Tightrope - A Timeline

[Potus]

Romney Concedes Following Legal Team Walkout

Thank you. Thank you. *continued applause* Thank you.

My fellow Americans, I stand before you this evening as a man of conviction, a man with clear eyes, a full heart, and a man that truly believes America cannot lose. Over the past year and a half, I've had the pleasure of meeting millions of Americans of every race and religion from all 50 states. I've traveled the globe to prepare for the possibility of serving this nation as Commander in Chief. I've met leaders of every scope, including the spiritual leader of billions all the way to the mayors and city council members of small towns from across the country.

I made this journey with so many of you because I sincerely believe in the cause we have all decided to fight for. Our battle has been for the future of America and her people. Whether we would elect weak leadership to manage our decline or elect bold ideas and a belief in America's greatness to preserve and expand the wonderful opportunities our country has to offer.

You, the American people, forged an effort with me than won more votes than any other candidate in this election. The American people have cast their ballots in a referendum on managed decline and the resounding voice of the people answered, "No,"

While our victories have been great and our convictions greater, we have not triumphed in the court of law. The courts have spoken, ordering that the Colorado Secretary of State certifies final election results delivering the President re-election by a margin of 31 votes. The legal battle has ended and the courts have spoken.

I ask that every American join with Ann and I in praying for the future of our country. May we pray that America undergoes a time of healing, a time of reflection, and a time of determination. We must decide that tomorrow will be better than today, and we must decide on how we go about that.

I thank you all once again for the incredible devotion, the tireless effort you have dedicated to Ann and I. Thank you all. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

[NeverAgain]

So... This just shows that Obama is a d**k...

[Potus]

President Takes Oath, Turns to Gun Control; Romney Forms Foundation

Following the tragic New Town Elementary School Shooting, President Obama and allies have turned their attention toward enacting stricter gun control legislation, including ammunition regulations, extended background checks, and a ban on certain assault weapons.

The President's inner circle view the gun violence debate as a way for the President to re-establish his moral credibility following the legal battle over Colorado and the gridlock surrounding a Hurricane Sandy relief package.

The President's contentious re-election and actions surrounding the storm still casts a long shadow over the White House, with the President's job approval struggling to break 48%. A stunning 50% view President Obama as an illegitimate President while 48% deem him legitimate.

Defeated 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney has formed a charitable organization, the Romney Foundation, with his wife and five sons. The Foundation's goals are to strengthen community groups that address poverty, joblessness, skill deficits, and family instability. The organization's Chief Financial Officer Spencer Zwick said, "The Romney Foundation is here to serve as a facilitator. We identify local programs that want to serve community needs, then we bring in the best project management talent available to develop a strategic plan for meeting those needs. The Foundation will also provide the financial and political resources necessary to achieve our partners' goals."

The Romney family contributed over $60 million in start up funding to the organization. The first fundraiser for the Romney foundation will be hosted on March 1st of 2013.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Romney '16...I guess

[Potus]

Obama Angers Democrats and Republicans on Sequester

Congressional Democrats and Republicans were working late into the night on a budget deal to avoid sequestration when President Obama signed the order initiating sequestration. Leaders on Hill were given a deadline by the President to complete negotiations by 8 o'clock on March 1st. The President signed the order at 8:25 PM.

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough commented, "Look, the President gave leadership ample time to reach a deal to avoid the sequester and they chose to play politics and put it off until the last minute. The President is a man who keeps his word. He enacted the sequester cuts only when Congress failed to act."

Speaker of the House John Boehner called the President's order "a failure to lead and show good faith." He was joined in his criticism of the President's leadership by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell who called on his fellow members of Congress to "reach a deal and pass it, despite the President's obstructionism."

Democratic leaders have refused to comment on the failed negotiations or President Obama's response.

The Romney Foundation fundraiser took in $11 million. Governor Romney has refused extensive comment on the President's sequestration order, preferring to only call the approach "inadvisable" and pivot back to conversation about his family's charity.

