2000 Timeline (COMPLETE)

[Free Palestine]

I was actually cringing a little when I thought Bush was going to win.  I enjoyed reading it.

[tmthforu94]

Amazing updates.

Sessions `04!

[pogo stick]

I withdraw my support for the tax-loving Guinn.

[GLPman]

January 2004 (continued) With the New Hampshire Primary only days away, each candidate stepped up their attacks on each other. During a speech in Nashua, Senator Sessions attempted to portray McCain as too moderate: "There is no doubt in my mind that the election of John McCain would mean the second term of Tom Daschle. I stand here as a true member of the Republican Party, and I'm willing to take this country back from an extensive and, in my opinion, too-long Democratic rule."

Sessions claimed he was the "true member" of the GOP

Allen also played along with Sessions' remarks, but twisted them in his favor in an attempt to portray his himself as a young, rejuvenating candidate. McCain, who had learned just how nasty the campaign trail could be a few years prior while running against Texas Governor George Bush, retaliated to the criticisms: "Senators Allen and Sessions are incorrect in identifying me as a moderate. I have stood up against several Democratic policies, including the Education Reform Bill and President Daschle's proposed health care plan. I will show my voting record to any American who wishes to see it. I am a man of honesty, unlike my competitors." In response, McCain launched attack ads on Senator Sessions, which portrayed him as a Southern racist and hick. Would McCain prevail in the Granite State, though?

McCain wasn't afraid to fight back, but would his success continue?

President Daschle found his approval rating hovering at 52% as clashes in Afghanistan and Pakistan continued.

FINAL NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - JANUARY 13 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
Allen: 24.1%
Ridge: 23.8%
McCain: 22.2%
Sessions: 18.2%
Guinn: 12.7%

The poll shocked everybody. Ridge, who had been campaigning in the state for months, had managed to get so much support that he had landed in second. More surprising, however, was Allen's place in first in the poll. Both McCain, who had won the New Hampshire Primary against Bush in 2000, and Sessions were hurt by attack ads.

In Pakistan, as more terrorist factions joined the fight against the US and NATO, violence increased. In the week before the New Hampshire Primary, a total of 55 US casualties were reported. Republicans continued to cry out that the wars were being commanded by poor leadership.

On January 14th, voters in New Hampshire rushed to vote for their favored candidate as the New Hampshire Primary began. Everyone knew it would be a tight contest.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Virginia Senator George Allen


Results:
Allen: 25.6%
Ridge: 24.7%
McCain: 24.2%
Guinn: 15.2%
Sessions: 10.3%

While Allen had just narrowly edged out McCain and Ridge, Guinn and Sessions had lost support. The Alabama Senator had rolled in with only 10.3% - a troubling number for the amount of money his campaign was spending and how well he had done in Iowa. The Alabama Senator nonetheless vowed to stay in the race, claiming he was confident that he could win in the next state - South Carolina. Guinn also vowed to stay in. Ridge, who had out-performed even McCain, told his supporters there was no way the Ridge campaign would end there. In a speech in Concord, New Hampshire, McCain explained, "You win some and you lose some. This was one of our losses. But I know that we have not lost faith in the power of the American democracy machine. Let's show South Carolina what we've got!" Allen, in front of a crowd of his supporters, said, "I know we have what it takes to win not only in South Carolina, but in every state in this beloved Union. And we will!"

Allen giving his victory speech in New Hampshire.

By the end of January, all eyes were either on South Carolina or the Middle East.

[pogo stick]

Go  George Allen!

[GLPman]

February 2004: Allen's victory in New Hampshire had thrown the Republican Primaries off its track. Many had predicted a McCain or Ridge win in New Hampshire, and very few had expected that Allen would actually come out on top. Nonetheless, all eyes turned to South Carolina Primary, which was held on February 1st. The candidates had all been campaigning in the state during the final days of January in an attempt to rally support. Analysts suspected a Sessions win, due the Alabama Senator's southern roots, and they were correct.

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions


Results:
Sessions: 49.7%
McCain: 28.2%
Allen: 14.5%
Guinn: 4.8%
Ridge: 2.8%

It was no surprised that Sessions had performed as well as he did. Guinn and Ridge did quite poorly, but both decided to stay put, at least until after the Nevada Caucus, which was the next state on the list. Allen, whose momentum in New Hampshire had failed to carry him into at least second place in South Carolina, brushed off the loss as inconsequential.

