Talk Elections

This is my first timeline, so I have absolutely no idea how it's going to turn out. Feedback and comments are welcomed.

December 1998: In the midst of Monica Lewinksy Scandal and the Impeachment of President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore announces that he will NOT be seeking the White House in 2000. The field for the Democrat nomination for President was now open.


January 1999: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle announces that he will run for President.


A few weeks later, former New Jersey Senator and basketball player Bill Bradley announces that he will also will seek the presidency.

February 1999: President Bill Clinton is acquitted of impeachment by the United States Senate.

In front of a crowd outside of Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry announces that he will also be running for president.


Polls indicate that President Clinton's approval rating is at 64%


March 1999: Texas Governor George W. Bush, the son of former President George H.W. Bush, announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President. So far he is the only Republican that has announced their candidacy.


In late March, President Clinton authorizes the use of American troops in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. The operation is referred to as "Operation Allied Force."

April 1999: Businessman Steve Forbes announce his candidacy for the Republican nomination and makes a speech in New York City, in which he calls for a new wave of social conservatism and new economic strategies, such as a flat income tax.

Former United States Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander announces his candidacy for the presidency in Tennessee.

June 1999: The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia ends and Yugoslav troops withdraw from Kosovo. President Clinton's approval rating hovers in the high 50's.

On CNN, Dick Gephardt announces his interest in seeking the Democratic nomination for President.

A nationwide poll of the Democrat candidates is released:
Kerry 40%
Daschle: 38%
Gephardt: 14%
Bradley: 8%

July 1999: Off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, John F. Kennedy Jr.'s plane crashes and he is killed. Senator Kerry makes a speech in Boston praising Kennedy's life and accomplishments. Other Democrats offer their condolences to the Kennedy family.

On MSNBC, Dick Gephardt claims that he is running because he believes it is time for a new, "social" America. The remark is greeted by George Bush as an attempt to socialize the country.

Howard Dean, the Governor of Vermont, announces his candidacy for the presidency. He emerges quickly as a Dark Horse and his candidacy is viewed in the Northeast as threatening to John Kerry's lead over the other candidates.

Senator Orrin Hatch and conservative activist Alan Keyes both announces their candidacy.

August 1999: A poll on the Republican candidates is released:
Bush: 49%
Forbes: 38%
Alexander: 9%
Keyes: 2%
Hatch: 2%

Senator John McCain of Arizona announces that he will be seeking the presidency and calls for a fight to take the government back from special interest groups and return it to the people.


September 1999: By September, most of the candidates had already begun campaigning heavily in Iowa. The caucus was only a few months ahead. George Bush's campaign quickly picked up momentum due to strong fund-raising efforts. John McCain's campaign did quite well, too, although it was suspected that McCain was focusing more on New Hampshire, Delaware, and South Carolina than New Hampshire.

On the Democrat side, John Kerry still maintained his lead over other candidates, although Tom Daschle and Howard Dean seemed to both be tied for a close second.

October 1999: Tom Daschle makes a speech in Iowa, explaining that the United States needed a leader to guide the country into the 21st century. The speech is well received and Daschle's numbers go up in the polls.

Two weeks later, Howard Dean makes a speech in Des Moines saying that voters must come together to prevent Republicans from winning the 2000 election and forwarding big business agenda's in the US. George Bush responds to the speech on a Fox News interview later that night, calling it "tasteless" and "empty."

November 1999: One year away from Election Night 2000, polls on both the Democrat candidates and the Republican candidates are released:

Democrat Nomination
Which Democrat do you support to become the next President?
Kerry: 42%
Daschle: 39%
Dean: 16%
Bradley: 2%
Gephardt: 1%

Republican Nomination
Which Republican do you support to become the next President?
Bush: 40%
Forbes: 27%
McCain: 26%
Alexander: 3%
Keyes: 2%
Hatch: 1%

President Clinton states that he will not officially endorse a candidate until after the New Hampshire primary. Clinton's approval ratings are at 58%

Vice President Gore, on the other hand, states that he will not endorse a candidate until the convention.

December 1999: The first serious Iowa polls are taken and released in early December.

IOWA POLL - DEMOCRAT
Daschle: 35%
Kerry: 32%
Dean: 28%
Gephardt: 4%
Bradley: 1%

IOWA POLL - REPUBLICAN
Bush: 45%
Forbes: 27%
McCain: 16%
Alexander: 5%
Keyes: 3%
Hatch: 2%

Many people are surprised at the results of the Democrat poll, in which Tom Daschle was narrowly ahead of Kerry, who had secured a strong lead up until now. There was no doubt that the Iowa Caucus was going to be close for the Democrats. And did Bush really have as much of a lead as he thought he did?

Go Bush!!! But he'll obviously will lose.

What's bolded should be Iowa, not New Hampshire. ;)

Other than that, great job! I'm really impressed. :D

January 2000: Both Democrat and Republican candidates viciously campaigned in Iowa. For the Democrats, Daschle and Kerry tried to break away from the tie they seemed to have developed. Dean was not far behind, though. On the Republican side, George Bush had a strong lead, but Forbes and McCain were right behind.

Right before the Iowa Caucus, a final straw poll was released.

IOWA FINAL POLL - DEMOCRAT
Kerry: 39%
Daschle: 37%
Dean: 17%
Gephardt: 5%
Bradley: 2%

IOWA FINAL STRAW POLL - REPUBLICAN
Bush: 40%
Forbes: 28%
McCain: 28%
Alexander: 3%
Keyes: 1%
Hatch: <1%

The Democrat poll showed Kerry back in the lead over Daschle, while the Republican poll showed a dead-tie for second between McCain and Forbes. Finally, the Iowa Caucus arrived.

IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS, DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 38%
Kerry: 34%
Dean: 15%
Gephardt: 10%
Bradley: 3%

In Des Moines, Daschle greeted a crowd of supporters to give his victory speech, in which he stated "America's journey into the 21st century begins here!" Half an hour later, Kerry gave a speech pointing out to his supporters that, although he lost, it was only by 4% and that he was hopeful the New Hampshire primary would be his campaign's time to shine. Gephardt had picked up more support than he had expected, mostly due to his midwestern ties, and used it as a reason to stay in the race. Bill Bradley dropped out following the release of the results.

IOWA CAUCUS, REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 41%
Forbes: 29%
McCain: 27%
Alexander: 2%
Keyes: 1%
Hatch: <1%

In Cedar Rapids, George Bush appeared next with his father, Former President George H.W. Bush in front of a tremendous crowd to give his victory speech. Bush's campaign financing and fundraising had certainly paid off, in addition to his connections to the former President. The Bush Campaign turned next towards New Hampshire, which is exactly where McCain and Forbes hoped to gain some ground. Alexander and Hatch quickly dropped out of the race following the results, while Keyes vowed to stay in.

Several polls were taken going into the New Hampshire Primary. For the Democrats, people wondered if Dean's entry into the race would really hurt Kerry's chances of winning, or if Kerry would simply push Dean out.

FINAL NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - DEMOCRAT
Kerry: 35%
Dean: 34%
Daschle: 30%
Gephardt: 1%

FINAL NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - REPUBLICAN
Bush: 37%
McCain: 35%
Forbes: 19%
Keyes: 9%

February 2000: On Larry King Live, Vice President Al Gore announces that he is interested in becoming the Governor of Tennessee.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry
()

Results:
Kerry: 36%
Daschle: 30%
Dean: 28%
Gephardt: 6%

Surprisingly, Dean had not proven a problem to Kerry's lead. In fact, Dean had come in third. Both Kerry and Daschle gave speeches that were well received and full of energy. Dean's speech, in Concord, seemed to have an angry attitude to it, however, and multiple news stations played the speech over and over, criticizing it. Many news analysts didn't understand why Dean didn't drop out and endorse Kerry, either. Dean had clearly expected to win New Hampshire and both the loss and the speech proved to be a terrible problem to his campaign. Gephardt decided to drop out, which made the Democrat race a 3-man sprint to the finish.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain
()

Results:
McCain: 47%
Bush: 37%
Forbes: 14%
Keyes: 2%

Many people were surprised by John McCain's finish in first in the New Hampshire Primary. McCain, considered the Dark Horse of the race, was now in a tight race with the popular George Bush. Bush's speech assured his crowd that there would be victories in Delaware and South Carolina. Forbes decided to remain in the race, despite the devastating blow.

Next post - Delaware Primary (D & R), South Carolina Primary (R), Washington Primary (D)

Go McCain.

February 2000 (continued): All the remaining Democrat and Republican candidates rushed into the Delaware Primary in hopes of pulling away from competing candidates.

Days before the Delaware Primary, George Bush made a speech, in which he called for an end to eight years of Democrat-ruled government and the return to reductions in income taxes. Calling himself a "real conservative," as an effort to oust McCain and Forbes, Bush explained that he was the real candidate of the Republican Party and the candidate that would lead the GOP to victory if nominated.

On the Democrat side, John Kerry received a key endorsement from Delaware Governor Tom Carper, who explained that Kerry was clearly the best choice to lead the Democrats and the United States into the new century. At the same time, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, a long time member of the Senate, endorsed Tom Daschle, saying, "I've seen the excellent work this man has done for our country in the Senate, and he would make a superb Commander-in-Chief." Dean received no nominations.

McCain's campaign still waged ahead, and people no longer underestimated the Arizona Senator. McCain had surpassed everyone's expectations in New Hampshire, and he expected to upset Bush's lead in both Delaware and the upcoming South Carolina Republican Primaries.

Meanwhile, the media was still waiting for Bill Clinton's endorsement of a Democratic candidate, which Clinton had claimed he would make after the New Hampshire Primary. Clinton, whose approval rating still hung around 60%, explained that his endorsement would arrive soon.

DELAWARE PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
()

Results:
Kerry: 45%
Daschle: 39%
Dean: 16%

DELAWARE PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 50%
McCain: 39%
Forbes: 8%
Keyes: 3%

Kerry had now won two primaries in a row and his momentum was building. The Daschle campaign knew that winning the Washington Primary on February 29th would be crucial if Daschle wanted to remain in the race. Daschle assured his supporters that his campaign would not lead to defeat. Dean, who had not won a caucus or primary yet, announced that he would be suspending his campaign until further notice. It was now Kerry and Daschle, and one of the two would be in the 2000 election.

"We may have lost tonight, my friends," John McCain announced from his podium in Dover, "but we have proven an upset to Governor Bush's campaign and I know that if we fight right, we will win the Republican nomination. Make no mistake, Mr. Bush, the only place my campaign is going is to the White House." Karl Rove pointed out to Bush that, in many ways, McCain was correct: Bush's lead was slowly decreasing and he had upset the Bush campaign's momentum. South Carolina would either make or break Bush's lead. Forbes dropped out of the race, which only increased the competition.

On February 10th, polls were released about nationwide support for the candidates.

DEMOCRAT NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Democrat do you support to become the next President?
Kerry: 54%
Daschle: 44%
Other: 2%

REPUBLICAN NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Republican do you support to become the next President?
Bush: 52%
McCain: 40%
Keyes: 8%

Under the advice of key Bush Campaign strategists, such as Karl Rove, the Bush Campaign released a series of negative attacks on McCain in the week leading up to the South Carolina Republican Primaries. The attacks called McCain a "manchurian candidate" and also accusing him of having a black child out of wedlock. McCain quickly responded to the attacks, calling them false and ridiculous. "Mr. Bush is making ridiculous accusations against me that just aren't true. Is this the type of man that you want running our country?" Unfortunately, the damage had already been done. Bush swept the South Carolina Primary and handily defeated McCain.

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 56%
McCain: 38%
Keyes: 6%

McCain vowed that he would not allow these attacks to push him out of the race. The Arizona and Michigan Primaries were only three days away and McCain knew he had a good chance of winning in his home state. Fox News, on the other hand, was already beginning to predict Bush as the winner of the Republican Nomination. Bush, knowing his chances of winning in Arizona were slim, decided to focus on Michigan instead.

One day before the Arizona and Michigan Primaries, Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott endorses Bush, calling him the "candidate of true conservatism."

Meanwhile, Daschle and Kerry were campaigning all throughout the country for support. The Washington Primary was coming up on February 29th, and 11 states would hold their primaries on March 7th. Kerry was much more popular in the Northeast than Daschle, which would help him with New York, but Daschle seemed to maintain a strong lead in the West.

ARIZONA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain
()

Results:
McCain: 60%
Bush: 35%
Keyes: 5%

MICHIGAN PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 49%
McCain: 41%
Keyes: 10%

Bush had narrowly edged out McCain in Michigan, while McCain had crushed Bush in Arizona. Many Republicans expected the Arizona Senator to drop out out of the race, but McCain still pushed on. Bush once again identified himself as the true Republican candidate and continued attack ads against McCain, which the Arizona Senator reciprocated at this point in the race. The Virginia and Washington Primaries, as well as the North Dakota Caucus, were in a few days, which left the two Republican candidates scrambling to campaign for more support. The Republican race was now more tight than ever.

On February 28th, former President Jimmy Carter endorsed Senator Kerry.

WASHINGTON PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 53%
Kerry: 47%

Daschle's strong connections in the West aided him in a cruical win over Kerry. Daschle had finally won again. Kerry dismissed the win as nothing and the two candidates prepared themselves for March 7th.

VIRGINIA PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 54%
McCain: 40%
Keyes: 6%

WASHINGTON PRIMARY RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 58%
McCain: 39%
Keyes: 3%

NORTH DAKOTA CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Texas Governor George W. Bush
()

Results:
Bush: 81%
McCain: 16%
Keyes: 3%

Bush had come out on top in three races and McCain was now left in the dust. On an interview with Larry King, McCain explained his confidence in the March 7th primaries. The Bush Campaign celebrated the three victories and, like McCain, turned their attention to the March 7th primaries. The McCain Camp desperately needed to win the majority of the March 7th Primaries to stay in the race.

March 7th could very well be the deciding factor for both parties.

March 2000: February had been a long month for both the Democrat candidates and those of the GOP, but March would prove to be even more harsh.

The month began with Howard Dean endorsing Tom Daschle in front of a crowd of supporters in Los Angeles. The endorsement was seen by many as Dean merely giving the finger to Kerry for his victory over Dean in New Hampshire. CNN, MSNBC, and FOX analysts all bashed Dean for the endorsement, claiming that he should have waited until after March 7th to endorse a candidate.

The media still waited for President Clinton's endorsement, but Clinton continuously deferred and explained that his endorsement would come soon. On a CNN Special, Vice President Gore once again explained that he would not endorse a candidate until the Convention. Gore also highlighted his interest again in running for Governor of Tennessee.

Pre-March 7th polls were released on March 5th.

DEMOCRAT NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Democrat do you support to become the next President?
Kerry: 52%
Daschle: 48%

REPUBLICAN NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Republican do you support to become the next President?
Bush: 57%
McCain: 40%
Keyes: 3%

McCain knew that March 7th would either make or break his campaign.

MARCH 7th RESULTS - DEMOCRAT

California Primary Results:
Daschle: 53%
Kerry: 47%

Connecticut Primary Results:
Kerry: 60%
Daschle: 40%

Georgia Primary Results:
Daschle: 55%
Kerry: 45%

Missouri Primary Results:
Daschle: 52%
Kerry: 48%

Rhode Island Primary Results:
Kerry: 61%
Daschle: 39%

Massachusetts Primary Results:
Kerry: 78%
Daschle: 22%

Maryland Primary Results:
Kerry: 56%
Daschle: 44%

Maine Primary Results:
Kerry: 61%
Daschle: 39%

Ohio Primary Results:
Daschle: 51%
Kerry: 49%

New York Primary Results:
Kerry: 57%
Daschle: 43%

Vermont Primary Results:
Kerry: 63%
Daschle: 47%

Kerry had crushed Daschle in all the New England states, and grabbed victories in Maryland and New York, too. He was barely defeated in Ohio, though. Daschle, on the other hand, had taken California, Georgia, Ohio and Missouri. The Kerry Campaign considered March 7th a victory, with Kerry announcing "You haven't seen anything yet!" Daschle, on the other hand, announced to his supporters, "Senator Kerry underestimates us! I've seen what we can do! I saw it tonight, in California and Georgia and Missouri and Ohio! We are here to stay and to win!"


MARCH 7th RESULTS - REPUBLICAN

California Primary Results:
Bush: 63%
McCain: 35%
Keyes: 2%

Connecticut Primary Results:
McCain: 49%
Bush: 47%
Keyes: 4%

Georgia Primary Results:
Bush: 65%
McCain: 30%
Keyes: 5%

Maine Primary Results:
Bush: 54%
McCain: 44%
Keyes: 2%

Maryland Primary Results:
Bush: 56%
McCain: 36%
Keyes: 7%

Massachusetts Primary Results:
McCain: 58%
Bush: 40%
Keyes: 2%

Missouri Primary Results:
Bush: 58%
McCain: 35%
Keyes: 6%

New York Primary Results:
Bush: 50%
McCain: 45%
Keyes: 5%

Ohio Primary Results:
Bush: 56%
McCain: 42%
Keyes: 2%

Rhode Island Primary Results:
McCain: 62%
Bush: 36%
Keyes: 2%

Vermont Primary Results:
McCain: 70%
Bush: 29%
Keyes: 1%

Minnesota Caucus Results:
Bush: 59%
McCain: 39%
Keyes: 2%

Washington Caucus Results:
Bush: 69%
McCain: 29%
Keyes: 2%


Bush had emerged victorious over McCain in every primary and caucus, with the exception of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Keyes decided it was finally time to drop out of the race, so he did so. In Phoenix, Senator McCain announced that he would be suspending his campaign. Thanking his supporters, McCain explained, "Although this is not the result you or I wished for, we must now come together to support Governor Bush in the 2000 Presidential Election. He has my support, and I hope that he has yours, so that the GOP can be the party to move America forward."

Texas Governor George W. Bush was now the Republican nominee for President.

In his home state, the Governor gave a speech in which he called for a time in which "true conservatism" would lead the country. "The GOP will be the party of the future and the GOP will be the party to restore American government." Kerry and Daschle both congratulated the Governor, but knew that their own race was far from over.

Go Tom Daschle!

I hope bush doesn't pick Cheney! Elizabeth Dole would be a real shocker!

March 2000 (continued): Following his victory speech, Governor Bush spent the next week at his Crawford Ranch home in Crawford, Texas. Several new polls were quickly released by Rasmussen, which simulated a match up between the two Democratic candidates and Governor Bush.

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS - DASCHLE V. BUSH
Who will you vote for in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 50%
Daschle: 48%
Other: 2%

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS - KERRY V. BUSH
Who will you vote for in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 51%
Kerry: 47%
Other: 2%

It quickly became evident that the Texas Governor had a lead over both candidates, which worried the Democrats greatly. MSNBC released a poll a few days later, showing that Kerry and Bush were both tied at 48%, but the validity of the poll was questioned.

President Clinton decided he would campaign with both Kerry and Daschle in order to rally the support of the Democrats.

More states were quickly approaching, beginning with South Carolina on March 9th, and then followed by Utah and Colorado on March 10th. March 12th would also be a packed day with Arizona, Michigan, and Minnesota.

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 55%
Kerry: 45%

Very few were surprised by Daschle's victory in South Carolina - the South Dakota Senator had proven to  perform better in the South than Senator Kerry, who on the other hand had largely outperformed Daschle in the Northeast. Various CNN and MSNBC political analysts predicted that the great battle of the Democratic Primary would come down to the Midwest and West.

Following the South Carolina victory, Florida Senator Bob Graham endorses Tom Daschle.

COLORADO PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 52%
Kerry: 48%

UTAH PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 62%
Kerry: 38%

Daschle had won three primaries in a row and the momentum had boosted his fund-raising and campaign efforts immensely. Governor Bush began campaigning in the United States, beginning in Florida and Indiana.

ARIZONA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 53%
Kerry: 47%

MICHIGAN PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
()

Results:
Kerry: 56%
Daschle: 44%

MINNESOTA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
()

Results:
Kerry: 54%
Daschle: 46%

Daschle had no problem securing Arizona, but to many's surprise, Kerry came out on top in Michigan and Minnesota. Kerry's campaign had received a jolt of energy and both candidates now looked forward to March 14th, in which several states, including Florida and Texas, would hold their primaries.

Meanwhile, in Indianapolis, Governor Bush makes a speech at a rally of 15,000 people, in which he named the Democrats a "party of conflict," pointing out how they were failing to choose a candidate to run against him.
()

Bush was right: by mid-March, the Democrats were still battling over the nomination, Bush had a lead over both Democrats, and the race did not appear to be anywhere near over.

Daschle will win.

:)

Bush 2000!!!!! :D

Somebody had better expose the dirty tricks of Karl Rogue against John McCain. This is the time, or we get a very nasty sort of leadership. 

I'm on vacation now, so the next update won't arrive until this coming weekend.


Both Cheney and Dole will be on the list of possible VP picks for Bush, which will be released within the next few updates.

