Hell Toupée

[The Other Castro]

Hell Toupée: The Trump Aftermath

On May 3rd, 2016, a man named Donald J. Trump became the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States with the withdrawal of his main rival Ted Cruz. This position was cemented a day later with John Kasich’s exit, though nobody really noticed. In the immediate aftermath, Republicans, as well as all Americans, were unsure of how they felt about the situation. Many described the feeling as similar to an upset stomach after eating a bad sandwich, while others proclaimed their excitement and enthusiasm regarding Trump by identifying as centipedes on various facets of the internet. While many Democrats reacted in excitement at the prospects of a landslide victory in November, some were wary of Trump’s unpredictability and feared a surprise upset. With the Presidency, Senate, Supreme Court, and even the House on the line, the 2016 election was arguably the most important race of a lifetime. One thing was clear: America would never be the same again.

[The Other Castro]

Searching for an Alternative
Late May

In the wake of Trump locking up the GOP nomination, members of the #NeverTrump movement turned to the idea of running a third party conservative candidate as an alternative to Trump. While many realized that their efforts would likely guarantee Clinton the presidency, they saw this as a necessary sacrifice to keep the conservative movement alive after 2016. The clock was ticking however, as the ballot access deadline for Texas had already passed, and the deadline for North Carolina was too close to meet the signature requirement in time. At the same time, other anti-Trump Republicans were watching the Libertarian Party as a possible alternative for November.

At the end of May, the Libertarian Party held its convention to pick a nominee. While many in the media focused on the top tier of Gary Johnson, Austin Petersen, and John McAfee, some online political forums were abuzz surrounding lesser known challenger Darryl Perry. When the votes were cast for the 1st ballot, many were surprised at the closeness between the top three candidates.

Also notable was the unexpectedly high percentage for Darryl Perry, a candidate known to make rather controversial statements about the Federal Government. After the 2nd ballot, the field narrowed down to an even tighter race for the nomination.

Before the 3rd ballot, Darryl Perry announced that he would drop out and urged all of his supporters to back Petersen. Meanwhile, McAfee made a rather cryptic statement about some potential criminal activity of his in Belize, damaging his support in the process.

Austin Petersen’s surprise win on the 3rd ballot was matched by his reciprocal endorsement of Darryl Perry as his running mate, who went on to comfortably win the nomination for Vice President. For Petersen and Perry, the chaos of the Republican Party provided opportunity.

[LLR]

#NeverPerry

[This account no longer in use.]

#AlwaysPerry

[Mike Thick]

#CantParryThePerry

[The Other Castro]

The Parties Form
June

On June 7th, Hillary Clinton was finally declared the presumptive Democratic nominee as she passed a majority of pledged delegates, and a majority of delegates overall when factoring in superdelegates. Although he acknowledged that he would not be the nominee, Bernie Sanders vowed to stay in until the convention so that he could influence the party platform. This decision was apparently reversed days later, and after a brief endorsement speech, the party appeared ready for a unified convention.
   

Although he had been the presumptive Republican nominee for a month, Trump’s wins on June 7th officially put him over the top. In addition, he set the record for highest popular vote total for a Republican candidate, surpassing George W. Bush’s vote total from 2000. Despite this, a majority of the delegates going to the convention were not necessarily Trump supporters, and brought with them the possibility of complications for Trump’s VP choice.

Two days after the party had seemingly settled on Trump, the dissatisfaction of several Republicans desiring another conservative option came to fruition. On June 9th, the Independent Conservatives Party (ICP) was announced by a team including Senator Ben Sasse, Former Governor Mitt Romney, and political commentator Bill Kristol. Though they did not yet have a ticket, the most common names floated around by Washington insiders were Senator Heller, Senator Flake, Former Senator Coburn, and Congressman Amash. Soon after, a copyright infringement suit against the acronym of the new party was filed by hip hop group Insane Clown Posse (ICP).

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

a copyright infringement suit against the acronym of the new party was filed by hip hop group Insane Clown Posse (ICP).

