the son/half-clone of his longtime rival, Dr. Farnsworth
“I am going to run for the White House and I am going to win.”
– US Senator Hillary Rodham-Clinton (R-TN), 10/9/2003
QUINN BEATS GEOGHEGAN-QUINN IN IRELAND LEADERSHIP RACE
…Ireland’s Labour party, led by Ruairi Quinn, has bested the nation’s Fianna Fail party, led by incumbent Taoiseach Maire Geoghegan-Quinn, who has been in office since 1999…
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 10/10/2003
…By mid-October, Jackson’s inner circle was worried that his approval ratings were increasingly inflated. While never dropping below 45% through 2003, there was concern that, as the SARS crisis became more of a memory for Americans, conservative claim would start to chip away at support pulled from moderates and undecided voters. Some “Country” (as in “deeply”) Conservatives like Senator Helen Chenoweth (R-ID) accused the White House of taking advantage of the SARS pandemic to implement totalitarian policies, and others like her claimed Jackson was successfully establishing “an anarchist police state over our country,” as US Congressman Ben Lewis Jones (D-GA) put it. Jackson’s 2004 campaign director decided the President had to step back “a bit” from his boldest policies until the Republican primaries had generated a nominee, allowing the campaign to better organize and fine-tune their message for American voters next year: that Jesse Jackson had proven himself to be a leader worth keeping around for another four years…
– author A’Lelia Bundles’ Consequential: The Presidency of Jesse Jackson, Random House, 2015
“I’m sick of hearing my fellow Americans say that their own country sucks because industrialization is destroying the planet. That we’re the most to blame for Global Climate Disruption. We’re not the only country that uses coal, you know! We alone cannot be blamed! If anything, these east coast elitist hypocrites should point the finger at China – they produce more coal for each Chinese citizen than we produce for each American citizen! Way more!”
– Former US Senator Bernie Goetz (R-CO), 10/11/2003
“FEEL THE BERN, ELITISTS!” Larry McDonald Endorses Bernie Goetz
…McDonald, the 68-year-old former Democratic US Congressman and former third-party Presidential candidate, who was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s, has thrown his support behind Republican presidential candidate Bernhard “Bernie” Goetz…
– The Atlanta Journal, Georgia newspaper, 10/12/2003
…The day of vindication finally arrived for Silicon Valley. On October 14, 2003, the US Supreme Court overturned California’s state supreme court’s 2000 ruling that technet anonymity presented a risk to security and personal privacy. The overturning established that technet sites were, in fact, not like the US Postal Service, with letters and packages requiring names and addresses, and that it was irrelevant whether or not a site was established by members of or in the private or public sectors. The ruling was a boon to the US technology industry, as it allowed technet sites to finally resume anonymity practices without fear of judiciary opposition...
– Joy Lisi Rankin’s Computers: A People’s History of the Information Machine, Westview Press, 2018
A COUNTRY IN CRISIS: How It All Went Wrong (Again) In India
…as a second SARS wave grips the Indian subcontinent, the nation’s government it at last ramping up efforts to combat the infectious virus. That in itself, however, has presented its own problems: reports of police brutality – especially toward Muslim citizens – sparked riots in September and earlier this month, resulting in at least 50 deaths and possibly contributing to the rise in SARS cases. …“Because of how high the pathogenicity of the virus is, containment requires aggressive tactics to isolate the sick, quarantine their contacts and implement social controls. Sadly, India’s officials are not doing this right,” laments US Secretary of State Ann Richards… …seemingly on its way to recovery during the summer months, India’s numbers are sharply on the rise once more, and unless India’s police and government focus more on preventative measures and end police brutality and racial/ethnic hostility, order may not return any time soon to the country’s collapsing cities and infrastructure…
– Time Magazine, mid-October 2003 issue
THE ST. ALBAN’S RAID: An Enjoyable Break From SARS Woes
…This made-for-TV dramatization of the real-life St. Alban’s Raid depicts the life of Bennett Henderson Young, a 21-year-old Confederate soldier who, towards the end of the American Civil War, escaped with a posse of fellow soldiers to Canada and invaded a quiet Vermont community in the hope of rekindling the war, only for things to not go as planned. Starring 27-year-old Leo DiCaprio as Young as a young man in way over his head, the filmmakers work hard to make the main character the kind that the audience loves to root against without making him hard to watch. DiCaprio presents Young with charm, making him seem to be more foolhardy than villainous. Young’s use of a dubious concoction dubbed “Greek fire,” and his inability to handle neither his cohorts nor the unafraid townsfolk only highlight the lighter moments of this good-intentioned action-dramedy…
– Variety, 10/22/2003
REPUBLICANS ARE FIGHTING TO KEEP LATINO VOTERS
…as older Latino-Americans are usually more socially conservative, Republicans hope this will lead to them backing more GOP candidates in next year’s elections. …Former President Jack Kemp is calling for an “Earn Your Citizenship” program for illegal immigrants. Such a program which prevent illegal immigrants from facing charges so long as they, upon entering US territory, immediately report to immigration offices to fill out paperwork to live in US legally. Kemp has been supportive of Jackson’s efforts at immigration reform despite their political differences. The former US President’s comments come weeks after announcing that, despite months of heavy speculation, Kemp, 69, will not run for a full Presidential term next year...
– The Washington Post, 10/24/2003
CARDINAL WIN WORLD SERIES 5-2!
…the general mood tonight is also one of relief; is that things seem to finally be getting back to normal, after the 2002 World Series was cancelled over concern that the games would serve as a SARS “superspreader” hotspot…
– The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/25/2003
1994: Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) def. Cleveland Indians (AL)
1995: Anaheim Angels (AL) def. San Francisco Giants (NL)
1996: Houston Astros (NL) def. Baltimore Orioles (AL)
1997: New York Yankees (AL) def. Milwaukee Brewers (NL)
1998: Boston Red Sox (AL) def. Florida Marlins (NL)
1999: Houston Astros (NL) def. Louisville Colonels (AL)
2000: New York Mets (NL) def. Seattle Mariners (AL)
2001: Texas Rangers (AL) def. Arizona Diamondbacks (NL)
2002: cancelled due the SARS pandemic
2003: St. Louis Cardinals (NL) def. Boston Red Sox (AL)
– MLB.co.usa/history/statistics/World-Series
…US-Russian relations were icy under Jackson and Lobkovskaya, but both leaders managed to maintain a respectable professional rapport, if not a warm personal one. In fact, Jackson made better inroads with the leaders of Pakistan during the early years of the 2000s decade, getting that nation’s Prime Minister in 2003 to agree on the gradual eliminating of all of its materials, equipment, and programs aimed at producing weapons of mass destruction over the course of ten years – on the condition that India agree to the same denuclearization policy. Some historians have suggested that this proviso is what made Jesse Jackson son invested in India’s sociopolitical state during the SARS pandemic, as a stable government and a healthier economy and social climate would make it easier for Jackson to convince India to agree to the same program…
– David Tal’s US Strategic Arms Policy After the Cold War: Globalization & Technological Modernization, Routledge, 2020
HUNTSMAN (FINALLY) THROWS IN HIS HAT!
