I've Seen America: If Al Gore Ran In 2008
       |           

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
March 28, 2024, 04:46:01 PM
News: Election Simulator 2.0 Released. Senate/Gubernatorial maps, proportional electoral votes, and more - Read more

  Talk Elections
  Presidential Elections - Analysis and Discussion
  Election What-ifs? (Moderator: Dereich)
  I've Seen America: If Al Gore Ran In 2008
« previous next »
Pages: 1 [2] 3
Author Topic: I've Seen America: If Al Gore Ran In 2008  (Read 8927 times)
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #25 on: January 10, 2017, 03:03:46 AM »

GOING SOUTH

Hillary and Bill Clinton campaigning in South Carolina​
The South Carolina primary was looking good for Hillary Clinton. A poll on January 21 showed her in the lead, 48% Clinton to 36% Gore. Edwards endorsement led to a surge in support for Gore, but Clinton was still in the lead. The majority African-american electorate enthusiastically backed Clinton. African-Americans had always backed the Clintons, Bill Clinton had even been referred to by some as 'the first black President.' All Gore was hoping for was to cut into her lead with that demographic so she would not be able to ride to victory with African-American and minority votes. Gore decided to spent just January 21 and January 22 in South Carolina, for the debate at Myrtle Beach and the next day. Then Gore could move onto Super Tuesday states such as California and Illinois. The Myrtle Beach debate was dirty and brutal. Clinton started off reprimanding Gore for "attacking President Clinton's record in the 1990s, and attacking his character, Given what he has given you and given this country, I find that shameful and wrong." Gore replied "Senator Clinton, you love to look back to the 1990s. I liked the 1990s, they were a good time. But we can't be looking back, we need to look forward to the 21st century. And what's your vision for our future, Seantor? I have one, you don't. While you were voting for George Bush's war and his agenda, I was out there fighting for climate action, against the war, for a progressive vision for our country." The crowd oohed and aahed, they were getting the death match they wanted. Gore fired back at Clinton "This is the type of politics they engage in. Politics for its own sake. It doesn't matter what the facts are. It didn't matter that I won Nevada, because it was somehow rigged. Climate change, the Iraq War, a stagnant middle-class, it doesn't matter to them, they are in it for themselves. And I am fighting for a positive vision and future for our country." Clinton rebutted "You're the opposite of the future, Al." Gore fired back "Your future isn't my future, Hillary. And, unlike you, my future is a future for the American people, a future we can be proud of." "Look at my record" Clinton replied "When I was there in the 1990s" Gore interrupted "You failed. I was there." After the debate, Gore felt good. "I really got my point across there, didn't I?"

Gore left South Carolina soon afterwards, leaving surrogates to campaign there. In Illinois he held rallies with Senator Barack Obama. National polling showed a tight race. The RCP polling average on the 25th had Gore getting 41.6% to Clinton's 44.1% nationally. Gore was not ready to lift up his mood. South Carolina was still going for Hillary, and it was looking like a wipeout. Bill Clinton was attacking him, diminishing his record and career. Polls showed Gore heading for a potential curbstomping with African-Americans. It hurt. However, the big picture was looking bright. Super Tuesday was closing in, and Gore was well-positioned there. South Carolina would be an initial test of how strong his position really was.
South Carolina primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-59% 27 delegates
Al Gore-41% 18 delegates

Delegate count before Super Tuesday
Hillary Clinton-63
Al Gore-57
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #26 on: January 16, 2017, 03:11:42 AM »

SUPER TUESDAY
Senator Hillary Clinton campaigns in Tennessee for Super Tuesday, the day that could make or break her candidacy​
The final days saw a frentic rush across the country for both candidates. Polls showed a late surge for Gore. Endorsements started to flow in for the Gore camp. The mood in Goreland was nervous, the last time they had been an extremely close election it had not come out well. Still, Gore could sense in the crowds, they thought he was going to win, they were hopeful. Super Tuesday, on February 5, was the test.
Alabama primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-55% 28 delegates
Al Gore-43% 24 delegates
Alaska caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-65% 8 delegates
Hillary Clinton-34% 5 delegates
American Samoa caucus-Democratic
Al Gore-52% 2 delegates
Hillary Clinton-47% 1 delegate
Arizona primary-Democratic
Al Gore-47% 29 delegates
Hillary Clinton-45% 27 delegates
Arkansas primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-74% 28 delegates
Al Gore-22% 7 delegates
California primary-Democratic
Al Gore-50% 201 delegates
Hillary Clinton-44% 169 delegates
Colorado caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-58% 32 delegates
Hillary Clinton-41% 23 delegates
Connecticut primary-Democratic
Al Gore-53% 26 delegates
Hillary Clinton-45% 22 delegates
Delaware primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-48% 8 delegates
Al Gore-47% 7 delegates
Georgia primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-58% 51 delegates
Al Gore-39% 36 delegates
Idaho caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-80% 10 delegates
Hillary Clinton-17% 2 delegates
Illinois primary-Democratic
Al Gore-52% 81 delegates
Hillary Clinton-46% 72 delegates
Kansas caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-64% 14 delegates
Hillary Clinton-36% 7 delegates
Massachusetts primary-Democratic
Al Gore-49% 47 delegates
Hillary Clinton-48% 46 delegates
Minnesota caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-69% 50 delegates
Hillary Clinton-29% 22 delegates
Missouri primary-Democratic
Al Gore-53% 40 delegates
Hillary Clinton-44% 32 delegates
New Jersey primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-50% 55 delegates
Al Gore-48% 53 delegates
New Mexico primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-49% 13 delegates
Al Gore-48% 13 delegates
New York primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-55% 128 delegates
Al Gore-45% 104 delegates
North Dakota caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-61% 8 delegates
Hillary Clinton-37% 5 delegates
Oklahoma primary-Democratic
Al Gore-46% 20 delegates
Hillary Clinton-40% 18 delegates
Tennessee primary-Democratic
Al Gore-56% 41 delegates
Hillary Clinton-38% 27 delegates
Utah primary-Democratic
Al Gore-59% 15 delegates
Hillary Clinton-41% 8 delegates

Delegate count after Super Tuesday
Al Gore-921
Hillary Clinton-858

Al Gore had won. He had a small delegate lead, but it was enough. The next stream of contests looked good for him. It was very likely now that he would end up as the Democratic nominee. And the Democratic nominee in 2008 would very likely end up as President of the United States. Al Gore declared, which was partly accurate, that "this is a new day for our party and a new day for our country. Thank you for this great victory! We are going to win back the White House!"
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #27 on: January 19, 2017, 03:34:33 AM »

