Alternate History 🇺🇸 November 2, 1976: President Nelson Rockefeller wins election to full 4-year term and the aftermath

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO CANADA WALTER MONDALE ANNOUNCES SUSPENSION OF CAMPAIGN, LEAVING ARIZONA GOVERNOR BRUCE BABBITT AS THE PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
3:00 PM CST, Sunday, 10 June 1984
Minnesota House of Representatives Chambers
Minnesota State Capitol Building
Saint Paul, Minnesota

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*1984 will be the Battle between President Bush vs Governor Babbitt: Boring, Bland Campaign according to political analysts
*Mondale exits campaign, pledging to support Babbitt; Not ruling out potential comeback for United States Senator in 1988.
*Babbitt reaffirms running as Moderate Democrat, Third Way Approach, but will listen to Liberals on some issues.

Following the end of the Primary/Caucuses Season, former US Ambassador to Canada Walter Mondale didn't address the public at the end of primary night, an ad-hoc press statement was announced for Sunday afternoon inside the Minnesota State Capitol Building. The Democratic hopeful spoke following consultations with his campaign team and party leadership.

Ambassador Mondale: "Thank you everyone for coming here this afternoon, and welcome to the People's Capitol: Saint Paul. Ladies and Gentlemen, I have summoned all of you here today to officially announce the formal suspension of my campaign for the Presidency. After the latest round of primary contests and our defeats, it's becoming quite evident that our path to winning the Democratic presidential nomination has officially closed. Just a few minutes ago, I called Governor Bruce Babbitt of Arizona to inform him of my decision. I congratulated him on a stunning streak of success and an impressive campaign which was rarely seen in American politics. I pledged to him and his supporters to fully get behind his efforts to reclaim the White House in November. This is our goal right now. My campaign was never about my personal ambitions, it always about bringing America together and offering a different vision than President Bush. I believe that together we can move forward a win the future with a vision of economic prosperity, which will benefit all Americans, putting the People's President back into the White House; efficient government that does perform the basic duties rather than ignoring the domestic needs of America by using ruthless budget cuts impacting major programs and initiatives; pursuing a nuclear freeze on nuclear weapons to preventing an all-out nuclear war and making the tough decisions such as raising taxes on specific policy proposals. These are the goals I will keep fighting for in the private sector as a citizen of this great country of ours. Thank you all again for your lasting support. It was a great honor of fighting for you. Thank you very much once again."

 

[Sergeant Foley]

ARIZONA GOVERNOR AND PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE BRUCE BABBITT REACTS TO FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO CANADA WALTER MONDALE DROPPING OUT

By the early part of June, Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt reached the point he could not have never thought possible. Although he didn't formally collect the necessary delegates yet, he was basically left as the sole contender for the Democratic Party presidential nomination. The two-term Democratic Governor of Arizona briefly following Ambassador Mondale's speech about the latter's decision to quit. "I have great respect for Ambassador Mondale's decision and will continue to talk to him and work with him as we're seeking to offer a different vision for America," he told reporters, "we did have strong disagreements, but in the end, we come together and for a specific greater goal. That's what its all about."

Babbitt declined on whether he's already considering Vice Presidential candidates or Cabinet appointments. However, Babbitt reaffirmed to run as a Moderate Democrat in the general election, referring to his successful tenure as Arizona State Attorney General and Governor of Arizona. However, he pledged to reach out to liberals within his own party and work to earning their support. Babbitt is already scheduled to meet with a group of liberal lawmakers the following week. A dinner with United States Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) was also announced for the weeks to come.

PRESIDENT GEORGE HW BUSH ADDRESSES CAMPAIGN, REACTION TO BABBITT CHALLENGE

President George HW Bush just returned from a nearly week-long international trip which included stops in Ireland (June 1st-4th: where he addressed the Irish Parliament in a Joint Session Address); France (where he attended the commemorative ceremonies of the 40th anniversary of the Allied Landing in Normandy) and the United Kingdom, where he recently attended the 10th G-7 Summit (June 7th-June 9th) when he was notified that Ambassador Mondale suspended his campaign. "I heard about it on board Air Force One," the President told reporters on Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs, Maryland. "The coming months we will have a tough, but fair fought battle over the future of this great country. I believe Vice President Baker and I have such a future, while my opponent is more interested in reviving the 1960s. I want to build a bridge to the 1990s and the New Millennium."

