No Apology: A History of the Romney Administration

[Mike Thick]

This is great. One question - how is the incoming administration going to approach the issue of states legalizing pot?

[Pericles]

This is great. One question - how is the incoming administration going to approach the issue of states legalizing pot?

Thabks! I haven't thought about what Romney does on pot but I think he's more anti it than Obama but less so than Trump and Sessions.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Can't wait to see the cabinet!

[Pericles]

WHY OBAMA LOST
Democrats have been left in the wilderness after the results of the 2012 election. Just four years ago,
 they had been riding high, with historic majorities in Congress and a new President. Many Democrats have attacked President Obama's re-election campaign as inept and a failure(that part being obvious).
The President failed to lock down progressives and inspire the base, leading to a damaging primary challenge from Mike Gravel. Sources from the campaign have said "We didn't take Gravel seriously"
 leading to Gravel's upset West Virginia win and surprisingly strong showings in other states, this embarrassed Obama and distracted him from the general election. Throughout the general election, President Obama failed to muster the same enthusiasm from Democrats as in 2008, while Republicans turned out in greater numbers, determined to boot out a President they hated. This was seen with turnout in 2012 decreasing by 4.1%. President Obama failed to provide a positive, compelling vision for his second term, complain many Democrats, and never articulated a convincing vision for his second term. Obama's negative campaign against Romney failed when Romney effectively deflected attacks on his private-sector record, leaving Democrats resorting to using comparisons to former President Bush. Romney's campaign is being applauded on its laser-like focus on the economy, with that economy focus replicating the 1992 Bill Clinton campaign, the last time in which an incumbent President was denied re-election. The debates were regarded as a turning point, with the President's poor performance in them, compared to Governor Romney's strong performance in them leading to a strong Romney lead. On Election Day, according to a top source in the Obama campaign "We knew we were going to lose." Obama's ground game tried to compensate for the lack of enthusiasm, but all the models and data analysis couldn't overcome the fact that the President just lacked the support to win. Obama was also faulted for alienating white-working class voters, with exit polls showing that 63% of whites without a college degree voted for Mitt Romney. Obama lost many traditionally Democratic voters, losing the formerly solid Elliott County in Kentucky. Some Democrats have attributed this to race and racial fears, while Republicans have argued that ultimately Obama, and not Romney, was perceived as out of touch by these voters. Obama failed to convince voters the country was on the right track, with 55.5% saying on November 6(RCP poll average-Direction of country) that the country was on the wrong track while just 39.7% thought it was on the right track. Obama was vulnerable from the start, but his approval ratings showed he was not doomed and he could have persuaded the American people he deserved a second term. He failed to do that.
BETH MYERS TO BE WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF UNDER PRESIDENT ROMNEY-NOVEMBER 10, 2012

RNC SPOKESMAN SEAN SPICER TO BE WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY-NOVEMBER 11, 2012
 
JOHN BOLTON TO BE NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER-NOVEMBER 17, 2012
'NEOCON' BOLTON WAS 'MOST CONTROVERSIAL US UN AMBASSADOR'
BOLTON APPOINTMENT SIGNALS HAWKISH ROMNEY FOREIGN POLICY

