Never Call Retreat: The Election of ‘08 By Jbrase and Dallasfan65

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This TL really warranted a bump? Come on, the result is pretty damn obvious.

I liked it.

[Penelope]

This TL really warranted a bump? Come on, the result is pretty damn obvious.

I liked it.

Well it's written nice but I think any TL involving Edwards is pretty stale, mostly because they all end in either two ways:

1. Scandal breaks during campaign, huge GOP landslide.
2. Scandal breaks after Edwards wins, huge GOP landslide in 2012.

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

This TL really warranted a bump? Come on, the result is pretty damn obvious.

There is more to writing timelines than just butterflies: format, writing style, data, maps, stuff like that.

Different strokes though, I suppose.

[CatoMinor]

In the the days preceding Super Tuesday II, Giuliani came to grips with reality and ended his campaign, endorsing McCain, with Romney still not endorsing anyone.

McCain wins Rhode Island, Vermont and Ohio!

Rhode Island Results:
McCain - 52%
Huckabee - 38%
Giuliani* - 6%
Paul- 4%

Vermont Results:
McCain - 51%
Huckabe - 26%
Giuliani* - 17%
Paul - 6%

Ohio Results:
McCain - 43%
Huckabee - 41%
Giuliani* - 9%
Paul- 7%

Huckabee wins Texas!

Results:
Huckabee - 51%
McCain - 34%
Paul - 12%
Giuliani* - 3%

After Ohio was called, McCain appeared before a crowd outside Toledo
My friends, I congratulate Governor Huckabee on his victory in Texas tonight tonight. We have proven tonight that this fight is not over. Many have began to call our campaign a lost cause, as they had before we won NH and MI and proved that we are fighters and we will do back down. Now my friends it is onward to Pennsylvania!

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Yay!

I like you how you make the most interesting primary season reasonably possible for 2008.

[CatoMinor]

March 8th:

Very rarely Wyoming gets attention in a presidential race, but this year was different with Obama's team beginning to go into panic mode after Tuesday's defeat, WY could provide crucial momentum along with a win in MS going into PA which was well over a month away.


Edwards win  the Wyoming Caucus!

Results:
Edwards - 62%
Obama - 38%


3 days later Obama mad eup for this defeat with large win in MS

Obama wins MS!

Results
Obama - 64%
Edwards - 36%

Blue - Edwards
Green - Obama
Red - Clinton

on the GOP side MS came as no surprise, going in to the Hucka-column

Huckabee wins MS!

Results:
Huckabee - 59%
McCain - 37%
Paul - 3%
Giuliani - 1%

[CatoMinor]

March 20th

On CNN, Wolf Blitzer began to report shocking news being released at a press conference by Roxanne Marshall:
I cannot bite my tongue any longer on this. John Edwards is the father of my sister's daughter. It is time for John to take responsibility for his actions.... 
 

John Edwards upon hearing the news

Two days later Edwards released a statement breaking the silence:
I regret to admit that I did have relations with Ms. Hunter in 2006, but it has since ended and the child is not mine. The affair was a mistake and I now pray that my wife can forgive me and we can move on. I shall not end my campaign, and I hope that this does not distract us from the real issues.

Within a week polls began to show that the Edwards campaign had slipped back to 2nd places in the polls and super delegates were beginning to endorse Obama

Meanwhile Obama was facing problems of his own. After news of the affair had broke Obama was considered favorite to win in PA, however clips of comments made regarding rural PA began to be played by all networks offending many people:
Its not surprising then that they get bitter. That they, uh, cling to guns, and religion.
A staffer for the Obama campaign in PA was recorded telling his colleagues "Well folks, we just snatched defeat from the jaws of victory." 

On the GOP side Huckabee was campaigning hard in central Pennsylvania while McCain was camped in the the Philadelphia suburbs. Arlen Specter and Tom Ridge had both endorsed McCain while Huckabee had the support of former congressmen Pat Toomey.

April 22nd

Obama wins PA!
Results:
Obama - 42%
Edwards - 37%
Write-in: Clinton* - 21%

Blue - Edwards
Green - Obama
Red - Clinton

McCain wins PA!

Results:
McCain - 45%
Huckabee - 42%
Paul - 11%
Giuliani - 2%