Era of the New Majority

[KingSweden]

This TL's 400th post! w00t

How are general election polls generally looking?

I hadn't planned on doing a polling update, but per your request I'm happy to do one I suppose, after all, with the primaries over it may be appropriate to do a swing through the swing states.

[KingSweden]

Pre-convention Polling Update - General Election RCP Average

(No Decimals - rounded up to nearest whole number)

National Popular Vote

Hillary Clinton 49
Mike Pence 45
Undecided/Other 6

Virginia

Hillary Clinton 50
Mike Pence 44
Undecided/Other 6

New Hampshire

Hillary Clinton 48
Mike Pence 44
Undecided/Other 8

North Carolina

Hillary Clinton 47
Mike Pence 46
Undecided/Other 7

Georgia

Mike Pence 48
Hillary Clinton 47
Undecided/Other 5

Florida

Hillary Clinton 47
Mike Pence 47
Undecided/Other 6

Ohio

Hillary Clinton 48
Mike Pence 47
Undecided/Other 5

Iowa

Hillary Clinton 47
Mike Pence 46
Undecided 7

Colorado

Hillary Clinton 49
Mike Pence 47
Undecided 4

[KingSweden]

The Mike Pence Veepstakes

Who to choose? That is the question for Mike Pence and his campaign team as they move out of the primaries and towards the July convention. Pence, a socially conservative Midwestern governor, does not need a strong conservative to placate the base like John McCain or Mitt Romney did, but he also does not need a moderate like Rob Portman to completely prevent the establishment from abandoning him, like Ted Cruz four years ago. So who are the main options being considered by the Pence camp?

Florida Senator Marco Rubio

A primary opponent to Pence, Rubio would add geographic diversity, is over a decade younger than Pence, is Hispanic, is savvy on foreign policy (if not a little Cuba-centric) and is a staunch conservative who for a variety of reasons is well-liked by the establishment. The only drawback is the base's suspicion of his immigration reform efforts, but that was a long time ago and the GOP is more aware in 2020 than in 2013 of the need to reach out to Hispanic voters in crucial states. Rubio, who has been through two grinding elections in Florida already and acquitted himself will in the primary, would be the safest (and likeliest) choice for Pence.

South Carolina Senator Tim Scott

Scott would be first-ever African-American on a GOP ticket, which both makes him a fascinating possibility and unlikely, in that the GOP has little to gain in the black community by putting an arch-conservative like Scott alongside Pence, who probably needs someone only slightly to his right or left to balance his ticket out. Though the electoral benefits of a "home-state advantage" from running mates is dubious, Scott brings nothing to the table in coming from a safe GOP state like South Carolina, though in his favor is that he is not another right-wing white Southerner who would or could scare Northeastern and Midwestern moderates.

Nevada Senator Brian Sandoval

Sandoval brings several advantages - a moderate who is very popular with Hispanics due to his work on immigration and education reform, who had one-and-a-half successful years as Nevada governor, who has won one massive landslide in a state where he is wildly popular and has trended D in recent decades and two other strong elections, including defeating the Reid machine twice. Sandoval is a regular on Univision political talk shows and on the Sunday morning circuit, has developed a considerable network of donors and supporters in several states, and is the rare VP choice who could actually attract the support of a different demographic than Pence (and not in a Palinesque way). Doubts persist whether a pro-choice, pro-marriage equality moderate who penned the 2017 immigration overhaul could survive the scrutiny of a desperate but skeptical GOP base, though Pence's sterling social conservative record would probably give him cover.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul

An out-of-the-box choice, in that Pence and Paul clearly did not care for one another on the campaign trail and Paul is someone still met with hostility in many corners of the party. Paul could help Pence excite a younger, more-libertarian leaning segment of the electorate, but is an unlikely choice.