In Afghanistan, violence continued as US and UK troops delivered an artillery strike and assault on a terrorist camp and bordering mountain range, both of which were believed to be harboring Al-Qaeda forces. US artillery pounded the sites for several days. Despite the violence in Afghanistan, troops stationed along the border were beginning to see less activity in Afghanistan as more and more terrorist factions were either defeated or forced to move into Pakistan to continue operations.

Violence still continued in Afghanistan, though to a lesser extent

On February 12th, the city of San Francisco began issuing same-sex marriage licenses. In response, President Daschle replied that he "would not support any [same-sex licenses] issued in San Francisco."

Candidates rushed to get final support in Nevada as February 15th - the date of the Nevada Caucus - arrived. Guinn was the heavily favored candidate, since he was the Governor of the state the caucus was held in. McCain, nonetheless, had hopes that he could steal the victory from Guinn.

NEVADA CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn


Results:
Guinn: 30.8%
McCain: 26.0%
Allen: 20.5%
Sessions: 16.6%
Ridge: 6.1%

The Nevada Governor had barely prevailed in his own state, which caused many Guinn supporters to worry how the rest of the campaign would continue. Guinn greeted the victory with excitement during a rally in Las Vegas, saying "Thank you! Now we turn towards Louisiana, Michigan, and Wyoming! Let us show them a true Guinn campaign!" The victory speech was critcized as rather botchy and, simply put, ridiculous. Many voters had withdrawn their support from Guinn and given it to McCain or Sessions, both of whom still continued to be the front-runners. In Reno, Tom Ridge appeared before a crowd of supporters and announced he would be suspending his campaign. "Although this is not the outcome I have hoped for, I encourage you to not let my withdrawal from this race hinder you from stopping another term of Democratic rule. Thank you and goodnight."

Ridge suspends his campaign

After several weeks of full combat engagement with the terrorist factions, US troops were finally able to capture the city of Quetta, in Western Pakistan. NATO Command also sets up a base in Peshawar. Many global voices, particularly Indian, began voicing concern about possible terrorist possession of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. During a press conference on the subject, President Daschle assured people that the US and NATO had already assumed possession of Pakistan's nuclear weaponry. Several Republicans asked for proof, which Daschle refused to give. The actual reality of the situation, however, was that NATO and the US had secured MOST of Pakistan's said weapons.

"US and NATO have assumed possession of Pakistan's nuclear weaponry."

February 24th housed the Louisiana Caucus, Michigan Primary, and Wyoming Caucus. Sessions was expected to win in Louisiana, but aside from that, people saw the other two states as tossups. A gallup poll released on February 20th showed that McCain still maintained his lead over Sessions. The departure of Ridge, however, seemed to grant a good amount of support from the Northeast to Allen. Many analysts viewed Guinn's victory in Nevada as luck, and believed that the Nevada Governor would have dropped out had he not been saved by his own state.

NATIONWIDE POLL - FEB 20 2004
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 33.8%
Sessions: 30.2%
Allen: 22.9%
Guinn: 13.1%

Guinn, seeing how vulnerable his campaign was at this point, campaigned heavily in Wyoming and Louisiana. Both Sessions and McCain focused entirely on Louisiana and Michigan, on the other hand. February 24th finally arrived. Not one candidate had won two contests yet, and each candidate knew that by the end of the day, one candidate would emerge as a true front-runner.

LOUISIANA CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions


Results:
Sessions: 38.5%
Allen: 29.1%
McCain: 23.2%
Guinn: 10.2%

MICHIGAN PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 32.7%
Allen: 28.5%
Sessions: 21.0%
Guinn: 17.8%

WYOMING CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 33.1%
Sessions: 28.7%
Guinn: 22.0%
Allen: 16.2%

Sessions' victory in Louisiana came as no surprise, but McCain's dual victories in Michigan and Wyoming, although predicted by some, came as a shocker. The Arizona Senator had managed to win in Michigan, where he had been defeated by Texas Governor George Bush only four years before. Guinn had not won any contests and, as a result, decided to suspend his campaign. He told his supporters, however, that he would have an endorsement soon enough. Allen, despite a poor performance in Wyoming, had come in second in both Michigan and Louisiana. At a rally, McCain explained, "It is now time to take back our country and properly command two wars that have spiraled out of control! It is now time to capture Osama bin Laden and the ones who try to harm us. It is now time to stop wasteful spending. My friends, it is now time."

