Talk Elections

November 7, 2006 - Democrats pick up 6 Senate seats and 31 House seats, regaining both houses of Congress, though control is by the narrowest of margins. The race for President, meanwhile, is on.

November 9, 2006 - Former President Jimmy Carter becomes one of the first candidates to announce. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack simultaneously forms an exploratory committee, though the news of Carter's decision means that Vilsack's gets basically 0 news coverage.

November 10, 2006 - Two Republican frontrunners, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (New York) and Senator John McCain (Arizona) announce Presidential exploratory committees.

November 15, 2006 - Tommy Thompson announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.

November 30, 2006 - Tom Vilsack announces that he will not run for President.

December 1, 2006 - Evan Bayh forms an exploratory committee. Barack Obama forms an exploratory committee.

December 2, 2006 - Tom Daschle announces the formation of an exploratory committee.

December 3, 2006 - A leak from the Hillary Clinton camp indicates that she plans to run for President.

December 9, 2006 - An eventful day, as both George Allen and Sam Brownback announce they will not run for President. Meanwhile, Bill Richardson will.

December 11, 2006 - Dennis Kucinich announces a 2nd presidential attempt.

December 16, 2006 - Evan Bayh terminates his exploratory committee.

December 17, 2006 - Tom Daschle terminates his exploratory committee.

December 19, 2006 - Jim Gilmore announces his candidacy for President.

December 28, 2006 - John Edwards will not run for President.

More to come!

Carter was 84 in 2008.

Impossible, but nice one.

I know. He ran anyway - trust me, his age will be a major campaign point.

And here's January for y'all!

January 1, 2007 - The Carter campaign is on air in Iowa, with an ad humorously entitled Young Jimbo. The ad depicts Carter splitting a block of wood in two with his bare hands. The much-parodied ad serves its purpose, however, and significantly deflates concerns about Carter's age.

January 3, 2007 - Mitt Romney forms an exploratory committee.

January 5, 2007 - Sam Brownback recants his earlier decision not to run, and forms an exploratory committee.

January 7, 2007 - Joe Biden forms an exploratory committee.

January 9, 2007 - Controversial civil rights activist and 2004 nomination candidate Al Sharpton announces a 2nd run for the Democratic nomination.

January 11, 2007 - Chris Dodd and Ron Paul both announce their candidacies for President. Simultaneously, the Democratic National Committee announces the Democratic convention will be held in New Orleans.

January 15, 2007 - Marilyn Musgrave forms a presidential exploratory committee.

January 17, 2007 - To much fanfare, Hillary Rodham Clinton announces the formation of a presidential exploratory committee. Nationwide polls show she is a slight favorite over former President Jimmy Carter.

January 20, 2007 - Sam Brownback terminates his exploratory committee.

January 21, 2007 - Bill Richardson airs a campaign ad in Iowa, attacking the Clinton and Carter administrations.

January 24, 2007 - 2004 nominee John Kerry forms a presidential exploratory committee.

January 25, 2007 - Marilyn Musgrave announces her campaign for President.

January 28, 2007 - Mike Huckabee announces his campaign for President.

January 31, 2007 - Joe Biden will not run for President.

Announced Run:

• Fmr. Pres. Jimmy Carter
• Gov. Bill Richardson
• Rep. Dennis Kucinich
• Fmr. Gov. Jim Gilmore
• activist Al Sharpton
• Sen. Chris Dodd
• Rep. Ron Paul
• Rep. Marilyn Musgrave
• Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee

Formed Exploratory Committee:

• Rep. Duncan Hunter
• Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani
• Fmr. Sec. Tommy Thompson
• Sen. John McCain
• Fmr. Gov. Mitt Romney
• Sen. Hillary Clinton
• Sen. John Kerry

Will Not Run:

• Fmr. Gov. Tom Vilsack
• Fmr. Sen. George Allen
• Sen. Sam Brownback
• Sen. Evan Bayh
• Fmr. Sen. Tom Daschle
• Fmr. Sen. John Edwards
• Sen. Joe Biden

Romney! `08

February!

February 1 - John Kerry and Duncan Hunter both terminate their exploratory committees. Neither will run for President. Although Hunter's decision is inconsequential, Kerry's decision to run would have had major implications.

February 5 - Rudy Giuliani announces that he will run for President. He is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

February 10 - Barack Obama announces that he is terminating his exploratory committee. In a speech widely regarded as excellent, he endorses Carter for President.

February 13 - Mitt Romney formally announces a Presidential campaign.

February 21 - Tom Harkin tells a journalist that he is considering a 2008 presidential campaign.

February 23 - Tom Harkin endorses Carter, and states that he had "never even thought" about a run for President.

February 28 - John McCain formally announces his presidential campaign. Political analysts seem to agree that the race for the nomination is between McCain, Romney, Giuliani, and 'Candidate X', a conservative who can appeal to evangelicals.

Oh no!

March!

March 1 - Hillary Rodham Clinton, previously at the exploratory stage, formally announces her campaign for President. She is considered the slight favorite over former President Jimmy Carter.

March 3 - The CPAC holds its annual presidential straw poll. John McCain defeats Mitt Romney, 23% to 21%, with Giuliani in 3rd, and various other candidates behind him. Interestingly, non-candidate Fred Thompson comes in 4th, suggesting he could fill the role of Candidate X.

March 9 - In Carson City, Nevada, a debate is held between Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich, and Jimmy Carter. The debate is universally considered a victory for Dodd, and he rises in the polls.

March 11 - Fred Thompson states, on Fox News, that he is considering a presidential run.

March 12 - Skipping the exploratory stage, Fred Thompson announces a campaign for President.

March 22 - It is leaked that John Edwards may be reconsidering a presidential campaign. Edwards neither confirms nor denies these rumors.

The reason there is no firm 'conservative' candidate is that there are so many vying for that position: Gilmore, Musgrave, Thompson, Huckabee. They split the vote and allow the politicians you refer to as 'fake-publicans' to gain advantages.

And if a...fake-publican...is nominated, will you keep reading this?

And April! Btw, can I have some more comments?

April 1, 2007 - Tommy Thompson officially announces his campaign for President.

April 2, 2007 - Prominent anti-illegal immigration activist Chris Simcox endorses Marilyn Musgrave for President.

April 12, 2007 - A poll in Iowa shows Jimmy Carter in the lead for the Democrats, with 30% of the vote.

April 25, 2007 - John McCain goes on a campaigning blitz, with stops in New Hampshire and South Carolina.

April 26, 2007 - The Democratic candidates hold a debate in Columbia, South Carolina. Once again, Dodd is the winner. The two debate wins have significantly raised Dodd's profile, and he has risen from a non-factor to a serious candidate. On the same day, a leak reveals that Jim Gilmore, who has failed to get any traction in the GOP primary, is considering dropping out.

April 27, 2007 - Senator McCain continues his blitz, spending most of the day in Iowa before returning home to Arizona.

April 28, 2007 - John Edwards refutes rumors that he is considering dropping in. "I am not running," the 2004 vice-presidential nominee laconically answers a reporter.

May!

May 3 - The Republican candidates (Tommy Thompson, Marilyn Musgrave, John McCain, Fred Thompson, Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Jim Gilmore) have their first debate in Simi Valley, California. There is no clear winner.

May 12 - A poll in Wisconsin shows Fred Thompson in the lead with 31% of the vote; the state is not usually a conservative haven. In another unexpected event, incumbent Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff announces the formation of an exploratory committee.

May 14 - Newt Gingrich states that he is considering a presidential run.

May 15 - The Republican candidates - this time including Chertoff - debate again in Columbia, South Carolina. Although there is no clear winner, Chertoff and Musgrave are thought to have performed particularly poorly.

May 20 - A Republican nomination poll in Georgia shows Fred Thompson in the lead, with 44% of the vote. Increasingly, Thompson seems to be taking the role of Candidate X.

May 21 - Bill Richardson launches a stream of negative ads against Dodd, Clinton, and Carter, in early primary states.

Please, if you are reading this, comment.

Impossible for Carter to  win in 08, but I'm following.


I'll keep reading even if the Republicans nominate Linc Chaffee. just because it's not someone i like doesn't mean i shouldn't read the TL, as long as it's good.

This is very good. Nice work! :)

;)

Edit: Oh wait. Biden is not running, :(

Thank you for all the compliments. Since I'm hoping to finish 2007 today, here's June and July for y'all!

June 3 - The Democratic candidates debate in Concord, New Hampshire. Once again, Senator Dodd is widely seen as the debate winner.