Former Ohio Governor John Kasich

Of all the former and current Midwestern Governors, Kasich would represent the best chance of a 1992-style "double down" on the ticket, as Scott Walker would probably divert attention from the ticket and offers nothing unique to Pence. Despite being 68 years old, Kasich has experience similar to Pence - in other words, in Congress and executive - and would certainly be ready to step in if something were to happen. Whether he's interested is another question.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst

Despite not endorsing anyone in Iowa, Ernst was widely viewed as favoring Rubio - who came through for her in her first Senate campaign and has been campaigning for her again this year - and Pence may not have forgiven her for not throwing her considerable network of conservative activists behind him, the long-putative frontrunner. Still, there are few female figures in the GOP that would give Pence the same kind of advantages like Ernst, in that Haley would be an awkward choice after the brutal primary and Susana Martinez seems to be enjoying retirement in New Mexico.

Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton

Another 2014er who is a rising star in the party, Cotton gives Pence a Southern voice and a firm knowledge of foreign policy and military matters, but Pence likely does not want a polarizing neoconservative leader on his ticket in an age when America is very tired of foreign entanglements, particularly as the wars in the Middle East are at a simmer rather than burn and Venezuela remains a disaster. Pence's moderate tone on foreign policy in the primary would make a Cotton tap for VP difficult to imagine.

[KingSweden]

June 2020: Congress heads for a long recess early, with minimal bills passed. This Congress is one of the most unproductive in memory, with Republicans viewed as hanging around in the hope that Clinton loses in November and they earn a trifecta. The Supreme Court upends old precedent requiring minority majority districts in many states under the VRA, stating instead that plurality-minority districts are sufficient to ensure representation of minority candidates. Clinton's campaign continues to thump Pence on the campaign stump, with many GOP-related Super PACs hitting congressional races rather than the Presidential level due to reservations over whether or not he can defeat the Clinton machine. Bill takes a much more backseat approach to the campaign this time around.

June 2020 (continued): European "Big Five" leaders Von Der Leyen, Fillon, Osborne, Renzi and Kaczynski meet to discuss the violence in Spain, particularly after four constables are ambushed and murdered in Barcelona. With violence in Venezuela slightly lessened, the US draws out 10,000 Marines from the peacekeeping force as part of a 35% reduction in UN forces as part of an interim agreement with Venezuelan oppositionists. In a major event that shakes the foundation of Italian politics, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dies at 83.

And now, for Sports: The Washington Wizards win their second straight NBA tournament and their third in four seasons as they defeat Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games. John Wall is named Finals MVP. It is the sixth straight season in which the Houston Rockets play in the Western Conference finals, having won only in one of their trips. In the NHL, the Maple Leafs fall short of a third straight Stanley Cup and 16th all time when they are ousted by the Detroit Red Wings in the Eastern final in a seven game series. The Wings go on to defeat the St. Louis Blues in a Midwest showdown to win their 12th Stanley Cup in a five game series.

[Mister Mets]

This has generally been an excellent well-realized timeline.

I might quibble with specific results, but sometimes parties in real life will have lucky breaks, and run the table (See the 2012 Senate races/ 2014 House races.) This is pretty effective at a What If? is supposed to do, looking at the consequences of certain outcomes. It just happens to be a possible tremendous period for Democrats.

[KingSweden]

This has generally been an excellent well-realized timeline.

I might quibble with specific results, but sometimes parties in real life will have lucky breaks, and run the table (See the 2012 Senate races/ 2014 House races.) This is pretty effective at a What If? is supposed to do, looking at the consequences of certain outcomes. It just happens to be a possible tremendous period for Democrats.

Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it and that there are blue avatars who like this, considering it has gone pretty well for Team D so far (it won't forever, not to give anything away).

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Group A

Spain
Croatia
Denmark
Ireland

In the opening game of the pan-European Euro '20, Denmark faces powerhouse Spain in Rome. Spain, behind Jesé, scores once in the opening half and then capitalizes on several Denmark mistakes in the second half to win a 1-0 slugfest. The game is marred when defensive midfielder Sergi Samper of FC Barcelona makes a declaration in a postgame interview supporting Catalonian sovereignty.

The other game pits Croatia against Ireland. Though Ireland scores first when Robbie Brady puts one in net on a defensive breakdown by Croatia at 18', Croatia's two star forwards Alen Halilovic and Mateo Kovacic each score once in the back half (51' and 61', respectively) to power Croatia to a 2-1 victory.