…after months of considering it, to the point that he was being called the “Huntsman the Hamlet,” three-term former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman Sr. has announced today a run for the US Presidency...
– The Salt Lake Tribune, 10/28/2003
…In local news, Mayor Rocky Anderson has won re-election in a landslide over Independent perennial candidate and second-place blanket primary finisher Lawrence Rey Topham, besting the longshot challenger by a margin of roughly 3-to-1…
– KCPW-FM (88.3 MHz), Salt Lake City, UT news/talk radio, 11/4/2003 broadcast
Mayors of SALT LAKE CITY
1960-1972: 27) J. Bracken Lee (R, 1899-1996) – former Governor; retired
1959: Bruce S. Jenkins (D)
1963: Sheldon R. Brewster (I)
1967: James D. Cannon (R)
1972-1974: 28) Edwin Jacob “Jake” Garn (R, b. 1932) – previously served on the city commission from 1967 to 1971; resigned after winning a U.S. Senate seat
1971: Conrad Harrison (I)
1974-1976: 29) Conrad Bullen Harrison (I, 1911-2008) – former businessman; appointed by city council to complete Garn’s term; lost bid for a full term
1976-1988: 30) Ted Wilson (D, b. 1939) – former lawyer and businessman; greatly reformed city government and improved the local economy and the quality of life in the area; retired to successfully run for a U.S. House seat in 1988
1975: Conrad Harrison (I)
1979: Stephen Harmsen (R) and Pamela T. Burchett (Workers’)
1983: Sterling G. Webber (I) and Robert Hoyle (Workers’)
1988-1992: 31) Merrill Cook (R, b. 1946) – former lawyer and business investor; known for several “colorful” incidents; retired to run for President
1987: David “Dave” Jones (D)
1992-2000: 32) Joanne R. Milner (D) – city’s first female Mayor; previously served in the state House from 1987 to 1991; term-limited
1991: David L. Buhler (R)
1995: Ken Larsen (Liberty)
2000-2008: 33) Ross Carl “Rocky” Anderson (D, b. 1951) – former lawyer; implemented very impactful environmentalist and pro-recreadrug policies; term-limited; served as a special advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy and Technology from 2009 to 2011; served in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2017 (lost re-election)
1999: Stephen Harmsen (R)
2003: Lawrence Rey Topham (I)
2008-2016: Jim Bradley (D, b. 1943) – served on the city council from 2000 to 2007; term-limited
2007: Frank R. Pignanelli (D)
2011: Molonai Hola (R)
2016-2020: Keith Christensen (D, b. 1951) – former businessman; moderate; lost re-election
2015: J. Allen Kimball (R)
2020-present: Luz Robles Escamilla (D, b. 1978) – city’s first Latina Mayor; previously served on the city council; progressive; incumbent
2019: Keith Christensen (D)
– clickopedia.co.usa, c. 7/4/2021
HARLEY BROWN RIDES AGAIN: Former Congressman Elected Boise Mayor
…Harley Davidson Brown has been elected to serve a four-years-long term as Mayor of Boise (set to begin in January 2004). Brown won by a plurality in an official nonpartisan race, besting four other candidates – city councilwoman and initial frontrunner Carolyn Terteling-Payne, incumbent Mayor H. Brent Coles (running for a third term after surviving a recall effort in 2001), state representative David H. Bieter, and activist Mohsen “Max” Mohammadi. …Incumbent Mayor Coles came in third place due to ongoing accusations of mismanaging funds for personal use. An Ada County grand jury is investigating claims of Coles presenting a fraudulent account and misusing public money. Both Brown and Terteling-Payne called for the formation of an Office of Internal Auditing while on the campaign trail. …Brown, who lost re-election for a second term as the US Representative from Idaho’s First District in 2002 by a narrow margin, ran as a populist anti-corruption candidate known for traveling to campaign stops on in his prized Harley Davidson motorcycle. …It is possible that Coles and Terteling-Payne each refusing to bow out of the race split the anti-Brown vote…
– The Idaho Press Tribune, 11/6/2003
…We can now confirm that Gatewood Galbraith, the Democratic Governor of Kentucky since 1999, has won a second term over Republican state senator Rebecca Jackson, a former teacher and education reform activist. Despite both candidates being passionate on the campaign trail and running on populist platforms, debates between the two candidates were polite and professional. Galbraith defeated Jackson by a margin of roughly 5%...
– CBS Evening News, 11/6/2003 broadcast
JAMES B. CHANEY ELECTED GOVERNOR OF MISSISSIPPI
…Chaney, 60 was endorsed by incumbent Governor Unita Zelma Blackwell, who retired this year despite being eligible for a second term due to declining health. Chaney was previously appointed to James H. Meredith’s US Senate seat upon his ascension to the US Vice Presidency; Chaney served from 1995 to 1997. Beginning his political career as a Civil Rights activist in the early 1960s, Chaney gradually became a conservative Democrat as a backlash to the perceived negative after-effects of the “nik” (beatniks, peaceniks, and shoutniks) generations of the late 1950s and early 1960s. …Chaney easily defeated retired Sheriff and former state senator Cecil Ray Price, 65. Price, a hard-r social and fiscal conservative whose time spent as both a Deputy Sheriff and a Klansman in the 1960s came under intense scrutiny during the campaign, lost by a margin of 11%...
– The Dallas Morning Herald, side article, 11/6/2003
SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR RE-ELECTED IN LANDSLIDE
…Roberta Achtenberg, who has served since January 2000, was first elected in Nov 1999…
– The Sacramento Times-Union, side article, 11/6/2003
RECOUNT CONFIRMS: IT’S KELLY OVER PEGGY!
…The narrowness of Tuesday’s Mayoral election between Democrats Kelly Ann Timilty and Peggy Davis-Mullen has been resolved …Timilty will become the city’s first female Mayor upon her taking office to replace the retiring long-time incumbent Mayor Mel King…
– The Boston Globe, 11/8/2003
ACTOR HARRY SHEARER WINS LOUISIANA GOVERNORSHIP!