With Guinn out, the GOP primaries was now a three-man race. Sessions, Allen, and McCain began campaigning in Florida, which was the last state before Super Tuesday in March.

Red - McCain
Orange - Sessions
Yellow - Allen
Purple - Guinn

[Historico]

Super Tuesday should bring some very interesting results, Sad to see Guinn go, but I guess the was only room for one Mavericky Moderate in the Primaries lol.

[tmthforu94]

Another excellent update.
Sessions! `04

[RIP Robert H Bork]

Very interesting, please continue.

[GLPman]

Thank you for all your support and comments!

March 2004: Guinn's departure from the GOP Primaries led many to believe that the Nevada Governor's supporters would flock to McCain. A poll released on March 1st, however, demonstrated that McCain hadn't picked up as much of Guinn's support as many had speculated.

NATIONWIDE POLL - MARCH 1 2004
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 39.2%
Sessions: 35.6%
Allen: 23.2%

Sessions had falled behind McCain quite a bit, despite the recent victories in South Carolina and Louisiana. With the Florida Primary only three days away, each candidate campaigned as hard as he could. Sessions was expected to capture votes from the Panhandle and Northern part of the state, while McCain's moderate views were expected to attract voters from South Florida. Central Florida, therefore, proved to be a battleground.

Florida quickly became a battleground between the GOP candidates

Meanwhile, as the American Military began shifting its focus from Afghanistan to Pakistan, several Republican Senators still continued the call for operations in Iraq. "It's absurd that we have a leader who refuses to combat a state that is known to harbor terrorists," former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney stated.

Fmr. Sec of Defense Dick Cheney speaking out against Daschle

Despite the negative calls against him, President Daschle still found his approval rating to be at a steady 52%. A few days prior, the President had made the decision to hold off on his health care initiative until his second term, if he got re-elected. Interestingly enough, polls showed that Vice President Dean had a higher approval rating than the President, with a strong 63%.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of Vice President Dean?
Yes: 63%
No: 37%

FLORIDA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 42.8%
Sessions: 37.5%
Allen: 19.7%

McCain had been boosted ahead by stronger support in Orlando and Tampa. Sessions was furious that he had not won the state, but nonetheless looked forward to Super Tuesday, which was five days away. The Alabama Senator was confident he could at least capture Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Meanwhile, in Orlando, John McCain and Nevada Governor Guinn greeted a crowd of supporters. There, Guinn endorsed McCain and called on all of his supporters to show the country why the Arizona Maverick was the "best choice."

Attacks continued to come from all candidates. Sessions continued to portray McCain as too much of a moderate, while accusing Allen of being a "GOP lightweight." Allen responded to the attacks and explained, "The only difference between Senator Sessions and I is that I don't have links to lobbyists, nor do I have a list of controversies that I must hide."

Senator Allen moved to the offensive against Sessions

MARCH 5th "SUPER TUESDAY" RESULTS - REPUBLICAN:

