1992 Republican Primaries | The Kennedy Dynasty
President Dick Van Dyke is four years into his term, and so far, his presidency has been underwhelming. Although he's managed to pass an unprecedented amount of bipartisan legislation domestically, his inability to push a coherent foreign policy agenda puts him in a precarious position in terms of re-election odds. The Republicans are in a good spot going into the 1992 election, as former President Mike Gravel has already launched a third-party bid against the Democratic incumbent. If the Green Party decides to challenge him as well, they could win the White House off of the resulting three-way split in the left-wing vote. But, choosing the right candidate is key. Dick Van Dyke is by no means an unpopular president, and he's one hell of a campaigner too. There's also the question of the party's future, as each candidate has their own vision for what direction they want the party to go in. After choosing two consecutive underwhelming nominees in 1984 and 1988, they desperately need a candidate with a strong vision who can bring the Republican Party out of the 1980s and in to the 21st century.
Representative James Baker of Texas
For the second election cycle in a row, George H.W. Bush has declined to run for the Republican presidential nomination. Last time, Bush lent the support of his political organization to an outsider, Senator Alan Simpson. Simpson's campaign was an unmitigated disaster. This year, a candidate much closer to Senator Bush has decided to run: Congressman James Baker of Texas's 7th Congressional District. Baker has served in the House for over two decades, in that time becoming a national leader on foreign policy. An outspoken hawk, Baker made several attempts to push a bill through Congress providing military support for Vladimir Putin's United People's Front. Ultimately, Congress decided to go in a different direction, supporting the Soviet Government in an attempt to maintain stability in Eastern Europe. Congressman Baker sharply criticized both Dick Van Dyke and the Democratic-lead House for this decision, and is promising to cut off military support for Communist countries if elected president. Baker also assumes a number of other strongly conservative political positions, including support for tax cuts and free trade, welfare reform and abortion restrictions. Baker has also sharply criticized Israel on the campaign trail, and, due to accusations of antisemitism, Jewish groups are protesting his campaign. Strong and organized opposition to Baker from Jewish organizations ultimately cost him the endorsement of George H.W. Bush, his political mentor. Bush endorsed a candidate who was initially underperforming Baker in national polling, Arizona Senator John McCain. Since McCain received Bush's endorsement, Baker's support has fallen while McCain's has risen. However, Baker's campaign has close ties to major donors. He'll be a tough candidate to beat as long as he can out-spend his opponents.
Governor of Illinois Jim Edgar
Jim Edgar is a young, media-savvy moderate who's had unprecedented success in one of the strongest Democratic states in the country. In 1986, Edgar won Illinois's Governorship in what was considered an enormous upset when he defeated two-term Senator, 1984 Presidential candidate, and incumbent Governor Adlai Stevenson III. His victory hinged on bipartisan appeal and a progressive energy policy that pushed for greater state investment in nuclear energy and renewables. He inherited a state economy on the edge of collapse when he assumed the Governorship, and in just five years, he's pulled the state out of debt by adopting business-friendly regulatory policies and reforming the state's pension system. He also helped pass a major education reform bill that turned around the state's struggling schools with bipartisan support. If elected president, he hopes to enact a major education reform initiative on a national scale. He's also promised to assume a tougher stance on fighting the climate crisis. Edgar is the most future-oriented candidate in the Republican field, and even if 1992 isn't his year, he's got a bright future in Republican politics as a standard-bearer of Kempist domestic policy.
Governor of New Jersey Tom Kean
Tom Kean is easily one of the most popular politicians in America right now. When he became Governor of New Jersey in 1985, the state was in economic crisis. But, by investing heavily in economic growth and tourism, Kean successfully turned New Jersey's economy around. Kean's politics is strongly influenced by Kempism. As part of his economic revitalization plan, he's empowered his state's urban poor. He's also appointed a record number of women and minorities to his Gubernatorial cabinet, including Christine Todd Whitman, who's becoming a Republican rising star. Kean is also incredibly popular for being a leader for the United States on a global stage. Few governors can match his foreign policy experience, as he's helped lead the movement to end Apartheid in South Africa and help Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia gain independence. Kean is the top moderate in this race and carries the endorsement of former president Kemp. Considering how unpopular Oliver North - his chief competition - is, he might have the best odds of any Republican to defeat Dick Van Dyke and win the presidency due to his national stature and cross-sectional support.
Senator Frank Keating of Oklahoma
Since the Republicans reclaimed the Senate in the 1990 midterms, Frank Keating has made quite a name for himself. As a visible member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the chairman of the Crime and Counterterrorism subcommittee, Keating has made national headlines for grilling witnesses in committee hearings and pushing tough-on-crime policies. He's made those tough-on-crime policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign, promising to enact sentencing reform which would impose harsher sanctions on criminal activity, strengthen counter-terrorism enforcement, especially for domestic terrorism, and pass pay raises for police officers nationwide. Although crime isn't any higher than it has been in previous years, his message still resonates with Americans who believe that criminal justice reform has been neglected in several consecutive presidencies, despite campaign promises to reform America's justice system. As you can probably guess by his focus on crime and policing, Keating is a strong conservative. Other policies he's proposing include tax cuts, welfare reform, and expanding school choice. He's also very hawkish on foreign policy, proposing an increase in military spending and calling Dick Van Dyke's intervention in favor of the Soviet Union misguided. He's got a solid resume, but as a weak campaigner, Keating may be overshadowed by stronger personalities in this race.