The next match sees Denmark face Ireland. Nicklas Bendtner scores twice for Denmark, but an absolutely dominant second half by Ireland captain Shane Long gives Ireland two goals when Long equalizes at 90'+1 to prevent a debilitating loss. Croatia, meanwhile, surprises most observers when they handle Spain, winning 1-0 when Kovacic embarrasses Samper in midfield and slips a short kick past David de Gea at 67' after a tied game. Isco and Jesé both fail to fire several attempts past Oliver Zelenika, who keeps a clean sheet with 15 defending kicks, including blocking two penalty kicks, making him the Man of the Match in one of the most impressive goaltending performances in Euro history.

In the final matches for Group A, Croatian midfielder Marko Pajac scores once and assists Halilovic to pace Croatia to a 2-0 win over the overmatched Denmark, which is eliminated. Ireland forward Shane Long scores early against Spain, but Isco scores at 72' to equalize and the game ends in a draw, guaranteeing Spain a spot in the next round and leaving Ireland waiting to see how other third-place teams do with low chances of advancing.

Standings for Group A:

Croatia 9
Spain 4
Ireland 2
Denmark 1

Goalscorers:

Long (Ireland) 3
Kovacic (Croatia) 2
Halilovic (Croatia) 2
Bendtner (Denmark) 2
Pajac (Croatia) 1
Brady (Ireland) 1
Isco (Spain) 1
Jesé (Spain) 1

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Group B

Germany
Russia
Slovakia
Belgium

Defending World Cup champion Germany faces Slovakia in its first group match and demolishes the overmatched opponent, winning 3-0 with goals by Thomas Müller, André Schürrle, and Max Meyer. In the other opening match, Belgium defeats Russia in St. Petersburg 2-0, with Eden Hazard and Adnan Januzaj both scoring goals at 50' and 57' after a scoreless first half.

The tournament's first big upset comes in the next group match, as Belgium avenges its 2018 semifinal loss to Germany in a 2-1 victory, with Januzaj and Romelu Lukaku each scoring in the first half. Julian Draxler scores an equalizer at 67', but Thibaut Courtois keeps out sixteen shots on goal as Belgium parks the bus in the last twenty minutes to hang on for a massive win. Russia, meanwhile, defeats Slovakia 2-1, as they overcome a Juraj Kucka score at 27' when Aleksandr Kokorin scores at 50' and then star midfielder Oleg Shatov scores at 73' to earn the win.

Belgium stumbles against Slovakia, only managing a draw with Juraj Kucka equalizing at 84' to make up for Hazard's 41' score. Germany defeats Russia 1-0, with the score coming from Meyer at 31' and the Germans keeping a clean sheet, with Russian mid Alan Dzagoev attempting six kicks in the last twenty minutes, including a penalty, that fail to get anywhere.

Standings:

Belgium 7
Germany 6
Russia 3
Slovakia 1

Goalscorers:

Hazard (Belgium) 2
Januzaj (Belgium) 2
Meyer (Germany) 2
Kucka (Slovakia) 2
Lukaku (Belgium) 1
Müller (Germany) 1
Schürrle (Germany) 1
Draxler (Germany) 1
Kokorin (Russia) 1
Shatov (Russia) 1

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Group C

France
Poland
Sweden
Scotland

In the first group game, France demolishes Scotland in Dublin, with Paul Pogba scoring the tournament's first and only hat trick (11', 51', 70') and Florian Thauvin adding a goal at 78' to win 4-0, the biggest win in the tournament. In the other group game, Sweden knocks out Poland 1-0, with Valmir Berisha scoring at 21' and Poland failing to capitalize on a late red card that leaves them up one man for close to twenty minutes after Sweden defender Filip Helander is ejected for punching Poland striker Robert Lewandowski.

In the next group game, France earns revenge for their 2016 exit against Poland by winning 1-0, with Thauvin scoring the winning goal at 55' after a scoreless first half. Sweden, meanwhile, defeats Scotland 1-0, with Gustav Engvall earning the winning goal at 40'.

Poland knocks out Scotland 2-0 behind two goals by Lewandowski, keeping Scotland completely scoreless in the tournament, the only team to fail to earn a single goal. France, meanwhile, defeats Sweden 2-1, scoring twice in a five-minute span on goals from Pogba and Benzema (51', 56') after Engvall puts Sweden in the lead at 39'. France wins the group and Sweden is second as a result.