…In a race featuring two political outsiders, Shearer (a Democrat) edged out opponent Huntington Downer (a Republican) by a margin of roughly 3%...
– The Houston Chronicle, side article, 11/15/2003
…In Cuba, a special election for President has just ended, and it seems incumbent Acting President Jorge Luis Garcia Perez of the Conservative Party has defeated his challenger in a landslide. His opponent, Provincial Governor Felix Rodriguez, is a pro-US liberal from the island nation’s Stability Party...
– KNN, 11/17/2003 broadcast
A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF THE PARTY? Meredith Defends Jackson In GOP Debate
…in contrast to most of the other candidates on stage, former President James H. Meredith pushed back against vitriolic and possibly-racist rhetoric against the incumbent President, saying such rhetoric is “unprofessional and disqualifying.” …Former Senator Bernie Goetz defended his previous statements by saying “every American has the right to say what they really think about the President. If I want to call Jesse Jackson a dictator for telling everyone to wear masks, for pushing people around and telling them how to keep themselves safe rather than let adults act like adults and use their own common sense to take care of their own health, I have the right to do so.”…
– The Boston Globe, 11/19/2003
WILLIAMS: “Protests in St. Petersburg ended violently last night when city police dispersed a crowd of protestors with tear gas and fire hoses. Several dozen protesters have been arrested for violating safezoning measures that are still being implemented in Russia, as SARS case rates are only recently beginning to drop over there. We now take you live to the scene of the protests with our foreign correspondent.”
HARRIS: “Brian, I’m here with local resident Vlad Putin, a community organizer who played a role in mobilizing people online to participate in last night’s protest. Mr. Putin speaks several languages, including English. Sir, what was the goal of the protesting?”
PUTIN: “People who need medical assistance are being forgotten in this pandemic. There is no room at hospitals. We want the government to allow medical attention to be given at community centers, churches, gyms, schools, any place where there is room. Even tents at parks if necessary.”
HARRIS: “Did you expect local police to respond the way they did?”
PUTIN: “Yes, because I know firsthand how the city, oblast and national governments view protests – they are not to be tolerated. And at one point in my life, I also believed that. I was a KGB officer until the day when, during a protest, a stray bullet to the spine killed everything below my waist. And the bullet was from a fellow KGB officer, no less [3]. I remember how I was before then, back when I didn’t need a chair to move around. The police and the KGB, I know, will not tolerate us unless we make them tolerate us, make them address us, make them help us. We need better medical assistance, we need actual leadership from the Kremlin. We want fairness and safety for all Russians everywhere, and if that change doesn’t come from the top, then it must start at the bottom, with local changes and challenges.”
[SNIP]
HARRIS: “…Back to you, Brian.”
– NBC News, 11/21/2003 broadcast
GARY E. LUCK REFUSES TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT
…an effort to draft retired US Army General Gary E. Luck to run for the White House next year has failed. Earlier today, Luck, who oversaw US military operations in the Second Korean War, making him a War Hero and household name in 1996, announced “I refuse to partake in this or any later election cycle. I will not run now and I will not run later. I will not run in any of the primaries, I will not be involved in any contested conventions, and I will not run third-party. I will not run as a favorite son, as a last minute replacement, or as a write-in candidate in any primary or general election contest. I have no interest in coming out of retirement when I am more than confident that there are other people better suited for the job.” The announcement was a crushing blow to his supproters: “We were really hoping he’d end up being another Dwight D. Eisenhower, not another William T. Sherman,” says one disappointed member of the Draft Luck campaign…
– The Washington Post, 11/24/2003
“WE MIGHT STILL NEED MORE PODIUMS”: Who Is (and Isn’t) Running In the 2004 Republican Primaries
…Former Governor Jim Gilmore has endorsed George Allen due to the latter having a much higher national profile. Former Congressman “Doug” Wead of Arizona has signed on to the Nolan campaign as an advisor, while Governor Darrell Issa of Illinois declined to run, after initially expressing interest in doing so, most likely due to several scandals tied to his administration. Governor Ellen Craswell of Washington state, a two-time cancer survivor, ultimately declined to run over health concerns, while House Minority Whip Scotty McCallum of Wisconsin, a lifelong politician and a US House member since 1985, decided to seek another congressional term after initially considering a bid. Governors Steve Goldsmith of Indiana, Doug Swanson of Nevada, Kay A. Orr of Nebraska, Bill Haslam of Tennessee, Bob Inglis of South Carolina, and Pat Saiki of Hawaii have all declined, as have Senators Buddy Roemer and Clyde Cecil Holloway of Louisiana, and Larry Williams of Montana...
– thewashingtonpost.co.usa, 12/1/2003 e-article
LEE BEATS PETE IN MAYORAL RACE
…with Mayor Sylvester Turner retiring to run for Congress next year, the race to determine our city’s next mayor and 60th mayor overall came down to a runoff between two Democratic city councilors named Brown – the African-American former Houston Police Chief Lee Brown and the white former architect Peter Brown…
– The Houston Chronicle, 12/6/2003
MEREDITH: 32%
HUNTSMAN: 15%
GOETZ: 12%
RODHAM-CLINTON: 11%
ALLEN: 5%
OTHER: 12%
UNSURE/”None of the Above”: 13%
– Gallup national GOP primary polling, 12/9/2003
SAHEL-SAHARAN STATES SIGN AGREEMENT, COMMIT TO ATTEMPTING MASSIVE “GREAT GREEN WALL” PROJECT [4]
Above: The Logo for this international anti-desertification endeavor, which aims to increase the quality of life in sub-Saharan Africa, thus helping millions of people
– Time Magazine, mid-December 2003 issue
…In international news, the President of Iraq today signed a landmark treaty with the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Special Region, allowing for further autonomy for the local ethnic Kurds of that contentious section of Iraq…
– NBC News, 12/13/2003
MARS MISSION UPDATE: Propulsion Systems, Life-Support Equipment Functioning Normally
– NASA press release, 12/18/2003
Republican leadership in Congress – namely, House minority leader and former Speaker David Emery, and Senate leader Webb Franklin – were growing worried about the direction of the party as the 2004 primaries approached. Polls were suggesting that a rising number of party members were embracing its “radical” conservative faction, conflicting with the RNC’s attempts to woo over minority voters.