March 2000 (continued): Both Kerry and Daschle realized that March 14th would be the defining point of their campaigns. The 14th held the primaries of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas. Kerry, who was behind Daschle, despite the recent wins in Michigan and Minnesota, would need to win Florida and texas in order to tie and even have a hope of surpassing his opponent. MSNBC's Chris Matthews labeled the 14th as "judgment day."

In hopes of ending the battle for the Democratic nomination, many Democrats came out and endorsed one of the two candidates. Daschle received several endorsements, including ones from North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, and former Vice President Walter Mondale. Kerry, on the other hand, received endorsements from California Senator Dianne Feinstein, former New Jersey Senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley, Hawaii Governor Ben Cayentano, and former presidential candidate and Senator Minority Leader Dick Gephardt. It was clear that the majority of Democrats wanted this race to end soon. Kerry wasn't going to give up so easily, though.

Furthermore, the attacks had increased. Kerry and Daschle's attack ads quickly doubled and became more fierce. In one attack ad that aired on March 10th, a day before the Nevada Democratic Caucus, Daschle explained his service in the Air Force and then subsequently questioned Kerry's service in Vietnam. Campaigning in Dallas, Kerry called Daschle's tactics "slanderous" and the Massachusetts Senator staunchly defended his record. Daschle also brought rise to another question: was Kerry too liberal to continue another Democratic term in the White House?

A new poll released the morning of the Nevada Caucus showed Daschle leading for the first time during the entire primary season.

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS
Which Democrat do you support to win the nomination?
Daschle: 52%
Kerry: 48%

NEVADA CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 53%
Kerry: 47%

The majority of Kerry's support had risen out of Clark County, but it was not an overwhelming majority to propel the Massachusetts Senator to victory. Following the conclusion of the Nevada Caucus, both candidates headed to Florida and Texas to campaign. The next three days would be very important.

During a rally in San Antonio, Daschle attempted to portray Kerry as a Far-Left candidate: "Don't get me wrong, folks: Senator Kerry is a good man and politician, but his policies and political beliefs would destroy the foundations of the programs that President Clinton has provided for Americans -- programs that I have supported. You and I must stop Senator Kerry from doing so." Similarly to Ronald Reagan's 1968 "Stop Nixon" campaign, Daschle's speech in San Antonio quickly spawned a "Stop Kerry" campaign.


President Clinton had stopped campaigning with both candidates. Some Kerry supporters suspected that the President supported Daschle and did not want to see his endorsement be the deciding factor in the primaries. A poll, although the question was phrased extremely vaguely, showed that the majority of Americans disapproved of Clinton's handling of the Democratic primaries.

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS
Do you approve of disapprove of the contributions President Clinton has made to the Democratic Primaries?
Approve: 39%
Disapprove: 42%
Unsure: 19%

In Orlando, Florida, Kerry told his supporters that they were "in the clutch" and that he needed their support to pull through and onwards. "If we do not perform well on the fourteenth, everything we've worked for, all of this, may not be enough to bring us to Pennsylvania Ave. And, even worse, we would face the possibility of losing the White House to the Republicans."

Governor Bush portrayed a very different message in Dayton, Ohio: "If you want four more years of big government, outrageous taxes, and sex scandals, then I suggest you vote for the Democrats in November," Bush explained, "if they even have a candidate by then."


March 14th - "judgment day" - was only one day away.

Wow
I must say, you do excellent timelines.
I can't wait for the results.
Go Daschle!

Thanks, I appreciate it.

March 2000 (continued): March 14th had arrived and as Senators Daschle and Kerry scrambled around the South to give last minute speeches, voters went for the ballots. Democrats throughout the country awaited the anticipated results.

MARCH 14th RESULTS:

FLORIDA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 51%
Kerry: 49%

LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle:  61%
Kerry: 39%

MISSISSIPPI PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 65%
Kerry: 35%

OKLAHOMA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 68%
Kerry: 32%

TENNESSEE PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 61%
Kerry: 39%

TEXAS PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle
()

Results:
Daschle: 55%
Kerry: 45%

Daschle had swept every primary. Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi were carried by extremely large margins, too. Similarly to Ohio only weeks before, Daschle had barely won Florida. Orlando, Tampa, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville metro areas had all voted strongly for Daschle, while support for Kerry in Miami had not been as strong as predicted. In Texas, the South Dakota Senator handily defeated Kerry by 10%. It was clear that Kerry's campaign had lost its momentum and was now grinding to a halt.


In front of a large crowd in Boston, Senator Kerry announced that he would be suspending his campaign. "I've seen Senator Daschle do amazing work in the Senate, and I will always be a supporter of his. He will always have a Massachusetts friend in Washington." Following his concession speech, Kerry walked quietly off the stage.

South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle was now the Democratic Nominee for President. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Daschle happily greeted a large crowd that gave endless applause. In his victory speech, Senator Daschle not only congratulated the effort put forth by Senator Kerry, but he called for unity within the Democratic Party.


"Over the past eight years, our country has flourished through the ideals and proposals put forth by the Democratic Party. As we enter the 21st century, we have a budget surplus,  an outsanding military force that has successfully battled militants across the globe, most recently in Kosovo, and we remain a global leader. Our work, however is far from done: we have drugs to combat, we have children to educate, and we have the duty to keep lethal weapons off the street so that we may not face another 'Columbine' or 'Waco.' If George Bush is elected in November, our work over the past eight years will be for nothing. Let us face our new list of challenges together as the United States proudly marches in the 21st century." The 2000 United States Presidential Election would now be a battle between Senator Daschle and Governor Bush.

On March 26th, Vladimir Putin is elected President of Russia.

On March 30th, at the end of a very nasty month, Rasmussen released a poll for support between Daschle and Bush. The poll had Governor Bush ahead of Senator Daschle by quite a few points.

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 presidential election?
Bush: 52.2%
Daschle: 46.7%
Other: 1.1%

As March became April, Senator Daschle, along with the Democrats, knew that he would have to step up his campaign efforts if he wanted a chance to beat Bush in November. As far as the Bush campaign was concerned, though, that wasn't going to happen.

Never would've thought Dachsle   could win the nomination

Yes! as Hillary Clinton said " As Ohio goes, so goes the Nation!"

April 2000: Governor Bush wasted no time in attacking Tom Daschle on numerous issues, including his support of President Clinton's healthcare reform, back in the early 90's. Furthermore, Bush was able to use President Clinton's scandal and impeachment trials in an attempt to slander Daschle. At a campaign stop in Nashville, Bush promised to "restore honor and dignity to the Oval Office."

The Democrats were now faced with a severe problem: should President Clinton campaign with Senator Daschle? Now that the primaries were over, the presence of Clinton became much more significant. The Democrats couldn't afford for voters to associate Clinton's scandal with Senator Daschle. On the other hand, though, Clinton would be able to gather a strong amount of support for the Senator, given his 58% approval rating. Top Democrats decided that, for now, Clinton would have to be out.


On April 3rd, in the case of United States v. Microsoft, it is ruled that Microsoft violated United States anti-trust laws.

Several new state polls were released from April 15th - 20th, showing citizens' support for the candidates.

NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - APRIL 15 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 49.6%
Bush: 48.3%
Other: 2.1%

IOWA POLL - APRIL 16 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 50.2%
Daschle: 48.9
Other: 0.9%

FLORIDA POLL - APRIL 16 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 52.6
Daschle: 45.4%
Other: 2.0%

OHIO POLL - APRIL 17 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 49.5%
Daschle: 47.2%
Other: 3.3%

PENNSYLVANIA POLL - APRIL 18 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 50.6%
Bush: 47.9%
Other: 1.5%

INDIANA POLL - APRIL 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 53.6%
Daschle: 44.5%
Other: 1.9%

On April 22nd, Federal Agents, under the order of Attorney General Janet Reno, seize Elián González from his home in Miami and transport him to his Cuban father in Washington, D.C.. The order would spawn a great amount of media attention, including a picture of the agents seizing Elián, and controversy.


On April 25th, Vermont legalizes civil unions for same-sex couples.

May 2000: May began exactly how it would end: with speculation. On May 1st, TIME magazine released an issue which contained an article that investigated why Bush's campaign had been able to knock out the McCain camp so easily in the Republican South Carolina Primaries a few months later. The issue had largely gone undiscussed, spare for the week following the Primary, due to the heavy competition of both races. TIME Magazine's article highlighted the negative attack ads of the Bush campaign, headed by Karl Rove, and brought rise to the issue if the same type of attacks were being used against Daschle. On an interview with Larry King, Senator McCain explained how upset he was with the attacks, "Governor Bush was open to critcize my political views, my record, and any of the work that I have done in the Senate. His attacks against my family were tasteless, however, and I think it's a shame that he resorted to using dirty tricks in order to win." Several top Republicans criticized the McCain interview. McCain was definitely anti-Bush, but was he pro-Daschle?

Officials at the Bush camp, however, claimed that they had been misinformed and merely brushed off the issue. In a new wave of attack ads released throughout the Midwest, Bush called Daschle a "softy on drugs," referring to a vote in the Senate in November 1999, in which Daschle had voted "NO" on increasing penalties for drug offenses. Daschle released attack ads of his own, claiming that Bush wanted to weaken the government and that he did not support the US troops in Kosovo. Daschle also played on the attacks that Bush had used on McCain in the South Carolina Primary, and pointed out to viewers that the same attacks were being used to smear his campaign.

The South Dakota Senator spent most of May campaigning in Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. On May 23rd, a new poll was released that showed growing support for Daschle, but Bush was still ahead by many points.

NATIONWIDE POLL RESULTS
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 election?
Bush: 52.0
Daschle: 47.1
Other: 0.9%

By the end of May, there was a great amount of speculation about VP picks for the candidates.

Possible VP Picks - REPUBLICAN

Richard "Dick" Lugar - Indiana Senator

Elizabeth Dole - former Secretary of Labor and wife of 1996 presidential candidate Bob Dole

Dirk Kempthorne - Governor of Idaho

Dick Cheney - Former Secretary of Defense

Connie Mack - Florida Senator

Tommy Thompson - Governor of Wisconsin

Tom Ridge - Governor of Pennsylvania

Trent Lott - Mississippi Senator and Senate Majority Leader

POSSIBLE VP PICKS - DEMOCRAT

Bob Graham - Florida Senator

Gray Davis - Governor of California

John Kerry - Massachusetts Senator and former presidential candidate

Howard Dean - Governor of Vermont and former presidential candidate

Dick Durbin - Illinois Senator

Evan Bayh - Indiana Senator

Harry Reid - Nevada Senator and Senate Minority Whip

Daschle and Bush continued their fight towards November as May concluded.

Bush should pick Lizzy :) Go Bush. This is getting really good.

Why is Indiana so close? It voted for Bush by 15 points in real life...

Because of heavy Daschle campaigning, as mentioned above, and due to the fact that Daschle is seen as a Midwestern candidate. It's still early in the season, though; it's only May. I'm aware of Bush's large victory over Gore in real life, too. Bush definitely has a large advantage in Indiana, don't worry...

Quick Point GLPman: Daschle is not pro-choice, at least not to the extent that Kerry or someone else is. Actually he is probably as mainstream as it gets: 50% rating by NARAL, opposed to partial-birth abortions, supportive of stem-cells. Other than that, Great TL!

My mistake, thank you for correcting it. I've edited it. Glad you enjoy the TL.

June 2000: Campaigning kept going as June arrived. Both candidates started the month out by trying to appeal to voters in Iowa, a state that had constantly had very close results when polled over the past few weeks. Clinton, whose approval ratings were still at 58%, stuck to the advice of top Democrats to not campaign with Daschle. Campaigning with Daschle was suggested to Vice President Al Gore, however. At a rally in Des Moines, Vice President Gore greeted a large crowd of supporters and had the honor of introducing Senator Daschle.

Gore was a good campaigning tool and his presence definitely unified the Democrats that had been split on Daschle and Kerry. Similar to Senator Daschle, Governor Bush also had a campaign tool of his own: his father, former President George H.W. Bush. Bush's connection to his father, who hailed over the success of the Gulf War in the early 90s, ensured that the majority of US Veterans were supporters of Bush.

By mid-June, there had been enough polls to finally determine which states were tossups and which wons would be claimed by the Democrats or the GOP. It was still only June, however, and there were still many campaign stops to be made.

NATIONWIDE POLL
If the United States Presidential Election was held today, who would you vote for?
Bush: 52.1%
Daschle: 47.1%
Other: 0.8%

On June 14th, Governor Bush was seen meeting with Trent Lott and Tom Ridge at his Crawford Ranch in Texas. The scene created speculation among the media that the Bush was considering choosing one of the two men as his Vice Presidential candidate. There were no sources to back this up, however, and Bush said the men were only talking about campaigning.

On June 20th, with the party conventions a little over two months away, several new polls were released.

IOWA POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 50.2%
Daschle: 48.6 %
Other: 1.2%

MISSOURI POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 52.9%
Daschle: 46.1%
Other: 1.0%

NEVADA POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 51.8%
Daschle: 45.2%
Other: 3.0%

NEW MEXICO POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 50.3%
Bush: 48.2%
Other: 1.5%

PENNSYLVANIA POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 50.9%
Bush: 47.5%
Other: 1.6%

WISCONSIN POLL - JUNE 20 2000
Daschle: 50.8%
Bush: 47.7%
Other: 1.5%

The addition of Vice Presidential picks would obviously affect the polls and outcome of the election, as well. Campaigning and polling continued as June came to a close and July rolled around.

(VP picks will be in next update)

July 2000: For the first three weeks, July was not as busy and intense as some of the previous months had been. Bush continued to attack Daschle's policies and Daschle continued to attack Bush's policies. Speculation about possible VP picks for both candidates continued, but there was never any supporting evidence. Vice President Al Gore continued to campaign with Senator Daschle while Clinton sat out. All in all, the first three weeks were very much of the same thing.

On July 26th, Governor Bush announced that he would be making his VP pick the following morning. The media quickly once again began the VP speculation. Many analysts at FOX News endorsed a Bush/Lott ticket since Lott's experience in the Senate would put him in competition with Daschle. Opponents of the Bush/Lott ticket turned to a Bush/Ridge ticket, in which the Pennsylvania Governor could help Bush capture the Keystone State. Senator Daschle was also eager to see Governor Bush's VP pick, since it would affect his.

On the morning of July 27th, in Milwaukee, Governor Bush announced that his running mate was Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson.

Thompson would help Bush's performance in the midwestern states, specifically in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa - places that he had consistently been behind Daschle. Thompson was the only Governor in Wisconsin's entire history to serve an unprecedented four terms. Several news stations praised the VP pick because the ticket was comprised of two hard-working and well-liked Governors, and the ticket had enough balance to appeal to moderates, as well. Thompson made a speech, in which he thanked Governor Bush for his selection and called for voters' support to carry the Bush/Thompson ticket to victory in November.

The Republican National Convention began on July 31st in Philadelphia. The convention's first speaker was Colin Powell. The Republicans rallied throughout the night as the Bush/Thompson ticket, as well as the concepts and ideas of the Republican Party, were praised.

August 2000: The Republican National Convention continued into the first few days of blistering August. On August 2nd, Governor Thompson gave his address to the convention.
"We've all seen the work of the Democrats over the past eight years. We've seen our government expand and our Oval Office abused. In Wisconsin, programs were so bad that I had to reform them myself, with little aid from the government. We need to restore America! Governor Bush and I need your support in November so that the 21st century can begin very differently than how the 20th century ended. This country needs new leadership, and Governor Bush and I are here to take on the challenge of bringing this wonderful country into the next century!"

Crowds went wild, holding up signs that read "Tommy" in bold letters. Bush's VP pick had been a good one and now the Democrats had to either top it or match it. The next day, following his nomination, Governor Bush delivered his speech.
"America prospered under the administrations of Reagan and Bush, and yet, now, under the reign of the Democrats, we feel and see our presence throughout the world diminished. At home, Democrats have failed to deliver the promises that they outlined so many years ago. Elect the man who you know, from experience, will keep his promises and deliver leadership. I am your man, America."

Several polls were released following the end of the convention on August 3rd.

IOWA POLL - AUGUST 5 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 52.4%
Daschle: 46.5%
Other: 1.1%

NEVADA POLL - AUGUST 5 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 53.0%
Daschle: 44.2%
Other: 2.8%

WISCONSIN POLL - AUGUST 6 2000
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Bush: 52.4%
Daschle: 46.1%
Other: 1.5%

Daschle knew he would have to make a good VP selection. He had narrowed it down to three excellent candidates and just had to make the final selection. The Democratic National Convention, in Los Angeles, was only two weeks away...

August 2000 (continued): On August 5th, in front of a huge crowd of his supporters in Pennsylvania, Senator Daschle slammed President Bush's nomination speech and described the Governor as "confused" and "misleading." Daschle's numbers in the polls had been slipping ever since the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, which had concluded only two days before, but the South Dakota Senator knew it was because he hadn't selected his VP yet, nor had the Democratic National Convention happened yet. Daschle announced that he would announce his VP selection on the 10th of August in Des Moines.

On August 10th, in Des Moines, Senator Daschle announced that he selected Vermont Governor Howard Dean as his running mate.

Dean's experience and accomplishments as a Governor made the double-Governor Republican ticket seem shaky. Senator Daschle brought experience from the Senate, while Dean brought his experience from the Governor's Office of Vermont. Democrats everywhere applauds the selection because it brought balance to the ticket. Additionally, it kept the New England Democrats happy, most of whom had been upset about the loss of Senator Kerry in the Democratic primaries. Dean had been in the first few contests of the Democratic Primaries, so voters were aware of who he was, too. It was believed that the addition of Dean of the ticket may help bring New Hampshire to the Democrats, as well.

On August 14th, the Democratic National Convention began in Los Angeles. The keynote speaker was Tennessee Representative Harold Ford, Jr. Vice President Al Gore made a speech praising the Daschle/Dean ticket. President Clinton, who made his speech on the second night, right before Governor Dean, delivered a similar message:"There is no doubt in my mind that these two men can carry out the prosperity that our country has seen over the past eight years."

Governor Dean delivered his speech to the Convention shortly after.
"I know exactly what you're thinking -- another Governor? Yes, I'm afraid we now make up seventy-five percent of the two main tickets running for the White House," Dean joked. "But let me explain to you how the two-Governor Republican ticket falls short: in Vermont, I have been elected to four two- year terms. When I first entered office, Vermont had a $60 million budget deficit, yet we now have a nearly-perfect balanced budget. I also established a healthcare system for children and pregnant women and, as a result, child abuse and teen pregnancies in Vermont dropped by almost fifty percent. This past April, Vermont signed a law legalizing same-sex unions - something the people of Vermont called for and desired. No other Governor pulled off such amazing results during their terms - especially not Governors Bush and Thompson."

Supporters throughout the Convention all cheered "DEAN!" at the end of the Governor's speech. The Vermont Governor was clearly the right choice for the ticket. The following night, the last night of the Convention, Seantor Daschle delivered his nomination speech.

As August concluded, polls were constantly released.

INDIANA POLL - AUGUST 20 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 56.1%
Daschle/Dean: 42.5%
Other: 1.4%

NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - AUGUST 20 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Daschle/Dean 51.2%
Bush/Thompson: 47.1%
Other: 1.7%

MICHIGAN POLL - AUGUST 23 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Daschle/Dean: 53.4%
Bush/Thompson: 45.0%
Other: 1.6%

OHIO POLL - AUGUST 23 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 49.2%
Daschle/Dean: 48.8%
Other: 2.0%

WISCONSIN POLL - AUGUST 24 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 50.3%
Daschle/Dean: 48.2%
Other: 1.5%

If the polls were correct, the election was going to be very close.

Good timeline, looking forward to election night.

Thanks, I appreciate it. I was originally going to continue the TL until the 2004 election, but if there is enough interest, I may keep it going all the way until present day.

That would be great if you could.

September 2000: Not too much happened in September, spare for more polls and additional campaigning. Governors Thompson and Dean served as good campaigning tools to Bush and Daschle respectively. Democrats also made the decision to allow Bill Clinton to slowly become involved in campaigning with the Daschle/Dean ticket. It was thought that the President's presence would increase the number of supporters, unlike the primary season, since he now maintained an approval rating of 61%.

On September 15th, the Summer Olympics begin in Sydney, Australia.
()


NATIONWIDE POLL - SEPTEMBER 21 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 50.1%
Daschle/Dean: 47.9%
Other: 2.2%

In late September, Rasmussen released a "No Tossup States" map, which was based on the results of all the polls that had conducted and gave the state to the ticket that was currently leading.

October 2000: The 2000 Summer Olympics conclude in Australia.

Election season was closing in. On October 3rd, the first presidential debate was held at the Washington University in St. Louis. Both Daschle and Bush came off looking quite professional and well-informed. Daschle argued that the United States was enjoying a time of prosperity, the foundation of which was established by eight years of Democratic rule. Bush, on the other hand, argued that the country was headed in the wrong direction and that conservatism and values had to be restored. Polls showed Daschle won the debate, but only narrowly.

