2004 Presidential Election and Beyond: The Giuliani Years (GAME THREAD)

[NHI]

Premise:
President George W. Bush, facing low popularity and the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq decides not to seek reelection; making it a wide open field.
The timeline will start in September of 2003.

Please indicate who would like to support. I will leave it open through Sunday. First week goes up on Monday.

Candidates will have 48 hrs to post campaign schedules once a week has been posted.
There will be one debate before the first contests.
For endorsements please PM me.

Thanks!

Democrats:
-Guntaker: Joe Biden
-Governor Spiral: Dennis Kucinich.
-BaconBacon: Wesley Clark
-SJoyce: John Edwards
-Brewer: Jeanne Shaheen
-NewYork Express: Hillary Clinton
-The Cranberry: Al Gore


Republicans:
-MadmanMotley: Gary Johnson
-Chairman Sanchez: Pat Buchanan
-Assemblyman Ryan Keaton: Bill Owens
-dkrolga: Rudy Giuliani
-Senator Lumine: Donald Rumsfeld

[PPT Spiral]

Another question: May you elaborate on some of the other rules you've set up for the game? How will endorsements and such work?

[NHI]

Another question: May you elaborate on some of the other rules you've set up for the game? How will endorsements and such work?

I've added to first post.

[MadmanMotley]

Can I switch to Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM)?

[Potus]

Bill Owens For President

Believe In America.

Speech In Denver, Colorado-

My fellow Americans,

      These are turbulent times that we live in. The threat of terrorism looms large on the horizon, while closer to home a single mom can't put food on the table. While we fight the good fight to bring education and build roads in the Middle East, we are faced with crumbling bridges and crippling test scores. But we do not falter, we do not complain, we do not ask "Where's ours?" Why? Because we are the greatest country in the world and I know that we can rise to the challenge and help not only our citizens, but families around the world.

     During my time as Governor, we have enacted polices that put us on a longterm path towards growth, opportunity, and prosperity. We've given tax relief to millions of working families by cutting sales taxes. We've spurred on growth by encouraging investment and increasing your take home pay. My administration passed a smart infrastructure program that is just about to finish up. We've rebuilt our roads and bridges in less than five years while still coming in under budget. I believe that the Colorado success story should be taken to the next level.

     While I laud President Bush's efforts on education, we did not go far enough. Through No Child Left Behind, we've given every parent a chance to know how their child's school is performing. As President, I will be ready to take that to the next level. Let's finish education reform by giving every child the opportunity to succeed, no matter their zip code or the color of their skin.

     I believe that America is the greatest country to ever exist and I am blessed to be a part of it. Our mission in the Middle East is a vital one, but I fear that we have strayed from it. Our effort to combat terrorism is fought with intelligence and drones, not thousands of troops on the ground. Our efforts at building a brighter tomorrow for a broken and poor part of the world is a noble goal and I believe that we can accomplish it. But it will require a problem solver's approach and different leadership. I am ready to be the source of that leadership.

     It is the goodness of our hearts that will vote in this election. We will vote to be a defender of human rights abroad, a creator of prosperity at home, and a force for good in our hearts. I will not only continue, but also increase, President Bush's faith-based initiative program. Our communities are one of our greatest assets. Let's use them to make America great in a time of adversity.

     My fellow Americans, this is what we have done and, as we cross this great country, I ask you to imagine what we *can* do. I believe that we can accomplish great things for good people. We can build a lasting prosperity that feeds the poor and urges on innovation. Together, we can bring forth a new age of American peace and uphold the promise to every man, woman, and child that if you work hard and think smart you can be successful. My fellow Americans, my name is Governor Bill Owens from Colorado. I believe in America. And I'm running for President.

[NHI]

Can I switch to Gov. Gary Johnson (R-NM)?

Sure.

[Potatoe]

Stealing the format from Keaton, hope he doesn't mind.

