Twists and Turns- a 2012 Timeline

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 17th, 2012

REPORT: Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to appear in Las Vegas rally with Senator Russ Feingold


As news continues swirling about the intentions of the Independent Democratic-Socialist Senator's intentions after losing a crucial contest in New Hampshire, fellow progressive firebrand Russ Feingold's campaign released a schedule for a rally to be held tomorrow in Las Vegas, Navada- with Bernie Sanders as a key speaker. Many speculate that Sanders will withdraw and endorse Feingold there.

January 18th, 2012

Bernie Sanders his suspends campaign in joint rally, largest in the election season so far, and gives a passionate endorsement of Russ Feingold for President

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January 19th, 2012

Democrats debate in Nevada, Big Four Feingold, Bayh, Warner, Dean emerge as frontrunners


Fresh off of his endorsement by Bernie Sanders, Russ Feingold appeared energized and focused when the Democrats met to debate one last time before the Nevada Caucuses. Howard Dean claimed decisive momentum from his New Hamshire victory, putting up a strong fight for the progressive base, while Evan Bayh and Mark Warner managed to do very well too, while Mary Landrieu struggled to distinguish herself and seemed pushed to the side by the other four.

Who Won the Debate?
Russ Feingold- 27%
Howard Dean-24%
Evan Bayh-23%
Mark Warner- 19%
Mary Landrieu- 7%

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 20th, 2012

Polling update

Republican Primaries- National
Bobby Jindal- 22%  (+3)
Jeb Bush- 22%  (+1)
Jon Huntsman- 16%  (+5)
Rick Santorum- 16%  (+1)
Ron Paul- 16%  (+-0)
Undecided- 9%  (-2)

Republican Primaries- South Carolina
Bobby Jindal- 23%
Jeb Bush- 22%
Rick Santorum- 21%
Ron Paul- 16%
Jon Huntsman- 11%
Undecided- 7%

Republican Caucuses- Nevada
Ron Paul- 22%
Bobby Jindal- 20%
Jon Huntsman- 20%
Jeb Bush- 18%
Rick Santorum- 9%
Undecided- 11%

Republican Primaries- Florida
Jeb Bush- 40%
Bobby Jindal- 20%
Ron Paul- 12%
Jon Huntsman- 12%
Rick Santorum- 10%
Undecided- 6%


Democratic Primaries- National
Russ Feingold- 26%  (+5)
Evan Bayh- 25%  (+2)
Howard Dean- 20%  (+6)
Mark Warner- 15%  (+2)
Mary Landrieu- 6%  (+1)
Undecided- 8%  (+3)

Democratic Caucuses- Nevada
Russ Feingold- 29%
Evan Bayh- 28%
Howard Dean- 16%
Mark Warner- 14%
Mary Landrieu- 4%
Undecided- 9%

Democratic Primaries- South Carolina
Mark Warner- 26%
Mary Landerieu- 22%
Evan Bayh- 18%
Russ Feingold- 14%
Howard Dean- 10%
Undecided- 10%

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 20th, 2012

Republicans fighting for January 21st contest make final attempts to convince voters in South Carolina



Republican Presidential candidates Jeb Bush, Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum, locked in a close three-way race in South Carolina, campaigned hard today in the southern state. Jeb Bush especially has to get a win there- he lost his status as frontrunner after bad showings in Iowa and New Hampshire, and if he wants to keep his campaign afloat he needs a strong performance. Meanwhile, Rick Santorum has been surging in the polls, threatening Jindal's previous status as a lock in South Carolina. The three candidates all tried to appeal to the same conservative southern base, but Jeb Bush put some emphasize on minorities, Rick Santorum concentrated on the religious vote, and Bobby Jindal tried to tow the line between the two.

