December 29, 2006--Friday In (Yes) Florida: What Ifs?
When walking the strand at the end of the continent, it is irresistible not to think about how we got here, for sure up out of that glorious water, and where we are headed. Not too many insights yet, but we still have a week here to try to figure things out. As if that were enough!
But last night, at the sushi bar at Yama’s Restaurant in Delray Beach (not bad at all), we sat next to a distinguished gentleman of 75 who, it turns out was a very high-level official in the Republican Party and then in Congress, back in the days of, yes, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bush 41. I think he would prefer for me not to tell you more than that about him. Because of what he told us.
He talked, Ancient Mariner style, for well over an hour, anguishing about the demise of moderation in the GOP, Bush’s mistakes and “incompetence,” and his distress about the Evangelical Right taking control of his party.
But then he also told us some behind-closed doors stories about Nixon and Ford, timely ones considering the events of the week. Of possible historical interest he spoke about newly-sworn-in President Ford’s efforts to select a vice president. (See linked NY Times article on the subject.) He set up a small advisory group headed by the Pennsylvania governor Bill Scranton. George H. W. Bush was eager to be named VP and had his surrogates make a full force effort to get the Scranton group to recommend him. Up until the last minute it very much looked as if this campaign would succeed.
Our dinner companion was eager to see Nelson Rockefeller selected; and since the Bush team was misrepresenting the sentiments of much of the Republican leadership—telling Scranton that the vast majority supported Bush—from his position as a party leader he knew this was not true. And so he forced his way into the center of the process, arranging an off-the-record meeting with Scranton to tell him what in fact was going on. The night before Scranton was to pass along his views to President Ford.
Scranton, the record shows, changed his mind over night and recommended Rockefeller to Ford. Ford selected him, and our new friend was hated by the Bush family ever since.
But what if he had failed and Bush had become Ford’s vice president? It is likely that he would have been on the Ford ticket for the election in 1976 and would have joined Ford in defeat. Might this have meant that Reagan would not have put Bush on his ticket in 1980 and thus he might never have become a VP? And if he hadn’t, he would likely not ever have been nominated and elected president.
So, finally, here’s my biggest What If—if there was no Bush 41, would there ever have been a Bush 43??
These kinds of thoughts can make one crazy so it’s back to the beach for me.
But last night, at the sushi bar at Yama’s Restaurant in Delray Beach (not bad at all), we sat next to a distinguished gentleman of 75 who, it turns out was a very high-level official in the Republican Party and then in Congress, back in the days of, yes, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bush 41. I think he would prefer for me not to tell you more than that about him. Because of what he told us.
He talked, Ancient Mariner style, for well over an hour, anguishing about the demise of moderation in the GOP, Bush’s mistakes and “incompetence,” and his distress about the Evangelical Right taking control of his party.
But then he also told us some behind-closed doors stories about Nixon and Ford, timely ones considering the events of the week. Of possible historical interest he spoke about newly-sworn-in President Ford’s efforts to select a vice president. (See linked NY Times article on the subject.) He set up a small advisory group headed by the Pennsylvania governor Bill Scranton. George H. W. Bush was eager to be named VP and had his surrogates make a full force effort to get the Scranton group to recommend him. Up until the last minute it very much looked as if this campaign would succeed.
Our dinner companion was eager to see Nelson Rockefeller selected; and since the Bush team was misrepresenting the sentiments of much of the Republican leadership—telling Scranton that the vast majority supported Bush—from his position as a party leader he knew this was not true. And so he forced his way into the center of the process, arranging an off-the-record meeting with Scranton to tell him what in fact was going on. The night before Scranton was to pass along his views to President Ford.
Scranton, the record shows, changed his mind over night and recommended Rockefeller to Ford. Ford selected him, and our new friend was hated by the Bush family ever since.
But what if he had failed and Bush had become Ford’s vice president? It is likely that he would have been on the Ford ticket for the election in 1976 and would have joined Ford in defeat. Might this have meant that Reagan would not have put Bush on his ticket in 1980 and thus he might never have become a VP? And if he hadn’t, he would likely not ever have been nominated and elected president.
So, finally, here’s my biggest What If—if there was no Bush 41, would there ever have been a Bush 43??
These kinds of thoughts can make one crazy so it’s back to the beach for me.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
11:59 AM
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