Biden For America
All Bark and Bite


Speech in Wilmington, Delaware
September 1 2003
My Fellow Americans, over the past four years we've went through a grinder of a time, we solemnly stood behind the President after the events of September 11, we now deem many "Terrorists", I don't think that we should, it has been almost 3 years after 9/11, and we have invaded both Iraq and Afghanistan in the progress, listen folks, I believe both of these wars were bad ideas, should we have taken action? Yes, but a full scale war is bad news people, and the loosening of Civil Liberties is bad, the economy is lagging along, and we are dangerously close to a recession, and our President's economic policy isn't helping, we have had a bunch of good things, the McCain-Feingold act was a great idea, I hope we continue that, and  the No Child Left Behind act, but the President has undercutted all of the good policies and ideas with decisions like Iraq and Afghanistan, and a lotta these Republicans talk a lot of talk and hoo ha about slashes and cuts, and it is clear to me that we need a stronger leader, one who will not let this country down, and I'm glad that President Bush isn't running for re-election, so that fresh faces can come in and breathe new life into the GOP, but it doesn't erase the bad decisions, and I hope that voters cast their ballots for the Democratic party next November, regardless of Candidate, though I hope that that Candidate is me, I have strong Foreign Policy credentials, I'm not afraid to take stands, and you may be thinkin', "This guy's all bark and no bite", well, nay sayers, I can assure you, if you nominate me, I have tons of bite to back me up, and folks, we will have real change if I am President, we'll get some proper Education for our kids, we'll get our boys through and through over in Iraq and Afghanistan, we'll finally get the campaign for a woman's right to choose, and we'll get the train rolling in Washington under me, and that's why I'm running for office!   Now who's with me folks?!

[DKrol]

Can I be Rudy Guiliani?

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

I wanna be John Ellis "Jebediah" "Jeb" Bush!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Nashua, New Hampshire
Thursday, September 11th, 2003.
Pat Buchanan Announcement.

   

Today, we gather under the solemn shadow of recent history and remember those killed in the horrific atrocities killed two years ago on this day. It is a sad day; our flags wave at half mast over a nation slowly recovering. Mothers take their children to school in the morning, and fathers go to work, mindful of the anniversary. The smoke has cleared, the rubble has been hauled off, and our tears are now dry. Yet today, a mournful silence is all that can be heard across our land.

What transpired two years ago today has ushered in a new era. The Cold War is dead, but the war on freedom is still being fought. Forces that seek to usher in a new order, one totally incompatible with American society, have struck us, and we have struck back. Yet, instead of bringing the fight to our true allies, we have now been thrown into a distracting war in Iraq. Instead of rooting out Al Qaida in Afghanistan, we have removed one of Al Qaida’s oldest enemies within the Arab World. Perhaps the greatest irony, however, is the fact that while our soldiers are fighting for freedom abroad, our own freedoms are disappearing at home.

The oxymoron of “compassionate conservatism” holds our party hostage. Government has completely overtaken education, and current Republican proposals for reforming Medicare and Medicaid are just as bad as those of the Democrats. We cannot have the United States if our states our powerless before a federal government that only continues to grow. We cannot have a functioning free market when government can take forty percent of a citizen’s income. We cannot have a nation without jobs, yet our industry is disappearing with the trade barriers. Treaties like NAFTA are not only destroying the economic heart of America, but are stripping this land of its basic sovereignty, and frankly, its soul.

Across the Pacific, the Dragon is roaring as it consumes American jobs. The Bush administration has repeatedly referred to China, a communist dictatorship and the last major bastion of totalitarianism on Earth, as well as the number one persecutor of Christians, as a “strategic partner.” If China does not make good on its hollow promises to improve human rights, then we will make good on our threat for force them to peddle their “made in China” products in another market.

Our melting pot is melting. If America grows more and more culturally divided, we will only grow more and more weak. It is time for a moratorium on all immigration, and a refocusing of our national security needs from the streets of Baghdad to the shores of the Rio Grande. It is time for our nation to truly become one nation again, with one language that unites us all, and that language is English. Just as we Americans have a moral duty to welcome our immigrant brothers and sisters, so do the new Americans have a duty to assimilate.

The de-Christianization of America has resulted in a moral massacre of our land. Abortion on demand, the increasing specter of homosexual marriage, the possibility of the legalization of drugs, and the institutionalized immorality and glorified violence from Hollywood have contributed to a moral decline in our youth. Our dignity as a nation is at stake. We must reject this Godless culture, before an angry God rejects us!

My friends, America is at a fork in the road. We can continue down a path of national mediocrity and irreversible decline. Or we can follow through with the promise of America, and continue to build that shining city on a hill. We can recapture our national sovereignty and independence, we can make the American Dream a reality, and we can heal the soul of our country. My friends, I am announcing my candidacy for the Republican Presidential nomination today, so we can make America America again!

[NHI]

Can I be Rudy Guiliani?

You got it!

[NHI]

I wanna be John Ellis "Jebediah" "Jeb" Bush!

