The Comeback Gentleman

[DKrol]

Chapter XXII: Business as Usual?

By the time Nixon returned to the Oval Office, Saddam Hussein had led Iraq through an 8 year war with Iran

Shortly after his third inaugural ceremony was held, Nixon announced sweeping reforms to the administration he had inherited. Donald Rumsfeld, former National Security Adviser, was named the new Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary, took over as Secretary of State, and Clarence Thomas, the Deputy Director of the FBI, assumed office as Attorney General. Secretary of State George HW Bush was Nixon’s choice to fill the Vice Presidential vacancy created by his own ascension. The only top-level carry over from the brief Kennedy Administration was Secretary of Health and Human Services, James Watkins, a career Naval officer whom Nixon had a personal affinity for. In early 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan announced his retirement. Nixon filled the vacancy with Laurence Silberman of the D.C. Court of Appeals. With Silberman’s confirmation in June, 1990, Nixon had appointed five of the nine sitting Supreme Court Justices, with vacancies expected in the term from Harry Blackmun, Lewis Powell, and Thurgood Marshall all being pegged for resignation or death.

Many Democrats argued that Nixon did not have a mandate to lead the country and should assume a caretaker role. Those Democrats clearly didn’t know Richard Milhous Nixon. In July 1989, just months after becoming President again, Nixon gave a speech at the United Nations General Assembly attacking Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein for “repeated aggressions against his neighbors, his own citizens, and the international community.” Secretary Cheney presented a report to the Security Council showing preparations were “in serious final stages” for an Iraqi land invasion of Kuwait, over long-held disputes of sovereignty and more recent disputes of Kuwaiti oil production levels. While Hussein and his Jordanian ally, Prime Minister Zaid ibn Shaker, dismissed Nixon as a “warmonger from decades past”, the White House continued an aggressive media push to secure public support for potential military operations in Iraq.

In early October, 1989, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld announced that 150 “senior American officers” were being deployed to Kuwait to “provide strategic assistance to the local forces.” One commentator, Charles Krauthammer, pointed out what he considered to be eerie similarities to the build up to the Vietnam War, but Krauthammer was largely dismissed by his contemporaries as unneededly weary. In the early days of 1990, it looked as if conflict would be avoidable, as Iraqi and Kuwaiti authorities entered negotiations in Sweden, under Cheney’s leadership, to deal with Iraq’s loss of revenue from Kuwait’s drilling of the Rumaila oil field. After four weeks, the talks broke down after the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on how much revenue Iraq had lost directly because of Kuwaiti actions.

Tensions with Iraq were ratcheted up when a French report was published in March 1990 that estimated more than 150,000 Iraqi citizens had been killed by Hussein’s personal police force since he assumed power in 1979. Nixon, speaking at the June 1990 G7 Summit in Houston, pledged to “advance the global cause of humanitarian concern” with or without the support of the international community. Coming out of the G7, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her Canadian counterpart, Brian Mulroney, projected that they would stand with Nixon “if the moment demands it” in military action. Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti and French President Francois Mitterrand strongly condemned Nixon’s harsh words and argued that “posturing for war only leads to war.” Nixon, Thatcher, and Mulroney pressed ahead with preparations for a “strategic defensive operation” in Kuwait through 1990. The number of American troops in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, a strategic staging point, had more than tripled by October 1990.

Nixon’s trips to the United Kingdom were top tabloid material

While Nixon was leading an intense and complex effort to deal with Iraq, his press secretary, Marlin Fitzwater, was leading an equally intense and complex effort to stem the flow of unsavory tabloid articles about the President. The Sun broke a story in August 1989 that Nixon’s frequent trips to the United Kingdom were inspired by a salatious mistress. Fitzwater immediately dismissed that, arguing that Nixon had developed “a deep love and appreciation” for the British countryside. Later on, in November, The Sun had a follow-up story: they had identified the mistress. According to their insiders, it was not the Prince of Wales who had kindled his romance with Camilla Parker Bowles in 1988 as Princess Diana had feared - it was President Nixon!

Reports then poured in from across the globe of a “hot and heavy” love affair between Nixon, 75, and Parker Bowles, 43. The pair had been introduced by their mutual friend, Prince Charles, and Nixon was, according to reports, “immediately floored by Camilla’s handsome and earthly features.” In March of 1990, while Nixon was building a global coalition to address the problems in Iraq, it was revealed that Prince Charles had “acquiesced” when Nixon sought his support for the relationship. The rate of questions became so great that Fitzwater refused to respond to them on a daily basis, instead addressing all of them in a Fridays news dump. Yes, Fitzwater admitted, Nixon and Parker Bowles had engaged in sexual activity “beginning with their first meeting in 1988” that had continued “as recently as the President’s most recent visit” to the United Kingdom.

