Election 2040 (UPDATED)

[Reaganfan]

2032

The race for President is on. The incumbant President, James D. Wessal, a 69 year old democrat from Illinois, who served as Governor of Illinois from 2023 to 2029, after which he was elected President of the United States in an extremely close election. By 2032, President Wesal is enjoying approval ratings of about 55%, and a democrat majority in the Senate.

Wessal is in a bind...does he run for re-election or not? He declines re-election, with his health on the decline as well. 50 year old Vice President Bart Yolkum, who was a former Senator of North Carolina, decides to run for the Democratic Nomination, and quickly wins it without much opposition. He chooses 47 year old Senator of Iowa John Easy as his running mate. However, the Yolkum/Easy ticket has some tough opposition.

The Republican candidate for President is the 48 year old Governor of Florida, Charles Burton. Burton chooses 37 year old Governor from New Mexico Harry Gargos as his running mate. Gargos is a young, native American who is popular among younger voters.

It's the Yolkum/Easy ticket vs Burton/Gargos ticket...who will win?

[Joe Republic]

Write-in: Crockuiss/BaLoge (I)

[Lincoln Republican]

I would think someone with the name of "Charles Burton" defeats someone with the name of "Bart Yolkum."

"Bart Yolkum" sounds too much like a hillbilly.

"President Burton" has a better ring to it than does "President Yolkum."

[Platypus]

Life wasn't meant to be Easy-and neither was a VP.

[Keystone Phil]

Looks good so far.

[Reaganfan]

The voters seem split. Vice President Yolkum has not been a very memorable Vice President, but is not disliked. He is seen by many as a moderate Democrat. His choice for Vice President, John Easy is seen as moderate as well.

However, the Republican ticket seems to have more of an actual excitement to it. Many see Governor Burton similar to Ronald Reagan. The first Presidential debate is seen by many as a tie. The final two debates are seen by many as too close to call, although many thought Burton won the final debate. The Vice Presidential debate was rather uneventful, although at one point in the debate, Senator Easy said that his being able to speak French was a point that he was not just a "HICK FROM IOWA". This was seen as a direct insult on those from/living in Iowa. The final days of the campaign made Easy look more like a liberal than a moderate.

As Election Day approached, polls were close, with many showing Burton leading, but only by a few points in the margin of error. One street in an average Ohio town was filled with Yolkum/Easy and Burton/Gargos signs. Many American's seemed undecided.

However, despite polls showing the contrary, Burton won the election in a landslide. The states of Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota went to Burton. 66 million Americans voted for Burton, electing him President with the most votes any president since George W. Bush had ever been elected by. A few days after the election, which also was able to bring Republicans back in the Senate, Vice President Yolkum met with the new Vice President-Elect Gargos to discuss Vice Presidential issues. President Wessal also met with President-elect Burton to discuss the nations issue's. There were not many. The national threat of terrorism had quieted down over the past decade, and the economy...which had been in bad shape...was about to rebound.

However, on December 2, 2032...President Wessal fell ill. He was rushed to the hospital in Buffalo, NY where he had been giving a speech on Healthcare. He had a stomach ulcer. Although the doctors reported that the President would be fine, Vice President Yolkum and President-elect Burton were alerted. Despite the doctor's predictions, President Wessal's condition became worse. With his family by his side, as well as numorous doctors, President Wessal said, "That is all, that is all." The doctors told the president that his condition was grave and critical. The President responded jokingly, "That's what my staff always said in bad situatons." Those gathered around smiled. President Wessal died at 3:15pm on December 2, 2032. As the news broke, many were in sadness. At the time of his death, President Wessal's approval rating was 76%. An hour later, on National Television from the White House, Vice President Bart Yolkum took the oath of office, becoming the 48th President of the United States. Directly after his oath, President Yolkum gave a speech to the American People, praising President Wessal, and promising to finish Wessal's ideals during this transition of power.

On December 9, 2032...two days following the funeral of Wessal, President Yolkum decided that America needed a Vice President for the month and a half until Vice President-Elect Gargos would be sworn in. He chose Treasury Secretary Harold Quinn as his new Vice President. The Yolkum/Quinn administration was uneventful, mostly remembered for being a time of mourning for President James D. Wessal.

January 20, 2033 however...would begin the Burton/Gargos administration.

[Gabu]

66 million Americans voted for Burton, electing him President with the most votes any president since George W. Bush had ever been elected by.

The United States is projected to have a population of approximately 360 million in 2032.  If we assume that Burton received, say, 58% of the popular vote, that means that turnout was only around 43%... I'm curious what made turnout so bad.