…Because support among Hispanic Americans appeared to be “steady and stable at the time,” as he put it in his recent autobiography, a major concern for the party, at least in David Emery’s eyes, was African-American support. According to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies & Pew Research Center, African-American Party Affiliation studies backing back to 1936 showed that the GOP’s “high point” concerning African-Americans identifying as Republican was all the way back in 1940, when there was a 40%-40%-20% split of the Black vote, between Democrats and Republicans and “other/independent,” respectively. [5] That number dipped to 22% in 1960 and, after the passing of the 1962 Civil Rights Act under President Johnson, plummeted to 12% in 1964, only for President Sanders’ domestic actions – most notably, expanding housing and employment opportunities for African-Americans – to boost said percentage all the way up to 26% in 1968. Since then, the numbers hovered between 20% and 30% in presidential elections, except for 1996, when James Meredith became VP (and Jesse Jackson lost the 1996 Democratic primaries to Glenn despite getting more votes than Glenn); in that election cycle, the number of “Black Republicans” shot up to 38%. In 2000, though, with Jesse Jackson leading the Democratic ticket, the numbers sank again, this time all the way down to 24%.
The GOP share of “The Black Vote” was even more embarrassing, with no candidate ever doing better than Eisenhower did in 1956 (winning 39% of the vote). In 1964, 11% of African-Americans voted for the Colonel, but that number doubled to 23% in 1968, and to 25% in 1972. The numbers hovered between a quarter and a third before Meredith’s appointment occurred; that lead to a modern-era “high water mark” of the GOP winning 35% of the African-American vote in 1996. In 2000, that share plummeted down to 25%.
These numbers cemented Emery’s belief that Meredith was the only GOP primary candidate who could win the Black vote, and other minority voting blocs – and with them, the Presidency – in 2004. The hard part was convincing white Republicans to vote for the former VP…
– Richard Ben Cramer’s What It Takes: Roads to The White House, Sunrise Publications, 2021 edition
6.6M QUAKE STRIKES SOUTHERN IRAN, POSSIBLY KILLING THOUSANDS!
– The Daily Telegraph, UK newspaper, 26/12/2003
…Thousands of homes collapsed like sandcastles over here because they were built by the homeowners themselves using the centuries-old mudbrick technique, a style traditional for Iran but not best suited for earthquake resistance… There’s the Shah of Iran, helping to lead the cleanup efforts, and – oh! Oh, it looks like, yes, there are some survivors and – and the Shah is joining the rest of the emergency crewmen to pull the people. This is truly an amazing site, the Shah working alongside these laymen to help out. We’ll try to get closer...
– BBC Special Report, 12/27/2003 broadcast
The Kerman Earthquake left a deep impact on Iran. Government officials even suggested the nation’s capital of Tehran, located on the other side of the country, be relocated over an almost-paranoid fear of another earthquake striking the country. The Shah opposed the notion over logistical and cost concerns, and decided that a better use of their funds was the redevelopment of the Kerman province, especially the urban centers of Bam and Baravat, the latter of which had almost no homes still standing.
The quake was an eye-opener for the Iranian government and led to the establishing of new construction regulations. Plans to completely redevelop the Kerman Province to be “a display” of Iran’s architectural capabilities, and sought to harness technological innovation in building up the region. The government worked with both international organizations and local engineers and other groups both in and out of the country to reconstruct…
…A photograph taken of the Shah pulling out a young adult survivor alongside three volunteer firefighters became an iconic image that served as a general representation of his popular rule, in stark contrast to that of is father...
– James L. Gelvin’s Lines In Sand: The History of The Modern-Day Middle East, Oxford University Press, 2010 edition
...While the rate of SARS transmission finally began to drop and the government began to regain control of the situation, President Lobkovskaya depended on Yevgeny Primakov to minimize the pandemic’s damage to Russia’s reputation abroad. Starting out as a journalist for Pravda, Primakov had spent the past thirty years developing an impressive range of diplomatic expertise, and was now serving as Russia’s Ambassador to the UN. At the time, and in her memoirs, Lobkovskaya commends Primakov for his tireless work to improve relations with China, India, and the West in a continuation of his advocacy of multilateralism. Her praise made Primakov popular among conservative circles, but despite his own political tendencies – he previously served in the National Assembly under President Vladislav Volkov, and had considered running for President in 1990 and 1995 – he declined to run for President in 2005, but cited his age (75 in mid-July 2005) and declining health as the main reasons for doing so.
Another notable diplomat at this time, less political than Primakov but more influential than he in the post-SARS years, was Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s Ambassador to India. Having contributed to peace talks in the 1990s that ended the Sri Lankan Civil War, Lavrov met with America’s Ambassador to India in order to coordinate SARS relief efforts in Uttar Pradesh. Both Russia and the US hoped to lead efforts to impede SARS transmission and reassert infrastructure aspects in order for hospitals and delivery systems to function well without damaging relations with India’s government, which was struggling to not appear weak on the world stage despite their number of SARS cases remaining the highest in the world by the start of 2004. Lavrov found the correct balance of intervention, between supervision and direct involvement, which he called “constructive assistance.”…
– Victor Cherkashin’s Relentless: The Leaders of Post-Soviet Russia, Basic Books, 2020
…The new CEO quickly began correcting her predecessor’s attempts to introduce more cheaply-made Kentucky Fried Chicken in certain select outlets in order to test if they could replace the original recipe. Naturally, the inferior product, dubbed “New KFC,” was testing very poorly. A poll attached to the company’s January 2004 Quarterly Earnings report revealed that customer views of KFC quality actually worsened after the rather covert introduction of what was quickly becoming an embarrassing attempt to scrimp on (or “economize”) KFC ingredients and procedures.
Hannon was livid, bellowing at the first company meeting of 2004, “Every time we try altering the damn recipe, people complain. So let’s stop try to fix what isn’t broken!” Instead, the company began looking into more diversifying the menu by taking regional menu options from oversees and introducing them to domestic outlets.
Up first was Kentucky Fried Chicken Tikka Masala. This dish was selling very well in KFC-UK and KFC-Bangladesh outlets because those branches had capitalized on the fact that there is no standard recipe for the hot dish. The most common version consist of chunks of boneless chicken, marinated in spices and yogurt, and roasted in an oven. KFC thus utilized the pieces of chicken left over from prepping wings, legs, and breasts, by breading them in a special variation of The Colonel’s Eleven Herbs and Spices (which meant the company just added low-fat fresh yogurt to the mixture) and pressure-roasted them. The new concoction required a new ad campaign, and with it, Hannon hoped the company would see a return to dominance in the US fast-food market…
Above: a classic example of Chicken Tikka Masala, served with rice and flatbread, somewhat similar to KFC’s version, first introduced in the US in 2004.
