Collaborative Presidential Elections - New

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Fmr. Governor Lamar Alexander (R-TN)/ Steve Forbes (R-NY) 273 - (49.3% of popular)
President Gary Hart (D-CO)/ Vice President Bob Graham 265 - (51.2% of popular)

Hart's administration was plagued by several administrative disasters. Hart pushed for the passage of the American Health and Insurance Security Act, but faced opposition not only from Republican Senators threatening to filibuster, but also midwestern Democrats facing reelection. Also, scandals arising among past business deals by the Secretary of Treasury and Chief of Staff forced their resignation in late 1993.
  Still, Hart maintained high personal approval ratings and fair job approval ratings. The economy showed some signs of improvement, but not enough to reach below 8%. Republicans sensed blood, and began the primary process with gusto. The three major candidates were Fmr. Governor Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Pat Buchanan, and Steve Forbes. Buchanan won Iowa, but Alexander won New Hampshire. Buchanan soon came to represent Social Conservatives, while Forbes represented fiscal conservatives, and Alexander the moderates. The real fight was in South Carolina, while all three competed for the all important evangelical vote. South Carolina was decided, it is said, when Buchanan's alleged anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli sentiment was emphasized in a flyer circulated throughout the state. Buchanan tried to combat this allegations, attributing the charges to " a desperate Alexander campaign." In the days leading up to the primary, Alexander gave a speech in Greenville emphasizing his pro-life credentials and his pledge to support Israel. Alexander won the state by a comfortable margin.

After winning the primaries, Alexander decided to harness his other opponent, Forbes, by selecting him for his running mate as well as adopting his flat-tax proposal. Unlike the previous campaign, both sides employed dirty tactics, particularly through negative ads. On election night, the election was very tight in both the electoral and popular votes. Nevada proved to be the key to Alexander's electoral victory over the embattled incumbant.

Despite the campaign warfare, Alexander's populist image and his trademark plaid flannel shirt kept him in contention with the charismatic Hart.

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Bump.

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Vice President Evan Bayh (D-IN)/ Governor Howard Dean (D-VT) 352 electoral votes, 52.3% of popular vote
Governor Rick Perry (R-TX)/ Susan Collins (R-ME) 186 electoral votes, 47.4% of popular vote

Early in the race, the two frontrunners were Fmr. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, representing the conservative wing; and moderate Senator from Arizona John McCain, who lost to Steve Forbes in the 2004 Republican primaries. Romney enjoyed an early lead until a gaffe during a debate sunk him to the bottom of Republican polls. (Come up with your own gaffe.) The conservative Rick Perry quickly filled the Conservative void and went on to win Iowa, South Carolina, and Florida. Most analysts predicted that John McCain would likely be Perry's running mate until video surfaced showing the Senator on a rant after a campaign stop, cursing out his Texas rival as a "pawn of those #$@* intolerant #@$%," referring to influencial evangelical political figures. Jindal, Palin, and Pawlenty were all names thrown around until Perry made a surprise choice by selecting Senator Susan Collins of Maine as his running mate. Many Christian conservatives, as well as several "outsider" conservatives, questioned the sanity of this choice. Perry hoped to make inroads among New England voters, but ended up losing every NE state.

The Democratic establishment backed the moderate Vice President Evan Bayh, who could ride on the fairly popular President Hart's momentum. Many liberal activists, dissatisfied over Hart's failure over healthcare reform, and passage of the "American Recovery and Opportunity Act," which included tax cuts as well as spending projects, attempted to launch various candidates to present an "Anti-Bayh." The only candidate to gain any traction was then-Governor of Vermont Howard Dean, whose charisma and energy made him a tough opponent to the Vice President. The Convention that year ended in deadlock. Hart, who had friends in the Dean campaign, successfully won some of Dean's delegates for Bayh in return for the Governor's nomination for Vice President.

Right until the final week of the 2008 election, the race was fairly close according to polling. Bayh enjoyed high numbers on the economy while Perry did as well with foreign policy. Bayh was able to crush Perry in the final debate leading up to the election, and pulled off an electoral landslide with a clear popular vote majority.

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Bump.

Negate my last post.

This topic needs to be permanent.

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1996

Fmr. Governor Bill Clinton (D-AR) / Fmr. Governor Mario Cuomo (D-NY) 412 of electoral (48.3% of popular)
President Patrick Buchanan (R-VA) / Gov. George Pataki (D-NY) 126 of electoral (40.2% of popular)
Ross Perot (I-TX) / Donald Trump (I-NY)

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100th post

2008

President John McCain (R-AZ) / Vice President Jim DeMint (R-SC) 450 electoral votes
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) / Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) 88 electoral votes

Two years into his term, President Giuliani is assasinated by an unknown assailant at a campaign event for candidate for the Senate. The death of Rudy sent shockwaves throughout the country as the nation seemed to be at a standstill. Vice President McCain was wisked away to a top secret location, where he recieved a briefing on what was known about his predecessor's death. Within hours, McCain returned to the White House and gave a moving tribute to the fallen President, and emphasized his commitment to the Giuliani agenda.

The Democrats knew that they had no chance in 2008. Senator Obama launched his campaign and succeeded in the scarce field. In an unusual move, he tapped his colleague Arlen Specter, a Republican from Pennsylvania. Despite Obama's charismatic appeal, he was unable to sway voters away from the President.

