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

[Sergeant Foley]

US State/Territory Governorships Composition (Part XVII)
Monday, 16 June 1987

*WASHINGTON
William Booth Gardner
In office: 16 January 1985
First elected: 1984

*WEST VIRGINIA
Arch Arnold Moore, Jr.,
In office: 14 January 1985
Previously served: 13 January 1969 to 17 January 1977
First elected: 1968; Reelected in 1972 and again in 1984

*WISCONSIN
Tommy George Thompson
In office: 5 January 1987
First elected: 1986

*WYOMING
Edgar Jacob Herschler
In office: 6 January 1975
First elected: 1974; Reelected in 1978, 1982 and again in 1986
​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

......"Hellraiser is one of the most intriguing Sci-Fi thrillers which has the potential of becoming a long trilogy series of multiple movie thrillers in the coming years. For those with weak stomachs and fears of gory and gruesome stuff, please DO NOT WATCH......"
-The Arizona Republic Entertainment Special

 

[Sergeant Foley]

COMING SOON IN CHAPTER 24 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Personal PoV's for more Sci-Fi movies

​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

The Dictator's Reelection Campaign
​

Saudi Arabian President General Jamal Al-Fayheed had cut a curious figure in Saudi politics when he led a successful military coup d'etat against the Saudi Royal Family in the 1980 Revolution, which resulted in the abolishment of the Monarchy and the installation of the Federal Arabian Republic (which Al-Fayheed implemented himself personally). By skillfully and ruthlessly ousting the Monarchy from power and becoming the oil-rich Middle Eastern country's 1st President, Al-Fayheed also enforced nationwide Martial Law which eliminated majority of references of the deposed Monarchs, even mentioning their names was illegal (although he exempted several female Saudi Royals) as part of the controversial National Reorganization Process, which he ordered the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces (SAAF) aggressively enforce by wiping out all forms of opposition, even targeting extreme clerics and their supporters, all of whom were killed during Operation Zuleyka back in the Summer of 1981.

The mysterious death of deposed Crown Prince Bassam in the Fall of 1981 didn't help matters, when it was slowly revealed that the Crown Prince was plotting to depose Al-Fayheed in an attempt to reinstate the Monarchy, which resulted in his mysterious death (although the details remain unknown to this day).

Al-Fayheed then worked aggressively to push for hardcore conservative economic policies, which resulted in the economy booming all across Saudi Arabia despite his aggressive authoritarian dictatorship. While not a fan of the 1979 Camp David Peace Accords between Israel and Egypt, Al-Fayheed began secret diplomatic negotiations with Israel, albeit in slow, methodical precisions on an eventual establishment of diplomatic relations between the Federal Arabian Republic and the State of Israel, but these efforts were super top secret of course, because Al-Fayheed had to bend to the knee of the extreme political bases at some points, while at the same time, secretly sending his son, Medhi to other countries in attracting diplomatic and economic support.

Elected to his first full six-year term in 1982 in what would become the first of many, many six-year terms as President, Al-Fayheed installed several family members to several key positions inside the government. The controversial Operation Zuleyka was still ongoing, all the while, Al-Fayheed led Saudi Arabia during the chaotic Economic Recession of 1982 and even oversaw the 1982 Conflict between Israel and Lebanon; He was also staunchly pro-American, pro-Western and staunchly in favor of maintaining the "Status Quo" in terms of balancing diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China, the Commonwealth of Hong Kong and the Taiwanese Republic (Al-Fayheed secretly maintained diplomatic relations with both Hong Kong and Taiwan, which remain strongly ironclad to this day), he also forged close personal relationships with several foreign Heads of State and Heads of Government: US Presidents Linwood Holton (1979-1981); Ronald Reagan (1981-1983); George HW Bush (1983-1993); British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Geoffrey Howe; French President Francois Mitterrand; West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl; Canadian Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney; Mexican President General Oscar Robles (during the last six years of Robles' 13 years in power as President of Mexico); Chilean President Captain General Augusto Pinochet; Haitian Presidents Jean-Claude Duvalier and Lieutenant General Henry Namphy; Jamaican Prime Ministers Edward Seaga and Michael Manley; King Charles III of the United Kingdom; King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden; Philippine Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., Imelda Romualdez Marcos and Corazon Cojuangco Aquino; Republic of Korea President Chun Doo-hwan and many countless others.

