१६ ऑक्टोबर, २०२४

"Ms. Marshack’s self-written obituary disclosed some previously unreported details about her association with [Nelson] Rockefeller but did not mention a romance..."

"... although it ended suggestively, quoting from the 1975 musical 'A Chorus Line.' Ms. Marshack wrote that she 'won’t forget, can’t regret what I did for love.' The initial account [was]... that Mr. Rockefeller had died instantly... while he was in his office, alone with a bodyguard, 'having a wonderful time' working on an art book he was writing. The next day, The Times began deconstructing the official story.... A drip-drip of revelations ensued.... The circumstances of Mr. Rockefeller’s death remain mysterious. One account said that he was found dead wearing a suit and tie and surrounded by working papers; another said that he was nude, amid containers of Chinese food...." 

From "Megan Marshack Dies at 70; Was With Nelson Rockefeller at His Death/She was at the center of rumors about the former vice president’s last moments, but she remained silent about their association until she wrote her own obituary" (NYT)(noting that Marshack's brother said she'd signed a nondisclosure agreement).

"In interviews [for a] book, Rockefeller associates said it was an open secret that Mr. Rockefeller and Ms. Marshack were having an affair. He was married at the time to Margaretta Rockefeller, who was known as Happy...."

Who cares about Vice Presidents? The only thing interesting at this point is the irony of the nickname of the wife he cheated on. And the odd detail of the Chinese food containers. And the resurrection of the "Chorus Line" lyric...


I don't even have a tag for Nelson Rockefeller. I only started this blog in 2004, but there was a time — and I guess it was more than 20 years ago — when "Rockefeller Republican" was shorthand for... oh, who cares anymore? Kiss that day goodbye.

५० टिप्पण्या:

rhhardin म्हणाले...

The well-known killer was that Rockefeller had the wrong shoes on the wrong feet, indicating a dressing operation after he died.

Kate म्हणाले...

The name "Happy" reminds me of our discussion of "Kick" Kennedy. Everyone used to have cool nicknames. I'm jealous.

Also, Chorus Line needs to die in a fire.

Michael K म्हणाले...

The issue was her delay in calling for help.

Big Mike म्हणाले...

These days we call them “Country Club Republicans.” Some are leaving the party over Donald Trump and the influx of working class and middle class voters. They are not missed.

mikeski म्हणाले...

The show Emergency ran on NBC from 1972-79.

On 2/10/79, the opening of SNL was Don Pardo voicing over a title card "Emergency starring Megan Marshack will not be seen tonight so that we may bring you this special presentation."

The card had the then current logo of NBC and a picture of Ms. Marshack.

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

It was always obvious that Nelson died happy...sans Happy.

Aggie म्हणाले...

Wasn't there an iconic photo of Nelson Rockefeller shooting the finger with a wolf-like smile on his face, at some heckler?

Iman म्हणाले...

Back in the saddle again
Back where a friend IS A FRIEND!

JRoberts म्हणाले...

It's amazing that Wikipedia describes the political position of Rockefeller Republicans as "Center-Center Right"

Dave Begley म्हणाले...

Beautiful, Ice Nine. Beautiful. You nailed it: Nelson nailed Megan and died a happy man.

Gilbert Pinfold म्हणाले...

Marshack waited an hour after the "heart attack" before calling for an ambulance. Prior to calling the ambulance, she called her friend Ponchietta Pierce, a journalist for WNBC-TV, to ask for advice. It was revealed after the autopsy that Rockefeller had a pneumatic implant below the equator to provide the assist that the "little blue pill" would supply in the early 2000's.

Dogma and Pony Show म्हणाले...

Rockefeller was of an era in which, get this, there were liberal republicans and conservative democrats, each group constituting a minority of the party to which they belonged, but each also in perfectly good standing within that party.

Wince म्हणाले...

found dead... nude, amid containers of Chinese food....

Yeah, but he was alive again an hour later.

tim in vermont म्हणाले...