POST-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE POLL - OCTOBER 4 2000
Who do you think won the first Presidential debate?
Daschle: 51.6%
Bush: 48.4%

On October 5th, the first and only Vice Presidential debate was held in Danville, Kentucky. Viewers agreed unanimously that Howard Dean, who appeared younger and more in touch with voters, trumped over Tommy Thompson.

POST-VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE POLL - OCTOBER 6 2000
Who do you think won the Vice Presidential debate?
Dean: 58.2%
Thompson: 41.8%

The second presidential debate occurs on October 11th and is considered a win for Governor Bush.

On October 12th, the USS Cole, stationed in Yemen, is attacked and damaged by two suicide bombers. The attack was interpreted as an act of terrorism against the United States. It is later determined that the terrorists were part of an organization known as Al-Qaeda.
()

On October 17th, the final debate between Daschle and Bush took place. The debate is considered a win for Daschle.

POST-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE POLL - OCTOBER 19 2000
Overall, do you think Senator Daschle or Governor Bush performed better in the debates?
Daschle: 52.6%
Bush: 47.4%

While Bush had come off as young, Daschle was viewed as more experienced. People who wanted a change from the Clinton years had no problem placing support behind the Texas Governor, but people who had enjoyed the Clinton presidency and wanted to see his policies continue rushed to support Daschle. By the end of October, Election Night was the only thing on everybody's mind. Some polls were released right before the month ended.

FLORIDA POLL - OCTOBER 24 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 51.5%
Daschle/Dean: 46.5%
Other: 2.0%

IOWA POLL - OCTOBER 24 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 49.3%
Daschle/Dean: 49.3%
Other: 1.4%

INDIANA POLL - OCTOBER 24 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 56.1%
Daschle/Dean: 42.5%
Other: 1.4%

OHIO POLL - OCTOBER 25 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Bush/Thompson: 49.1%
Daschle/Dean: 48.9%
Other: 2.0%
Other:

OREGON POLL - OCTOBER 25 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Daschle/Dean: 50.3%
Bush/Thompson: 47.6%
Other: 2.1%

PENNSYLVANIA POLL - OCTOBER 26 2000
Which presidential ticket will you be supporting this November?
Daschle/Dean: 52.7%
Bush/Thompson: 45.0%
Other: 2.3%

October came to a close with both tickets holding rallies. An interview with Governor Bush on Fox News arose interest, particularly due to the sound bite from the interview that was played constantly. In the interview, Governor Bush was asked if he was worried about a Democrat victory in November. To this question, Bush calmly responded, "Absolutely not. I think we all know what happened the last time a Senator from South Dakota ran for President."

How close is South Dakota?

November 2000:

Election Night 2000 - Pre-6:00pm EST
"Welcome to Election Night! This evening we will be following the much-anticipated Presidential Election and be reporting the results to you as the evening progresses. A quick recap for those who are not big on politics and are tuning in: Vice President Al Gore decided not to seek the Democratic nomination for President. South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle won the Democratic Primary last March and selected Vermont Governor Howard Dean as his running mate. The Democrats face Texas Governor George W. Bush, son of former President George H.W. Bush, as the challenger to the White House. Governor Bush selected Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson as his running mate.


If we look at our map, as we will be throughout the night, we see that a GRAY STATE indicates that a state has not been called yet; a GREEN STATE indicates that a state is too close to call; a RED STATE indicates a state called for the Democrats; and a BLUE STATE indicates a state called for the Republicans. 270 electoral votes are required to win. We will also be reviewing Senate election results throughout the night, as well."


Election Night 2000 - 6:00pm

"We're back and ready to report some results that we are receiving right now. We are now ready to make a projection at this time. We can call the state of Kentucky for Governor George Bush. At this time, the state of Indiana is too close to call."




Election Night 2000 - 6:30pm

"At this time we are ready to project that the state of Indiana, a state that has traditionally been Republican in recent years, will continue its trend. Indiana will go to Governor George Bush.


In thirty minutes, the polls close in multiple states, including the swing states of Florida and several districts of New Hampshire. We will return in just a minute, folks."

Election Night 2000 - 7:00pm

"We have several projections to make at this time. We can now call the states of Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia for Governor Bush. We can also project the state of Vermont, the home state of Governor Howard Dean, Senator Daschle's running mate, for the Democrats. Florida and New Hampshire are too close to call at this time."

November 2000 (continued):

Election Night 2000 - 7:20pm

"We're going to take a quick look at Florida and New Hampshire now and see the results so far. Not all districts of New Hampshire have closed yet, nor have the counties in the Panhandle of Florida, a region that is very Republican. In only ten minutes, polls will close in Ohio, West Virginia, and in various counties of North Carolina."

FLORIDA - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
18% precincts reporting
Bush: 50.7%
Daschle: 47.2%
Other: 2.1%

NEW HAMPSHIRE - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
27% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.2%
Bush: 48.9%
Other: 1.9%

ELECTION NIGHT 2000 - 7:30pm

"Welcome back! Polls have just closed in West Virginia and Ohio, as well as several counties in North Carolina. At this time, Ohio and West Virginia are too close to call, but we can project North Carolina will go to Governor Bush.


This increases Governor Bush's electoral votes to 68.


"So, Jim, let's take a closer look at Ohio and West Virginia. What's the deal here?"
"Well, Rob, Ohio is a very crucial state because a Republican hasn't won the White House without taking Ohio. If we see George Bush take Ohio tonight, it's very likely that he will be the next President. The last poll in Ohio showed Senator Daschle and Governor Bush basically tied in the Buckeye state, however, so I don't think we're going to be ready to call this one for a while - it's going to be a tight race. West Virginia, on the other hand, is a state that voted for Bill Clinton in both '92 and '96. While polls have showed West Virginia heavily trending towards Governor Bush this election, I think we're playing it safe by waiting a while to call this one."

ELECTION NIGHT 2000 - 7:48pm

"I'm going to have to cut you off, Jim, because we have another projection to make. We are now able to call West Virginia for Governor George Bush. This is a state that has voted Democratic since 1984, so this is pretty big. Once again, West Virginia goes for Governor George Bush. The Texas Governor now holds 73 electoral votes to Senator Daschle's 3.


Florida, Ohio, and New Hampshire are still too close to call."

ELECTION NIGHT 2000 - 8:00PM

"Welcome back to Election Night 2000. We have several projections to make right now. We can project that Governor Bush will carry Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and his home state of Texas. We project that Senator Daschle will take Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. At this time, we add Michigan, Missouri, and Pennsylvania to the states that are too close to call.















Governor Bush still has the lead of Senator Daschle with 146 votes to 80."


ELECTION NIGHT 2000 - 8:23PM

"We have two very big projections to make right now, only seven minutes before the half-hour mark. We can now call Michigan and New Hampshire for Senator Tom Daschle.



This increases Senator Daschle's electoral votes to 102. We also can show the results so far that are coming in from Missouri."

MISSOURI - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
26% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.3%
Bush: 48.8%
Other: 1.9%  

ELECTION NIGHT 2000 - 8:28PM

"We're back from a quick break and ready to make another projection. We can now call the state of Florida for Governor George Bush."

November 2000 (continued):

Election Night 2000 - 8:33PM

"Polls closed just three minute ago in the state of Arkansas and we are ready to project that the state, the home of President Bill Clinton, will go for Governor George Bush. This brings Bush's electoral count to 177."


Election Night 2000 - 8:50PM

"Welcome back, folks. We can now project that Pennsylvania, the Keystone State, will cast its 23 electoral votes for Senator Daschle. Despite the fact that Governor Bush performed better than expected, this is no surprise as polls showed Daschle in the lead numerous times. So there you have it -- Daschle wins Pennsylvania.


Missouri and Ohio are still too close to call. Senator Daschle seems to be performing quite above expectations in Missouri. Let's take a quick look at Ohio's results so far, with 49% precincts reporting."

OHIO - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
49% precincts reporting
Bush: 49.2%
Daschle: 48.8%
Other: 2.0%

Election Night 2000 - 9:00PM

"As you can see, it's 9:00PM, which means polls have closed in several states and we are ready to make some projections! We can project that Governor Bush will carry the states of Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming. We can also project that Senator Daschle will take New York and Rhode Island. Several states at this time are too close to call, including Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wisconsin."








Election Night 2000 - 9:17PM

"Hold on, guys, we have three projections to make. We can now project that Missouri, South Dakota, and Arizona will go Republican. South Dakota, Senator Daschle's home state, has been a Republican stronghold over the past decades, so this does not come as a surprise, despite his popularity there."




These states bring Bush's electoral count to 219. The Texas Governor only requires 51 more votes to win the election. We're watching Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin very closely at this time."

Election Night 2000 - 9:58PM

"We have a big projection right now. We can now project that Ohio - the Buckeye State - will go to South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle. This is a big win because no Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio, which puts George Bush's campaign in a bit of a squeeze. Senator Daschle must be very pleased with these results. Once again, after a tight race in Ohio tonight, the Buckeye State  will go to Senator Daschle. We will be right back with our 10:00 projections."

Go Bush!!! Too bad he picked a horrible V.P!! :(

The suspense sucks. This timeline needs to be finished immediately!

November 2000 (continued):

Election Night 2000 - 10:00PM

"Okay, so as I mentioned just a few moments ago, the Ohio has been called for Senator Tom Daschle. We are continuing to watch Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wisconsin very closely at this time. It's now 10:00 on the East Coast and we have several projections to make. We can now call Idaho, Montana, and Utah for Governor Bush. These states have typically been Republican strongholds in past years, specifically Idaho and Utah, so these results are not at all surprising. Iowa, Nevada, and Oregon are too close to call at this time. Governor Bush now has 231 electoral votes.




Election Night 2000 - 10:41PM

"Okay, we have breaking news in now. Governor Bush has defeated Senator Daschle in Colorado. That's right -- Colorado has gone for Governor Bush.




"We're also getting results in from New Mexico and Wisconsin, the latter being the home state of Governor Tommy Thompson; these states are VERY close, folks."

NEW MEXICO - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
38% precincts reporting
Bush: 49.1%
Daschle: 48.6%
Other: 2.3%

WISCONSIN - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
40% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.6%
Bush: 49.2%
Other: 1.2%

Election Night 2000 - 11:00PM

"Welcome back! This night is beginning to look like it will be a long one, as don't have any further projections to make on states that are too close to call. We do have some other projections to make, however, but none of which are surprises. We can now call the states of California and Hawaii for South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle. The addition of California and Hawaii's electoral votes brings Senator Daschle's count up to 241, compared to Governor Bush's 239, which means that Senator Daschle is ahead of Governor Bush for the first time this night. At this time, we are placing Washington in the "too close to call" category."




Election Night 2000 - 12:00AM

"This is definitely going to be the long night we predicted, Jim. We have two projections for you viewers here at the midnight mark, and here they are: Alaska for Governor Bush and Washington for Senator Tom Daschle. Governor Bush is now ten electoral votes behind Senator Daschle.



It is becoming increasingly clear that this presidential election has come down to the West and Midwest. We're seeing very close results in the Upper Midwestern states, such as Minnesota and Wisconsin, but also in Western states such as Oregon, Nevada, and New Mexico. I think we can all agree that this night is going to be extremely interesting."

Election Night 2000 - 1:04AM

"We now have a projection to make: Iowa for Senator Daschle. Daschle seems to have done better than expected in the state. Daschle now has 259 votes, compared to Bush's 242.

IOWA - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
96% precincts reporting
Daschle: 50.9%
Bush: 46.9%
Other: 2.2%


Election Night 2000 - 1:42AM

"Hold on, we have another projection to make. After several hours, we are now ready to tell you that Wisconsin, the home state of Bush's VP pick, Governor Tommy Thompson, has cast its electoral votes for the Republican ticket. This is really turning out to be a remarkable election, Jim. The Republican ticket is now back down by 6 electoral votes, with 253 votes to the Democrats' 259. We're going to a quick break, but don't go anywhere, folks, because we still have four states to call and we expect this contest to be over sometime in the next hour or so."

You're EV count is off. In 2000, Minnesota had 10, Oregon had 7, New Mexico had 5, and Nevada had 4. All together, that equals 26 EV's, when technically, there are 27 EV's somewhere up for grabs. I beleive, the EV count should give Bush a 255-257 edge.
;)
If so, I'm going to call it. Oregon and New Mexico go for Bush, while Nevada and Minnesota go to Daschle, creating a tie.

Edit: Found the problem and fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out. EV count is now correct.

How is Congress coming along?

All Congress results will be released following the completion of the Presidential Election and announcement of the 43rd President.

November 2000 (continued):

Election Night 2000 - 1:57AM

"And we're ready to make another projection: New Mexico for Governor Bush. This state was VERY close and now the state's five electoral votes now go to the Republican ticket. That brings Bush's electoral vote count to 258. He is only one vote behind Senator Daschle."


Election Night 2000 - 2:10AM

"We can project Minnesota will go to Senator Daschle. Similarly to New Mexico, Minnesota was very close.

MINNESOTA - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
99% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.9%
Bush: 48.0%
Other: 2.1%



This creates a very interesting situation right now. Senator Daschle is only one vote away from winning, so Bush MUST win the next state if he hopes to remain in the race. If Daschle wins both states, he wins the election. However, in a must unusual circumstance, if Bush wins both Nevada and Oregon, Bush and Daschle will both tie with 269 votes each. This is a most peculiar situation and we'll be right back after a short break."

November 2000:

Election Night 2000 - 2:19AM

"We're back. We now have received news that 99% of the precincts in Nevada are in and the state has gone for Governor Bush. That's right: Nevada has gone for Bush. Nevada's four electoral votes brings Bush's  count up to 262. It looks like this race has come down to Oregon. If Bush wins Oregon, then both candidates will be tied with 269 votes each. If Daschle wins, he will win the election. We expect to receive Oregon's results in the next five minutes."



(Next update: Oregon Results, Election Results, Congressional Election Results)

November 2000 (continued):

Election Night 2000 - 2:25AM

"Okay, I'm receiving word that we're finally ready to call Oregon now. Okay, yup, here it is: Oregon, the final state remaining to cast its electoral votes tonight, will cast its vote for Senator Tom Daschle. Senator Daschle has won the state by 1.4%, according to the results we are getting in now.


OREGON - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
99% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.8%
Bush: 48.4%
Other: 0.8%


Therefore, with the victory in Oregon, Daschle's electoral vote count is brought up to 276 and he thus wins the election over Governor George Bush. This has certainly been a long night, and Tom Daschle emerged victorious; he will be the 43rd President of the United States."


After what had seemed like a never-ending primary and election season, a winner had finally been declared. The Daschle/Dean ticket had emerged victorious and the Democrats would hold the White House for four more years. Governor Bush, who did not ask for a recount of Oregon, conceded the race in Texas and called for unity as the United States forged its way into the 21st century. Not all was bad for the Republicans, however: despite the loss in the Presidential Election, Republicans had a majority in the Senate.

Senate Election Results, 2000

Bold indicates a pickup:
Arizona - John Kyl (R) is re-elected over William Toel (I)
California - Dianne Feinstein (D) is re-elected over Tom Campbell (R)
Connecticut - Joe Lieberman (D) is re-elected over Phillip Giordano (R)
Delaware - Thomas Carper (D) is elected over William Roth (R)
Florida - Bill Nelson (D) defeats Bill McCollum (R)
Georgia - Zell Miller (D) is re-elected over Mack Mattingly (R)
Hawaii - Daniel Akaka (D) is re-elected over John Carroll (R)
Indiana  - Richard Lugar (R) is re-elected over David Johnson (D)
Maine - Olympia Snowe (R) is re-elected over Mark Lawrence (D)
Maryland - Paul Sarbanes (D) is re-elected over Paul Rappaport (R)
Massachusetts - Ted Kennedy (D) is re-elected over Jack E. Robinson III (R)
Michigan - Debbie Stabenow (D) defeats Spencer Abraham (R)
Minnesota - Rod Grams (R) is re-elected over Mark Dayton (D)
Mississippi - Trent Lott (R) is re-elected over Troy Brown (D)
Missouri - John Ashcroft (R) is re-elected over Mel Carnahan (D)
Montana - Conrad Burns (R) is re-elected over Brian Schweitzer (D)
Nebraska - Ben Nelson (D) is elected over Don Stenberg (R)
Nevada - John Ensign (R) is elected over Edward Bernstein (D)
New Jersey - John Corzine (D) is elected over Bob Franks (R)
New Mexico - Jeff Bingaman (D) is elected over William Redmond (R)
Ohio - Marke DeWine (R) is re-elected over Ted Celeste (D)
New York - Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) is elected over Rick Lazio (R)
North Dakota - Kent Conrad (D) is re-elected over Duane Sand (R)
Pennsylvania - Rick Santorum (R) is re-elected over Ron Klink (D)
Rhode Island - Lincoln Chafee (R) is re-elected over Robert Weygand (D)
Tennessee - Bill Frist (R) is re-elected over Jeff Clark (D)
Texas - Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) is re-elected over Gene Kelly (D)
Utah - Orrin Hatch (R) is re-elected over Scott Howell (D)
Vermont - Jim Jeffords (R) is re-elected over Ed Flanagan (D)
Virginia - George Allen (R) is elected over Chuck Robb (D)
Washington - Maria Cantwell (D) is elected over Slade Gordon (R)
West Virginia - Robert Byrd (D) is re-elected over David Gallaher (R)
Wisconsin - Herb Kohl (D) is re-elected over John Gillespie (R)
Wyoming - Craig Thomas (R) is re-elected over Mel Logan.

TOTAL SEATS
Republicans - 52
Democrats - 48

Democrats still are going to lose a seat, occupied by Daschle, right?

Correct.

November 2000 (continued): For the next two days, all Americans talked about was the 2000 election results. Newspapers boldly announced Daschle's victory in the 2000 election. Governor Bush announced he would resume his governorship duties immediately.First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's victory over Rick Lazio in New York meant that she would become the first First Lady to win public office.

On November 9th, President-Elect Daschle announces his transition team.

President Bill Clinton, whose approval ratings were at 61%, becomes the first sitting US President to visit Vietnam by traveling to the country on November 16th.

On November 20th, President-Elect Daschle resigns his Senate seat. John Thune (R) would later on take the seat.

December 2000: In Vermont, Vice President-Elect Howard Dean resigns from his Governor position. Lieutenant Doug Racine becomes Governor.

Vicente Fox of the National Action Party becomes the President of Mexico. President-Elect Daschle congratulates him on his entrance into office.

During the first week of December, Senator John Kerry is seen meeting with President-Elect Daschle in Washington, D.C. The meeting between the two men spurs speculation that Kerry might be a consideration for Secretary of State. On December 9th, Daschle announces that Senator Kerry would be his nominee for Secretary of State.

Approval rating polls on President-Elect Daschle show over 60% support:
NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President-Elect Daschle?
Yes: 63%
No: 27%
Undecided: 10%

On December 11th, President-Elect Daschle announces his nomination of Lawrence Summers, the current Secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton, to continue the Secretary of the Treasury post.

Daschle announces his nomination of Samuel "Sandy" Berger as Secretary of Defense on December 16th.

On a December 21st interview with Larry King, Bill Clinton explains he will miss being President and is quite confident that President-Elect Daschle will do an excellent job.

On December 22nd, Daschle announces his nominee for Attorney General is California Governor Gray Davis.

On December 31st, The Millennium Dome in London finally closes its doors. People around the world welcome another year in the 21st century.

January 2001: One week in January, President-Elect Daschle launches a thirteen-state "tour" of public schools to introduce new details of his Education Reform Plan. The Education Reform Plan, Daschle explains, will be funded by a small increase in taxes on families with children in public schools. Surplus money will also be used. Republicans are quick to criticize the plan as "empty."

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President-Elect Daschle?
Yes: 59%
No: 30%
Undecided: 11%

On January 10th, President-Elect Daschle announces that his nominee for Secretary of Labor is Elizabeth Dole, former Secretary of Labor under George H.W. Bush and wife of Bob Dole.

On January 12th, Daschle announces his selection of Carol Moseley Braun for Secretary of the Interior.

On January 20th, Thomas A. Daschle is sworn in the as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The Presidency of Thomas Daschle had begun.

Any comments before next update?

Great job...
Who replaced Daschle in the Senate?

Thune

January 2001 (continued): After Daschle had been inaugurated, the focus turned to his cabinet nominees. Daschle's nominees were hailed as diverse and qualified and, for the most part, with little opposition. The Senate confirmed John Kerry for the Secretary of State position and the Massachusetts Senator resigned his seat the next day. Massachusetts Representative Barney Frank would later take Kerry's Senate seat.

Daschle's cabinet confirmations quickly hit a bump when Lawrence Summers, who had previously served as Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury in the final years of the administration, was voted down by the Senate. Republicans voiced their strong disproval of Summers by citing his opposition to proposed Republican tax cuts back in 1999. The narrow rejection by the Senate left some people wondering if Daschle's other nominations would face as much trouble.