DEMOCRATS DIVIDED ON OBAMA PRESIDENCY, DIRECTION OF PARTY
Democrats are still reeling over the results of the 2012 election, and trying to diagnose what went wrong. Centrist Democrats have cast blame on Obama moving too far to the left, arguing that Obama lost the bipartisan promise of his 2008 campaign and moved too far ahead of the country, and after 2010, rather than triangulate, he doubled down and that he failed to run to the center in the general election. His move to the left in response to the Gravel challenge was also perceived to have hurt him, especially his rejection of the Keystone pipeline. Senator Chuck Schumer has said Democrats should have focused on the economy, not healthcare. Others on the left have argued Obama abandoned the promise of his 2008 campaign because he was too centrist and compromised too much. Liberals said Obamacare was too weak and the stimulus was too weak, and that Obama failed to enthuse the base, leading to his loss. Senator-Elect of Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren said "We win when we fight against the special interests, against the 1% and for the 99% and hard-working Americans." 2016 frontrunner Hillary Clinton in a November 15 interview diagnosed things differently, saying"It is early, but it is clear we Democrats need a vision in line with the American people. We can't let the Republicans seize the center. We need to reclaim the center and speak to the aspirations of Americans, we need to be able to connect with them." In the new consensus view, the 2012 election confirmed America is a center-right nation. Obama's win in 2008 and the Democratic majorities that year were primarily due to the economic crash and a weak opponent in John McCain, with Obama's failed presidency, the 'norm' of Republican dominance was restored. Republicans have won 6/9 presidential elections since 1976 and controlled Congress for all but 4 years since 1994. Democrats will need to rebuild from the ground up after 2012 to create a stable and solid Democratic majority.
NANCY PELOSI RECEIVES CHALLENGE FOR HOUSE LEADERSHIP-NOVEMBER 19, 2012
Congressman Tim Ryan(D-OH) has announced he will be challenging House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for leadership of the House Democratic caucus. Pelosi just days earlier announced she would be staying on as House Minority Leader and claimed she has the support of the vast majority of her caucus. However, frustration has mounted in Democrat ranks at Pelosi and the leadership, many of whom are increasingly elderly and contrast with the more youthful House Republican leadership. Ryan, in announcing his challenge, said that the House Democrats needed new leadership and pointed out that they had 76 fewer seats in the House since 2008 and there had been no changes as a result. Pelosi has claimed despite that that she already has over 100 guaranteed votes.
PRESIDENT-ELECT ROMNEY SELECTS TIM PAWLENTY AS EDUCATION SECRETARY-NOVEMBER 20, 2012
FISCAL CLIFF APPROACHES, COMES INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2013
The first challenge facing President-Elect Mitt Romney is the upcoming fiscal cliff. Unfortunately,
the challenge of the fiscal cliff will be faced during the lame-duck Congress, before the new President and Congress are inaugurated, so Barack Obama would still be President and Democrats would still control the Senate when the cliff arrives. The fiscal cliff is the point where several deficit reductions that neither party wants and would likely damage the economy would simultaneously come into effect, whence the American economy would go over the 'cliff' and could enter a double-dip recession.
On January 1, 2013, all the Bush tax cuts will expire, across the board sequestration spending cuts will come into effect, new Obamacare taxes will come into effect, the 2% payroll tax cut would expire, federal unemployment benefits would expire, the AMT(alternative minimum tax) levels would revert to 2000 levels and the Medicare 'doc fix' would expire. The CBO projected that America went into effect there would be lower spending and higher taxes, and lower deficits, though it also projected a 1.3% decrease in GDP and a high likelihood of a recession. President Romney has urged Congress not to let America go over the fiscal cliff, and he proposed a plan that would extend all the Bush tax cuts, while cutting spending, reducing tax loopholes and deductions and reforming entitlements to extend the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 and reducing cost of living adjustments for Social Security.  
HOUSE DEMOCRATS NARROWLY RE-ELECT NANCY PELOSI-DECEMBER 2, 2012
PELOSI BEATS TIM RYAN 103-78, NARROW VICTORY SHOWS PELOSI IS VULNERABLE

ROMNEY NOMINATES OIL BILLIONAIRE HAROLD HAMM FOR ENERGY SECRETARY-DECEMBER 9, 2012
 
DEMOCRAT DANIEL AKAKA NOMINATED BY ROMNEY TO HEAD VA-DECEMBER 10, 2012

28 DEAD IN SANDY HOOK SCHOOL SHOOTING-DECEMBER 14, 2012
PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT-ELECT MOURN SHOOTING

DEMOCRATS CAVE ON BUSH CUT EXTENSION, BILL TO AVOID FISCAL CLIFF PASSES SENATE-DECEMBER 20, 2012

The Democrats have announced they will accept a deal with the Republicans that the Bush tax cuts would be extended permanently. Capital gains and estate taxes remained the same. The payroll tax cuts were allowed to expire. The Medicare doc fix was extended for five years, a number of corporate tax breaks and loopholes were extended. Federal unemployment benefits were extended for one year, with no compensating budget cuts. Sequestration cuts were passed, though the cuts were modified to reduce cuts to defense and with spending cuts totaling $45 billion. Democrats relented on the bush tax cuts because they anticipated that if the cuts expired they would just be reinstated anyway and Republicans would blame Democrats for increasing taxes. The left-wing of the Democratic Party lambasted the 'capitulation', arguing Democrats should have taken a firm stand on tax cuts for the rich, and Senator Bernie Sanders(I-VT) gave a speech on the Senate floor lambasting the extension of the tax cuts. Nonetheless, the compromise, the Balanced Budget and American Tax Relief Act of 2012 passed the Senate 75-25.
BALANCED BUDGET & AMERICAN TAX RELIEF ACT PASSES HOUSE, SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT OBAMA-DECEMBER 24, 2012

[Israel]

Bolton's good choice for NSA

[Jaguar4life]

Who's Secretary  of State?

[Pericles]

Who's Secretary  of State?

More cabinet announcements will come in the next update.

[Devout Centrist]

This reads like a nightmare, but still a good TL.