I remember when he was governor of New York State, but I don't remember him being V.P. For a Republican, he sure spent a lot of money building stuff. People called it his "edifice complex" and I vaguely recall a couple of jokes about his "erections" popping up all over the state.

Rocco म्हणाले...

Kate said...
Everyone used to have cool nicknames. I'm jealous.

I blame the demise of baseball.

“Three fingers” Mordecai Brown. “Lefty” Gomez. “Ears” Mossi. “No Neck” Williams. “Oil Can” Boyd. “Catfish” Hunter. “Shoeless Joe” Jackson. Charlie Hustle. Big Papi. “Babe” Ruth.

Aggie म्हणाले...

For Gerald Ford.

tcrosse म्हणाले...

Nelson Rockefeller greets his fans

Earnest Prole म्हणाले...

New York Magazine: “Nelson thought he was coming, but he was going.”

Christopher B म्हणाले...

Like Ford he was never elected, being appointed and confirmed by Congress per the 25th after Ford was elevated to the Presidency by Nixon's resignation. I think it's telling that Ford or the GOP et al then chose Bob Dole to run with Ford in 1976 rather than keeping Rockefeller.

Political Junkie म्हणाले...

Nice

TickTock म्हणाले...

Pretty certain that country club republicans refers to a much different type of voter than Rockefeller republicans, but then as Ms. Althouse says, who cares anymore. That world is gone. At the time, I Lived a block and a half from the townhouse where he died. No one thought he died alone, certainly not the NY newspapers, tho The NY Times was more respectable in those days and probably was the only rag bot to print details.

Ampersand म्हणाले...

New York developed rigorous academic standards and an excellent public university system at the instigation of Nelson R. He did a great job for the traditionally ignored residents of upstate. How do we know that Happy begrudged him his happiness?

Iman म्हणाले...

MSG and amyl nitrite claimed another one…

Kathryn51 म्हणाले...

Happy was his 2nd wife. His mistress that resulted in his divorce from Wife #1.

Nelson cheated on Happy over and over again - it was well known in Republican circles back then (and I, a mere college student attending the national Young Republican convention one year, heard it all). I also heard that it took both Happy and Megan to drag poor naked Nelson away from the "library" to a different room where they dressed him.

Aggie म्हणाले...

The wags had great fun juxtaposing 'Happy' with 'died happy' - but nobody bothered to ask Happy what exactly she might be happy about. It might've made a better story.

Christopher B म्हणाले...

Called 'em that in those days, too. I remember the 'Republican Grassroots' and the fight between the Bushies (HW variation) and the Reganites in 1980. (I'm a bit too young for the Goldwater gang). Remember that GHWB was the first to call Regan's tax cut proposals 'voodoo economics'.

mccullough म्हणाले...

She signed an NDA? lol. I thought Rockefeller Republican referred to trust fund Republicans like Nelson and John Danforth whose granddaddies were productive. Money buys a lot. But not dignity

Michael K म्हणाले...

That was what I remembered.

Jupiter म्हणाले...

Actually, the most recent Rockefeller Republican was Bloomberg. You remember that squishy, little gob, right? It turns out that being a successful Republican politician from New York requires that you be a closet Communist.

Aggie म्हणाले...

" ....Rockefeller had a pneumatic implant below the equator...."

So the 'rigor' had set in, before the 'mortis', then.

Whiskeybum म्हणाले...

Nelson Rockefeller was the commencement speaker at my brother’s AFA graduation in 1976. Not much of a memorable speech, but it was much better than the train wreck of a speech given by Eric Holder at my daughter’s WCL graduation in 2010.

Narr म्हणाले...

I would have thought that his money could buy a hotter doxie, but I admit I haven't seen any pictures of her nekkid.

Nat Lamp had a running series about him--profoundly and hilariously slanderous. Good times.

Stephen म्हणाले...

OK, let's all play. Dying the way he did was one singular sensation.

