Underboss_3 said:
Former vice president Eisenhower? THIS I've gotta hear about!
Nothing too spectacular. In the episode "The Wedding," a reference was made to having the worst polling in Illinois since the Dems ran against Eisenhower. Given that, in the real world, Illinois went Republican tons of times since Dwight D. Eisenhower, I took the assumption that a future Eisenhower ran against the Democrats at some point since the 1980s. Placing him ("Franklin Eisenhower") as Bartlet's opponent in '98, and giving him the background of Lassiter's VP, seemed only fitting. Bartlet probably won Illinois then, but I don't doubt that he had a hard time with Speaker Hohner doing some stump speeches.
Marky Bunny said:
Tim, superb, loved the bit about Newman beating Lincoln's hight record......
It might worth reminding people of the timeline prior to the series, eg where Eisenhower fits in and Vice President Pierce etc!!!
I want to be vague enough (like the show was) so people can imagine their own PODs and what-have-you, but I just had to insert my list of living Presidents and Vice Presidents.
Tim Thomason said:
...Speakers included ...Senators Montgomery and Enlow of Illinois, and former Speaker of the House and Illinois Governor Jim Hohner.
George Montgomery and Jack Enlow were Senators seen within the series. "Jim Hohner" was mentioned very briefly as Walken's predecessor as Speaker. Since an Illinois Speaker was serving in the 107th Congress (2001-2002), I took all previous mentions (1999-2002) of the Speaker as being of Hohner, which means he was from Illinois (like Hastert) and had marital problems (like Gingrich).
Tim Thomason said:
Those attending included Vice President Baker; former Presidents Newman, Bartlet, and Walken; former Vice Presidents Pierce, Eisenhower, Hoynes, and Russell ... the family of late Illinois politician Leo McGarry; and ...
Baker, Newman, Bartlet, Walken, Hoynes, Russell, and McGarry are of course all seen in the series. Senator Roland Pierce was seen in an episode (as a Ted Kennedy-esque figure), and I took his stature and effect on others around him (who remember, deal with Senators and Congressmen all the time) and decided he was the perfect fit as Newman's VP. Nothing goes against it.
Tim Thomason said:
...Mallory O'Brien's speech about her father's efforts to begin the Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2004 were one of the more somber times...
This occurred during the "missing year." Unfortunately, McGarry was fighting in Vietnam during Andrew Jackson's bicentennial, so he had to settle with coordinating Lincoln's.
Tim Thomason said:
...Hohner ... was instrumental in the Republican takeover of Congress in 1996. He had previously served as the Governor of Illinois and was the Republican candidate for Vice President in 1986.
In 2006, it was stated that the Republicans had been in control of Congress for ten years. So I assume it was similar to the '94 takeover, with Hohner in a Gingrich-like role. I threw in Hohner as the '86 VP candidate a long time ago as a joke on that both he and the presidential candidate (Joseph Furman) would be the congressional leaders, and in the line of succession, some years later.
Tim Thomason said:
...[Hohner political biography]...
Mostly made-up. Chuck Webb was Sam Seaborn's opponent in his special election and a big-wig Republican congressman. Walken would later be Speaker and Joseph Bruno was one of the key Republican Committee Chairman.
Marky Bunny said:
Hope you like the the first 2007 posts. Can you guess where I am going in plot terms?
Well, having Fields run for Governor reminds of something from earlier upthread. The Qumar executions are an interesting development, considering who's involved in the 2010 election.
Marky Bunny said:
By the way I think Hohner's one day run for the Presidency would make it shortest presidential campaign in history!!!!
Probably. I'm a little interested in seeing who "steps up to the plate," and tries to run "in Hohner's place."