Despite countless accomplishments on economic policy and foreign policy, Al-Fayheed also faced some factional rivalries within the dictatorship as other small broad opposition parties protecting against the extreme Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ihab Rashid, who was instigating anti-government protests against the Al-Fayheed administration, which were aggressively put down by violent force by the Saudi Arabian Army's 783rd Squadron Battalion that resulted in Rashid's violent death.

Gearing up for the 1988 reelection campaign (which was almost a full-scale guarantee of victory), Al-Fayheed boasted his accomplishments since becoming the country's 1st President by highlighting zero-based budgeting techniques in tackling budget deficits, reorganizing the independent foreign policy initiatives by balancing Non-Aligned countries and Western countries; pursuing "middle ground" in Middle Eastern sovereignty in terms of self-reliant military defense and military spending in building up the Saudi Arabian Armed Forces into the next generation and the like.

He also had a very large, and I do mean, large family consisting of 22 children (five sons and seventeen daughters) from three different women: his first wife, Sabdhila (also his first cousin) was the First Lady of the Federal Arabian Republic; Second wife, Moza Al-Fayheed (plus his second cousin) was also served as First Lady and accompanied both Jamal and Sabdhila in several foreign State Visits; Third wife, Noora Hathal Al-Fayheed, preferred living in deep secret privacy at the Presidential Palace and it's known that Noora engaged in secret lesbian rendezvous escapades with female Palace maids.

Knowing he was going to emerge victorious without any opposition in 1988, Al-Fayheed geared up in building more of his foreign policy portfolio as President and leading the oil-rich Middle Eastern country into the tailend of the 1980s.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

The Bush Administration
Friday, 20 June 1987

President: George Herbert Walker Bush (R-TX)
Vice President: Howard Baker (R-TN)
Secretary of State: George P. Shultz (R-CA)
Attorney General: Dick Thornburgh (R-PA)
Secretary of Defense: Frank Carlucci (R-VA)
Secretary of the Treasury: James A. Baker, III (R-TX)
Secretary of Commerce: Malcolm Baldrige, Jr., (R-CT)
Secretary of the Interior: Donald P. Hodel (R-OR)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Samuel Pierce (R-NY State)
Secretary of Education: William Bennett (R-NC)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Otis Bowen (R-IN)
Secretary of Agriculture: Richard Lyng (R-CA)
Secretary of Energy: John S. Herrington (R-CA)
Secretary of Labor: Bill Brock (R-TN)
Secretary of Transportation: Elizabeth Dole (R-KS)
United Nations Ambassador: Anne Armstrong (R-TX)
White House Chief of Staff: Donald Regan (R-NY State)
National Security Advisor: US Army Lieutenant General Colin Powell (I-VA)
​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: NATIONAL INQUIRER EXPOSES PLAGARISM AND COPYING SPEECHES OFF OF BRITISH POLITICIANS.
*United States Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) facing pressure to abandon campaign for the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination.
*The Informer reveals damning information of how Senator Biden used the speeches and quotes for his own benefit.
*Biden unavailable for comments in light of the backlash.

*Saturday, 21 June 1987: United States Senator Joe Biden (D-DE)'s campaign for the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination took a massive severe hit when the National Inquirer and The Informer both revealed that the First State's Junior Democratic United States Senator had been using the speeches and quotes off of several British politicians and used them for his own campaign speeches and debate preparations on the campaign trail. Anonymous sources have suggested this has been going on for several months. In light of the explosive allegations, there is pressure on Senator Biden to abandon his presidential campaign, which Biden has stubbornly refused to do and accused those of calling on him to drop out, "Part of a sinister conspiracy to undermine my campaign and the American people's voice."