Is it bad that I giggled at this?

[The Other Castro]

Guns, Grits, and Shortlists

Early July

With the primaries wrapped up, Clinton and Trump had the next month to finalize their vetting processes and make their first decisions as presidential nominees: Choosing a VP. Though much of the campaign work was completed in secrecy, several leaks and comments from possible VP candidates helped the media compile the following initial lists:

Republican VP Shortlist:
Jan Brewer - Former Governor of Arizona
Chris Christie - Governor of New Jersey
Bob Corker - Senator from Tennessee
Mary Fallin - Governor of Oklahoma
Newt Gingrich - Former Speaker of the House
Jon Huntsman Jr. - Former Governor of Utah
Rick Scott - Governor of Florida
Jeff Sessions - Senator from Alabama

Democratic VP Shortlist:
Xavier Becerra - Congressman from CA-34
Cory Booker - Senator from New Jersey
Al Franken - Senator from Minnesota
John Hickenlooper - Governor of Colorado
Tim Kaine - Senator from Virginia and Former Governor of Virginia
Amy Klobuchar - Senator from Minnesota
Thomas Perez - Secretary of Labor
Elizabeth Warren - Senator from Massachusetts

In the weeks before the two conventions, the shortlists were both significantly narrowed down to just a few names each. However, party insiders suspected that the two favorites were still Kaine and Gingrich. Notably absent from Trump's list was the placement of one of his former competitors, while others remarked on the absence of Julian Castro on Clinton's list. On July 12th, The Washington Post published its final Veepstakes list of names.

Final Shortlists:

Newt Gingrich
Mary Fallin
Jon Huntsman Jr.
Jan Brewer

Tim Kaine
Xavier Becerra
Elizabeth Warren
Al Franken

[The Other Castro]

Anyone have any suggestions or comments?

[Progressive]

Anyone have any suggestions or comments?

I'd love to know more about why Castro won't be considered (and I've been reading lately that they're deflating the Castro balloon)

[The Other Castro]

Anyone have any suggestions or comments?

I'd love to know more about why Castro won't be considered (and I've been reading lately that they're deflating the Castro balloon)

Castro's decline began in April due to the Wall Street connection to HUD's DASP Program, which Clinton saw as a liability to her campaign. He was also left out of consideration after the Clinton campaign reconsidered other options that could better fill his spot on the shortlist. While Castro was initially thought to be a good pick to lock down the Hispanic vote, that quality became less of a necessity with Trump as the nominee, and Clintonworld later saw Thomas Perez and Xavier Becerra as better alternatives anyway.

[The Other Castro]

Conventions and Contentions

Late July

The Republican National Convention: July 18-21


July 17th: The day before the RNC began, Trump's VP pick was still a mystery. However, the decision was finally revealed that night through Trump's twitter page. In a surprise to some, Trump's choice as his #2 was none other than Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.



While many had expected an unconventional convention with Trump being the nominee, most of the week ran fairly similar to the 2012 RNC. However, as the only former Republican nominee to attend was Bob Dole, the convention lacked a true party elder. VP nominee Mary Fallin gave a scathing review of the past 8 years of the Obama Administration, and Keynote Speaker Mia Love used her speech to talk about the new Republican Party in the making.

To end his acceptance speech, Trump used the words that many had heard before, but had resonated well enough with Republican voters to bring him that far:

“Hillary Clinton badly wants to be President, but we’re not going to let her. She doesn’t know what it takes to make America great. She doesn’t understand trade. She doesn’t understand jobs. She doesn’t understand America. Because of her, we’re a joke to other countries. They’re laughing at us right now. I know a lot of world leaders and they like me, we have a great relationship. We’re getting ripped off now, we’re not going to get ripped off anymore. I know trade. I know jobs. And believe me when I tell you this. Together, we are going to start winning again. We are going to make America great again. Thank you and God bless America."

