Era of the New Majority

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2019

Kentucky

KY-Gov: A gain for Republicans, as US Rep. Thomas Massie defeats Jack Conway in a long, acrimonious and expensive (by Kentucky standards) campaign. Rand Paul's political network largely helps swing the campaign in Massie's direction late in the race, with the GOP capitalizing on high unemployment and anemic growth in the Bluegrass state and pitching Massie as a bold, reformist agent of change who can become the first Governor to enact a "Paulist" agenda. R+1.

KY Row Officers: All is not bad for Democrats, however, as Attorney General Andrew Beshear and Treasurer Dan Grossberg are reelected to a second term and Adam Edelen is elected Secretary of State, replacing Allison Lundergan Grimes. Ag Commissioner and Auditor fall to moderate, inoffensive Republicans, however.

[KingSweden]

Some quick analysis of the 2019 off-years:

Kentucky: Obviously a huge win for Rand Paul, as one of his proteges in the House knocks off a sitting Democratic Governor in his home state a mere two-and-a-half months before Iowa. It's a big win for his brand of libertarian conservatism, too, in that no Paulite Governor has ever been elected before. Massie's campaign was one based largely on conservative platitudes and borrowed heavily from the statewide infrastructure in place from both sitting Senators, and was backed by the coal industry and large outside groups including both the Koch network and more establishment-oriented figures. With the KY House still run by Democrat Greg Stumbo, how much of Massie's agenda can be passed is unclear.

Louisiana: The budget mess left over by Bobby Jindal continues to haunt David Vitter, who despite a competent, low-controversy first term is still hobbled in his attempts to make Louisiana a more competitive state and prevent the continued out-migration by rural and suburban whites. Democrats capitalize on frustration with the state's leadership, and despite not dislodging any of the statewide officeholders make gains back with old-fashioned Blue Dogs in Acadiana-area seats and in term-limited safe seats elect a swath of young, liberal legislators for the most part under the age of 40. The question asked by many, including the influential Landrieus, is whether this bench can be competitive in future statewide elections and where exactly they're going to go with Cedric Richmond showing no signs of retiring.

Mississippi: Outside of Jim Hood, indestructible as always, Republicans continue to press their majority in America's most conservative state. The competent, likable Tate Reeves wins a landslide and carries the GOP into even larger majorities in both houses of the state legislature. Good feelings in the sports-obsessed state over Ole Miss' national championship and an Elite Eight run by the Mississippi State basketball team are said to help the incumbents, too. Reeves outlines a program to bring manufacturing, research and "21st-century jobs" to the economically suffering state, indicating a much more ambitious approach to governing than his ardently small-government predecessor showed.

New Jersey: Dual frustrations collide in New Jersey to cost the Democrats - an inability to fix the massive budget mess left by Chris Christie in quick fashion, tax hikes across the board, teacher's strikes, defaults by three municipalities and a poor economy. Steve Fulop gives a press conference accepting the results of the election and promises to work to make the state more competitive. It should be noted that despite losing ten seats Democrats still control the House by a healthy margin, so policy-wise the results are not a disaster, but local Dems are still worried that the young, less-than-charismatic Fulop might be in over his head and see a Tom Kean run in 2021 as potentially disastrous for the party.

Virginia: The opposite effects are odd in Virginia - Dick Black was obviously no longer acceptable to his diversifying district and the Hampton Roads-area successor to Frank Wagner, retired Commander John Angier (fictional), was surprisingly strong. Virginia's strong economy and decently popular Governor Herring was not enough to take care of incumbents in gerrymandered House districts in an off-off-year election that beefs up the Democratic majority in the Senate to avoid Lt. Gov. Perriello's need for a tiebreaker and yet strengthens the Republican grip on the House of Delegates. A status quo election for the ages.

[KingSweden]

Quick aside I forgot to do on the October update: New Zealand defeats Australia to win the 2019 Rugby World Cup and wins its first WC outside of NZ, and is the first nation to attain three World Cup trophies.