The Senate approved both Samuel Berger as Secretary of Defense and Gray Davis as Attorney General the next day. Berger, who had previously served as the National Security Advisor under Clinton, had been the obviously choice for the positon. Gray Davis, on the other hand, was more of a surprise. The young California Governor boasted a powerful resume, however, and was quickly confirmed by the Senate. Cruz Bustamante becomes the Governor of California.

The remaining nominees were confirmed over the next week. Nominees included Senator Bob Graham as the Secretary of Agriculture, Morgan Stanley CEO John J. Mack as the Secretary of Commerce, Washington Governor Gary Locke as the Secretary of Energy, and Former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn as Secretary of Veteran Services. By the end of January, all of Daschle's nominees had been confirmed, with the exception of Lawrence Summers, which was impressive since Republicans held a majority in the Senate.

The Daschle Administration:
President: Thomas A. Daschle
Vice President: Howard B. Dean

Secretary of State: John F. Kerry
Secretary of the Treasury: Not yet confirmed
Secretary of Defense: Samuel "Sandy" Berger
Attorney General: Joseph "Gray" Davis
Secreaty of the Interior: Carol Moseley Braun
Secretary of Agriculture: Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham
Secretary of Commerce: John J. Mack
Secretary of Labor: Mary Elizabeth Dole
Secretary of Health & Human Services: Robert Cortez "Bobby" Scott
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Kurt L. Schmoke
Secretary of Energy: Gary F. Locke
Secretary of Education: James B. Hunt, Jr.
Secretary of Transportation: William "Bill" Bradley
Secretary of Veteran Affairs: Bryant Winfield Dunn

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you currently approve of President Daschle?
Yes: 58%
No: 39%
Unsure: 3%

I really doubt that Dole would chosen to be secretary of labor. The AFL-CIO would flip a sh**t.

Besides that a good cabinet.

February 2001: February began with economic concerns. The economy, which had been in a slow decline since 2000, was not getting any better. Many Americans wondered how long the economic slump would continue, especially after the "Dot-Com Bubble" had peaked in March 2000, with NASDAQ rolling in at 5132.52. Government officials assured people that the slow decline in the markets was the result of a "decent" from the high peak that the markets had experienced.

On February 3rd, President Daschle announced his new nominee for Secretary of the Treasury: economist Alan Krueger. Krueger, a pristigeous economic scholar, was viewed as a much better choice than Summers by both Democrats and Republicans. The Republican majority voiced little opposition to the selection, with Majority Leader Trent Lott explaining, "Well, I hope the President got it right this time." Krueger was confirmed by the Senate in the following days.

On February 16th, United States planes, under orders of President Daschle, joined British forces to conduct bombing raids in Iraq in an attempt to disable their air defense network. In the final years of the Clinton administration, Iraq had refused to cooperate with UN inspectors and it was now believed that Saddam Hussein, the leader of the Middle Eastern nation, had or posessed the capability to produce weapons of mass destruction.

The main thing on President Daschle's agenda by the end of February was the Education Reform Plan. The President planned to have the Senate voting on the Bill by mid-March.

March 2001: The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) declared in March that the United States had undergone a peak of business in March, signaling the end of business growth and the beginning of an economic depression.


President Daschle, whose approval rating hovered at 57%, submitted the Education Reform Bill to Congress for approval. The Bill, if approved, would require all public schools to administer testing and, if the school fails the testing, students would be given the option to transfer to another regional public school. Additionally, the Bill would create more jobs for teachers and fund the renovation and improvement of schools in need, as well as the addition of programs that have been cut. Funding for the Bill would come from taxes and the surplus.

April 2001: April opened with the Hainan Island Incident, in which a US spy plane that collided with a Chinese craft in air is forced to land in China. The US crew is detained by the Chinese. In a White House Press Conference, President Daschle explained, "The actions of the Chinese are truly disturbing." The US Government eventually sent a letter of apology to the Chinese Government and after ten days of interrogation, the US crew was released.

In mid-April, the Education Reform Bill is narrowly approved and goes into effect. A poll of Republicans show that an overwhelming 71% are against the Bill. Governor George W. Bush is quoted saying, "This is a states' rights issue and nothing more than that. The Government does not need to intervene and waste more money."

May 2001: President Daschle departed for a week tour of France, Germany, and Japan in the beginning of May, in part to greet European leaders, but also to emphasize the importance of the United States' continued involvement in the Kyoto Protocol. It marked the newly-elected President's first foreign policy trip.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 57%
No: 41%
Unsure: 2%

The quote definitely had an impact on the race. Don't worry, though: the Republicans will have their time.

Apointed by Governor Janklow? Seems rather that Janklow would aim the seat personally in 2002 (istead of running for House) and appoints a colorless palceholder, not someone like Thune.

Anyway, great timeline. Waiting for more :D

June 2001: On June 5th, Jim Jeffords announced he would be leaving the Republican Party and declared himself as an independent. The move costs Republicans a seat in the Senate. Jim Jeffords announced, "Although I have left the Republican Party, I will not be withdrawn from the goals of this Congress, whether Democrat or Republican." Both Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and Senate Minority Leader Ted Kennedy refused to comment.

The UK's Labour Party wins the UK General Election.


July 2001: The United States of America celebrates its 225th year of existence on July 4th.

President Daschle and Bobby Cortez Scott, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, unveil a new idea for a health care system that would give a government health care option to children below the age of 18, as well as pregnant women that are unable to pay healthcare costs for their expected babies. Daschle was careful to craft the new idea in a different way than the previous healthcare idea, which had been derailed in the early years of the Clinton administration, so that Americans would not see it as another attempt of the same failed idea. Daschle and Scott campaigned in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, and Miami, attempting to rally support. Vice President Dean also campaigned.

In the midst of continuing attacks by Republicans on the Education Reform Bill for wasting money and too much government involvement, the new health care idea, now referred to as the American Special Needs Health Care System for some reason, immediately drew fire from Republicans. Arizona Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, among several other Republicans, criticized the idea because it embodied "excessive spending."

What made matters worse, however, was that the most liberal Democrats in the Congress were speaking out against the Bill because they felt its language encouraged women to reject the idea of an abortion. A poll released in late July showed that only 51% percent of Americans approved of the idea, with 44% disapproving.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of the new health care idea proposed by President Daschle?
Yes: 51%
No: 44%
Unsure: 5%

On July 18th, a 60-train-car derailment occurs in a Baltimore tunnel. The derailment brings havoc to downtown Baltimore and causes multiple fires, all of which take days to extinguish.

By the end of July, it became apparent that the new health care plan would have to be modified if it even hoped to make it through Congress.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 55%
No: 44%
Unsure: 1%

In this case Jeffords switch would not had an effect on changing Senate majority:

Graham left the Senate and Governor Jeb Bush surely appoints an Republican

I know it wouldn't have affected the majority, I only included it because the fact that he switched to an independent was unique and worth noting.

Dick Gephardt was the House Minority Leader

Yeah, I realized shortly after I posted. Problem fixed.

August 2001: The proposed health care plan continued to face numerous attacks. A poll found that the majority of the plan's support came from lower class and lower-middle class families, while the majority of opposition came from upper class families. Most Americans, additionally, were unwilling to pay even more taxes. "Don't get me wrong, I love the idea that we're trying to help each other out, but we're already paying enough taxes," one women stated in an on-street interview on CNN. In another interview, a man pointed out, "This is socialism! Why should I have to pay for somebody whose life hasn't turned out the way that they wanted? I can understand helping children learn, but I feel no need to pay for some woman or child's healthcare." Americans were split on the issue. Clearly, the concept of health care in the US was extremely heated. The Daschle administration found its new health care idea stopped dead in its tracks.

On August 20th, Texas Governor and former presidential candidate George W. Bush announced that he would be running for re-election in the 2002 election.

By the end of August, attacks on the health care idea continued and did not let up. The Daschle administration decided to rework the entire concept and develop a new approach by mid-September. The new approach would never be developed, however, because September would turn out to to be much different than anybody expected.

September 2001: The calm morning of September 11th was interrupted by thousands of screams and the sound of jets engines above the Manhattan skyline. Four planes across the United States are hijacked by Al Qaeda terrorists.  At 8:46AM, American Airlines Flight 11, which had been hijacked from Boston's Logan Airport, crashed into the North Tower of New York City's World Trade Center. At 9:03AM, United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower.

President Daschle, who was visiting a school in Florida, was immediately informed about the WTC attacks and he quickly left the school. The United States was under attack. At 9:37, American Airlines flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon. Countless cities throughout the United States are evacuated and airline traffic controllers rush to track down every plane.

The fourth and final hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 93 crashes into a field in Pennsylvania.

At 9:59PM, the South Tower of the WTC collapses. At 10:28, the North Tower of the WTC collapses. Thousands of people are killed and millions of Americans across the United States watch as their country is attacked and helpless.

President Daschle immediately addressed the nation: "Terrorists have struck our buildings and attempted to destroy the fabric the binds us together. But, they should know that the American society can never be destroyed, let alone tarnished. They may strike our buildings and our infrastructure, but they will never tear down our pride. In 1776, this country faced numerous attacks from a foe that appeared relentless, yet through our patriotism we emerged victorious. My message to our new enemies is this: we will find you, even if we must go to the corners of the Earth to do so. And, in that moment that we do, you will feel the wrath of the United States."

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President Daschle?
Yes: 94%
No: 6%

September 2001 (continued):An investigation into the 9/11 attacks immediately began. Many countries immediately condemned the attacks and NATO even issued a statement denouncing the attacks as an attack against NATO. Tens of thousands of Americans were stranded worldwide due to grounded flights. In the United States, Americans were glued to their television sets, desperately waiting for developing news of the 9/11 attacks. It was still uncertain how many people had died in the attacks and many people were still missing. Only a week after the attacks, an athrax scare struck the US as letters with anthrax were sent to a few major news networks. The biological attacks would result in five deaths.

On September 20th, President Daschle addressed a joint session of Congress, in which he issued an ultimatum to the Taliban government of Afghanistan, an organization believed to be harboring Al-Qaeda, to turn over such terrorists and affiliated persons to the United States and give the United States full access to terrorist camps. "We now face a new war - a different type of war. Unlike previous wars, we do not face a country or a fearless leader, but instead radical groups who threaten our very own existence. We will strike those who have attempted to destroy us. We will pour every resource not only into securing the safety of our every day lives, but to halting the activity and ceasing the presence of such groups. We will not stop until justice has been achieved." Republicans and Democrats widely praised Daschle's response. Throughout the world, other governments withdrew recognition of the Taliban government and began preparing for a possible war.

In late September, Osama bin Laden was identified as the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks. A known terrorist who announced a holy war against the United States and Israel in the late 1990s, his immediate capture was sought by the United States.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 93%
No: 7%

October 2001:The United States waited for the Taliban's response. On October 7th, the Taliban offered to try Osama bin Laden in a Islamic court. The offer was immediately rejected by President Daschle. On the same day, the US and UK commenced bombing operations in Afghanistan, first striking the capital of Kabul. President Daschle addressed Americans on television from the Oval Office and informed them that the United States had taken its first step in its "War On Terror."

Senate Minority Leader Ted Kennedy received an anthrax letter on October 9th, but is not harmed.

On October 14th, the Taliban offered to surrender Osama bin Laden to another country for trial if his guilt in 9/11 was proven and the the bombing campaigns in Afghanistan stopped. President Daschle rejected this proposal, claiming "Such an offer is offensive."

In mid-October, President Daschle introduced the Advanced Intelligence Tools and Systems Act, more commonly referred to as A.I.T.S. The Act increased the duties and tools of law enforcement agencies, and also allowed for more intensive screening and searches. The Act was opposed by very few; only two Democrat senators voted against it. Americans knew that the Act would violate some of their liberties, but they saw it as essential. On October 28th, Daschle signs Act into law.

November 2001: Bombing operations were still going into November and thousands of troops were on the ground in Afghanistan. On November 9th, United States and Northern Alliance forces capture Mazar-i-Sharif, a city which had been held by the Taliban since 1998. The fall of Mazar-i-Sharif was considered a victory for US and Northern Alliance forces. Most remaining Taliban forces retreat to other cities to reorganize. Days later, American troops were able to push the Taliban out of Kabul, and then later take Kandahar.

December 2001: The flight of the Taliban from Kabul, as well as the capture of Kandahar, the last Taliban stronghold, sparked the decline of the militant group throughout the country. US forces continued to advance as the Taliban grew much weaker. Remaining Al-Qaeda factions gathered in the rugged mountains of Tora Bora in an attempt to flee from US and UK special forces. Many believed that Osama bin Laden was hiding in the mountain's vast caves. On December 12th, fighting at Tora Bora began.

On December 13th, terrorists attacked the Indian Parliament. It's later discovered that the terrorists were Pakistani nationals, which led to extremely heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

By December 17th, the last cave in the Tora Bora mountains was discovered and searched, but there was no sign of any Al-Qaeda leadership or bin Laden.

On December 22nd, following the victory in the Tora Bora mountains and the near-collapse of the Taliban, a new government is established in Kabul, with Hamid Karzai as the interim-leader. On the same day, American Airlines Flight 63, enroute from Paris to Miami, is forced to land in Boston after a man attempts to blow up the plane with explosives in his shoe.

Surprisingly, unlike the previous three months, December ended quietly. As 2001 ended, Americans felt a sense of pride in their country, yet also a strong sense of fear.

January 2002: In the beginning week of January, several Republicans in Congress pressed President Daschle to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, in an effort to secure the protection of the United States. President Daschle stated that he felt there was no reason for a withdrawal from the treaty, and did not feel it necessary. Several Republicans, including Senators McCain, Ashcroft, Frist, and Hutchison, began exploiting the President's decision not to withdraw to ask Americans if the United States was truly safe from another attack.

On January 7th, President Daschle departed to the UK to meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair to discuss operations in Afghanistan.

On January 16th, the UN Security Council announced the establishment of an arms embargo and freezes Taliban and Al-Qaeda assets. The move is widely praised by Americans, yet some wonder why such a move took so long. Fighting in Afghanistan raged on nonetheless, as United States soldiers attempted to further destabilize Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces.

On January 31st, the inevitable happened: another terrorist attack. At 4:42PM CT, a bus in San Antonio, Texas was hijacked by a terrorist who had explosives strapped to his chest. Police and federal agents quickly surrounded the stopped bus and attempted to negotiate with the terrorist. The terrorist called to Allah and detonated the explosives, however, killing himself and all fifty-six passengers. He was later identified as a member of Al-Qaeda. Only a few months after the September 11th attacks,  the United States had been hit again. Americans' fears quickly returned.

what a riveting and superb timeline

Great stuff, can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks a lot, guys. All your comments really keep this thing going.

February 2002: The San Antonio bus attack had resurfaced the fear of Americans. President Daschle immediately gave a speech following the attack, in which he pointed out that the War on Terror, while far from over, was rightly justified. On February 1st, with President Daschle by his side, Secretary of Defense Samuel Berger denounced the attacks: "We have once again seen the attacks of cowards. Now more than ever, following the events of 9/11 and yesterday, we are given a purpose to defend our nation and pursue those who feel the need to attack it." Berger also announced that, in addition to the 9/11 memorials that were already in the process of being planned, a memorial would be built for the victims of the bus attack. On the same day, reporter Daniel Pearl of the Wall Street Journal is murdered in Pakistan, sparking outrage internationally.

As Taliban forces regrouped in Afghanistan, the fighting decreased and the solidification of Coalition forces increased. The United States Army prepared for Operation Anaconda, which would attempt to eliminate forces in the Shahi-Kot Valley and Arma Mountains.

On February 8th, the Winter Olympics, hosted in Salt Lake City, began. Under orders from President Daschle, security was extremely tight, with one New York Times article saying that Salt Lake City had become just as safe as Washington, D.C.

A poll regarding the feeling of safety among Americans was released on February 15th. The results were stunning.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you, as a citizen of the United States, feel safe in your daily life?
Yes: 29%
No: 71%

Many Republicans began capitalizing on the fear of Americans and, in their minds, the weak security that was present under the Daschle Administration. In an interview with FOX News, Senator John Ashcroft explained "I find it very troubling that stronger action has not been taken. Our country has been attacked twice in the past five months. When will these attacks stop? Al-Qaeda has already succeeded in some aspects." Ashcroft's comment was met with much criticism by liberals and the Daschle administration, and even several Republicans.

On February 28th, President Daschle unveiled the creation of the Department of Homeland Security under the Homeland Security Act, which is submitted to Congress. If passed, the Act would create a new cabinet position, as well as a new federal institution which would hold the sole purpose of defending the United States and preserving its security.

March 2002: In Afghanistan, Operation Anaconda began on March 1st. Coalition forces land in Eastern Afghanistan via helicopter and engage in battle with Al-Qaeda men. The Battle of Takur Ghar commences on March 3rd, in which US special forces are deployed atop Takur Ghar mountain. Although the troops are initially greeted by a barrage of fire from Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces and there are some causualties, the Special Forces managed to eliminate enemy targets and the battle is considered a victory. Operation Anaconda continued to rage on.

On March 14th, the Homeland Security Act is passed. President Daschle praised the Congress for their confirmation of the Act, and announced his selection of George Tenet, Director of the CIA, to be the Secretary of Homeland Security.

On March 19th, Operation Anaconda concluded in a victory for Coalition forces. Al-Qaeda and Taliban troops are pushed out of the Shahi-Kot Valley and into Pakistan. The United States suffered a total of eight deaths and seventy-nine injuries, while Taliban and Al-Qaeda deaths are estimated to be between 500-900.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 79%
No: 20%
Unsure: 1%

Very good timeline!

Dachsle 2004!

Hey, if oyu will protect America oyu got my vote!

April 2002: The success of Operation Anaconda drove many of the Al-Qaeda forces out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan, which allowed them to reorganize. The Taliban, however, for the most part remained in Afghanistan and moved their operations to mountainous southern provinces. British Royal Marines were called in to chase Taliban forces throughout the mountains.

Back in the United States, on April 16th, George Tenet is confirmed as the Secretary of Homeland Security by a heavy majority of both Republicans and Democrats. The following day, a poll about the support of the War in Afghanistan is released.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 88%
No: 12%

On April 24th, a video of Osama bin Laden denouncing United States operations in Afghanistan is submitted to the US government by Al-Qaeda. In the video, bin Laden says the United States will fall to its knees, just like the Soviet Union, and that terrorist attacks upon US soil would continue until the United States retreated from the Middle East and withdrew its support for Israel. The video was played on major news networks across the country and spawned a great amount of discussion, yet many people pointed out that there was no proof that Osama was still alive and that the video could have been recorded just after the 9/11 attacks.

On April 31st, Pakistani voters approved a referendum that gave Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf a five year term.

May 2002: France re-elects Jacques Chirac as the President of France.

Polls of Tennessee voters indicate that former Vice President Al Gore is the favored over Van Hilleary in the upcoming 2002 Tennessee Gubernatorial Election.

On May 10th, Virginia Senator George Allen, on an interview with Larry King, claimed that he felt the War in Afghanistan had come to a "stand-still." When asked by Larry King if he had considered running for President in 2004, Allen claimed he was "definitely thinking about it."

US and UK forces continued to battle the Taliban in the southern provinces of Afghanistan and on by the Pakistan border, as well. Most Al-Qaeda forces had reorganized in Pakistan and, according to CIA reports, were preparing to launch an offensive on US forces in upcoming months. President Daschle, in the meantime, urged Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to rid Pakistan of all Al-Qaeda forces.

At the end of the month, President Daschle visits France, in an attempt to persuade French President Jacques Chirac to join the effort of fighting against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 77%
No: 23%

June 2002: June began a celebrated victory in the Southern Afghanistan, as US Special Forces destroyed a Taliban supply depot in the Helmand Province. The majority of the Taliban still remained hidden in caves and in the mountains. The destruction of the supply depot nonetheless further crippled the Taliban's efforts to reorganize.

On June 3rd, President Daschle returned from his trip to France. French President Jacques Chirac announced that he would "consider" sending a Special OPs team, in addition to the French troops already under NATO command, to Afghanistan. Many Americans are outraged by the lack of clarity.

Despite the success of pushing the Taliban into caves and furthering advancement on Al-Qaeda, TIME magazine released an issue in mid-June that questioned why Osama bin Laden had not been captured yet and why Al-Qaeda had so easily been able to retreat into Pakistan. The article was met with praise and criticism, with pundits of the latter claiming that the United States had done an extremely good job at disabling terrorist networks.

On June 20th, President Daschle delivered a speech about the progress of the War in Afghanistan. "We have showed the terrorists that we are not afraid to fight for our freedoms and our rights. We have shown them that the United States will strike back. More importantly, we have shown them that we will not fall. Our success has been monumental, our moves bold. Our fight will not stop until we have disbanded the very groups that threaten us."

On June 29th, a car bomb in Kabul killed 16, including one US soldier.

July 2002: German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the White House in the beginning of July for talks with President Daschle.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 76%
No: 24%

On July 9th, Al-Qaeda forces launched an offensive against two US bases in Southern Afghanistan. Although the US Army was able to defend the bases and drive off or kill the majority of the Al-Qaeda attackers, 23 US soldiers were killed and even more were injured. Following the attack, Al-Qaeda leaders released a video, which announced the initiation of a "new Jihad" against American forces.