Among those who are calling on Biden to drop out: United States Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV); Albert Gore, Jr., (D-TN); Paul Simon (D-IL); Gary Hart (D-CO); US Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO 03rd); Reverend Jesse Jackson and Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. It remains to be seen whether Biden will remain in the race or not, but the oddsmakers suggest Biden will eventually have to step aside for the good of the party and the country.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERTS: UNITED STATES SENATOR JOE BIDEN (D-DE) SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN FOR THE 1988 DEMOCRATIC PARTY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

​

*Tuesday, 24 June 1987: Days after the bombshell revelation of plagiarizing campaign speeches from British politicians and using them as his own, the inner circle of three-term United States Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) were giving hints that the inevitable was coming. Senator Biden appeared before the cameras and announced he was withdrawing from the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination battle effective immediately, but didn't endorse anyone. He cited reasons for his own mistakes during the campaign trail, plus his responsibility to serving as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Following the announcement, Senator Biden didn't take any questions and left the room with his wife, Jill. However, his advisors: John Martilla and Valerie Biden-Owens answered reporters' questions.

Biden's withdrawal ends three months of a campaign that was hailed with such hype and promise, but floundered downward especially once allegations of plagiarizing were revealed by the National Inquirer and The Informer. Sources indicate Biden will be seeking reelection to fourth term in 1990 as United States Senator and continue serving as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Meanwhile in Latin America
Tuesday, 24 June 1987
​

While the United States was in the midst of the upcoming 1988 Presidential election campaign, Latin America found itself undergoing geopolitical divisions and somewhat strife. In Colombia, the authoritarian military dictatorship of Colombian President General William Najera tigtened his grip on power following the bloodthirsty military coup of 1984 which overthrew then-Colombian President Lieutenant General Seymour Quintero (who died in exile in Denmark in 1986), using nationalist fervor to justify the controversial Operation Cleansing and the sadistic and heinous Colombian Dirty War against political opponents including critics of the Najera dictatorship: journalists, reporters, celebrities, sports athletes and the like. Najera's actions drew international condemnation as reports of massive human rights violations surfaced, while domestically, Colombia's economy plunged by labor strikes, hyperinflation and foreign debt crises.

Venezuela violently escalated their deadly invasion of Guyana in the Essequibo Region Civil War. In the wake of the ongoing conflict, future US President Donald John Trump, who was US Special Envoy of the Americas during this time, called for negotiated settlement between Venezuela and Guyana, where Trump demanded the Guyanese give up territorial claims that the Guyanese government claimed was theirs, much to the anger of Guyanese President Desmond Hoyte, who called the negotiated settlement "an utter humiliation of Guyanese sovereignty" and called out Trump to his face that this so-called diplomatic plan was an utter joke. Trump refused to budge, it was accepting the diplomatic settlement or in what Trump's alleged comments to Venezuelan President Jaime Lusinchi, "do whatever the Fuck you want to Guyana".

In the wake of the recent and ongoing conflict, Venezuela and Guyana entered into complex and cautious discussions about the possibility of some diplomatic arrangement of the Essequibo Region. The negotiations were delicate, as both sides sought to asserting their sovereignty while avoiding an already deadly conflict with military escalations. Guyanese diplomats, aware and wary of domestic political backlash at home, proposed a framework that allowed for joint administration and economic cooperation, suggesting shared governance of the Essequibo Region while maintaining Guyana's right to territorial claims of the lands stolen by the Venezuelans.

Venezuelan officials, on the other hand, pushed for greater roles in the Region's administration, emphasizing Venezuela's historical claims and the need for a resolution that acknowledged their national pride. The talks were also fraught with lots of mistrust, with both governments keenly aware of the political risks back home.

Despite these obstacles, both parties had been exploring ways and alternative areas of compromise, such as joint resource management and gradual transition to co-administration, recognizing that a cooperative approach could be the key of peaceful and mutually beneficial future for the Essequibo Region.

Meanwhile over in Chile, Chilean President Captain General Augusto Pinochet maintained his authoritarian rule of course, but continued pursuing neoliberal economic reforms and continued attracting foreign investments.

Over in Central America, the United States escalated its involvement in Costa Rica, where the authoritarian dictatorship of Costa Rican President George Kjaer escalated its more sinister and deadlier crackdown against dissidents even further by pursuing their version of the Dirty War which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of dissidents and the forced exile of countless thousands. The Bush administration, ignoring congressional investigations of the Contra Scandals, continued increasing support for the Contras in Nicaragua, which aimed to overthrow the socialist dictatorship of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, which drew stronger backlash at home including somewhat abroad.

Inside El Salvador, the US-backed government forces upped the ante against leftist guerillas which resulted in one of the most violent civil wars in history, which polarized Latin American politics.