Standings:

France 9
Sweden 6
Poland 3
Scotland 0

Goalscorers:

Pogba (France) 4
Thauvin (France) 2
Engvall (Sweden) 2
Lewandowski (Poland) 2
Benzema (France) 1
Berisha (Sweden) 1

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Group D

Netherlands
Austria
Romania
Portugal

The favored Netherlands are upset in their first game by Romania, which overcomes an early Memphis Depay score with a Florin Andone score at 46' and the go-ahead goal by Alexandru Maxim at 81'. Depay fails on a penalty kick at 88' to seal the victory for Romania. Austria, meanwhile, draws Portugal 0-0 in a rematch of their 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage match, with Portugal coming out of the game moderately well for playing their first international tournament without Cristiano Ronaldo since the 2002 World Cup.

Portugal faces the Netherlands and earns a 1-1 draw, with Bruma scoring early and Luuk de Jong equalizing at 80' to avoid a second straight loss. Austria, meanwhile, edges Romania 1-0 with a score by David Alaba at 63'.

In the final matches of the group stage, Romania draws Portugal 1-1, with Raul Rusescu scoring early (15') and Portugal staving off certain elimination thanks to Marcos Lopes scoring at 89' in a wild bicycle kick. The Netherlands, meanwhile, defeats Austria 1-0 with Depay coming through for the Oranje to throw the group into a difficult position.

Standings (based on goal differentials and head to head)

Romania 4 (3 for, 3 against: +0 GD)
Netherlands 4 (3 for, 3 against: +0 GD)
Austria 4 (1 for, 1 against: +0 GD)
Portugal 3

Goalscorers:

Depay (Netherlands) 2
Andone (Romania) 1
Rusescu (Romania) 1
Maxim (Romania) 1
De Jong (Netherlands) 1
Alaba (Austria) 1
Bruma (Portugal) 1
Lopes (Portugal) 1

Group E

Italy
Greece
Serbia
Czech Republic

In the opening game, Italy defeats Serbia 2-0 with Ciro Immobile and Marco Verratti each scoring once to pace Il Azzurri to a big first win. Czech Republic, meanwhile, knocks off Greece 1-0 behind Matej Vydra's penalty kick at 60'.

Next, Czech Republic draws Serbia 0-0 in a slugfest that involves in both teams getting reduced to ten men thanks to red cards in the second half. Italy knocks out Greece 1-0 behind a score by Alessandro Florenzi. A potential equalizer by Greece is controversially negated when Nikos Karelis is called offsides on his scoring play, a call which is dubious at best and incites a riot in Athens as Greece is effectively eliminated and Italy punches a spot in the next round.

Italy and Czech Republic are later accused of collusion when they play to a scoreless draw in the final round. Greece, meanwhile, defeats Serbia 2-1 with Samaris and Karelis each scoring in the back half, with Serbia preventing a total scoreless tournament when Lazar Markovic scores at 77'.

Standings:

Italy 7
Czech Republic 5
Greece 3
Serbia 1

Goalscorers:

Karelis (Greece) 2
Immobile (Italy) 1
Verratti (Italy) 1
Florenzi (Italy) 1
Vydra (Czech Republic) 1
Samaris (Greece) 1
Markovic (Serbia) 1

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Group F

England
Switzerland
Slovenia
Norway

The biggest matchup in this group is its first game, as England and Switzerland face off in Budapest. England, with scores by Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, is paced to a massive 2-0 win to put them in pole position in their group. Slovenia, meanwhile, drops a game to Norway, which wins 1-0 behind Martin Odegaard's first score in a European international tournament.

In the next game, Switzerland draws Slovenia 1-1, with Shaqiri scoring early only to see Kevin Kampl equalize at 85'. Norway, meanwhile, stuns the world by drawing England, with Stefan Johansen scoring at 50' to equalize after Danny Welbeck scores in the first five minutes.

In the last game, Switzerland tops Norway 1-0, with Shaqiri providing the lone goal again. England, meanwhile, overcomes a costly defensive error against Kampl early in the game to storm back with four goals in the back half (Kane 52', 57'; Can 69'; Sterling 80').