June 4 - The Democratic frontrunners (Chris Dodd, Hillary Clinton, and Jimmy Carter) debate in Washington D.C. Although the debate is very little-publicized, Governor Richardson proceeds to sue over the fact that he was not included.

June 5 - The Republican candidates debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. There is no clear winner, but there is a clear loser in Michael Chertoff.

June 6 - A nationwide poll of Republican primary voters is released, with John McCain and Rudy Giuliani tying for 1st place. McCain, Giuliani, Romney, Thompson, and Huckabee are the only candidates to clear double-digits.

June 28 - The June 4th debate was reheld, this time with all Democratic candidates participating. Chris Dodd was the clear winner, as usual.

July 1 - Republicans debate in Des Moines, Iowa. Mitt Romney is considered the winner, and gains in the polls.

July 2 - Many involved in Michael Chertoff's exploratory committee are suddenly fired. A withdrawal from the campaign seems imminent.

July 10 - Michael Chertoff terminates his exploratory committee.

July 12 - A Republican debate was planned in Detroit, Michigan, but only Marilyn Musgrave attended. Meanwhile, the NAACP endorses Jimmy Carter for President.

July 14 - Jim Gilmore withdraws from the race for the nomination.

July 23 - The Democratic candidates debate in Charleston, South Carolina. Dodd and Richardson seem to be the debates co-winners.

Can we reanimate Reagan's corpse to beat him?

No, though I suspect Zombie Reagan could do so easily.

Sure, but I definitely will not support that fake Republican (whoever it might be).

Another update for y'all!

August 4 - MoveOn.org holds its Internet 'primary'. Should any candidate clear 50%, they will gain the support of MoveOn.org. Carter and Clinton are the only candidates who gain over 30%...and both are under 35%.

August 5 - Republicans debate again in Des Moines. This time, there is no clear winner.

August 7 - The Democrats hold a debate in Chicago, Illinois. Yet again, Dodd is the winner, but he has stopped rising in the polls. It seems that Dodd has reached his ceiling.

August 9 - Comedian Stephen Colbert forms an exploratory committee to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Although his career, and the lateness of this move result in many claiming this is a joke, Colbert's actions over the next few weeks will disprove this allegation. Colbert is not joking this time.

August 11 - With 32% of the vote, Rudy Giuliani wins the Ames Straw Poll.

August 12 - Tommy Thompson drops out of the race for the Republican nomination. He does not issue an endorsement.

August 16 - A poll is released showing Mitt Romney at the unexpectedly high figure of 41% in Illinois.

August 19 - The Democratic candidates debate in Des Moines. Dodd stumbles through a question about abortion, leading many to term Carter and Richardson as the winners.

September 1 - A poll is released in Texas showing Marilyn Musgrave at 41% of the vote. The poll is dismissed as inaccurate.

September 5 - Fox News endorses Mitt Romney, giving his campaign a significant boost.

September 6 - Controversial conservative activist (and three-time Senate loser) Alan Keyes forms a presidential exploratory committee.

September 9 - The Democrats debate in Coral Gables, Florida. Chris Dodd is seen as the winner, yet again, but his abortion gaffe continues to plague the campaign.

September 12 - Alan Keyes switches his party registration to the Constitution Party. His exploratory committee lives on, however.

September 15 - Alan Keyes announces his candidacy for the Constitution Party's presidential nomination.

September 17 - The Republican candidates host a town hall debate in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The debate is notable for the following exchange:

College freshman: You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one. The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon. Our space probes have visited Mars. We have nuclear energy, ships and electric and hydrogen cars, cell phones, computers with lightspeed processing...and more.

John McCain: You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were young...so we invented them. Now you, arrogant little boy, what are you doing for the next generation?

The debate is widely considered a McCain victory.

September 21 - A poll in Michigan, widely considered a safe Romney state, shows McCain in the lead with 39% of the vote.

September 26 - The Democratic candidates debate in Hanover, New Hampshire. The debate has no clear winner, though Carter, Richardson, and Dodd are all considered to have done well.

September 27 - The Republican candidates debate in Baltimore, Maryland. Romney is considered the winner.

September 28 - It is leaked that Newt Gingrich will not run for President.

September 29 - Newt Gingrich announces that he will not run for President.

Well, Hopefully this isn't just an avenue to get the GOP to hold the White House in 2009 and a nonbiased look at an alternate 2008 election. This is an awesome POD btw Vosem, as I think with how successfull Carter's post presidency has been, I think he could be the first president since Grover Cleveland to win a 2nd non consecutive term(In different centuries nonethless). Keep it comming

October 9 - The Republicans debate in Dearborn, Michigan. Fred Thompson is seen as the debate winner.

October 12 - Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy Giuliani.

October 16 - Stephen Colbert formally announces his candidacy for President, as a Democrat. The entertainer has made the conversion to a politician, and is a serious candidate.

October 19 - Sam Brownback endorses Fred Thompson.

October 20 - A nationwide poll of Republican primary voters surprisingly shows Mitt Romney in the lead, though with just 21% of the vote. McCain and Giuliani have stayed static; meanwhile, Huckabee and Musgrave have lost significant ground, mostly to Thompson.

October 21 - Republicans debate in Orlando, Florida. Giuliani is seen as the winner.

October 25 - Republicans debate again in Sioux City, Iowa. Although there is no clear winner, McCain is seen as being overly negative, and his poll numbers drop after the Sioux debate.

October 30 - Democrats debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After slacking in some previous debates, Chris Dodd is again the winner.

November 5 - Ron Paul, who has had a presidential exploratory committee since March, formally enters the race. Simultaneously, he sets the record for most raised in a day, raising $4.3 million.

November 8 - The RNC announces that all states having primaries before February 5 will have their delegate totals cut in half. Still, several states persevere.

November 15 -The Democrats debate in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chris Dodd are both winners.

November 21 - Barack Obama rallies African-Americans for Jimmy Carter. Originally considered one of Carter’s most formidable rivals, Obama has enthusiastically endorsed Carter and campaigned for him.

November 28 – Republicans debate in San Bruno, California. There is no clear winner.

November 30 – A man storms into Hillary Clinton’s New Hampshire campaign office and takes an employee hostage. He is quickly subdued and arrested.

December 1 – The Republicans, the Democrats, and Alan Keyes participate in one huge debate in Des Moines, Iowa. There is no winner. Meanwhile, the DNC votes to strip Michigan of all its delegates.

December 4 – Democrats hold a radio debate. Dodd is the winner.

December 6 – Romney gives a speech emphasizing the importance of faith, but downplaying its role in the material world. The speech is seen as one of the campaign’s best, and Romney rises in the polls.

December 9 – Republicans debate in Coral Gables, Florida. Giuliani is the winner, halting Romney’s momentum from several days ago.

December 11 – Cynthia McKinney announces her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for President.

December 12 – Republicans debate in Johnston, Iowa. There is no clear winner.

December 13 – Democrats debate in Johnston, Iowa. Carter is seen as the winner.

December 14 – In an event garnering a significant amount of publicity, Ron Paul flies from Elizabeth City, North Carolina to Chester, South Carolina, in a blimp.

December 16 – Ron Paul raises $6 million in a day, breaking his own record from November 5.

December 17 – Joe Lieberman enthusiastically endorses John McCain.

December 20 – Marilyn Musgrave drops out, and endorses Mitt Romney. The event garners little publicity.



Next up: The Iowa caucus!

I try to be nonbiased, but that is for my readers to decide. I have already planned much of the next year and a half.

Spoiler: 2009: The Year of Four Presidents

Don't like the spoilers >:(

It is the Iowa caucus. After the first year of campaigning, the Republican front-runners are Giuliani, McCain, and Romney, though McCain has been trailing in Iowa polls. Things are less organized on the Democratic side, with Clinton and Carter tied (Clinton is slightly in the lead in Iowa), though Dodd is just behind them – and is polling strong in Iowa – and Bill Richardson and Stephen Colbert are serious candidates.

The Republican primary winner is…
 
()
Rudy Giuliani 23.44% (16)
Mitt Romney 20.19% (14)
Mike Huckabee 19.36% (1)
Fred Thompson 13.39% (1)
John McCain 13.03% (1)
Ron Paul 10.59% (1)

The Democratic primary winner is…
 
()
Jimmy Carter 26.91% (16)
Chris Dodd 26.20% (15)
Hillary Clinton 23.20% (14)
Bill Richardson 14.23%
Stephen Colbert 9.00%
Cynthia McKinney 0.42%
Dennis Kucinich 0.41%
Al Sharpton 0.41%

Lacking funds, Al Sharpton and Cynthia McKinney drop out of the race for President.
 