Mexico wasn't spared either. The country was facing economic challenges as Mexican President General Guillermo Quiroga began implementing budgeting austerity measures in order to stabilize the Mexican economy amidst declining oil prices as well as rising foreign debt. Quiroga's efforts in reforming the economy included the following: severely reducing domestic spending programs and public spending; opening up to foreign investment, which alienated segments of the populace and widespread protests, which were violently put down by the Mexican Armed Forces.

The economic downturn of 1987 created an environment in which drug cartels began expanding their operations, exploiting the weakened Quiroga government and laying the groundwork for the violent drug conflicts which would escalate in the coming decades, even spilling into the United States and other parts of the world.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

The Shocking News
Saturday, 28 June 1987

Aftermath of the deadly plane crash, which killed Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and 62 others.
​

As the Senate Contra Investigation Committee hearings continued playing out in Washington, DC, with massive bombshells being dropped by Oliver North, who confirmed that President Bush ordered the use of elaborate secret taping systems to record most of his phone calls. The existence of the Bush Tapes was a game changer, resulting in many congressional Democrats arguing that the Bush administration knew more about the secret illegal aid of military weapons and other avenues of equipment to the Contras in their fight to overthrow the socialist government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Facing growing pressure and increasingly wary of the massive political blowback against him, Bush showed up before the Senate Contra Investigation Committee announced and testified under oath on live national television for hours, the President strongly defended his administration's actions in Central America. He also doubled-down and refused to apologize, saying the American people's business needs to be focused on right now.

While President Bush overcame the blowback of the Contra Scandal (which tanked his approval ratings during the tail-end of 1986 and continued until the early part of Summer 1987), the country's focus was obviously on the battle for the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination, where the list of contenders for the nomination continued working the campaign circuit in the Swing States and Battleground States as well: those, who weren't contenders for 1988, were being lobbied for endorsements.

Facing federal indictments for tax fraud and bribery, Claude Quartermaine, one of the key figures in the solicitation of campaign donations to statewide funding to hospitals in Louisiana, admits to US Attorney General Richard Thornburgh that he personally funneled and delivered money to outgoing three-term Louisiana Governor Edwin Washington Edwards between 1975 and 1976, the last payoff taken during the Governor's 1975 reelection campaign. Edwards angrily denied the allegations and protested that Quartermaine's claims were the invention of the Bush US Justice Department and called out Thornburgh for his determination of destroying his political career. The Washington Post meanwhile released a bombshell expose which detailed allegations of political influence of state prison wardens in Massachusetts and alleged blatant intimidation of whistleblowers at the behest of several key administration officials working for three-term Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, who strongly blasted the Washington Post expose as nothing more than a political hit-job and pointed the finger at President Bush's reelection campaign associates and the President too.

On Thursday, 26 June 1987: there was a secretive summit of heavy political insiders of Democratic officeholders, which quietly unfolded at the Georgia Governor's Mansion in Buckhead, Georgia: hosted by Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. Carter spoke with several of the Democratic presidential candidates by phone and some in face-to-face interactions but wouldn't comment one way or another on who he would endorse for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1988. There was even speculation that Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton would launch a surprise late entry into the 1988 Presidential campaign, but it was just speculation. Gleefully watching the chaos engulfing Dukakis were United States Senators Gary Hart (D-CO) and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), where Rockefeller's campaign began to slowly pick up momentum as news of the Prison Furlough Scandal exploded inside the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For his part, Governor Dukakis badly needed to turn things around and decided to fly back to Boston and hold a press conference inside the conference room of the Statehouse Building.

He would NOT make it at all.

On the early morning hours of Saturday, 28 June 1987: the gubernatorial aircraft carrying Governor Dukakis and several campaign staff advisers, crashed violently into a seawall and exploded into a massive, huge ball of fire upon impact, killing all onboard. The death of Governor Dukakis resulted in the ascension of Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy to be sworn into office as the Commonwealth's 68th Governor and it put the battle for the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination dead on its tracks hard.

