Talk Elections

My ideas are that how would the US be if President Bush choked on the pretzel on January 14, 2002.

Then Dick Cheney would be president now. Pretty easy actually. What was the purpose of this?

The country would now be far worse off.

January 14,2002:George Bush sits alone while watching the Miami and Baltimore football game, 90 minutes into the game he choked on a pretzel, he stumbled and hit his head on the table, knocking him unconsious. First Lady Laura Bush came into the room after Barney was barking, she found President Bush unconsious and he wasn't breathing. The President was quickly rushed to the nearest hospital, where they tried for hours to resusitate him. At 10:16 PM, officially President Bush was dead. Vice President Dick Cheney had been at the hospital with the Bush family when the President died, at 11:01, Dick Cheney was sworn in at Washington Hospital Center by William Rehnquist, becoming the 44th President of the United States.

One of my ideas is that the stress put on new President Cheney leads him to not seek a official first term in 2004, leaving the Democrat and Republican tickets open.

March 20, 2003: The United States officially invades Iraq after much hype of weapons of mass destruction by President Cheney and his cabinet. The lead up to the war was mainly headed by Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Tom Ridge to disarm Iraq of such weapons that could attack the Eastern coast of America, many people did support the war in the beginning, but as time wore on and that no WM D's weren't found, it dawned upon the American people. President Cheney's aggressive way to the war led to major flare up of insurgency, Saddam Hussein was captured at the end of 2003, which was a short moment of joy but that would not last and the spotlight was back on the insurgency and the faltering administration.

June 18, 2003: a strange call to the White House about how President Cheney would die today. The secret service rushed Dick and Lynne Cheney to an undisclosed location for safe keeping. The threat was hollow and no attempt on the Presidents life happened but the stress had built in Dick Cheney, on June 23, 2003 he had a heart attack and was rushed to the nearest hospital. After a slow recovery, he announced he would not seek the Republican nomination in 2004, many Republican saw this as a suprise to them and they hurriedly began to search for a candidate.

The Democrats were pleased when President Cheney declined to run for the Republican nominee in 2004. The Democrats had Vermont Governor Howard Dean first come out as the first candidate and the official front runner, while Retired General Wesley Clark announced his candidacy on June 5Th, 2003 because of the recless handling of the Iraqi War, quickly becoming a favorite with many Democrats, he soon became the strong Antiwar, National Security candidate. John Kerry of Massachusetts went into the primary season with a small number of superdelegates and a medium sized number of endorsements in the states. Kerry pulled off suprising wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, but his number of endorsements and now with Dean digging up dirt on Kerry quickly stopping the Kerry camp in its tracks and nearly derailing his whole campaign. Wesley Clark would come out the winner in the Arizona primary and quickly be hailed as the new front runner, but the many upcoming primaries would show a close battle for the nomination between Dean, Clark and Edwards.

The first candidates for the Republican nominee were Florida Governor and brother to former President George Walker Bush, Jeb Bush sought to retake the White House for the Republicans and for his brother, Tom Ridge the incumbent Secretary of State sought the nomination as well. Newt Gingrich threw his hat into the ring to champion his views, one of the unexpected candidates was Alan Allard from Colorado and John Engler from Michigan. The first primaries showed unexpected winners, Iowa went to Allard and New Hampshire went to Ridge, Jeb Bush came in at second in both states but Jeb Bush won the next primary Missouri, while Allard won North Dakota, Gingrich surprisingly pulled from third to first in Oklahoma, the South Carolina primary would be a bitter and hard fought victory for Jeb Bush.

Mini Tuesday arrived for the Democrats on February 3rd, while Kerry had won Iowa and New Hampshire it couldn't save his campaign from flopping in Mini Tuesday. Clark pulled out victories in Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma, Dean picked up Delaware and John Edwards won Missouri and South Carolina. Kerry only won North Dakota, but came in second in several states. Kerry was nearly eliminated after but he continued to campaign and try for the nomination, but his momentum had dissipated now and Clark pulled a victory out of Michigan, Dean won Maine and Washington, becoming the frontrunner again.