[KingSweden]

November 2019: Polling shows Pence and Paul neck-and-neck in both Iowa and New Hampshire, with Paul's resources in the Hawkeye State more advanced than Pence's but Pence appealing better to the social and business conservatives in the state. Rubio starts to focus his resources less on IA and SC and more on NH, NV and FL, while Haley goes all-in in her home state in SC as her campaign starts to flag. Clinton faces no primary challengers and leads all of her GOP opponents in most polls, with Pence coming closest in Midwest states and Rubio coming closest in states like Colorado, Florida, Virginia and North Carolina. The NY Dem scandal continues to spread, with Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul now coming under scrutiny. The first Congressional scalp is taken as Adriano Espaillat announces he will not seek reelection in 2020 in order to fight his charges. Velazquez, on the other hand, strikes a defiant tone.

November 2019 (continued): The right-wing PiS under Jaroslaw Kaczynski wins a minority government in Poland after twelve years out of power. Ewa Kopacz resigns as leader of the Civic Platform, with Radek Sikorski seen as likely to take over. The Russian protests continue, with violence accompanying the demonstrations. A string of bombings shake Cairo, the first terror attacks in Egypt in decades. Worldwide rain and snow levels are higher than in previous years, boding well for water levels in the spring.

[KingSweden]

December 2019: A strong jobs report belies concerns of a weak economy, which showed improved growth in Q3 and the holiday season is moderately strong for overall sales. Pence's hopes in Iowa are struck a blow when Bob Vander Platts endorses Rand Paul instead of him, citing his backtracking on 2015's RFRA as the catalyst for his decision. The polling continues to show the two front-runners neck-and-neck, with Rubio in third. 2019 ends as one of the most unproductive years in Congressional history, with the narrow Senate and House majorities unable to pass many bills over the objections of more conservative members. The other shoe drops in New Jersey as Chris Christie is indicted for multiple counts of bribery and corruption after years of investigations into various staffers and close political allies.

Tragedy for fans of conservative talk radio, as Rush Limbaugh dies at 68 years old. Obituaries and editorials reflect on his impact on the medium of political talk radio, movement conservatism, the rightward shift of the Republican Party, and the influence of conservative media in general on politics. More partisan obituaries hail him as a truth-telling icon on the right, and most liberal-leaning pundits who inveigh on his passing have few kind things to say. It is definitely the story of the month in the United States.

December 2019 (continued): Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl has died at 89. He is the last of the major Western Reagan-era "Cold Warriors" to pass away, besides Brian Mulroney. He is eulogized in Berlin by Angela Merkel, who says in her address, "It is only because of Kohl's efforts not only to topple the Soviet empire but also reunify Germany that he is buried today not in Bonn, but in Berlin." President Clinton and Secretary of State Feingold both travel to his funeral. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI passes away on New Year's Eve in Rome. A Korean Air 747 crashes in the Pacific Ocean, killing all 437 people onboard. It is one of the worst airline accidents in history.

And now, for Sports: New York City FC, led by global soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, wins the MLS Cup over the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 to earn their first-ever title. Chelsea FC cruises to an easy win in the FIFA Club World Cup, drubbing Santos 4-0 in the final.

In college football, sophomore Texas running back Kenny Shines edges out previous year's winner Shea Patterson of Ole Miss, Jacob "Skinny" Eason of Georgia and LSU running back Dylan Moses. Shines wins after putting together his second consecutive 2,000+ rushing season, with 25 rushing touchdowns and three touchdown receptions on a total of 200 passing yards to put together one of the most impressive statistical seasons in history by a non-quarterback.

[KingSweden]

College Football Playoff: 2019-20

The Non Playoff Bowls

2019 Cotton Bowl: 11-1 LSU faces Florida State in the Cotton Bowl. Tigers running back Dylan Moses, the fourth-place Heisman vote-getter, rushes for 215 yards and three touchdowns as the Tigers defeat FSU 34-14.

2019 Orange Bowl: ACC Champion North Carolina faces Colorado State, the Group of Six invitee. UNC, in its first-ever New Year's Six appearance, wins easily, 31-16, over the overmatched Rams.

2020 Rose Bowl: Pac-12 North Champion Oregon faces 10-2 Notre Dame in the Rose Bowl, the first time the Irish have ever played in the storied bowl game. Despite jumping out to a 17-3 lead at halftime, Oregon melts down in the third quarter as the Irish score 28 unanswered points behind redshirt freshman Jamal Black en route to a 38-24 victory to earn the school its first New Years Six win and the Rose Bowl Trophy.