Nixon went a step further. At a reception for high school art students from Maryland in May 1990, he presented Parker Bowles as his date for the evening. Days later he confirmed that the two were engaged in “a long-term and meaningful relationship.” Parker Bowles began to pop up alongside the President at various events, receptions, and galas and made her first appearance in the Oval Office in a photograph released in June, 1990. On July 3, 1990, Fitzwater announced that Nixon had proposed marriage to Parker Bowles and she had accepted. A tentative date was set for November 1, 1990. That would come to be delayed until April, 1991 over the ongoing situation in Iraq. David Eisenhower served as Nixon’s best man, while Camilla’s sister Annabel was her Matron of Honor. Notable attendees at the Rose Garden ceremony were Prince Charles, Tricia Nixon, Elton John, and Sting.

[erſatz-york]

what the

[DKrol]

what the

Is this the moment I went too far?

[erſatz-york]

what the

Is this the moment I went too far?

No, it’s all fine and plausible, it just seems so strange. Strange, but plausible.

[DKrol]

This isn't dead, I promise. I've been swamped at work recently, so it's been tough to get in time for writing. I'm hoping to get the next installment up on Friday.

[erſatz-york]

Take as much time as you need.

[DKrol]

Chapter XXIII: War, What Is It Good For?

American troops were deployed under Nixon's command

On November 3, 1990, Iraqi forces launched a land invasion of neighboring Kuwait. That evening, President Nixon addressed the nation from the Oval Office and gave Saddam Hussein a 24-hour window to withdraw all forces from Kuwait. Any delay, Nixon promised, "would end only in pain, suffering, and disaster for the Iraqi people." Hussein did not blink at the threat and made a rapid move to capture key Kuwaiti oil fields and military installations.

At dawn on November 5, 1990, Nixon gave the command for the United States to launch a retaliatory invasion of Kuwait to expel the Iraqis. The operation began with a heavy aerial and sea-based bombing campaign to weaken the Iraqi air defense systems and their supply lines, with the majority of the campaign being undertaken by British and Canadian forces. After three weeks of intensive bombing, the first orders were given for ground troops to be deployed. Americans comprised the largest portion of the ground force, with a few groups of British special forces providing strategic support on the ground.

During the aerial campaign, Nixon and Rumsfeld proudly announced to the Cabinet and Congressional leaders that the war would be over within two months. Rumsfeld made the decision to end the aerial campaign early -  it had been originally scheduled to last for five weeks - because Rumsfeld believed great success had already been achieved and that "the Iraqis lack the moral convictions needed" for a ground campaign. As the first American troops advanced from their Saudi staging location into Kuwait, however, they were met with stiff resistance. Immediately, General Norman Schwarzkopf, the Commander of Operation Desert Eagle, sent communications back to Washington warning that their initial characterizations of the conflict were wrong. Most went unanswered.

Vice President Bush, Secretary of State Cheney, and UN Ambassador Colin Powell became major names in Operation Desert Eagle

As December 1990 turned to January 1991, the Administration's view of Operation Desert Eagle became bleaker - at least for everyone other than President Nixon. Vice President George Bush and Secretary of State Dick Cheney, who were in frequent contact with General Schwarzkopf, tried to get Nixon to tamp down his expectations for a quick and bloodless conflict. Already, it became clear that the Iraqis were not going to set down their weapons and throw up their hands when they saw the Americans approaching as Nixon and Rumsfeld had hoped they would. It also became clear that, outside of their role in the aerial campaign, the Anglo-Canadian forces were not going to play a critical role in Operation Desert Eagle, as both Thatcher and Mulroney believed they had fulfilled their obligations to their American allies.

Nixon dispatched Colin Powell, a great career military officer, to the United Nations as the new Ambassador in an effort to stir up global support for the operation. Powell was unable to generate support within the Security Council for a UN-backed mandate for the operation. He was also unable to find a wealth of new allies in the cause, returning from New York to Washington with only two new countries willing to lend their support - Poland and the Netherlands - neither of which could provide large-scale ground support.

