day two hundred thirty (13. 919)

Lula da Silva wins an unprecedented fourth term in Brazil’s presidential run-off against Bolsonaro’s son, his opponent refuses to concede. Serbia leader Aleksandar Vučić ousted by student movement, ending his twelve year reign. Israeli shells Gaza and southern Lebanon. Netanyahu warns that Iran may try to interfere with Tuesday’s elections. Trump calls off the attack on Iran as all non-essential staff are evacuated from Saudi Arabia. Tehran calls America’s quagmire the consequence of grave miscalculations from which the country must reverse to extricate itself. Republican representatives panic as they prepare for heavy losses in the mid terms.  Trump attempts to negate Alaskan ballots, saying voters do not know the meaning of incumbent.  Russian attacks on Kramatorsk intensify as Russia lobs super sonic drones.

day two hundred twenty nine (13. 914)

Former US presidents and contenders offered counter-messaging to Trump’s late appeals for GOP campaigns including the Bushes tossing their support to the Democratic candidates in races in Texas and Hilary Clinton describing the American president’s renovations to the White House “looking like Saddam Hussein opened a Cheesecake Factory.” Meanwhile, Trump hints at either a massive attack to “finish the job” or reaching a deal with Tehran, presumably to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, by Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of protesters rally in France amid heightened security and police presence. IDF conducts raids of West Bank towns, subjecting dozens of Palestinian residents to field interrogation and unwarranted detention with demolition of buildings in Hebron. The battle for control of Taiz intensifies as the Muslim world strongly condemns the Houthis for targeting the holy sites of Mecca and Medina in their assault against Saudi Arabia for backing the Yemeni government forces. As many outposts in the region have been abandoned already, the US issues more warnings regarding the safety of personnel assigned overseas and Russia denies reports of having evacuated nuclear scientists from the facilities at Bushehr. Moscow and Kyiv agree to a one-city ceasefire in Oleshky at the bidding of the Pope though Melania “Be Best” Trump tries to take credit, whilst the capital continues to sustain heavy bombardment.

why don’t you pass the time with a nice game of solitaire (13. 912)

As our faithful chronicler reminds, on this day (see PfRC passim), the neo-noir political thriller from John Frankenheimer based on the eponymous novel from three years earlier, starring Frank Sinatra, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Laurence Harvey and Henry Silva, premiered on this day in 1962 at the height of tensions between the US and Soviet Union—during the Cuba Missile Crisis. The plot, from Richard Condon’s book, relates the narrative of a decorated veteran of the Korean conflict (Harvey), a member of a prominent American political dynasty, whom apparently escaped from a prisoner-of-war camp after his platoon was captured and welcomed home as a hero. His oedipal mother (Lansbury) exploits the Medal of Honour recipient to propel the campaign of her husband, a US senator, in his campaign for the vice-presidency, promoting claims that the incumbent has allowed the State Department to be infiltrated by Communist sympathisers, echoing the McCarthy witch hunt. Whilst in actuality detested by his subordinates as strict and aloof, other POW soldiers later freed give fawning testimonials that their commander was brave and sympathetic but was unbeknownst to all brainwashed during his captivity as a sleeper agent programmed to assassinate the running mate of his step-father, the party nominee for office of the president, by the USSR and China and cause the destabilisation of the US government, a plot uncovered by Major Marco (Sinatra), though one interpretation of the film suggests an Inception level of hypnosis with Marco being an accessory permitted recovered memories through his recurring nightmares and that Sinatra’s character was also a Manchurian agent under the influence of controller Eugenie Cheyney (Leigh)--possibly as a back-up or for plausible deniability, a stranger encountered on a train who later bails him out of jail for assaulting Chujin (Silva), the platoon’s Korean guide and translator who immigrates to the US after partition and becomes Harvey’s minder, posing as seeking gainful employment as his domestic—in one of the first depiction of East Asian martial arts in Hollywood. Playing cards trigger Harvey’s programming.

day two hundred twenty eight (13. 910)