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama's job as President?
Approve...48%
Disapprove...50%

[Potus]

President Loses Vote on Gun Bill

President Obama's ambitious gun control legislation failed to pass the Senate today. The bill included a number of sweeping changes to gun laws in the United States:

-ammo registration and backgrounds
-ban on high-capacity magazines
-backgrounds on all gun purchases

A provision of the bill enacting the Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004, was dropped in negotiations with Senate Democratic Leaders.

President Obama held a press conference in the Rose Garden with former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and the parents of the New Town victims to express his "profound disappointment" at the bill's failure. Gun rights advocates, who applied tremendous pressure on Capitol Hill, celebrated the break in Democratic ranks and the bill's defeat.

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama's job as President?
Approve...48%
Disapprove...51%

[#CriminalizeSobriety]

I'm not usually fond of this era, but this is pretty neat. I can imagine 2014's going to be even worse.

[tmthforu94]

Very frustrating - honestly, I think Obama's approval ratings would be much, much lower. Around 35% would be my guess.

[Abraham Reagan]

IT. MUST. HAPPEN.

[Potus]

Romney Foundation Launches Mental Health Initiative

The Romney Foundation announced earlier today that it was breaking ground on a project to promote mental healthcare across the country. The announcement was made at a Foundation fundraiser which had all money raised dedicated to the project.

Early estimates suggest that the Romney Foundation will be able to distribute $8 million in strategic grants in the next 6 months.

The speech Romney delivered revolved around mental health's effect on crime, families, education, and the pursuit of happiness. "Too often has our broken mental healthcare system led to tragedies on television, such as the Aurora or Newtown shootings. However, the equally troubling reality is this: for every televised tragedy, there are just as many tragedies behind closed doors. Lack of mental healthcare contributes to domestic violence, to suicide, and to many more of our nation's struggles. It is with great honor that I hereby announce our new mental health initiative," Governor said to the assembled crowd.

The Romney Foundation has found itself gathering significantly more media attention than the average non-profit. Some political commentators have pointed out the contrast between Romney's work at the Foundation and the President's efforts to address gun violence. The Romney Foundation has repeatedly stated that its initiatives are not politically motivated.

In addition to their latest project, the Romney Foundation announced that they had created over 100 partnerships since the organization's founding. Each of the three Romney sons in attendance took turns introducing a few of the Foundation's community partners. Josh Romney introduced a social enterprise in Cleveland that agreed to provide skills training, resume writing, and other types of job assistance in exchange for 2% of their wages when they placed them in a job. The group, Cleveland Works, had placed over 1,100 in good-paying jobs. The Romney Foundation was facilitating the creation of "Columbus Works" and "Cincinnati Works" programs modeled after the group.

[Potus]

LEAKED: President Obama Wants to "Go Back to the Basics"

Documents leaked from the West Wing have told us that President Obama wishes to pursue a "Back to the Basics" strategy in the months ahead. In what would have typically been a President's honeymoon period, the President has been unable to break 50% approval with a favorable opinion number still significantly underwater.

President Obama reminisced with his staff about a time in which the fighting was bitter, but they got the job done. "When we stood by our principles and I was the President I wanted to be, we passed the Stimulus and the Affordable Care Act," Obama said. West Wing staff agreed that the "stick to our guns" strategy provided the most productive period of the Obama presidency.

It has been reported that this meeting resulted in a push to close Guantanamo Bay.

[Potus]

YEAR IN REVIEW: WH Press Aide says, "Definitely not our best[...]"

President Obama's year was sunk by a seemingly endless stream of bad news. The year began with a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the President's legitimacy, a concern that continues to stick with 43% of registered voters. The President embarked on a high-profile push for more extensive gun control, which end in anticlimactic failure. Citing a "back to the basics" strategy, the White House sought a renewed push to try terrorists in civilian courts and close Guantanamo Bay. This effort was halted in the face of the Boston Bombing, which then compounded with the revelations of NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Snowden blew the whistle on the existence of top secret terrorist surveillance technology which angered civil libertarians.