Sources from within the Bush reelection campaign reaffirmed that painting Babbitt, as a figure of the ancient past, remains the main strategy of the President's reelection bid. However, some voices warned that its not enough, given Babbitt's strong showing against Bush in the latest round of polling surveys. It's no big secret that Republicans strongly preferred facing Ambassador Mondale, whom many Bush loyalists viewed as way too liberal and many head-to-head match-ups showed Bush trouncing Mondale by 39 percentage points. Bush is favored to win his first full four-year term, but Babbitt will indeed, give him a real hard run for his money as the general election approaches.

Ad-Hoc polling surveys post Babbitt nomination
*Tuesday, 12 June 1984: Gallup conducted a number of polling surveys after Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt de-facto secured the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Not just a new national poll is out, but all 51 States have been polled for their presidential preferences. Less than six months before the general election, the outcome appears like this:
Presidential Election, Nationally (12 June 1984)
President George HW Bush: 54%
Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt: 37%

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BONUS: DEMOCRATIC VICE PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS (Summer 1984)

Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt hasn't been making any ton of newsworthy comments since clinching the Democratic Party presidential nomination in early June, other than saying he is looking for a "governing partner". He cited several examples such as then-President Lyndon Johnson and then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey as a specific role model, who served together from 1965 to 1969. Both Rev. Jesse Jackson and United States Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) strongly flatly rejected any roles in a future Babbitt administration altogether. Others, who also turned down potential consideration for the Vice Presidency: United States Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA), who explained that he didn't want to give California Governor George Deukmejian the satisfaction of appointing a Republican to his US Senate seat; New York State Governor Mario Cuomo and Texas Governor Mark Wells White, Jr., each cited having won their respective Governorships in 1982 as major factors in turning down requests to serve as Vice President and United States Senator Juan H. Cintron Garcia (D-PR) also declined, citing the need of helping elect Democrats to the United States Senate in 1984.

Various sources have been indicating the following individuals under consideration to be Governor Babbitt's pick for the Vice Presidency in the 1984 presidential election:

United States Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR)
Why is he being considered? Moderate-to-Conservative Democrat from the South. Popular former Governor and currently two-term United States Senator known for easily defeating then-Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller in the 1970 Arkansas gubernatorial election and defeating long-time United States Senator Jim Fulbright (D-AR) in the 1974 Democratic primary election for the United States Senate. Bumpers brings both executive and legislative experience to the table including proven ability by appealing to Southerners.
The odds of being picked: Too soon to tell depending on whether Babbitt can overcome the strong popularity of incumbent President George HW Bush in the South during the general election. It remains to be seen if Babbitt will go in that direction.

San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein
Why is she being considered? Moderate-to-Liberal Democrat from the Golden State with a governing philosophy as business-friendly to industries and businesses. Ascended to the Mayoralty following the shocking Moscone assassination in 1978, Feinstein easily won a first full four-year term in 1979; defeated a recall attempt overwhelmingly in the Summer of 1983 and handily won reelection to a second full four-year term later that Fall. Feinstein being potentially picked would make her the first female Vice Presidential nominee of a major political party and set her up for future political success in the future of her political career.
The odds of being picked: 50/50, but highly unlikely due to the fact that the late President Ronald Reagan is still beloved and popular in California, the State with 47 Electoral Votes appears more likely going to be overwhelmingly favoring President Bush in the November general election.

Los Angeles Mayor Thomas Bradley
Why is he being considered? Would become the first African American Vice Presidential nominee of a major political party if chosen by Governor Babbitt. Comes from an overcoming the odds storybook: The grandson of slaves in Texas, his family moved to California when he was a young kid and after graduating from high school and later the University of California-Los Angeles, Bradley began a career in law enforcement, serving on the Los Angeles Police Department for 21 years with the rank of Lieutenant. He served 10 years on the Los Angeles City Council, having been elected in 1963 and was reelected in 1967 and again in 1971, and during that time, Bradley ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Los Angeles in 1969, losing in the runoff to the flamboyant and controversial then-Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty that year. Four years later in 1973, Bradley regrouped and easily trounced Yorty in their 1973 rematch and has been serving as the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles since 1 July 1973: winning reelection in 1977 and again in 1981; Bradley is also known for his unsuccessful campaign for the California Governorship in 1982, losing to Governor Deukmejian by less than by one percentage point
The odds of being picked: Like Feinstein, increasingly unlikely. Plus the factors against Bradley: His age, the fears from Southern and Midwestern voters being scared about an African American Vice President being closer to the Presidency.

