In 1988, George H.W. Bush briefly considered naming Clint Eastwood as his running mate.
@8 months ago with 39 notes
Landov
As lasting as the Bush legacy turned out to be, Bush Sr.’s 1988 election didn’t always seem so rosy. At one point Bush was 18 points behind, and campaign chairman James Baker (later Secretary of State) knew they needed a shot in the arm. “We were way behind. Honestly, [Clint Eastwood] was suggested in not an altogether unserious – Well, he was a mayor. He was a Republican mayor.”
Indeed, one of Hollywood’s biggest badasses had recently made his foray into politics, quietly presiding over the sleepy art community of Carmel-by-the-Sea. He later told George Stephanopoulos he knew nothing of his brush with Veepdom, but admitted, “I would have said, ‘I want to be the first part of the ticket…why would I want to play a supporting role?’”