BLOWOUTS AND BLOWUPS

Former Vice-President Al Gore campaigning in Louisiana following his Super Tuesday win
Al Gore was rejuvenated after Super Tuesday. Finally, he was calmly confident. He told his campaign team "We did a great job. If we keep on the path we're going, we have this thing." The next contests, many of them in very white caucus states, were friendly to Gore. The media too was crowning Gore the likely nominee. George W Bush marveled to reporters "I guess history does repeat itself." National polls showed Gore in the lead. Money started pouring in for Gore, while Clinton was forced to loan money to her near-bankrupt campaign. The primary results afterwards were good for Gore.
Louisiana primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-50% 30 delegates
Al Gore-43% 26 delegates
Nebraska caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-63% 11 delegates
Hillary Clinton-37% 5 delegates
Washington state caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-58% 45 delegates
Hillary Clinton-41% 33 delegates

On February 10, Gore followed it up with a win in the Maine caucuses.
Maine caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-57% 14 delegates
Hillary Clinton-42% 10 delegates

February 12 was more fiercely contested. It was the Potomac primaries. Those states had more African-Americans, and Clinton looked to win states like Maryland and Virginia. Gore saw a chance to give Clinton a knock out blow.
Democrats Abroad primary
Al Gore-56% 4 delegates
Hillary Clinton-42% 3 delegates
Maryland primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-50% 36 delegates
Al Gore-47% 34 delegates
Virginia primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-53% 44 delegates
Al Gore-46% 39 delegates
Washington DC primary-Democratic
Hillary Clinton-54% 9 delegates
Al Gore-45% 6 delegates

Delegate count after February 12

Al Gore-1,100
Hillary Clinton-1,028

Hillary Clinton had failed to get the big wins she needed. Gore had a lead of 72 delegates, which was in fact a very slight increase from his lead after Super Tuesday. On February 19, Hawaii and Wisconsin would cast their ballots. But that was a precursor to Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont on March 4, a quadruple whammy that would likely make or break both candidates. Gore was in a celebratory mood after his recent wins. He declared "The politics of failure are being rolled back. With it, we are rolling back the stagnation of our middle class, rolling back a failed war, and rolling back the rise of the seas that dooms our planet." Of course, Republicans and some in the media mocked Gore for his apparent claim to be rolling back climate change with his primary victories. Gore told reporters, unusually relaxed "Don't worry, I haven't rolled it back yet. But I will."

The shocking accusation of sexual assault, shown here on the National Enquirer, threatened to blow up Al Gore's candidacy​
Al Gore was not allowed rest. On February 15, all hell broke loose. Masseuse Molly Hagerty claimed the former Vice-President had groped and sexually assaulted her in 2006. Hagerty claimed that Gore, under the alias 'Mr Stone' attempted to get sexual favors from her and forced her hand down into his crotch. Hagerty filed a report with the police in Portland, Oregon, who started an investigation into the matter. The news instantly blew up across the political landscape. The media was filled with wall to wall coverage of the case. The Gore campaign, at 2:30 pm in the afternoon, hours after the story came out, sent out a press release. Gore "unequivocally denies" the accusations, said that while he did get a massage "he does not have any recollection of Ms Hagerty", and that the accusation of sexual assault is "totally false, and has utterly baffled Vice-President Gore. This campaign hopes we can focus on the issues, and not on tabloid gossip."

Gore campaign manager Donna Brazile(above) accused the Clinton campaign of orchestrating the allegations​
Like Gore, the media expressed disbelief at the story. Fortunately for Gore, the account did not fit the public view of him as a calm and kind person who was above such behavior. The media and the Gore campaign also cast doubt on Hagerty's story, pointing out her erratic behavior and that she had not reported the matter with police at the time. She had previously raised the matter in late 2006 but had then cancelled meetings with investigators before making it a civil case. There were also other contradictions in the story. The Gore campaign raised the matter that Hagerty had been paid $500,000 for the story by the National Enquirer. Hillary Clinton tread carefully on the case, and said "I find these accusations horrifying and hard to believe. I doubt that Mr Gore has engaged in this kind of behavior and I hope the matter is handled professionally by the Portland police and appropriate authorities."

Gore did not believe her. Assembling his campaign team in the war room, he lashed out. He blamed Clinton for orchestrating the accusation, in an attempt to derail him ahead of the Wisconsin primary. "The Clintons had [Paula] Jones and [Juanita] Broaddrick. They have the baggage. They're trying to pass it onto me. What garbage! Utter garbage! We can't let them get away with this!" Gore would not say that in public himself. However, his campaign manager Donna Brazile raised the possibility on February 16. she said "I find it suspicious that this woman comes out with this story just days before the pivotal Wisconsin primary. Don't you? I think this has other hands on it. I understand our opponents are desperate to derail us, we're winning the primaries and we're winning in the polls. But come on, find something better than this tabloid trash!" The same day Al Gore was interviewed by the Portland PA.

Voting takes place for the Wisconsin Democratic primary, on February 19​
The public did not seem to believe the accusation. Gore on the campaign trail issued an emphatic denial, declaring "I promise you, I would never, ever commit the types of actions that you are hearing. That people think so, and are saying so, is wrong and outrageous. We should not believe these disgraceful lies, and I promise to continue to fight for the future of this country." A poll on February 18 showed 28% of respondents believed the story, 60% did not and 12% were unsure. Liberals were divided on how to approach the accusations, but most ultimately chose to give Gore the benefit of the doubt. Rumors continued to swirl that the Clinton campaign was responsible, and some speculated it would ultimately hurt Clinton, not Gore. Then, on February 19, the votes decided.
Hawaii caucuses-Democratic
Al Gore-66% 13 delegates
Hillary Clinton-34% 7 delegates
Wisconsin primary-Democratic
Al Gore-55% 41 delegates
Hillary Clinton-44% 33 delegates
Delegate count after February 19
Al Gore-1,154
Hillary Clinton-1,068

Gore had won again, with a double digit win in Wisconsin. His delegate lead had widened further. The public seemed to have believed him and trusted in his character. "Thank you! Thank you! I am so honored and humbled to have your trust and your vote. We are going to win the Democratic nomination and presidency of the United States. And I promise to be your President and be a President for you that you can be proud of." The crowd cheered. Gore looked to March 4, ever mindful on the oncoming bombshells and blowups as he pushed ever closer to the nomination. Still, he had come this far. Now it required one final push.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #28 on: January 20, 2017, 03:45:05 AM »

Thoughts so far?
Logged
America Needs R'hllor
Parrotguy
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,422
Israel


Political Matrix
E: -4.13, S: -3.48

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #29 on: January 20, 2017, 04:28:56 AM »

Love it! Very interesting and well-written!
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #30 on: January 21, 2017, 05:58:31 PM »

Love it! Very interesting and well-written!