Alabama Primary Results:
Sessions: 60.5%
Allen: 25.1%
McCain: 14.4%

Alaska Caucus Results:
McCain: 41.5%
Allen: 36.4%
Sessions: 22.1%

Arizona Primary Results:
McCain: 60.1%
Sessions: 28.8%
Allen: 11.1%

Arkansas Primary Results:
Sessions: 40.2%
McCain: 38.5%
Allen: 21.3%

California Primary Results:
McCain: 55.4%
Allen: 30.5%
Sessions: 14.1%

Colorado Caucus Results:
McCain:40.2%
Allen: 36.6%
Sessions: 23.2%

Connecticut Primary Results:
McCain: 48.5%
Allen: 40.5%
Sessions: 11.0%

Delaware Primary Results:
Allen: 43.9%
McCain: 36.1%
Sessions: 20.0%

Georgia Primary Results:
Sessions: 39.9%
McCain: 36.1%
Allen: 24.0%

Illinois Primary Results:
McCain: 46.4%
Sessions: 29.5%
Allen: 24.1%

Massachusetts Primary Results:
McCain: 49.1%
Allen: 34.2%
Sessions: 16.7%

Minnesota Caucus Results:
McCain: 38.2%
Allen: 35.7%
Sessions: 26.1%

Missouri Primary Results:
McCain: 38.7%
Sessions: 38.0%
Allen: 23.3%

Montana Caucus Results:
McCain: 35.1%
Allen: 33.5%
Sessions: 31.4%

New Jersey Primary Results:
McCain: 41.3%
Allen: 39.9%
Sessions: 18.8%

New York Primary Results:
McCain: 48.5%
Allen: 37.5%
Sessions: 14.0%

North Dakota Caucus Results:
Allen: 40.2%
Sessions: 38.3%
McCain: 21.5%

Oklahoma Primary Results:
Sessions: 58.6%
Allen: 30.9%
McCain: 10.5%

Tennessee Primary Results:
McCain: 43.5%
Sessions: 38.0%
Allen: 18.5%

Utah Primary Results:
McCain: 45.4%
Sessions: 38.2%
Allen: 16.4%

West Virginia Primary Results:
Allen: 38.5%
McCain: 31.4%
Sessions: 30.1%

McCain had done outstandingly well and had won the majority of the contests. In Phoenix, he greeted a large crowd of his supporters. "Our time is near. Thank you for all your support!" the Arizona Senator yelled. Sessions had not preformed as well as expected, and had only won Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Oklahoma. Furthermore, the Alabama Senator had done extremely poorly in Northeastern and Western states, causing several people to wonder if he would be able to really attack the Democrats if he was the nominee for the 2004 election. McCain had won by large margins in California, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut and, although Sessions had managed to edge out McCain in Arkansas, McCain had taken Missouri.

Allen, who had only won Delaware, North Dakota, and West Virginia, decided to call it quits. In Richmond, Allen announced that he would suspend his campaign and thanked his supporters. Sessions and McCain were now the only two competitors left in the GOP Primary. March, though, was still far from over.

Red - McCain
Orange - Sessions
Yellow - Allen
Purple - Guinn

[pogo stick]

Awesome timeline!!! Too bad George Allen lost. I guess I'll throw my support behind......Jeff Sessions.

[GLPman]

March 2004 (continued) No shortly after the end of Super Tuesday, the US was reminded why its fight against terrorism was crucial. On March 11th, bombs on several trains in Madrid detonated, killing 190 people. Madrid was suddenly thrown into chaos as the people frantically searched for their loved ones and the injured were rushed to hospitals. In a White House Press Conference, President Daschle remarked, "Attacks like the one in Madrid today remind us why we must continue our fight against terrorism. We will not cower for those who wish for us to move aside."

Vladimir Putin was reelected to a second term as President of Russia on March 14th.

On March 15th, NATO Command released a report, saying that only 15% of Al-Qaeda's operations are based in Afghanistan. The report is hailed by many Democrats, including the President, as a sign of success in Afghanistan. John McCain, referring to the report, explained that it marked "a certain level of success." Senator Sessions, on the other hand, labeled it as a "ridiculous piece of propaganda, designed to throw America off its course of hunting down those who harm us."

March 16th housed the Maine Caucus, District of Columbia Primary, and Washington Caucus. Sessions hoped for a victory in Maine, but knew it was unlikely. McCain was expected to win big in both Maine and DC, which would only push the Arizona Senator further ahead of Sessions.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 79.9%
Sessions: 20.1%

MAINE CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 52.6%
Sessions: 47.4%

WASHINGTON PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 60.8%
Sessions: 39.2%

McCain had won crushing victories in both DC and Washington, and come out on top in Maine, as well. The Arizona Senator was now the definite frontrunner and, seeing that his victory might be inevitable, nothing made him happier.

Polls showed that many voters felt that Sessions came off as an angry Southerner, which prompted Sessions to give his campaign a bit of a facelift. "We all want what's best for America. Let's show the people what the path to true patriotism is," the Alabama Senator remarked. Sessions cut back on attack ads and, instead, focused his ads on himself and the positive aspects of him as a candidate. The Alabama Senator hoped that his revamped campaign would gain him support in the Northeast and West.

