Am I correct in remembering that there was a brief moment when George Bush (senior) and Bob Dole were linked? I have a clear but unsupported memory of a photo in Newsweek taken at a political convention, closeup on a sign that said “Bush/Dole”. A green topiary and a pineapple were helpfully drawn under the names. This might have been in 1988, but I can’t be sure.
Anyone?
Bush père and Dole never really got along, especially when Bush was President and Dole was Senate minority leader.
Might the photo be of a person hoping that Bush fils would select Elizabeth Dole to be his VP candidate during last year’s campaign? Once she dropped out of the running for President, there was a “Libby for Veep” movement among progressive Republicans.
In 1988 they were both running for the Republican nomination, and in 1980 they were both considered to be Reagan’s running mate (albeit Dole briefly).
I’d imagine it would be very briefly. Weren’t Reagan’s people trying to get him on the ticket as Veep in '76?
Actually, Reagan wasn’t the nominee in 76. I know Gerry Ford’s pretty forgettable so don’t feel too bad. Reagan almost beat him in 76 though. Dole was on the ticket in 1976 replacing Nelson Rockefeller as VP in a nod to the conservative wing (and fearing a Reagan third party run) and in a debate with Walter Mondale he said WWII and Vietnam were “Democrat Wars.” IMO, Ford would’ve done a lot better if he hadn’t said that, and he might’ve won if he knew about Poland because Carter had the political ability of meatloaf. If only Mo Udall had won the primaries… But I get ahead of myself. Basically Bush and Dole are tied in being pitted against eachother in the 88 primaries and in Bush’s 4 years as President. Much like the present Bush and Sen. Lott if I remember correctly.
I was reading something the other day that GW’s campaign people are pushing to get Liddy Dole to run for Jesse Helms oh so ever soon to be vacant senate seat. I just wonder if the N.C. republican base that elects Jurassic Jesse would support a moderate choice wife of the viagra poster boy.
Libby’s probably going to face conservative opposition in the primary, but after the Jeffords switch GOPers would do anything to get the Senate back, Dole is pretty much a lock in the general election, and she has shown a lot of interest in it. I bet she’ll win it, because Helms hasn’t been raising money like a candidate. Frankly I’d want her to win just to see her face off against Hillary.
Hm. Maybe what I saw was two signs, one supporting Bush and the other Dole (in 1988). That would be photographer bait: people with different candidates but the same gimmick.
(I was a cog in some CA elections. I do good lettering, but I can’t draw California; it looks like a sock.)
No, I know…like you said, there was talk of Reagan challenging Ford in the primaries, but that fizzled, and people started talking about him being Ford’s Veep, but Ford picked Dole. That’s why I suggested that there was bad blood between Reagan and Dole.