Amid unrelenting attacks from the Houthis, Saudi Arabia postpones hosting UN World Data Forum, days after cancelling its “Davos in the Desert”—the annual flagship Future Investment Initiative conference aimed to diversify its portfolio away from being a petrostate. The headquarters of Saudi-Aramco is evacuated over safety concerns for remaining staff. Though the White House defers with a GLOMAR response, sources familiar with the planning confirm to the press that Washington and Tel Aviv are in the process of finalising a renewed series of strikes on Pickaxe Mountain and Iranian petrochemical facilities, not wanting to further exacerbate markets (though they are reacting) in the last days to the run-up to the respective countries’ elections. Even if the ultra-conservative government of Netanyahu is ousted, Palestinians hold out little hope for reform or improvement as the opposition refuses to entertain a two-state solution. US troops withdraw from bases in Kuwait, Qatar and Jordan, as the Revolutionary Guard announces a total ban of American service members and vessels from entering the gulf region and threatens to attack personnel and US assets.

day two hundred twenty five (13. 903)

Alberta overwhelmingly rejects separatist agenda in a special referendum. France and Italy plan for a massive police surge to quell protests. Israel conducts airstrikes over Gaza City. Despite continuing indirect peace talks, Iran’s Supreme Leader announces that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed through the end of Trump’s term—Gulf oil exports have surpassed pre-war levels in aggregate in spite of the conflict. US Vice president Vance declines to echo Trump’s endorsement for the re-election of Netanyahu.  UK re-arrests suspects linked to the alleged terror plot on RAK Fairford as fighter jets are deployed to Saudi Arabia to counter Houthi attacks. Yemeni refugees fleeing fighting cross the Red Sea en masse for Djibouti.

no puppet, no puppet—you’re the puppet (13. 899)

On this day a decade ago, during the third and final debate, in response to candidate Donald Trump’s assertion that the Russian leader has no respect for his rival and Democratic nominee, Hilary Clinton shot back: “That’s because [Putin would] rather have a puppet as president of the United States. You encouraged espionage against our people. You are willing to spout the Putin line, sign up for his wish list, break up NATO—do whatever he wants to do. You continue to get help from him because he has a clear favourite in this race.” Clinton sought to blunt the fallout of the hacked cache of emails from the Democratic National committee posted online by Wikileaks—disclosing donors’ financial information and showing the party actively undermining the campaign of Bernie Sanders in favour of the former first lady, senator and Secretary of State, a theft that seventeen intelligence agencies concluded that was likely carried out at the behest of Moscow, though Trump rejected that US spy services knew who was behind it, repeating a line from the first presidential debate that it was probably some “four hundred pound hacker” in a basement somewhere that was responsible. The publications, released in separate tranches, also eventually included the controversial raw version of the Steele dossier, the unfinished political opposition report, of kompromat that the Russian government had on Trump.

synchronoptica 

one year ago: a selection of French horror movies (with synchronoptica), largest gold nugget discovered (1872) plus Stop Making Sense (1984)

two years ago: the Cin script, the British India Ocean Territory and the loss of its top-level domain plus images of passengers going through a car-wash

three years ago: Pomp & Circumstance (1901) 

four years ago:  St Frithuswith, Take on Me plus assorted links worth revisiting

five years ago: more links to enjoy

six years ago: font founder Ed Benguiat plus the Hochrhönstrasse

seven years ago: a coffee substitute,  Europe’s long distance walking trails, lizard people, the maps of Alexander von Humboldt, an unusual session of Parliament plus a corner office

eight years ago: more grammatical non-errors

day two hundred twenty four (13. 898)

Trump maintains that Moscow is “doing very little—if anything” to help Iran militarily. Tehran, ahead of Israeli elections, claims Netanyahu seeks to expand fighting in the region in a campaign message that scolds America and the broader world for complaining about energy prices. Retreating from five month highs marginally, the cost per barrel of diesel falls after Washington pauses sanctions on Russian exports but the stunt fails to make a dent in the price at the pump, unclear if Russia can even deliver and afford to divert from the war effort in Ukraine. Trump accuses Zelenskyy of prolonging the conflict for political gain. Fighting in Yemen rages as Houthis move to capture Taiz and air raid sirens blare across Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian parliament votes on whether to join on the side of Riyadh. Macron urges the press to make a distinction between protesters and vandals as more than twenty four hundred are arrested in France as rallies spread to Spain and Portugal over high living costs.