Senator John McCain of Arizona
John McCain, a Senator from Arizona, enters the 1992 Republican Presidential Primary as an underdog, but also as the most electable candidate the Party's conservative wing has to offer. He isn't seen as overly ideological, as James Baker and Oliver North are, and he's a far stronger campaigner than Frank Keating, which puts him in a good spot to consolidate momentum if he can sell the Republican electorate on his ideas. McCain is a decorated Vietnam War hero who has focused much of his campaign on restoring America's strength by increasing the defense budget. Importantly, he has done so without indicating whether he supported Dick Van Dyke's intervention in favor of the Soviet Union or not, avoiding the pitfall that cost a few of his opponents support from Americans just happy for the Cold War to be over. On domestic issues, McCain is a reliable conservative, who supports lower taxes, small government, free trade, free enterprise, and strong national defense. However, he has been known to vote against his own party occasionally, usually on social issues or to preserve the social safety net. His "maverick" image and avoidance of ideological rhetoric could win over skeptical moderates and help him capture the 1992 Republican presidential nomination. However, he'll have to try hard to not cause any controversy on the campaign trail, which he has done in the past due to his hot temper and the occasional ill-advised statement.
Governor of Virginia Oliver North
After Senator John Heinz died in a plane crash in April 1991, Oliver North, the 1988 Republican Primary runner-up and the recently-elected Governor of Virginia became this primary's front-runner. A lot of Republicans are unhappy with that, considering that North is brash, confrontational, and deeply polarizing. Running at the far right extreme of the Republican Party, North wants to reverse the 1990 tax cut, restore military funding to pre-1985 levels, and reduce the size of the federal government. On social issues, North is equally conservative, opposing gay rights and abortion and expressing strong support for the United People's Front, a rebel group associated with far-right elements that threatened the stability of the Soviet Union before the U.S. intervened. Oliver North has made that intervention, and his strong opposition to it, the centerpiece of his campaign. It really excites his base, but is it the winning message when most Americans are just happy to see decades of continuous war come to an end?
Senator Ron Paul of Texas
Ron Paul is ideologically very different from a typical Republican. He began his career in Congress as a member of the Libertarian Party, before he defected to the Republicans in exchange for their support in a wide-open Senate race. He was one of only a handful of Republicans to win an open seat in the Democratic landslide of 1984. His Libertarian roots are reflected in his political positions: he's a hardline fiscal conservative who proposes both massive tax cuts and a correspondingly massive reduction in the size of the federal government. He's also a civil libertarian who opposes federal restrictions on gun ownership, gay rights, and drug possession. His stance on abortion is a notable exception. Paul opposes abortion rights, citing his experience as an OBGYN as a major factor behind this stance. Paul, who is popular among anti-establishment voters in both parties, is attempting to court so-called "Gravel Republicans", voters who supported the former president's populist stances on drug decriminalization, ending national surveillance abuses, slashing the military budget, and low tax rates, but who opposed his expansion of the welfare state. The silent majority is still out there somewhere, and they could lead Ron Paul to victory in the 1992 Republican primaries.
Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge
Pennsylvanians have dominated the Republican Party on a national stage ever since the mid-1980s. Why? Their signature style of conservatism, blending pragmatic, pro-labor stances on economic issues with strong conservative stances on social issues has great appeal in an era when populist sentiment is high. Tom Ridge is no different. He has a strong relationship with labor unions and has fought to preserve the social safety net, while also focusing on passing tough-on-crime policies in his two years serving as Governor. Ridge is a strong opponent of gay rights, and while softer on abortion than either Bob Casey or Richard Schweiker, he still advocates for abortion restrictions. Ridge has considerable momentum going into this primary after being a complete unknown nationally just a year ago. He polls well in the Rust Belt and has strong support from his "Keystone Republican" bloc. He very well could be the Republican nominee come November if he keeps this momentum up.
Senator Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey
Christine Todd Whitman beat incredibly long odds to unseat Bill Bradley and become a United States Senator two years ago. Now, she runs another longshot campaign, this time for the presidency. Whitman is a progressive conservative in the truest sense. She's a crusader for low taxes and pro-growth economic policy, winning her Senate seat two years ago primarily due to stiff opposition to the 1990 tax increase in the New Jersey suburbs. But, on social issues, she holds mostly liberal positions, strongly supporting abortion rights, gay rights, and feminism. She's even hired President Kemp's old campaign manager, Ed Rollins, to chair her campaign. She's going all in on a return to Kemp-era prosperity, minus the endless wars. Perhaps there's still space for Christine Todd Whitman's brand of pragmatic, progressive conservatism in the Republican Party, or, perhaps, her campaign will fizzle out as the Republican Party shifts towards populism.
Senator Jay Rockefeller of New York
Liberal Republicans are a dying breed in the United States by the early 1990s, but in one state, New York, they still dominate local politics. That's in large part due to the legacy of two prominent political families: the Rockefellers and the Goodells. Jay Rockefeller - New York's junior Senator since 1983 - is the nephew of 1972 Republican nominee Nelson Rockefeller and the protege of former Senator Charles Goodell. He holds strong pro-labor stances and has fought tirelessly to preserve the social safety net, much to the ire of his primary opponents. Jay Rockefeller also hold liberal views on social issues, supporting abortion and gay rights. However, he holds hawkish views on foreign policy, which worries some voters who are concerned military spending may return to Kemp-era levels after a small increase during Dick Van Dyke's first term. He should do well in the Northeast, but he could struggle elsewhere, as Republicans nationwide are becoming far more conservative than he positions himself to be.
You've heard about the candidates, now VOTE HERE