Several days later, the Republicans held the Wyoming caucus, which was won overwhelmingly won by Mitt Romney, who gained 7 delegates. Fred Thompson gained 2; John McCain and Mike Huckabee won 1 delegate each.

However, the Wyoming victory was little-publicized. The candidates were all campaigning in New Hampshire. Should Carter and Giuliani win, pundits agreed they would have enough momentum to carry their respective nominations.

The Republicans debated twice, in Goffstown and Milford; both debates were inconclusive.
On the night of January 8th, the candidates eagerly waited for the results in New Hampshire, hoping the voters would choose them…

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Jimmy Carter 16
Chris Dodd 15
Hillary Rodham Clinton 14

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 21
Rudy Giuliani 16
Fred Thompson 3
Mike Huckabee 2
John McCain 2
Ron Paul 1

Very good, Vosem, just please use lower-resolution pictures.

The candidates eagerly awaited for the results from New Hampshire. On the Republican side, McCain, Romney, and Giuliani were virtually tied; on the Democratic side, Carter and Dodd were fighting for a win, with Clinton and Richardson behind.

The Republican primary winner is…
 
()
Mitt Romney 30.17% (5)
Rudy Giuliani 25.7% (3)
John McCain 22.71% (3)
Mike Huckabee 11.44% (1)
Fred Thompson 7.8%
Ron Paul 2.18%

The Democratic primary winner is…
 
()
Hillary Rodham Clinton 34.09% (9)
Jimmy Carter 21.45% (5)
Chris Dodd 16.94% (4)
Stephen Colbert 15.00% (4)
Bill Richardson 9.6%
Dennis Kucinich 2.92%

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 23
Jimmy Carter 21
Chris Dodd 19
Stephen Colbert 4

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 26
Rudy Giuliani 19
John McCain 5
Fred Thompson 3
Mike Huckabee 3
Ron Paul 1

The day after the primary, the New Republic released a scathing criticism of candidate Ron Paul, accusing him of “an obsession with conspiracies, sympathy for the right-wing militia movement, and deeply held bigotry.” In response, Representative Paul sued.

Soon afterward, Bill Richardson dropped out. He did not offer an endorsement.

The Republicans then debated in Charleston, South Carolina, their first debate since December 12. This debate had no clear winner.

On January 13th, the four Green Party candidates debated: 1996, 2000, and 2004 candidate Ralph Nader, former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney*, some dude Jared Ball, and perennial candidate Kent Mesplay. Ball drops out to endorse Nader.

January 15th: It is the day of the Michigan primary. On the Democratic side, the state was penalized for having its primary too early, and no delegates are to be awarded. In fact, the only candidates on the ballot will be Clinton, Kucinich, and uncommitted. On the Republican side, 30 juicy delegates are at stake, and all candidates are participating.

The Democratic winner is…
 
()
Hillary Rodham Clinton 54.61%
Uncommitted 41.78%
Dennis Kucinich 3.61%

The Republican winner is…
 
()
Mitt Romney 38.92% (20)
Rudy Giuliani 29.68% (7)
John McCain 16.08% (3)
Ron Paul 6.27%
Fred Thompson 6.21%
Mike Huckabee 2.84%

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 23
Jimmy Carter 21
Chris Dodd 19
Stephen Colbert 4

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 46
Rudy Giuliani 26
John McCain 8
Fred Thompson 3
Mike Huckabee 3
Ron Paul 1

*Those of you with good memories will remember she ran for the Democratic nomination for President, then dropped out. After doing so, she dropped into the Green Party contest.

NO!!

I will be supporting a third party now.

I guess you don't like Mitt ;)

1,191 delegates are necessary to win the Republican nomination.

Willard Romney has 46.

Exactly. I hate Giuliani (Iowa winner) as well.

Probably from very diffrent reason, but at least we share this feeling ;D

On January 19, both parties held the Nevada caucus, and the Republicans also held a primary in South Carolina. The Republican Nevada contest was safe for Romney, but the other contests were full of competition. Clinton and Carter had emerged as the front-runners for the Democratic nomination, and were running ahead of Dodd and Colbert in Nevada. On the Republican side, Romney was campaigning in Super Tuesday states, and Giuliani was focused on Florida. The other three candidates, McCain, Thompson, and Huckabee, perfectly understood that South Carolina was their last chance to become serious candidates, and all spent vast amounts of money appealing to South Carolinians.

The winner of the Democratic Nevada caucus is…
 
()
Jimmy Carter 35.82% (13)
Hillary Clinton 30.09% (12)
Chris Dodd 15.32%
Stephen Colbert 14.68%
Dennis Kucinich 4.09%

In the aftermath of the Nevada caucus, Chris Dodd dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination. He did not offer an endorsement. On the Republican side, the Nevada caucus attracted little attention, as Romney was considered the overwhelming front-runner.

The winner of the Republican Nevada caucus is…
 
()
Mitt Romney 51.1% (18)
Rudy Giuliani 13.73% (4)
John McCain 12.75% (4)
Mike Huckabee 8.16% (2)
Fred Thompson 7.94% (2)
Ron Paul 6.32%

Of course, the Republicans were also having a primary in South Carolina, which attracted considerably more attention. Romney and Giuliani campaigned little; McCain, Thompson, and Huckabee campaigned in the state not as though it was one step out of many in the race for President, but as though this would decide the position Leader of the Universe.

The winner of the South Carolina primary is…
 
()
John McCain 33.15% (18)
Mike Huckabee 29.84% (6)
Fred Thompson 15.63%
Mitt Romney 8.88%
Rudy Giuliani 8.88%
Ron Paul 3.62%


Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 35
Jimmy Carter 34
Chris Dodd 19
Stephen Colbert 4

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 64
Rudy Giuliani 30
John McCain 30
Mike Huckabee 11
Fred Thompson 5
Ron Paul 1

()

Red - Giuliani
Green - Romney
Blue - McCain

()

Red - Carter
Blue - Clinton

I've changed my mind. This no longer applies.

With that, the Democratic candidates began to campaign in South Carolina. Carter seemed to be the frontrunner going in, with an endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus and a debate victory in Charleston. On January 24th, Dennis Kucinich dropped out of the race for the Democratic nomination, leaving Carter, Clinton, and Stephen Colbert as the only candidates.

Colbert campaigned in South Carolina trying to emulate John McCain’s winning strategy: just stay in the state and campaign like there is no tomorrow. South Carolina was necessary to Colbert; should he lose, he would no longer be a serious candidate for the Democratic nomination.

The winner of the Democratic South Carolina primary is…
 
()
Jimmy Carter 55.6% (25)
Hillary Clinton 26.68% (12)
Stephen Colbert 17.72% (8 )

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Jimmy Carter 59
Hillary Rodham Clinton 47
Chris Dodd 19
Stephen Colbert 12

In the aftermath of the primary, Colbert dropped out, and endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton for President of the United States.

Meanwhile, after McCain’s stunning South Carolina victory on the Republican side, Thompson immediately dropped out, endorsing Huckabee. Two days later, Huckabee himself dropped out, and endorsed Rudy Giuliani.

The next contest on the Republican side was the Hawaii caucus, which was very little-publicized. McCain’s decision to campaign in Hawaii ended up as a smart decision, as Hawaii voters overwhelmingly chose McCain, and he won all 19 of the state’s delegates.

With that, the Republican candidates began to campaign in earnest in Florida, the largest state to hold its primary yet…

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Jimmy Carter 59
Hillary Rodham Clinton 59
Chris Dodd 19

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 64
John McCain 49
Rudy Giuliani 46
Ron Paul 1

Oh really?

Oh, if you gonna make Romney President, I won't oppose this spoiler ;)

Why do you like Huckabee so much? He let serial killers go free, raised taxes, supported benefits for illegal aliens in Arkansas, is a bigot, and is unelectable. BTW I predict Jimmy Carter will win. Too many college youths will vote for whoever has a D next to their name to care that he was a complete failure as president the first time around.

*FACEPALM*

And I wasn't even talking about my opinion of Huckabee in the first place. It simply doesn't make sense that he would endorse Giuliani.

After Carter’s primary win in South Carolina, his momentum was blocked almost immediately, as the Kennedy family issued an endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President of the United States. On the Democratic side,the next contest, Florida, did not offer any delegates; then after that, Super Tuesday, which did.