Bayh, Feingold, Dean make last appearances in Nevada as Caucuses come close



The two Democratic frontrunners, Russ Feingold and Evan Bayh, have been fighting hard for the western state of Nevada- both used their strongest supporters, Bayh appearing with President Hillary Clinton and Feingold touring the state with Senator Bernie Sanders. Meanwhile, surging New Hampshire winner Howard Dean has been making a play for a strong showing here, too, trying to take some of Feingold's union-supporting base. Mark Warner and Mary Landrieu, meanwhile, moved on to South Carolina, where they're locked in a tough battle, both needing a win there if they wanted to continue their campaigns. Leaving Nevada is considered a risky move for the Virginia Senator, especially.

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 21st, 2012


South Carolina- Republican
Bobby Jindal- 26.6% ✔
Rick Santorum- 22.4%
Jeb Bush- 22.2%
Ron Paul- 15.9%
Jon Huntsman- 10.8%
Others- 2.1%


Nevada- Democratic
Evan Bayh- 33.5% ✔
Russ Feingold- 27.4%
Howard Dean- 21.0%
Mark Warner- 11.6%
Mary Landrieu- 4.7%
Others. 1.8%

Republican Primaries

American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
US Virgin Islands

Bobby Jindal- 35 delegates
Ron Paul- 12 delegates
Jon Huntsman- 6 delegates
Rick Santorum- 5 delegates
Dan Quayle- 4 delegates
Jeb Bush- 3 delegates
Rick Perry- 0 delegates
Michelle Bachmann- 0 delegates

Democratic Primaries

American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
US Virgin Islands
Democrats Abroad

Evan Bayh- 39 delegates
Russ Feingold- 38 delegates
Bernie Sanders- 18 delegates
Howard Dean- 16 delegates
Joe Lieberman- 3 delegates
Mark Warner- 0 delegates
Mary Landrieu- 0 delegates
Wesley Clark- delegates


Bayh, Dean, Jindal celebrate victory


Vice President Bayh holding a celebratory morning rally with President Clinton in St. Louis, Missouri

The big victors tonight were clear- Evan Bayh won Nevada, upsetting Russ Feingold by a surprisingly large amount of votes. Meanwhile, Howard Dean surged above the 20% mark, giving him a much needed boost of momentum. On the others side, Republican Bobby Jindal crushed his opposition in South Carolina- the only other Republican who had cause to celebrate was Rick Santorum, who managed to edge out Jeb Bush for the second place. The Florida Governor's campaign was struck a blow it might not be able to recover from in the Palmetto State.

[UWS]

Don't worry Jeb. You're home state of Florida is next to vote.

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 22nd, 2012

Huntsman attacks Bush in Tallahassee, Florida event


Fighting hard to gain support in the Sunshine State, moderate candidate Jon Huntsman attacked the frontrunner in the state, its former Governor Jeb Bush, calling him "a force of partisanship and divisions" who would "bring back the polarization of the Bush era and refuses to work with the other side". The attacks come as Bush's campaign is in a crisis-managing mode, trying to stop the former frontrunner's sliding poll numbers and collapsing support following lackluster showings in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

Janurary 23rd, 2012

Landrieu, Warner fight for their lives in Columbia, South Carolina Debate


After bad performences in all three early states, the two Southern candidates, Mary Landrieu and Mark Warner, had to shine in the South Carolina debate- and they delivered. The two managed to force themselves to the center of attention, despite their podiums being on the two edges of the stage. A highlight in the debate was when Warner attacked Vice President Bayh for "ignoring every part of America save for the eastern establishment elite's states".

Who won the debate?
Warner- 26%
Landrieu- 24%
Dean- 21%
Feingold- 18%
Bayh- 11%

January 25th, 2012

Republican establishment signals worry as key figures declare support for Bush, opposition for other candidates- other key endorsements start trickling in


As the Republican field started to get more defined, key endorsements started trickling in, and with them, signs of worry in the Republican establishment with their candidate, Jeb Bush, floundering. Two key Republican figures, former nominee John McCain and Speaker of the House John Boehner, endorsed Bush. Meanwhile, Mike Huckabee declared support for Bobby Jindal.
But the real winner of important endorsements was Jon Huntsman- former popular candidate Mitt Romney surprisingly declared support for him, as did former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Scott Brown. The key endorsements strongly boosted Huntsman's position as a rising candidate.

