An Accident No More
---
The Hatchet Man is Cut Short
---
When the Presidency was thrust upon Vice President Bob Dole on May 5, 1979, he found himself the “leader of the free world” during the highest Cold War tensions since the Cuban Missile Crisis and lowest levels of American confidence and economic strength since the Great Depression. Prior to President Gerald Ford’s assassination by Raymond Lee Harvey, he had been dealing with a Democratic Congress which had made solid gains during the midterm election and an American public who had grown weary of a full decade of Republican leadership. Stagflation had been slowly eating away at American’s savings, and soon the necessary reforms of Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker saw the nation slump into a recession.
Bob Dole inherited a bad hand at home and abroad. Dole, once a masterful parliamentarian, saw a slight thaw in the patriotic ‘rally around the flag’ when he first took office, but the good will was squandered over the nomination of a Vice President. Dole faced severe pressure from his right within his party and the fact that he had to appoint a candidate who could pass muster with a Democratic Congress. Senator Howard Baker was deemed the only acceptable candidate by Congress, and was inaugurated as the 43rd Vice President.
On Dole’s watch, he could do little more than condone as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and could not deny Panamanian demands for the return of the Canal. As revolutionary fervor took hold in Iran, he had to deny the Shah’s request for medical treatment, instead arranging for him to fly to Switzerland, bothering Republican hardliners who saw it as the snubbing of an American ally.
The Dole White House grew increasingly frustrated, as the greatest critics of the Administration were his own party. Following an Oval Office address where he chastised the American people for a “crisis of confidence,” it seemed inevitable that the President would receive a primary challenge. Enter the charismatic, conservative Ronald Reagan, former Governor of California; and Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland who challenged the President from the left. In an extremely bitter primary, both challengers failed to unseat the President, but left his position battered.
Meanwhile, the Democrats were not going to waste a golden opportunity.
---
The Hatchet Man is Cut Short
---
When the Presidency was thrust upon Vice President Bob Dole on May 5, 1979, he found himself the “leader of the free world” during the highest Cold War tensions since the Cuban Missile Crisis and lowest levels of American confidence and economic strength since the Great Depression. Prior to President Gerald Ford’s assassination by Raymond Lee Harvey, he had been dealing with a Democratic Congress which had made solid gains during the midterm election and an American public who had grown weary of a full decade of Republican leadership. Stagflation had been slowly eating away at American’s savings, and soon the necessary reforms of Chairman of the Federal Reserve Paul Volcker saw the nation slump into a recession.
Bob Dole inherited a bad hand at home and abroad. Dole, once a masterful parliamentarian, saw a slight thaw in the patriotic ‘rally around the flag’ when he first took office, but the good will was squandered over the nomination of a Vice President. Dole faced severe pressure from his right within his party and the fact that he had to appoint a candidate who could pass muster with a Democratic Congress. Senator Howard Baker was deemed the only acceptable candidate by Congress, and was inaugurated as the 43rd Vice President.
On Dole’s watch, he could do little more than condone as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, and could not deny Panamanian demands for the return of the Canal. As revolutionary fervor took hold in Iran, he had to deny the Shah’s request for medical treatment, instead arranging for him to fly to Switzerland, bothering Republican hardliners who saw it as the snubbing of an American ally.
The Dole White House grew increasingly frustrated, as the greatest critics of the Administration were his own party. Following an Oval Office address where he chastised the American people for a “crisis of confidence,” it seemed inevitable that the President would receive a primary challenge. Enter the charismatic, conservative Ronald Reagan, former Governor of California; and Senator Charles Mathias of Maryland who challenged the President from the left. In an extremely bitter primary, both challengers failed to unseat the President, but left his position battered.
Meanwhile, the Democrats were not going to waste a golden opportunity.
Last edited:
I jest, it's a good read, quite entertaining and accessible.
