July – December 2019Throughout the summer and winter, Murkowski and Feingold campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, where they both have huge leads in their respective primaries.
Feingold also campaigns around the nation, and many say he is already the presumptive nominee since Glenn Nye, has never polled more than 20% while Feingolds polling ranges from 50 – 60%.
In the Republican field though, more people start to become more undecided rather than support Walker or Murkowski.
Republican Primary:
President Lisa Murkowski: 48%
Scott Walker: 12%
Undecided: 40%
Israel still refuses to return to negotiations. Many want the United States to use more of its muscle to push Israel to rejoin negotiations.
Murkowski tries to push more conservative legislation through the Senate but does not get far. The Senate manages to block her legislation and impose more moderate legislation. Trying to look more conservative, she vetoes many bills that come to her desk. Critics say that she is using her veto too liberally and striking down many pieces of legislation that she won’t get a better deal on.
Presidential Approval Rating July: 55%
Presidential Approval Rating December: 53%
January 2020Presidential Approval Rating: 50%
Murkowski’s final State of the Union for this term. She once again addresses her concern for energy reform, and says (in not so many words) that she is not a lame duck, while the majority of Americans are losing confidence in her as a leader.
Murkowski and Feingold both win the Iowa Causes and the New Hampshire Primaries in a relatively unexciting primary season. Walker and Nye both drop out after Super Tuesday in February.
March 2020 Murkowski’s energy reform bill gets voted down in committee in the House of Representatives. They send it back to her saying it is inefficient and costly. Murkowski’s approval ratings plummet as a result.
A millionaire businessman from the Mid-Atlantic announces that he will run for President as a Libertarian, he says he will spend up to $100 million on his own campaign, his name is Taylor York.
Approval Rating: 45%
General Election Match-Ups:
Feingold: 43%
Murkowski: 40%
York: 2%
Undecided: 15%
May 2020Taylor York manages to get on the ballot in all 50 states.
Eliot Spitzer resigns as Secretary of the Treasury. Speculations swirls that he will be the Vice Presidential Candidate for Russ Feingold.
In an interview, Spitzer describes how President Murkowski is not a leader, and her staff, because many worked for Crist, aren’t loyal. He also refuses to comment on Vice Presidential speculation.
Murkowski Approval Rating: 40%
Is President Murkowski a strong leader? No: 53%, Yes: 28%, Unsure: 19%
June 2020President Murkowski announces that Vice President Mitch Daniels will stay on as her Vice President.
Russ Feingold is rumored to have almost made a decision regarding his Vice President.
Taylor York announces that General Evan Smith will be his Vice Presidential nominee.
July 2020 Russ Feingold announces his choice for Vice President:
Governor Thomas R. Suozzi of New York.
General Election Matchups
Feingold/Suozzi: 50%
Murkowski/Daniels: 45%
York: 3%
August: Eliot Spitzer campaigns with Feingold and criticizes Murkowski for being a poor leader in a time of need, and for not doing enough to get Israel to return to the negotiating table.
The winner of Miss America from 2019 comes forward and says that Vice President Mitch Daniels seduced her after meeting her. Other women also start to come forward.
Mitch Daniels denies it even though the NYT and WSJ produce convincing audio and video evidence against him.
The President stands behind Vice President Daniels as her approval ratings fall even more.
Approval Rating: 35%
General Election Matchup:
Feingold/Suozzi: 50%
Murkowski/Daniels: 40%
York: 7%
Unsure: 13%