Yes.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President
Let’s Make One America

Robbins, North Carolina. Monday, September 15, 2003:
With three Democrats having declared already and no clear frontrunner, Democratic Senator John Edwards of North Carolina held a press conference to announce his intention to run for the Democratic nomination, with a theme of combating poverty.

For two decades, I stood with kids and families against big HMOs and big insurance companies. That’s what inspired me to leave my legal career and seek public office. When I got to the Senate, I found that things there were much the same as what I had left. And so I fought those same fights against the Washington lobbyists and for causes like the Patients' Bill of Rights. And that’s why I’m here tonight. I stand here ready to work with you to make America stronger. And we have much work to do, because the truth is, we still live in a country where there are two different Americas.

One, for all of those people who have lived the American dream and don't have to worry, and another for most Americans, everybody else who struggle to make ends meet every single day. It doesn't have to be that way.
We can build one America where we no longer have two health care systems: one for families who get the best health care money can by, and then one for everybody else rationed out by insurance companies, drug companies, HMOs. Millions of Americans have no health coverage at all. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We shouldn't have two public school systems in this country: one for the most affluent communities, and one for everybody else. None of us believe that the quality of a child's education should be controlled by where they live or the affluence of the community they live in. It doesn't have to be that way.
We shouldn't have two different economies in America: one for people who are set for life, they know their kids and their grand-kids are going to be just fine; and then one for most Americans, people who live paycheck to paycheck. You don't need me to explain this to you do you? You know exactly what I'm talking about. Can't save any money, can you? Takes every dime you make just to pay your bills. And you know what happens if something goes wrong, if you have a child that gets sick, a financial problem, a layoff in the family -- you go right off the cliff. And when that happens, what's the first thing that goes? Your dreams. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I have a plan that will offer all Americans the same health care that your Senator has. One that will reform our schools and raise standards. One that will create good-paying jobs in this country again. I can strengthen and lift up you and your families. That’s my agenda. But we can only do this together, you and I. That’s why I’m running for President. All I ask is that you stand with me. Together, we can make one America.

[Lumine]

Given that the sequel to the 2008 might have to wait for a while and since I only have two or three turns left as Quayle in the 2000 one, I thought, why not? And so...

Known and Unknown: Rummy in 2004!

Washington DC, September 1st, 2003:
Shortly after President Bush's announcement and with five Republicans already running for the Presidency, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held a press conference and announced that he will run for the Republican Nomination in order to defend the policies of the Bush Administration.

"It is with great sadness that I have witnessed President Bush's choice against a reelection campaign, and I feel America will soon change the perception it has on this President, and we will be able to look at him as the brave leader he has been to the free world since the dreaded attacks of September 11, 2001. And I'm sure you will see a lot of critics and people who will question his judgement and the policies of this administration, even within our party. I, as a man who has been fighting along with George Bush and Richard Cheney for almost three years, cannot sit back and see the legacy of this President be destroyed by such negativity, and so I will indeed seek the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Some will dismiss my efforts in light of my time out of elective office, but I have a very successful record as a Congressman, Secretary of Defense, White House Chief of Staff,  U.S Ambassador and as a member of the private sector, experience which is crucial to be the leader America deserves for the 21st Century. This is a time of great consequence, and our duty is to make the right decisions today, so that future generations will not have to make much harder decisions tomorrow. It may well be comforting to some to consider graceful exits from the agonies and indeed the ugliness of combat, but under President Bush's leadership, this country made a decision to confront the extremist ideology of hatred that spawned a worldwide movement, and to take the fight to the enemy. The alternative was inaction and defense, and that is a pattern that history has shown only emboldens the enemy. But I say this to you: terrorist don't win. And they're not going win here.

The natural state of man is to want to be free. To have opportunities. To have choices. A Rumsfeld administration will keep America safe and we will continue this path of freedom, and at the same time we will be able to focus on the problems that America has. I am not advocating for moderation or conservatism, I am advocating for common sense solutions to our problems. Comprehensive reform in heath care and education, the continued reform of our military, a balanced budget while increasing our defense spending, a new tax cut (15% across-the-board) to stimulate our economy, and anti-poverty policies that will help us reach new levels of prosperity. We need a President that is tough but fair, and I am ready to be that President.

Here goes Donald Rumsfeld, America!"

[Sec. of State Superique]

I could run as Mike Gravel in primaries but nah...

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I could run as Mike Gravel in primaries but nah...

This race could use a Clinton....