– Marlona Ruggles Ice’s A Kentucky-Fried Phoenix: The Post-Colonel History of Most Famous Birds In The World, Hawkins E-Publications, 2020
“I’m a former businessman, so I know how to keep the economy healthy without gutting the military’s budget and subsequently leaving our country completely defenseless in order to avoid a deficit and as a result violate the Balanced Budget Amendment. I want to apply tried-and-true business methods to the direction of public affairs. …I strongly oppose idea of the federal government instigating a ‘redistribution of wealth,’ like what Jesse Jackson is rumored to be considering, because it will discourage that part of the American spirit that believes that any fortune can be amassed if you think smart and work hard. It will also discourage foreign investors and lead to more of our own unpatriotic and unscrupulous millionaire and billionaire businesspersons to take their business elsewhere, to other countries, in order to not lose all they worked hard for to something like this alleged redistributing wealth plan.”
– Former US Senator Bernie Goetz (R-CO), Herring World News interview, 1/9/2004
REPORTER 1: How are the Marstronauts holding up on so far?
PRESS SECRETARY: The crew members are getting along well, if that’s what you mean. They are keeping busy conducting experiments onboard.
REPORTER 2: How is commander Chiang Diaz’s condition?
PRESS SECRETARY: He has noticeably improved from the health scare. The vision in his eye is still weaker than it was before the incident, but it is expected that he will return to having 20/20 vision by the time they touch down.
REPORTER 3: Speaking of which, when exactly are they due back?
PRESS SECRETARY: The Milestone and Seeker should re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in early March.
REPORTER 1: Just in time to vote in the primaries!
[scattered laughter]
REPORTER 1: Unless you guys somehow figured out how to get them to vote from all the way out there.
PRESS SECRETARY: That, I’m afraid, is the only hypothetical scenario that we did not anticipate.
[scattered laughter]
– transcript, NASA press briefing, 1/11/2004
JACKSON SIGNS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL INTO LAW
– The Washington Post, 1/12/2004
TEACHER: “That is how congress works. Take-take for example this controversial bill passed late last year, a-a defense appropriations bill, ah, that President Jackson just now passed just now. 3/5ths, or 60 Senators of the total 100 Senators, were needed to move the l-legislation to a vote through a cloture motion, w-which closed debate on the bill. The same measure, uh, the same motion, it works same for nominations, too. Uh, thus, 60 Senators are needed to end a filibuster. And when it looked like Senator Chenoweth was going to f-filibuster right, uh, just before the Senate could leave for winter break, Senate Democrats had just enough votes – let’s see, that’s 57 Democrats, plus the two Democratic-caucusing Independents, plus liberal Republican Bill Weld – yeah, just enough votes to prevent the bill being filibustered. Uh, yeah?”
STUDENT: “What about recent calls to have Senator Pete Diamondstone and Congressman Bo Gritz expelled from Congress? How serious is all that?”
TEACHER: “Well, Pete and Bo should be happy to know – huh, that rhymed, heh – um, uh, they, uh, that the voters will kick them out of congress before congress kicks them out of congress. You see, their fellow lawmakers need a supermajority to expel someone from either chamber, but, uh, doing so has always been reserved for major things like outright federal crimes being committed, n-not for rhetoric.”
– guest lecturer and former US Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) [6], Delaware State University, taped class lecture, 1/14/2004
HARLAND SANDERS BUSH
Washington, DC – Savannah Diane Rodham-Clinton and Bradford Corbett Bush are proud to announce the birth of their first child, a son named Harland Sanders Bush. Weighing in a 9 pounds and 7 ounces, the newborn Harland is named after the former US President, Harland “Colonel” Sanders. Harland’s mother’s mother is Hillary Rodham-Clinton, a US Senator currently running for President. Harland’s father’s father is George W. Bush, the Commissioner of Baseball whose father-in-law was former US Vice President Richard Nixon. Savannah and Bradford met, live, and work in the DC area for numerous political organizations, promoting a wide variety of causes.
– The Washington Times, celebrations section, 1/15/2004
CHURCH AND STATE: Why Religious Conservatives Are Backing Jesse Jackson
– Time Magazine, mid-January 2004 issue
– The First Couple attending a Sunday church service, 1/18/2004
“…Jesse is not this wild radical that half of the GOP field is trying to make him out to be. For instance, he’s not extremist enough to ban nuclear power because Jesse is smart, he is aware that nuclear power is low carbon and basically renewable, and it just needs to be handled very carefully, and that means maintaining top-of-the-line high-quality safety regulations for nuclear power plants. Plus, banning nuclear energy would lead to Americans more reliance on oil and other fossil fuels, not more reliable on electric, solar, water and wind because, while those industries and energy sectors and catching on very well, their infrastructure and familiarity is still not there yet for most Americans. Instead, the President backs tight regulations, ‘oppressive red tape’ like some Republicans label them, and Jesse is also promoting the opening of more thorium power plants, which are much safer than nuclear power plants…”
– White House Chief of Staff Ron Daniels, NBC’s Meet the Press, 1/23/2004
Rohrabacher Trial Begins Today: Disgraced Former CA Governor Accused of Treason, Bribery, Multiple Other Charges
– The Los Angeles Times, 1/26/2004
MARTIN: “What amazes me is that the Diamondstone candidacy was actually foretold nearly a hundred years ago in the prophetic 1907 novel ‘Lord of the World,’ [7]. According to the book, an antichrist from Vermont will bring about a religious war and the end of the world. Diamondstone is openly agnostic. He is a denier of God and the True Faith. He is an unhinged radical who, if given the nuclear codes, will undoubtedly bring about a nuclear Armageddon!”
NOORY: “Okay, I agree that that is freaky, but don’t you think that this kind of rhetoric will only help the Jackson campaign?”
MARTIN: “No – it’ll keep the American people from bringing about The End Times through atomic fire!”
NOORY: “Okay, alright, fair enough, fair enough...”
– Host George Noory and recurring guest Xander Martin, KDWN’s late night political call-in talk radio program Coast to Coast AM, 1/29/2004
DR. PEKKA PUSKA WINS FINLAND PRESIDENCY IN LANDSLIDE!
Helsinki, FIINLAND – After coming in first place in the first round of voting on January 16, Dr. Pekka Puska, has won a decisive victory in tonight’s election for President of Finland. Puska, 68, is a celebrated health leader often credited for overseeing the life-extending changes made to the Finnish diet in the 1970s and 1980s; as the nation’s long-serving Minister of Health, Puska worked with leaders across Finland to ensure food shipping lines and energy use remained uninterrupted during the SARS pandemic, and repeated appeared on Finnish television to inform citizens on how to maintain and improve their diet and mental health during the crisis. Puska ran for President on a Green/Social Democratic Alliance ticket, and won over centrist former Prime Minister Esko Aho, 49, of the Centre ticket, by a margin of roughly 21%...
