Republican Domination 1992-On

[Reaganfan]

On Election Night 1992, polls show that despite a last minute push by President George Bush, Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton still holds a lead over the Bush/Quayle ticket. However, Bush and Quayle defy the odds and slip across the line.

Bush/Quayle: 271
Clinton/Gore: 267

As the economy recovers throughout the mid-1990s, Bush's popularity gradually recovers from his unpopularity he faced in 1992 and 1993. The Republicans make some gains in 1994, although the Democrats keep control of Congress. As candidates look to 1996, Republicans are eager to capture a fifth-consecutive win while Democrats are eager to win their first election in 20 years.

Candidates for the Democratic Nomination include:

(D-TN) Senator Al Gore
(D-MO) Congressmen Dick Gephart
(D-NE) Senator Bob Kerrey
(D-IA) Senator Tom Harkin
(D-GA) Senator Sam Nunn
(D-WV) Senator Jay Rockefeller

Polls in early 1995 show that the nomination breakdown goes like this:

Gore: 27%
Harkin: 20%
Rockefeller: 20%
Gephardt: 10%
Nunn: 7%
Kerrey: 7%
Other/Undecided: 9%

Candidates for the Republican Nomination include:

(R-KS) Senator Bob Dole
(R-TN) Governor Lamar Alexander
(R-TX) Senator Phil Gramm
(R-IN) Vice President Dan Quayle
(R-WY) Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney
(R-IN) Senator Dick Lugar
(R-CA) Governor Pete Wilson
(R-PA) Senator Arlen Specter

Polls in early 1995 shows a very fluid race with many potential GOP nominees:

Quayle: 25%
Cheney: 23%
Dole: 22%
Gramm: 14%
Lugar: 7%
Alexander: 3%
Wilson: 3%
Specter: 1%
Other/Undecided: 2%

[The Ex-Factor]

Dan Quayle and Dick Cheney the top two candidates? Really?

If only...

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Quayle-Gramm or Quayle-Alexander would be fun tickets.

[Reaganfan]

By the fall of 1995, Wilson, Specter, and Lugar drop out of the race due to lack of funds for the Republican nomination, while all the Democrats vow to see through the first caucus. Vice President Quayle and Secretary Cheney have the biggest amounts of money on the GOP side, while Bob Dole and Phil Gramm look for support with the conservative base. On the Democratic side, Al Gore's money machine is overtaking that of Harkin and Rockefeller.The media pundits soon put the race as mainly between Quayle and Cheney on the GOP side and a three-way split between Gore, Rockefeller and Harkin.

The candidates campaign hard in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina...knowing that the winners in those states will be critical to gaining the entire nomination.

IOWA DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS


WINNER: TOM HARKIN

Harkin: 24%
Gore: 22%
Rockefeller: 21%
Gephardt: 18%
Kerrey: 10%
Nunn: 5%

Harkin's win edging out Gore and Rockefeller was highly anticipated, as had occured back in 1992. Sam Nunn and Bob Kerrey drop out that night, leaving the race between four candidates; Harkin, Gore, Gephardt and Rockefeller.

IOWA REPUBLICAN CAUCUS


WINNER: DICK CHENEY

Cheney: 31%
Dole: 25%
Quayle: 21%
Gramm: 20%
Alexander: 3%

Cheney's surprisingly strong win doesn't make as big of news as Bob Dole's beating Vice President Quayle for second place. Lamar Alexander drops out that night, and Gramm vows to stay in the race with an impressive showing. The four candidates, Cheney, Dole, Quayle and Gramm all head to New Hampshire for the next month's primary.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Harkin only gets 24% in his home state caucus?

[Reaganfan]

Harkin only gets 24% in his home state caucus?

Yes, very close between Harkin, Gore and Rockefeller and not as strong as his 1992 Iowa win.

[RosettaStoned]

What a hack thread this is.....

[Josh/Devilman88]

What a hack thread this is.....

Not a hack thread, just a different timeline.

[hcallega]

I wouldn't call it a hack thread......I would however call it different.

[Reaganfan]

Following his Iowa victory, Senator Tom Harkin gets a boost for the Democratic Nomination in polls, but still trails Gore and Rockefeller nationally.