The July 9th attack on US forces caused military leaders General Tommy Franks, General David Petraeus, and British General Sir Francis Richard Dannat to reorganize troops in Southern Afghanistan. US generals at CENTCOM also developed the plans for Operation Thunder Strike, an operation in which US and UK special forces would be deployed to specific mountain and cave regions of the Zabul and Helmand provinces in an effort to disrupt Taliban and Al-Qaeda command centers.

On July 17th, Operation Thunder Strike commenced. US and UK Special Forces were deployed in various regions of the Zabul and Helmand provinces. The helicopters were greeted by a heavy barrage of enemy fire, with one helicopter even being forced to turn back. Overall, the operation was a mixed bag: in Helmand province, the Taliban were much more fortified and organized than thought, which resulted in a tactical withdrawal of US and UK forces. In the Zabul province, however, US and UK forces managed to push Al-Qaeda and Taliban troops all the way back to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, with many of them crossing into Pakistan. It was undetermined if the US and UK had enough troops in the Zabul province to proprely secure it, however.

On July 18th, the United States began a three-day heavy bombing campaign of the Helmand province.

On July 30th, Secretary of State Kerry announced he will be visiting Afghanistan in August to evaluate and discuss the future of Afghanistan's military.

August 2002: A terror plot to destroy the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles is uncovered and five men with connections to Al-Qaeda are arrested in San Diego. President Daschle in response praised the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Advanced Intelligence Tools and Systems Act. Several Republicans address the fact that future terrorist attacks could happen be inevitable.

On August 12th, US Airways declared bankruptcy.

On August 19th, Secretary of State Kerry arrived in Afghanistan for talks about the future of Afghanistan's military with interim-leader Hamid Karzai.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 84%
No: 14%
Unsure: 2%

I find this timeline very accurate and fun to read, the only thing that bothers me is when I get to the end and there's nothing left to read. Keep updating you have 7 years left...update often pleasse!

This timeline is awesome! Maybe you can evem go past current time! Can't wait for the 04 election!

Thanks for the comments, guys!

September 2002: September opened with chaos in Afghanistan. On September 5th, a car bomb in Kabul killed 30 people, with many more wounded. Only hours later, an assassination attempt was made on interim-leader Hamid Karzai, but it failed. Both events are embodied by Al-Qaeda's declaration of a "new Jihad" against the United States and its allies.

On September 6th, Secretary of State John Kerry announces Afghanistan's plan to build up and develop an national-guard-like force, which would work in conjunction with the United States, to defend its cities and borders from terrorist organizations.

On September 10th, Switzerland finally joined the United Nations.

On September 11th, the United States celebrated the one-year anniversary of 9/11/01

Following several bombing raids of the Helmand province, US Special Forces were deployed into the province in an attempt to drive Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces over into Zabul, which was mostly occupied by the United States. The offensive was quite successful, however Al-Qaeda and the Taliban retreated into a vast network of caves, some of which led across the border to Pakistan. Once again, the US Military was forced to give up its pursuit of the enemy since it could not cross the border.

Back in the United States, several Republicans, including Senators John McCain, Fred Thompson, and Don Nickles began pushing for intervention in Pakistan. Many Republicans even suggested that Pakistan housed more Al-Qaeda targets than Afghanistan, and CIA intelligence did not deny this either. If the United States had military access through Pakistan, Al-Qaeda would have a tough time reorganizing and, additionally, it would be easier to combat the terrorist organization.

October 2002: On the morning of October 2nd, a man was killed by sniper fire in Glenmont Maryland. The next morning, four more people were killed by sniper fire, all victims being within a few miles from each other. That same night, a sixth victim was shot. The Department of Homeland Security, as well as the FBI, immediately began an investigation, and President Daschle issued a statement.

As the second week of the month rolled around, US forces were still battling Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, who had organized several new raids on convoys and outposts in the area. In one instance, a US helicopter had been shot down in the Zabul province, prompting an immediately rescue mission. Back at home, especially in the wake of the Beltway sniper attacks, Republicans were stressing that Americans were still not safe. They were also calling for action in Pakistan. President Daschle invites Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf to the White House, an offer that Musharraf accepts.

The meeting between Daschle and the Pakistani President resulted in President Daschle announcing "At this time, United States intervention in Pakistan would be unnecessary. Pakistani President Musharraf has assured me that his nation, an ally of ours, has already put in motion attacks to repel Al-Qaeda. From the other side of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, we are being aided by our Pakistani allies." The speech was widely criticized. Polls showed President Daschle's approval rating steadily decreasing as the President attempted to determine the next step in the War in Afghanistan.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 67%
No: 33%

On October 24th, the Beltway sniper, identified as John Allen Muhammed, was arrested.

On October 25th, the United States grieved as Senator Paul Wellstone, along with his staff and family, are killed in a horriffic plane crash in Minnesota.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 80%
No: 15%
Unsure: 5%

Moooooooore

Better then real life.

November 2002: November was an eventful month between the 2002 Senate elections, growing pressure to take action in Pakistan, and developing problems in the nation of Iraq. Both the Senate and Gubernatorial elections happened on November 5th.

Senate Election Results, 2002:

Bold indicates a pickup:
Alabama - Jeff Sessions (R) is re-elected over Susan Parker (D)
Alaska - Ted Stevens (R) is re-elected over Frank J. Vondersaar (D)
Arkansas - Mark Pryor (D) is elected over Tim Hutchinson (R)
Colorado - Wayne Allard (R) is re-elected over Tom Strickland (D)
Delaware - Joseph Biden (D) is re-elected over Raymond J. Clatworthy (R)
Florida - C.W. Bill Young (R) is re-elected over Tommy Hazouri (D)*
Georgia - Saxby Chambliss (R) is elected over Max Cleland (D)
Idaho - Larry Craig (R) is re-elected over Alan Blinken (D)
Illinois - Dick Durbin (D) is re-elected over Jim Durkin (R)
Iowa - Tom Harkin (D) is re-elected over Greg Ganske (R)
Kansas - Pat Roberts (R) is re-elected over Steven Rosile (L)
Kentucky - Mitch McConnell (R) is re-elected over Lois Combs Weinberg (D)
Louisiana - Mary Landrieu (D) is re-elected over Suzanne Haik Terrell (R)
Maine - Susan Collins (R) is re-elected over Chellie Pingree (D)
Massachusetts - Barney Frank (D) is re-elected over Michael E. Cloud (L)**
Michigan - Carl Levin (D) is re-elected over Andrew Raczkowski (R)
Minnesota - Norm Coleman (R) defeats Walter Mondale (D)
Mississippi - Thad Cochran (R) is re-elected over Shawn O'Hara (Re.)
Montana - Max Baucus (D) is re-elected over Mike Taylor (R)
Nebraska - Chuck Hagel (R) is re-elected over Charlie Matulka (D)
New Hampshire - John Sununu (R) defeats Jeanne Shaheen (D)
New Jersey - Frank Lautenberg (D) defeats Doug Forrester (R)
New Mexico - Pete Domenici (R) is re-elected over Gloria Tristani (D)
North Carolina - Richard Burr (R) defeats Erskine Bowles
Oklahoma - Jim Inhofe (R) is re-elected over David Walters (D)
Oregon - Gordon Smith (R) is re-elcted over Bill Bradbury (D)
Rhode Island - Jack Reed (D) is re-elected over Robert Tingle (R)
South Carolina - Lindsey Graham (R) defeats Alex Sanders (D)
South Dakota - John Thune (R) is re-elected over Tim Johnson (D)***
Tennessee - Lamar Alexander (R) defeats Bob Clement (D)
Texas - John Cornyn (R) defeats Ron Kirk (D)
Virginia - John Warner (R) is re-elected over Nancy Spannaus (I)
West Virginia - Jay Rockefeller (D) is re-elected over Jay Wolfe (R)
Wyoming - Mike Enzi (R) is re-ekected over Joyce Jansa Corcoran (D)

TOTAL SEATS
Republicans-55
Democrats- 45 (including one Independent)

*C.W. Bill Young, appointed by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, filled Bob Graham's seat (formerly a Democrat seat; doesn't count as a pickup in 2002 elections since he was appointed back in 2001)
** Barney Frank filled John Kerry's seat.
*** John Thune took President Daschle's Senate seat (formerly a Democrat seat; doesn't count as pickup in 2002 elections since he was appointed back in 2001)

Gubernatorial Election Highlights:
California - Bill Simon (R) is narrowly elected over Cruz Bustamante (D)
Tennessee - Former Vice President Al Gore (D) is elected over Van Hilleary (R)
Vermont - Jim Douglas (R) is elected over Doug Racine (D)

On November 8th, the UN Security Council votes unanimously to allow arms inspectors into Iraq. Three days later, on November 11th, Saddam Hussein issued a statement claiming that Iraq would not permit the entry to arms inspectors. The refusal of entry created a great amount of speculation that Iraq had the ability to obtain weapons of mass destruction, and could furthermore be harboring terrorists. Conservatives used the global opinion of Iraq in an attempt to once again question the safety of Americans.

On November 19th, former President Bill Clinton announced that he was considering writing a book about his presidency.

NATIONWIDE POLL
As an American, do you feel safe during your every day life?
Yes: 33%
No: 65%
Unsure: 2%

On November 21st, violence interrupted in Southeastern Afghanistan, as an American convoy is attacked by Al-Qaeda forces. Ten American soldiers are killed by the end of the battle and three convoy vehicles are destroyed. It is predicted that up to one-hundred Al-Qaeda men were responsible for the attack, with around 50% taking casualties.

On November 26th, Rasmussen released a poll showing the amount of support for action in Pakistan:
NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you believe the United States should commense military operations in Pakistan?
Yes: 56%
No: 39%
Unsure: 5%

On November 30th, French President Jacques Chirac announced in Paris that France would not send additional troops into Afghanistan to aid in combating Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. France's approval rating in the United States falls as a result to 35%.

Great timeline, more please.

December 2002: On December 3rd, the UN passed a resolution that proclaimed the right of a team of UN weapons inspectors, led by Hans Blix, to enter Iraq in order to determine the status of Iraq's weapon development.

On December 5th, a CIA report discovered evidence that Osama bin Laden may have been killed during bombing raids on Helmand province back in July. Conflicting evidence, however, pointed to the high probability of bin Laden's escape into Pakistan.

United Airlines, one of the world's biggest airline corporations, filed for bankruptcy on December 9th.

On December 15th, the UN weapons inspection team arrived in Iraq to examine Iraq's weapons. Although the team was not denied access to the country, the team was only allowed to see certain sites and not allowed to visit specific areas. Hans Blix, upon return a few days later, presented his report to the UN, claiming "it is very likely, and probable in my opinion, that Iraq has not followed the rules established by this higher Council, and harbors damaging weapons."

US and UK forces discovered a network of caves along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border that allowed many Al-Qaeda and Taliban men to cross the border.

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

January 2003: 2003 began with the United States Congress being sworn in. Due to the results of the 2002 Senate elections, Republicans held a strong majority of 55 seats, while Democrats held only 45.  Republicans continued to push for action in Pakistan. Newly-elected Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss is quoted saying "Personally, I do not believe this government is doing all it can to rid the Middle East of terrorism." In his State of the Union address, President Daschle highlighted several countries, including Iraq and Pakistan, as threats to nations around the globe and explained, "Although we now face growing threats from emerging unstable nations, such as Pakistan and Iraq, our spirit and patriotism will not dim. The challenges we face in Afghanistan will still be felt at home. In this dark hour, our cooperation with governments around the world, including Pakistan, proves essential as we combat our foes." The State of the Union, while well-received by Democrats, was heavily critcized by Republicans, especially since the President put so much faith in the Pakistani government and failed to comment on Iraq.

On January 5th, seven terrorists are arrested in London for attempting to kill people by expelling ricin poison into London's underground subway.

US troops in Afghanistan combat Al-Qaeda forces and seize more than 300 rockets, all of which are believed to have been smuggled into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

Space Shuttle 'Columbia' is launched on January 16th.

The UN Security Council informed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein that he has 30 days to release all details of his weapons programs or face the consequences.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge surprised the nation on January 29th by announcing in Philadelphia that he definitely would be running for President in 2004. Ridge was so far the only person to formally announce his or her candidicy.

More more more more more more please:)

February 2003: February began with trajedy as the Space Shuttle 'Columbia' disentigrated upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere on February 1st. The disaster killed all 7 of the crew and scattered debris across the Southwestern United States.

Vice President Dean, who had widely remained uninvolved with diplomacy in the Middle East, traveled to Pakistan on February 3rd to participate in discussion with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The topic of the discussion was not disclosed by Dean or Daschle, but the media viewed it as the United States' step forward towards intervention in Pakistan. Dean returned back to the United States only three days later and, during a press conference, claimed that "Pakistan and the United States are still side-by-side in the fight against terrorist networks and additional strategies are being examined."


Tom Ridge, the only Republican to announce his candidacy for President in 2004, began campaigning in Iowa. Ridge had announced his bid extremely early, though he claimed that the timing of his announcement would allow his to prepare for his run. Early polls showed Daschle ahead of Ridge by an average of twelve points. Ridge explained that he felt the poll was very premature.

NATIONWIDE POLL
If the 2004 Presidential Election were held today, would you vote for President Daschle or Tom Ridge?
Daschle: 55%
Ridge: 43%
Undecided: 2%

Despite the President's lead over the only GOP contender, however, Daschle's approval rating continued to decline. By mid-February, polls recorded his approval rating just under 60%, with the heaviest concentration of disapproval coming from Southern states.

A resurgence of Taliban activity along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border around February 18th resulted in a heavy US troop presence along the Southern end of the border.

On February 20th, the UN announced that it would be placing sanctions on Iraq due to a lack of cooperation on Iraq's part and failure to issue reports of weapons programs. All connections and diplomatic relations between the UN and Iraq were severed.

Ten US soldiers were killed when two Blackhawk helicopters were shot down in Eastern Afghanistan, by the Pakistan border.

March 2003: The United States launched 2 U-2 spy planes over Iraq in an attempt to gain intellegence about the country's weapon programs. While the planes were unable to find any 'weapons of mass destruction,' several weapons and missile depots are located.

Beginning on March 6th, the new Afghanistan Guard Force is deployed in Kabul. 25% of American forces from Kabul are deployed to Southern Afghanistan, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

On March 11th, the "Do-Not-Call Implementation Act" is passed by Congress. The act is the first piece of legislation approved by the new Congress.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 79%
No: 21%

Republican cries for increased intervention in the Middle East became louder, too. There was a lot of tension along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces were using Pakistan as a means of escape from US troops. President Daschle, however, remained firm on his stance of no US intervention in the country, which angered the majority of Republicans.

On March 15th, the FBI and Chicago PD arrest four terrorists in Englewood who were planning to destroy the Sears Tower. All men were carrying C4 explosives but, more troubling, was that they were identified as part of a Pakistani chapter of Al-Qaeda. The arrest fuels more calls for action in Pakistan.

To make matters worse, on March 19th, US and UK troops pursued and then killed Al-Qaeda men across the border and into Pakistan. Although the troops claimed that they were unaware that they had crossed the border, the event spurs outrage among many Pakistanis. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was also outraged by the incident. US Generals insisted that since the border was not always clear, the troops did not know they had crossed. The Daschle administration now faced greater pressure to intervene in Pakistan more than ever.

On March 26th, Elizabeth Dole resigned her position as Secretary of Labor. Although she claimed that it was due to the fact she planned on making a run for North Carolina Governor in 2004, many believed that it was in protest to the Daschle administration's inability to intervene in Pakistan. Daschle nominated Marcy Kaptur (OH) to fill Dole's position.

April 2003: Things began spinning out of hand beginning in April. NATO forces were still involved in battling the Taliban and Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan; minor clashes continued to break out along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; Pakistan still had not taken strong action on cracking down on Al-Qaeda; and Iraq continued to ignore the UN.

Marcy Kaptur was confirmed by Congress on April 4th.

Saddam Hussein made his first appearance since the UN sanctions were placed on Iraq. Before a crowd of Iraqis, Saddam denounced the United States, Israel, and UN. He also noted the presence of the United States in Afghanistan as a "shame" and predicted that the United States would fail in Afghanistan, just as the Soviets had failed many decades earlier. Additionally, Saddam announced that Iraq was fully prepared to "wipe Israel off the map" if NATO forces invaded Iraq.

In response to Saddam's address, President Daschle called a summit with other global leaders. Tony Blair, Gerhard Schröder, Jacques Chirac, and José María Aznar all attended. At the summit, the leaders discussed the best way to deal with Iraq. French President Jacques Chirac promised that France would veto any decision to invade Iraq via the U.N., a move that especially angered Daschle and Blair. By the end of the summit, nothing had been agreed upon. Both Blair and Daschle were hesitant to invade Iraq, but agreed that a bombing campaign in the near future would be the best bet.

As US troops rushed to secure the Southern provinces of Afghanistan, a series of attacks by the Taliban slowed progress. In one instance, a car bomb parked in the small village of Kutmah killed five US troops.

On April 14th, the Human Genome Project, regarded by scientists as a major step in the field of science, is completed.

On April 18th, George Tenet, the Secretary of Homeland Security, announced that another terrorist attack before the 2004 election was "not likely, and definitely not inevitable."

Republican candidate Tom Ridge made his first visit to New Hampshire in an attempt to rally support for the 2004 election.

On April 27th, President Daschle and Tony Blair addressed the United Nations and explained that action against Iraq had to be taken in order to maintain the safety of Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. As a result, the UN issued another ultimatum to Iraq, calling for Saddam to step down as leader of Iraq and weapons reports to be issued by May 10th. 

Congress passed the PROTECT Act, which revolved around preventing child abuse, by an overwhelming majority on April 30th.

May 2003: United States troops continued to clash with Al-Qaeda along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. More Blackhawk helicopters are deployed along the border.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 58%
No: 40%
Unsure: 2%

On an interview with Larry King, former Presidential candidate and Texas Governor George W. Bush states that he will not be running for President in the 2004 election.

May 10th arrived and Iraq still had not followed through on the United Nation's demands. Saddam, instead, once again condemned the United Nations, as well as the U.S. and U.K. Additionally, he restated his threat to Israel if NATO troops invaded Iraq. In response to the speech, Israel began to mobilize some of its army divisions.

Violence erupted in India on May 12th as a Pakistani terrorist organization affiliated with Al-Qaeda attacks the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Rajasthan, India. Although the buildings were not damaged nor were any of its residents injured, several Indian guards are killed. The attack sparks outrage among the Indian people, both in Indian and abroad.

As Pakistan grew increasingly unstable and Al-Qaeda's presence increaesd in the Northwestern part of the country, President Daschle demanded that Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf take control of the nation.

On May 25th, Virginia Senator George Allen announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination in 2004 in Iowa. "In a threatening world, this country needs a leader who isn't afraid to take the necessary steps to stop terrorism and secure the safety of this country. America, I am your man."

I should have the next update by later today or tomorrow. The 2004 Republican Primaries are coming soon.

Very good. Keep it up.

June 2003: The United States joined many other nations in France for the 29th G8 Summit from June 1st to June 3rd. Remaining Taliban factions in Afghanistan increased attacks upon NATO and US soldiers in protest to the summit. The Summit was greeted by a large amount of protesting.

Congress passed the Job Growth and Tax Reinvestment Act of 2003, which revolved around creating new jobs via implementing new taxing strategies. Only 8 Democrats voted for the bill, with the majority voting against it. President Daschle vetoed it and asked Congress to "redesign" it. The move angered several Republicans.

The New York Times released an article discussing the possibility of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, citing that the most likely location was Pakistan.

On June 16th, in D.C., Missouri Senator John Ashcroft announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination. "We are entering times that call for a real leader - a different kind of leader. In a changing world, we must be prepared and we must be ready to combat our foes. It is for that reason, that I am hereby declaring my candidacy."

Inital polls among Republicans showed Allen being the favored candidate nationally over Ashcroft and Ridge.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which GOP candidate will you support in the 2004 election?
Allen: 35%
Ashcroft: 29%
Ridge: 23%
Other: 3%
Unsure: 10%

Republicans began realizing, however, that despite the fact that President Daschle's approval ratings hovered between 50 and 55%, they would not have such an easy time beating him unless they had candidates with experience on the ticket. Marc Racicot, the Republican National Committee Chairman, privately encouraged bids from "older" Senators and Governors.

On June 27th, Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn announced his candidacy for President in Nevada. Guinn, who was barely known outside of Nevada, let alone the West Coast, was considered, however, by some political anaylists to be a Dark Horse. "He definitely has potential if he plays his cards right,"one CNN analyst explained.

President Daschle and Tony Blair met at the end of June in London to determine what to do with Iraq once more. They finally decided on a bombing campaign in mid-July if Saddam's tactics did not cease.