8x8 (13. 885)

name shame: nominative-antideterminism—see previously here and here  

wiener werkstätte: the greeting card grotesques of Rudolf Kalvach 

three steps off the coast: ten adventures celebrating a decade of travel blogging  

most favoured nation: the Amazon listing policy that locks retailers into their marketplace 

the naked zoo: the 1970 sexploitation film starring Rita Hayworth gets the Poseidon’s Underworld treatment  

voiceless postalveolar fricative: Filipino municipality of Sexmoán changed its name—see also  

pebete: eating through Wikipedia’s list of notable sandwiches—this time with World’s Fair fare of the 1873 Vienna Weltausstellung  

his mayorship: Hitler Mussolini Simeón Flores of Peru’s centre-left Ahora Nación party wins election in Queropalca

synchronoptica

one year ago: Brazilian vernacular graphic design (with synchronoptica) plus assorted links to revisit

two years ago: an incredible Trump rally plus a creepy featurette 

three years ago: mortgaged-money to fight inflation, Adelaide Hall plus the Battle of the Sinai (1973)

four years ago: most popular Halloween candy by state according to AI, a UB40 classic from 1988, the cemetery of Old St Pancras plus a menu à la carte

five years ago: assorted links to revisit, more unaired television pilots, Mouldy Old Dough plus dialling up the fright factor with AI

six years ago: more obscure and choice insults, a musical selection from Bronski Beat, more links to enjoy, Jack the Ripper’s From Hell letter, word nuance in cooking plus The Great Dictator (1940)

seven years ago: high-energy cosmic rays

eight years ago: a fun Star Trek musical mashup, more links plus discovering the convenience of public transport

 

dark horse candidate (13. 862)

As our faithful chronicler informs, the Friz Freleng animated short, “Ballot Box Bunny,” made its debut on this day in 1951, the characters of Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam vying for the mayorship of a small town. Campaigning on empty pledges, such as “There’s enough fresh air and sunshine in this great country of ours for everybody—and I’ll see to it that you’ll get your share!” In his warren beneath the podium, Bugs listens to the speech and decides to run as a challenger when Yosemite Sam further promises to rid the county of every last rabbit. Engaging in the usual stereotypical politicking ploys of glad-handing and kissing babies, the rivals attempt to sabotage each other’s chances at the polls though Sam’s plots generally backfire including stealing the food from Bugs’ free picnic with a army of ants. The townspeople, however, elect the spoiler candidate, a chestnut horse proclaimed as “Our New Mare.”

day two hundred twelve (13. 858)

The Revolutionary Guard command claims that US forces in the Persian Gulf have retreated to a distance of a thousand kilometres from Iran’s borders and that the amount of oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz under American naval escort is negligible, pledging that the water will remain closed until Washington satisfies the pre-conditions it agreed to. Israeli developers have diverted water from Palestinian farmers in the West Bank for a tourist attraction called “Herod’s Pools.” The head of the Yemeni government in Aden announces major escalation in fighting Houthi rebels to wrest back control of Bab al-Mandeb. US pulls out B-2 bombers stationed RAF Fairford following arrests in foiled terror plot. The US is closely monitoring a suspected case of the pneumonic plague after the death of a technician in a Siberian research laboratory, fearing a genetically modified strain of the bacteria has escaped containment and prompting travel restrictions. Brazil heads to a presidential run off with polling between challenger Flávio Bolsonaro and incumbent Lula too close to call. A Kelvin Wave caused by El Niño conditions creeps towards southern California and Alaska, expected to raise coastal sea-levels by half-a-metre with a single crest and trough.

synchronoptica

one year ago: graphic designer Mikro Ilić (with synchronotpica) plus assorted links worth the revisit

two years ago: circumambulation plus a houseboat on the Havel

three years ago: a hike through the vineyards of Escherndorf 

four years ago: the tarot of Austin Osman Spare, the world’s mass transit systems plus Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1996)

five years ago: more links to enjoy plus Tubular Bells

 

six years ago: Civilisation comes to American audiences (1970), Athens’ underground, the blessed Rosario Longo, a glass model of the coronavirus, IKEA’s back catalogue plus apologies in good standing

seven years ago: late Thursdays in Germany, more links to check out plus more poetic graffiti

 

eight years ago: an outstanding collection of vintage travel posters, legislating Scotland on maps plus more memorable fonts

 

 

day two hundred ten (13. 852)