Who do you support for the Democratic Nomination for President?

Gore: 32%
Rockefeller: 28%
Harkin: 20%
Gephardt: 14%
Undecided/Other: 6%

On the Republican side, Cheney's Iowa victory pushes him ahead of Vice President Quayle nationally. Many insiders report that in-fighting within the Bush White House is occuring between the Vice President and the Defense Secretary, although both Quayle and Cheney deny this and at a pre-New Hampshire debate they are seen laughing and making smalltalk.

Who do you support for the Republican Nomination for President?

Cheney: 33%
Quayle: 29%
Gramm: 19%
Dole: 15%
Undecided/Other: 4%

Fighting hard for New Hampshire, Cheney pulls a decisive win on the Republican side.

NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY


WINNER: DICK CHENEY

Cheney: 37%
Quayle: 25%
Dole: 20%
Gramm: 15%

The Democratic Primary goes to Jay Rockefeller

NEW HAMPSHIRE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY


WINNER: JAY ROCKEFELLER

Rockefeller: 41%
Gore: 25%
Harkin: 20%
Gephardt: 11%

[Reaganfan]

Following the New Hampshire win, Secretary Cheney gets a massive boost of support and is considered the GOP frontrunner for the nomination. The Quayle campaign suffers a setback, and polls show them falling far behind Cheney in South Carolina.

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY POLL

Cheney: 43%
Quayle: 27%
Gramm: 15%
Dole: 10%
Other/Undecided: 5%

Dole's campaign is in dire straits, and the 73 year old Senator from Kansas decides to resign his Senate seat in order to focus 100% of his time on his presidential campaign. The effort has little effect though, and Secretary Cheney defeats Vice President Quayle in South Carolina quite soundly.

SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PRIMARY


WINNER: DICK CHENEY

Cheney: 42%
Quayle: 26%
Gramm: 20%
Dole: 9%
Other: 3%

On the Democratic side, Senator Gore takes South Carolina, although his margin over Senator Rockefeller is closer than polls and pundits had expected. In his victory speech, Gore says his campaign has the fire and is "well on it's way" to the White House. Rockefeller tells his crowd not to be discouraged and that Super Tuesday will bring about victory for his campaign.

SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY


WINNER: AL GORE

Gore: 35%
Rockefeller: 33%
Harkin: 20%
Gephardt: 11%
Other: 1%

The Republicans seem to be settled on Secretary Cheney as their nominee, while the Democratic Party is still undecided, mainly between Gore and Rockefeller.

Super Tuesday comes along, and with it, a string of victories for Rockefeller and Gore continue to keep the Democrats in disarray. Meanwhile, Bob Dole and Phil Gramm drop out, leaving the Vice President and Dick Cheney left to battle it out. Head to head polls show Cheney leading Quayle.

REPUBLICAN NOMINATION POLL

Secretary Cheney: 55%
Vice President Quayle: 43%
Undecided: 2%

DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION POLL

Senator Gore: 48%
Senator Rockefeller: 45%
Other/Undecided: 7%

Harkin and Gephardt decide to throw their support to Senator Gore, but Rockefeller's campaign is raising more money than Al Gore's campaign. Eventually, Rockefeller overtops Senator Gore in the March and April primaries, effectly giving the nomination to Senator Rockefeller, and Gore drops out on April 10, 1996 and throws his support behind Senator Jay Rockefeller.

PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE


JAY ROCKEFELLER

Finally, on April 17th, the struggling and long-winded Quayle '96 campaign ends and the Republican Party gives full support to presumptive nominee, Dick Cheney.

PRESUMPTIVE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE


DICK CHENEY

So, as May 1996 begins...the eyes and ears of politicos across America and the World await a General Election campaign for the White House. West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller versus Defense Secretary Dick Cheney.

[Reaganfan]

CAMPAIGN '96

CHENEY  VS. ROCKEFELLER

[sentinel]

Ew Dick Cheney. Go Gore!

[justW353]

Ew Dick Cheney. Go Gore!

Gore lost...