In April 1991, American troops appeared set to declare a strategic victory in Kuwait. Most the country had been liberated from Iraqi control and the American troops were inching their way towards the Iraqi border. As General Schwartzkopf was inspecting the front lines on April 15, however, tragedy struck. A supply truck drove over a landmine that had been planted by the retreating Iraqis. The truck was carrying several thousand gallons of fuel oil, which immediately exploded into a sea of flames, setting of several chain reactions with ammunition storage and other flammable supplies. In total, 24 Americans and 3 Dutchmen were killed in the tragedy, with General Schwarzkopf suffering severe burns across his body and, unfortunately, passing away in the transport helicopter as he was being airlifted to a medical hospital in Saudi Arabia.

President Nixon declared a day of mourning for Schwarzkopf and the lost servicemembers and he and Secretary Rumsfeld met the General's casket when it was returned to Washington, D.C. These were just some of what would come to be many, many American lives lost in Kuwait and Iraq.

[erſatz-york]

ing Rummy.

[DKrol]

Chapter XXIV: The End of an Era

George H.W. Bush was the clear successor to Richard Nixon

While the war in Iraq and Kuwait was accelerating, things were doing well on the homefront. The economy was exploding in a way that hadn't been seen since the war-time boom of the Second World War. Largely centered around a boom in tech companies related to the mass introduction of the Internet, in January 1992 only 3.6% of American adults were unemployed, a twelve-year low. Consumer confidence was at an all-time high and the Dow Jones rapidly approached a record-breaking 3,500 points.

This was the background on which the 1992 election was fought. While Nixon was popular and probably could have won a second consecutive term had he been able to, the President's lawyers could not find a way around the wording of the Constitution. He also would have been 80 years old on Inauguration Day and rumors of his cancer were returning. So he did what was natural - he passed on the torch to his hand-picked successor: George H.W. Bush.

Bush had spent his life in Nixon's shadow. First as a Texas Congressman, then as Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of State, Senator, and Vice President. He was almost always ranked the second favorite Republican, nationally, save for the worst months of Watergate, behind Nixon. Bush announced his campaign for President on July 9, 1991. He had planned to announce in May but delayed it out of respect for the ongoing war and increasing American casualties. On September 11, at a rally in Detroit, Nixon threw his support behind Bush, effectively ending any chance of an Anyone But Bush movement from forming. Bush's only legitimate opponent for the nomination was New Hampshire Governor John H. Sununu, who had challenged President Dole in 1988. Sununu was six states in 1992 - New Hampshire, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Delaware - but still fell far short of anything representing a legitimate challenge to Bush.

The strong economy but raging war divided Democrats

The Democrats were not as cohesive in their primary selection as the Republicans, instead battling through a long and drawn out primary process. First to announce was Tennessee Senator Al Gore, who had been their choice for Vice President four years earlier. Gore was seen a cold-hearted and uncaring, announcing his run just weeks after his son was killed by a drunk driver. Challenging Gore were New York Governor Mario Cuomo and Texas State Treasurer-turned-University of Houston President Ann Richards.

Gore ran as the pre-ordained choice, mentioning his "great relationship" with the late President Ted Kennedy frequently. Cuomo trained his fire largely on Gore as "unfit and unprepared" to be President, arguing that Bush "and the Nixon machine" would steamroll Gore in the general election. Richards ran a far more narrow campaign, mainly spending time and money in the South, arguing that "It's time we gave a woman a chance to play with the boys." Richards grew a small but dedicated group of followers, but the main card event was Gore and Cuomo. The two were engaged in a long fight, splitting every other state.

Cuomo's victories in New York and California offset Gore's victories in Louisiana and Georgia and Cuomo emerged victorious by just over 100 delegates. At the convention, Cuomo chose Richards to be the first woman to appear on a major party ticket as the Vice Presidential nominee.. Bush chose his long-time rival, John H. Sununu, to be his running mate. Bush and Cuomo ran the general election along two different tracks. Bush lauded the booming economy as a reason to keep Republicans in power; Cuomo lambasted the Republicans war-mongering and destruction as a reason to sweep Democrats into power.

Bush/Sununu (308) v. Cuomo/Richards (230)

In the end, neither party secured a sweep. Bush won a convincing majority in the Electoral College while Democrats held the House and Republicans held the Senate. Hours before Inauguration Day, Nixon ratcheted up the war in Iraq and Kuwait as his final act as President. American troops, who had secured Kuwait during 1992 and were told to begin preparations to transfer control of Kuwait back to Kuwait, instead made a mad dash on Baghdad to topple Saddam Hussein. The final classified briefing Nixon received as President told announced the death of 413 Americans as a refueling plane was shot down as it was landing on a carrier ship in the Persian Gulf, which also took sank the ship, the USS Edward M. Kennedy.

The irony was not lost.