[Pericles]

This reads like a nightmare, but still a good TL.

What do you mean?

[The Congressman]

Nice! Glad to see GOP playing hardball and getting their priorities passed

[Devout Centrist]

This reads like a nightmare, but still a good TL.

What do you mean?

Failure of Neptune's Spear, worse economy, John Bolton as NSA, and nonexistent LGBT protections.

[Pericles]

This reads like a nightmare, but still a good TL.

What do you mean?

Failure of Neptune's Spear, worse economy, John Bolton as NSA, and nonexistent LGBT protections.

Ah so the story seems worse than OTL. Well, I will try not to veer too far in any one direction of utopia or dystopia and it may turn out that President Romney could be better than OTL's President Trump. Glad to hear you like this TL-the rest of Romney's cabinet is coming soon!

[NHI]

I absolutely love this timeline!

[Oppo]

aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Pericles]

I've almost finished an update-will do it very soon! It will be on January 2013 and the rest of the transition. Predictions for Romney's cabinet?

[Pericles]

JOE LIEBERMAN NOMINATED FOR HOMELAND SECURITY-DECEMBER 27, 2012
LIEBERMAN IS OUTGOING DEMOCRAT SENATOR FROM CONNECTICUT, AL GORE VP IN 2000
ROMNEY: I PICKED LIEBERMAN BECAUSE HE WAS CORRECT ON NATIONAL SECURITY, I WILL MOVE BEYOND PARTIES

[Pericles]

Mitt Romney cabinet
President: Willard Mitt Romney
Vice-President: Paul Ryan
White House Chief of Staff: Beth Myers 
Secretary of State: Robert Zoellick
Defense Secretary: Jim Talent
Attorney General: Chris Christie
Labor Secretary: Tim Scott
CIA Director: Michael Morrell
Director of National Intelligence: Michael Hayden
Education Secretary: Tim Pawlenty
National Security Adviser: John Bolton
Homeland Security Secretary: Joe Lieberman
Interior Secretary: James Inhofe
Treasury Secretary: Rob Portman
Office of Management&Budget Director: Douglas Holtz-Eakin
Energy Secretary: Harold Hamm
Commerce Secretary: Tom Stemberg
VA Secretary: Daniel Akaka
Health&Human Services Secretary: Bobby Jindal
Housing&Urban Development Secretary: Rick Lazio
Agriculture Secretary: Adam Putnam
Transportation Secretary: Luis Fortuno

[Israel]

Zoellikc is good for Secretary of State

[Jaguar4life]

Romney's cabinet seems a well hawkish

[KingSweden]

Wierd question, but: with McKenna wining WA Gov (I voted for him in that election) don2 breakaway Dems still cross the floor to help the GOP take control of the State Senate there?

Great TL btw. Well done

[The Congressman]

Nice group! This is prior to Bridgegate so Christie's star is still high. Good choice for Talent

[Pericles]

Wierd question, but: with McKenna wining WA Gov (I voted for him in that election) don2 breakaway Dems still cross the floor to help the GOP take control of the State Senate there?

Great TL btw. Well done

I'd think so so the GOP still gets the WA state Senate. It's possible they gain more seats but seems unlikely. Generally the Democrats are at a nadir now with big GOP congressional majorities (the House majority is much bigger than OTL). It's similar to OTL but Romney is  more effective than Trump with a stronger mandate and with Obama a one-termer Democrat morale is in the toilet. Plus the 2014 map is good for the GOP so they can gain even more seats but it's also possible they lose and the Democrats have more room to gain a majority than 2018 IRL. You will see in coming updates.

Thanks for the compliment.

[Pericles]

Nice group! This is prior to Bridgegate so Christie's star is still high. Good choice for Talent

Thanks. At this point IOTL Christie was at his peak and a rising star. He can serve in the Romney administration as a stepping stone to a future presidential bid. Talent is without any major flaws. Democrats will try take down more contentious nominees like Hamm, and may attack Zoellick on his background(Fannie Mae & Goldman Sachs). Lieberman may come under fire too by his former party. Bolton is a boogeyman for the Dems but he doesn't need Senate confirmation.

[KingSweden]

Surprised you chose Beth myers over Mike Leavitt for CoS, he was bandied around as a potential top Admin figure during 2012 I recall

[Pericles]

Surprised you chose Beth myers over Mike Leavitt for CoS, he was bandied around as a potential top Admin figure during 2012 I recall

Myers was also close to Romney being his chief of staff in Massachusetts and 2008 campaign manager. Politico said she would be a Valerie Jarett-type figure, a 'keeper of the legacy' Leavitt can take another key White House position without being CoS.