On the Republican side, Florida offered a juicy 57-delegate bonus to the candidate who won it. Giuliani had been campaigning in Florida ever since he had lost New Hampshire to Romney, writing off every state in between. When Romney, McCain, and Paul descended on Florida, Giuliani had built himself a respectable lead. By the time the primary had come along, Romney and McCain had failed to dent it.

The Republican Florida primary winner is…
()
Rudy Giuliani 39.74% (57)
John McCain 31.00%
Mitt Romney 26.03%
Ron Paul 3.23%

The Democratic Florida primary winner is…
()
Jimmy Carter 50.23%
Hillary Rodham Clinton 49.77%

However, the very next day, Chris Dodd announced his endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton, giving her a lead in the delegate count. Also the next day, both parties debated. The Democratic debate between Carter and Clinton, held in Los Angeles, resulted in a Carter victory; the Republican debate in Simi Valley, California, resulted in a co-victory for McCain and Romney.

On February 2nd, the Republican Maine caucus was held. The winner was…
()
John McCain 31.42% (20)
Mitt Romney 28.42% (1)
Rudy Giuliani 21.91%
Ron Paul 18.45%

The same day, a joint debate was held in New York City, open to all 6 major-party candidates. Carter, Clinton, McCain, and Paul attended. There was no clear winner.

And with that, the candidates were campaigning in earnest in Super Tuesday, aware that a sweep on February 5th was nearly certain to lock up the nomination…

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 78
Jimmy Carter 59

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Rudy Giuliani 103
John McCain 69
Mitt Romney 65
Ron Paul 1

Huckabee is much more likely to endorse McCain than Giuliani, unless there was some backroom dealing.

Giuliani and McCain both offered the Huckster the position of Veep; Romney offered the Cabinet position of his choosing. Huckabee wanted to be Veep more than he wanted a Cabinet position; he felt that McCain had destroyed his chances with his win in SC; therefore, he endorsed Giuliani.

Today is February 5, 2008. This day, nicknamed ‘Super Tuesday’ by the media, has a very large amount of primaries and caucuses occurring on both the Republican and Democratic sides. On the Republican side, the frontrunner is the former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, though former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and current Arizona Senator John McCain are also serious candidates, and there is also a dark-horse in Representative Ron Paul, of Texas. On the Democratic side, the frontrunner is New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, with former President Jimmy Carter a serious candidate.

These are the Republican results:

Alabama primary:
John McCain 41.25% (26)
Mitt Romney 37.10% (19)
Rudy Giuliani 18.97%
Ron Paul 2.68%

Alaska caucus:
Mitt Romney 35.87% (12)
John McCain 21.86% (6)
Ron Paul 17.24% (5)
Rudy Giuliani 17.19% (3)

Arizona primary:
John McCain 47.17% (50)
Mitt Romney 34.53%
Rudy Giuliani 14.11%
Ron Paul 4.19%

Arkansas primary:
John McCain 35.33% (25)
Mitt Romney 28.64%
Ron Paul 19.91%
Rudy Giuliani 16.11%

California primary:
Mitt Romney 40.82% (155)
Rudy Giuliani 33.14% (15)
John McCain 21.77%
Ron Paul 4.27%

Colorado caucus:
Mitt Romney 60.11% (22)
John McCain 18.39%
Rudy Giuliani 13.08%
Ron Paul 8.42%

Connecticut primary:
Rudy Giuliani 52.00% (27)
Mitt Romney 32.91%
John McCain 10.94%
Ron Paul 4.15%

Delaware primary:
Rudy Giuliani 45.04% (18)
Mitt Romney 32.53%
John McCain 18.19%
Ron Paul 4.24%

Georgia primary:
John McCain 43.92% (45)
Mitt Romney 41.63% (3)
Rudy Giuliani 11.53%
Ron Paul 2.92%

Illinois primary:
John McCain 47.45% (54)
Rudy Giuliani 28.60% (3)
Mitt Romney 18.94%
Ron Paul 5.01%

Massachusetts primary:
Mitt Romney 41.12% (21)
Rudy Giuliani 30.91% (17)
John McCain 25.32%
Ron Paul 2.65%

Minnesota caucus:
Rudy Giuliani 41.37% (38)
John McCain 22.01%
Mitt Romney 20.94%
Ron Paul 15.68%

Missouri primary:
John McCain 33.39% (58)
Rudy Giuliani 31.96%
Mitt Romney 29.71%
Ron Paul 4.94%

Montana caucus:
Mitt Romney 38.34% (25)
Ron Paul 24.54%
John McCain 21.96%
Rudy Giuliani 15.15%

New Jersey primary:
Rudy Giuliani 45.36% (52)
Mitt Romney 28.33%
John McCain 22.25%
Ron Paul 4.06%

New York primary:
Rudy Giuliani 49.70% (101)
Mitt Romney 26.57%
John McCain 17.74%
Ron Paul 5.99%

North Dakota caucus:
Mitt Romney 35.82% (8 )
John McCain 22.83% (5)
Ron Paul 21.37% (5)
Rudy Giuliani 19.98% (5)

Oklahoma primary:
John McCain 36.64% (32)
Mitt Romney 33.40% (6)
Rudy Giuliani 24.78%
Ron Paul 5.18%

Tennessee primary:
John McCain 34.37% (25)
Mitt Romney 31.84% (19)
Rudy Giuliani 23.62% (8 )
Ron Paul 10.17%

Utah primary:
Mitt Romney 89.49% (36)
John McCain 5.38%
Ron Paul 2.99%
Rudy Giuliani 2.14%

West Virginia caucus:
John McCain 51.55% (15)
Ron Paul 16.15% (3)
Mitt Romney 16.15%
Rudy Giuliani 16.15%

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 410
Mitt Romney 391
Rudy Giuliani 390
Ron Paul 14

Go McCain!

()

Blue - McCain
Red - Giuliani
Green - Romney

Gotcha. OTL, it was Thompson who destroyed his chances. Continue.

Interesting, though I have to disagree with you on Minnesota. Romney did extremely well there in RL, capturing over 40% of the vote. Giuliani would have made it closer, but he wouldn't have won.

Today is February 5, 2008. This day, nicknamed ‘Super Tuesday’ by the media, has a very large amount of primaries and caucuses occurring on both the Republican and Democratic sides. On the Republican side, the frontrunner is the former Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, though former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and current Arizona Senator John McCain are also serious candidates, and there is also a dark-horse in Representative Ron Paul, of Texas. On the Democratic side, the frontrunner is New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, with former President Jimmy Carter a serious candidate.

These are the Democratic results:

Alabama primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 56.39% (27)
•   Hillary Clinton 43.61% (25)

Alaska caucus (including delegates awarded during Alaska convention):
•   Jimmy Carter 75.15% (19)
•   Hillary Clinton 24.85% (7)

American Samoa caucus:
•   Hillary Clinton 57.19% (2)
•   Jimmy Carter 42.81% (1)

Arizona primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 50.37% (31)
•   Hillary Clinton 49.63% (25)

Arkansas primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 60.05% (22)
•   Jimmy Carter 39.95% (13)

California primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 51.47% (204)
•   Hillary Clinton 48.53% (166)

Colorado caucus:
•   Jimmy Carter 56.53% (29)
•   Hillary Clinton 43.47% (26)

Connecticut primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 53.34% (26)
•   Jimmy Carter 46.66% (22)

Delaware primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 53.07% (9)
•   Jimmy Carter 46.93% (6)

Georgia primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 58.43% (51)
•   Hillary Clinton 41.57% (36)

Idaho caucus:
•   Jimmy Carter 56.03% (11)
•   Hillary Clinton 43.97% (7)

Illinois primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 54.66% (89)
•   Jimmy Carter 45.34% (64)

Kansas caucus:
•   Jimmy Carter 53.98% (17)
•   Hillary Clinton 46.02% (15)

Massachusetts primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 56.01% (55)
•   Jimmy Carter 43.99% (38)

Minnesota caucus:
•   Jimmy Carter 66.39% (48)
•   Hillary Clinton 33.61% (24)

Missouri primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 50.68% (36)
•   Jimmy Carter 49.32% (36)

New Jersey primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 56.07% (59)
•   Jimmy Carter 43.93% (48)

New Mexico caucus:
•   Hillary Clinton 52.14% (14)
•   Jimmy Carter 47.86% (12)

New York primary:
•   Hillary Clinton 57.37% (139)
•   Jimmy Carter 42.63% (93)

North Dakota caucus:
•   Jimmy Carter 61.15% (8 )
•   Hillary Clinton 38.85% (5)

Oklahoma primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 65.00% (24)
•   Hillary Clinton 35.00% (14)

Tennessee primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 53.82% (40)
•   Hillary Clinton 46.18% (28)

Utah primary:
•   Jimmy Carter 56.72% (14)
•   Hillary Clinton 43.28% (9)


Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 916
Jimmy Carter 902

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 410
Mitt Romney 391
Rudy Giuliani 390
Ron Paul 14

()

Red - Carter
Blue - Clinton

The Super Tuesday vote failed to break the deadlock on either side; the Republicans still had a three-way dilemma, and the Democrats still had two serious candidates.
Ron Paul had done very poorly; however, he fervently announced on February 7 that he would stay in the race until the convention.
On February 9, several more contest are held, on both the Democratic and Republican sides.