Hegseth announces that US troops will get a day off to call their in the upcoming midterms—federal workers are granted up to three hours of administrative leave (down from four hours) whilst the rest of the voting public do not receive any allowance to exercise their democratic right. Pressure mounts for another referendum in the UK to annul Brexit and rejoin the EU as polls reveal over half of voters of all political persuasion support reentry into the single market. Russian airstrikes on bridges in Kyiv causes traffic chaos, whilst Putin attempts to convince the world that NATO is about to impose a blockade on Kaliningrad. Students in Paris riot over planned cuts to the education budget. Pope Leo puts out a missive in Latin as a withering takedown of AI. El Niño causes massive flooding in Thailand, the waters not receding and turning the streets of Bangkok into stagnant lakes, with speculation that the weather formation may mean there is no hurricane season in the Atlantic this year. More tankers are attached in the Strait of Hormuz. Revolutionary Guards spokesperson says that Tehran’s weapons-building capacities are fully restored and have reached maturity, in accordance with operational requirements, whilst the South Pars gasfield achieves peak production. Market analyst recognise Trump’s pressuring of G7 members to release strategic diesel reserves as a mere delay tactic which may provide temporary, nominal relief (if at all) and fails to address underlying structural problems and further erodes consumer confidence. IDF continues to terrorise Gaza, the West Bank and neighbours in southern Lebanon.

day one hundred ninety-eight (13. 818)

Lawmakers is Iran draft legislation to pull the country out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty whilst issuing stark warnings to the US following Trump’s prognosis of options available for ending the conflict are either total obliteration, economic rot or reaching a deal that suggest a fresh wave of military strikes. Tehran promises to retaliate “without limitations,” the Revolutionary Guard saying that the USA lacks the courage and resolve to defeat the Islamic Republic and the world will be “astounded” by Iran’s new weapons. Just as the White House East Wing renovations and the ballroom were a cover for an apocalypse grade bunker, the American president reveals that he plans for his triumphal arch in the capital to host a den of snipers and drones—ostensibly for defensive purposes but likely to quell riots. Trump sanctions the entire staff AfD secures a bald majority in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern but has no options of forming a state government. IDF carry out strikes in Lebanon’s Tyre district and enter Syria. European jet fuel imports fall by half with serious shortages expected.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links worth revisiting (with synchronoptica), American Idiot plus a banger from Earth, Wind & Fire

two years ago: Weird Al parodies Bob Dylan with palindromes plus more gerrymandering 

three year ago: grieving the loss of dark skies 

four years ago:  Ba-Dee-Ya, Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible, more on the US Space Force plus a collection of manhole covers

five years ago: an advertisement for Ivermectin 

six years ago:  the Order of the Smile, The Hobbit (1937), the legacy of colonial goods stores, alternative chess plus wide-scale money laundering

seven years ago: The Far Side returns plus more Earth, Wind and Fire

eight years ago: assorted links to revisit, a sexy Handmaiden costume for Halloween plus Dial-a-Song

 

day one hundred ninety-seven (13. 815)

Ukraine bombards Moscow with hundreds of drone strikes on the final day of its elections for the Duma, angered that ballots were sent to illegally annexed territories. It is day one thousand six hundred seventy for that conflict. Two weeks after AfD strong results in Saxon-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern go to the polls with the chancellorship of Friedrich Merz hanging in the balance. Through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei conveys its conditions for resuming talks with Washington (only for reopening the Strait of Hormuz), demands including the unfreezing of Iranian assets, lifting the naval blockade and an immediate end to fighting on all fronts, to include Lebanon. Saudi forces attempt to repel Houthi attacks on the capital. Tehran rebuffs claims by US treasury secretary Scott Bessent that the sanctions of Operation Economic Outcast are working and that Iranians are queuing for hours for petrol, calling his propaganda baseless lies and projection as American filling stations report shortages, all time high prices and airlines cut marginal domestic routes. Bucking concerns that accelerated deployment of the technology could kill us all, Trump pledges to create an “AI Force” and appoint an artificial intelligence czar, whilst also proposing to rename it Eloquent Intelligence.

day one hundred ninety-two (13. 795)

Trump claims that Ukraine and Moscow have agreed to refrain from striking each other’s energy infrastructure—Zelenskyy contradicts this truce. The American president, harking back to phrases used months earlier asserts that Tehran wants to make a deal quickly and badly, adding he will determine whether or not the USA will choose to engage, “the concept of which we are open to.” Iran denies it had any role in the destruction of a key Saudi pipeline, connecting the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf overland through Riyadh and conveying five percent of the world’s oil supply. Trump’s supreme court rules against restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections. Canada becomes an affiliate member of the European Union in terms of trade with talks of greater integration on the table.

