Consent of the Governed: A Mr. Hobbes Production

[George W. Hobbes]

Governor Thornton Blake (R-Calif.)

Meet Thornton Blake.  Young, brash, and a hero to Republicans nationwide for having secured the governor's mansion in Sacramento for two successful terms. Blake has managed to swing politics in California by reaching out to cultural conservatives among the African-American and Latino communities, and picked up a solid majority among women by focusing on education and health care reforms.

With the President's recent public reversal on abortion, an incensed Blake has made it no secret that he is not sanguine with the Administration. 

Rumor has it, he just might run for President of the United States.




Samantha Blake

The first lady of California, Samantha Blake has been compared to a 21st century Jackie Kennedy.  However, Mrs. Blake has a down-to-earth manner that the former Mrs. Kennedy clearly lacked, and has been known to toss an occasional inappropriate comment or two at a function for her husband, the governor.

As chief of staff for Thornton Blake, she attempts to be a voice of political reason, encouraging the governor to play a more centrist message in the ostensibly blue state of California.  Nonetheless, despite her involvement, she harbors little ambition for national politics and has commented to members of the press that she'd much rather "settle down and have some children."

That doesn't seem to be in the cards




President Danforth Kemper IV (R-Mo.)

Three years ago, at the GOP convention in Orlando, Danforth Kemper fulfilled his family's dream by securing the nomination for President of the United States.  Three months later, he topped that, winning handily against his hapless Democratic challenger. 

The Kemper family has a strong history within the Republican Party.  Danforth Kemper III was a three-term governor of Vermont and on the shortlist for the Vice Presidential nomination in 1980.  Danforth Kemper, Jr. was Senate Minority Leader during the 1950's, also from Vermont.  And Danforth Senior was appointed ambassor to Britain by President Herbert Hoover. 

Despite family leanings that are typically from the moderate-to-liberal wing of the Grand Old Party, President Kemper has generally succeeded in quelling any conservative backlash against his candidacy or Administration.  That is, until the President reversed his position on abortion in an effort to broaden the Republican Party's reach.

Now, he may well be fighting for the right to continue a legacy.

[George W. Hobbes]

(Trailer)

KEMPER: Through much prayer, I have come to a different conclusion on that most painful issue that faces our nation today--

SMASH CUT TO

Governor THORNTON BLAKE, slamming his fist against his desk.

THORNTON: That son-of-a-

CUT TO

RAY MITCHEM, the President's Chief of Staff, collecting papers from the table in front of him and placing them in a folder with the Presidential Seal.

MITCHEM: You had your chance to input this President's policy three years ago Thornton.

THORNTON: I couldn't do that and you know it.

MITCHEM: Why not?  The Republican nominee offers you the Vice Presidency, an insider's post at the White House, full access to everything, a chance to replace him in eight years.  You turned it down. 

THORNTON: I have my reasons.

CUT TO

TV SCREEN, showing President Kemper addressing an adoring rally, waving red-and-blue signs.  The camera pulls back to reveal Thornton Blake, wearing a white T-shirt and boxers, sitting on the foot of his bed watching the screen.  SAMANTHA BLAKE, comes up behind him and gently hugs him.

SAMANTHA: You know Thornton, it's times like this when you're a real bastard.

THORNTON: What do you mean?

SAMANTHA: You're really going to do it, aren't you?

THORNTON: Do what?

SAMANTHA: You're going to run for President of the United States.

A Mr. Hobbes Production

Starring William H. Macy, Kiefer Sutherland, Rob Lowe, and Alyson Hannigan.

CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED

[Lincoln Republican]

Good story, but Samantha Blake looks like a Hollywood starlet on oscar night rather than the First Lady of California.

[George W. Hobbes]

He had the worst handshake.

The first time I met Danforth Kemper IV was at the Republican Convention in Denver, seven years ago.  Although the event was ostensibly to coronate our nominees for President and Vice President, everyybody in the hall knew that we were going to lose.  The Democratic President was popular, scandal-free, peace ruled the land, and the Dow turned out a new record every third Thursday.  The real eyes at Denver were on Senator Kemper, the convention's chair and presumptive front-runner for the GOP nomination four years later.

At that point, Samantha and I were delegates from California.  As a state assemblyman from Orange County, I had managed to finangle my way on to the list, and bring Samantha along for the ride.  We were there to solidify connections with the Republican elite from the Golden State in my effort to follow Governor Adonis Katzenbaum, an Israeli-born actor turned politician, in the next election.  Most of the delegates were big money donors, and I figured some schmoozing might yield positive dinaro effects when the chips were down.

Of course, Sam was there in order to meet some politicians, particularly our nominees (bland as they were), and Senator Kemper.  I didn't much care for Danforth Kemper, for reasons to be named later, but she did have a point.  It never hurt to have a photo with the man who could be the next President of the United States.

"Besides," she said, "You never know when you might need to bail California out and have the feds assume the state's debt."

"Over my dead body, babe," I retorted, shaking my head as she flashed her wicked grin.

On the third day of the convention, at a buffet lunch, Kemper came through the crowd to shake hands and make time with the Californians.  With fifty-five electoral votes and the blues in our state turning purpler by the day, it made perfect sense for the senator to spend a little time with us.

He underwhelmed.

I've never shaken the limper hand of a politician in my memory, and his jokes were decidedly off (although, to be fair, that was likely the fault of his speechwriters).  After he had (thankfully) been pulled by aside by a few worried aides, I turned to Samantha confidently.

"Well, there goes another coulda-been."

I couldn't have been more wrong.

[George W. Hobbes]

Results of the Previous Election

Danforth Kemper IV (MO)/Dick Reynolds (SC) 52% 315
Charlie Blythe (LA)/Jack Keller (NJ) 47% 223

From the Los Angeles Tribune:

Senator Danforth Kemper scored a sizable victory last night, carrying the popular vote by five percent and snagging 315 electoral votes.  Kemper ran as a 'middle-of-the-road' Republican, accentuating his plans for increasing federal involvement in environmental protection, lower and middle-class tax cuts, and a strong foreign policy.  The GOP base was kept happy with Kemper's quiet pro-life plank, and a vociferious opposition to any sort of legalization for undocumented migrants within the United States.  (Of course, this likely caused the rebellion of Arizona and Colorado to the Democrats, as well as the failure of California to turn for the GOP by a mere 45,000 votes.)

Vice President Charlie Blythe, a good ol' boy from Louisiana with a strict progressive streak, stumbled when it came to the policy of military intervention in other nations, citing the need for a "UN-based outlook on world events" just days after the UN elevation of Syria and Venezeula to the Security Council.  Blythe also was unable to sell a Canadian-style universal health care program on the masses after having to toss the plan around during the primaries to emphasis his liberal roots and prevent the nomination of former Nevada Governor Gerald 'Mars Man' Moon from becoming the Democratic tribune...

Analysts believe that much of Kemper's Presidency will hinge on how well he courts the 'values voters', who tepidly supported him after the defeat of the Reverend Wilson Granger during the Republican primaries.  The Christian Coalition is a bit uncertain of Kemper's opposition to gay marriage, yet opposition to a constitutional amendment as well; along with his 'evolved' shift to a pro-life position between his first bid for Congress in 1992 and his campaign for the United States Senate.