At the end of June, President Daschle's approval ratings were recorded at 53% - the lowest during his entire presidency.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President Daschle?
Yes: 53%
No: 45%
Unsure: 2%

July 2003: Secretary of the Treasury Alan Krueger announced that the economy would begin to improve in the next few months.

Governor Guinn and Senator Ashcroft both begin their campaigns by visiting Iowa.

Initial polls showed Allen and, surprisingly, Guinn as the best candidates in a match-up against Daschle.

NATIONWIDE POLL
If the 2004 election were held today between President Daschle and Senator Allen, who would you vote for?
Daschle: 53%
Allen: 47%

NATIONWIDE POLL
If the 2004 election were held today between President Daschle and Governor Guinn, who would you vote for?
Daschle: 54%
Guinn: 46%

Riots erupted in Pakistan on July 12th as the Pakistani people began realizing that their government was doing next to nothing to combat growing terrorist factions, especially in Northwestern Pakistan.

On the night of July 14th, only ten minutes before President Daschle was planning to order the commencement of the Iraq bombing campaign, he received a troubling phone call. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf had been assassinated in Islamabad. The country descended into chaos as several leaders struggled for control over the country. On the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Al-Qaeda launched a daring offensive against US troops.

The following day, an immediate and urgent session of Congress was called, during which the Pakistan Intervention Act was both submitted and passed overwhelmingly. Following the word to proceed into Pakistan by President Daschle, U.S. generals ordered American troops to cross the very border they had been forced to look over for the past year.

UK troops also joined the offensive into Pakistan. Germany promised to send additional troops. France, on the other hand, announced it would not any more troops. NATO announced it would hold a meeting to determine whether the intervention in Pakistan was needed.

On July 21st, former presidential candidate and Arizona Senator John McCain announced in Phoenix that he would also be running for president. McCain, who had been defeated by Bush in the Republican primaries in 2000, brought a new look to his campaign this time. "A few years ago, I stood here before you, explaining that we must stop wasteful spending and take control of our country before we watch it spiral out of control. When we elected our current president, we hoped things would change. But they have not. My friends, let us move this country forward as we combat our enemies." John McCain also brought his war experience to the table, as well.

The decision to intervene in Pakistan boosted President Daschle's approval rating back up to 60%, though with an unfinished battle in Afghanistan, a cloudy fight in Pakistan, and an increasingly unstable Iraq, nobody knew for sure how long a 60% approval rating would last.

MCCAIN 2004!! WOOT!!

Very Very Very Very Good.!

Thanks for the comments!

August 2003: "At this time, we begin a new chapter of our war against terrorism. Our troops march onto Pakistan soil to protect people across the world, from the corners of Asia, to the sweeping jungles of South America, and everywhere in between, including our beloved homeland, from terrorist threats. I know a heavy burden now rests upon our shoulders, but I am asking for your support as we combat those who wish to destroy us, and I promise that we will walk to victory." The beginning of the month was marked by such an address to the United States by President Daschle. Clashes between US troops and Al-Qaeda soared in Pakistan, as the United States' crossing of the border put almost all of Al-Qaeda's supply depots in jeopardy.

President Daschle, during a telephone conference with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, asks Vajpayee to not intervene in the situation in Pakistan, out of fear of escalation, but to remain vigilant on the Indian-Pakistan border. The Prime Minister agrees.

On August 3rd, former Vice Presidential candidate and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination.

Early Republican polls of the candidates showed McCain and Allen virtually tied. GOP strategists pushed for the entrance of a Republican from the Deep South, in an attempt to rally the base in the 2004 election, but nobody stepped up to the plate.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 31%
Allen: 30%
Guinn: 19%
Ashcroft: 10%
Ridge: 7%
Thompson: 3%

On August 14th, US and UK troops reached a heavy Al-Qaeda stronghold outside Peshawar and a week-long battle ensued, with as many as 35 US casualties. The battle proved to be a victory for the United States nonetheless, however. On the same day, a widespread power-outage disabled power for millions in the Northeastern United States.

On August 17th, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions announced his bid for the presidency in Alabama. Sessions was the Deep South candidate the GOP desired.

Session's entry into the GOP race completely mixed things up. Many Southerners were split between voting for McCain, Allen, and Sessions. Polls recording for the GOP primary began on August 20th, and it quickly became obvious how uncertain the race would be.

NATIONWIDE GOP POLL - AUGUST 20 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
Allen: 25.2%
McCain: 24.6%
Sessions: 20.5%
Guinn: 12.9%
Ridge: 8.1%
Ashcroft: 5.6%
Thompson: 3.1%

All candidates had begun their campaigning in either Iowa or New Hampshire, or both. The first GOP Primary debate was only a few months away and each candidate scrambled to get as much support as they could.

At the end of August, NATO command decided that it would deploy troops into Pakistan, but only into regions that had been "secured." France bitterly protested the decision at first, which angered Americans, Democrat and Republican alike. NATO command's participation, however, would allow US troops to advance more quickly.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 58%
No: 40%
Unsure: 2%

On August 30th, Secretary of State Kerry made another visit to Afghanistan to meet with U.S. troops and determine the status of Afghanistan's Guard Force.

hmmm.. might have to re-think my endorsement of Dachsle. Amazing timeline, keep writing!

This is a good timeline GLP, seems like Daschle will be vulnerable especially with the 12 year curse running against. The Republican's are pretty good at getting the Previous election's runner up a shot at the nomination the next go around. Although I kinda would like to see Jack Kemp make a final go at the Presidency. Keep it comming

Imagine if Allen has his Macaca moment two years earlier..

Anything is possible...

Thanks for the comments, guys. Next update will probably be tomorrow!

September 2003: As the Taliban in Afghanistan launched offensives from a series of caves along the border, the United States launched Operation Stingray, in which US troops flanked the hidden Taliban forces from Pakistan. The operation was hailed as successful, and even resulted in the capture of several top Taliban leaders.

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was passed.

All the GOP candidates viciously campaigned in Iowa as the beginning of Primary season began to close in. Allen and McCain were still virtually tied nationally. Ridge, on the other hand, campaigned heavily in New Hampshire, hoping to swing the state in his favor when the New Hampshire Primary arrived.

On September 10th, the first GOP Primary Debate was held. The debate's major issue was the wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as an increasingly unstable Iraq, but the economy was mentioned, as well. McCain, Sessions, and Guinn were viewed as the winners of the debate. Viewers claimed that Allen had come off as unprepared and clumsy.

NATIONWIDE POLL - SEPTEMBER 12 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 26.4%
Sessions: 25.1%
Allen: 19.4%
Guinn: 12.9%
Ridge: 10.4%
Ashcroft: 3.6%
Thompson: 2.2%

The poll on September 12th proved that McCain and Sessions now led the pack. Ashcroft's campaign had lost tons of support as prospective voters flocked to other camps. Former Vice Presidential candidate Tommy Thompson had not picked up nearly as much support as he had hoped, but stayed in the race anyway. It was soon realized, however, that Guinn's presence in the race took away potential McCain supporters.

Afghanistan's Guard Force is increased in Kabul, as more US troops are deployed to the Peshawar.

On September 20th, chaos broke out in Islamabad when three car bombs are detonated in a marketplace, killing more than 100 people.

CIA reports confirmed the presence of Al-Qaeda bases to the far West of Islamabad. President Daschle ordered the immediate air strike of these bases. The air strike only proved to be somewhat successful.

On Meet the Press, Alabama Senator Sessions claimed, "I am unhappy with the way this country is being run. I think this administration has done an awful job of pursuing those who have attacked us. We still have not captured Osama bin Laden, in fact, we have no idea where he even is."

On September 23rd, Vice President Dean announced that the United States hoped to have all US troops out of Afghanistan, with the exception of border patrols and minor security forces, by December 2004. While Democrats praised the plan, some Republicans, including Senator Sessions and Governor Ridge, criticized it as "too optimistic."

By the end of the month, it became apparent to President Daschle that he was faced with a difficult situation. Despite overwhelming praise and approval of the wars in Afghanistan and, to a lesser extent, Pakistan, Republican criticism was still tearing at his approval rating. In just the month of September, Daschle had seen his approval rating drop from 58% to 54%.

October 2003: With autumn in full swing, McCain and Sessions continued to duel for first place in the polls. The first of several Iowa polls was released, showing Sessions, McCain, and Guinn at a virtual tie. Surely, the GOP primary season was beginning to look like a long one.

IOWA POLL - OCTOBER 2 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
Sessions: 23.5%
McCain: 23.1%
Guinn: 22.5%
Allen: 16.2%
Thompson: 8.2%
Ridge: 5.1%
Ashcroft: 1.4%

Thompson's edge over Ridge and Ashcroft was not surprising, since Thompson had campaigned with Bush in the previous election and the two had only narrowly lost the state to the Daschle/Dean ticket. Allen, who didn't come off as prepared and friendly as Sessions, McCain, and Guinn, still hoped to at least come in second.

On October 21st, Larry King interviewed President Daschle at the White House for a 2-hour special. During the interview, Daschle explained, "You know it's odd; I never expected to be a war-time President. But, I guess very few men do. There are certainly things that I would do differently if I had to do it over again, but I think our success in Afghanistan and Pakistan speaks for itself, not to mention that our Department of Homeland Security has done an excellent job of preventing other terrorist attacks."

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 60%
No: 37%
Unsure: 3%

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 78%
No: 22%

As October came to a close, there was another GOP primary debate. Viewers unanimously agreed that McCain was easily the victor, with Sessions coming in a close second, and Allen in third. Many argued that Guinn came off as too senile. Despite Sessions' consistent lead in Iowa, McCain led nationally. But would the Arizona Senator be able to hold his small lead?

NATIONWIDE POLL - OCTOBER 30 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 27.0%
Sessions: 25.8%
Allen: 20.2%
Guinn: 11.2%
Ridge: 10.2%
Ashcroft: 3.1%
Thompson: 2.5%

Any comments/suggestions before I continue? Big update coming soon, including the Iowa Caucus.

Hmm the Iowa Caucus should be interesting...Im guessing Sessions might take it from old Johnny Boy, who should win New Hampshire.

I endorse Governor Guinn of Nevada, for the Presidency in 2004 :) and if hel oses, than I will support Macaca Allen.

November 2003: Fighting in both Afghanistan and Pakistan seemed to arrive at two-month standstill at the beginning of November. Both US and terrorist forces reorganized as an extremely harsh winter began to sweep through Northern Pakistan and Southern Afghanistan. Despite the coldness, NATO Command took the opportunity to move into the regions West of Peshawar that had been secured.

On the GOP campaign trail, Ridge continued to campaign heavily in New Hampshire, while the other candidates all focused on Iowa. The most recent Iowa poll indicated that Sessions was still barely ahead of McCain. On November 11th, during a Meet the Press interview, Senator McCain stated, "I have a great deal of confidence in my supporters and campaign-raising efforts and I'd like to think that both will propel me to victory in Iowa."

IOWA POLL - NOVEMBER 10 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
Sessions: 23.7%
McCain: 23.2%
Guinn: 20.9%
Allen: 14.0%
Thompson: 8.1%
Ridge: 5.2%
Ashcroft: 4.9%

Both Allen and Guinn had lost support, while, surprisingly, Ashcroft had gained a small amount of momentum. The Missouri Senator was still in last, however, but vowed to stay in the race, even if it landed his campaign in debt.

On November 18th, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled anti-same-sex marriage laws unconstitutional.

US forces captured Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. In the United States, Attorney General Gray Davis announced that Khalid would be tried in the United States.

December 2003: With only a month left before the Iowa Caucus, all the GOP candidates focused on finalizing and solidifying their leads. Sessions still had a small lead over McCain in Iowa, but McCain held his lead nationally. Polls found that Sessions was more favored in the South, while McCain appealed more to voters in the North and Guinn to voters in the Midwest. The West, on the other hand, seemed to be split between Guinn and McCain.

On December 4th, Pakistani Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the supposed successor of President Pervez Musharraf, was assassinated in Islamabad. More riots broke out across the capital city.

At a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on December 8th, Senator Sessions explained, "It is time for us to take back our country from Democrat rule. Twelve years of the same pointless policies have done us little good. As we wage war against our enemies, we waste millions of dollars here at home - money that could be used to finance our operations in the Middle East."

December was also marked by several notable endorsements. Endorsements for Governor Guinn included Senator John Ensign, Senate Majority Whip Mitch McConnell, Senator Wayne Allard, and Senator Sam Brownback. McCain on the other hand, received several endorsements, most notable ones from Senators Chambliss, Kyl, and Hutchison. Both Allen and Sessions received a few endorsements, as well. The two major endorsements that many people were waiting on, however, were those of former presidential candidate George W. Bush and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.

On December 12th, Paul Martin is elected Prime Minister of Canada.

The first New Hampshire Primary poll was released, showing startling results:

NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - DEC 13 2003
Which GOP candidate do you support for President?
McCain: 25.2%
Ridge: 22.4%
Allen: 19.6%
Sessions: 14.2%
Guinn: 10.6%
Thompson: 5.6%
Ashcroft: 4.4%

Ridge's constant campaigning in the Granite State had boosted him all the way to second in the poll. Although the primary was still a month away, the results gave Ridge a reason to be happy - and for Guinn, Allen, and Sessions to be nervous.

As Americans throughout the nation celebrated Christmas, Hannukah, and other holidays, President Daschle found his approval rating at its lowest ever: 51%

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Daschle?
Yes: 51%
No: 48%
Unsure: 3%

As 2003 ended, the President found himself faced with two wars in the Middle East, an unstable Iraq, growing GOP competition, and a declining approval rating.


January 2004: 2004 and the Iowa Caucus seemed to begin at the same time. No more than a week after the New Years celebrations had stopped, voters in Iowa gathered to select their favorite candidate. On January 5th, the Republican Iowa Caucus was held.

IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS - REPUBLICAN
Winner: Arizona Senator John McCain
()

Results:
McCain: 24.3%
Sessions: 22.9%
Guinn: 20.1%
Allen: 15.2%
Thompson: 7.3%
Ridge: 7.1%
Ashcroft: 3.1%

McCain had surprisingly edged out Sessions in a close race. Both Thompson and Ashcroft, due to poor performance and a lack of funds, thanked their supporters and dropped out immediately after the results were posted. Ridge vowed to stay in. Guinn, Allen, and Sessions all gave speeches, all of which explained that despite the setback in Iowa, they were confident about winning in New Hampshire. The last speech of the night was given by the winner, John McCain. In his victory speech, McCain explained, "This is what we've been waiting for, my friends. Let us march to victory in New Hampshire, just as we did here. Our campaign will not end here; it only begins here!" McCain's speech was met by roars of applause and cheers.

As the GOP candidates raced towards the Northeast, more violence broke out in Pakistan as US troops entered the city of Quetta. Many new anti-West terrorist factions had now joined the fight against the invading Coalition forces. Meanwhile, in Kabul, more German divisions were deployed.

As mid-January approached, the New Hampshire Primary was closing in.

Solid update GLP, After researching some of the GOP Candidates whom Im not to familar with, I had no such Idea Sessions was souch a vieled Racist, that will really come back to bite him in the ass during the campaign. The Moderate Governor Guinn could possibly take New Hampshire away from ol Johnny Boy. Can't wait to see what happens in the lead up to Super Tuesday, Keep it comming

I'm curious, where oyu find out that Sessions was a racist?

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

Amazing updates.

Sessions `04!

I withdraw my support for the tax-loving Guinn.

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."

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?

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!"

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

Go  George Allen!

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

Another excellent update.
Sessions! `04

Very interesting, please continue.

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.

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.

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."


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.

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

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.

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%

Woot Woot! I smell a Sessions comeback! :D

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

Go Sessions!

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.

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.

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.

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 !!!!!!!!

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.

"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."

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.

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.

McCain-Coleman 2004 ! Pick Coleman!

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

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

Please no Cheney...*holds pillow tightly*

Ditto, can't wait to see.

Is Watts a congressman still in this TL or did he retire in 2002 like in RL?

He's still in Congress

yay!

June 2004: Tragedy gripped the nation in the beginning of June as former President Ronald Reagan passed away on June 5th. Reagan, who was commonly hailed by Republicans as one of the most successful presidents of the 20th century, was 93 years-old. On the campaign trail, John McCain commented, "While it is a shame to see such an honorable man die, it is wonderful to see how much a man can accomplish during his presidency."

Throughout the nation, Democrats and Republicans alike were still wondering who McCain would choose as his vice president. Several analysts predicted a McCain/Collins ticket, in an effort for McCain to steal votes from Daschle in the Northeast and catch the women vote. Would the Republican base, however, vote for a ticket with two moderates? Those who opposed the idea of a McCain/Collins ticket turned towards a McCain/Hutchison or McCain/Watts ticket, both of which would be extremely unique and would capture the base of the GOP. Finally, there were people who believed that McCain would attempt to westernize the party and select popular California Governor Bill Simon.

Outside of the traditional red and blue, Ralph Nader, who had declared his candidacy months before, announced his selection of Peter Camejo as his running mate in early June. Nader, who was running as a Reform-USA Party candidate, was expected to receive more votes than he had as a Green Party candidate in 2000, but still less than 3%. Nader, who argued that both McCain and Daschle would be poor choices for President, campaigned in several states, mostly in the Northeast and Midwest.

From June 10th - June 14th, several state polls were released, showing the results of the Daschle-McCain matchup.

MISSOURI POLL - JUNE 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
McCain: 54.0%
Daschle: 44.2%
Other: 1.8

NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - JUNE 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 50.7%
McCain: 47.2%
Other: 2.1%

NEVADA POLL - JUNE 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
McCain: 52.1%
Daschle: 46.0%
Other: 1.9%

OHIO POLL - JUNE 12 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
McCain: 50.6%
Daschle: 47.9%
Other: 1.5%

WASHINGTON POLL - JUNE 14 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2000 Presidential Election?
Daschle: 51.5%
McCain: 46.7%
Other: 1.8%

Towards the end of the month, enough polls had been collected for analysts to make a battleground map.

President Daschle began his re-election campaign on June 21st. Beginning with a stop in Columbus, Ohio, Daschle made several stops throughout the Midwest and West. "I realize that our country has been through some tough times in the past few years, and that none of us asked for this, but we are making progress in the Middle East as we combat our enemies. To reverse our military policies now would only result in more chaos."

July 2004: At the beginning of the month, John McCain announced that he would choose select his VP candidate by the end of the month. On the campaign trail, McCain continued to blast Daschle and the President's policies. "Never before has this country seen such a ridiculous deficit. Again and again, we are faced with the meaningless term of 'progress.' I'm asking you this: what progress have we made? How is our country better off now that it used to be?"

On July 4th, as the nation celebrated Independence Day, construction of the much-anticipated Freedom Tower in Manhattan began.

On July 8th, Germany announced that, due to a strong presence of Afghanistan Guard troops, it would be pulling all troops out of Afghanistan by October 2004. German troops in NATO and Pakistan would remain, however, until further notice.

NATIONWIDE POLL - JULY 10 2004
If the United States Presidential Election was held today, who would you vote for?
Daschle: 49.9%
McCain: 47.6%
Other: 2.5%

On July 12th, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the United States for discussion with President Daschle about operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Blair was given a warm welcome by the American people. During his stay in the US, Blair also met with McCain.

By mid July, the majority of Islamabad had been secured by US and UK forces. Fighting in the Northeastern quadrant of the city continued, however, and the US had no choice but to use air support in an effort to kill the remaining terrorist factions. Unfortunately, several bombs dropped by US planes hit schools and apartment buildings. One article in the New York Times estimated that in just one week around 60 innocent people had been killed.

On July 30th, after what seemed to be a very quick month despite vicious campaign attacks and chaos in the Middle East, Senator McCain greeted a large crowd in Phoenix. The Republican National Convention was only a few days away, and McCain supporters across the nation were ecstatic as the Senator walked out to the podium, where he announced that his running mate was Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The selection of Hutchison was seen as brilliant. Not only would it capture the vote of women across the country, but it also secured the base of the party and those who had questioned McCain's moderate stances. Several news stations praised Hutchison's record, with one FOX News reporter calling her "by far one of the greatest senators this nation has seen." Hutchison thanked McCain for the selection and explained she would be honored to serve on the same ticket. With the Republican Convention only a few days away in New York City, the McCain/Hutchison ticket marched to the Big Apple.

McCain/Hutchison!!!! McCain/Hutchison!!!!!!

The Heat is on...McCain/Hutchinson vs Daschle/Dean, All systems are go for the General Election.

Go McCain!

Thanks for the comments, guys. Unfortunately, since I'm going back to college soon, updates will become more rare. But, no worries, I plan on continuing this TL at least until modern day. Next update should be within the next week, maybe the next few days if I can crank it out. 