All of these led to a political climate that was toxic for Democrats all over the country. The President's base was deeply unsettled by the NSA and Republicans were looking to stop the President they saw as illegitimate. In a special election for Secretary of State John Kerry's seat in the Senate, the Democratic primary became chaotic after a number state political figures declared their intentions and Republicans quickly rallied behind businessman and former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez. Relying on name recognition and a financial advantage, actor Ben Affleck claimed the Democratic nomination on a platform that took issue with the President's stances on civil liberties and called for a host of new environmental regulations. Gomez and Affleck ran neck and neck for much of the race. Affleck lost the election 48.9% to 48.1% only a week after saying the highly inflammatory comment, "President Obama has lied to us about where he stands on civil liberties. We voted him into office to replace a President who lied to take away our rights, not to join in."

Nothing, however, compared to the incredibly botched rollout of his signature domestic achievement, Obamacare. After struggles with the website and mass cancellation of insurance policies, approval of the law dropped like a rock, and the President went with it. The law became so unpopular that Congressional Republicans nearly shut down the government to delay its implementation. Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans were lining up all star recruits for the upcoming 2014 midterm elections.

Do you approve or disapprove of Barack Obama's job as President?
Approve...39%
Disapprove... 56%

[Potus]

THE REPUBLICAN DREAM TEAM

Alaska: Dan Sullivan
Arkansas: Tom Cotton
Colorado: Cory Gardner
Iowa: Joni Ernst
Louisiana: Bill Cassidy
Montana: Steve Daines
New Hampshire: Chris Sununu
North Carolina: Cherie Berry
Oregon: Gordon Smith
South Dakota: Mike Rounds
Virginia: Ed Gillespie
West Virginia: Shelley Capito

[Potus]

REPUBLICANS CLAIM 12 NEW SENATE SEATS

Bret: We are prepared to call the United States Senate for the Republican Party. It is now official, the Republican Party has wrested control of the United States Senate out of the hands of the Democratic Party.

Megyn: The big surprise of the night? Ed Gillespie, the Republican candidate in Virginia currently leads incumbent Mark Warner in the tightest race in the country right now, by a little over 8,000 votes.

Bret: On the West Coast, it seems that former Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon is prepared to reclaim his seat in the Senate by approximately 22,000 votes.

Brit: It is important to note, also, that Senator Shaheen in New Hampshire is being badly beaten at the moment. Chris Sununu, who has held a consistent lead over the Senator for the past couple weeks, is projected to seal the deal with about 51%

US SENATE PARTY CAUCUSES

REPUBLICANS: 60

DEMOCRATS: 40

[Bigby]

Dat filibuster-proof majority. I assume that the GOP won 3 more seats in 2012?

[Potus]

Dat filibuster-proof majority. I assume that the GOP won 3 more seats in 2012?

Republican victories in North Dakota and Massachusetts in 2012 kept the Senate 53-47. In the 2013 Special election, which took place later in the year in the timeline, Gomez won bringing it to 52-48.

[Bigby]

Dat filibuster-proof majority. I assume that the GOP won 3 more seats in 2012?

Republican victories in North Dakota and Massachusetts in 2012 kept the Senate 53-47. In the 2013 Special election, which took place later in the year in the timeline, Gomez won bringing it to 52-48.

Oh, right, I remember that part with Gomez. Looks like they DID need Ed Markey...

[tmthforu94]

Looking good - surprised Obama is able to keep his numbers than high considering all that has gone wrong.

Just to confirm, did Romney win the popular vote?

[Potus]

Looking good - surprised Obama is able to keep his numbers than high considering all that has gone wrong.

Just to confirm, did Romney win the popular vote?

He is doing a net 7 points worse in the timeline compared to real life. He's -17 on Jan. 2, where the RCP average had him -10 in real life. That's why the midterms were an even larger disaster, and even better candidate recruitment.

Yes. Romney won a plurality in 2012.

[windjammer]

Who is Gomez Riley???