2020 Sugar Bowl: Georgia, coming off of a heartbreaking last-minute loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Championship Game, takes its frustrations out on Oklahoma, making its first New Year's Six appearance. Skinny Eason throws for six touchdowns and 471 yards to thump the Sooners in a 58-17 drubbing, one of the worst losses in OU bowl history. There are whispers after the game that Bob Stoops is debating retirement.

[Türkisblau]

VA Dems hold on, Christie indicted, and Limbaugh dies?

Liking this TL so far!

[KingSweden]

College Football Playoff 2019-20

The Playoff Bowls

2019 Peach Bowl: No. 2 and defending national champion Ole Miss faces No. 3 Texas, pitting the last two Heisman champions against each other. The Longhorns upset the heavily-favored Rebels, with Kenny Shines rushing for 117 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores in the second half to pace Texas to a 21-16 win capped with a late-game interception of Shea Patterson at the five yard line. It is Patterson's last collegiate game.

2019 Fiesta Bowl: No. 1 Ohio State heads to Glendale to face Pac-12 Champion No. 4 Arizona State. The Buckeyes, led by freshman sensation running back Jordan Carrington, blows out the Sun Devils 28-7 to head to their third CFP Final.

College Football Playoff Championship: Ohio state faces Texas in Miami for the championship. The game pits Urban Meyer (OSU) against his former defensive coordinator at Florida, Charlie Strong (Texas). In a duel of running backs, the late-emerging Carrington upstages the superstar Shines as the Buckeyes win 38-27 in a back-and-forth effort blown open by a late OSU interception return to seal the win. With the win, the Ohio State Buckeyes are the 2019 national champions. It is the school's ninth national championship and is the fourth won by head coach Urban Meyer including his two at Florida.

[KingSweden]

2019-20 NFL Playoffs

NFC

Wild Card Round

(6) Los Angeles Rams vs. (3) Philadelphia Eagles

The Rams travel to Philadelphia to face the NFC East champion Eagles. LA quarterback Brett Hundley leads the Rams to a win in a shootout with the JT Barrett-led Eagles, winning in overtime 45-42 after one of the wildest playoff games in recent memory.

(5) Minnesota Vikings vs. (4) Green Bay Packers

The Vikings win a big one in Lambeau Field as they take down an aging Aaron Rodgers and his vaunted Pack Attack, which has the NFL's best offense in 2019 but a hole-filled, injured defense. Teddy Bridgewater narrowly guides Minnesota to a 21-17 win in Green Bay.

Divisional Round

(1) Seattle Seahawks vs. (6) Los Angeles Rams

The Rams head to CenturyLink, where they are the only team to defeat Seattle all season. Hundley cannot repeat the feat twice, however, as the Seahawks bludgeon the Rams 35-10 en route to their sixth NFC Championship game this decade.

(5) Minnesota Vikings vs. (2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minnesota once again upsets a favored home team by defeating Tampa Bay in a rainstorm 14-10 in an ugly, penalty-and-turnover filled game. Bridgewater, despite throwing four interceptions and losing one of his two fumbles, leads Minnesota on a late game-winning drive in the fourth quarter to send the Vikings to their first NFC Championship game in ten years.

NFC Championship Game

The Vikings over-performance of a postseason ends in Seattle, as the Seahawks pace themselves to a 27-17 win over the Vikings, with Russell Wilson throwing two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

With the win, the Seattle Seahawks are the 2019 NFC Champions! It is their fifth NFC title in a decade and sixth all time, all of them post-2005. They are headed to Super Bowl LIV in New Orleans.

[KingSweden]

2019-20 NFL Playoffs

AFC

Wild Card Round

(3) Los Angeles Raiders vs. (6) Houston Texans

The Raiders, in a rematch of the previous year's AFC Championship game, defeat Houston 28-19 in a hard-fought game in which Derek Carr throws two touchdowns but also three interceptions to keep the Texans in the game much longer than necessary.

(5) New England Patriots vs. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers, led by rookie QB Jake Browning, see their terrific season end as the Patriots, led by Will Grier, come to Heinz Field and defeat them 30-14, with Grier a perfect 4 TDs, 0 INTs and close to 300 yards passing despite inclement conditions.