Thank you! Stay tuned for more!
Logged
NHI
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 6,140


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #31 on: January 21, 2017, 07:41:04 PM »

Love it! Very interesting and well-written!
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #32 on: January 21, 2017, 11:21:47 PM »

SUPER TUESDAY II

Al Gore campaigning ahead of Super Tuesday II, with the (metaphorical) wind at his back
That wouldn't stop Al Gore. He had the momentum in the race. Hillary Clinton was making her last stand, as attack ads ripped into him. The Gore train was racing ahead. The RCP polling average on march 1 showed Gore leading nationally, with 50.0% support to Clinton's 43.3%. Gore was pressing on kitchen-table issues in the final days. He was a populist, attacking OPEC for high oil prices, attacking Wall Street for the subrpime mortgage crisis and Washington for stagnant wages. Clinton fired back "You've been in Washington all your life!" Gore quipped "Unlike you, I was never 'co-President'!" Gore declared, to a crowd of Ohio manufacturing workers "I am on your side!" The Gore campaign's confidence showed when Donna Brazile told reporters "I think it's a near certainty we will win the nomination."
Ohio primary-Democratic
Al Gore-52% 73 delegates
Hillary Clinton-46% 68 delegates
Rhode Island primary-Democratic
Al Gore-56% 12 delegates
Hillary Clinton-42% 9 delegates
Texas primary-Democratic
Al Gore-49% 63 delegates
Hillary Clinton-49% 63 delegates
Vermont primary-Democratic
Al Gore-66% 10 delegates
Hillary Clinton-32% 5 delegates
Delegate count after March 4
Al Gore-1,312
Hillary Clinton-1,213

Al Gore had extended his lead and swept up. Texas had been by the skin of his teeth, but even that obstacle had been cleared. His nomination was all but assured. Hillary Clinton's fate was uncertain, she refused to say whether she would continue. Al Gore triumphantly declared "We have done it! You know, Bill Clinton used to be the Comeback Kid, but it's time for him to move over. We are going to win the White House and make America great again! I hope you all join me on this journey!" There was still the hurdle of the Republicans to clear though.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #33 on: January 22, 2017, 02:13:15 PM »

PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE

Albert Arnold Gore Junior, the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party and frontrunner to be the 44th US President
After March 4, it was clear Al Gore would be the Democratic nominee. Tim Russert said on primary night "We now know who the Democratic nominee is going to be and no one is going to dispute it." Al Gore was confident too, and Donna Brazile told reporters the next day "I can say that, almost certainly, Al Gore will be the Democratic nominee." Hillary Clinton would need a dramatic surge in support to overtake Gore in the coming primaries, when, if anything, the opposite was happening. National polls showed Gore's lead in the high single digits, some even stretching into double-digit margins. Superdelegates could not save Clinton either, Gore now had a rising lead with superdelegates over her. Bombshells would not sink Gore. The clean as a whistle Gore had been hit with a bombshell in the sexual assault allegations, but that had either not hurt him or even helped his campaign. Hillary Clinton saw that she had lost. Clinton hoped to negotiate with Gore to get him to help her with her campaign debt, given the divisive primary, Gore needed her help in uniting the party whole-heartedly behind him in the general. It had been a bitter primary, but Gore was the winner. However, Gore only agreed to help with a small fraction of her debt. On March 12, she conceded regardless. She congratulated Al Gore on his victory, saying "I would not wish to stay in and divide our party when I could not win. I throw my full support behind Al Gore, and I urge you to get out there and make Al Gore the next President of the United States!" She said "We may not have cracked that highest, hardest glass ceiling, but thanks to you, we have put millions and millions of cracks in it, and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time." And with that, Hillary Clinton ended her campaign, and to most observers her hopes of being President(though some speculated she could run again). Al Gore was the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Al Gore at a fundraiser in March 2008, imploring donors to refill his campaign's coffers
Al Gore now could enter the general election and confront the Republicans. The first challenge was fundraising. Al Gore had spent most of his money on the primary battle. He needed to fill up his coffers again, and quick, before the Republicans could swift-boat him. Al Gore would spend the rest of March out of the public eye, travelling the country to get donations to his campaign. The Gore campaign also figured out a new innovation. Based on Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, they would use the Internet to raise money. Gore was out of the public eye, temporarily shielded from the media firestorm, but he was not wasting his time. Millions of dollars were coming in. Goreland was astonished by the success of their Internet fundraising. Gore's coffers were soon refilled and ready to battle. The Gore campaign was now ready for battle.

Gore had a weak image with the general public. A plurality of voters recorded having unfavorable opinions of Gore. A Gallup poll in March 2008 showed 46% of Americans had a favorable view of him and 40% of Americans had an unfavorable view of him. Gore had gone through a bruising primary fight. He was personally distrusted by much of the electorate, and many people found him abrasive and unlikable. His message resonated more, America did need change and they thought Gore would be a good President, But the thought of him as President wasn't comforting. Kreider told Gore "We need to put in a new face and calm people's doubts." Gore had the chance now to define himself as he chose. Gore was also hurt by the perception among some voters he was too liberal, having taken liberal positions in the primary. Republicans spread those doubts, an RNC memo on April 1, leaked to the media, painted Gore as "climate extremist-hurt him on coal, dove-soft on terror, tax and spend liberal, anti-business, too far left." It was what Gore had feared when he had entered the primary. Gore quickly sought to pivot to the general, and mounted an attack on the Republicans "I am not on the far-left. It may look that way though, because the Republicans are so far to the right. And where has that gotten us? Their extremism, their failures, have given us two wars, thousands of our troops dead in a war caused by a lie, a city drowned, gas prices at all time highs, middle-class families hit by a recession caused by far-right policies. And we need change, we need to turf out the Republicans and shift this country back to where we were before the disasters of George Bush." Gore didn't want to run on an ideological manifesto. He wanted to run on who he was not, George W Bush. With Bush's approval rating at 30%, that would be a wise choice.

