The Odyssey had a purpose indeed.

**RUNNING MATE: Mikulski**

*States to Visit: Gun for Ohio for most of it, then when Gramm gets announced as nominee (Q23) run for the hills of Texas stat. You might have a chance at winning it! (I did in my first run - you'll win Ohio anyway!)*

1. We’re not making the same mistake as the last Democratic administration. Don’t get me wrong, you’re all staying, but we’re going to be very serious about working with Congress and making sure the national party is in step with our agenda.

  
2.Everyone knows I’m not exactly a foreign policy heavyweight, that’s why we have Mondale running State and Albright in New York. But it would probably be good to travel out to some of our NATO allies and let them know we’ve still got their back.

  
3. Slash the SDI Scatter it into the wind, get whatever you can from it. Same with the MX missile and the Midget Man. We can get several billion dollars from those programs.

  
4. I’m sorry, John, but you know how the game is played. We can’t send the message that we endorse that kind of behavior in our Administration. You’re a good man, and I deeply appreciate everything you’ve done for us over the last ten years.

  
5. This is a good opportunity to push for structural economic reform. We can temporarily federally guarantee some of these, tie bank recapitalization to community investment, and include regional development incentives for areas being hit by the deindustrialization collapse.

  
6. We’re only hurting ourselves by acting like the Soviets aren’t potential partners in regional development. Peace is not just the absence of war. Let’s press for a summit between myself, Gorbachev, and Latin American leaders to battle disease, unemployment, and illiteracy together.

  
7.  We’ve got to keep it simple. The Massachusetts plan is so great because it plays into the strengths of our existing systems—private insurance and state-by-state implementation—instead of trying to undo and replace them all. Take that, and scale it up.

  
8. I’m not sure if this is politically feasible right now. To be certain, I’m still highly invested in trade with Mexico, but taking this big a step into free trade and economic globalism right now is probably a no-go. We should demur on this, at least until my second term.

  
9. Forget Dole, we don‘t need him. I never expected many Republicans to cross over for us, it’s the boll weevils who are giving us grief, people like Boren and Shelby, who we really need to put the pressure on. Make ‘em sweat.

  
10.  We’re looking at this the wrong way; it’d be lunacy to tighten our belts in the middle of a recession like this. Delay PAYGO and reorient to an expansionary policy, so that we can protect our investments that drive economic growth. Say that the growth, uh, it pays for itself. Say that.

  
11. I’ve seen a few of the studies published by Bob Reich about how much we could save in overhead costs if we established a body to coordinate infrastructure across the federal departments and with the states. Let’s sign an EO establishing the National Infrastructure Council.

  
12. EITHER:

  
*12A.* I’m mighty proud of what we accomplished out there. I want to send my sincerest congratulations to Senate Majority Leader Mitchell and Speaker Tom Foley, and I’m excited to get back to work delivering for the American people.

  
OR

  
*12B.* I’m really inspired by some of our new upstarts, people like Paul Wellstone and Maxine Waters braving a midterm environment to seize victory. I’m excited to work alongside these new members to accomplish the business of government.

  
13. You know, California passed something like this a year or so ago. Why don’t we figure out how they did that? Pack your bags, we’re going to Sacramento. Also, look into sunsetting provisions, so that we can get it through Congress easier.



14. I stared down John Thompson, I think I can handle this Newt guy. He’s an agitator, and the more oxygen we give him, the more of a hullabaloo he’ll make. We need to keep our eyes on the ball, the business of government.

  
15. For three years, I’ve watched the Fed choke this recovery to death in the name of fighting phantom inflation. We need a push to get this economy moving again, and Felix Rohatyn is the guy to do it.

  
16.  It’s imperative that our allies know we’re present in whatever strife they might be going through, and it’s also important that the American people see it. We’ll be doing a highly publicized diplomatic tour of the Levant, Lebanon and Israel, standing side by side with local leadership to set goals regarding long-term stabilization of the region

  
17. Treasury is yours, don’t even worry about it. And I’ve been thinking about that too. You know what would turn heads? A woman Vice President. Times have changed since ’84; we could really get people talking. What’s the name of that woman from Maryland? The Polish one. Mikulski.

  
18. This is a great opportunity to knock out some of those campaign promises of mine that fell through the cracks during the honeymoon. Let’s hone in on education and establish the Citizens’ Literacy Corps and National Teaching Excellence Fund.

  
19. It’s paramount that we work to preserve stability in the region. Recognize the Russian Federation and all the republics, work to get them into the United Nations, and give me a personal line to President Yeltsin.

  
20.  Okay, look, don’t get too cheeky. Everything’s going to be business as usual at the White House. Seeing me as America’s president, getting things done and taking care of the business of government, is worth far more than campaign ads or whistle-stop tours.

  
21.  Lean all the way into it, there’s no way I’m getting any of these pro-lifers back when it was my justices who did this. Besides, it’s a good cause, one that the majority shares. Let’s use strong rhetoric on abortion, gun control, secularism, even women in combat units.

  
22. We need to establish that anarchy and lawlessness will not be tolerated. I am mobilizing federal troops to contain the violence and assist local authorities while minimizing the risk for excessive confrontation.

  
23. EITHER:

  
*23A.*  He’s not real. He doesn’t exist. Figuratively speaking, of course. We’re running on my achievements, we’re running on economic recovery, and we’re not going to give this joker any undue attention. Since when has Phil Gramm been a household name?

  
OR

  
*23B.* Everything about their operation is bush league. It’s a ticket of D-listers who stumbled into the nomination because the real candidates stayed out. You can either stand with your President, or these people.

  
24. Just a couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to deliver an address marking President Kennedy’s 75th birthday. I knelt by the Eternal Flame and recalled how he inspired me to enter public service. Now, at this critical crossroads for this great nation, it is our job to carry that flame.

  
25. She’s everything I’m not, which is everything we’ve been hoping for. Make sure she gets as much attention as possible, and plaster my name all over her speeches. That glass ceiling won’t know what hit it this November.

  
26. It’s not like me being there will have a significant impact on the recovery effort, but it’s important to show these people that I see their suffering and understand what they’re going through, that they’re not suffering in silence. I plan to visit the worst-hit areas.

  
27. EITHER:

  
*27A.* Just keep running ads nationally. He’s like a discount Ronald Reagan, no, George Bush, his running mate is even a bargain bin Dan Quayle. It’s just reheated rot from yesteryear, the entire ticket.

  
OR

  
*27B.* When Gramm talks about “reducing waste,” that’s code for cutting Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, make no mistake about it. I’ll do everything in my power to protect programs that give the everyday American a leg up.

  
28. Republicans like Phil Gramm talk about family values. I have one of my own. I believe that a stronger America starts with strong families. Phil Gramm’s plans for the economy would tax working families more than the richest Americans. There’s nothing pro-family about that.

  
29. This is great news. Let’s see if we can land an interview, so that Americans can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.

  
30. I think that the Republicans are taking states in the Sun Belt for granted, states like Nevada, Arizona, and Florida. The Latino vote is trending towards us and we’ve got a great ground game in some of these areas. Let’s visit there and give them a shock.

  
[*Fin.*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz_RhfPjkZI)

The Odyssey Had a Purpose... | Or; how I annihilated Phill Gramm as O̶u̶t̶i̶s̶ N̶o̶b̶o̶d̶y̶ Michael Dukakis (Guide Below)