| October 25 |  |
Editor says, what if Ted Kennedy had lived? Please note that the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect the views of the author(s). This story was published in the September 2012 edition of Changing the Times Magazine.
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In 1994, on this day the first televised debate of the US Senate election in Massachusetts was held at Faneuil Hall in Boston.
UpstagedFive term Senator Ted Kennedy faced the biggest challenge of his long political career. In a dirty race which contrasted both ends of the political spectrum, his millionaire tycoon opponent, a venture capitalist called Mitt Romney fully exploited the issue of high unemployment. Most witheringly, he even suggested that Kennedy's high profile on the Hill had done absolutely nothing for the local economy apart from raise taxes and create pork. Romney claimed that ten thousand jobs were created because of his work at Bain, but private detectives hired by Kennedy found a factory bought by Bain Capital that had suffered a 350-worker strike after Bain had cut worker pay and benefits.
Although polls showed a close run race, Romney crashed to defeat 41-58 percent on election day. However he took some pride in forcing Kennedy to raise a mortage on his house in order to obtain the campaign fees necessary for victory.
Eighteen years later unemployment stood at an incredible ten percent, and this time Romney (who had been more or less campaigning since the nineties) was running against Barack Obama for the Presidency. But the decision to call upon Kennedy to introduce Obama, and create an association with the victory in Massachusetts, would backfire. Because former President Bill Clinton had hoped to give the introductory speech, and given Kennedy's failed run in 1980, felt that he could have created a more resonant association from the success of his own two term of office. Of course there had been some rivalry between Clinton and Obama, with the former appearing at times to be running a shadow Presidency through his private office.
Still the social liberal he was in 1994, Romney had been forced to quit the GOP to run as the Reform Party candidate for President in a three party system.
Entry posted by Alternate Historian Robbie Taylor
© Alternate Historian, 2004-.Story Tags
Permalinks: Post, Day. Browse Thread: Mlosh Source: Robbie Taylors Blog Labels: Mlosh, 1720, Robbie A. Taylor, Warp, Alien. Editor says, in reality Kennedy died of brain cancer on Tuesday, August 25, 2009, at his home in Hyannis Port. Thanks to Scott Palter for his contribution to the ending of this blog article.
~ As I recall, in "our" 1994 Massachusetts Senate race, Romney took an even worse beating. As for having Teddy instead of Bill Clinton introduce Obama at the Democratic convention, it's a nice idea, but I don't see where it would have made much of a difference.
~ With Romney shunted off to the Reformists, what lunatic is heading the GOP ticket?
~ As long as Ted lived that Senate seat was his. I don't know how he got on with the Clintons. And, as I've mentioned elsewhere, he'd always have "Chappaquiddick" tailing him around, even if he could always get elected in Chelm...I mean Massachussetts.
~ Romney leaves the GOP? As a registered Republican, that would make my day. Could he possibly take John McCain, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham, Rudi Guiliani and anyone with the last name of Bush with him? :-D
~ Like Eric O, I thought that Chappaquiddick would keep him from having a high profile in anyplace but Massachusetts. It dashed his hopes of becoming president...and probably would have stopped him from nominating Obama on nationwide TV.
~ In the immortal words of Arte Johnson, "Verrrrrrrrry interesting...."
~ People would definitely be up for a potent Reform Party these days. With an influx of Romney power, it might be a bigger deal.
~ Romney would have to be an idiot to run on a third-party ticket, given the way the requirement for an electoral-college majority all but mandates a two-party system.
Then again . . . !
© Today in Alternate History, 2013-. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