Divisional Round

(2) Miami Dolphins vs (3) Los Angeles Raiders

In a 70s throwback playoff game, the Dolphins, led by NFL MVP Ryan Tannehill, blow out the Raiders 38-16, with the Miami defense terrorizing Derek Carr all game. It is the first playoff victory for Miami since 2000.

(1) Indianapolis Colts vs. (5) New England Patriots

Andrew Luck's offense and the rabid Colts defense proves too much for the Patriots, who despite a neck-and-neck first half lose to Indy 31-24 in the end, with Luck's late TD pass to TY Hilton proving the decisive score and vaulting them back into the AFC Championship game, their fifth since 2009.

AFC Championship Game

In a massive upset, the Miami Dolphins defeat Andrew Luck and the Colts at home in Lucas Oil Stadium, with Luck throwing two interceptions late in the game to prevent a comeback and Miami holding fast on a goal-line stand in the closing seconds to preserve their 28-21 win.

With the win, the Miami Dolphins are the 2019 AFC Champions! It is their first trip to the Super Bowl since 1983 and marks the triumphant conclusion to a 12-4 regular season with an AFC East championship and NFL MVP award for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

[KingSweden]

January 2020: It's a new decade! TIME Magazine names Angela Merkel as it's "Person of the Decade" for her stewardship over the EU and her numerous reforms. Hillary Clinton's promise to combine the Department of the Interior with the Department of Energy is complete, with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) coming into effect on January 1st. Mark Udall resigns as head of Interior that same day, keeping Heather Wilson on going forward. A fierce snowstorm rocks the Northeast, shutting down travel for several weeks.

January 2020 (continued): Mass protests rock Spain after a Constitutional Convention there collapses once again and the ERC in Catalonia begins to agitate for an independence referendum. The Australian Liberal-National Coalition under Turnbull is defeated by Bill Shorten's Labor, which wins a majority government of 82 seats, much fewer than it was predicted to win. A cruise ship capsizes in Canada, with all passengers surviving as they flee to lifeboats.

[Maxwell]

Iowa Caucus? The suspense man...

[KingSweden]

2020 Iowa Caucuses

Mike Pence 27%
Rand Paul 22%
Nikki Haley 19%
Marco Rubio 14%
Greg Abbott 10%
Ted Cruz 8%

The surprise of the night is Nikki Haley beating out Marco Rubio for third place and is seen as a major blow to Rubio's campaign. Pence winds up beating out Paul by more than expected and is immediately seen as cementing his frontrunner status just a month after social conservatives endorsed Paul over him in retaliation for his backing down on RFRA in 2015.

In his victory speech in Des Moines, Pence thunders, "We showed what we could achieve here in Iowa! We showed that we can put together a message that works, a message about the terrific idea that is a conservative America!"

Haley, the real big winner of the night, gives a widely-panned speech from Sioux City with several line flubs, an awkward hug with two of her campaign aides and a rambling list of thank-yous to obscure county officials. It is compared to 2004's infamous "Dean Scream," though obviously not as made for TV.

Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz both announce they are dropping out, Abbott from Cedar Rapids that night and Cruz from Texas two days later after a 48-hour "assessment."

[KingSweden]

Super Bowl LIV

February 2, 2020

Super Bowl LIV is hosted in the Louisiana Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. It is the record 11th time that New Orleans has hosted. The game's big hype storylines include the long-moribund Dolphins making their first Super Bowl in 35 years, the Seahawks appearing in their fifth Super Bowl in seven seasons, New Orleans hosting the game again after several classics have been hosted there, Russell Wilson aiming to become the first black member of the "four-ring club," and the potential for the Seahawks to become the first back-to-back champions since 2003/04, an opportunity denied them five years earlier in Glendale.

The night before the big game, the NFL Awards are given out:

MVP: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
Offensive Player of the Year: Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Watt, DE, Houston Texans
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jake Browning, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Kahlil McKenzie, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
Comeback Player of the Year: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
Coach of the Year: Teryl Austin, Miami Dolphins

The Game

The Seahawks win the opening coin toss and go on to a 80-yard touchdown drive behind RB Lache Seastrunk, who punches it in from the four yard line. Three plays later, Ryan Tannehill tosses an interception that is returned 61 yards by CB Omar Bolden for another score, putting the Seahawks up 14-0 a mere five minutes into the first quarter.