Within hours of the deadly accident, political jockeying secretly began aggressively, and politically: the beneficiaries of the tragedy were the Hart and Rockefeller campaigns.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

......"from the moment news broke out on the fatal plane crash which killed Governor Dukakis, the momentum of the 1988 Democratic Party presidential nomination battle stalled and indirectly on a political aspect, benefitted two sitting United States Senators: Rockefeller of West Virginia and Hart of Colorado. Senators Gore and Simon saw their campaigns hitting brick walls and Gore's attacks on Dukakis' record on public safety and crime caused backlash amongst Dukakis allies, who blasted the Junior Senator from Tennessee for callous, cold-hearted attacks at a time like this.

Jackson's campaign was facing heavy scrutiny for allegations of having sex with women, who were working on his campaign. The pressure was immense from all sides and pressuring him to drop out of the race.

Watching the chaos was Congressman Gephardt of Missouri, who saw to it that as a Midwesterner, he would break out of the crowded logjam of candidates and break through on the campaign trail......"
-"The Democrats: Campaign '88 and the Ramifications"

 

[Sergeant Foley]

......"Bay Staters lined up the streets of Boston all the way towards the Statehouse to pay their respects to the late Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, whose flag-draped casket laid in repose inside the Rotunda of the Statehouse Building in downtown Boston, where an estimated 3,673+ people paid their respects over the past three days. Among those paying respects included former Governors Furcolo, Volpe, Peabody, Sargent, and King including Senators Kennedy and Kerry as well as Ambassador Brooke and Boston Mayor Raymond Flynn including countless other dignitaries.

The Bay State will forever remember the accomplishments and achievements of Governor Dukakis during his nearly nine years in office, we shall never forget him......"
WBZ-TV Boston Special Coverage: Governor Michael Dukakis Remembered
Tuesday, 1 July 1987

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Pop Culture (Part I)
​

While the world's attention throughout much of 1987 was focused on international events or crises; or in the case of the United States, domestic politics in terms of the 1988 Presidential election, there was obvious diversions (or distractions) for many people to enjoy; It began with Madonna's first film in "Who's That Girl", which became one of the biggest flops in the box office. There were high expectations for this film, considering five years earlier, her emergence on the music scene had coincided with Michael Jackson's release of the best-selling, giga-platinum album "Thriller". Despite the movie flop in "Who's That Girl", Madonna did however, enjoy amazing success during her first International Tour with the same name ironically, "Who's That Girl": which became an instant success.

In the Spring of 1987, Aretha Franklin officially became a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, becoming the first female who managed to get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which had just began one year earlier back in 1986. She had a stunning number of hit singles and more than 30 awards.

Speaking of Jackson: The self-proclaimed King of Pop followed up his successful "Thriller" album with another major hit, which was entitled "BAD", this became one of his singles as well as the title of the album plus the music video to boot, which as of this day, millions of people are watching his music videos and performances on YouTube.

Despite previously auditioning to become a recurring character in NBC's "The Cosby Show", Whitney Houston chose to pursue a singing career which included her debut single "I Wanna Dance With Somebody", which also included a music video, and this single became one of the most iconic songs of 1987 including the whole decade, which is still being enjoyed by music fans throughout the world.

U-2 came out with their famous single, "With or Without You": They also released their album, "The Joshua Tree".

Among those who debuted on the music scene: Guns N'Roses, whose debut album was named "Appetite for Destruction": some say this album all but jumpstarted their musical careers going forward.

COMING UP IN CHAPTER 23 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part II of Pop Culture.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Pop Culture (Part II)

*(Technology)
When it came to Technology during the late 1980s, many people wondered how this would change the world and it did, in many numerous different and beneficial ways, beginning with the usage of Cell Phones (though they did exist in the 1980s), but the cellphones of 1987 had resembled bricks more than the typical slim smartphones of the 21st Century. Back in 1987, these cellphones were also very, very expensive, both for purchasing and using them. The monthly service fee could be anywhere from $100 to $150, while the usage costs ranged around 50 cents.

*(Video Games)
The Nintendo video game, "Punch Out" was named for none other than controversial American wrestling boxer, Mike Tyson.

The SN 1987A Supernova became observable to the naked eyes of the public. This was the first time this has happened since 1604. In February 1987, lights from the exploding star reached Earth; The star was about 168,000 light-years away from Earth and located inside a dwarf galaxy, which was named the Large Magellanic Cloud.

COMING UP IN CHAPTER 23 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part III of Pop Culture.