Louisiana primary:
()
Jimmy Carter 57.40% (33)
Hillary Clinton 42.60% (23)

Nebraska caucus:
()
Jimmy Carter 59.33% (16)
Hillary Clinton 40.23% (8)
Uncommitted 0.44%

Washington caucus:
()
Jimmy Carter 52.56% (41)
Hillary Clinton 47.44% (37)

U.S. Virgin Islands convention:
()
Jimmy Carter 50.1% (2)
Hillary Clinton 49.9% (1)

On the Democratic side, as is evidenced, Carter won every contest and grabbed a lead over Clinton (although his victories were weak in Washington and in the U.S. Virgin Islands). On the Republican side, meanwhile…

Louisiana primary[1]:
()
John McCain 43.18% (35)
Mitt Romney 36.80% (7)
Rudy Giuliani 14.91%
Ron Paul 5.11%

Kansas caucus:
()
Mitt Romney 33.50% (20)
John McCain 29.58% (16)
Ron Paul 21.18%
Rudy Giuliani 15.74%

Washington caucus[2]:
()
Rudy Giuliani 29.39% (6)
Mitt Romney 25.45% (5)
John McCain 23.52% (5)
Ron Paul 21.64% (4)

On the Republican side, McCain severely under-performed, unexpectedly losing the Kansas race to Romney and allowing Romney to come within 7 points in Louisiana. Not all was roses for Romney, however, as he unexpectedly lost the Washington caucus to Rudy Giuliani, though in practice the Washington race was a 4-way tie.

Paul seems to be headed toward a renaissance, as he broke double-digits in both Kansas and Washington, a feat which he has achieved only sparingly so far. Still, the top-three Republicans all have over 350 delegates, while Paul is under 20. In order to be viewed as a legitimate contender, Paul needs to win a contest, and that is likely beyond his reach…

[1]Formally, no delegates were assigned at the Louisiana primary, and it was the state convention that did that; however, the delegates won by each candidate during the convention are marked here.

[2]Of the state’s 40 delegates, 20 were awarded by the caucus mentioned above, and the other 20 were awarded by primary, which occurred at a later date.

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Jimmy Carter 994
Hillary Rodham Clinton 985

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 466
Mitt Romney 423
Rudy Giuliani 396
Ron Paul 18

Is former President Ford still alive in this TL? I'm just curious.

You can adjust the size of images by amending the [img] tags accordingly.  If you change the opening tag to [img width=200], it'll adjust the size of the image to 200 pixels wide, keeping the height in proportion.

Of course, you can substitute the "200" in my example for any appropriate number, and you can substitute "height" for "width" if you'd prefer.

On February 10, Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was demoted to the position of senior advisor, while Maggie Williams took the position of campaign manager. Although this caused a negative news cycle for Clinton, this was tempered by her Maine victory.

()
Hillary Clinton 59.3% (15)
Jimmy Carter 39.85% (9)
Others 0.86%

Two days later, the Potomac primary occurs, on February 12th, the Potomac primary occurs.

District of Columbia Democratic results:
()
Jimmy Carter 60.59% (11)
Hillary Clinton 39.05% (4)
Others 0.36%

Virginia Democratic results:
()
Jimmy Carter 63.66% (54)
Hillary Clinton 36.26% (29)
Others 0.08%

Maryland Democratic results:
()
Jimmy Carter 60.66% (42)
Hillary Clinton 35.78% (28)
Others 3.56%

District of Columbia Republican results:
()
Rudy Giuliani 32.53% (16)
Mitt Romney 27.53%
John McCain 23.95%
Ron Paul 7.95%

Maryland Republican results:
()
Rudy Giuliani 35.01% (37)  
John McCain 34.57%
Mitt Romney 24.44%
Ron Paul 5.98%

Virginia Republican results:
()
Mitt Romney 40.03% (60)
John McCain 39.76%
Rudy Giuliani 19.29%
Ron Paul 1.28%

Ultimately, the predictions for the Potomac primaries ended up being largely incorrect. Although Jimmy Carter had been the favorite in all three contests, no one had anticipated him breaking 60% in all three. On the Republican side, Giuliani had been the favorite in Maryland and D.C., while McCain was expected to carry Virginia. Ultimately, Romney upset McCain in Virginia, while Giuliani only just defeated McCain in Maryland.

On February 14th, Mitt Romney and John McCain debated in Boston, Massachusetts. McCain won the debate, garnering his campaign some needed momentum.

On February 17th, Jimmy Carter met with North Carolina Governor Mike Easley in the North Carolina Governor’s Mansion, sparking rumors of the possibility of a Carter/Easley ticket.

On February 19th, the GOP held the second part of the Washington contest, awarding 20 more delegates, and held a contest in Wisconsin. The Democrats held primaries/caucuses in Wisconsin and Hawaii.

Washington Republican results:
()
Rudy Giuliani 36.39% (7)
John McCain 22.52% (5)
Ron Paul 21.64% (4)
Mitt Romney 20.45% (4)

Wisconsin Republican results:
()
John McCain 36.95% (15)
Rudy Giuliani 27.37% (11)
Mitt Romney 22.37% (9)
Ron Paul 13.31% (5)

On the Republican side, McCain makes a comeback, winning a respectable second place in Washington and winning a surprise victory in Wisconsin. Romney is now the candidate who is suffering, as he managed to score fourth place, behind Ron Paul, in Washington. Paul himself is doing the best he has all year, as he broke double-digits twice – breaking 20% in Washington – and won 9 delegates. The media sputters that he will only be a serious candidate with a primary victory – but, considering all the attention, he is becoming a serious candidate. And what of the Democrats?

Wisconsin Democratic results:
()
Jimmy Carter 58.08% (42)
Hillary Clinton 41.92% (32)

Hawaii Democratic results:
()
Hillary Clinton 53.58% (11)
Jimmy Carter 46.42% (9)

Hillary’s upset Hawaii win is twisted by the media as a Clinton comeback, as they virtually ignore Carter’s Wisconsin victory. In terms of the delegate count, Clinton’s Hawaii victory is hollow and is more than canceled out with Carter’s margin in Wisconsin.

Soon afterward, the Republicans held American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico contests. American Samoa voted Romney, the Northern Mariana Islands voted McCain, but Puerto Rico voted Giuliani.

On February 26th, Ralph Nader announces his withdrawal from the Green Party presidential nomination, and announces his candidacy as an independent, with Matt Gonzalez, 2003 Green candidate for Mayor of San Francisco, who received 47% of the vote, as his running mate. This leaves the Green party nomination as a contest between former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and perennial Californian candidate Kent Mesplay.

The same day former Democratic candidate Chris Dodd, who had formerly endorsed Hillary Clinton, chose to support Jimmy Carter. Carter has a 95-delegate lead, and many in the Democratic Party are pushing for Clinton to drop out.

Meanwhile, all six candidates are now campaigning in the Big Four primaries, the same on both sides, to occur on March 4th: Ohio, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Texas. Carter hopes a sweep can push Clinton out, while on the GOP side, there seems to be little hope of breaking the deadlock.