A poster showing Al Gore's 2008 slogan, having stumbled upon it it summed up his message
Al Gore now shifted to getting a message for the general. They tested several different slogans, but found a common theme among focus groups. Voters thought the country was going in the wrong direction, that things had been better before. America had been great before, but not anymore. One woman put it thusly "Things were so good before, in the 1990s, but we've just been getting worse and worse. Somebody needs to make America great again." That's it! It was like a scene in a comic book or cartoon where the lightbulb appears above the character's head. Gore decided he should pick his slogan as "Make America Great Again." It had been Reagan's 1980 slogan, and he had won big. And in 1992 Bill Clinton had used it too. Some advisers raised doubts, couldn't the Republicans use it to attack Gore as unpatriotic? The slogan tested well though. With Bush's approval rating at 30%, and over 70% of American saying the country was on the wrong track, it was a message that would resonate. Gore could use it to paint the Republicans as the status-quo and so drag them down with Bush. It was decided. Al Gore would Make America Great Again. And so Al Gore got into the ring for the general election battle. Would this time be third time lucky?
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #34 on: January 23, 2017, 07:19:53 PM »

Thoughts on Gore's slogan? Who do you think will be his VP?
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #35 on: January 23, 2017, 07:21:35 PM »

GORE VS MCCAIN

Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain campaigning in New Hampshire​
Al Gore faced a strong Republican opponent in Arizona Senator John McCain. McCain had been the underdog for much of 2007, but after a win in New Hampshire he gathered unstoppable momentum and soon wrapped up the nomination on Super Tuesday, with a far less divisive primary than what Gore faced against Hillary Clinton. McCain had hoped to face off against Hillary Clinton, he was good friends with her and liked her. Gore, not so much. But Gore vs McCain it was. Gore respected McCain personally, he was a war hero after all, but politically, McCain was not what America needed. He was a war hawk and, despite his pretensions to being a 'maverick', Gore believed and said that McCain was a third term for Bush and would bring no change. McCain had little regard for Gore, seeing him as abrasive and was disdainful of his political chops. McCain thought Gore was an easier opponent than Hillary Clinton, 2000 seemed the proof. He was about to find out.

Republicans began a new round of attacks against Al Gore. McCain declared that Al Gore is "too partisan" and "his platform is the most extreme from a Democratic nominee that we have seen in decades." Gore denied the attacks on him that he was 'too liberal', and declared "I am a pragmatist, and all my life I have championed pragmatic solutions to lift people up, rather than the extreme ideological agenda we have seen from this Republican administration." McCain sought to use the patriotism card against Gore. This was bolstered by Gore's slogan, which McCain felt was unpatriotic and attacked America. He declared "Unlike my opponent, I believe this country is great, that we retain the greatness and spirit that has made America the greatest nation in the history of the world. I believe in America and I see that we have not lost our greatness but are ready, given the leadership, for the challenges of the 21st century." Gore fired back, accusing McCain of being 'disingenuous' and saying "I don't deny that we are a great nation, but unlike Senator McCain, I recognize that we cannot remain as we are. We cannot keep the leadership and failures of the last eight years. We must restore our nation and put this country back on the right track."

Gore continually insisted that McCain would be a third term for Bush. McCain claimed he was a change candidate too, and he was a 'maverick' To prove it, he sought to demonstrate his differences with Bush. And he saw Gore's signature issue of climate change as an opportunity to do just that, as McCain had declared climate change exists, and supported cap and trade and automobile fuel standards. McCain declared "Both Al Gore and I recognize that climate change is a pressing problem and serious steps must be taken to combat it." Gore was initially passive on this issue, and he even said to supporters that "both me and my opponent recognize the reality of climate change, the question is how to stop it." Gore's advisers soon made clear that such passiveness was not helpful, and Gore needed to take McCain down on the climate issue. Gore declared on May 3 that "John McCain lacks the solutions to the pressing crisis of climate change. He can claim to be on the right side of this issue, but the reality is that he is woefully inadequate on this hugely important issue." The Gore campaign pointed out that McCain opposed the Kyoto Protocol, that he said fuel efficiency standards were best left to the states, and he had opposed the override of Bush's veto for funds of the restoration of the Everglades. McCain alleged that Gore was trying to "twist and distort my record," Gore replied "You can all look up the truth on that thing I invented"(referencing the claim that Al Gore said he 'invented the internet') Republicans attacked Al Gore on climate change, but their attempts to cast doubt on his documentary and on his climate change policies were hurt by McCain trying to hug Gore on the issue. Ultimately, McCain could not rival Gore on climate change, just diminish his party's weakness, but that left him unable to attack Gore's vulnerabilities on the issue.

Presumptive Democratic nominee Al Gore attacks John McCain in a campaign rally in Miami, Florida

Gore and McCain also clashed on the issue of Iraq. McCain was very hawkish, and in favor of the troop surge there. With the situation having stabilized there, and violence decreasing, McCain claimed the surge had worked. McCain said that pointed to his 'good judgement' in backing the surge, and said Gore lacked that good judgment in opposing the surge. In an ironic twist of fate, McCain was backed by Gore's 2000 running mate Joe Lieberman, who had endorsed him instead of Gore. Gore fired back, saying "I had the good judgement to oppose the Iraq War right from the very start, and stand up against it. John McCain lacked that good judgement. He stood with Bush and Cheney and promised that we would be greeted as liberators, that it would be easy, that there was no history of violence between Sunni and Shia. He was wrong. I, not Senator McCain, have the good judgement needed to be President." McCain pointed out that in 2002 Gore had said "Iraq's search for WMD has proven impossible to completely deter, and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power. We know that [Saddam] has stored away secret supplies of biological weapons and chemical weapons throughout his country." McCain also pointed out that in the 2000 debate Gore had said "We have maintained the sanctions. I want to go further. I want to give robust support to the groups that are trying to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Some say they’re too weak to do it. But that’s what they said about those opposing Milosevic in Serbia" and that he supported Clinton's 1998 airstrikes on Iraq. Gore fought back against this attempt to muddy the waters, and said that this did not mean he supported the war, and declared "I was opposed to this colossal mistake of a war, a war Senator McCain championed and supported." Gore also attacked McCain for his comments that the US could be in Iraq for 100 years, saying "Unlike Senator McCain, I have a plan to wind down this war. McCain is the war candidate, and we are paying the price for that mistake in blood, sweat and tears."

The fundamentals of the race backed Gore. 2008 was a change election. While Gore personally was not change, with his life in politics, he was a big policy change and a break with George W Bush. McCain, despite his claim to be a maverick, was not a dramatic change, and he was closely tied to Bush and many of his policies. McCain was swimming against the tide. Gore made that clear, saying "John McCain is now openly endorsing the policies of the Bush-Cheney White House and actually promising to continue those same policies over again? Hey, I believe in recycling but that's ridiculous." Still, the fundamentals had been in Gore's favor in 2000 and he had still lost (though, as he liked to point out, he won the popular vote and it was not a definitive loss by any means). The polls were close. The RCP average on June 5 showed Gore at 46.8% to McCain's 44.3%, just a 2.5% lead. There were two factions in the Gore campaign, the 'complacent' ones who saw a win as almost inevitable, and the 'bedwetters' who fretted about every bad poll. After 2000, Gore leaned towards being a bedwetter. The veepstakes and the conventions were coming up. Brazile told Gore "August will be critical. If we get a good VP and a good convention, if we rally the party behind us and make a strong appeal to the country, we can seal this thing. If McCain pulls it out from under us then we will be in for a real fight." Al Gore was definitely the frontrunner in the race. And with the economy getting worse and storm clouds brewing, outside forces would conspire to help him. Gore vs McCain would likely come up Gore, but only if Gore himself made sure it did.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #36 on: January 23, 2017, 11:21:49 PM »