Sessions brought a new look to his campaign

On March 19th, the Kansas Caucus, Wisconsin Primary, and Virginia Primary were held.

KANSAS CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions


Results:
Sessions: 58.2%
McCain: 41.8%

VIRGINIA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions


Results:
Sessions: 51.8%
McCain: 48.2%

WISCONSIN PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 58.7%
Sessions: 41.3%

Sessions had managed to steal Virginia from McCain, and take Kansas. It appeared that, at least for now, the Alabama Senator's campaign was back on track. There was no time to waste, though, because both Ohio and Texas were coming up soon, and both candidates knew that they would have to try their best to achieve victory. Sessions' victories in Virginia and Kansas boosted him up in the national polls against McCain, but he was still behind the Arizona Maverick.

NATIONWIDE POLL - MARCH 20 2004
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 53.5%
Sessions: 46.5%

Red - McCain
Orange - Sessions
Yellow - Allen
Purple - Guinn

[tmthforu94]

Woot Woot! I smell a Sessions comeback!

[President Mitt]

Lets go McCain! If Sessions wins....... _{Daschle in 2004}

[pogo stick]

Go Sessions!

[GLPman]

March 2004 (continued) With so many upcoming primaries and caucuses, every single day of March was important to McCain and Sessions. Unfortunately for Sessions, the primary schedule seemed to work against him. The Hawaii Caucus, Maryland Primary, and Vermont Primary were all on March 21st, and early polls indicated that each state heavily favored McCain. Sessions hoped he could snag Maryland, especially since he had managed to pull Virginia.

Could Sessions capture Maryland?

HAWAII CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 65.8%
Sessions: 34.2%

MARYLAND PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 53.6%
Sessions: 46.4%

VERMONT PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 69.9%
Sessions: 30.1%

Nobody was surprised by the results. Sessions hadn't managed to pull Maryland, and had lost by 7 points. Vermont and Hawaii, both extremely liberal states, had no trouble going for McCain, though not by as heavy margins as many had predicted. One analyst at CNN explained that it could be due to low turnout, especially since the two states would most likely go to President Daschle in the 2004 election.

Session's failure to capture Maryland led many analysts to once again wonder if the Alabama Senator was really the best candidate. On March 22nd, a New York Times Op-Ed called Sessions "a modern version of George Wallace - without all the flair." Sessions immediately called for the recension of the article and an apology from the New York Times, which was granted several days later.

"a modern version of George Wallace - without all the flair."

On the same day, former presidential candidate and Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge endorsed John McCain, claiming that he had "everything a President requires."

The most remarkable - and unexpected - thing, however, occurred in Houston on March 23rd, only one day before the Texas Primary. John McCain and Texas Governor George W. Bush greeted a large crowd of supporters on stage together. As McCain took a seat, the Texas Governor stood at the wooden podium and endorsed the Arizona Senator. Everybody was extremely surprised - surely such an event would not have happened four years ago in the 2000 election. "John McCain has done excellent work in the Senate and it is my honor to serve in the same party as him. Come November, we must vote for John to end a too-long and disastrous Democratic rule. Ladies and Gentlemen, John McCain is our man."

March 24th hosted the Ohio Primary, Rhode Island Primary, and Texas Primary. Both McCain and Sessions viciously campaigned in Ohio and Texas, since it was widely expected that Rhode Island would go to McCain. The one thing everyone knew, however, is that March 24th would make or break Sessions' campaign.

OHIO PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 53.6%
Sessions: 46.4%

RHODE ISLAND PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 59.0%
Sessions: 41.0%

TEXAS PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain


Results:
McCain: 52.1%
Sessions: 47.9%

John McCain had prevailed in all three states. In Texas, people associated Governor Bush's endorsement with the Arizona Senator's victory, whereas McCain had performed better in Rhode Island and Ohio. With no visible path to victory and an inferior amount of delegates, Sessions decided to suspend his campaign. In Birmingham, the Alabama Senator appeared before a crowd, looking tired and worn. "I've decided that, at this time, it would be best for me to suspend my campaign. I thank you all for your support. Goodnight." With Sessions out, John McCain was now the Republican nominee for President. In Phoenix, McCain greeted a large crowd of his supporters. "Today, we face uncertain challenges as we battle terrorism at home and abroad. Never before have we declared war on an idea and not an organization, but that does not mean that this war cannot be win. With proper leadership and a sharp military, we can defeat those who threaten us. Not only abroad do we face problems, however, but at home, too. Under three terms of Democrat rule, we are stuck with wasteful spending and a growing deficit. Promises have been ignored and tossed by the side of the road. America, it's time to take our country back."

