Former Wisconsin Governor Was a Designated Survivor
On Wednesday night I found my new television obsession. ABC's "Designated Survivor" with Keifer Sutherland. Did you know that a former governor from Wisconsin was one too?
Wisconsin's former governor and then cabinet secretary to President George W. Bush, Tommy Thompson, was a designated survivor while the President addressed a joint session of congress.
Governor Thompson told ABC7 that "I was absolutely shocked and somewhat upset that I was going to become the designated survivor."
The governor was taken to a secret government location in a mountain where he said it was all set up to run run country in case there was a disaster like that on the television show.
In fact, he said that after 9/11 had happened and up until January of 2012 Vice President Dick Cheney was adamant that at least one or two cabinet secretaries had to spend a weekend at that very same location.
Gov. Thompson found out later that he wasn't the only designated survivor that night. Vice President Dick Cheney was also taken to a secret bunker.
Although the ABC show is pure fiction, the reality of this position isn't a joke to our government. It's a scenario that officials train for.
Wow! Who knew all of this was going on behind the scenes.
I hope and pray we never have to use the designated survivor, but I thank God our forefathers thought long and hard about what to do when or if someone tries to take out our leader of the free world.
For now, I'll just stick to watching the show and rooting for Tom Kirkman (Keifer Sutherland's Character), to be the voice of reason in our country's perilous time.