Who became Cheney's VP and why isn't he running in 2004?

He doesn't have to pick a VP.

If you read in this timeline he has a heart attack because of the stress of being President, so that makes him change his mind about running in 2004.

The New Gingrich.  He's much better than the old one.

Sorry, didn't see the T was missing from the New Gingrich.

The Republican Super Tuesday was quickly approaching, with Ridge making a strong campaign which payed off for him in DC and Wisconsin but Tennessee went to Jeb Bush. Super Tuesday, the day had come and this would hopefully widdle down the candidates. Bush took California, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. Tom Ridge carried Minnesota, Vermont and Ohio while Newt Gingrich won his home state of Georgia, Maryland and in a four way battle he barley won Connecticut.

The delegate count is this

-Jeb Bush(469)
-Tom Ridge(201)
-Newt Gingrich(177)
-Alan Allard(60)
-John Engler(1)

Why shouldn't he? Wouldn't this be kind of odd? Since the respective amendment was passed there was always a new VP appointed when there was a vacancy in the office. And especially after Cheney's suffers a heart attack, there's a need for a successor.

The respective section in the 25th amendment says: "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress." Isn't the president obliged to nominate a VP?





No, I wanted to know who Cheney appoints VP after he became president and why this new VP isn't running in 2004.

Alright since there's been talk that President Cheney should have a VP, so here you go

June 28Th, 2003: Five days later after his heart attack, Dick Cheney decides that he needs a successor if he has another heart attack or any other thing that could lead to his death, his main choices are Bill Frist, Colin Powell, Dennis Hastert, other possibilities come out about Tom Ridge and Dick Armey but for now President Cheney must choose his possible successor.

Now here's the VP list, who do you like?
-Colin Powell
-Bill Frist
-Dennis Hastert
-Tom Ridge
-Dick Armey

July 5Th, 2003: One day after the fourth of July, President Cheney officially releases who he had chosen to be his Vice President, retired general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, a short while into the day Congress and the Senate ratify this, making Colin Powell the 47Th Vice President of the United States, in the end Vice President Powell wouldn't run in 2004, the same as what  Dick Cheney had said about himself not running on June 23rd.

Hey, it's your scenario. It just stroke me as odd that Cheney doesn't pick a VP himself since it seems the natural thing to do (according to the Constitution) when there's a vacancy in this office.

It's okay, I like a little critiquing here and there, I probably would make Colin Powell or Tom Ridge VP, if it's Powell he won't run in 04 and Ridge is already running in 2004 and if you look at the delegates Ridge is loosing to Jeb Bush in the primaries.

Super Tuesday would hopefully end the fight for the nomination, but it made it only harder for the Democrats, John Kerry won Rhode Islands and his home state of Massachusetts, he soon after withdrawled from the race, Wesley Clark won California and Minnesota in a suprising wins but Dean would be a major factor in Super Tuesday, winning New York, Ohio, Vermont and Connecticut, while Edwards would take Georgia and Maryland.

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Here's the 2004 Democratic Primary map so far.
John Kerry
John Edwards
Dennis Kucinich
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean

March 9Th - April 17Th

March 9Th would have four primaries and one caucus that day, nearly all were in the South exept the American Samoa Caucus. Edwards would dominate this night with victories in Louisiana, Mississippi and a bare minimum win in Florida would give him the much needed momentum as the Texas primary would show a win for Wesley Clark.

March 13Th would only be the Kansas Caucus, which was strongly Clark territory and that showed through, only Edwards would increase his numbers there.

March 16Th had the delegate rich Illinois Primary, having a total of 156, this was the hope for Howard Dean that he could win there with Edwards and Clark fighting in the southern part of the state, but a suprise can and Clark pulled ahead but soon Dean took the lead, this would be close, Clark pulled a small victory over Dean.