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1928

President Calvin Coolidge (R-MA) / Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover (R-IA) 467 electoral votes
Governor Al Smith (D-NY) / Senator  Joseph Taylor Robinson (D-AR) 64 electoral votes

Reluctantly agreeing to a draft nomination in 1928, Coolidge embarked on his quest for another term. Vice President Dawes declined another term, and party leaders secretly pushed  for the Progressive-leaning Commerce Secretary Herbert Hoover for the VP slot. Coolidge, with some reservation, agreed.

The star power of a Coolidge/Hoover ticket absolutely demolished any chance of the Catholic governor of New York Al Smith being elected president. Coolidge never attacked Smith on his Catholic faith, but many commentators noted the historic irony of a New England Puritan defeating the New York "Romanist."

Shortly after Coolidge won a second term, he began complaining about chest pains. Many suspected that Silent Cal still bore the weight of his son's death, causing a decline in his health.

Then came the crash...

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Nancy, I mean Cathcon, are we the only ones on this thread?

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I guess it's my turn.

Wait a second.

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1936

Governor Alf Landon (R-KS) / Publisher Frank Knox (R-IL) 282 votes
President Al Smith (D-NY) / Vice President John Nance Garner (D-TX) 175 votes
Senator Huey Long (U-LA) / Senator William Borah (U-ID) 74 votes

Al Smith's fairly laissez-faire policies seem to work, but the extremism is gaining steam. The "Kingfish" Huey Long of Louisiana, who already had a large national following, ran to challenge the "failed Republican and Democratic parties." He chose the isolationist Senator William Borah, a Republican from Idaho. No candidate won a majority of the popular vote, but Landon pulled enough states to win a majority.

Few took Landon seriously as President, some calling him "His Plurality." The largely Democratic congress, as well as the rising Union Party, formed by Huey Long, Father Charles Coughlin, and Dr. Townsend. Landon achieved no significant accomplishment during his term as President.

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bump.

Please make sticky!

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1944
Landon piloted the nation through the turbulent times that became known as the Pacific War (1941-1943) and World War II (1939-1946). Although reluctant to be involved in either war, Landon realized America's necessity to protect her international interests.

Many speculated whether Landon would run for a third term, since America was still embroiled in foreign conflict at toward the end of his term. In the tradition of Washington, he stepped aside and refused to run. During the Primaries, the machines in New York and the Midwest fought for their respective candidates Governor Dewey of New York and Senator Taft of Ohio. The convention, with the addition of businessman Wendell Willkie, resulted in deadlock. Interested in compromise, leadership, and broad appeal, Landon threw his weight behind a dark horse candidate, General Douglas MacArthur of Pacific War fame. MacArthur accepted the nomination and selected Robert Taft as his running mate.

The Democratic Party was at a low point. The Smith-Garner faction, which was more disposed to Coolidge style, limited government, struggled with the "Share Our Wealth" Faction, which felt more comfortable outside the party than inside. In 1942, the Democratic Party voted to expel Huey Long for his bolting the party twice in 1936 and 1940. Long later announced that he would work to make the Union Party, made of former Progressive and "Sharers," a permanent force in American politics. A majority of members of the Louisiana state legislators joined the Union Party of Louisiana, more out of fear than conviction. Progressives in Wisconsin and several midwest states formed their own state parties and ran their own members for state and national offices. Soon, a "Madison-Baton Rouge Axis" as dubbed by critics was established.


Demcoratic Party regulars were at a loss over which to support. Franklin Roosevelt
, a heavy weight in the Northeast Democratic party, encouraged Progressives to remain in the Democratic Party. Joseph Kennedy, Garner's running mate in 1940, initially encouraged party loyalty but later bolted to join the Union party. Democrats could not stem the tide of liberals and populists joining the Union party. 1944 proved to be the final year the Democrats had any traction as a major party.

General Doublas MacArthur (R-NY) /  Senator Robert Taft (R-OH) 351 electoral votes
Senator Huey Long (U-LA) Henry Wallace (U-IA) 123 electoral votes
Senator Richard Russell (D-GA) / Senator Alben Barkley (D-KY) 57 electoral votes

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1980

Senator Edward Kennedy (U-MA) / Governor Jerry Brown (U-CA) 348 electoral votes
President Jimmy Carter (SR-GA) / Vice President Henry M. Jackson (SR-WA) 190 electoral votes
Fmr. Governor Ronald Reagan (L-CA) / Jack Kemp (L-NY) no electoral votes


President Carter enjoyed popular support early on. However, his moderate stance on foreign policy and certain social issues caused many conservatives to bolt the States Rights Party in the General. Former Governor of California Ronald Reagan was nominated at the new Liberty Party convention in Los Angeles, California.
Another rising star in the Union Party, Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts made his play for the nomination against the moderate favorite and former astronaut John Glenn. Kennedy was able to win,l however, because of a split SR base.

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Excellent Timeline, guys. With all of you permission, I would like to try to turn these maps into a coherent timeline on post it on the boards.

Now I get to start again.

1896

Fmr. Representative William Jennings Bryan (D-NB) / Political Activist Arthur Sewall (D-ME) 231 electoral votes
Fmr. Governor William McKinley (R-OH) / Fmr. President of the NJ State Senate Garret Hobart (R-NY) 216 votes

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Bump

Likewise.

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Bump.

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 Bump.

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Bump.

Please make sticky!