SECOND IN COMMAND

Al Gore's Vice-President; Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold​
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #37 on: January 24, 2017, 05:58:23 PM »

Thoughts on Gore's VP choice? Predictions for the election and afterwards?
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #38 on: January 25, 2017, 12:56:28 AM »

A CONVENTIONAL CONVENTION

Republican nominee John McCain attacks the Gore/Feingold ticket ahead of the DNC​
The Republicans quickly pounced on the Feingold pick. In particular, his opposition to the Patriot Act stood out as a vulnerability. An RNC memo was released with talking points against the Gore/Feingold ticket "Soft on terror-use Feingold vote against Patriot Act. Doesn't 'have what it takes'. Use 9/11" and that the ticket was 'too liberal. Use word 'liberal'. Gore/Feingold want to redistribute the wealth. Extremist agenda." McCain was initially softer on Feingold, given his role in McCain-Feingold campaign finance legislation. However soon he fired back, saying "Unlike my opponent and his running mate, I support measures to protect our country from terrorists. I am tough on terrorism and I will defeat Al-Qaeda, unlike Al Gore." Gore's campaign fired back in defense of their pick "Russ Feingold is a real change maker" Gore said "Not the pretend John McCain kind." When McCain attacked Gore on terror, Gore fired back "How is the War on Terror going iunder Bush/Cheney? We are no safer than we were before 9/11, Al-qaeda has grown. The disastrous war in Iraq that Senator McCain voted for and still supports has swelled the jihadist ranks and put more American lives in danger. Osama bin Laden has still not been found. I'd give Bush/Cheney and their candidate John McCain an F on terror, and it is clear that if we want to safeguard our country, we need new leadership."

Senator Hillary Clinton speaks at the Democratic National Convention
The polls were close. On August 26, the RCP polling average had Gore at 45.9% and McCain at 44.8%, a mere 1.1% lead. The Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado, would be critical. It would, Gore hoped, rally the party behind his candidacy and present a clear case to the American people. The first day was focused on "Renewing America's Promise." Senator Hillary Clinton gave her speech, saying "Make no mistake, I am 100% behind Al Gore. He, and only he, can bring the progress that our nation desperately needs. So let's go out and win this election!" That ensured that Clinton supporters would rally behind Gore in the general and that the party would be united. Dennis Kucinich railed against the 'abuses of power' of the Bush administration. "We could have prevented this, if the people's choice for President in 2000 had been our President. If Al Gore had been President, if 537 votes had gone the other way, we could have avoided this. And if we elect him and Russ Feingold in 2008, we will reverse the disaster that was the last eight years and inaugurate a new era for our country!" The crowd cheered wildly.

On the second day, Russ Feingold gave his speech to the delegates and the nation. Wisconsin knew him, but America did not. Feingold said "I am a fighter. Throughout my career, I have fought for the average American, and not the special interests. And I have supported Al Gore because he too is a fighter. All his life, he has fought for the average American-for you. He does not give up. He could have given up, after he lost, but he is determined to make the lives of all Americans better. As his supporter, as his friend, I see that clearly. And he has the vision, policies and leadership to bring the change we need. People can talk about change, and people can do it. John McCain talks about change. He will not bring change. I respect John McCain, and he is my friend. He is a good man. But he would not be a good President. He will not deliver the change we need. Al Gore will. He is the opposite of George Bush. He is exceedingly qualified, in experience and in character, to be President. Unlike Bush, he is a leader, and he will be a great President. Thank you Al, for nominating me as your Vice-President. This time, let's make Al Gore our President, like your life depended on it, because it just might. Al, let's win this thing!" Bill Clinton also spoke. He mended fences from the primary, and praised Gore. "Al Gore was an outstanding Vice President" Bill said "And he will be an outstanding President." Clinton said "Al Gore has the intelligence, experience and leadership to be our President. He should have won in 2000, and he must win in 2008. I am fully behind Al Gore and Russ Feingold, two men who will bring the change we need. I support them, and I hope you all do too."

Former Vice-President Al Gore accepts the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States, again
The final day saw Al Gore accept the nomination. Gore took the stage. The crowd erupted in cheers, with chants of "Al Gore! Al Gore! Al Gore!" He began to speak "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all very much." "I stand here today as your champion. I do not stand here for myself, though. I stand here for the people all across this nation, the ordinary, the forgotten men and women of this great nation. I see them all across this nation, from the cornfields of Iowa, the Granite State of New Hampshire, the manufacturers of Ohio, Nevada to New Hampshire, north, south, east and west. And you have been left behind by this administration. I will lift you up, I will lift this nation up. Together, we will Make America Great Again (cheers)! We will end the disaster of Bush/Cheney, a disaster John McCain supported, and voted with 95% of the time. We are going to bring change to America and lift everybody up, once again we shall have peace and prosperity." Gore praised Russ Feingold "My running mate, Russ Feingold, (Crowd chants "Russ! Russ! Russ!") is a man dedicated to working for all Americans. He is a maverick, a real maverick, and John McCain can earn something from him!(Crowd cheers)" Gore launched into an attack on the Bush administration "On January 20, 2001, when George W Bush took office, we had peace and prosperity. We had the biggest surpluses in history. We had 23 million good-paying jobs created under President Clinton." Gore gestures to Bill in the audience, and the crowd cheers. " We had an economy that was growing, and growing, and growing. America was unrivalled across the world, at peace. No American soldiers were dying in pointless wars. Sadly, things have gotten so much worse. George W Bush has run the biggest deficits of any President, in all of our nation's history. We are disrespected and loathed across the world. Our economy is shrinking, shrinking and shrinking, and thousands of jobs are being lost. The stock market, which was booming, is falling off a cliff. Our planet faces a dire crisis in climate change, the seas are rising and we have a President who chooses to do nothing. We are in two wars, and there is no end in sight. My opponent would have us stay in Iraq for 100 years. He would like to distract you with fear mongering, lies and attacks from the real issues. They have done this before. I will speak to the American people on the issues and on the facts, because the issues and the facts are on my side. Our country is fundamentally on the wrong track. But we can make it right. We can make America great again." Gore launched into a defense of his agenda "We can roll back the rise of the seas, we can stop the warming of our planet. If we have the determination and courage to do so, we can still set thinsg right. We can bring a responsible end to the war in Iraq, and fix George W Bush's mess. We can turn our focus to the real enemy, we can find Osama bin Laden and.. bring him to justice!" The delegates were cheering wildly. "We can create good-paying jobs again, invest in our nation's infrastructure and create a fair tax system. We can fight the special interests, clean up Washington. We can mend our budget, and truly be fiscally responsible again. We can combat Wall Street and Opec, and fight for the American people. We can fight for you, and we will. I promise, I will be your President!" Crowd erupts into raucous cheers and starts chanting Gore's name. Gore began to wrap up his speech "I believe what I say, and I believe our best days are still ahead. We can reach for them and seize the opportunity. I may not be the best orator, the most slick politician, but I will be the best President. If you give me the honor of being your President, I will fight for you. I will always fight for you, I will never stop fighting for you. I will never stop striving for that shining city upon a hill, for a more perfect union. If we can summon our common will, our common energy and common spirit, we can set it right. We can make our country great again. And we will! Thank you very much, and God Bless America. Let us go forth and win America my friends, there is no substitute for victory." Gore walked away from the stage, waving to the crowd as American flags flew and the crowd cheered wildly. He had done all he could. All that was left was to hope.
Logged
TC9078
Newbie
*
Posts: 2
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #39 on: January 25, 2017, 10:07:51 AM »