The rest of the first quarter is scoreless, and the Seahawks add a 34-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka at the beginning of the second period to go up 17-0. Miami manages a field goal one drive later, but Seattle quickly strikes back when Russell Wilson throws two long passes to rookie WR Van Jefferson, who scores on one of them. The half ends with a 24-3 deficit.

The halftime show features Lady Gaga and some of the most impressive pyrotechnics in Super Bowl halftime history. It is widely regarded as one of the better shows in the last quarter-century.

Miami opens the second half with a long kick return, but a holding call and bad misfire on a Tannehill pass towards Christian Kirk sets the Dolphins back and they miss their field goal attempt. Seattle returner Jefferson runs the ensuing punt back for a 61-yard TD, the first-ever punt return for a touchdown in a Super Bowl and the longest punt return in the history of the game, both records for Jefferson. With a 31-3 score, Seattle slows down their passing attack and mostly feeds the ball to veteran RBs Seastrunk and Mark Ingram. Miami throws an endzone interception to Earl Thomas early in the fourth quarter and the Seahawks capitalize when Ingram takes off on a 45-yard TD run late in the quarter as a gassed Dolphins defense visibly quits on the play. It is the last score of the game.

The game ends 38-3 and the Seahawks have won their fourth championship under Pete Carroll, and their second straight. The Super Bowl LIV title is the culmination of a 14-2 campaign by Seattle. Rookie receiver Van Jefferson is named the MVP of the game with his 117 receiving yards and 89 return yards, with two TDs total. He is the first winner of the award to be a rookie. With Jefferson's win, every one of Seattle's four Super Bowl wins has had a different MVP winner.

[KingSweden]

New Hampshire Primary

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Marco Rubio 32%
Rand Paul 31%
Mike Pence 20%
Scott Walker 11%
Others 7%

A huge win for Rubio, who in the final two weeks between Iowa and New Hampshire campaigns almost exclusively in the Granite State, doorbelling frantically as Pence fades suddenly in the state. Expected to be a narrow contest between Pence and Paul, Rubio's Clintonesque surge in the state upends the Republican contest and makes the scramble for South Carolina on February 18 and Nevada/Florida on February 25 that much more crucial.

[KingSweden]

South Carolina Primary

February 18, 2020

Mike Pence 27%
Marco Rubio 24%
Rand Paul 23%
Nikki Haley 20%
Others 6%

A huge win for Pence in the state of South Carolina, where he boxes out the hard-charging Rubio and manages to fend off Paul. Several SC politicians eschew endorsing Haley, which sinks her in her home state and she withdraws from the contest less than a month after her surprise performance in Iowa, embarrassed by a fourth-place finish in her native SC. The rest primary is essentially a three-way battle now between Pence, Paul and Rubio, as Walker suspends his campaign and endorses Pence in the ensuing days.

[KingSweden]

February 2020: Less than a year after retiring from politics, Joe Biden passes away at his condo in Wilmington. He lies in state in the Capitol Rotunda and dies as one of the most accomplished politicians of his era - 36 years in the Senate, a two-term vice President and a short stint as Secretary of State, and is credited with forcing the Democratic Party leftwards on gay marriage and helping make it a mainstream position in politics. He was 77 years old and is eulogized by President Clinton, former President Obama, John Kerry, former Senator Tom Carper, Senators Mitch McConnell, Chris Coons and John Carney, and his son, Delaware Governor Beau Biden.

February 2020 (continued): Former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark dies the day before Quebec's budget is defeated and Premier Phillipe Couillard calls an election for the first week of April. Riots continue in Russia as government-backed militia groups attack protestors as the destabilization spreads beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg. Snap elections are called in Japan for mid-April.

[KingSweden]

Nevada Primary

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Rand Paul 32%
Mike Pence 28%
Marco Rubio 25%
Others 15%

Florida Primary

(Same Day)

Marco Rubio 38%
Mike Pence 31%
Rand Paul 26%
Others 5%

This is the moment when the race truly becomes a three-way affair between Mike Pence, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio, with Paul and Pence being seen as having the advantage even though Paul has only won one primary due to his support with fiscal conservatives. Pence's broader appeal, especially with Cruz and other more right-wing figures out of the race, is seen as putting him slightly ahead of Rubio, who has not impressed despite ample opportunity.