January 26th, 2012

Republicans clash in Tampa, Florida debate- Huntsman, Jindal, Paul band on Bush


Republican candidates smelled blood from Governor Jeb Bush's campaign, and they jumped on its weakness. In a Florida debate, each of them made fierce attacks on him, effectively destroying the former frontrunner's hopes of a strong recovery. Two candidates especially shined that night- Jon Huntsman and Bobby Jindal.

Who won the debate?
Huntsman- 41%
Jindal- 38%
Paul- 18%
Bush- 3%

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 27th, 2012

Polling update

Republican Primaries- National
Bobby Jindal- 23%  (+1)
Jon Huntsman- 18%  (+2)
Jeb Bush- 18%  (-4)
Ron Paul- 17%  (+1)
Rick Santorum- 16%  (+-0)
Undecided- 8%  (-1)

Republican Primaries- Florida
Jeb Bush- 31%  (-9)
Bobby Jindal- 23%  (+3)
Jon Huntsman- 17%  (+5)
Ron Paul- 13%  (+1)
Rick Santorum- 10%  (+-0)
Undecided- 6%  (+-0)

Republican Caucuses- Nevada
Ron Paul- 24%  (+2)
Bobby Jindal- 21%  (+1)
Jon Huntsman- 21%  (+1)
Jeb Bush- 15%  (-3)
Rick Santorum- 10%  (+1)
Undecided- 9%  (-2)


Democratic Primaries- National
Evan Bayh- 26%  (+1)
Russ Feingold- 24%  (-2)
Howard Dean- 22%  (+2)
Mark Warner- 14%  (-1)
Mary Landrieu- 7%  (+1)
Undecided- 8%  (-1)

Democratic Primaries- South Carolina
Mark Warner- 28%  (+2)
Mary Landerieu- 25%  (+3)
Evan Bayh- 17%  (-1)
Russ Feingold- 12%  (-2)
Howard Dean- 9%  (-1)
Undecided- 10%  (-1)

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 28th, 2012


South Carolina- Democratic (Results)
Mark Warner- 37% ✔
Mary Landerieu- 24%
Evan Bayh- 16%
Russ Feingold- 12%
Howard Dean- 11%

Democratic Primaries

American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
US Virgin Islands
Democrats Abroad

Evan Bayh- 49 delegates
Russ Feingold- 38 delegates
Mark Warner- 28 delegates
Bernie Sanders- 18 delegates
Mary Landrieu- 17 delegates
Howard Dean- 16 delegates
Joe Lieberman- 3 delegates
Wesley Clark- 0 delegates

Mark Warner celebrates larger-than-expected victory in a speech to supporters


Virginia Senator Mark Warner claimed momentum tonight, after his larger-than-expected victory in the South Carolina Democratic Primaries. He managed to win a strong, safe victory thanks to his appeal to both African American voters and southern Democrats. In his speech, Warner said that "change began here, tonight", and promised his supporters to move onwards in full force.

[America Needs R'hllor]

January 29th, 2012

Senator Mary Landrieu drops out of the race, endorses Mark Warner

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Despite a recent rise in the polls, Mary Landrieu dropped out after losing the South Carolina Primaries. In her speech, Landrieu praised the victor in South Carolina, Mark Warner, and formally endorsed him for President. This serves as another boost that could definitely revive Warner's candidacy, causing a tight 4-way race for the Democratic nomination.

January 31st, 2012


Florida- Republican (Results)
Jeb Bush- 29% ✔
Jon Huntsman- 25%
Bobby Jindal- 24%
Ron Paul- 13%
Rick Santorum- 9%

Republican Primaries

American Samoa
Guam
Northern Mariana Islands
US Virgin Islands

Jeb Bush- 53 delegates
Bobby Jindal- 35 delegates
Ron Paul- 12 delegates
Jon Huntsman- 6 delegates
Rick Santorum- 5 delegates
Dan Quayle- 4 delegates
Rick Perry- 0 delegates
Michelle Bachmann- 0 delegates