-----------------------------

So this is the final post of this TL, with the end of the third Nixon Administration. I may post an epilogue at some point but this is it from a main storyline perspective. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this, for commenting on it, and for putting up with my sporadic writing style which causes so many delays.

[Cold War Liberal]

Fantastic, really enjoyed reading.

If it's not too much of a hassle, could you do an epilogue doing a rough overview of politics and the presidency from 1993-2018 or 2021? I want to see how this impacts today's politics.

[Nyssus]

This was a great timeline! I greatly enjoyed reading your work.

[DKrol]

Fantastic, really enjoyed reading.

If it's not too much of a hassle, could you do an epilogue doing a rough overview of politics and the presidency from 1993-2018 or 2021? I want to see how this impacts today's politics.

Thank you.

I have ideas sketched out until 2027 that I considered writing into full-length posts but I couldn't justify making it part of the main story line. I'd be happy to release those notes, if people want them, but it may be a while before they're written up in an epilogue.

This was a great timeline! I greatly enjoyed reading your work.

Thank you.

[Cold War Liberal]

Fantastic, really enjoyed reading.

If it's not too much of a hassle, could you do an epilogue doing a rough overview of politics and the presidency from 1993-2018 or 2021? I want to see how this impacts today's politics.

Thank you.

I have ideas sketched out until 2027 that I considered writing into full-length posts but I couldn't justify making it part of the main story line. I'd be happy to release those notes, if people want them, but it may be a while before they're written up in an epilogue.

Please do, but take your time.

[Former Crackhead Mike Lindell]

Fantastic timeline! Loved it!

[DKrol]

Here are the remainder of my generic plot points:

Prince Charles marries Tricia Nixon ~1993

Charles and Tricia have a son, Richard ~1995

US economy crashes in housing collapse

Deaths in Iraq skyrocket because of mismanagement by Bush

Bush loses to Bill Clinton in 1996

Nixon dies in 1999

Clinton is re-elected in 2000 on promise to end the War in Iraq

Clinton doesn't end the war in Iraq as economy begins a recovery from housing crash

Prince William and Harry are killed in a ski accident in 2003

Dick Cheney is elected in 2004 by attacking Dick Gephardt over weak recovery

War in Iraq reescalates as US allies flee

Economy gets worse due to Cheney's rapid deregulations

John Kerry is elected in 2008 on promise to reign in banks, doesn't talk about Iraq

Kerry begins the process of Iraqization, turning Iraq back over to Hussein

Kerry is reelected in 2012

War in Iraq finally ends as US forces flee

Mark Warner is elected in 2016

A Warner-led inquiry uncovers the finals minutes of the Nixon tapes, when Nixon tells Halderman to “take care of it” and not bother him anymore.

Marco Rubio is elected in 2020 after campaigning as "the new Republican"

Rubio is reelected in 2024

Richard, son of Charles and Tricia becomes King in 2027, ending the story

[America Needs R'hllor]

This was absolutely fantastic! The 1993-2027 plot points you sketched are awesome, too. I'm also fond of all the irony, such as the Kennedy ship and Nixon endorsing Bush in 9\11, 1991

[Senator Cris]

Great work!

[Cold War Liberal]

This was absolutely fantastic! The 1993-2027 plot points you sketched are awesome, too. I'm also fond of all the irony, such as the Kennedy ship and Nixon endorsing Bush in 9\11, 1991

[DKrol]

Great work!

This was absolutely fantastic! The 1993-2027 plot points you sketched are awesome, too. I'm also fond of all the irony, such as the Kennedy ship and Nixon endorsing Bush in 9\11, 1991

This was absolutely fantastic! The 1993-2027 plot points you sketched are awesome, too. I'm also fond of all the irony, such as the Kennedy ship and Nixon endorsing Bush in 9\11, 1991

Thank you all!

I have a few ideas bouncing around in my mind that I may start putting to paper (or screen) in the coming days.

[DKrol]

To avoid making a new thread, I figured I'd use this to let you guys know what my ideas are for my next project.

The first is an alternate history where the Norse settlement in Canada succeeds and spreads south, and the Norse are the primary settlers of what is in OTL the United States. This would be a bigger, longer, slower project with great, far-reaching impacts.

The second is a re-do of my previous President Romney timeline from several years ago. It will be more fast past and take less time to write, as I've already spent a lot of time thinking about the impacts, but is also less exciting because it's something a lot of people have done.

The third is the next chapter of the Camelot Rises saga. This would focus on an...unsuspecting member of the Kennedy Clan making a fast break towards stardom - and power.

Any thoughts or feedback would be appreciated.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

I sure do love me some Kennedy TL's