Standings:

England 7
Switzerland 4
Norway 4
Slovenia 1

Goalscorers:

Kane (England) 3
Sterling (England) 2
Shaqiri (Switzerland) 2
Kampl (Slovenia) 2
Can (England) 1
Welbeck (England) 1
Odegaard (Norway) 1
Johansen (Norway) 1

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

The four best third-place teams:

Poland (Group C)
Austria (Group D)
Greece (Group E)
Norway (Group F)

Leading to the following matchups in the knockout round:

Spain (A2) vs. Sweden (C2)

Romania (D1) vs. Greece (E3)

---

Belgium (B1) vs. Austria (D3)

England (F1) vs. Czech Republic (E2)

---

Italy (E2) vs. Netherlands (D2)

France (C1) vs. Norway (F3)

---

Croatia (A1) vs. Poland (C3)

Germany (B2) vs. Switzerland (F2)

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Knockout Round

Spain vs. Sweden

Despite heroics by Engvall and Berisha, Spain's talent proves too much for Sweden as de Gea keeps a clean sheet and Isco scores at 57' to pull ahead and win a gritty 1-0 game.

Romania vs. Greece

The two surprise teams of the tournament face off in Bilbao, where Romania's Florin Andone scores a goal (42') to power Romania past Greece 1-0, abetted when Greece loses one man to a red card and helping Romania park the bus in the back half.

Belgium vs. Austria

Austria's luck runs out in Brussels, where they get a poor draw and Belgium in front of an essentially home crowd. Hazard scores twice to continue his sterling tournament run as Belgium blitzes Austria 2-0, with Courtois blocking two penalty kicks by Alaba in the last fifteen minutes to preserve his clean sheet.

England vs. Czech Republic

Harry Kane continues his outstanding tournament as he scores on a penalty kick at 60' to put England ahead 1-0, which is the final score of the game.

Italy vs. Netherlands

Depay scores at 11', giving hope to Netherlands fans around the world, but Italy equalizes at 74' thanks to Verratti to head to extra time. After a scoreless extra time, we go to penalty kicks.

Italy:

Verratti GOOD
Immobile GOOD
Balotelli GOOD
Florenzi GOOD

Netherlands:

De Jong NO GOOD
Depay GOOD
Vilhenna NO GOOD

Italy wins on penalties to power their way to their fourth straight quarter-final.

France vs. Norway

Norway stands no chance as the French juggernaut overpowers it. Alexandre Lacazette scores a brace (27', 51') as Les Bleus win 2-0 to head into the quarterfinal.

Croatia vs. Poland

Poland does not make another miracle run, losing to Croatia 2-0 as Kovacic and Ivan Rakitic each score a penalty to lead Croatia to their third-ever quarterfinal.

Germany vs. Switzerland

Despite four shots on goal by Shaqiri, Germany overpowers the ragged Switzerland defense, with Müller and Meyer both scoring in the first half and Götze adding a third goal at 80' to lead Germany 3-0 past Switzerland and into the quarterfinal.

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Quarterfinals

Spain vs. Romania - Rome

After scoreless regular time, Diego Costa - subbed in just three minutes earlier for a ragged, tired Isco - scores at 114' to put Spain ahead over the surprisingly sturdy Romania, who keep the game close and take several shots at de Gea that are barely saved, earning the goaltender Man of the Match honors.

Belgium vs. England - Munich

England, hoping to play a semifinal in Wembley before their home fans, are defeated 1-0 by Belgium after a controversial no-call on an offside score against De Bruyne at 66' after a scoreless first half. Kane's penalty at 79' after being cleated by Hazard (who only gets a yellow card, in another controversy) is deflected off of the crossbar by Courtois and Emre Can fails to kick the ricocheting ball in after Jan Vertonghen jumps in front of his shot and deflecting it with his face, with his nose and jaw being broken in the process. Belgium advances to the semifinal for only the third time.

Italy vs. France - St. Petersburg

Immobile opens the scoring with a goal at 8', but France equalizes at 54' with Pogba putting it in net and sending the game to extra minutes. In extra time, substitute Anthony Martial scores at 110' against the tired Italy defense, giving France a 2-1 victory and sending them to the semifinals.