Jeb Bush appears disappointed in victory speech


Despite a victory in his homestate of Florida, former Governor Jeb Bush appeared to be disappointed in the speech given to his supporters, where he claimed "strong momentum to carry our movement to victory." The disappointement could only come from one thing- Bush's very disappointing margin of victory, with Bobby Jindal and, especially, Jon Huntsman, biting at his heels. This victory could only serve to halt Bush's fall a bit, but his chances look weaker by the day.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Welp, seems like the site I was using to upload pictures is down. I really don't have the patience to upload them all and edit them in again, so I guess I have a few options:
1. Stop the timeline, give the results, and start a new one (with a better way of uploading images).
2. Keep going without the previously uploaded pictures, as dull as it would be for new readers, and add pictures to new parts.
3. Any way to recover the pictures and keep going? Not sure.

What do you think?

[America Needs R'hllor]

Ok, so for reasons of: 1. Lack of (other people's) interest in the timeline, and 2. The picture problem, I have decided to halt it, perhaps start another one later on. I'll give away the result I had in mind to whoever is interested:

Republican Primary
Soon after his South Carolina win, Bobby Jindal became the frontrunner in the Republican race. Jeb Bush withdrew after a terrible showing in Super Tuesday, Rick Santorum a bit later. Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul remained as challengers from the left and right to Bobby Jindal, who became the mainstream conservative candidate. Eventually, he won the nomination, but Paul stayed until the end. Jindal chose Former Governor Mitt Romney, who gained a lot of favourability since withdrawing from the race, as his Vice President.

Democratic Primary
On the other side, the Democratic primary did not get resolved so quickly. It became a four-way race between Bayh, Dean, Feingold and Warner, with each having his own supporters- Feingold was the progressive champion, Warner was winning by large margins in the south, Dean was the more moderate alternative to Feingold who did well in New England and Bayh was the moderate, establishment choice. Dean conceded before the convention, realizing he has no chance to win the brokered convention to come, but he was also the wildcard- everyone knew that his delegates are crucial. In the convention, after the second ballot, Warner threw his weight behind Bayh in exchange for the VP spot, and most of his delegates obeyed. But Russ Feingold and Howard Dean made a deal for the Secretary of State position, and eventually, after a bitter convention battle, Russ Feingold won the nomination. Bernise Sanders' 18 delegates were actually the ones who brought him over the line. He chose Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as VP.

Other Parties
Remember Lieberman promised an independent bid? He delivered. At first, it was rumoured that Huntsman was the VP choice, but the former Utah Governor eventually endoresed Jindal. In the end, Lieberman's VP was Former Senator Sam Nunn. The independent ticket was cosnidered too old and boring, quickly losing popularity. But meanwhile, in the Libertarian Convention, there was a complete three-way lock, with Ventura, Johnson and Petersen virtually tied and refusing to cede ground. But when it seemed like the Libertarians would never agree, Ron Paul appeared in the convention floor and announced his run for the nomination. He was quickly endorsed by Johnson in exchange for the VP spot, and ate up more than enough of the Ventura and Petersen delegates to win the nomination.

General Election
At first, Bobby Jindal begun as a clear favourite. The Clinton administration was unpopular, and the bitter primary season left Feingold bruised. And to add more to that, the Lieberman/Nunn ticket was taking mostly Democrats, polling at 3%-5%. But Ron Paul's Libertarian bid started taking support away from Jindal, and Clinton started getting more and more popular as unemployment numbers dropped (some even say she regretted not running for reelection). In the end, thanks to good debates, Feingold squeaks out a win. Noteably, Lieberman gives the Republicans a narrow Connecticut win and Paul manages to take Alaska, as well as give Feingold a narrow Montana win.

Former Senator Russ Feingold (D)/Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D)- 44% (271 EVs) ✔
Governor Bobby Jindal (R)/Former Governor Mitt Romney (R)- 43% (264 EVs)
Representative Ron Paul (R)/Former Governor Gary Johnson (L)- 9% (3 EVs)
Former Secretary Joe Lieberman (I) /Former Senator Sam Nunn (D)- 3% (0 EVs)
Others- 1% (0 EVs)