I like it! We're finally almost fully caught up with where it was on ah.com
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #40 on: January 25, 2017, 02:57:04 PM »

MCCAIN'S TURN

Republican nominee John McCain addresses the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis St Paul, Minnesota
The Republican National Convention was held from September 1-September 4, 2008. In a boon to the ticket, Cheney and Bush were unable to address the convention because of Hurricane Gustav. The convention focused on attacking Al Gore. Senator Fred Thompson declared that Al Gore and the Democrats were elitists, saying "Gore was once from Tennessee. But he has lost touch with where he came from, he has lost touch with the heartland. Al Gore talks to and works for the elites in San Fransisco, New York and DC. He does not work for you." Rudy Giuliani attacked Gore on terrorism, saying that Gore and Democrats "are in a state of denial" about the threat of terrorism to the U.S, while McCain can confront and defeat "anything that terrorists do to us". Giuliani declared "The Democrats have nominated two far-left liberals, including a man who voted against the Patriot Act to protect our country from the terrorists. They pose a dire threat to our country, and we must not let them win. If Al Gore wins, Bin Laden wins!" Mitt Romney attacked Gore on the economy "We need change all right. Change from a liberal Washington to a conservative Washington. We have a prescription for every American who wants change in Washington—throw out the big-government liberals and elect John McCain." He declared "Al Gore wants more taxes, more spending, and less freedom for hard-working middle-class Americans. In hard economic times, we can't afford a leader whose main economic prescription is that you pay more taxes. That's bad for you and it's bad for America. Your pocketbook needs John McCain to win. So let's make that happen!" Huckabee accepted the vice-presidential nomination and attacked Al Gore, saying "I accept this nomination because we need John McCain. Al Gore poses a threat to America. An Al Gore presidency would serve the elites that look down upon real Americans. It would enact a far-left agenda that is fiscally irresponsible and harms our economy. Al Gore and Russ Feingold would degrade our moral values and create a perversion of America. He won't lift families up, he will tear families apart with his disregard for family values. Al Gore seeks to enact an agenda far out of the mainstream, that begins the path to despotism with the decline of morality and cohesion in our society." red meat to the base. "We must stop him!" McCain then accepted the nomination. He refrained from attacking Gore, but clearly contrasted his candidacy to Gore's. McCain declared "I am a maverick. I seek to get soft money out of our politics and not to use and abuse it, I seek to reform Washington, I speak to all Americans, not just to Hollywood and DC. I will be your champion." The Republicans left St Paul. They were united and determined to elect McCain and stop Gore. Both sides saw the fate of the nation hanging in the balance. Only one side could prevail. And events outside both Gore and McCain's control would soon intervene to tip the balance.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #41 on: January 25, 2017, 06:17:01 PM »

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Huckabee speaks at a McCain rally on September 7 in Florida
The Huckabee pick and the convention gave McCain a big boost in the polls. The party base was now eager to vote for McCain and determined to turn out in force, lest Al Gore finally win the presidency. Independents were not turned off by the Huckabee pick, at least yet, and the convention hammered at Gore's negatives. The polls saw a surge for McCain. McCain kept rising in the polls, until September 7 where he got the lead in the RCP average. At his height, on September 9 it was 47.8% McCain to 46.4% Gore. Al Gore's personal popularity was poor, with 50% of respondents viewing him favorably to 45% unfavorably in a new Gallup poll. Democrats began to panic in the face of McCain's surge, with some blaming Gore and his campaign for being too liberal and too weak. Gore sought to restore order. The Gore campaign began attacking Huckabee, warning that he had a "far-right agenda" for America and highlighting his socially conservative views. Gore declared that the McCain/Huckabee ticket is "the most extreme and conservative ticket since Goldwater. We've already seen how this turns out. Don't make the same mistake!" The Gore campaign split off in two camps, those who wanted to tar Huckabee and those who wanted to focus on the top of the ticket. That saw mixed messages coming out as some surrogates dismissed Huckabee and said "only Al Gore can bring the change we need, John McCain is a third term for George W Bush" while others attacked Huckabee, saying his views are "out of touch with the American people" and that he is "a dangerous man." The Gore campaign ran an ad highlighting Huckabee's views, and said at the end "John McCain-maverick? Not any more."

The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros sent the global financial system into a tailspin​
Then on September 15, a September Surprise threw the campaign right off course. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the subprime mortgage crisis infected the financial system. Anyone could be next. Gore had been following the crisis and communicating behind the scenes with Hank Paulson. while economics was not his top area he understood the situation. "This could be as bad as the Great Depression" Gore told aides "I just hope we can all follow John McCain's slogan and put country first." McCain was flailing. McCain said on the day of the meltdown that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." After being hammered as out of touc, he clarified that he meant the American people and said the economy is in "totla crisis." He came out in opposition to the Fed bailout of AIG. He then promised to fire SEC chairman Christopher Cox, but was soon reminded no President had that power. Huckabee threw his unehlpful input in too when he said that "the moral decline of our society, the attack on our family values championed by Al Gore has brought us to the brink of destruction." Gore replied that the real cause was a lack of regulation on Wall Street. He then proceeded to blame Bush for the crisis, saying that "under George W Bush, we have seen a repeat of the laissez-faire economics of the 1920s and the silencing of our regulators, we can now see all too clearly the result of that." Gore had to blame Bush really, because otherwise he would be under fire too, as he had been Vice-President for a President at the center of the deregulation.