​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Pop Culture (Part III)

*(Fashion)
Clothing for Men: 1987 was considered the Year of Fashion, especially for both men and women. First, for the guys: Men's fashion consisted of the ubiquitous denim jacket, suspender pants, tassel loafers, and a crew neck sweater.

Clothing for Women: When it came to Women's Fashion: Baggy dresses were still in (as was the intriguing different dress attire tastes of Saudi Arabian First Lady Moza Al-Fayheed), as well as the peplum dress and long shirts with leggins. The blouse and skirt combinations were quite practical and comfortable choices.

The Short Skirts for Women: One of the biggest changes of the fashion scene was the reappearances of the short skirts during the height of the 1980s. Before this, fashion designers usually went with any typical skirt length for their designs. By the 1970s, the fashion collections would be updated or changed up a little bit and showed everyone in the world that most designers had opted for short hemlines. These would include the following: baring of the knees and going up the middle of the thighs at times; With these trends and developments, many women turned up their hemlines or waistbands to follow the latest trends in the fashion scene.
​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Pop Culture (Part IV)

*(Television):
"The Simpson's" debut on the Television Scenes: Having appeared in the "Tracey Ulman Show" in a series of shorts, the Simpson's were in a total of 48 shorts overall before they ultimately got their own television series in 1989 on Fox Television and as of this day, they're still on Fox with so many Seasons and hundreds of episodes that are way too many to count. Ironically, the same characters, who were being voiced by actors on Ulman's television show, would continue their respective parts when "The Simpson's" became a full-fledged television series.

*"Full House": 1987 was also the year of another television series debut: "Full House", which was set in San Francisco, California. However, the television show was actually filmed on location in Burbank, California. The series propelled the careers of many such as Candace Cameron-Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Mary-Kat and Ashley Olsen.

COMING UP IN CHAPTER 23 OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC: Part V of Pop Culture.​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Pop Culture (Part V)

*(Sports):

Boxing: Michael "Mike" Tyson at the age of 21, ran a career-record of (32-0) and he also unified the Heavyweight Crown in 1987, a feat which hadn't been accomplished since 1978.

NBA: At the age of 24, Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls began making waves on the basketball court, when he scored 37.1 points on average for each game. This was considered one of the highest averages in the NBA since 1962; Jordan would lead the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and again in 1998 before retiring, with a (6-0) record in the NBA Finals.

Auto racing: Al Unser, Sr., made history as the oldest person to win the Indianapolis 500 at the age of 48 and was tied with previous record of four victories.

Judo: Mike Swain at the age of 27, won the Gold medal for Judo at the 1987 Pan American Games. This was a historic win for Swain, especially as this was the very first time that an American male won this particular medal; Swain competed in the 156-pound division.

Archery: Also competing during the 1987 Pan American Games was 14-year-old Denise Parker, who won the Gold medal for Archery; she was the youngest-ever gold medalist for any sport of the Pan American Games and was also the winner of the US Junior Championship.


​

 

[Sergeant Foley]

Silence on the 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries since Dukakis' death
​

Other than shocking bombshell news of the fatal plane crash that killed three-term Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, there were no serious news on the 1988 Democratic Party presidential primaries had broke since the stunning events of 28 June 1987. An observer for the Chicago Sun Times summarized: "Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis' death has somehow derailed the entire primary contest for over a month." However, a bunch of Democratic hopefuls are soon expected to make decisions on their campaigns very soon. The polling has been erratic lately, as United States Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) has maintained his lead in the polling surveys, which makes him the frontrunner for the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 1988. However, supporters of United States Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) strongly dispute those polling numbers, suggesting that they have been gaining ground with Dukakis supporters and speculation is brewing about the Bay State's two Democratic United States Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and John Kerry (D-MA), both of whom confirm they will announce respective endorsements sometime around the Spring.

30 June 1987 (Gallup Polling Survey)
President George HW Bush Job Approval
Approve: 54%
Disapprove: 41%

COMING UP IN CHAPTER 23: Lots of Personal PoV's: National and Internatinal Headlines (Summer 1987)

 

[Sergeant Foley]

......"nobody still didn't know where the former Governor of the State of Mexico, Colonel Oscar Robles, Jr., was in the aftermath of Operation Liberacion that resulted in the ouster of his father, then-Mexican President General Oscar Robles (who fled to Spain with his entire family). The question had been the talk of the town in the fallout of 17 May 1986 and the federal law enforcement authorities were searching for the former State Governor with explicit orders to capture and arrest Robles, Jr., and extradition to face trials for crimes against humanity and the like.......