[Potatoe]

I could run as Mike Gravel in primaries but nah...

This race could use a Clinton....

Bloody Typical, Socks ain't gonna enter, get over it ya WASP RINO. Pff, been watching too much MSNBC.

[NewYorkExpress]

I could run as Mike Gravel in primaries but nah...

This race could use a Clinton....

If I'm not banned in the imminent future, I'll probably be Hillary Clinton (D-Senator-NY) (There were points in 2003 she was considering challenging Bush, after all)

[NHI]

I could run as Mike Gravel in primaries but nah...

This race could use a Clinton....

If I'm not banned in the imminent future, I'll probably be Hillary Clinton (D-Senator-NY) (There were points in 2003 she was considering challenging Bush, after all)

I have no problem w/ it.

[MadmanMotley]

Governor Gary Johnson: A Governor for Freedom and Liberty


Sept. 6, 2003. Manchester, NH:
Hello, New Hampshire! Today I come before you to announce that I will be running for President! Over the past several years our party has lost its way. We have focused too much on issues that do not demand our attention, and not taking on the growing problems that we are beginning to face. Unfortunately, Washington politicians only take the easy route and do not tackle the hard problems.

As Governor of New Mexico, I was known as "Governor Veto," I stopped the unnecessary government waste that both parties were trying to throw at me, and the citizens of New Mexico. I did not take the easy way out, I stood up for the liberties of the people I served. As President, I will focus on the hard issues, I will stand up for Constitutional rights that keep getting taken away!

On the economy, we need to get this country out of debt, and stop government intervention into small business! We need to free up interstate commerce, eliminate the income tax and replace it with a fair tax! We need to free up trade so poorer Americans have access to cheap goods! We need to take on the Healthcare system and reform it! We need healthcare to be able to be sold across states lines, increase competition, and bring prices down! Let's stop subsidizing big businesses, and take back our economy!

[DKrol]

Giuliani '04: Tested Leadership, Proven Commitment


On September 7, 2003 former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a press conference in Brooklyn to launch his Presidential campaign.

    My fellow Americans, as we approach the 2nd anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Centers we are faced with another great choice. On 9/11 we faced the decision of whether to bow down to terrorism or stand strong in the face of fear. Now we face the decision of whether to continue with a strong President who's dedicated to our nation or if we are going to jump ship in the middle of two wars. President Bush was a massive asset on 9/11 and  I want to commend him for that. We have similar leadership styles, the President and I, and a Giuliani Presidency will continue on the path to prosperity that we are going down now. Under my leadership, we will win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we will bring Osama Bin Laden to justice, and our economy will return to the prosperity of the 1980s. The American Dream will become more than a dream, it will become a reality for all people - for the immigrants, for the ill and injured, for the unemployed, for the elderly, for those who have given up hope.
    The people of New York can attest to my leadership. Under my mayoralty we turned the Big Apple around. Crime rates dropped across the board, the rights of migrant children were protected, taxes were cut, pay for teachers and police officers rose, steps towards marriage equality were taken, and the homeless were taken in off the streets. My tenure as Mayor, although we faced tremendous challenges, was a time of great prosperity of all New Yorkers. I promise to give America the same commitment I gave New York, and I promise we'll see the same results. I'm ready to serve the nation that I love and call home. Thank you, and God Bless the United States of America.

[International Brotherhood of Bernard]

Jeb '04: Bush Harder

September 9, 2003

Tampa, FL

Good morning my fellow Americans, today I am here to announce that I will seek to continue my brother's and my father's legacy as President of the United States. My brother has bravely led our country through these hard times, and there is no one more in tune to his leadership than I, and I hope to be able to let it live on. Here in Florida, under my leadership we have improved our economy and my party has greatly improved our ties to minority communities. In fact, we have done so well with that outreach that I was re-elected here in the swingiest of swing states with 56% of the vote. I believe I am the best equipped not just to serve as president but to win the presidency, and I hope America will give me that chance. Thank you, and may God bless you all.

[Potus]

If we got a game thread up without any polling data or whatever so that the already-announced can start, that'd be great. Let anyone else hop in til the agreed upon start date.

[Lumine]

If we got a game thread up without any polling data or whatever so that the already-announced can start, that'd be great. Let anyone else hop in til the agreed upon start date.

I definetly support that!

[NHI]

If we got a game thread up without any polling data or whatever so that the already-announced can start, that'd be great. Let anyone else hop in til the agreed upon start date.

That works.