March 20Th had Alaska and Wyoming with there Caucus, Clark had been declared the victor in Alaska for some time, but Edwards won Wyoming in a medium margin.

March 27Th had the Expatriates Caucus, which Wesley Clark won handidly over Howard Dean.

April 13Th had Wesley Clark win in the Colorado Caucus.

April 17Th was North Carolina and the Virgin Isles, Edwards won North Carolina by a large margin and Clark won the Virgin Islands from Dean.

April 24Th had the small island territory of Guam to hold there Caucus, which Dean won.

April 27Th was the delegate rich state of Pennsylvania which was bitterly fought state with Dean, Clark and Edwards fighting for the state, Dennis kucinich took enough votes to give the state to Howard Dean.

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Here's the 2004 Democratic Primary map so far.
John Kerry
John Edwards
Dennis Kucinich
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean

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The Republican 04 Primary map so far.
Jeb Bush
Tom Ridge
Newt Gingrich
Alan Allard
John Engler

You have four different candidates winning primaries in one party, and *five* different candidates winning primaries in the other party?  That seems a little far fetched.  Even in the wide open GOP primary race of 2008, only three candidates won any primaries.  The last time we had a nomination race with more than 3 candidates winning primaries was the Dem. race in 1992.

Also, if Cheney was president, I doubt he would have waited until as late as March 2003 to invade Iraq.  ;)

Alright I'll take your advice into mind. So  you think Dick Cheney would have invaded Iraq earlier, interesting?

Bush went to the UN and got inspectors back into Iraq.  Then, once he decided the inspections weren't good enough, there was a brief flirtation with the possibility of trying to get a second UN resolution to authorize force, but that was abandoned when everyone realized that it wouldn't pass.

Would Cheney have gone through with any of that?  I'm not so sure.

So if Dick Cheney invaded Iraq much sooner, how could this effect the country anyway?

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The Republican 04 Primary map so far. Delegates needed to win, 1255.
Jeb Bush 1049 Delegates
Tom Ridge 739 Delegates
Newt Gingrich 425 Delegates
Alan Allard 59 Delegates
John Engler 128 Delegates

The Republican primaries are over, Tom Ridge won many of the final primaries but that didn't give him the nomination, while Jeb Bush is leading in the polls and delegates also hasn't grasped the delegate mark of 1,255 only having 1,049 and Gingrich, Engler and Allard are now king makers at the convention in New York City. On the 9Th ballot, the nominee was chosen, Jeb Bush would become the nominee and to unite the split in the Republican party he chose Tom Ridge as his Vice President.

Interesting story, but I doubt it would take nine ballots for Bush to win.  In fact, I doubt it would take two ballots.  Ridge probably would've dropped out to become VP.

Okay, I'll change that to Jeb Bush is nominated on the 2nd ballot, thanks.

The Democrats Convention at Boston would be split, Wesley Clark had more delegates but Dean would try his best to fight him at every corner and get the nomination, as for Edwards he would be in a third place and was said to be a possible Vice President nominee. Edwards would drop out and endorse Dean and giving him his delegates to Dean as well, making Howard Dean now in the lead and after 6 ballots the Superdelegates would stop the battle and side with Wesley Clark and make him the Democratic party nominee.

Anyone have an idea for VP for Wesley Clark?

Here's a possible list of VPs

-Tom Vilsack
-Hillary Clinton
-Ed Rendell
-Joe Biden
-John Kerry
-Mark Warner
-Mike Easley

Mark Warner.

Thanks for the input and I always did want to start this timeline up again and I guess thanks for that to :)

The Nominee for Wesley Clark's VP was hard fought as many Democrats said to pick a northerner instead of Mike Easley or Mark Warner for the VP spot. Ed Rendell was a frequent possible but Warner would be chosen instead and the Clark/Warner would be backed by the Democratic Party. The Republicans were always weary of Ridge but had there support behind them and it would pay off after polls began to show a growing number for the Republican in WI, PA and NH and also several other states. The General Election was now underway.