Readering म्हणाले...

Widely believed that the divorces and second marriages of Nelson and Happy to one another cost him the presidential nomination in 1964.

Former Illinois resident म्हणाले...

Remember reading what seems day later that he had died at his pied de terre across street from MOMA museum garden plaza, in arms of his mistress. Not much a a cover-up, with exception of "covering up" the nude Nelson body.

RCOCEAN II म्हणाले...

There's something pathetic about a 70 y/o man cheating on his wife with a 25 year old aide. Was Viagra available back then?


But then "Rocky" was a hollow man in many ways. Its hard to say what he believed in, except the helping rich people, the status quo, and gaining power. Later in life, he said his biggest mistake was becoming a Republican. "You can buy Democrats, you can't buy Republicans".

Jerry "Blockhead" Ford said his biggest regret was dumping Rockefeller in 76, which just confirms what a dumbshit Ford was. He only got Reagan and other conservatives to support him because he picked Dole as his VP. I honestly think Ford was stupidest man ever to be President. He seemed incapable of adjusting his views and emotions to fit reality. He was also another Republican liar and Fake in the same class as Bush, McCain, and Romney.

sean म्हणाले...

The joke I heard (from my grandfather) was:
--I hear they cremated Nelson Rockefeller.
--O yes?
--They had to, they couldn't get the coffin closed.

KellyM म्हणाले...

Country Club Republicans: Judge Smails could not be reached for comment.

rehajm म्हणाले...

My favourite was the musical guest that night- Talking Heads

Greg The Class Traitor म्हणाले...

"What I did for Love" is about acting and dancing, not romantic or sexual love

Leora म्हणाले...

I was at a public event with my mother where she was in a receiving line with Rockefeller. A local lefty cursed and screamed at him and he just shook her hand and thanked her for coming. My mother commented on his cool. He told her that he had been standing on the protestors foot.

Iman म्हणाले...

He need a love to keep ‘im happy.

Greg The Class Traitor म्हणाले...

That was SO bad, Angie

Ice Nine म्हणाले...

>RCOCEAN II said...
"...a 70 y/o man cheating on his wife with a 25 year old aide. Was Viagra available back then?<"

You have an apparent misconception about men in their 70s, son.

Yeah Right Sure म्हणाले...

Nelson Rockefeller features prominently in Robert Caro's tome about Robert Moses, my nomination for the most influential (and worst) New Yorker of all time, and a subject on this blog a few weeks ago. Rockefeller was the only governor with the stroke to defeat Moses in a power play.

Drago म्हणाले...

"when "Rockefeller Republican" was shorthand for..."

Aligned with the democrats in every way.....but wanting it all to happen just a bit slower....

The Godfather म्हणाले...

"Ford was stupidest man ever to be President". Joe Biden says, "Hold my beer!"
And if you replace "man" with "person", we'll have to wait until the votes are in this year.

The Godfather म्हणाले...

I (sort of) met Rockefeller once. It was (probably) 1962, at a college in New England. Gov. Rockefeller had been invited by some group to give a speech, and the Republican Club (I guess) invited members (including me) to a reception for him. Somehow I ended up in the crush of a huge crowd within a couple of feet of "The Governor". He was supposed to be working the crowd and answering questions, but NO ONE COULD SEE HIM if they were more than a few feet away. (The internet says Rocky was 5'10 1/2". That would make him 2" taller than me at the time. NOT WITHOUT LIFTS! I was there!)
But here's what impressed me. In this huge crowd of people surrounding him, Rockefeller somehow spotted a chair; he reached through the throng, grabbed the chair, jumped up on it and proceeded with the reception from that position, where everyone could see and hear him.
And, Kamala, he didn't even have a teleprompter!

tim in vermont म्हणाले...

Makes me like him more.

tim in vermont म्हणाले...

Yeah, as governor, he governed as pretty much a Democrat, except on cultural issues.