Speculation had swirled that Robles, Jr., and his wife, Mariana fled to Belgium or somewhere in the Asian Pacific. Since Bush declined to welcome Robles, Jr., and his wife to the United States due to lobbying pressure from Mexican President General Guillermo Quiroga, the erratic State Governor and First Lady were rumored to have fled to Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba or even Suriname. Nobody knew where they were. It was quite the mystery because not even the usual countries of interests knew where they were. It was like they disappeared like ghosts......"
-General Alejandro Galvan
Mexican Army
Commander-in-Chief of the Mexican Army

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: UNITED STATES SENATOR LAWTON CHILES (D-FL) NOT SEEKING REELECTION TO FOURTH SIX-YEAR TERM IN 1988

​

*Three-term Democratic United States Senator is said to have been reportedly "burned out" with his job and frustration with Capitol Hill.
*Chiles cites frustration with the slow pace of the United States Senate including health concerns.
*Intends to retire from politics altogether.

*Tuesday, 1 July 1987: Inside the Sunshine State, huge news with major political ramifications. Three-term United States Senator Lawton Mainor Chiles (D-FL) announced he wasn't going to be seeking reelection to a fourth six-year term in the United States Senate in 1988 after 18 years in office. Chiles said that slow-pace of the United States Senate as well as the difficulty of getting things or legislation passed were determining factors in the decision of not running again; The Tallahassee Democrat reported that Senator Chiles plans on leaving politics altogether after his third term expires on 3 January 1989. Florida Democrats lobbied former Florida Governor Reubin Askew to consider running for the United States Senate, as polling surveys suggest he would easily cruise to victory in both the primary and general elections, but Askew declined citing the dislike of fundraising and raising money for campaigns. No word on who will emerge in the battle to replace Senator Chiles, but both Democrats and Republicans will be converging into Florida to spend lots of money on the open Senate race next year.

Speculation is slowly brewing that Chiles might be rumored as a potential contender for the Florida Governor's Mansion in 1990 when Florida Governor Bob Martinez will be up for reelection in three years, setting up a clash.

 

[Sergeant Foley]

BREAKING NEWS ALERT: FORMER VIRGINIA GOVERNOR CHUCK ROBB LAUNCHING CAMPAIGN FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR IN 1988

​

*News comes just days following the retirement announcement of United States Senator Paul Trible (R-VA), who announced he wasn't going to be seeking political office.
*Senate Democratic Campaign Committee get major recruiting coup: Robb polling 25-37 percentage points ahead of potential Republican opponents in 1988 Virginia US Senate election head-to-head match-ups.

*Wednesday, 2 July 1987: Just seven days after United States Senator Paul Trible (R-VA) announced he wasn't going to be seeking reelection in 1988 and leaving politics altogether, former Virginia Governor Charles Spittal "Chuck" Robb announced his campaign for the United States Senate. Considered a Moderate-to-Conservative Democrat from a Southern State that has been staunchly Republican in recent years, Robb was rated as one of the most successful Governors in the Commonwealth's history: balancing the state budget without raising any taxes; dedicating additional $1 billion for education; became the first Virginia Governor in 25 years to enforce capital punishment and appointed record numbers of women and minorities to state positions.

He also was responsible for the creation of Super Tuesday in presidential primaries, which brought political power and influence in Southern States like Virginia and was among one of the co-founders of the Democratic Leadership Council. Robb previously served as Virginia's 33rd Lieutenant Governor from 14 January 1978 to 16 January 1982, where in 1977, he was the only Democrat to win statewide office that year before leading the Democratic sweep of all of the statewide offices during his successful 1981 campaign for the Governorship, taking office as the Commonwealth's 64th Governor from 16 January 1982 to 18 January 1986. Robb was prohibited from succeeding himself because of the one-term rule for Virginia Governors.

He's also the son-in-law of the late US President Lyndon Baines Johnson and former US First Lady Lady Bird Johnson. He is married to Lynda Johnson Robb since 1967 and are the parents of three daughters. Robb also served in the United States Marine Corps from 1961 to 1970 during the Vietnam War with the rank of Major.