Germany vs. Croatia - Baku

A scoreless game heads into extra time, where Kovacic's try on goal is blocked by Der Stegen early on. Müller's penalty kick is deflected by Zelenika to send the game to penalty shots as a surprising scoreless draw.

Germany:

Schürrle GOOD
Meyer GOOD
Müller GOOD
Draxler NO GOOD
Hahn GOOD
Khedira GOOD

Croatia:

Rakitic GOOD
Kovacic GOOD
Rebic NO GOOD
Halilovic GOOD
Pjaca GOOD
Kramaric NO GOOD

As Andrej Kramaric's kick goes flying wide off of Der Stegen's gloves, Germany's players erupt in joy as they are within striking distance of their first European championship since 1996 and, with their two World Cup wins in the 2010s, are soon in the breath of greatest teams of all time.

[KingSweden]

UEFA Euro 2020

Semifinals

Spain vs. Belgium

Januzaj scores the only point of the game as Courtois keeps a clean sheet and Belgium knocks out Spain at Wembley to advance to their first Euro final in forty years and prevent Spain from playing in their third final in four European tournaments.

France vs. Germany

Two tired sides face off at Wembley, with France advancing as Germany's defense collapses after a scoreless first half. Thauvin scores the first goal at 67' and then Lacazette adds another goal at 80' to put France in the final after a 2-0 win against the gassed, exasperated Germans.

Final

France vs. Belgium

Again at Wembley Stadium, France faces a Belgium side that has gone from scrappy underdog to reviled heel after its controversial quarterfinal against England and its wild celebrations after defeating Spain. The game is tight until Eden Hazard scores at 52', putting Belgium in pole position. Paul Pogba scores an equalizer at 68', however, to put France in position to win as they sub out two defenders to go all-out against Belgium's sketchy defense. At 85', after nearly drawing a penalty against De Bruyne, Pogba manages to fire another ball past Courtois. At 90+3', Divock Origi fires a would-be equalizer past Hugo Lloris, put it is flagged offsides and so France is the 2020 UEFA European Champion! It is France's 3rd European title, tying them with Spain and Germany.

Best Player: Paul Pogba
Golden Boot: Paul Pogba

[KingSweden]

July 2020: The intense North American drought continues a third straight year, putting climate deniers in a tough bind - Mike Pence goes so far as to say in a campaign appearance in Florida that "obviously, something is going on with the climate. It is probably influenced by man, but I don't think it's exclusively caused by man. I think we're just a part of the problem, and I don't know what we can do to fix it." Pence is mocked for his efforts to equivocate. He moves on, though, by tapping Marco Rubio as his running mate at the RNC in Dallas. In what is seen as an effort to broaden the party's base, Senator Brian Sandoval (R-NV) gives the keynote address, and Colorado Governor Walker Stapleton introduces Rubio. Former Vice President Dan Quayle gives the introductory address for Mike Pence.

At the DNC in Columbus, OH, Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) gives the keynote address as President Clinton and Vice President Heinrich are nominated again. Senator Tim Keller introduces Heinrich, and President Clinton is introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton a night after her husband addresses the convention. Moulton's address is lauded (not at Obama '04 levels, though), and neither Clinton nor Heinrich's speeches are regarded very highly compared.

[KingSweden]

August 2020: The campaign continues in earnest, with Clinton's lead expanding slightly with a post-convention bump and the economy having almost completely recovered from the 2018/19 recession. Pence runs a much more competent campaign than many of his detractors within the GOP thought, and Rubio's presence on the ticket is seen as helping him in the crucial state of Florida. A Cat 5 hurricane, Cristobal, narrowly avoids the US seaboard, turning north before making landfall to move north, causing rain and wind in many coastal states but not the kind of intense damage that come from most hurricanes.

August 2020 (continued): George Osborne calls a leadership election after several right-wing backbenchers threaten to defect to the weakened but still-threatening UKIP. Mass protests continue in Catalonia as the local government promises a December referendum on staying in Spain. Italy's economic growth continues, now with stronger growth and lower unemployment than either France or Spain. Filipino opposition party members march in Manila over fuel subsidy cuts. Australian PM Bill Shorten announces a series of stimulatory measures, including a waiver on stricter zoning measures in cities, to juice the economy.