On September 24, McCain 'suspended' his campaign and sought to delay the scheduled September 26 debate when he went to Washington to help broker a solution to the crisis. The move was criticized as a political stunt, and McCain faced critical media coverage. Gore, despite not holding public office, also came to Washington. A bipartisan meeting was held the next day, chaired by President Bush. There were awkward glances between Bush and Al Gore, afterwards the two had a quick laugh about how they hadn't expected to end up there after all that happened in 2000. At the meeting, McCain did not participate much, while Gore sought to corral House Democrat votes for a bailout plan. Then, he looked over to McCain "John, do you have anything to say?" McCain then said "I understand the House Republican position and they have a right to it." He failed to take a stand. Gore and Bush were, for once, united in their anger at McCain; he had organised an unnecessary meeting and made no contribution to it. Gore had McCain on leadership, Democrats soon began repeating Gore's talking points. McCain's poll numbers had started falling after September 15, now Gore was approaching landslide territory. McCain then left Washington and announced the debate would go ahead. He felt Gore had made it political and he was politicizing the crisis. Gore replied "Of course I'm politicizing the crisis, it's the greatest political issue facing our country." On September 26, Gore was at 48.7% to McCain's 43.9%, a 4.8% lead, bigger than most of what he had during the cycle. It looked as if the financial crisis had been the turning point. But it wasn't over yet. There was over a month to go and in there was a big test for Gore, the debates. He had lost them in 2000, now he believed he could win them. If he could avoid flunking it now and keep his lead, he would win.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #42 on: January 26, 2017, 05:29:54 PM »

THE FINAL STRETCH
 
Republican nominee John McCain at the September 26 presidential debate, held in the University of Mississippi, Mississippi​
On September 26, the first presidential debate for the general election was held. Al Gore was confident that he would beat McCain, but he was also nervous about a repeat of his 2000 experience. While he had dominated the issues, the media didn't care about the issues, they cared about Gore sighing in the debate, or awkwardly trying to stand over George W Bush. He couldn't give them any openings. The debate was on foreign policy, a key issue for McCain, but everyone knew the economy was the elephant in the room. Gore, unlike McCain, was proficient in both issues. Gore was going to speak on both the issues and simply try to get George W Bush into the discussion as much as possible. Bush's approval rating was at 25%, and the swing voters in states like Ohio and Florida that would decide the election were not part of that 25%. "I'm gonna beat him" Gore said. And then he walked onto the stage.

Initially, McCain had the upper hand. He declared 'Al Gore's portrayal of the War on Terror is just wrong. We are winning in Iraq, we are beating the terrorists, and America is safer. The surge has worked. And we can't afford to cut and run. It may be tempting to cut and run, to flee from our enemies, but it only emboldens the terrorists, let's the rebuild and leave us at risk of another attack like 9/11. There is only one solution; beat them." Gore gave a reply on how the war in Iraq was a mistake and had fueled Al-Qaeda recruitment, but he was going down in the weeds and getting tedious. However, his campaign team noticed something. McCain wasn't looking at Gore at all, he wasn't directly talking to him. He was talking and looking at the camera. Now, politicians are supposed to talk to the audience, but this was taking things too far. McCain was coming off as disrespectful. McCain labelled Gore as having "bad judgement." Then, Gore struck back, declaring "Senator McCain, with all due respect, you are the one with bad judgement. It was bad judgement to go into war in Iraq. It was bad judgement to say we would be greeted as liberators. It was bad judgement to vote for such a disastrous war and still you do not renounce that vote. It was bad judgement to vote with George W Bush 95% of the time. That is all true Senator McCain, and it shows you lack the good judgement to be our President." McCain's weak response was to try and pedantically take down Gore's claims. On the economy. Gore had the upper hand. "Here are the facts. When George W Bush was inaugurated, we had record prosperity and job creation, record home ownership, huge budget surpluses, rising wages. And now we have a vicious housing crisis, disastrous deficits, jobs dying by the thousands each month, an economic crisis unparalleled since the Great Depression. Senator McCain said the economy is fundamentally strong. Well, I disagree. It was fundamentally strong. But this administration has changed that." McCain charged that Gore's tax plan would undermine economic growth. Gore had a zinger up his sleeve "You look at the 1990s to see how false your claim is, Senator." Gore then launched into a defense of his tax plan that soon went too wonky. At the end of the debate, in his closing argument, Gore declared "I was the People's Choice for President of the United States in 2000. And I promised a fair tax system, a truly fiscally responsible government, an administration that cared for all Americans and lifted everybody up, a responsible foreign policy. a climate policy that did our bit to protect our planet, and to protect and enhance the prosperity we enjoyed. I did not take office, George W Bush did, and with the support of John McCain. We can now see how that turned out, And we need to make America Great again, and that's not happening with Senator McCain. It's happening if we bring in real change and elect me as your President with a Democratic Congress. That is my promise to you."

Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at the vice-presidential debate
Gore was declared the winner of the debate. The media faulted him for being boring at times, but ultimately he was effective when he needed to be and McCain came off as disrespectful. A post-debate poll showed that 37% of viewers thought the debate was a draw, 37% thought Gore was the winner and 26% thought McCain won. Then, on October 2, the vice-presidential debate was held. Mike Huckabee and Russ Feingold were diametrically opposed to each other ideologically. Huckabee was 'that Southern bible-loving hillbilly', the solidly populist Christian conservative. Then there was Russ Feingold, 'that cheese-head liberal Jew'. The public had unusually unfavorable views of both candidates, while Feingold was the most popular he was distrusted on ideological grounds, while Huckabee's favorability rating was, according to a PPP poll, 41% favorable to 40% unfavorable. The two shook hands and then the battle began. Feingold fired the first shot, declaring "I am a maverick. I understand some people are uncomfortable with my principles, that I'm somehow out there, but they are my principles and I stand by them. I believe that government should lift people up and give people a helping hand, rather than focusing on regulating consensual relations between adult human beings and sending our troops to die in pointless wars. Senator McCain once was a mevrick too, and we worked together to reform our broken campaign finance system. Sadly, John McCain is not a maverick anymore." Huckabee then charged that Feingold was too liberal, saying "Senator Feingold is just wrong, John McCain is a maverick. So am I. And we are going to reform the broken city of Washington. Al Gore is a fraud, a snake-oil dealer offering false solutions. He and you Senator are running on an extreme, far-left agenda, one that will hurt our economy and the moral foundations of our society." Feingold fired back "I'm only far-left to you because you're so far-right" before litigating Hucakbee's extreme positions on social issues. Huckabee made a gaffe when he said that "America is a Christian nation with Christian values, and you senator do not share our moral values." While he later clarified that he meant Judeo-Christian values and he was attacking Feingold personally, the statement was seen as offensive to Jews and several Jewish groups condemned Huckabee. Feingold focused more on Huckabee, while Huckabee trained his fire on Al Gore. And then, the debate was over. Most observers thought the debate had little effect, but that Feingold had won it. The polls backed that up.