Now that the Republicans had found their nominee, the real question was if they would be able to regain the White House in 2004.

Final Primary Map:

Red - McCain
Orange - Sessions
Yellow - Allen
Purple - Guinn

[Historico]

Well that was one suspensful GOP Primary season lol, Nice to see the old John McCain(Id support the Johny Boy who ran in 2000, I feel like he sacrificed alot of his Principles to get the nomination in'08) get the nod on his own merits. I can't wait to see what his Mavericky choices for VP are going to be...former Joint Cheif Chairman Collin Powello New York, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas, Representative J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, and Senator Elizabeth Dole would all be strong history making picks. Btw are they any chance that we may see a strong third party run in this election? Keep it comming GLP

[GLPman]

Well that was one suspensful GOP Primary season lol, Nice to see the old John McCain(Id support the Johny Boy who ran in 2000, I feel like he sacrificed alot of his Principles to get the nomination in'08) get the nod on his own merits. I can't wait to see what his Mavericky choices for VP are going to be...former Joint Cheif Chairman Collin Powello New York, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas, Representative J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, and Senator Elizabeth Dole would all be strong history making picks. Btw are they any chance that we may see a strong third party run in this election? Keep it comming GLP

It definitely will be interesting to see who Johnny will choose for his VP, and some of those people will be on the short list for sure, as you'll see. There will be a third-party in the '04 election, although I wouldn't define it as "strong."

[President Mitt]

Well that was one suspensful GOP Primary season lol, Nice to see the old John McCain(Id support the Johny Boy who ran in 2000, I feel like he sacrificed alot of his Principles to get the nomination in'08) get the nod on his own merits. I can't wait to see what his Mavericky choices for VP are going to be...former Joint Cheif Chairman Collin Powello New York, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas, Representative J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, and Senator Elizabeth Dole would all be strong history making picks. Btw are they any chance that we may see a strong third party run in this election? Keep it comming GLP

It definitely will be interesting to see who Johnny will choose for his VP, and some of those people will be on the short list for sure, as you'll see. There will be a third-party in the '04 election, although I wouldn't define it as "strong."

R-U-D-Y    G-I-U-L-I-A-N-I !!!!!!!!

[GLPman]

April 2004: McCain wasted no time in continuing his campaign. He knew he would have to win back states that Daschle had taken in 2000, such as Ohio, and protect states that went Republican in 2000 as well, such as Florida. McCain kept in mind that he had done poorly in the Deep South during the primaries, so he knew he had work to do there, too.

President Daschle's approval rating had lowered to 50%, the lowest it had ever since his inauguration. The President nonetheless remained confident, amidst increasing attacks by Republicans, that re-election was a strong possibility. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the President had to manage two wars and an increasingly unstable Iraq, campaigning for the 2004 election was not on the top of his list.

The War in Afghanistan had made significant progress in the past month and, beginning on April 10th, the Afghanistan Guard Force began to be deployed to the Southern regions of Afghanistan. For the most part, terrorist factions had moved operations to the other side of the border, into Pakistan, and carried out their attacks there. Delaware Senator Joe Biden, during an interview on MSNBC, explained that the United States was "nearing a true victory." Many Republicans remained skeptical, and pointed towards the uncertainty of the War in Pakistan as their reasoning.

Senator Biden commending the US' progress in Afghanistan

"True victory" or not, though, the success of Afghanistan was indeed overshadowed by the mystery of the War in Pakistan. Polls showed a growing uncertainty of the progress, even among US troops. President Daschle staunchly defended the war and it's progress nonetheless.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support of the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 57%
No: 28%
Unsure: 15%

On April 17th, chaos broke out in the Gaza Strip as Israeli helicopters killed Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi, the leader of Hamas.

Early polls of the Daschle-McCain matchup showed that the Arizona Senator did not necessarily face a difficult road ahead of him. Daschle was ahead, but only by a few points.