[21st Century Independent]

The way I look at it in 1996, Cheney had great credentials. He served in both Nixon and Ford White Houses. He continued on through Reagan and served as Sec. of Defense under Bush. He has foreign policy experience and a great amount of experience in the executive branch in general. Bear in mind this is before 9/11 and the Bush Jr. years. Many people felt that Cheney was extremely qualified to be at least the #2 guy after Halliburton years.

[ej2mm15]

This seems to be good so far, go cheney!
btw, how far is this TL going?

[Vosem]

Interesting TL. Can we have specific congressional results for '92 and '94?

Go Cheney!

[sentinel]

Ew Dick Cheney. Go Gore!

Gore lost...

Funny how i missed that.

[Reaganfan]

JUNE 1996 POLL

If the U.S. Presidential election were held today, who would you vote for?

(D) Jay Rockefeller: 49%
(R) Dick Cheney: 46%
Other/Undecided: 5%

As the Summer '96 Campaign begins, President Bush is enjoying approval ratings near 54% in most polls, and the main issues of the campaign are on education and the economy. Senator Rockefeller hammers the Bush/Quayle administration, saying that under the eight years of their leadership America's schools are failing, and as President, Rockefeller would bring about better results. These allegations appear to hurt the Republicans in polls, and Rockefeller goes into June with a great deal of momentum. The problems for the Cheney Campaign are that the issues Americans feel strongly about are being resonated to better by Rockefeller.

Who leads on your top issues?

Economy - Rockefeller +5
Education - Rockefeller +4
Taxes - Cheney +10
Crime - Cheney +6
National Defense - Cheney +15

Cheney's strongest issue is National Defense, which seems to be a back-burner issue during the 1996 Presidential Election. However, on June 25, 1996, the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia are bombed by terrorists. Cheney's campaign takes advantage of the event, and begins to capitalize on the issue.

Going into the month of July, with time nearing to choose running mates, the polls continue to show a fluid race for the White House.

(D) Jay Rockefeller: 46%
(R) Dick Cheney: 39%
Other/Undecided: 15%

[Reaganfan]

As July moves forward, both campaigns are eagerly awaiting word from their presumptive nominees on who the running mates will be. The Rockefeller campaign, still narrowly ahead in polls, has the short list of potential Vice Presidential running mates down to the following people:

(D-ME) Senator George Mitchell
(D-VA) Senator Chuck Robb
(D-GA) Governor Zell Miller

Rockefeller's choice will be critical, as by mid-July, polls show the Republican candidate Dick Cheney gaining on Senator Rockefeller in polls.

As the Democratic National Convention nears, Presumptive Republican Nominee Dick Cheney has a longer short list of potential running mates:

(R-NY) General Colin Powell
(R-IL) Frm. Congressman and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
(R-KS) Senator Bob Dole
(R-IN) Senator Dick Lugar

Cheney feels strongly that putting Colin Powell on the '96 Republican ticket would solidify the party and country around the ticket, as it would sure up the "National Security" voters as well as those still concerned about crime in America.

Rockefeller is strongly debating between his three choices, and feels that Zell Miller and Chuck Robb would be his best bets.

[Reaganfan]

As August moves by, the running mate selection process is complete. Senator Jay Rockefeller, after giving the situation a lot of thought, decides he has selected a surprise running mate choice.










                                                 ROCKEFELLER/CUOMO '96








Senator Jay Rockefeller announces that New York Governor Mario Cuomo will be his Vice Presidential nominee.

This pick stuns pundits, as Governor Cuomo, who narrowly defeated Republican George Pataki for Governor of New York in 1994, and was long seen as a possible national candidate, fires up the Democratic base. It was thought by many pundits and insiders in the Cheney campaign that Rockefeller would likely select Senator Chuck Robb of Virginia as his running mate.

At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the party officially nominates Senator Jay Rockefeller and Governor Mario Cuomo as their parties nominees for the Presidency.

In the meantime, the Cheney campaign is badly slipping in polls, with some polls before Cheney's running mate selection showing him trailing Rockefeller by as much as 15 points.

Who do you support for President?
Rockefeller: 53%
Cheney: 38%
Other/Undecided: 9%

[Reaganfan]

Update forthcoming

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

What the Christ?