11x11 (13. 790)

hospoda: Czech tavern etiquette and drinking culture  

70up: following the death of Michael Apted, the cast of longest running documentary series is bowing out after the next and final instalment  

god’s own hand: the role of animacy in English genitive formation, X’s Y vs the Y of X  

area marker balls: those giant fishing bobs on power lines  

hexagonal close-packed: researchers form high pressure, high temperature ice, suspected to be present in the core of Uranus and Neptune 

dermatoglyphics: palm-reading and traditional medicine have always had a common intersection 

tacuini ægritudinum: the journey of a mysterious medical manuscript, supposedly from the legendary island of Hy-Brasil, from Baghdad to Ireland—via Strange Company  

short imaged monologues: Anthropic’s Claude responds to call to slow down AI research to prevent us from being wiped out by a paperclip maximiser—more here   

i pledge to the greatest president in the history of the united states that loves us so much he cant’t even breath: Trump urges crowd at the Republican Midterm convention to cheat like hell    

and although death is represented in the form of a human skeleton, yet this is only an emblem for death is not a being but a state: early modern flap books aimed at young readers with a special format for transformations   

between the sheets: a 1930s recipe for a cognac sour sees a resurgence in popularity

synchronoptica

one year ago: animated vignettes from Plantopia (with synchronoptica), assorted links worth revisiting plus a banger from Hozier

two years ago: more links to enjoy, nights on Earth, the Ig Nobel prize, prayers vs spells plus Cloud Appreciation Day 

three years ago: Putin and Kim meet 

four years ago: the Poet Laureate’s tribute to the Queen, the Beatles’ Apple Electronics venture plus even more links worth the revisit

five years ago: your daily demon: Marchosias, more links to enjoy, the first teenage all music and dance show plus the release of Super Mario Brothers (1985)

six years ago: dissecting the original COVID hotspot, more on radio alphabets, The Stand, the stately manor that inspired Wuthering Heights plus St Venerius

day one hundred eighty-seven (13. 779)

Trump says that Iran war will end immediately after midterms and forecasts a sharp decline in gasoline prices shortly thereafter as oil continues to rise and skirmishes over the Hormuz intensify. The America president makes this announcement during the GOP special convention held in Dallas Texas (such an off-cycle gathering is not a thing a only a campaign rally for Trump) where he vows to make himself the centre of attention and asks voters to pretend he is on the ballot as some Republican actually running distance themselves from the spectacle. Trump further pledges a five thousand dollar dividend to be paid to every American adult—like the DOGE cheques never issued—should Republicans retain both houses of congress. IDF attacks Bethlehem and launches missiles at the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza. The senior rabbinate of the UK supports decision to sanction West Bank settlers, joined by France and Canada. The town of Gander, Newfoundland, which hosted thousands of US travellers a quarter century ago stranded after American airspace was closed for an extended period following the 9/11 terror attacks consider disinviting the US ambassador from the commemoration over rhetoric and the escalating trade war.

day one hundred seventy-nine (13. 760)

The US house of representatives pass a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown before the midterm elections, although only punting the issue to the second week of December. Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll abruptly resigns following a falling out with Secretary of War Hegseth over support for Ukraine and drone development—possibly to join the campaign of vice president JD Vance, whom recently came out as pro-apocalypse, that he would be comfortable ushering in the End Times. The US launches a fresh round of strikes on Iran, targeting sites near the Strait of Hormuz—promising heavier attacks should Tehran retaliate. Pezeshkian suggests that the Islamic Republic would “immediately reciprocate” if Washington honours its commitments under the MOU. Though appearing limited in scale at first, the American raids turn deadly with several civilians killed, including the members of a wedding party, prompting the Revolutionary Guard to launch ballistics on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Jordan—adding that these attacks will stop once the host nations expel US troops. Despite threats and the escalation in fighting that precludes any diplomatic settlement, operational constraints and depleted munitions likely mean that Trump’s only tool is economic strangulation. IDF bombs southern Beirut.

day one hundred seventy-four (13. 743)