Democratic nominee Al Gore at the second presidential debate
Gore/Feingold was still leading in the polls, and leading big. CBS had Gore up 51-43, Gallup had him up 50-47, Pew had him 50-43, ABC News had him 51-45. The second debate was a draw, Gore struggled to connect in the town hall format, while McCain came off again as disrespectful. The third debate was Gore's biggest win. McCain went negative on Gore, at one point outright saying "Well, that's just not true and you know it." McCain's negative tone rubbed the wrong way with suburban women voters. Gore did well on the economy, and attacked McCain on the deficit, arguing his budget plan was wrong because it put the burden on those "who are most vulnerable and who already hurting, thanks to the policies of the current administration. I will make sure those with the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burden."

With a landslide in sight, Gore looked at expanding the map. Arkansas could be in reach, polls showed a close race there. Missouri could be a swing state again, the candidates were virtually even there. Virginia was looking competitive too. Gore was leading in Colorado, which used to be a red state. The expand the map question was a big debate in the Gore campaign in the final weeks. Axelrod argued for it, saying that Gore had a conceivable path to pick up many red states and that expanding the map would give Gore the largest possible mandate and put more Democrats in Congress, helping advance Gore's agenda. However, Brazile argued against, Gore needed to stick to 270, and not let McCain make a late comeback. Axelrod argued back that expanding the map would stop McCain making a late comeback as it would force him to compete in red states, not swing states. There were no signs of a McCain comeback. Indeed, McCain was flailing. He had lost the debates, and his vice-presidential pick was proving a liability. Moderates were abandoning him. The economy was rapidly deteriorating, and with it McCain's chances. Gore decided to plunge the knife in and go for a landslide. He landed in Virginia and made his final case.

Gore was facing a final round of attacks, but it was all background noise now. It was clear he had won. The polls all showed it, McCain knew it, the map showed it, the results just needed to come in. Gore made the final push on the campaign trail, but even then he was already thinking ahead. The economy would need to come first, it was in turmoil and needed to stop the bleeding and then repair. The war in Iraq would need to be wound down, while on the environment, Gore was weighing up whether to pursue cap and trade in his first year in office. The Democrats would have big majorities in Congress, that was a certainty. The question was how big. Gore landed in Tampa for his final rally on November 3. It was a moment of redemption. Florida was still close, the RCP average had Gore at 50.5% there to 48.9% for McCain. But it would be enough. He had lost in 2000. Now, barring a miracle for McCain, he would win. He would be the first election loser since Nixon to return to win the presidency. Nixon, eh? Gore's comeback bid had been compared to Nixon's in many ways. The difference was, Gore hoped, that he wouldn't have a Watergate. It was a curious comparison, but also apt. He had come back from the depths to the heights again. George W Bush faced the prospect of handing the Oval Office over to Gore. Gore was energized. "I am so looking forward to tomorrow!" The crowd cheered "We are going to win, and we are going to Make America Great Again! Like me, this country is going to come back!" Cheering and chanting rose over Gore, Now, he had done all he could. It was up to the American people now.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #43 on: January 26, 2017, 06:46:42 PM »

This is the last pre-election update. Predictions for the election? If/when Gore wins, how big do you think his win will be?
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #44 on: January 26, 2017, 09:20:04 PM »

GORE WINS!

Al Gore/Russ Feingold-Democratic: 340 EV 51.95%
John McCain/Mike Huckabee-Republican: 198 EV 46.41%
2008 House elections
Nancy Pelosi-Democratic: 253+17 52.8%
John Boehner-Republican: 182-17 42.9%
2008 Senate elections[1]
Harry Reid-Democratic: 56+7
Mitch McConnell-Republican: 42-7
Independent: 2_​
The 2008 US election ended in a big victory for the Democratic Party. Al Gore won a resounding victory, beating McCain by just under 6% and forcing him under 200 electoral votes. Democrats made big gains in both houses of Congress, with a very strong House majority and 58 Senate seats (the 2 Independents caucus Democrat), just two votes short of a filibuster. The Republican Party's future looked uncertain, having been swept out of power and with Al Gore set to implement his agenda. Al Gore's victory was soon clear. He went out to speak to his cheering supporters "Thank you! Thank you! 8 years makes a hell of a difference, that is clear tonight. This has been a great campaign, and it is clear to me, that despite the challenges we face, and they are many, we can move forward as a nation. We can work together in pursuit of our common purpose and in pursuit of a more perfect union. I would not have run if I did not believe we can do this. We can meet the challenges we face, together, and make this country great again. We can rise beyond what divides us to what unites us, to go forward into the 21st century with unity, strength, and purpose. I have received a call from Senator McCain" The crowd erupted in shouts and cheering "He congratulated me on the victory I have won, the victory we have won. And I congratulated him on the campaign he ran, an honorable and dignified campaign, suitable for a man like Senator McCain, who has given so much to our nation. We have our differences, but I have always respected Senator McCain, and I look forward to working with him in the weeks, months and years to come, to serve America. I am so honored and humbled to be your President. I really am. And I will be a President for all Americans, Republican or Democrat, of all races, creeds and faiths, rich and poor, to make America great again." Al Gore had finally won. Third time lucky it was. It had been a rough campaign, with much negativity, and the vast majority of Americans thought their country was going on the wrong track. But Al Gore now had the chance to fix it. He had a mandate and a Congress willing to implement that mandate. As Al Gore left the stage, the hard part had only just begun. The governance of America.

[1]All races remain the same as IOTL except Norm Coleman(R) is re-elected in Minnesota.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #45 on: January 29, 2017, 02:34:52 PM »

Thoughts on the election results?
Logged
Israel
Rookie
**
Posts: 23
Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #46 on: January 29, 2017, 02:41:05 PM »

A landslide for Gore!
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #47 on: January 29, 2017, 03:37:26 PM »


It is a pretty big victory, though still smaller than Obama's in 2008.
Logged
Pericles
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 17,066


Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #48 on: January 29, 2017, 07:53:02 PM »




Senate map:
Blue shows seat won by Democratic Party, red shows seat won by Republican Party
Logged
America Needs R'hllor
Parrotguy
Atlas Icon
*****
Posts: 11,422
Israel


Political Matrix
E: -4.13, S: -3.48

Show only this user's posts in this thread
« Reply #49 on: February 10, 2017, 04:44:24 PM »

Just caught up on this. A very good and well-written timeline! It was nice seeing Gore win.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2] 3  
« previous next »
Jump to:  


Login with username, password and session length

Terms of Service - DMCA Agent and Policy - Privacy Policy and Cookies

Powered by SMF 1.1.21 | SMF © 2015, Simple Machines

Page created in 0.361 seconds with 11 queries.