US Rep. Geraldine Ferraro (D-NY 09th)
Why is she being considered? Like Feinstein, Ferraro would be the first female Vice Presidential nominee of a major political party if she's picked by Governor Babbitt. And she would also become the first Catholic chosen for the nation's second highest elected office. Babbitt pledged to consider picking a woman on the ticket during the primary campaign.
The odds of being picked: Ferraro could potenitally become the darkhorse considering that according to insiders, Governor Cuomo had recommended Congresswoman Ferraro for Governor Babbitt to chose her. However, there are concerns about her lack of political experience including legislative accomplishments.

Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins
Why is she being considered? Governor Collins is currently the highest-ranking Democratic female politician in the United States. Following her election to the Kentucky Governorship in 1983, Collins had been asked by the press about her interest on serving as Vice President under a future Democratic President. The Governor is being chosen by the Democratic National Committee to preside over the upcoming 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco this Summer.
The odds of being picked: 50/50, but Collins would appeal to women voters including Southerners considering she's from the South.

San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros
Why is he being considered? Cisneros is one of the highest-ranking Hispanic American politicians, who is leading the 10th largest city in the United States as Mayor of San Antonio, having been elected in 1981 and was recently reelected in 1983; In 1982, Cisneros was selected as one of the "Ten Oustanding Young Men of America" by the US Jaycees. He was also tapped to serve on the Bipartisan Commission on Central America by President Bush in late 1983.
The odds of being picked: Mayor Cisneros has been tapped to be one of the top finalists on the Vice Presidential shortlist according to insiders, but there hasn't been any detailed information regarding whether Governor Babbitt would pick the popular San Antonio Mayor as Vice President.

United States Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)
Why is he being considered? Moderate-to-Conservative Democratic United States Senator from the Lone Star State: many Democratic Party insiders have been lobbying Governor Babbitt to tap Senator Bentsen as Vice President because he would appeal to more Conservative Southern voters in the South. Bentsen previously ran for President, unsuccessfully running for the 1976 Democratic Party presidential nomination.
The odds of being picked: Senator Bentsen brings legislative experience to the table for Governor Babbitt. Being from the Lone Star State (Texas has 29 Electoral Votes) would make Babbitt quite competitive.

29 June 1984: New Gallup Polling Surveys
President George HW Bush Job Approval
Approve: 61%
Disapprove: 37%

1984 Presidential Election Head-to-Head Matchup: 29 June 1984
President George HW Bush: 53%
Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt: 43%

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING ALERT: ARIZONA GOVERNOR BRUCE BABBITT TAPS KENTUCKY GOVERNOR MARTHA LAYNE COLLINS AS VICE PRESIDENT
*Babbitt and Collins to hold joint news conference in Phoenix.
*Insiders viewed the decision coming down to Collins and unspecified Wild Card choice.
*Developments coming in.....

COMING UP THIS WEEK: Details on the Babbitt/Collins news conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

NEWS CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S TICKET FOR THE 1984 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
12:06 PM MST, Monday, 1 July 1984
Phoenix, Arizona
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Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt and Kentucky Governor Martha Layne Collins both arrived with their spouses inside the Hayden Convention Center in downtown Phoenix, where it was confirmed by Governor Babbitt himself that he personally phoned Governor Collins a few days ago that he was tapping her as the Vice Presidential candidate, which according to insiders, Collins accepted. Collins stands for transparency and good government reforms, one of the major cornerstones of the Babbitt campaign. A lot of Babbitt's proposals are only achievable via legislatively; And while neither Babbitt or Collins have legislative experience, both are Governors, who serve on the National Governors Association in major key positions including the fact that Collins is the chairperson of the Democratic National Convention.