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 1,085
Jimmy Carter 1,180

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
Mitt Romney 505
John McCain 495
Rudy Giuliani 490
Ron Paul 27

Nice to see it back :)

These are the results of the so-called Big Four primaries occurring on March 4th:

Ohio Democratic primary:
()
Hillary Clinton 53.49% (74)
Jimmy Carter 44.84% (67)[/b]

Texas Democratic primary and caucus:
()
Hillary Clinton 50.87% (65)
Jimmy Carter 47.39% (61)
Other 1.74%

Hillary Clinton 56.18% (38)
Jimmy Carter 43.73% (29)
Other 0.09%

Rhode Island Democratic primary:
()
Hillary Clinton 58.44% (13)
Jimmy Carter 40.40% (8)
Other 1.17%

Vermont Democratic primary:
()
Hillary Clinton 59.31% (9)
Jimmy Carter 38.59% (6)
Other 2.10%

Texas Republican primary:
()
John McCain 51.21% (80)
Mitt Romney 19.01% (8)
Rudy Giuliani 19.01% (8)
Ron Paul 4.87%

Rhode Island Republican primary:
()
Rudy Giuliani 38.74% (13)
Mitt Romney 37.66% (4)
John McCain 14.37%
Ron Paul 6.58%
Other 2.63%

Vermont Republican primary:
()
Rudy Giuliani 41.32% (17)
Mitt Romney 34.30%
John McCain 17.58%
Ron Paul 6.61%
Other 0.19%

Ohio:
()
Mitt Romney 39.92% (85)
John McCain 30.60%
Rudy Giuliani 24.93%
Ron Paul 4.65%

So, what has happened? On the Democratic side, just as Carter was pulling away, Clinton won all four, and brought his momentum to an end. Carter does remain the favorite, however. On the Republican side, McCain won Texas to a Romney win in Ohio, while Giuliani won both Rhode Island and Vermont. It looks like Romney is the GOP frontrunner, with McCain in second, Giuliani in third, and Paul far behind. Still, all the GOP candidates – and all the Democratic candidates, for that matter – seem unlikely to drop out. The Democrats do have time to select a winner – but, at this point, many pundits and analysts are saying a brokered GOP convention is more likely than a unified one. This would be the first convention since the 1984 Democratic one where there was no presumptive nominee, and the first since the 1976 GOP one where the winner was not obvious.



Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 1,284
Jimmy Carter 1,351

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 575
Mitt Romney 602
Rudy Giuliani 528
Ron Paul 27

()

Red - Carter
Blue - Clinton

()

Red - Giuliani
Blue - McCain
Green - Romney

Go Carter, just for the fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On March 5th, President George W. Bush announced his endorsement of John McCain for President in 2008.

On March 8th, Democrats hold a contest in Wyoming, which is won overwhelmingly by Jimmy Carter with 61% of the vote. Hillary Clinton achieved 38% and other got 1%. Carter received 7 delegates, and Clinton 5. On the Republican side, John McCain won the Guam caucus with 40% of the vote – and 2 delegates – while Romney and Giuliani each gained 30% of the vote, and 1 delegate. However, both of these victories were little-publicized.

On March 11th, both parties held contests in Mississippi.

Democratic results:
()
Jimmy Carter 61.15% (20)
Hillary Rodham Clinton 36.67% (13)
Other 2.18%

Republican results:
()
John McCain 44.46% (36)
Rudy Giuliani 27.40%
Mitt Romney 18.04%
Ron Paul 10.10%
Other 1.59%


Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Hillary Rodham Clinton 1,289
Jimmy Carter 1,358

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 613
Mitt Romney 603
Rudy Giuliani 529
Ron Paul 27

I'm considering starting this back up again (I'd keep writing A Royal America too; both at the same time). What do y'all think?

YES I love this. I like the photo of Carter BTW

You already said what was going to happen in this timeline when you initially gave it up. THat being said, go for it! This was a great TL! :)

On March 12, Hillary Clinton announced that she was hiring former Representative Geraldine Ferraro as a senior campaign advisor. However, after some controversial comments stated just two days later (on March 14) about Senator Chuck Schumer, she is made to resign.

On March 18, John McCain leaves the U.S. for a highly-publicized trip to Europe and the Middle East. He returns on April 5.

The week of March 18 – March 25, Hillary Clinton launches a tour of Pennsylvania, starting in Pittsburgh and ending in Pennsylvania. She is accompanied by state Lieutenant Governor Catherine Knoll and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

On March 21, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a former presidential candidate himself, endorses Jimmy Carter.

On March 25, Clinton triumphantly ends her tour in Philadelphia, giving the famous A More Perfect Union speech, in which she describes the goals of a Clinton Administration.

The next day, March 26, former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel announced his candidacy for the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party.

On April 3, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, and Mitt Romney debate at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Polls after the debate seem to suggest Giuliani was the winner. McCain was not present.

John McCain returns to the United States on April 5, and he is triumphantly endorsed by Nancy Reagan.

On April 6, at a campaign event where he endorses Hillary Clinton, Democratic congressman John Murtha describes “small towns in Pennsylvania” as “bitter.” The event makes headlines, but as Clinton was not present, it does not affect her poll showings.

On April 10, 2004 vice-presidential Constitution Party nominee Chuck Baldwin announces his candidacy for that party’s nomination for President.

On April 13, Hillary Clinton and Jimmy Carter debate in Grantham, Pennsylvania. Clinton is considered the winner.

On April 15, a poll of ‘Constitution Party members nationwide’ shows Alan Keyes 2% ahead of the other major candidate, Chuck Baldwin.

On April 16, Clinton and Carter debate in Philadelphia. Carter is considered the winner.
Finally, on April 22, the Pennsylvania primary is held:

Democratic Results:
()
Hillary Clinton 54.59% (85)
Jimmy Carter 45.41% (73)

Republican Results:
()
Rudy Giuliani 33.86% (74)
John McCain 27.65%
Mitt Romney 22.64%
Ron Paul 15.85%

What can be said of the results? On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton won, but by a smaller than expected margin. Carter retains an imposing 57-delegate lead…

On the Republican side, John McCain rather suddenly and unexpectedly lost Pennsylvania to Rudy Giuliani, and by a 6% margin. McCain retains a very, very small lead in the delegate count, with Romney and Giuliani literally tied for second place…
 

Current Democratic Delegate Totals:
Jimmy Carter 1,431
Hillary Rodham Clinton 1,374

Current Republican Delegate Totals:
John McCain 613
Mitt Romney 603
Rudy Giuliani 603
Ron Paul 27

()

Red - Carter
Blue - Clinton

()

Red - Giuliani
Blue - McCain
Green - Romney

Glad to see this is back up again, Vosem! :)

LOL, Carter in 2008...

BTW, when I saw the opening post I thought it was one of Yougo's timelines : and it coud have been ! ;D

Ya he would be 84.

A spoiler to jolt this back to life: in ATL Alabama, Dale Peterson wins, crushing those who don't give a rrrrrip about Alabama!

That's a good thing. The other two are dummies who don't deserve to win. They're thugs and thieves. I still can't believe Peterson lost.

Between April 24 and April 27, the Constitution Party National Convention is held in Kansas City. For the first two days, there is a deadlock between Chuck Baldwin and Alan Keyes, but on the 26th, Keyes is nominated. On the 27th, Keyes announced Scott Bradley as his running mate.

On May 3, the Guam Democratic convention is held. Although Clinton defeats Carter, the victory is so narrow that both candidates gain 2 delegates each.

Several days later, on May 6, the Indiana and North Carolina primaries are held, for both parties.

Democratic Results:
North Carolina:
()
Jimmy Carter 56.14% (67)
Hillary Clinton 41.61% (48)

Indiana:
()
Jimmy Carter 50.56% (38)
Hillary Clinton 49.44% (34)

The Democratic results were extremely disappointing to Clinton, following a too-large Carter victory in North Carolina and an upset loss in Indiana.

Republican Results:
North Carolina:
()
John McCain 48.07% (51)
Mitt Romney 31.61% (8)
Rudy Giuliani 16.70% (5)
Ron Paul 3.62% (2)

Indiana:
()
Mitt Romney 37.92% (27)
John McCain 34.60%
Rudy Giuliani 22.93%
Ron Paul 4.65%

On the Republican side, McCain wins a larger-than-expected landslide in North Carolina, but is upset by Romney in Indiana. Giuliani's momentum from the Pennsylvania victory is stalled by two third-place finishes, and Paul twice fails to break 5% (although unusual rules result in him garnering 2 delegates from North Carolina).

On May 12, Bob Barr ends speculation of a run for President by announcing a run for Georgia's Senate seat as an independent.

The next day, May 13, the West Virginia Democratic primary and the Nebraska Republican primary are held.

Democratic Results:
()
Hillary Clinton 56.93% (16)
Jimmy Carter 42.77% (12)
Other 0.30%

Republican Results:
()
Mitt Romney 36.93%
John McCain 30.67%
Rudy Giuliani 25.33%
Ron Paul 8.07%

The non-binding Nebraska primary received little media attention, as no delegates were chosen or would be until July.