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 6/2/2004
“To be President, you must have the necessary qualities. You must be a man of logic, tolerance, understanding, honesty, and integrity. Bernie Goetz does not have these qualities. …Bernie has presented division and bigotry as individuality and order. …As President, I will bring honesty and integrity to the White House, and I will bring peace and justice to the United States of America.”
– James H. Meredith, GOP Primary Presidential debate, 2/3/2004
HASHIMOTO BEATS ISHIHARA!
…the LDP gained seven seats tonight thanks to incumbent Prime Minister successfully fending off right-wing attacks from three conservative parties who all nominated former PM Shintaro Ishihara. Ishihara, whose candidacy was once again endorsed by yazuka syndicates, continually failed to do better than 38% in polls taken before the election…
– The Asahi Shimbun, Japanese newspaper, 2/6/2004
[pic: imgur.com/BgENp76.png ]
– former US President Larry Miles Dinger (R-IA) prepares for a TV interview, in which he ends up discussing his foreign policy career but skirts around questions concerning the negative effects of his administration’s policies on Mexico and Colombia, 2/9/2004
HOW FAR CAN PETE GO?: More Than An Uphill Climb For An Unapologetic Marxist
…Senator Peter Isaac "Pete" Diamondstone’s self-described “crusade” aims to establish a non-violent sort of crypto-utopian society were government is large but peaceful. Pete’s chances of primarying the popular incumbent President are somewhere between slim and nil, but it may be possible for the openly Marxist politician to influence the party’s official platform for the 2004 general election in some small way. That, though, will depend on how many delegates he receives in the upcoming primary contests, and judging by his standing in the polls – where he hovers between 5% and 0% – well, we refer back to the aforementioned slim-to-nil chances…
– The Burlington Free Press, 2/11/2004
MEREDITH: 29%
GOETZ: 15%
RODHAM-CLINTON: 14%
HUNTSMAN: 12%
CAMPBELL: 6%
WELD: 5%
OTHER: 8%
UNSURE/”None of the Above”: 11%
– Gallup national GOP primary polling, 2/14/2004
IS THIS THE END FOR LAL KRISHNA ADVANI?
…In office since 2001, India’s 10th Prime Minister, Lal Krishna Advani of the BJP, is facing approval ratings as low of 20% in the face of rising casualties in his country from SARS. Talks among political pundits in New Delhi suggest that the unpopular leader may be forced out of office by his own party over his very poor and very divisive handling of the Global Pandemic. Sweeping through India too swiftly for Indian personnel to respond, the virus is leading to the hospitalizing of hundreds of thousands of people in the province of Uttar Pradesh. Conditions are at crisis levels there, as people living in the most densely populated part of the country are struggling and failing to avoid spreading the deadly virus. Medical and police personnel are completely overwhelmed and are running low on or running out of emergency supplies…
– The Guardian, UK newspaper, 16/2/2004
DJ: …Alright, so another Republican primary debate was held tonight, and it looks as if, out of the one dozen candidates on the debate stage, those considered to be the top winner of the night are Goetz, Huntsman and Meredith. Now, Goetz started off on the wrong foot by criticizing safezoning, but quickly turned it into a call for individualism and, I guess, libertarianism:
GOETZ (in clip): If you’re an adult, and your responsible to drive a car or raise children or own a business, the government should trust you to keep those around you safe during a crisis. Imposing heavy fines for not maintaining safezoning measures means the government doesn’t trust the American citizen to do the right thing! Listen, you can’t let yourself be pushed around. You can’t live in fear. That’s no way to live your life. [8] And if you are a smart, intelligent and wise individual and you know what you are doing, then the government should get off your back!
DJ: Huntsman, meanwhile, seemed to play to the more religious crowd with optimistic rhetoric:
HUNTSMAN (in clip): A crisis creates the opportunity to dip deep into the reservoirs of our very being, to rise to levels of confidence, strength, and resolve that otherwise we didn't think we possessed… Life is not a game of Solitaire; people depend on one another. When one does well, others are lifted. When one stumbles, others also are impacted. There are no one-man teams—either by definition or natural law. Success is a cooperative effort; it’s dependent upon those who stand beside you. [9]
DJ: And then there’s former Vice President Meredith, who had a few things to say that got lots of applause from the audience, but will definitely lead to criticisms from the left:
MEREDITH (in clip): Integration is the biggest con job ever pulled on any group of people, any nationality in the world. It was a plot by white liberals to gain black political power for themselves and their wild ideas, and for a few black bourgeoisie who were paid to exercise leverage as black spokesmen… Have you ever hear of Irish, Poles, Germans, Italians and Jews being integrated? They go anywhere and just enjoy their rights. Why call it integration when black folk do the same thing? It’s a con job. [10]
– WDRC-AM, 2/17/2004 radio broadcast
“Twelve years is enough, thanks,” John said. He was clearly fatigued from the responsibilities of the office. John had planned on resigning right after the Queen’s Jubilee, only for SARS to appear. The subsequent crisis demanded immediate action, and that meant delaying stepping down until the country was safe enough and stable enough for a leadership election to commence. John made his decision known to his ministers before the press were let in on it, and with John’s approval rating at 63%, the decision split the cabinet. One half though he should capitalize on the popularity to pass more laws, despite John having already passed healthcare reform, improved housing, lowered unemployment (save for jobs lost during the SARS Pandemic), and had enacted progressive laws for environmental protection, BLUTAG marriage, and medical marijuana. He felt his job was done: “You get no thanks overstaying your welcome.”