[KingSweden]

March 2020: In a campaign-style event, Hillary Clinton celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the passage of the ACA. Since its passage, the uninsured rate is only 6%, costs have levelled off (and decreased in some states with lower numbers of senior citizens) and is regarded in most corners as fairly successful, though the gradual shift away from employer plans and the rising cost of the best insurance plans are still identifiable flaws. Republican rhetorical attacks on the law have decreased as well. In Kentucky, State Rep. Adam Koenig wins a special election to Governor Massie's seat.

Super Tuesday!: Mike Pence leaps back into the front of the race after winning the Washington caucus the weekend before Super Tuesday (Rand Paul wins the one in Maine) and then dominates Super Tuesday, winning all but one state, Vermont, which is also won by Rand Paul. By placing first in most states, he gets the biggest proportional allocations and wins several winner-take-all contests, like Virginia, Idaho and Michigan. After getting shutout a mere two weeks after his win in home-state Florida, Rubio debates dropping out of the race, but decides to stay in into the next "mini-Super Tuesday" in early April, when ten states hold primaries on the same day.

March 2020 (continued): Podemos announces it does not have the confidence of its constitutional commission and calls a snap election amidst a mediocre economy. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden announces his intention to abdicate the throne in order to retire and allow his daughter, Victoria, to become queen in his stead, citing health issues and his already lengthy reign. George Osborne embarks on a Cabinet reshuffle which nearly results in a caucus revolt after he sacks several ministers popular with right-wing backbenchers.

[KingSweden]

April 2020: With "mini-Super Tuesday" being split roughly between Pence and a still-surviving Rand Paul, Rubio chooses to drop out and surprises many by endorsing Pence rather than his Senate colleague Paul. Pence continues to clean up with both establishment types impressed by his gubernatorial record and SoCons who lack a better option and are wary of Paul. The math for Paul to upset Pence in the final month of primaries is becoming very difficult.

April 2020 (continued): Japan's government survives despite being returned with a significantly reduced government as the sclerotic opposition forms the "List for Japan," a joint campaign list meant to unseat the LDP. Though they fail, they give Sanae Takaichi's government a big scare just three months before the Tokyo Olympics. In Spain, Podemos loses a majority and an awkward unity government is formed between Citizens and the People's Party, with Albert Rivera leading a diverse Cabinet meant to solve the suddenly critical constitutional crisis, with Catalan nationalists threatening a formal Universal Declaration of Independence by December 1st if their concerns have not been addressed. The Podemos government, lasting less than eighteen months, is one of the shortest-lived in Spanish history.

And now, for Sports: The Texas Longhorns win their first-ever NCAA Men's national championship for basketball, in Delta Airlines Stadium in Atlanta. The Longhorns, lead by freshman standout Cory Fox, defeat the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71-67 in a hard-fought final. The Longhorns defeated Michigan State in their semifinal, while Gonzaga defeated Kentucky in theirs. The tournament is notable as it features, in its first weekend, the first-ever upset by a 16-seed over a 1-seed when Wisconsin-Milwaukee defeats North Carolina in overtime, one of the most monumental upsets in the history of the sport.

[NeverAgain]

The tournament is notable as it features, in its first weekend, the first-ever upset by a 16-seed over a 1-seed when Wisconsin-Milwaukee defeats North Carolina in overtime, one of the most monumental upsets in the history of the sport.

Go Milwaukee!

[KingSweden]

Quebec provincial election, 2020

A monumental election in Quebec history, as the NDP wins a commanding majority to form the government for the first time in Quebec's history. The NDP campaign, run by both media-savvy youngsters and veterans of the NDP federal campaigns of 2011 and 2015, focuses on the simple catchphrase from 2018 that netted them the opposition - "An Alternative," or in French, "Un Alternativ". Led by Pierre Ducasse again, the NDP capitalizes on budget cuts and unpopular pension reforms by the Liberals and zeroes in on the "sovereigntist obsession" of the PQ. The mediocre economy in Quebec benefits the opposition, despite fears that a split of the left-wing vote between the PQ and NDP will lead to another Liberal government.