West Virginia was seen as a repeat of Pennsylvania; what should be an easy Clinton victory becoming closer than expected. Unlike the Republicans, where all 3 candidates were still seen as having at least a chance of victory, Clinton was increasingly seen as prolonging the Democratic process unnecessarily.

On May 14, in the aftermath of the West Virginia primary, 2004 vice-presidential nominee John Edwards endorsed Jimmy Carter.

On May 20, both parties hold primaries in Oregon and Kentucky.

Republican Results:
Oregon:
()
Rudy Giuliani 34.80% (7)
Mitt Romney 30.86% (6)
John McCain 28.93% (6)
Ron Paul 5.41% (1)

Kentucky:
John McCain 34.37% (20)
Mitt Romney 31.84% (15)
Rudy Giuliani 23.62% (6)
Ron Paul 10.17% (1)

There were no particular surprises on the Republican side; as expected, Giuliani triumphed in Oregon, narrowly defeating Romney, whereas McCain won Kentucky (although Romney came very close to an upset). An energetic Paul campaign in Kentucky, headed by his son, Randall, broke 10% of the vote and nabbed a single delegate, but failed to top one of the the Big Three. In a situation reminiscent of North Carolina, unusual rules also get Paul a single Oregonian delegate.

Democratic Results:
Oregon:
()
Jimmy Carter 58.52% (31)
Hillary Clinton 40.50% (21)

Kentucky:
()
Jimmy Carter 54.53% (28)
Hillary Clinton 45.48% (23)

The two fairly significant Carter victories - an expected one in Oregon, but also an out-of-nowhere 10-point defeat in Kentucky - result in the inevitable happening on the next day, May 21, 2008; as the junior Senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, drops out of the contest for the Democratic nomination and endorses Jimmy Carter, who would win all subsequent contests.

Wow, this makes me laugh and smile at the same time. Keep it up Vosem.

EPIC BUMP!

Go Carter! Hopefully he nominates a younger president for VP...

I can't wait to see Carter's VP pick.

Between May 23 and 26, the Libertarian National Convention was held in Denver, Colorado. It was a three-way race between Mary Ruwart, Wayne A. Root, and former Senator Mike Gravel. Six ballots were necessary before a winner was announced. Although Root led in ballots 1, 2, 4, and 5 (tying Ruwart in ballot 3), Gravel's endorsement of Ruwart before the sixth ballot was enough to deliver a victory. In thanks, Ruwart nominated Mike Gravel as her running mate.

On May 27, the Republican Idaho primary was held. Mitt Romney was the winner, garnering 17 delegates, but second-placer John McCain also received 6.

On June 1, Jimmy Carter met with the ex-Governor of Puerto Rico, Sila Calderon, generating speculation that Calderon was in the running for the vice-presidential nomination.

On June 3, Jimmy Carter met with the junior Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.

The same day, the final Republican primaries are held in South Dakota and New Mexico. No delegates were awarded in South Dakota (but Romney was the winner), while an extremely close race between Romney and McCain in New Mexico saw McCain the winner, getting all of New Mexico's 29 delegates. With Giuliani, Romney, and McCain still essentially tied; it's final; the contest for the Republican nomination will go to the convention, for the first time since 1976.

On June 4, the Republican candidates (including Paul) announce a town-hall debate will be held on June 12.

On June 5, Carter meets with prominent Democratic insider, former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson, who was tasked with finding a vice-presidential candidate for the Democrats in 1984 and again in 2004; this meeting is also speculated to about vice-presidential matters.

The first Republican town-hall debate is held on June 12. Ron Paul dominates the debate with his announcement that he is dropping out, leaving McCain, Romney, and Giuliani as the only candidates.

On June 16, Jimmy Carter holds a gigantic rally in Unity, New Hampshire; notably, among others, the Clintons, Al Gore, and Barack Obama are all present.

On June 27, McCain, Romney, and Giuliani hold another town-hall debate. This one receives much more coverage than the previous one fifteen days earlier, and McCain is seen as the winner.

On July 3, all three Republican candidates met with Arnold Schwarzenegger, allegedly in hopes of some sort of compromise.

From July 10 to 13, the Green Party held its Convention. The frontrunner, Cynthia McKinney, having dropped out to run for a seat in the Senate in her home-state of Georgia, Jared Ball is the only candidate left. However, he is usurped by liberal activist Rosa Clemente, who announces her candidacy at the convention itself and narrowly defeats Ball, who is nominated for Vice President.

Towards the end of July, most candidates were out of the country; Carter visiting the Middle East (recalling the Camp David accords), McCain in Europe; and Giuliani visiting Third-World, Latin American countries, notably showing friendship with Brazil's President, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Only Romney was actively campaigning in the United States.

On August 2, the Peace and Freedom Party held its Convention for President. 2003 Green Party candidate for Mayor of San Francisco Matt Gonzalez was nominated for President, and prominent American socialist Gloria la Riva for vice president.

On August 3, Ralph Nader announced that he would not be running for President, at all, in 2008.

On August 16, all four candidates held a joint debate in Lake Forest, California, that was moderated by Pastor Rick Warren.

During this period, the media speculated about who Carter would choose for Vice President, and a so-called 'Final Four' were chosen:

• Mike Easley (North Carolina Attorney General, 1993-2001; Governor of North Carolina, 2001-present)
• Hillary Clinton (First Lady of the United States, 1993-2001; Senator from New York, 2001-present)
• Sila Calderon (Secretary of State of Puerto Rico, 1985-1989; Mayor of San Juan, 1995-2001; Governor of Puerto Rico, 2001-2005)
• Barack Obama (Illinois State Senator, 1997-2005; Senator from Illinois, 2005-present)

On August 23, Jimmy Carter announced the nomination of Senator Barack Obama, of Illinois, as his running mate. The Democratic National Convention, also held in Denver, nominated the two unanimously on the 27th; and on the 28th, concluding the Convention, the two gave a joint acceptance speech at Invesco Field.

BARACK OBAMA
The Democratic Nominee For Vice President of the United States

[/center]

Next up: The Republicans!

Dangit, I wanted Mondale. :P

I legit thought about that :P

That would basically become a President Pelosi TL.

On September 1, 2008, the Republican National Convention opens in Minnesota. On the first day, all three candidates gave speeches to the convention, and were followed by the President and Vice President of the United States, George Bush and Dick Cheney, neither of whom provided an endorsement.

A ballot was then tallied. The heretofore undecided superdelegates broke 2-1, McCain to Romney, with almost none supporting the more moderate Giuliani. Because of this, McCain took a decisive lead on the first ballot, followed by Romney, and then Giuliani. Nevertheless, all three candidates were very far away from an actual victory.

On September 2, the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, delivered a speech, followed by the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush, and the Governor of Connecticut, Jodi Rell. Rell had remained neutral throughout the primaries, and her endorsement was highly sought-after by all three candidates.

Two more indecisive ballots were then tallied, and speeches were then given by the former Senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson (a McCain supporter), the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, John Boehner (a Romney supporter), and the senior Senator from Minnesota, Norm Coleman (a Giuliani supporter).

Another indecisive ballot was then tallied.

The third day opened with the keynote speech, which was delivered by Governor Sarah Palin, of Alaska. The speech was universally praised, and Palin was marked as a future President by Katie Couric, the anchor of CBS Evening News. Palin and Couric would later develop a lifelong friendship.

It was followed by a truly unprecedented moment in recent American political conventions – a debate between the three candidates. Acceding to the spirit of unity, they refused to attack one another, instead laying out their proposals in a gentlemanly manner and criticizing Carter and Obama.

The debate was not considered to have a winner, but Giuliani was thought of as having done especially poorly. He lost a good half of his delegates on the ballot after the convention, most to Romney. The result was a tie between McCain and Romney, with Giuliani far behind. Giuliani's position in  the negotiations had shifted, and nominating him no longer seemed to be a plausible outcome of the convention; instead, he had become a kingmaker.

The ballot was followed by speeches from the former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee; from the Governor of Minnesota, Tim Pawlenty; from the Governor of Hawaii, Linda Lingle; from the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger; and from rising star and first-term U.S. Representative, Kevin McCarthy.

That night, Giuliani called McCain and informed him that he would be endorsing him – conditionally; he wanted to be Secretary of Homeland Security and also wanted to be able to pick McCain's running mate.