– Lyn Cornell-Lennon’s memoir, Lennon & I: Our Lives: From Liverpool to 10 Downing Street And Back Again, Thames Books, 2017
…When Prime Minister John Lennon announced on 20 February that he would step down from the job and resign from parliament in under a month, the race was on to see who in the Labor party would succeed him to office… [11]
– Jacqueline Edmondson’s A Legend’s Biography: The Lives And Times of John Lennon, London Times Books, 2010
“NEVER WELCOME THE DEVIL!”: Former Chilean Dictator Allowed To Return To Homeland Amid Opposition, Controversy
…From November 3 to December 12 of 1988, the last of Chile’s dictators, Hernan Buchi of the far-right wing of the Centrist Alliance political organization ruled his home country with an iron fist. Buchi dutifully carried out the oppressive policies of his predecessors with no indication of reform or moderation despite rising violence across the country. …39 days into his reign, Buchi was ousted in a coup. The storming of the Presidential Palace occurred just hours after the raising of taxes on the lower classes in an effort to improve the country’s perpetually-poor economy. His removal from office prompted the brief 1988-1989 Chilean Civil War that saw the Chilean military finally relinquish control of the government, and saw Buchi and his family flee for their lives to Mexico. Buchi and others who fled were tried “in absentia” and found guilty of treason in the later half of 1989. …Buchi differed from other members of the dictatorial years in that he acknowledged his misdeeds and asked for forgiveness, reaching out to the Chilean government led by “Fra-Fra” Errazuriz in the 1990s to try and appeal for a reduced sentence should he return to Chile. Errazuriz declined pardoning him. However, upon Errazuriz being overthrown in the Chilean Coup of July 2002, the new President, Gen. Juan Fuente-Alba, agreed to reduce his sentence of twenty years in prison to the US equivalent of $200,000. Buchi paid the money, but in exchange was forbidden from returning to Chile. Buchi responded by cagain laiming that he regretted the actions he took while President, and repeatedly appealled for a rule change. Now, he’s finally got his wish, as Chile’s newest President – the democratically-elected and recently-sworn-in Joaquin Lavin – has agreed to allow Buchi to return to Chile in order to “heal old wounds.” The move is being criticized heavily by Chilean citizens across the country…
– The New York Times, 2/22/2004
– KFC Australia commercial, ourvids.co.usa, first posted 2/24/2004
WITH 20 CANDIDATES STILL IN CONTENTION, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR A LONG PRIMARY SEASON
…The RNC Chair laments, “At this moment in time, the race for the nomination is without a clear frontrunner. It’s pretty much anybody’s guess who will end up the nominee right now.” …When asked about the upcoming March primary contests yesterday, former President Kemp remarked “It all depends now on how the people vote!” [12]
– The Washington Post, 2/27/2004
NOTE(S)/SOURCE(S):
[1] OTL bio bits pulled from (and thus can be found) here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/165158534/mary-lolita-hannon
[2] OTL comment, according to Source 24 on Jesse Jackson’s wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Jackson#cite_ref-wooing_24-0
[3] As previously mentioned in the March 1982 chapter
[4] OTL endeavor!: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Green_Wall
[5] This statistic was found via a graph found on google images, belonging to the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies & Pew Research Center
[6] @historybuff : I mentioned before, but only in passing, that Biden lost re-election in 1996. This was because it was a really good year for Republicans, so he ran to the right of the Democratic party to win over conservatives, while the Republican nominee ran to the left to be competitive in a state as left-leaning as Delaware; the result was a narrow loss of a two-term incumbent (Biden lost the 1972 Senate race ITTL, but served as the Governor of Delaware from 1977 to 1985 before winning a US Senate seat in 1984 and again in 1990). He sat out the 1984 Presidential primaries due to Denton’s high popularity, and he sat out the 1988 primaries due to his OTL aneurysm incident occurring earlier than it did IRL. His political career is essentially over, though he has publicly expressed interest in running for public office again someday. Also, @historybuff : I’m not familiar enough with Ann M. Martin or “The Baby-Sitters Club” to know for sure how her books ITTL would differ from OTL. Maybe the 1990 TV lasts a few more years? Certainly more than just 13 episodes! And, since, I believe, the books were popular in the 1980s, maybe the TV reboot gets made in the 2010s instead of in 2020 like OTL? If you concur, then I’ll cover it in one of the 2010s chapters (like, 2017 or so). Sound good?
[7] This dystopian thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_World (I think someone on this site mentioned it a long while back…?)
[8] Italicized piece is from OTL: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/bernhard-goetz-quotes
[9] Italicized bits were found here (along with some other good JHSr. quotes): https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/187674.Jon_M_Huntsman_Sr_
[10] Entirely from OTL, as found here: https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/james-meredith-quotes
[11] @Igeo654 and others: any suggestions for should be PM John Lennon’s successor?
[12] Speaking of which, ahead of the 2004 Republican primaries, I made a preference poll for y’all: https://www.strawpoll.me/20981787
And here’s a quick breakdown of the 20 candidates found on the poll:
George Felix Allen of Virginia, age 52 – Allen has deep pockets, many connections, and both executive, legislative and foreign policy experience; he served a Governor from 1994 to 1998, a US Senator since January 2003, and as the US Ambassador to Venezuela from 1998 to 2001; he is running as a self-labeled “Colonel Conservative,” but many pundits state his record shows more right-leaning tendencies when it comes to social welfare issues.
Mario Biaggi of New York, age 87 – with a political resume dating back almost forty years, Biaggi is a candidate with experience; he was a Governor from 1967 to 1981, during which time he played a crucial role in the 1971 Attica Prison Massacre, and a US Senator from 1981 until his retirement this year; having run for President as a Democrat in 1968, 1972, 1984, and 1988, that party’s shift to the left has convinced this former police officer to run in this election cycle as a Republican with a campaign defending “our boys (and gals) in blue.”
Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado, age 71 – a Native-American, Campbell has been a Republican since 1991 and a US Senator since 1993; with a reputation for being independent-minded and at time bipartisan, Campbell claims he would appeal to undecided voters in November better than any other Republican; his campaign is focused on minority rights, and on balancing environmental protection and Native American land sacredness with the financial gain that comes from fossil fuels and land put aside for sun farms.
Richard P. "Rick" Cheney of New Mexico, age 67 – not to be confused with US Congressman-turned-corporate lobbyist Richard Bruce “Dick” Cheney of Wyoming, Rick Cheney was a Governor from 1995 to 1999, and the US Ambassador to Norway from 1999 to 2000; having survived an attempt on his life by members of a Mexican recreadrug cartel, Cheney’s campaign is focused heavily on law enforcement, defending police precincts and reversing Jackson’s drug policies.
Joseph Maxwell “Max” Cleland of Georgia, age 62 – a retired US Army General, Cleland has never held public office before but has a diverse military background, having served in some capacity in nearly every major American military confrontation since 1964 (Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Uganda, Angola, Libya, Nicaragua, and, most famously, Korea); Cleland believes Jackson’s annual cuts to the military’s budget are leaving the US vulnerable, and that a more pro-military President is needed; he supports programs for veterans and, interestingly, may have social and even fiscal views that are to the party’s left.
Hillary Diane Rodham-Clinton of Tennessee, age 57 – Clinton was a Governor from 1991 to 1995, and has been a US Senator since 1997; Clinton, initially an Illinoian, canvassed for Republicans in 1966 in Tennessee, which is where she met her future husband George Stanley Clinton, with whom she had a son (Bill, b. 1975) and a daughter (Savannah, b. 1977); her working for Governor Pusser led to her gaining an anti-corruption reputation, while her tenure as governor has won the support of many teachers unions and other professional groups in this election cycle so far; she is running as a “sensible moderate.”