[Lincoln Republican]

Good story.  Interesting to read.

[Reaganfan]

Thank you...more coming later.

[Joe Republic]

What about the independent candidacy of Pete Crockuiss and Daniel BaLoge?

[Reaganfan]

It's an unusually warm January day, 47 degrees, sun shining bright as Governor Charles Thomas Burton of Florida is about to be sworn is as the 49th President of the United States. Many watch as Supreme Court Justice Tom Eisenburg administer the oath of office to Harry Gargos. The oath is given, and America now has a new Vice President in office. Vice President Quinn and Vice President Gargos shake hands, and look on. Chief Justice John Roberts, 82, looks on towards retirement, but not before he will give the oath of office to the new President-elect, Charles Burton.

"So help me god..." says Charles Burton. The crowd cheers on as the entire world watch as President Yolkum and President Burton shake hands. Both men wanted to be president. Both men became president. One out of tragedy, and one out of triumph.

In President Burton's inaugural address, he says, "No one man is enough for the nation and the world's burdens, but with god by your side, he will help lead you."

President Burton's first year in office goes by quietly. The economy is in good shape, unemployment is low, and the President's approval rating is at 64% nationally. Vice President Gargos is seen as a potential presidential candidate in the future, however...says he has no interest. He seems in the shadow of Charles Burton.

On March 1, 2035, at 7:15 am, Russian President Ivan Habart was walking out of his home when a Communist Rebel ran up behind him, squeezing the trigger of a machine gun once, releasing four bullets into Habart's back. He was killed instantly. Three other rebels killed the President's guards, and over took the President's home. They made public that their intention was to start a nuclear war with the United States. With no leader, Russia was at risk. Ivan Habart's killer, Victor Zabav, declared himself the dictator of Russia. Communist Rebels from all over Russia were coming together. A coup was in order.

The Burton Administration, working with the Chinese government decided to send US troops into Russia, to take out the Communist Rebels. China backed with the United States, as did Great Britain. All going in at once, American and Chinese forces quickly gained back control of power for Russia. The Russian army was not as effective as expected. However, one American soldier would become famous for killing Russian President Ivan Habart's assassin...Victor Zabav. Henry Young, 20, of Columbia, South Carolina...was seen by the world from the security system camera in the President home, as he took a machine gun and shot Victor Zabav once in the head....killing him instantly. The overthrowing of the Russian government was over...and Sergei Otchestvo became the new President of Russia.

This seven day incident, caused President Burton's approval rating to skyrocket to 86%. However, Vice President Gargo's approval rating was only 18%. It was a drastic difference. He was not making any significant headway as Vice President or as a possible future President. He was seen as being a bit more on the uneducated side...and although popular with younger crowds at first..he now seemed more stiff and wooden.

The President's approval rating never dipped below 74% over the next few months, and he offically decleared his bid for re-election on August 14, 2035.

However, Vice President Gargos made a statement to the media two days later that he was not sure if he was going to stay on the ticket for another term. On August 23, 2035...Vice President Gargos announced that he would not seek a second term with the President. Ironically, a week later, Gargo's approval rating would go up by ten points.

However, the Democrats still wanted to beat Burton in 2036. Former Vice President Harold Quinn, Illinois Senator David Jensen, Maryland Senator Isaac Fraten and Governor of Louisiana Keith Lineman all put their hats into the race.

Every democrat running was defeated by Burton in each poll shown by up to 20 points. However, the democrats felt that if they could win voters minds....they could beat President Burton. The President's approval by early 2036 was still at 75%, and he had a good economy and good foreign policy record to run on. It's was his fight to win.

Vice President Quinn performed well in Iowa, much to the dismay of Governor Lineman who came in second, with Senator Jensen in third. However, Jensen won New Hampshire, and went on to win enough delegates to get the Democratic nomination.

52 year old Illinois Senator Jensen, chose 46 year old female Arizona Governor Joyce Hollis as his running mate. However, the ticket was still lacking steam.

President Burton chose Governor of Ohio Mitch Sanderson as his running mate, since Vice President Gargos was no longer on the ticket. The Burton/Sanderson ticket was racing ahead of the Jensen/Hollis ticket by 10-20 points depending on the poll. The debates were a breeze for Burton, who came across winning all three by large margins, with the President showing his record and labeling Senator Jensen as a liberal. Jensen tried to fight back, but failed. By election night, everyone was expecting a Burton landslide....

[Gabu]

Russian President Ivan Habart was walking out of his home when a Communist Rebel ran up behind him, squeezing the trigger of a machine gun once, releasing four bullets into Habart's back. He was killed instantly.