And now, for Sports: The Tokyo Olympics are a massive success. American sprinter Casey Warnock, 22, wins three gold medals - two individual and one as part of a relay team - to win the most individual medals of any person. In soccer news, Tottenham Hotspur defeats Chelsea FC for the UEFA Super Cup, with Harry Kane scoring two goals to win 2-1.

[KingSweden]

September 2020: The campaign continues, and Democrats start to have private conversations nervous over President Clinton's tired and haggard appearance. Pence begins to pour resources into Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Iowa in hopes of leveraging his Midwestern roots to flip Democratic-leaning local states. Hurricane Fay makes landfall in northern Florida as a Cat 4, causing billions in damage and killing 217 people. Clinton flies to Jacksonville, with her campaign briefly suspended, to visit with victims and volunteer her efforts. Rubio's late arrival to his home state (compared to Clinton, who was in Missouri) is widely panned, though in his defense his flight from North Carolina was delayed due to Fay-related storms.

September 2020 (continued): Another EU meeting is held in the hopes of staving off a Catalonian referendum that separatists are sure to win. A similar proposed referendum in the Basque Country is unlikely to materialize with moderate parties in charge there, though the ETA discusses re-initiating their armed campaign. Francois Fillon announces his intention to seek a second term in 2022. A clearly-ailing Vladimir Putin, potentially suffering from cancer, appears for the first time in two months on Russian state TV. Iranian opposition leaders begin a full-court press to elect another moderate in 2021, with Hassan Rouhani term-limited.

[KingSweden]

October 2020: The debates! In the first debate, Clinton is seen as besting Pence, giving quick, concise answers to questions and emphasizing her middle-class relief efforts, her successful winding down of several Drug War policies, her criminal sentencing reform, and the economic growth over the past year. Pence struggles initially but finds his footing late in the debate, emphasizing balanced budgets, promising tax reform for low-income Americans, and stating, "I am a firm believer in the Bible, but it is not my role as President to force my views on others." His wording is seen as an effort to move away from his reputation as a hardline social conservative.

In the second debate, Pence does much better in the town hall format, connecting with voters and clearly outperforming the stiff Clinton. The poll numbers tighten somewhat, though Clinton still remains slightly favored. In the Vice Presidential debate, Heinrich and Rubio are seen as tying, with Rubio doing better on foreign policy issues while Heinrich has better command of domestic policy, particularly on the environment, where he hammers Rubio on climate skepticism, saying, "We've seen three years of some of the worst droughts in history in my home state of New Mexico. You had one of the biggest hurricanes in a decade in Florida, Senator. For you to sit here and tell the American people that climate change isn't real is irresponsible and should disqualify you from the Vice Presidency."

In the third debate, Clinton performs better on foreign policy, pointing out that ISIS is essentially eradicated, Syria and Libya have quieted down, Russia's forays into Ukraine have nearly stopped and Venezuela is under control. Pence does not suggest he would do much differently outside of couched rhetoric.

October 2020 (continued): The Catalonian referendum is set two weeks before Christmas, over the strong objections of Spanish and European leaders who promise not to recognize it. Constitutional negotiations are cancelled by the Spanish government as a result. Basque, Scottish and Quebecois separatists are watching this unfold with a keen eye. Ukrainian soldiers recapture much of the Donbass after several underfunded Russian divisions abandon their posts after not receiving pay or good food for weeks. Mateo Renzi announces the election will be held on time the first week of December. India sees 10% growth in Q3 after a revised estimate.

And now, for Sports: The Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates in six games, becoming the first AL team to win a World Series since 2013 and winning their third-ever World Series pennant, and first since 1993. Matt Chapman is named World Series MVP.

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2020

(Again, this goes coast-to-coast, with the exception of Florida which I like to save close to last).

Maine

Presidential: Clinton improves on her totals from 2016, with Pence not being a good fit for Maine's electorate. She wins the statewide vote 56% to 40%, wins ME-1 62%-24%, and ME-2 53-45. Libertarian candidate Wayne Allyn Root does very well in the state, earning almost 5%.