In a leadership debate, Ducasse states boldly, "For those who are progressives but are frightened by the idea of another referendum, you have an alternative to the Liberals. For those of you who are worried about budgets that cut benefits to teachers, to firemen, to hard workers all around Quebec, but do not want to relitigate the past, you have an alternative to the PQ. For those of you who are tired of the same excuses in Quebec City, who feel alienated by a permanent political class that have been fighting the same battles for fifty years, instead of fighting your battles, you now have an alternative."

The debate pushes NDP over 40% in many polls and they win one of the most commanding landslides in decades, earning 87 seats, a net gain of 43. The NDP has gone from 0 to 87 seats in the span of 18 months and two elections, one of the fastest rises to power in Canadian history. The Liberals lose a net of 25 seats, the PQ drops 10, and the CAQ loses 8 and loses official party status and is at risk to completely disband. The election is powered by left-wing Francophones abandoning the PQ over their frustration with the sovereignty debate, CAQ seats being snatched up by conservative Liberals, and centrist and left-leaning Anglophones ditching the anemic Liberals.

Final seat totals:

NDP: 87
Liberal: 29
PQ: 7
CAQ: 2

Post-election analysis remarks that this is very, very bad news for Justin Trudeau's government, due for an election in October of 2021, and there are the first murmurs of a leadership challenge to Trudeau after 4.5 up and down years in charge of Canada. The National Post reports that Trudeau may turn his focus to Quebec in the next eighteen months, and replace some Cabinet ministers including the unpopular Finance Minister Scott Brison.

[OnlyAlb]

Pence should choose Tim Scott as his running mate. I feel like that would be a strong ticket, though I'm predicting Hillary clings on.

[KingSweden]

May 2020: Mike Pence wins enough delegates to secure the 2020 Republican Presidential nomination. He will be formally nominated at the RNC in Dallas. He is regarded as the most unifying candidate in the GOP since Reagan, sporting establishment credentials, credibility with grassroots conservatives and the Religious Right, and is fairly savvy on foreign policy. Campaign activists credit him with running a positive campaign and holding back from attacking the character of his opponents, but are concerned that some of his more conservative views will not translate to a general electorate. Drought conditions from the year before have subsided, though seven states still have mandatory water restrictions in place. GDP and employment numbers are adjusted, showing more positive growth in Q4 of '19 and in Q1 of '20 than were initially reported, and the unemployment rate is back under 6.5%.

May 2020 (continued): Concerns over political violence in Spain spread after a protest in the Basque Country is attacked by men with Molotov cocktails and the police teargas several protestors. Prime Minister Rivera addresses the European Council, imploring them to lend their hand to help solve the suddenly flashpoint constitutional crisis in his country. China announces that it has cut its annual growth projection to only 3.2%, its slowest in years and signalling that the nascent global recovery after the recession of 2018/19 may be in trouble. Mateo Renzi, with the economy growing at moderate pace in Italy and still making structural reforms, states that he will not call elections before they are due in early December, standing by his promise to serve out at least one full term.

And now, for Sports: Chelsea FC and Manchester United face one another in an all-English Champions League final, with Chelsea having defeated Atletico Madrid to get there and Man U having beaten PSG. In Olympiastadion in Berlin, Chelsea defeats Man U 1-0 in a rematch of the 2008 final, with Eden Hazard scoring the lone goal of the match. Chelsea thus becomes the first and only team since the Champions League was formed to defend its European Cup.

And now, for Sports (continued): Chelsea is unable to defend its treble from the year before, however. Although they win the FA Cup for a third straight time, they fail to win their third straight Premier League title when Liverpool wins their final eight games to surge into first and end ahead of Chelsea on the table by two points. Had Chelsea won, they would have earned an unprecedented back-to-back treble. It is Liverpool's first Premier League championship since 1990, and they are powered there by José Morales, who scores 41 goals over the course of the season and has already, in just a season and a half with the team, scored 74 goals total with the club. Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, defeats Man U in the League Cup final to take the other English trophy.

In continental soccer news, Tottenham wins the UEFA Europa League over Ajax, giving them their first European title since 1984, giving them a brace with their League Cup. Marseille wins Ligue 1, Inter Milan wins Serie A for the first time in a decade, Borussia Dortmund snaps the winning streak for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and Valencia wins La Liga by one point over Real Madrid.

[Maxwell]

How are general election polls generally looking?