August 2004: The Republican National Convention began in New York City on August 1st.  Overall, there were several notable speakers, including former presidential candidate George Bush, Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman,California Governor Bill Simon, and Elizabeth Dole. The convention began with a keynote address from Senator Richard Burr, who called for "utmost change in a declining White House." On the second day, loud and roarous applause greeted Senator Hutchison, as she made her way to the podium to give her address.
"Thank you! Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I stand before you tonight not only as a woman of the Republican party, but as a woman who loves her country. Having assumed office in 1993, in the first year of the Clinton administration, I have seen this country wither and wilt during the past fifteen years of Democrat rule. Our surplus has been turned into a deficit and we blindly fight two wars and search frantically for a terrorist fugitive that we cannot seem to find. It is time to bring back the years of Reagan and Bush. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time to take our country back."

People jumped to their feet with applause as the Texas Senator waved thank you and goodbye to the audience. Hutchison had managed to attract both the base of the party, moderates, and women. On the following day, the same energetic crowed greeted Senator McCain.
"We have reached a crossroads, my friends, where three terms of Democratic rule has left us with weak leadership and growing hate across the world. We, along with our allies, have been attacked because our country is built on the basis of freedom. The current administration has hesitated with combating the same enemies that have killed Americans on our own soil. A McCain administration will not cower when facing foes, and will not hesitate to protect the rights and liberties of Americans. Don't put your liberties in harm's way for another four years."

Following the convention, several polls showed a spike in support for the McCain/Hutchison ticket over the Daschle/Dean ticket. The Republicans, at least for now, had managed to move ahead of the President.

NATIONWIDE POLL - AUGUST 9 2004
If the Presidential Election was held today, who would you for vote?
McCain/Hutchison: 51.9%
Daschle/Dean: 46.1%
Other: 2.0%

MICHIGAN POLL - AUGUST 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
Daschle/Dean: 50.5%
McCain/Hutchison: 48.2%
Other: 1.3%

OHIO POLL - AUGUST 11 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain/Hutchison: 52.0%
Daschle/Dean: 46.1%
Other: 1.9%

PENNSYLVANIA POLL - AUGUST 11 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain/Hutchison: 49.2%
Daschle/Dean: 49.2%
Other: 1.6%

On August 13th, the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens began. On the same day, Hurricane Charley, an intense Category 4 hurricane, slams into Florida, killing around 27 people.

On a FOX Interview, Georgia Senator Zell Miller (D) commented that he strongly disapproved of President Daschle's handling on the War in Pakistan and the situation in Iraq. Miller was later on criticized by liberals for his remarks and strong backing of the Republican Party.

With only a little over a week left until the Democratic National Convention in Boston, President Daschle and Vice President Dean continued to campaign in the West and Midwest. Polls continued to indicate that the 2004 election would be a tight one, and Daschle would have an uphill battle to fight if he wanted to top the Republican's performance at their convention in New York City.

On August 20th, chaos erupted in Islamabad as Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces launched a full-out offensive on US troops from outside the city. The offensive, while unsuccessful, managed to distract US troops from continuing Search & Clear operations in the Northeast quadrant of the city.

On August 30th, the Democratic National Convention began in Boston. The keynote address was delivered by Illinois Representative Barack Obama, who was running for a Senate seat in the upcoming election. Obama defended Daschle's war stances and identified Republican attacks against the party and administration as "ludicrous and dishonest." Other speakers included Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy, Tennessee Governor and former Vice President Al Gore, Delaware Senator Joe Biden, and more. Vice President Dean gave his address on the second day.
"These past few years have been extremely different than expected, I don't think anyone can argue against that. The attack on our country has prompted us to take military action in the various locations throughout the world that house those who attacked us. In an attempt to get their own shot at leading the attack against terrorists, some have criticized our effort as weak. In such unpatriotic instances, we must put faith in our neighbors, our friends, our government, and our troops. This country has always defeated those who threaten us, and this battle is no different." The following day, President Daschle delivered his address to thunderous claps and standing ovations.
"I once mentioned during an interview that I never expected to be a wartime President, and this is true. Noentheless, my friends, we have been thrust into a battle with a foe that refuses to surrender until it is has been destroyed. Our fight has been long, yes, but our progress has been vast. Not only have we destroyed countless bases and operations facilities, but we have managed to transform a once-terrorist run country into a hopeful, young democratic nation. Those who say that progress is limited clearly have not been watching or listening. We will combat our foes until they reach that moment of defeat." The President had indeed succeeded in holding on to a good amount of moderates' support, but the real question was whether it would be enough.

Gallup released another Daschle-McCain matchup poll was released at the end of the month, and McCain was still ahead.

NATIONWIDE POLL - AUGUST 31 2004
If the Presidential Election was held today, who would you for vote?
McCain/Hutchison: 52.6%
Daschle/Dean: 45.4%
Other: 2.0%

Nice update on the conventions GLP, Can't wait to see what happens in the Debate, as I assume that Nader wont be invited in?

September 2004: With the election only two months away, Daschle and McCain spent most of their time campaigning wherever they could. McCain did a four state tour through Florida, Georgia, Tennesee, and Virginia, while Daschle moved to the West, in an effort to try and gain votes in Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado.

Attacks in Islamabad seemed to briefly conclude in the beginning of the month, as terrorist factions across the city retreated to reorganize. The Military estimated that roughly 60% of the city was under control with "no threat." Nonetheless, as the nation struggled to find a leader, small pockets of violence erupted throughout the city. In the southern regions of Pakistan, US and UK troops began moving further into the country, meeting little resistance on their way.

On September 10th, the day before the three-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, several new state polls on the presidential election were released.

ARIZONA POLL - SEPTEMBER 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain/Hutchison: 60.3%
Daschle/Dean: 38.9%
Other: 0.8%

MAINE POLL - SEPTEMBER 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
McCain/Hutchison: 50.1%
Daschle/Dean: 48.0%
Other: 1.9%

NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - SEPTEMBER 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
Daschle/Dean: 50.2%
McCain/Hutchison: 47.8%
Other: 2.0%

NEW MEXICO POLL - SEPTEMBER 10 2004
Which presidential candidate will you support in the 2004 Presidential Election?
Daschle/Dean: 50.6%
McCain/Hutchison: 47.7%
Other: 1.7%

On September 13th, the U.S. Weapons Assault Ban expired. President Daschle announced that he would review the ban and determine whether he wished for it to be reinstated.

On September 15th, it was announced that Reform-USA Party candidate Ralph Nader would not be allowed to participate in the the first presidential debate on September 30th. Nader, who was outraged, called for direct action from his supporters. "This situation describes everything that is wrong with this country. I am appalled," Nader stated. Nonetheless, the decision was final. Nader, in turn, pushed hard for his name to be on the ballot in every state.

On September 20th, a car bomb in Kabul kills 30 Afghanistan guard troops. The attack is seen as the most violent occurrence in Kabul in over four months.

Towards the end of the month, after compiling the data collected by several polls, gallup released a "No Tossup States" map:

On September 30th, the first presidential debate was held at the University of Miami. The topics of the debate covered fighting terrorism abroad, national security, and the national budget. McCain attacked Daschle for failure to capture Osama bin Laden and wasteful spending. He also used the San Antonio bus attack in an attempt to try and prove that that Daschle's national security policy was weak. Daschle retorted immediately, citing that the only spending his administration had done went to fight terrorism and improve schools. On national security, the President used the foiled Sears Tower and US Bank Tower plots in an attempt to prove that his national security police was strong.

A poll after the debate showed that McCain had bested Daschle, but not nearly as well as he had hoped.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Who do you believe won the Presidential Debate?
McCain: 54.1%
Daschle: 44.9

October 2004: October opened with not only the Vice Presidential debate, but also with the elections in Afghanistan.

On October 5th, the Vice Presidential debate was held at Case Western Reserve University, in Ohio. The topics of debate covered the economy and national security. Vice President Dean and Senator Hutchison competed against each other quite well, with Hutchison boldly attacking the Democrats' policies over the past years and the Vice President firmly defending them. Closing debate polls showed an almost virtual tie between Dean and Hutchison. One MSNBC analyst commented that Dean had performed better than Daschle in the debates that he should've been running for President.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Who do you believe won the Vice Presidential debate?
Hutchison: 50.1%
Dean: 49.9%

On October 8th, culture icon Martha Stewart began her five month prison sentence after being found guilty of insider trading.

On October 9th, Afghanistan held its first presidential election. Despite threats from the remaining Taliban factions, voters rushed to the booths to vote. Surprisingly, very few attacks occured, with the exception of one car bomb that killed two people. Interim Presidnt Hamid Karzai is later on declared the winner. In response, President Daschle incorporated the success of Afghanistan's elections in his campaign for re-election.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Afghanistan?
Yes: 75%
No: 25%

In response to the success of the elections, the Taliban launched several raids on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border from Northwestern Pakistan, which had yet to be secured by NATO and US forces. The attacks killed two US soldiers and are declared unsuccessful. In response, President Daschle orders a bombing campaign of the unsecured regions of Northwestern Pakistan, which commenced immediately.

The two remaining presidential debates are held in the two finals weeks of October, and both are declared wins for McCain.

On October 29th, Osama bin Laden released a new video, which criticized the efforts of President Daschle and announced that new attacks would be made against the United States. Many wondered, however, if Osama was still alive and if the tape had been made years ago, especially since the extremist leader had mentioned nothing about the success of elections in Afghanistan.

NATIONWIDE POLL - OCTOBER 30 2004
If the Presidential election was held today, who would you vote for?
McCain/Hutchison: 53.2%
Daschle/Dean: 44.9%
Other: 1.9%

As October winded down, it was clear that the 2004 election, which was not far away, would be a historical one.

Any comments before the 2004 election?

It's a shame that Nader wasn't allowed into the Debates, as I have always felt the American People should hear all sides especially if the Third Party candidate can get their names on all 50 state ballots. Seems like Johnny Boy and Kay pulled away from the Incumbent's during the Debates, and it looks like the election is ripe for the GOP...Keep it comming

November 2004:

Election Night 2004: Pre-7:00pm EST
"Welcome to Election Night 2004! After a very eventful primary and campaign season, election night has finally arrived. Tonight will be an extremely historical night, no doubt about that. Democratic President Tom Daschle faces the challenge of winning re-election over Republican challenger and nominee, Arizona Senator John McCain. If the Daschle wins, it will be the Democrats' fourth term in the White House. If John McCain emerges victorious, however, he will be the first Republican to occupy the White House since President George H.W. Bush.



If we look at our map, as we will be throughout the night, we see that a GRAY STATE indicates that a state has not been called yet; a GREEN STATE indicates that a state is too close to call; a RED STATE indicates a state called for the Democrats; and a BLUE STATE indicates a state called for the Republicans. 270 electoral votes are required to win. We will also be reviewing Senate election results throughout the night, as well. We will be right back in just a few minutes."


Election Night 2004: 7:00pm EST

"Welcome back. We're ready to make several projections, now that polls have closed in several states. We are ready to project that Indiana, Kentucky, Georgia, and South Carolina for John McCain. We can also make the call that Vermont, the home state of Vice President Dean and state that has had an extremely liberal trend in recent years, will go to President Daschle. At this time, New Hampshire and Virginia are too close to call."







Election Night 2004 - 7:13pm EST

"Hold up, we're ready to make another projection. Thirteen minutes after the hour, we can project that Virginia will go to Senator McCain. This is no surprise, given that the state has not voted for a Democratic candidate since 1964. New Hampshire is still too close to call.


NEW HAMPSHIRE - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
10% precincts reporting
McCain: 52.3%
Daschle: 44.7%
Other: 2.0%

North Carolina, Ohio, and West Virginia polls close in a little over fifteen minutes, and we hope to have some more projections soon."

Election Night 2004 - 7:30pm EST

"Okay, it's now half past the hour, which means the voting booths in Ohio, North Carolina, and West Virginia have closed. The results should be coming in soon. In the meantime, we are going to once again examine the results coming out of New Hampshire, which looks like it is going to be a very close state this evening.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
26% precincts reporting
McCain: 50.9%
Daschle: 47.2%
Other: 1.9%

We can also now project that West Virginia and North Carolina will go to John McCain. Ohio is still too close to call.



This increases Senator McCain's electoral vote count to 75, over President Daschle's 3."


Election Night 2004 - 8:00pm EST

"Welcome back to Election Night 2004! We're still waiting on projections from New Hampshire and Ohio. Jim, what's the deal with Ohio tonight? Do you have any predictions for how this state will vote?
"Well, Rob, polls prior to tonight showed the McCain/Hutchison ticket with a small lead over President Daschle. I think it's definitely going to come down to the urban areas in this scenario, and definitely the moderate voters. I find it easier to beleive that this state will go to McCain tonight than to the President, but if we've learned anything over the past few elections, it's that there are surprises at every corner."
"We now have several projections to make at the top of the hour. We can project Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee for Senator McCain, while President Daschle will carry Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts. At this time, Florida, New Jersey, Maine, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are too close to be called. The voting booths in Kansas and Texas, since the states are on central time, will not close for a little while longer.












Once again, we are waiting for all voting stations in Kansas and Texas to close before we make a projection. We'll be right back."

Go Nader!

GO MCCAIN!!!!

looks like it should be a fairly comfortable win for McCain/Hutchinson...Keep it comming GLP

Election Night 2004 - 8:35pm EST

"Voting in Arkansas closed just five minutes ago. We can safely say that Arkansas will go to John McCain this evening. Given the enormous lead that McCain had over Daschle in recent polls in the state, such a result is expected. Once again, Arkansas goes to Senator McCain.


We're going to take a few minutes to look at how results are coming along in Ohio, right now. Only 35% of precincts are reporting, but it appears that the McCain/Hutchison ticket has taken the lead.

OHIO - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
35% precincts reporting
McCain: 52.0%
Daschle: 45.8%
Other: 3.2%

We're also waiting on results from New Jersey and Maine, both of which have voted Democrat in previous elections. Let's quickly examine how things are going in Pennsylvania."

PENNSYLVANIA - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
18% precincts reporting
Daschle: 49.9%
McCain: 47.9
Other: 2.2%

Election Night 2004 - 8:43pm EST

"We can now project that New Jersey will cast its 15 electoral votes for President Daschle. The President's electoral count is now at 53."


Election Night 2004 - 9:00pm EST

"Okay, we have many projections to make right now as polls have closed in several states. We can project Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming for Senator McCain. The Arizona Senator has taken both his home state and President Daschle's. President Daschle will take New York and Rhode Island. At this time, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Wisconsin are too close to call."











Election Night 2004 - 9:20pm EST

"We have two projections to make right now. We can project that Michigan will go to Senator Tom Daschle, while Florida will go to Senator John McCain.



The Arizona Senator only needs 48 more electoral votes to win the election. We'll be right back."

This is the best timeline I've ever read. How far will it go? Please past the present!!!

Thanks for the comments, guys. As of now, I plan on continuing this TL at least until the 2006 midterm elections or the 2008 presidential election, but I don't see it going past that.

Election Night 2004 - 9:34pm EST

"We have another projection to make: Colorado will go to Senator McCain. The Centennial State has gone Republican and Senator McCain's electoral vote count now rises to 231. Back in the East, we're still waiting on results from extremely close races in Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Pennsylvania."


Election Night 2004 - 10:00pm EST

"Welcome back it's 10:00pm on the East Coast now and we're ready to make a few projections, including a state that has been extremely close all night. We can project that Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah will go to Senator McCain. Iowa and Nevada are all too close to call at this time. We are also able to project that Maine and it's districts will go to President Daschle."







Election Night 2004 - 10:21pm EST

"Let me interrupt you quickly, Bert, because we have a very big projection to make right now. Ohio, the Buckeye State, will go to John McCain. The Arizona Senator now only needs 4 more electoral votes to win."

[/center]

Election Night 2004 - 10:55pm EST

"The network is indicating that we're ready to make another projection right now. We can call New Hampshire for President Tom Daschle. This is extremely surprising since polls indicated that McCain was ahead by quite a few points.


NEW HAMPSHIRE - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
99% precincts reporting
Daschle: 50.0%
McCain: 48.1%
Other: 1.9%

Let's take a quick look at New Mexico and Wisconsin:

NEW MEXICO - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
32% precincts reporting
McCain: 51.7%
Daschle: 46.2%
Other: 2.1%

WISCONSIN - ELECTION NIGHT RESULTS
51% precincts reporting
McCain: 49.0%
Daschle: 47.8%
Other: 1.8%


Election Night 2004 - 11:00pm EST

"Okay, we have some projections to make. It's certainly been a long night, folks, but this race isn't over yet. We can call California for President Daschle, while Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington are all too close to call. The President's electoral vote count is raised to 189, but he still trails Senator McCain by a good amount."



Election Night 2004 - 11:12pm EST

"We have a crucial projection right now: for the first time since 1988, Pennsylvania has gone Republican.


The addition of Pennsylvania's electoral votes to McCain's vote count puts the Arizona Senator over 270, thus making him the next President of the United States. John McCain has defeated President Daschle to become the 44th President of the United States.

McHutchison `04! :)

Great timeline!!!

President John McCain....I love it.

Great TL so far.

Let's hear it for the McCain/Hutchinson Presidency!!!(I just really wan't to see a Kay Bailey Presidency)

Don't go to Tiflis in May, Johnny.

Maybe Tbilisi grenade would explode...

Hope not.  McCain seems tolerable.  And he's not a sockpuppet.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, guys, I've had tons of work. One should be coming soon, hopefully by this weekend.

November 2004 (continued):

Senate Election Results, 2004:

Bold indicates a pickup:
Alabama - Richard Shelby (R) is re-elected over Wayne Sovell (D)
Alaska - Lisa Murkowski (R) is elected over Tony Knowles (D)
Arizona - special election to be held
Arkansas -Blanche Lincoln (D) is re-elected over Jim Holt (R)
California - Barbara Boxer (D) is re-elected over Bill Jones (R)
Colorado - Ken Salazar (D) defeats Pete Coors (R)
Connecticut - Christopher Dodd (D) is re-elected over Jack Orchulli (R)
Florida - Bill Nelson (D) is re-elected over Mel Martinez (R)
Georgia - Johnny Isakson (R) defeats Denise Majette (D)
Hawaii - Daniel Inouye (D) is re-elected over Campbell Cavasso (R)
Idaho - Mike Crappo (R) is re-elected over Scott McClure (D)
Illinois - Barack Obama (D) defeats Alan Keyes (R)
Indiana - Evan Bayh (D) is re-elected over Marvin Scott (R)
Iowa - Chuck Grassley (R) is re-elected over Arthur Small (D)
Kansas - Sam Brownback (R) is re-elected over Lee Joens (D)
Kentucky - Daniel Mongiardo (D) is elected over Jim Bunning (R)
Louisiana - David Vitter (R) defeats Chris John (D)
Maryland - Barbara Mikulski (D) is re-elected over E.J. Pipkin (R)
Missouri - Kit Bond (R) is re-elected over Nancy Farmer (D)
Nevada - Harry Reid (D) is re-elected over Richard Ziser (R)
New Hampshire - Judd Gregg (R) is re-elected over Doris Haddock (D)
New York - Chuck Schumer (D) is re-elected over Howard Mills (R)
North Carolina - John Edwards (D) is re-elected over Robin Hayes (R)
North Dakota - Byron Dorgan (D-NPL) is re-elected over Mike Liffrig (R)
Ohio - George Voinovich (R) is re-elected over Erin Fingerhunt (D)
Oklahoma - Tom Coburn (R) defeats Brad Carson (D)
Oregon - Ron Wyden (D) is re-elected over Al King (R)
Pennsylvania - Arlen Specter (R) is re-elected over Joe Hoeffel (D)
South Carolina - Jim DeMint (R) defeats Inez Tenenbaum (D)
South Dakota - Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) defeats Larry Long (R)
Utah - Robert Foster Bennett (R) is re-elected over Paul Van Dam (D)
Vermont - Patrick Leahy (D) is re-elected over Jack McMullen (R)
Washington - Patty Murray (D) is re-elected over George Nethercutt (R)
Wisconsin - Russ Feingold (D) is re-elected over Tim Michels (R)

TOTAL SEATS
Republicans - 52
Democrats - 48

The bombing campaign of Northwestern Pakistan continued in the following weeks. Hamid Karzai's victory had been met with great opposition from terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East who felt that democracy had infringed upon their land.

On November 8th, President-elect McCain announced his transition team and formally resigned his seat in the Senate.

On November 14th, President-elect McCain met with Tony Blair in Washington D.C. The topics of discussion were not disclosed to the public, but McCain explained that the two were "evaluation possible strategies" for the upcoming months. Around the same time, a poll finds that the President-elects approval rating is at 79%, a number that was greatly higher than President Daschle's numbers before entering the Oval Office.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President-Elect McCain?
Yes: 79%
No: 13%
Unsure: 8%


By the end of the month, there was a good amount of speculation, particularly from the media, about who the President-elect would choose as his Secretary of State. Many people cited Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman as a possibility since it would bring bi-partisanship to the Oval Office. Others pointed to Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Kit Bond, and Judd Gregg as possbilities. The truth was that nobody knew.

As the month concluded, the continuation of violence in Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as growing dissatisfaction with President Daschle, caused many Americans to count down the days until President-elect McCain entered office.

Obama victory over Keyes should be in bold as well, as a pickup.