NATIONWIDE POLL
If the United States Presidential Election was held today, who would you vote for?
Daschle: 50.6%
McCain: 46.9%
Other: 2.5%

McCain stepped up his attacks against the President in response to the polls. "Our President took an oath to protect our country from those who intend to harm us, yet he refuses to combat Iraq - a nation that supplies and trains the same men that attack us. Iraq's leader, Saddam Hussein, has refused to allow UN inspectors into the country, which leads many of us to believe that the country may even have some type of nuclear program. How can the President not intervene in this situation? There is nothing more dangerous, folks, than terrorists with nuclear weapons. My challenge to the President is this: defend this country and take action in Iraq."

McCain challenged President Daschle to take action in Iraq

In response to the continuous attacks by McCain, President Daschle responded, "I appreciate the ambitions and ferocity of Senator McCain, however I assure you that this administration is doing everything it can to deal with Iraq. Rushing into the desert with our guns blazing would be a mistake. That does not at all mean, though, that Iraq has been pushed to the back-burner. We are simply viewing every option possible." Republicans were outraged by the response and even several Democrats began growing weary of the same response. On the radio, Rush Limbaugh called Daschle a "meaningless, incompetent sissy." In the following week, Daschle faced a good amount of criticism and his approval rating dropped to 48%. For the first time in his entire presidency, the President disapproval rating was higher than his approval rating.

President Daschle faced increasing criticism for his response on Iraq

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 47%
No: 52%
Unsure: 1%

On April 30th, for the first time since the introduction of the system by the Department of Homeland Security, the terrorist threat level is lowered to "yellow."

May 2004: On May 1st, the European Union greatly expanded as ten countries, including Poland, joined.

On May 8th, US troops initiated Operation Scorpion, in which US and UK troops launched a huge offensive into Islamabad in an attempt to capture the entire city, which would be broken up into four quadrants with certain divisions in charge of each respective quadrant. The Coalition forces were greeted by large amounts of fire upon entering the Northern and Eastern quadrants, but nonetheless emerged victorious in propelling most terrorist factions out of the capital city. The big task now, however, would be to secure the city, which would definitely prove difficult.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, McCain continued to campaign in the Midwest and South. Daschle, still tied up with three wars and pressure to invade Iraq, still had little time to campaign and decided he would not begin until June or July. A few initial state polls were released in the middle of the month.

FLORIDA POLL - MAY 14 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain: 52.4%
Daschle: 45.6%
Other: 2.0%

NEW MEXICO POLL - MAY 15 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 51.6%
McCain: 47.0%
Other: 1.4%

OREGON POLL - MAY 15 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain: 48.8%
Daschle: 47.9%
Other: 3.3%

PENNSYLVANIA POLL - MAY 16 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 49.2%
McCain: 47.3%
Other: 3.5%

The polls showed that President Daschle was definitely vulernable. Around the end of the month, many began to speculate the possible VP picks for McCain.

Possible VP picks - REPUBLICAN

J.C. Watts - Oklahoma Representative

Norman "Norm" Coleman - Minnesota Senator

Kathryn "Kay" Bailey Hutchison - Texas Senator

Dick Cheney - Former Secretary of Defense

Jeff Sessions - Former Presidential Candidate and Alabama Senator

Rudy Guiliani - Mayor of New York City

Susan Collins - Maine Senator

William "Bill" Simon - California Governor

With so many selections, there was a great amount of speculation about who McCain would choose. Elizabeth Dole, George Allen, John Ashcroft, Saxby Chambliss, and Kenny Guinn had all denied interest. Across the United States, Americans waited the much anticipated announcement.

[pogo stick]

McCain-Coleman 2004 ! Pick Coleman!

[Psychic Octopus]

McCain-Coleman 2004 ! Pick Coleman!

No. McCain-Giuliani, Watts, or Hutchison. Maybe Simon if he's been popular.

[Historico]

Hmm, I love KBH, but J.C. would be a good choice as well... I'm down for McCain/Watts, McCain/Hutchinson, or McCain/Collins

[Free Palestine]

Please no Cheney...*holds pillow tightly*

[Devilman88]

Hmm, I love KBH, but J.C. would be a good choice as well... I'm down for McCain/Watts, McCain/Hutchinson, or McCain/Collins

Ditto, can't wait to see.