[Potus]

POST-ELECTION SURVEY: THE 2014 ELECTORATE

Do you approve or disapprove of President Obama's job as President?
Approve......38%
Disapprove.....58%

Do you believe Barack Obama is a legitimate President?
Yes, he is legitimate......42%
No he is not legitimate.......52%

Do you have believe the country is headed in the right direction or is on the wrong track??
Right Direction.....29%
Wrong Track....70%

Do you believe in President Obama's vision of America?
Yes....41%
No.....54%

Do you believe the Republican Party offers a viable alternative to President Obama's vision of America?
Yes.....47%
No......42%

The 2014 midterms were a resounding rejection of President Obama and the Democratic Party. The voting public sent a resounding message of change to Washington. The voters are, however, skeptical that Republicans offer an alternative governing vision.

[Potus]

Who is Gomez Riley???

Gabriel Gomez is a private equity executive, former Navy SEAL, and the Republican nominee for John Kerry's senate seat in the 2013 Special.

[Potus]

2016 Presidential Election National Survey

REPUBLICANS:

The first order of business when it came to the Republican primary was to evaluate the strength of 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney. As Romney chaired the National Republican Victory Committee in 2014, he has had consistent access to talent, donors, activists, and elected officials across the country. After initially saying that run "just isn't in the cards," rumors have sprung up saying Romney is reaching out to his old inner circle and trusted donors. Several Republican candidates have continued to prepare their expected presidential bids in spite of Romney's renewed interest.

If your presidential primary was held today and the candidates were 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who would you support?

Romney...64%
Cruz...7%
Christie...5%
Paul....7%
Undecided..17%

There are several candidates who have hedged interest since Romney's latest advances. However, Romney's withdrawal would lead to an exceptionally chaotic Republican primary led by Jeb Bush.

If your presidential primary was held today and the candidates were former Florida Governor Jeb Bush,  former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, former Texas Governor Rick Perry, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who would you support?

Bush....18%
Rubio...12%
Walker...11%
Huckabee...10%
Cruz....9%
Christie...8%
Paul...8%
Perry...5%
Fiorina..2%
Undecided..17%

DEMOCRATS:

The media has largely panned former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for choosing to follow Romney's lead and forming a Democratic Midterm Victory Committee. Using the committee to connect with the people necessary to make a Presidential campaign possible, Clinton hit the stump and fundraising circuit for a doomed-to-fail effort. Clinton was forced to share responsibility for the Democratic losses in the midterms, damaging her position as the dominant frontrunner in the Democratic presidential primary.

If your presidential primary were held today and the candidates were former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, and former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, who would you support?

Clinton...48%
Warren...17%
Schweitzer..10%
O'Malley....10%
Undecided...15%

However, Clinton's overwhelming strength could be seriously challenged by Vice President Joe Biden's entry into the race. With the following survey results:

Clinton...38%
Biden...34%
Warren...13%
Schweitzer..5%
O'Malley...4%
Undecided...6%

[Potus]

Insiders say Romney, "really leaning against run."

Dec. 29th

The 2012 Republican nominee for President, Governor Mitt Romney, is not likely to run for President in 2016, sources say. Romney and his wife Ann have found great solace in the work of the Romney Foundation. Sources say Romney enjoys being able to do good work and help the country while spending more time with his family. The tone of Romney's  conversation harkens back to his previous denials of interest, suggesting that fresh faces with strong political talent could win.

In other political news, SurveyUSA released general election match-ups between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the likely Republican candidates. Romney is the only candidate to defeat Secretary Clinton in the match-ups.

Romney- 48%
Clinton- 41%

Bush- 44%
Clinton- 44%

Clinton- 45%
Rubio- 43%

Clinton- 46%
Huckabee- 40%

Clinton- 47%
Cruz- 40%

Clinton- 47%
Christie- 40%

Clinton- 45%
Paul- 44%

Republican insiders are urging Romney to consider a run further. Polls suggest that Romney would effectively clear the Republican primary and be able to run a general election campaign from the beginning. Secretary Clinton, however, looks to face a more contentious primary than she previously expected which has weakened her status in the general election.

[Bigby]

Thank you for avoiding you-know-who.