WI:Bob Dole Was Elected President In 1996?

Yeah, I'm not sure how exactly you could pull it off, but I was just wondering what a Bod Dole Presidency would look like. So, my questions are...

1) How could Bod Dole beat Bill Clinton in 1996? I could be wrong, but i think Clinton was involved with Lewinsky at this point, so maybe if that comes out earlier...

2) What would the next four years look like under Dole?

3) Who challeneges him in 2000, and do they win?

4) What happens to Islamic Terrorism? Would 9/11 still happen?

yeah, just wondering....:)
 
I don't see Bob Dole winning in 1996, unless Clinton somehow gets indicted for Whitewater. In that case you'll have a scenario somewhat similar to what just happened in FoF. Congress starts impeachment proceedings, the country turns against Clinton, etc. But I think he would try and hang on. And how many times must I repeat the Presidential Sex Mantra: "Adultery is not a successfully impeachable offense."
 
I don't see Bob Dole winning in 1996, unless Clinton somehow gets indicted for Whitewater. In that case you'll have a scenario somewhat similar to what just happened in FoF. Congress starts impeachment proceedings, the country turns against Clinton, etc. But I think he would try and hang on. And how many times must I repeat the Presidential Sex Mantra: "Adultery is not a successfully impeachable offense."

This will be explored in my upcomming tl Monica's baby the fall of Bill Clinton... the title is self explanatory and Bob Dole will get to be president
 
There was a really good thing on the CSPAN History channel where they interviewed Dole in like 2007 where he touched on this. I can't remember exactly what he said, but I recall him mentioning he would have focused more on domestics on Clinton and I think he may have mentioned some better economic oversights.

But, if you can find it, watch it.

Edit: found it. It's somewhere later in the video, I think.
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/287713-1
 
BW749: Will you have an acrimonious divorce in the works in this TL? It's a different story if there's a love child involved, as we've seen with the lowlife from North Carolina. Still, not impeachable, but defeatable at the polls. Only in the 1980s, with the rise of the religious right did adultery become an issue. Previously, the press operated under "pre-Watergate" political rules (governing dirty tricks, campaign finance, moral lapses, etc), which were long obsolete by the 1990s.
 
BW749: Will you have an acrimonious divorce in the works in this TL? It's a different story if there's a love child involved, as we've seen with the lowlife from North Carolina. Still, not impeachable, but defeatable at the polls. Only in the 1980s, with the rise of the religious right did adultery become an issue. Previously, the press operated under "pre-Watergate" political rules (governing dirty tricks, campaign finance, moral lapses, etc), which were long obsolete by the 1990s.

The divorce will be nice and messy... the paula jones trial will have more of a leg to stand on. John Edwards is really helping me with writing this TL... I haven't decided if there will be a Bill-Monica sex tape that makes its way to napster
 
1) How could Bod Dole beat Bill Clinton in 1996? I could be wrong, but i think Clinton was involved with Lewinsky at this point, so maybe if that comes out earlier...

If Lewinsky, or any other sex scandal comes out in the fall of 1996, then Clinton is probably toast. He never had a majority in the first place and the prospect of re-electing him in the face of a sex scandal is unlikely. Enough Clinton and Perot voters will turn to the GOP for Dole to get the plurality and the Electoral College win.


2) What would the next four years look like under Dole?

Probably similar, with more conservative Judicial nominees and a somewhat more conservative philosophy. Dole is not a conservative, but will have to work with them to govern.

3) Who challeneges him in 2000, and do they win?

Hard to say if there would be a primary challenge in the GOP. If so it would not go far.

Gore would be the obvious challenger from the Democrats. As a former VP he would have the edge.

4) What happens to Islamic Terrorism? Would 9/11 still happen?

Al-Qaida would still want to hit the US and the World Trade Center in particular. That was regarded as unfinished business. They would have found a way to strike it
 
1) How could Bod Dole beat Bill Clinton in 1996? I could be wrong, but i think Clinton was involved with Lewinsky at this point, so maybe if that comes out earlier...

Clinton's involvement with Monica Lewinsky was a result of the 1995 Federal Government shutdown. I think your best bet in this case is to have said shutdown go differently, or not happen. If Clinton capitulates rather than Gingrich or Dole doing so, it's going to make him and the Democrats look a lot weaker. Or, if Clinton gives in at the outset, this is further going to erode Democratic support for him (the whole reason behind the shutdown was Clinton's refusal to support cuts to Medicare, IIRC). The latter probably ends him a challenger to his left--Jesse Jackson.

2) What would the next four years look like under Dole?

The Dole-Kemp ticket's platform was pretty conservative, despite Dole's reputation as a more moderate Republican. I would expect more deregulation and earlier deregulation than what occurred in Clinton's second term, another massive tax cut (if not a flat tax being enacted), and bureaucracy reform. No balanced budget or budget surplus.

If Buchanan is given a prominent role in the administration, there's probably some goings on about immigration 'reform', as well as a curtailment of Free Trade (which the GOP actually came out against in 1994's midterms...though again, NAFTA was their baby in the first place, so I wouldn't be too sure about any of that).