The Revolutionary Guard report that Tehran and Muscat have reached a deal on traffic control and revenue sharing for the Strait of Hormuz. A Kuwaiti oil tanker attempting to cross the waterway is fired upon and shipwrecked in the gulf. Crude prices, paradoxically, continue to edge lower despite the total stoppage of flow. US CIA director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced visit to Russia is reportedly to persuade Moscow to join in Operation Economic Outcast and the embargo against Iran (which the US has kept up for the last fifty year with only marginal measures to add)—but undisclosed objectives could be more sinister, like backstabbing Kyiv or requesting a disinformation campaign ahead of the elections or directed at Canadian separatists. Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman heads to Iran for peace talks as Netanyahu tells Trump diplomacy will not work with the Islamic Republic—Israel, with the backing of America, defaults to bellicosity towards its neighbours, never in position to have to play nice or negotiate. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA, in defiance of seizure of facilities by Tel Aviv, says it is not giving up operations.

day one hundred seventy-three (13. 738)

Trump’s CIA director mysteriously appears in Moscow. In a limited ruling, the US Supreme Court allows the administration to curb use of mail-in ballots ahead of the mid-terms. Oman and Iran outline their plan to restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz whilst the American president claims the waterway is fully demined as his economic warfare unfurls, chief Iranian trade partner China (the only other nation to refuse Trump’s deals) strongly denouncing the threat of secondary sanctions. Canada, not demurring from their own trade war—attacked and not of the their choosing—compiles a list of targeted tariffs to match dollar-for-dollar US designed to apply pressure to MAGA majority regions in hopes of swaying GOP dominated districts to rethink their tacit support for these policies, deferring on energy exports for the time being cognisant that a tariff is a tax domestically and not wanting, like Iran’s politically savvy restraint—or Ukraine pausing attacks on the Russian capital during the US intelligence chief’s visit (the only reason why the secret flight is known about), to too quickly expend sympathy and solidarity.

synchronoptica

one year ago: assorted links to revisit (with synchronoptica), the burial site of Richard III plus another executive order from Trump

two years ago: more links to enjoy plus a visit to Hermannsfeld  

three years ago: the quandary of creation plus the Great Moon Hoax (1835) 

four years ago: colour television in Germany plus even more links

five years ago: Rashomon (1950), Saint Genès, a fictionalised rivalry, assorted links worth the revisit plus a complete cheese presentation guide

six years ago: Voyager I leaves the Solar System (2012), more links to enjoy, standards for casks and barrels plus a Downing Street double

line of succession (13. 638)

Based on the novel of the same name by Irving Wallace with screenplay by Rod Serling (previously), the Paramount release starring James Earl Jones, Burgess Meredith and Barbara Rush, the political drama debuted in US theatres on this day in 1972. The first in an aspirational cinematic trope of casting distinguished Black actors as the American president, taking place thirty-six years before the real world occurrence, Jones portraying Douglass Dilman, interviewed just prior to the inauguration of Barack Obama expressed disappointment in the project that he wished what was originally slated as a made-for-tv movie had been given more thought and budget to fully realise its significance, as president pro tempore of the US senate is elevated to high office, as also the first unelected individual, nor in capacity of the vice-presidency, through a series of unforeseen events. This secondary plot point foreshadowing the elevation of Gerald Ford in lease than two years after the film’s premiere. In attendance at a summit in Frankfurt in West Germany, the president and house speaker are killed in a building collapse. Suffering from a terminal illness that was heretofore undisclosed to the public, the vice president—played by Lew Ayres, Dr Kildare and the protagonist German Solider of All Quiet on the Western Front, refuses the job, with the secretary of state, played by William Windom (district attorney Horace Gilmer in To Kill a Mockingbird and with reoccurring roles on Murder, She Wrote and Commodore Matt Decker on Star Trek, voicing Uncle Chuck in Sonic the Hedgehog), dispelling the popular but false belief that his cabinet position makes him the designated survivor. These seeming allies do not set up Dilman for success and conspire to make his shortcomings and scandals overtures to the party and electorate to strengthen their campaigns. The promotional taglines were “It took an accident to make this man President of the United States. What they do to him now won’t be an accident, “The First Black President of the United States. First They Swore Him In. Then They Swore to Get Him,” and “Fate thrust him into the biggest job in the world...President of the United States. Now he wonders if he's big enough to do it.”