Lowell Jackson “Jack” Fellure of West Virginia, age 73 – a retired engineer who opposes the very concept of the technet and was a Lieutenant Governor from 1985 to 1989, Fellure was the GOP nominee for Governor in 1992, and the “Exposure party” nominee for Governor in 1988; a “Country Conservative” who occasionally makes appearances as a commentator on radio and TV programs, he is running a “low-key” (or “slow-and-steady”) campaign based on his highly-religious and deeply-conservative social views.
Bettye Frink of Alabama, age 71 – a Governor from 1995 to 1999, Frink is a fiscal centrist with religious flair; Frink, whose main focus is the Treasury and economic recovery and diversification, has served in various statewide office since the 1950s, and originally as a moderate Democrat; her emphasis on IRS reform, tax code simplification, and protecting Social Security appeals to older voters, while her rhetoric may win over more religious and evangelical voters.
Bernhard Hugo “Bernie” Goetz of Colorado, age 57 – a US Senator from 1997 to 2003, Goetz grew up in New York but moved to Colorado in 1984, where he owned a hardware store that he grew into a statewide franchise before expanding into real estate in Denver; a libertarian-minded populist who is heavily pro-gun and favors making marijuana "a legitimate business," Goetz, whose surname is pronounced like “guts,” is running on a strategy of securing the support of “forgotten Republicans,” i.e. blue-collar, non-college educated members of the GOP; though he says he appeals to businesspersons big and small, his campaign also (alleged) features some racist undertones.
Gilbert William “Gil” Gutknecht Jr. of Minnesota, age 53 – a US Senator from 1997 to 2003 whose surname is pronounced “GOOT-neck,” this Republican moderate hopes to appeal to enough conservative Democrats and white ethnic voters in enough GOP primaries to clinch the party’s nomination; his campaign focuses on “small town issues” such as small business ownership and college affordability.
Fred Hemmings of Hawaii, age 59 – a former award-winning professional surfer, Hemmings was a Governor from 1990 until his resignation for a diplomatic post in 1997, serving as the US Ambassador to Australia from 1997 to 2001; a lifelong opponent of recreadrug culture, Hemmings also supports efforts to construct wave turbines to power coastal cities; Hemming also plans on running on his record as Governor.
Lamar Hunt of Texas, age 72 – a businessman and sports promoter with abundant wealth, Hunt is the brother of incumbent US Ambassador to New Zealand Swanee Grace Hunt, and the son of billionaire oil tycoon H. L. Hunt (who the famous TV character J. R. Ewing is partially based on); Lamar Hunt is spending much of his own fortune on this campaign, through which he is spouting conservative-populist promises of deregulation and investing in “safer fracking” procedures while also supporting the tiring notion of running the federal government like it is a business, in order to cast himself as “another Iacocca.”
Jon Meade Huntsman Sr. of Utah, age 67 – a millionaire businessman with close ties to KFC and a Governor from 1989 to 2001, Huntsman led his state’s growth in industrial, agricultural, and tourist sectors during the 1990s decade, ad was commended by President Jackson for his handling of the SARS pandemic; as Governor, Huntsman also oversaw his state’s Attorney General go after “rogue sects” of the LDS religion over allegations of “underage pestering” and other offenses.
Alan Lee Keyes of Maryland, age 54 – an African-American diplomat by trade, Keyes has served in every Republican White House since 1981 in a variety of posts, including assistant Secretary of State under President Dinger (from 1995 to 1997) to White House Deputy Chief of Staff under President Kemp (from 1987 to 1989) to US Ambassador to Zimbabwe under President Dinger (from 1997 to 2001); Keyes is running a populist, socially-conservative campaign.
Walter Fox McKeithen of Louisiana, age 58 – a Governor from 1992 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2004, McKeithen almost always goes by his middle name; McKeithen has already won a few labor endorsements due to his campaign call to “protect hardworking Americans everywhere”; McKeithen was also commended by members of both sides of the aisle for his handling of a race riot in 1995 and for his handling of the SARS pandemic.
James Howard Meredith of Mississippi, age 71 – a US Vice President from 1995 to 2001 and a US Senator from 1979 to 1995, Meredith is trying to be seen as a candidate that all of the party’s factions can rally behind despite he himself being very conservative; nevertheless, Meredith’s broad-reaching campaign has already been endorsed by former US President Larry Dinger, and the Iacocca family, and even two former KKK leaders, along with Charles Evers, and several other prominent Black Republicans.
Marilyn Neoma Shuler Musgrave of Colorado, age 55 – a US Representative since 1997, Musgrave is moderate-to-conservative Republican who is calling for tax cuts across the board; additionally, Musgrave advocates both gun rights and women’s rights; Musgrave may have a rising base of supporter out west; at the moment, religious primary voters are torn between Musgrave, Frink, Fellure, Keyes, Meredith and Rehberg.
David Fraser Nolan of Arizona, age 61 – a Governor since 1999, Nolan is a “Libertarian” Republican, or “Liberty-Conservative” Republican, as others call it; a longtime supporter of fiscal conservatism and social liberalism, his initial response to the start of the SARS Pandemic was slow, but he more than made up for it by April 2002, implementing travel restrictions, and quarantining and safezoning measures in order to keep Arizonans safe; Nolan plans to run on his gubernatorial record, but also on the positive benefits of recreadrugs.
Dennis Ray “Denny” Rehberg of Montana, age 49 – Rehburg, the Governor of Montana since 1997, is the youngest candidate in the race; sporting an iconic moustache and plaid shirt as part of his “rugged outdoorsman” image, Rexburg, a defender of mining and fracking who is running on his gubernatorial record, supports expanding gun rights, opposes the US Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, and is “pro-police” in the face of the Jackson administration’s police reform efforts.
William Floyd “Bill” Weld of Massachusetts, age 59 – a US Senator since 1991, Weld is indisputably the most left-leaning candidate in the race, a lingering remnant of the Rockefeller Republican at the national level; he stands out from office candidates by actually defending Jackson on several front, and so his campaign is primarily focused on tax reform and reigning in government spending without hurting those who need the support of the welfare state.
Please vote!
The next Chapter’s E.T.A.: October 29!
TTL's version of that song was included in the 1989 chapter!...okay, given how Bernie Goetz is running for President, I really have to wonder how "We Didn't Start the Fire" would be written ITTL.
1987, over concerns people were confusing it with Whataburger.When did Wendyburger get renamed Wendy's ITTL?
Thanks! We'll see how well he does in the primaries...Loved it. Hope Meredith is the Republican nominatee against Jackson two African Americans from different parties running for President. Historic
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