The Democratic National Convention: July 25-28


July 23rd: In an attempt to halt any momentum resulting from the RNC, Clinton leaked her VP pick the day after its conclusion. As expected, Tim Kaine was named as Clinton's running mate. According to sources within the Clinton campaign, Kaine was chosen because of his experience, relative youth, and other counterbalancing qualities.



Like the RNC, not very much of the Democratic convention was heavily covered except for the highlights. Some notable moments included a widely praised speech by President Obama in which he named her the only person ready to do the job on day one. Former President Bill Clinton gave a rousing speech supporting his wife, though some commentators noted the lessened energy from his 2012 DNC speech. In addition, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy was chosen as the Keynote Speaker for the convention, and used his speech to detail his experience as a Senator and the importance of Clinton’s proposed policies.

In Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech, she closed with an attack on Trump and a message of unity:

“Donald Trump demonstrated throughout the Republican primaries that he intends to bully and divide Americans to make his way to the top. That is not how you make America great again. America is already great, I want to make America whole again. Together, we can unite to create an economy that works for everyone, and a not just a handful of billionaires. Together, we can keep our country safe, raise wages, lower income inequality, provide for affordable healthcare, and combat climate change. We will defend the rights of all Americans, whether they are men or women, black or white, gay or straight, young or old. In this election, we must stand together and work hard to prevail against candidates on other side who pit Americans against each other. Only together can we achieve the best possible America because love will always trump hate. Thank you all. God bless you, and God bless America.”

[The Other Castro]

Things Come Together, Things Fall Apart

August

August 4-7:

The Green National Convention was held to choose the nominees for the Green Party in the 2016 presidential election. As expected, 2012 Green Party nominee Jill Stein won the nomination on the first ballot with over 60%. However, the convention itself and its results received little to no media coverage as most of the networks were busy covering Trump and Clinton.



August 9th:

Bringing a sigh of relief to the Republican Party establishment, Paul Ryan survived his primary race with a comfortable 35 point margin. Some pundits had thought that Ryan was in trouble after he continued to refrain from endorsing Trump for President. Following the results of Ryan's primary, former VP nominee Sarah Palin remarked that democracy was dead in Wisconsin.



August 17th:

The Independent Conservatives Party (ICP) announced its failure to field a candidate in time, and said that it would disband following the election but encouraged all Republicans to show up and only vote for downballot candidates. Paul Ryan put out a statement supporting this call, and encouraged all Republicans to get out and vote regardless of their feelings towards Trump. Ryan and the former ICP members were met with renewed criticism from the Trump campaign and its surrogates, most vocally from VP nominee Mary Fallin who called Ryan a liberal wolf in sheep’s clothing trying to help Hillary Clinton win.

August 30th:

Maine Senator Susan Collins appeared on a morning talk show to denounce Trump and endorse Clinton, becoming the first Republican Senator to do so.

That night, DNC Chair and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz survived a primary challenge from Tim Canova, winning 61-38. This was seen as the last stand for the lingering Sanders movement, with the Democratic establishment once again prevailing.

Across the country, however, an insurgent celebrated a major primary win. After years of criticism from fellow Arizonans, Senator McCain was finally defeated by Kelli Ward, who beat McCain 49-44. After her victory, Kelli Ward was called personally by Donald Trump, who congratulated her on taking down the "fake war hero".  

[The Other Castro]

I'm probably just going to do a post for the debates, and then get into election night coverage unless anyone wants an update on anything else.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

I'm probably just going to do a post for the debates, and then get into election night coverage unless anyone wants an update on anything else.

Who made the November ballot in Washington state in the Congressional Races. 

[The Other Castro]

I'm probably just going to do a post for the debates, and then get into election night coverage unless anyone wants an update on anything else.

Who made the November ballot in Washington state in the Congressional Races. 