Collins went to the podium to thank Governor Babbitt for the confidence of tapping her as Vice President on the Democratic ticket and she delivered remarks about the plans for the country's future in the upcoming four years with a new administration and key proposals of interests. She also had passionate criticism against the Bush administration's economic policy, which she dubbed "Bushnmomics is NOT working at all Mr. President. Americans have lost confidence of the so-called Economic Tax Cuts Act or whatever the Bush administration is calling it because poll after poll reveals that a majority of Americans don't have any confidence or are strong disapproving of Bushnomics."

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[Sergeant Foley]

......"whenever I look at this woman. I get angry after what she did by sending the Army into Akal Takht. I want to send this bitch a clear message by teaching her a lesson. I will find a way how......"
-Beant Singh
Summer 1984

Operation Blue Star and the Aftermath
Amritsar, Punjab, India
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The controversial military operation, Operation Blue Star (1 June-10 June 1984), which was ordered by Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who had rejected the Anadpur Resolution and ordered the Indian Army to launch the controversial operation, which resulted in the violent attacks on Sikh temples across Punjab. Depending on whom you would believe, official estimates (and they were numerous) placed the number of casualties overall at 554 militants and civilians dead including 83 killed (4 officers, 79 soldiers); 236 wounded among government forces. On June 6th, the Indian Army had detained surviving pilgrims on the grounds they were affiliated with the militants and subjected them to interrogations, beatings, violent torture techniques including executions.

Soon afterwards, there was backlash over the Indian government's handling of Operation Blue Star including the violent aftermath had escalated as many in the Sikh community both inside and outside of India were furious and they wanted answers and also demanding the resignation of Indian President Zail Singh. At first, he considered resigning in order to let the country heal, but ultimately decided against doing so because he was worried about alienating and also infuriating Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, (known as Yogi Bhajan). Singh was also called before the Akal Takht and there, Sikhs were furious, angry and cussing out the President, demanding he apologize; Singh was also asked to explain why he didn't do anything to prevent the violent desecration of the Golden Temple including the deaths of innocent Sikhs.

Singh had assumed the fallout and backlash regarding Operation Blue Star would just blow over and folks would just move on. They obviously did NOT!

Several weeks later, Singh decided to visit the temples premises following Operation Blue Star, and while making the rounds, someone fired a sniper from somewhere at one of the buildings because the Indian Army hadn't cleared any of the surrounding buildings on the premises. The bullet meant for the President, actually hit an Army Colonel's arm, who was accompanying President Singh.

He wasn't the only one to face backlash over the controversial military operation......

Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the daughter of the legendary Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was in the middle of her third term of office, was also facing death threats. The perceptions of death threats against the country's first female Prime Minister and this had so alarmed the Intelligence Bureau, they pushed for the full removal of Sikhs from the Prime Minister's personal bodyguard detail unit, but Gandhi had thought that the removal of Sikhs would cause her political opponents to use as ammunition against her by calling her anti-Sikh, so she forced the SGP to reinstate her Sikh bodyguards, particularly Beant Singh, who some believed, was one of the Prime Minister's favorite bodyguards.

Sadly, this turned out to be a fatal mistake on the part of the Prime Minister.

COMING SOON IN THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Chaos on 31 October 1984.

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[Sergeant Foley]

@49ersfootball @The Immortal Watch Dog @Red_Tornado @bintananth @Val the Moofia Boss @Buba

COMING SOON IN CHAPTER 19 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Wednesday, 31 October 1984: The day that India went into some very, very deep SHIT!

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[Sergeant Foley]

......"This has to be one of the most shocking results in the history of the US Open Golf Championship. Arnold Palmer, who won the 1960 US Open Golf Championship 23 years ago, has failed to qualify for the 1984 US Open Golf Championship...... This is the first time Palmer has missed qualification in 32 years......."
-NBC Sports Exclusive: 1984 US Open and the Upsets.

....."Congratulations to Patty Sheehan, who has won back-to-back LGPA Championships by a record ten strokes ahead of Runner-Up Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel in the 1984 LGPA Championship. And this is a wonderful moment for Women's Golf......."
-Excerpt from "Sheehan Repeats as LGPA Champion"
NBC Sports Exclusive Special Coverage

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