McCain agreed. Giuliani's first choice was Huckabee; however, after McCain called him, Huckabee (who blamed McCain on his own loss in the primaries) declined. Giuliani's next choice for the Vice Presidency accepted.

The next day, September 4, opened with a speech by Rudy Giuliani, in which he endorsed McCain. This was immediately followed by a ballot, in which McCain defeated Romney by a narrow, yet decisive margin. This was followed by an acceptance speech from McCain himself, and a speech by his wife, Cindy.

McCain then announced to the convention his choice for Vice President – the ex-Governor of New Jersey, Christine Todd Whitman, who was acclaimed by voice vote. This was followed by speeches from the ex-Governor of Wisconsin, Tommy Thompson; the ex-Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge; the senior Senator from Kansas, Sam Brownback; the ex-Senator from Tennessee, Bill Frist; the junior Senator from Florida, Mel Martinez; the junior Senator from Nevada, John Ensign; the senior Senator from South Carolina, Lindsey Graham; the junior Senator from Oklahoma, Tom Coburn; the U.S. Representative from Oklahoma's 5th congressional district, Mary Fallin; the senior Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison; the Republican nominee in Illinois's 18th congressional district, Aaron Schock; and finally, the convention was closed with a speech from ex-President George H.W. Bush.

And now, we'll just skip to Election Night coverage. Suffice it to say that the war in Georgia and the financial crisis happened basically as OTL; but that McCain handled the financial crisis much better, pointing out how weak the economy had been during Carter's first term. The debates between McCain and Carter were indecisive, perhaps just a whiff of McCain victory during the foreign affairs debate; however, the single debate between Obama and Whitman was considered a decisive Obama victory.

Election Night will be coverage not just of the presidential election, but also of the Senate and House and gubernatorial races. The candidates are OTL except in Georgia, where the Libertarians nominated Allen Buckley, as OTL; the Greens ex-Rep. Cynthia McKinney; the Democrats ex-Rep. (and 2004 Senate candidate) Denise Majette; and Republican nominee Saxby Chambliss died suddenly, early enough to be removed from the ballot but late enough to make replacement illegal. So Georgia is a three-way race where no one knows what could happen.

It should also be noted that Governor Douglas of Vermont, Governor Schwarzenegger of California, Governor Rell of Connecticut, and ex-Governor Edgar of Illinois have created an influential "Ford Republicans" group, which seeks to elect Republican candidates in states that voted for Ford but have since become safe Democratic states. Their website lists the following states, all of whom voted Ford in 1976 and then voted for Kerry in 2004 by a margin of greater than 9%. Conversely, Carter has done much campaigning in the South, hoping it will endorse him as soundly as it did in 1976.

Final polling map:

90% Democratic - Safe Democratic
30% Democratic - Probably Democratic
50% Tossup - Tossup
30% Republican - Probably Republican
90% Republican - Safe Republican

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Probably + Safe Carter/Obama 238 EV
Probably + Safe McCain/Whitman 111 EV
Tossup 189 EV

I haven't commented yet because I wanted to read the entire thing, and now that I have, I must say this is awesome. A second Carter Presidency would be awesome and/or hilarious. I hope Mondale gets in Jimmy's cabinet, maybe even have Pat Cadell back. When Teddy Kennedy dies, assuming he does, it woudl be sort of awkward, though.

6:55. HOST: Hello, and welcome to Live Election Night coverage from MSNBC. I'll be your host tonight, and here to discuss the election results with us as they trickle in are Governor Sarah Palin, of Alaska

PALIN: Thanks.

HOST: , Senator Thomas Carper, of Delaware,

CARPER: Glad to be here.

HOST: Governor Tim Pawlenty, of Minnesota,

PAWLENTY: (nods)

HOST: and, lastly, Governor Tim Kaine, of Virginia. Good to have you with us. So, in just a few moments polls will be closing in the first states, largely in the Eastern United States - Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, and Vermont - and we'll have our first results. In the meantime, any predictions?

PALIN: John's been running a really solid campaign. I'm sure he'll win - with around 300 electoral votes.

KAINE: I'd have to disagree with you, there. The public has blamed Bush for the financial crisis, they've blamed him for the conflicts in the Middle East and the Caucasus - it doesn't matter whose run the better campaign in circumstances like those. Carter will win, solidly - with 300, maybe 320 electoral votes.

HOST: Governor Pawlenty? Senator?

PAWLENTY: Governor Palin hit the dot.

CARPER: I think it's been a really well-fought race, and that it'll be just as close as the two preceding it. I'm sure Carter will win - what Governor Kaine listed is insurmountable - but it'll hang on just one or two states.

7:00. HOST: Well, polling has just closed in the first six states we mentioned earlier - Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, and Vermont - and we can now call several of these states.

We can call Georgia for Jimmy Carter.

We can call Indiana for John McCain.

We can call South Carolina for Jimmy Carter.

We can call Virginia for Jimmy Carter.

We can call Vermont for Jimmy Carter.

And Kentucky is too close to call. Polling was all over the place in Kentucky during the final weeks, and this state will keep us up long past our bedtimes.

Let's take a look at a map now, shall we?

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We will be using the same color scheme as in previous elections. Red for Democrats; blue for Republicans; green for states that are too close to call; and gray for states that are still voting. So, with the first five states called, Carter and Obama lead, 39-11. Of course, that leaves 488 electoral votes still to be given out. So, some brief analysis before we move on to downballot races? Governor Kaine?

KAINE: It should be very concerning for the McCain camp that South Carolina was called immediately. It would've gone to Carter anyway, but I don't think anyone anticipated an immediate call.

CARPER: I agree with Governor Kaine.

PALIN: Well, come on. None of this is unexpected, all of these states have gone for whoever they were most likely to go to on the map our host showed before the election. Kentucky is the swing state, and, as expected, it's too close to call. Either camp would have to start worrying when the states you labeled tossups start being called one way or the other. But these results just reinforce what we already know.

HOST: Governor Pawlenty?

PAWLENTY: Sarah's right.

HOST: Okay, now let's move on to the Senate. Georgia's too close to call between Buckley, McKinney, and Majette. And, since in Georgia you must hit 50%, this is just a contest to see who will make it to Round Two. The other elections are more straightforward. In Kentucky, businessman Bruce Lunsford has defeated unpopular Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Lunsford held a lead basically through the entire campaign. And in Virginia, Democrat Mark Warner has easily been elected to the seat of retiring Republican John Warner. That's two Democratic pickups, already, fellas.

CARPER: And what about South Carolina?

HOST: Too close to call, for now. But the way it's shaping up, you should be hearing a call for Conley real soon.

CARPER: Mmhmm. And what about the House?

Right. I don't know how to work in detailed House results into dialogue, so I'll just list them here.

In Georgia, all incumbents have been reelected, except John Linder in the 7th and Paul Broun in the 10th. Due to the Democratic wave down south, those are too close to call. Their results will be revealed in the dialogue.

In Indiana, all incumbents have been reelected, except Brad Ellsworth in the 8th and Baron Hill in the 9th. Those are too close to call, and their results will be revealed in the dialogue.

In Kentucky, John Yarmuth, Hal Rogers, and Ben Chandler have been reelected. In one of the first confirmed Democratic House pickups, David Boswell has been elected in the 2nd. The elections in the 1st (Ed Whitfield) and the 4th (Geoff Davis) are too close to call, and their results will be revealed in the dialogue.

In South Carolina, not only have John Spratt and Jim Clyburn been reelected, but Linda Ketner won in the 1st and Rob Miller in the 2nd. The 3rd (Gresham Barrett) and 4th (Bob Inglis) are both too close to call; their results will be revealed in the dialogue.

In Vermont, Peter Welch has been reelected.

In Virginia, Glenn Nye has defeated Thelma Drake in the 2nd; Bobby Scott has been reelected in the 3rd; Tom Perriello has defeated Virgil Goode in the 5th; Jim Moran and Rick Boucher have been reelected in the 8th and 9th, respectively; and Gerry Connolly has been elected to the open seat in the 11th. The 1st (Rob Wittman), 4th (Randy Forbes), 6th (Bob Goodlatte), 7th (Eric Cantor), and 10th (Frank Wolf) are too close to call; their results will be revealed in the dialogue.

If someone wants to keep a list of TCTC races independently of mine, so I don't forget anything (I'm rather disorganized when it comes to this sort of thing), they're welcome to do that.

Is this TL ASB Major???

Dude, this is an awesome timeline, so just go with the flow (why am I starting to sound like a hippie?).