WA-1: Suzan DelBene (D), Robert Sutherland (R)
WA-2: Rick Larsen (D), Marc Hennemann (R)
WA-3: Jaime Herrera Beutler (R), Jim Moeller (D)
WA-4: Dan Newhouse (R), Clint Didier   (R)
WA-5: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R), Joe Pakootas (D)
WA-6: Derek Kilmer (D), Stephan Andrew Brodhead (R)
WA-7: Pramila Jayapal (D), Brady Walkinshaw (D)
WA-8: Dave Reichert (R), Alida Skold (D)
WA-9: Adam Smith (D), Doug Basler (R)
WA-10: Denny Heck (D), Jim Postma (R)
Senate: Patty Murray (D), Chris Vance (R)

[The Other Castro]

Though there may be some obvious jokes in here, I'm trying to keep this TL as realistic as possible for what I think could happen.

[The Other Castro]

Game On

Late September/Early October

September 26th: The First Debate
Wright State University, Dayton, OH

The first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was one of the most watched television events of the year, and by far the most widely covered presidential debate in U.S. history. Focusing on domestic policy, and especially on the economy, the debate pitted Trump’s business record against Clinton’s defense of the U.S. economy. With rising job growth and a manageable unemployment rate of 4.8%, Clinton cast herself as the only successor to President Obama that could continue to facilitate the improving economy. When faced with questions about his business record by the moderators, Trump defended such ventures like Trump Steaks and Trump University by blaming the Obama economy for restricting businesses growth and killing jobs. In solidarity with his candidate, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski brought and ate a steak on CNN’s post-debate analysis program. At several points during the debate, Trump hit “Crooked Hillary” on her past areas of controversy like Whitewater and Benghazi, often when the questions were on topics completely unrelated to his responses. Meanwhile, Clinton pivoted in most of her responses to spotlight her role in the Obama administration and the damage that Trump would do to that legacy. In post-debate polls, Clinton was named the big winner of the first debate while online polls from Drudge Report and other sites found Trump winning by a large margin.

October 4th: The VP Debate
Longwood University, Farmville, VA

The first Vice Presidential debate covered a wide range of topics, including the economy, foreign policy, and the candidate's ability to serve as President in the event of an emergency. Fallin’s responses were often confusing, and was noted for her constant attacking of Clinton for most of the debate. While Kaine didn’t exceeded expectations in terms of charisma, his competent responses to foreign and domestic policy questions reassured the public of his qualifications and came across as generally presidential throughout the debate.

October 9th: The Second Debate
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO

At the second Presidential debate, Trump reminded voters of the man that they had seen during the Republican primary debates. After getting frustrated by several questions from audience members critiquing his business record and vague proposals, Trump accused the audience of being made up of lobbyist plants. Whereas these tactics had worked in the primaries, the accusations and use of monikers like “Crooked Hillary” and “Sleepy Tim” were met with boos by the students in the crowd. Clinton more or less ignored Trump during this debate, and let him attack himself while she focused on the details of her planned policies. At some points, she invoked Bernie Sanders in her responses by admonishing the rigged system that had continued to thrive due to Republican majorities in Congress.  In the post-debate coverage, several reporters remarked that this debate had probably sealed the race for Clinton, who had already been leading in the polls for months.

October 16th:
The third debate, intended to cover foreign policy, was scheduled for October 19th. Three days before that date, however, Trump put out a statement that he would be pulling out of the debate. In a lengthy letter posted on his campaign website, Trump angrily called out the debate commission for rigging the debates for Clinton and deliberately picking moderators that were biased against him. Though Trump had been told rules and moderators of the debates ahead of time, he noted that these debates were just another classic case of the Washington insiders trying to protect their own. In response to Trump’s statement, Clinton put out a response of her own questioning Trump’s ability to protect the U.S. if he can’t even handle a presidential debate.

[YPestis25]

Great timeline Castro!

[The Other Castro]

Great timeline Castro!

Thank you!

[The Other Castro]

Election Day, Hell Toupée

November 8th, 2016

On November 8th, the fateful moment had finally arrived. Democrats watched with cautious optimism. Republicans were happy to be over with the election regardless of the result. Americans, as well as concerned people from around the globe waited anxiously for the initial results to come in.

6:00 PM:

Polls have now closed in parts of Kentucky and Indiana. Based on preliminary turnout reports from Benchmark Politics, nobody has any idea what is going on.