ME-Senate: Democrats run Matt Dunlap against Susan Collins, actually managing to recruit a non-Some Guy/Girl candidate this time. Collins, as expected, cruises to reelection, winning by a comfortable 58-40 margin over Dunlap for a fifth term in the Senate.

ME-2: Troy Jackson survives once again, this time defeating Lawrence Lockman, an extremely controversial Republican who defeats two moderate Maine candidates in the primary after they split the vote. Jackson capitalizes on Lockman's unusually polarizing persona by winning many moderate Republicans, and even some conservative ones, to win 55-40, with an independent candidate netting close to 5%, Jackson's biggest win yet.

Maine Legislature: The Senate remains 18-17 GOP with no net changes. Democrats pick up two seats in the House to shift the numbers to 84-66-1.

Electoral Vote Count:

Clinton/Heinrich: 4
Pence/Rubio: 0

[Enderman]

(Again, this goes coast-to-coast, with the exception of Florida which I like to save close to last).

why do you have to do this to me!?

[KingSweden]

(Again, this goes coast-to-coast, with the exception of Florida which I like to save close to last).

why do you have to do this to me!?

Spite, mostly actually, the reason I do it that way is to not ruin the suspense of the election, with Florida carrying so many electoral votes. I suppose it only makes sense to do it this way with the Presidential elections, though.

[Maxwell]

Lol @ Wayne Allyn Root being the Libertarian Nominee.

[Enderman]

(Again, this goes coast-to-coast, with the exception of Florida which I like to save close to last).

why do you have to do this to me!?

Spite, mostly actually, the reason I do it that way is to not ruin the suspense of the election, with Florida carrying so many electoral votes. I suppose it only makes sense to do it this way with the Presidential elections, though.

Oh okay, that makes sense.

Wait... it hangs on Florida? Let's go 2000 redux!

[KingSweden]

United States elections, 2020

New Hampshire

Presidential: Clinton carries New Hampshire 56-42, giving New Hampshire five straight calls for the Democrat, an unprecedented streak in modern New Hampshire history. Root does pretty well here as well, capitalizing on Pence's social conservatism and his weak primary performance there.

NH-Senate: Jeanne Shaheen retires after two terms in the Senate. Though it is clear that her preferred successor is Ann McLane Kuster, Kuster declines to seek the nomination and instead two-term Governor Joe Foster runs instead, with US Rep. Donna Soucy declining to run in order to avoid a heated primary. Foster faces Chuck Morse in the general, and Foster wins in an uncomfortably narrow 52-48 result. D hold.

NH-Governor: With Foster vacating this seat, state Democrats give Kuster and Soucy first choice on a run. Kuster decides to return to New Hampshire and runs for Governor. Popular after four terms in Congress, Kuster does not attract series Republican opposition outside of former House Speaker Shawn Jasper. Jasper runs surprisingly close to Kuster, who had been at Safe D for most of the cycle, with Kuster winning 50-48.

NH-1: After passing on the Senate and the Governorship, Soucy faces State Senator Nancy Stiles of Hampton, a moderate who represents the most serious threat to Soucy since she arrived in Congress. The race is rated Pure Tossup for much of the cycle, and Soucy only narrowly wins 52-48 in a two-way race to hang on. D hold.

NH-2: Kuster retiring sets off a massive Democratic primary with five candidates jockeying for the seat. On the Republican side, State Senator Andy Sanborn faces State Rep. Joseph Sweeney, a 27-year old who was elected as a university student in 2012. Sanborn wins a narrow primary to face Jeff Woodburn, winner of the wild Democratic primary. In the D-leaning district and with top-ticket Democrats doing well, Woodburn defeats Sanborn 54-40, with a Libertarian associated with the Free State Project taking almost 5%.

NH Legislature: The Senate remains 13-11, GOP. In the House, Democrats take another sweeping majority, winning 30 seats to jump to a 225-158-16 majority, with Republicans losing 34 seats, with independent candidates seeing another strong performance.

Clinton/Heinrich: 8
Pence/Rubio: 0