A minor nitpick: there's no possible way someone can be "killed instantly" from being shot in the back.  Presumably, the death was from a pierced heart or some other vital area located in the chest region, such as the aorta.  A death such as this results from the resulting massive spilling of blood that never gets sent through the victim's body, and, more importantly, never reaches the brain.  A death from blood loss due to being shot in the chest can typically take several seconds or even longer, depending on the size and location of the puncture wound.

[Reaganfan]

Russian President Ivan Habart was walking out of his home when a Communist Rebel ran up behind him, squeezing the trigger of a machine gun once, releasing four bullets into Habart's back. He was killed instantly.

A minor nitpick: there's no possible way someone can be "killed instantly" from being shot in the back.  Presumably, the death was from a pierced heart or some other vital area located in the chest region, such as the aorta.  A death such as this results from the resulting massive spilling of blood that never gets sent through the victim's body, and, more importantly, never reaches the brain.  A death from blood loss due to being shot in the chest can typically take several seconds or even longer, depending on the size and location of the puncture wound.

Ok...nitpicker. Any other opinions?

[Lincoln Republican]

Interesting story Mike.  Shows imagination.

[Reaganfan]

President Burton won re-election by 426 electoral votes. It was considered a landslide win for the Burton/Sanderson ticket. After the election, Vice President Gargos and 50 year old Vice President-elect Sanderson got together to discuss Vice Presidential issues, such as running up the Man on Mars plans in the Space Program that the Vice President was head of...and that Sanderson would be continuing. After his landslide win, President Burton's approval rating went up more, to 78%. Although maintaining such high approvals for very long is a rare thing for a president...Charles Burton held a 65% or higher approval rating from the start of his second term in January 2037 to December of 2037.

However, a scandal began to unfold on April 17, 2038 that included former GOP Party Chairman Jerry Tilman taking bribes. This began to hurt the Republican Party, as well as the Burton/Sanderson administration. President Burton's approval rating dropped to 48%, with Vice President Sanderson's at 45%. However, on April 21, 2038...President Burton stated that if any bribes had been taken...it was a disgrace on the former chairman. However, it was soon found that a co-worker for former Chairman Tilman was the real man involved, and the scandal slowly died.

The scandal had sunk Burton's approval ratings that had been steady 60%+ down to the 50% mark. However, on June 16, 2038...President Burton announced that the space program, which made headway thanks to Vice President's Gargos and Sanderson...would allow for the first man landing on Mars on July 4, 2039. This brought the president's approval rating back to 55%.

On July 4, 2039...Astronaut Sam Williams became the first man ever to step foot on Planet Mars. The crew, which also included Astronauts Gary Helmot, and Lindsey Severtane took samples of Mars, bounced around, and placed the American Flag on the Red Planet, all while the entire world watched live on television. President Burton and Vice President Sanderson each welcomed the astronauts home as they safely returned to earth.

Man on Mars stepped President Burton's approval to 85%, and Vice President Sanderson's to 73%. By the end of 2039, it was time for the Presidential election of 2040. With the House, Senate and White House all controlled by strong, popular, Republican majorities...the Republicans had five candidates that had planned to run.

The list included Vice President Mitch Sanderson, Florida Senator Greg Neider, California Governor Mike Reynolds, New Mexico Senator John Dellman, and Iowa Governor Chris Hill. By South Carolina, it was clear Sanderson had a lead that was likely going to give him the nomination. He kept that lead, and eventually won enough delegates to be nominated...just beating out Senator John Dellman. Vice President Sanderson chose California Governor Mike Reynolds as his running mate.

The democrats had six people running for their nomination. The list of candidates on the democratic side included Pennsylvania Senator Frank Moon, New Jersey Governor Van Kellerman, Oregon Senator Martin Ioska, Arkansas Senator Burt Cleeman, Rep Tom Fremont of Vermont, and Governor Jason Wells of Minnesota.

Governor Jason Wells of Minnesota, 47 years old, was the frontrunner, but was quickly outstaged by Senator Frank Moon, 62 of Pennsylvania. It was a tough primary battle, with Ioska, Moon and Wells the three main likely contenders. In the end, Moon won the nomination, and chose Wells as his running mate.

The race for President 2040 was on... (R) Sanderson/Reynolds vs. (D) Moon/Wells......

[DownWithTheGOP]

I will be on the democratic ticket senator Ian Young down with the gop

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I will be on the democratic ticket senator Ian Young down with the gop

[Niemeyerite]

I've just read this. Really good, you should continue this after some years But with maps, please!

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I will be on the democratic ticket senator Ian Young down with the gop

[heatmaster]

So who wins the 2040 Election?