3) Who challeneges him in 2000, and do they win?

Al Gore is heir apparent to the Democratic nomination, though I'm not sure he'll win that nomination. Without a sitting VP in the race, Paul Wellstone is much more likely to enter, as are some other candidates that didn't enter IOTL's race. John Kerry, Dick Gephardt, Bob Kerrey, Jeanne Shaheen, etc.

My money would be on Paul Wellstone leading the Democratic ticket. Will he beat Dole? My money is on 'maybe'. Depends on how popular Dole's political agenda unfolds, and if the GOP is able to hold on to Congress in '98.

4) What happens to Islamic Terrorism? Would 9/11 still happen?

Not sure, though I lean towards the idea that Dole, in fitting with the GOP air of the nineties, is going to be reluctant to commit American resources outside of the domestic economy. So it's a possibility, I suppose.
 
Clinton's involvement with Monica Lewinsky was a result of the 1995 Federal Government shutdown. I think your best bet in this case is to have said shutdown go differently, or not happen. If Clinton capitulates rather than Gingrich or Dole doing so, it's going to make him and the Democrats look a lot weaker. Or, if Clinton gives in at the outset, this is further going to erode Democratic support for him (the whole reason behind the shutdown was Clinton's refusal to support cuts to Medicare, IIRC). The latter probably ends him a challenger to his left--Jesse Jackson.


The shutdown made Clinton cheat? :confused:

Get rid of Perot.



The Dole-Kemp ticket's platform was pretty conservative, despite Dole's reputation as a more moderate Republican. I would expect more deregulation and earlier deregulation than what occurred in Clinton's second term, another massive tax cut (if not a flat tax being enacted), and bureaucracy reform. No balanced budget or budget surplus.

Dole was not a conservative. Flat tax? No way. Congress loves crafting complicated tax laws.

The budget surplus was result of a democratic president and a republican congress. With Dole this is lost. So it is less likely to happen.

Still, Newt was a strong leader...

Hmm, with a GOP president that would take some of the spotlight off of Newt. This could lead to his long term political survival. Perhaps a later presidential run, in say 2000 or 2004.

Although, you might get a more planned drawdown of the US military, and perhaps some of the peace dividend being routed to deficit reduction.





If Buchanan is given a prominent role in the administration, there's probably some goings on about immigration 'reform', as well as a curtailment of Free Trade (which the GOP actually came out against in 1994's midterms...though again, NAFTA was their baby in the first place, so I wouldn't be too sure about any of that).

Seems unlikely. Dole is old school. THis is more firebrand stuff. SOme of this might come out of Congress.

Al Gore is heir apparent to the Democratic nomination, though I'm not sure he'll win that nomination. Without a sitting VP in the race, Paul Wellstone is much more likely to enter, as are some other candidates that didn't enter IOTL's race. John Kerry, Dick Gephardt, Bob Kerrey, Jeanne Shaheen, etc.

Agreed.

My money would be on Paul Wellstone leading the Democratic ticket. Will he beat Dole? My money is on 'maybe'. Depends on how popular Dole's political agenda unfolds, and if the GOP is able to hold on to Congress in '98.


Dole would be pretty old at this point. Are we sure he would run? Might be Kemp.

Not sure, though I lean towards the idea that Dole, in fitting with the GOP air of the nineties, is going to be reluctant to commit American resources outside of the domestic economy. So it's a possibility, I suppose.

THe majority of the reasons for the attack would be the same. Dole would likely be more comfortable with using force to kill Osama than Clinton was. Unless butterflies prevent those oppertunities from arising Osama might be dead. Would that be enough to stop the attacks?

Could go either way.



Also, feminism would be a lot stronger. They lost a lot of credibility by backing Clinton.

That could mean their attempts to derail Arnold could have more impact.
 
I remember, a while back, someone posted a hypothetical scenario where Dole could have won thanks to the Electoral College while losing the popular vote by a hefty margin.

If you went with that - maybe some kind of left-wing third party taking Democratic votes - I think you could have a very interesting scenario. Clinton might even do a Grover Cleveland and run in 2000.
 
It's amazing to me that conservatism has swung so far to the right that one of its archdefenders, Dole, is now not considered a conservative.

In the 1970s and even in the 1980 election primaries, he was widely regarded as too conservative to get elected pres. Far more conservative than Reagan for example. He was regarded almost as an Ann Coulter type figure, an attack dog who'd say anything to get his name on the news.

And he was such a feeble candidate in 1996, sometimes literally. He actually fell off the podium once. Short of getting rid of Perot, he hasn't a prayer.

People also seem to be forgetting, the Lewinsky scandal made Clinton more popular. Not that people approved of it, but they approved even less of making a witch hunt out of something like adultery. Basically most people said it was a matter for the three people involved.

I've always thought that people who obsess over what the famous do with their genitals have very little going on down there themselves...:D
I never gave a damn about Tiger Woods's affairs, or Edwards's or Clinton's.
 
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