6:27 PM:

According to the Twitter account of Ryan Grim, these are the voting demographics:

Leaked Huffington Post National Exits:
-70% White
-12% Black
-12% Latino
-4% Asian

7:00 PM:

Polls have now closed in the following states:

Kentucky - Called for Trump


Vermont - Called for Clinton


Virginia - Too close to call
Indiana - Too close to call
Georgia - Too early to call
South Carolina - Too early to call
Polls have also closed in parts of Florida

This is the Electoral Map, as of 7:01 PM:

Trump: 8 EV
Clinton: 3 EV

[The Other Castro]

Election Day: Part II

November 8th, 2016

7:30 PM:

Polls have now closed in the following states:

West Virginia - Called for Trump


Ohio - Too close to call
North Carolina - Too close to call

From states that have already closed but have not yet been called, here are the results so far:

South Carolina: Clinton leads 79-20, <1% reporting

Georgia: Trump leads 63-35, 1% reporting

Virginia: Trump leads 56-42, 2% reporting

Indiana: Trump leads 57-41, 5% reporting

This is the Electoral Map, as of 7:31 PM:

Trump: 13 EV
Clinton: 3 EV

[The Other Castro]

Election Day: Part III

November 8th, 2016

8:00 PM:

Polls have now closed in the following states:

Alabama - Called for Trump


Oklahoma - Called for Trump


Tennessee - Called for Trump


Illinois - Called for Clinton


Massachusetts - Called for Clinton


Maryland - Called for Clinton


Connecticut - Called for Clinton


Delaware - Called for Clinton


Rhode Island - Called for Clinton


New Jersey - Called for Clinton


Maine (Too Early to Call in 2nd CD) - Called for Clinton


D.C. - Called for Clinton


Pennsylvania - Too early to call
Florida - Too close to call
New Hampshire - Too close to call
Missouri - Too early to call
Mississippi - Too early to call

From states that have already closed but have not yet been called, here are the results so far:

Ohio: Clinton leads 62-36, 7% reporting

South Carolina: Clinton leads 51-48, 9% reporting

Georgia: Trump leads 59-39, 11% reporting

Virginia: Trump leads 55-43, 12% reporting

Indiana: Trump leads 55-43, 15% reporting

North Carolina: Clinton leads 52-46, 23% reporting

Florida: Clinton leads 55-43, 43% reporting

This is the Electoral Map, as of 8:01 PM:

Clinton: 78 EV
Trump: 40 EV

[The Other Castro]

Election Day: Part IV

November 8th, 2016

8:30 PM:

Polls have now closed in the following state:

Arkansas - Called for Trump


8:36 PM:

South Carolina - Called for Trump


8:49 PM:

Mississippi - Called for Trump


9:00 PM:

Polls have now closed in the following states:

New York - Called for Clinton


New Mexico - Called for Clinton


Michigan - Called for Clinton


Kansas - Called for Trump


North Dakota - Called for Trump


South Dakota - Called for Trump


Wyoming - Called for Trump


Nebraska (Too Early to Call in 2nd CD) - Called for Trump


Wisconsin - Too early to call
Colorado - Too close to call
Texas - Too close to call
Louisiana - Too early to call
Arizona - Too early to call
Minnesota - Too early to call

From states that have already closed but have not yet been called, here are the results so far:

Missouri: Trump leads 50-46, 2% reporting

Pennsylvania: Clinton leads 57-41, 2% reporting

New Hampshire: Clinton leads 60-38, 11% reporting

Ohio: Clinton leads 58-40, 26% reporting

Georgia: Trump leads 55-44, 36% reporting

Virginia: Trump leads 50-48, 38% reporting

Indiana: Trump leads 52-47, 45% reporting

North Carolina: Clinton leads 52-46, 61% reporting

Florida: Clinton leads 55-43, 72% reporting

This is the Electoral Map, as of 9:01 PM:

Clinton: 128 EV
Trump: 80 EV

[BuckeyeNut]

Good work, keep it up!