A New America Series - 2012 General Election

[Maxwell]

Presidential Election 2012

In a final showdown - Feingold runs again as the progressive champion of the Democratic Party, while Jim Webb runs against almost everything his party has stood for in the last 8 years. On trade, Webb calls President Kasich's trade deal with China "a giveaway of American ingenuity, jobs, and wealth to foreign countries who pay people pennies!". On the budget, Webb calls President Kasich's plans "fiscally irresponsible". On war, Webb has called for a re-invention of the way we do war, by spending dramatically on the military while at the same time avoiding conflict abroad. Webb fashions himself an Old School Republican, and constantly criticizes the party establishment of both parties. Webb's vice Presidential pick, Colorado Senator Bob Beauprez, backs the candidates views on trade, but stands more to President Kasich's side on some of the other issues, including the budget and war.

On some of those issues, Feingold and Webb aren't far apart. But where they disagree - Feingold wants an expansive universal healthcare system, while Webb views it as "socialistic nonsense". Feingold backs programs to lower the wage gap between men and women and whites and minorities, while Webb has called that a "war on whites". Feingold has pushed for a way to create a new funding mechanism for infrastructure, education, and the like, and while Webb has pushed for economic spending on infrastructure, he views top to bottom Education Reform at the federal level "the god damn stupidest thing we could do right now". Feingold has also flip flopped on trade issues, which Webb has criticized, calling him "Flippin Feingold!". Feingold's vice Presidential pick was expected to be Biden, but instead was Former Governor Josh Penny of Maine. Penny has been out of politics for a while but was wildly popular in Maine and is on the ticket for his strong advocacy of the same issues Feingold has pushed for - universal healthcare, widescale campaign finance reform, and growing the economy from the bottom up.

You have 3 days to vote.

[Kingpoleon]

Feingold/Penny! Do not betray Kasich for Webb.

[Devout Centrist]

The one that's not a sellout.

[Maxwell]

Competitive Senate Races
Arizona - Minority Leader John Shadegg (R)
Connecticut - Senator Joe Lieberman (I-R)
Florida - Open (Incumbent Senator Charlie Crist (R))
Indiana - Senator Evan Bayh (D)
Maine - Open (Incumbent Senator John Baldacci (D))
Massachussets - Open (R.I.P. Ted Kennedy, current seat holder Setti Warren (D))
Michigan - Senator John Blanchard (D)
Nebraska - Open (Incumbent Senator Bob Kerrey (D))
Nevada - Senator Henry Wuarez (D)
New Jersey - Open (Incumbent Senator Bob Torricelli (D))
Pennsylvania - Open (Incumbent Senator Harris Wofford (D))
Virginia - Senator Rob Holton (D)
West Virginia - Interim Senator Bob Tate (D)
Wisconsin - Senator Pete Barca (D)

The Senates current composition is 61 D, 39 R, thanks to a lot of really bad midterms for Republicans thanks to Republicans havign a lot of Presidents. Luckily, even if they lose the Presidency, they can potentially gain a lot of seats.

The most vulnerable are in -> Nebraska (Safe R), Nevada (Lean R, thanks to scandal-ridden Wuarez), Pennsylvania (total toss-up), West Virginia (would be Lean R if not for how strong a candidate ex-Governor Bob Tate is), Florida (total toss-up), and of the ones where incumbent party is still favored, Arizona (Democrats have been targeting the unpopular Shadegg for a while) and Virginia (Holton has made his ambitions all too well known and some are plotting on him to pay for it)

[Mr. Smith]

This is a dream match-up...ugh.

I guess Feingold just to preserve Congress.

[Since I'm the mad scientist proclaimed by myself]

Feingold, because webb is awful.

[White Trash]

Webb. I like Feingold, but Webb is perfect.

[Maxwell]

Interesting results so far! A toss-up race, as expected.

Many "fiscal conservative, socially liberal" types were expected to contest this election. Democrat Governor of New York Michael Bloomberg had prepared a campaign announcement, but stepped back. Former Independent Republican candidate Mitt Romney was thinking of jumping in the race, but again, backed off.

[Maxwell]

bizzump

y'all got 1 more day

[SATW]

Webb

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

holy sh**t, it's alive

Webb

[Maxwell]

this is a convenient time for me to lock up and upload le map.

[Maxwell]

2012 Presidential Election

Change was in the air in 2012. Kasich Loyalists crashed and burned in defeat to Former FBI Director Jim Webb, who ran a right populist campaign that practically turned its back on the Kasich accomplishments. The established progressive candidate of the last 8 years, Former Vice President and Senator Russ Feingold, took advantage of President Kasich's low approvals and jabbed the knife in by moving his campaign further to the left. Despite agreements on trade, Feingold and Webb were very much in toxic opposition of one another. As the campaign went on, despite Webb's differences with unpopular President Kasich, the Feingold campaign was nevertheless successful in its connection of Webb to the administration. Kasich, presiding over approvals barely double the unemployment rate (22% and 10%, respectively), had a toxic effect on any GOP candidate running, and Webb proved no exception. Feingold won a narrow victory in November, as polls painted a wide and unpredictable picture ranging from a narrow Webb victory to a Feingold blowout.

The electoral maps showed the divides of the electorate - Webb excelled in areas where American decline hit the hardest and opposition to trade was the strongest, while Feingold performed in growing urban areas stronger. A major source of pride for Feingold and the reason for him holding on in his home region is his stronger than expected performance in farm country - improving upon past Democrat margins in Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas.

Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)/Former Governor Josh Penny (D-ME) - 49.1%, 298 Ev's
Former FBI Director Jim Webb (R-VA)/Senator Bob Beauprez (R-CO) - 46.9%, 240 Ev's
Others - 4.0%, 0 EV's

[Maxwell]

Senate elections -

Republicans picked up seats in North Dakota (Oil Businessman Rex Morgan), New Jersey (Christie savages Rush Holt, who replaces the corrupted Torricelli on the ticket), Nevada (poor Henry Wuarez fought his last fight, losing to Dean Heller), Nebraska (well, Bruning was gonna get something someday!).

Democrats got a major pick-up in Arizona, knocking out unpopular Minority Leader John Shadegg, replacing him with CEO Andrei Cherny (real person, unlike Morgan), and a smaller one in Florida, where Alex Sink narrowly beat Marco Rubio.

In Pennsylvania, Republicans got very close to picking up an open seat, but were upset by Pittsburgh Businessman Jack Donaghy.