Btw, had Obama delivered keynote adress in this TL as well?

Anyway, great TL :D

UPDATE!!

You would think that McCain of all people would win New Hampshire over someone like Daschle. Especially considering he pulled off a win in Pennsylvania. Seems odd that McCain could win PA without winning NH.

Update coming soon!


The point was that President Daschle was extremely popular in the Northeast (with the exception of Maine),  partly due to the liberal policies implemented during his administration and also because of the popularity of Vice President Dean. McCain only lost New Hampshire by a few points, just as Daschle only lost Pennsylvania by a few points.

December 2004: Saddam Hussein responded the election of John McCain in the beginning of December, warning the United States against involvement in Iraq. "Involvement by your people would be a grave mistake," claimed Saddam. Both President Daschle and President-Elect McCain said Saddam's comments were outrageous and out of place.


On December 3rd, Vice-President-Elect Hutchison resigned her seat from the Senate and gave a speech in front of a cheering crowd in Houston, in which she declared she was ready to "return America to the people."

Surprise and chaos gripped the U.S. consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 6th, when an offensive was launched by a terrorist organization. Not only were there some causualties, but the attacks marked growing instability in the Middle East and opposition to the United States. President Daschle explained that the conflict would not strain relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia.


New Rasmussen polls of President Daschle's approval rating showing the President at an all-time low of 38%, while Vice President Dean held onto 56% approval rating. McCain's approval ratings, on the other hand, remained in the 70s.

On December 10th, John McCain announced that his nominee for Secretary of State would be Idaho Governor and former senator Dirk Kempthorne. Democrats immediately pointed to Kempthorne's strong Conservative record and questioned if he would be fit for the job. The selection was highly praised by Republicans, who viewed the selection as McCain's attempt to try and please the base of the GOP and those who viewed him as moderate.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President-Elect McCain?
Yes: 77%
No: 18%
Unsure: 5%

Later on in the week, McCain made two more announcements: Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis would be his nominee for Secretary of Treasury, and former presidential candidate and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge would be his nominee for Secretary of Defense.


On December 26th, in one of the worst world disasters in decades, a 9.3 earthquake in the Indian Ocean launched tsunamis that would hit countries across Asia and even in Africa. Over 250,000 people died, making it the second most deadly earthquake in history. In response, both President Daschle and President-Elect McCain held a meeting at the White House, saying that aid would be sent to the countries affected.


2004 finally came to a close at the end of the month and New Years was celebrated throughout the country. Despite the celebrations, though, many Americans felt on edge about the upcoming months - both at home and in the Middle East.

Just glanced over this and I must say its quite a read. Hopefully the next update shall be forthcoming.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update!

January 2005: With President Daschle's approval rating at 38%, wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as a confrontational Iraq, the US seemed to let a sigh of relief when January rolled around. Most Americans agreed: it was time for new leadership. On an interview with Larry King, President-Elect McCain stated that he was "looking forward to serving the American people."

On January 8th, the President-Elect announced his selection for Attorney General: former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. The chocie was, for the most part, considered to be a good one.


A little more than week later, millions of people packed onto the National Mall to watch the presidential inauguration of John McCain. Americans cheered and waved signs in the bitter cold weather as President-Elect McCain and Vice-President-Elect Hutchison marched out before the crowd. Kay Bailey Hutchison became the first woman Vice President. Following the inauguration of John McCain by Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist, the newly-inaugurated President addressed the nation: "Today is a historic day. Today is a day when this country moves forward. Today we remind the world why the Minutemen in Concord and Lexington rebelled against the armies of tyranny; why the courageous troops of the 1st and 29th infantry divisions stormed Omaha Beach in 1944; why young men enlisted in the draft to fight an unknown war in unfamiliar jungles in the corner of the world; and why capitalism triumphs. America has always been the story of success, my friends, as well as the guardian of the free world. Our ideals and liberties shine a light in this often-too-dark world. And our light won't ever fade." Thunderous applause arrived at the end of the new President's speech.


Shortly after the inauguration, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Dirk Kempthorne for Secretary of State. The majority of Democrats were unhappy with the selection, but Republican majority carried Kempthorne's nomination through. Ken Lewis, Tom Ridge, and Fred Thompson were lated confirmed, as well, with less opposition.

On January 24th, President McCain announced that former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, who was known for his "hard-ass" views on terrorism, would be his nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security.


On January 27th, President McCain announced that he would be announcing a time-table for the War in Afghanistan. McCain also announced that he would be sending 15,000 more troops to Pakistan. Many news organizations praised the troop surge due to the fact that the popular opinion was that the War in Pakistan was quickly spiraling out of control. By the end of the month, President McCain had an approval rating of 69%.  


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you currently approve of President McCain?
Yes: 69%
No: 28%
Unsure: 3%

On January 31st, the three-year anniversery of the San Antonio bus terrorist attack, President McCain gave a speech at the memorial site.

The McCain Administration
President: John S. McCain
Vice President: Kathryn A. "Kay" Bailey Hutchison

Secretary of State: Dirk A. Kempthorne
Secretary of Treasury: Kenneth D. Lewis
Secretary of Defense: Thomas J. Ridge
Attorney General: Fred D. Thompson
Secretary of the Interior: Susan M. Collins
Secretary of Agriculture: Bradley R. "Brad" Carson
Secretary of Labor: Elaine L. Chao
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Michael D. "Mike" Huckabee
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Shirley C. Franklin
Secretary of Energy: J.C. Watts
Secretary of Education: John L. Hennessy
Secretary of Transportation: Victor F. Snyder
Secretary of Veteran Affairs: David R. Hobson
Secretary of Homeland Security: Richard B. "Dick" Cheney

Democrats were quick to criticize the cabinet, claiming that it wasn't bi-partisan enough. These criticisms slowly faded in the next few weeks, though. The Republicans had finally gained the White House back for the first time since the departure of President George H.W. Bush. Only time would tell how the McCain presidency would go.

Oh my...Mike Huckabee in McCain's cabinet?

Great update.  It seems well thought-out and researched, unlike most other modern timelines.

Can't wait to see how the rest off McCain's term goes(If the Assassination Attempt in March in the nation of Georgia still happens and McCain is killed we could have a President Hutchinson which would be amazing). Cant wait to see what happens...Keep it comming

February 2005: The 15,000 new troops were immediately deployed to Pakistan. Polls showed that the troop surge seemed to increase the popularity of the war in Pakistan, as well. President McCain remained optimistic that the military's new strategies would be effective and that al-Qaeda's forces would begin to back down. The US Army estimated that, as of the beginning of February, roughly 85% of Islamabad was under the United States' control. Pockets of resistance remained throughout the city.


President McCain also addressed the nation and announced that he planned on the majority of United States troops out of Afghanistan by July 2005. McCain explained that a small amount of troops, ranging from 1,500 to 3,000, would remain behind to assist the Afghan Guard Force in maintaining stability of the country.

On February 10th, North Korea announced it possession of nuclear weapons and would use them, if necessary, to defend itself from attacks of western nations, such as the United States. The American media immediately begins depicting the development as another nation that the United States may have to combat to eradicate terrorism. Only hours later, Saddam's Hussein, the leader of Iraq, re-emphasized that he, too, had possession of "weapons of mass destruction."


US and UK troops commence Operation Safe Haven and move into the city of Rawalpindi, a city to the South of Islamabad. The city, which has been serving as refugee city for those displayed by the attacks in Islamabad, is extremely crowded with civilians, who greet the troops with open arms. Little resistance is met.

President McCain invited Jacques Chirac, Gerhard Schröder, and Tony Blair to the White House on February 18th. Although the reason was not released to the public and the visit was broadly explained as "The War on Terrorism," the three men discussed how to approach disarming Iraq. McCain expressed a strong interest in beginning operations in Iraq as soon as possible, as did Blair and Schröder, yet Chirac said that France would not participate in such an invasion. In an attempt to persuade Chirac, President McCain decided that the issue would be brought to the United Nations.

At the end of the month, Prime Minister Blair, Chancellor Schröder, and President McCain argued before the United Nations that intervention in Iraq was necessary. Many NATO countries were split on the issue, with some agreeing and others believing that further sanctions would force Saddam to back off. France announced that not only did it refuse to support such an effort, but that it would utilize its veto power to stop intervention. By the end of the discussions, no consensus had been reached, and relations between France and the United States had become incredibly strained.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 62%
No: 35%
Unsure: 3%

March 2005: McCain quickly acknowledged that he did not need the support of the United Nations to begin operations in Iraq. On March 1st, the President issued what he called a "final ultimatum" to Saddam, calling for him to stop his weapons program immediately and allow weapons inspectors in the nation. In his statement, McCain claimed that he represented not only the American people, but also the people of Iraq who were under the tyranny of Saddam.


In the court case of Roper V. Simmons, the Court rules that the death penalty cannot be used for juveniles who committed crimes before they were 18 years of age.

In Afghanistan, three American soldiers are killed when their helicopter malfunctions and crashes.

On March 9th, President McCain announces that he plans to reduce the federal deficit by at least 20% by 2008.

On March 11th, the UK's Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 is given Royal Assent.

Secretary of Defense Tom Ridge announced on March 14th that more border patrol forces would be deployed along the Unites States' borders in an effort to prevent terrorists from crossing into the US by crossing the border. Democrats quickly labeled the decision as the Republicans' effort to put forth an anti-immigration agenda, which both Ridge and McCain denied. Senate Minority Leader Ted Kennedy criticized the move as "not well thought out."



Despite the fact that no Democrats had declared their candidacy for the 2008 election yet, simply because it was so early, several polling organizations had begun early polls of who people would like to see as potential candidates in 2008. The Washington Poll released the first poll.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Democrat would you like to see to run in the 2008 election?
Dean: 24%
Kerry: 19%
Gore: 14%
Bayh: 11%
Biden: 10%
Edwards: 9%
Kucinich: 8%
Gravel: 3%
Kennedy: 2%

By the end of the month, Saddam still had not responded to McCain's ultimatum. It was still unclear what the President would do, however. Republicans were calling for action, while Democrats were already labeling McCain as a War Hawk, who was dragging the country into a bigger mess. Would the United States intervene in Iraq?

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President McCain?
Yes: 67%
No: 32%
Unsure: 1%

Yay France.

President Kay!!!President Kay!!!President Kay

This is great so far.

Thanks for the comments, guys!

April 2005: The beginning of April saw the death of Pope John Paul II and the installation of the new Pope, Pope Benedict XVI.

Back in the United States, President McCain remained conflicted about whether the United States should intervene in Iraq. If he did truly begin operations in Iraq, the United States would be involved in three wars in the Middle East. Additionally, the Democrats would most likely portray McCain as am out-of-control leader and diplomatic disaster. If the United States did not intervene in Iraq, however, the Republicans would be outraged, especially since McCain ran on a strong anti-terrorism platform. McCain decided that he would wait for NATO's approval, at least for now.


On April 3rd, President McCain announced that he would do a four-country tour of Europe at the end of the month, including the UK, France, Germany, and then Poland, followed by a visit to Russia.

For the first time in six months, the Department of Homeland Security, under the command of Dick Cheney, raises the terrorist threat level from "moderate" to "high." Cheney explains that the American people must remain alert in the upcoming months due to the increasing instability in the Middle East.

On April 7th, Secretary of State Dirk Kempthorne began a tour of Afghanistan to visit the remaining American troops there. Kempthorne re-emphasized that the President's plan was to pull the majority of troops out of Afghanistan by July 2005.


On April 10th, former President Daschle announced that he would be writing a book about his Presidency.

In Pakistan, US troops launched a heavy offensive under General John Abizaid as they moved into Central Pakistan. For the first time since the siege of Islambad, the troops were met with heavy resistance, both al-Qaeda and Pakistani terrorist factions. For the moment, the advancement of US and UK troops was halted in Central Pakistan.


At the end of the month, the President began his trip to Europe. His visits were greeted by both protestors and supporters. France had the worst protests, too. Finally, the President made his way to Russia by the 29th, where he and Vladimir Putin discussed "further working on the alliance of two great nations."   Despite the meeting between the two men, many knew that McCain and Putin strongly disliked each other and feared that US-Russia relations could begin to freeze once more.


The President's next expected trip would be to Georgia in early May.

May 2005: "I call on the President," Alabama Senator and former Presidential candidate Jeff Sessions said, "to take action in Iraq, as he promised. Inaction will result in more deaths abroad, and possibly at home." Many Republicans were beginning to get annoyed that McCain had not taken action in Iraq yet. McCain insisted that he was still viewing all the possible options. Dick Cheney responded to Session's comments and explained that Sessions' comments should be disregarded.


On May 2nd, a blast an illegal munitions store in Northern Afghanistan kills 28 people and 2 US soldiers.

On May 5th, Tony Blair is re-elected as Prime Minister of the UK.

President McCain departed the United States once more to visit the nation of Georgia. Upon his arrival, he was greeted by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. On May 10th, McCain and Saakashvilli greeted a large crowd in Freedom Square in Tbilisi. In perhaps one of the most frightening moments in United States History since 9/11, as President McCain spoke, an Armenian man later identified as Vladimir Arutyunian threw a grenade onto the stage. The President immediately dove out of the way before the grenade exploded. Screams erupted in the square as Secret Service men immediately covered up the President, with guns drawn. Arutyunian was immediately taken into custody. While President McCain was alive, Georgian President Saakashvili and his family had been killed in the attack.


The attack seemed to serve as the push that McCain needed. After agreeing with the UK and Germany to commence operations on May 15th, President McCain addressed the American people from the Oval Office. The President, who had been on death's doorstep only a few days prior, looked weary and tired. "As I address you now, I have given orders to the US military to begin the bombardment of specialized locations in Iraq." Sure enough, German, American, and UK planes were soon over Iraq, destroying their assigned targets.


Initial polls showed that McCain's approval had dropped almost 10 points, down to 60%. Polls of the favorability of the intervention in Iraq, on the other hand, showed an exact split in the population.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President McCain?
Yes: 60%
No: 39%
Unsure: 1%

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the United States' intervention in Iraq?
Yes: 51%
No: 49%

Democrats were quick to attack the President, claiming that his decision was rash and not well thought out. Senator Biden of Deleware commented that the President was a "diplomatic disaster."


As if McCain wasn't facing enough problems already, the end of May brought news that there would be an investigation into Secretary of State Dirk Kempthorne for tax evasion. Would June bring better news?

Wonder how McCain will handle Katrina.  Good work so far, especially with the assassination attempt in Georgia.

If Cheney wanted Session's comments to be disregarded, why didn't he disregard them?  XD

Good update.

June 2005: The strikes in Iraq seemed to be moving quite smoothly. There had been very few civilian casualties and the majority of the sites had been hit. There still had been no word from Saddam, either. C.I.A. intelligence reports showed that the the majority of the Iraq Army was scattered and unorganized throughout the nation, due not only to the UN's sanctions, but also because the air strikes had destroyed many military bases.


Despite initial criticisms of the President's decision to intervene in Iraq, the success of the strikes had prompted a change of opinion about the war. Polls displayed that the approval of intervention in Iraq had risen from 51% to 60%.  Many liberals still blamed McCain for the increasing violence in the Middle East, however.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the United States' intervention in Iraq?
Yes: 60%
No: 40%

Furthermore, June would also see the majority of US troops pull out of Afghanistan, as President McCain had explained in his timetable months before. The scheduled date for the transition of power to shift from US troops to the Afghan Guard Force to begin was on June 26th. McCain announced that he would be tranveling to Afghanistan to deliver the speech on board an aircraft carrier.

Not everything was good news for Johnny, though. By mid-June, US troops in Pakistan remained exactly where they were a month ago. Additionally, there had been an increase in violence in the past two weeks, resulting in the death of several soldiers. The deaths brought the US death toll in Pakistan past 1,000.


More bad news rolled around on June 18th, when Secretary of State Dirk Kempthorne was indicted for tax fraud. The three-week long investigation had proven that Kempthrorne had indeed comittted several counts of tax fraud in the past 6 months. On June 20th, Kempthorne held a press conference, in which he resigned from the position and claimed he was "deeply sorry." As a result of the scandal, President McCain saw his approval rating drop to 58%, the lowest since his inauguration.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President McCain?
Yes: 58%
No: 42%

The speculation about who McCain would nominate to fill Kempthorne's position began immediately. McCain knew he had to fill the position quickly since the United States was commencing military operations in three countries. On June 22nd, the President announced that his nominee was Richard Perle. Conservatives praised the choice since Perle was known for his harsh stance on defense and combating terrorism. Furthermore, he was seen as a figure who could stand up to an increasingly dangerous and imperalist Russia. The media seemed to be split on the decision. On his show, Chris Matthews explained, "President McCain has gone from bad to worse - from Kempthorne to Perle. Not only has he chosen another neo-con, but an even scarier one." The following day, the Senate confirmed Perle.


On June 26th, the War in Afghanistan came to an end as control over the country's security was shifted to the Afghan Guard Force. With the majority of al-Qaeda's forces in Pakistan and Iraq, violence in Afghanistan was minimal. On board the USS Abraham Lincoln, President McCain delivered a speech, in which he praised the brave men and women who had served in Afghanistan. "Although our War on Terror still has a long way to go, I am pleased that our fight in Afghanistan has concluded. Because of your efforts, democracy has been established and introduced to the people of Afghanistan, who now live better lives than they ever dreamed of under the reign of the Taliban and al-Qaeda."


The War in Afghanistan had finally concluded. 1,500 American troops would remain in the country and aid the Afghan Guard Force. Operations still continued in Pakistan, but the American people let out a sigh of relief knowing that one war was over. The summer was far from over, though, and there were plenty of surprises still to come.

::)

Haha, I meant to say an Iraqi army base...obviously I'm not with it today.

July 2005: July was an extremely eventful month for not only the United States, but the entire world. The month began with mourning and anger as Pakistani and British Muslim terrorists targeted London in one of the most devastating terrorist attacks of the decade. On July 7th, ten suicide bombers, most of whom were identified as Pakistani nationals, carried out attacks on the London's underground train system. An additional bomb was detonated on a double-decker bus, as well.  A total of 80 people were killed, with hundreds injured. A video was produced by the suicide bombers and sent to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, in which the terrorists not only denounced the UK's presence in Pakistan, but said that "other Western nations [would] face similar attacks in the upcoming months."


In response to the attack, the United States increased security in airports and harbors to levels equivalent to the day after September 11th.

On July 8th, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced that she would resign her position upon the confirmation of a successor. Days later, President McCain announced his nomination of Judge Edith Jones from the Fifth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals. Jones still had yet to be confirmed by the Senate, however.


On July 12th, former presidential candidate and Texas Governor George W. Bush announces that he will run for the Senate seat formerly held by Vice President Hutchison.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 63%
No: 37%

July 20th marked the conclusion of US' intervention in Iraq. President McCain called a meeting for all the members of NATO to discuss a strategy for Iraq. The President was hoping that the recent attacks in London had been enough to prove to the members of NATO that terrorism was still an issue four years after 9/11. In an address to the members of NATO, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair explained, "Let me remind you that an attack against one of us is an attack against all of us. Many of us have been attacked and we have the duty - the obligation - of preventing that next attack. We must rid these nations of their tyrannical and dangerous leaders." Days later, NATO decided that it would intervene in combat operations in Iraq with the objective of capturing Saddam Hussein.


The Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on July 26th. On the same, former Vice President Howard Dean explained in an interview on CNN that he had no interest in running for President in 2008. Dean had formerly been considered the frontrunner of the Democratic candidate field in 2008.

On July 31st, NATO operations to overthrow and capture Saddam Hussein begin. President McCain addresses the American people that night, explaining that NATO has commenced its strategy to overthrow Saddam and bring stability to Iraq. The Maverick quickly saw his approval rating rebound back to 60%.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President McCain?
Yes: 60%
No: 40%

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of Vice President Hutchison?
Yes: 58%
No: 39%
Unsure: 3%

August 2005: A wave of confidence had swept the Republican Party and the American people. Americans felt much safer at home than compared to several months ago, plus the wars abroad were going quite well. The War in Afghanistan had concluded almost two months ago and the Afghan Guard Force had done an excellent job in upholding the peace of the nation. Pakistan raged on, but progress was being made. Furthermore, NATO had met little resistance in their strike operations to capture Saddam, although he still had not been captured.

The confidence of the American people would soon be debased.

On August 3rd, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is elected the President of Iran.


On August 6th, the United Nations formally declares Iraq as an "unstable nation." The non-NATO members of disagreed with the actions of NATO, with several speaking out against it. Russia was also a critic of NATO's mission in Iraq, as well as the United States' intervention in Iraq prior to NATO's involvement.

On August 9th, Pakistani suicide bombers attack the Bella Ragazza, a famous hotel in Rome. 40 people are killed and over 100 are injured. The terrorist faction is later identified as the same one that is responsible for the London attacks.


One week later, on August 18th, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security track another terrorist cell in Las Vegas. The four men, who were identified are Pakistani also, were staying at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas. As the FBI moved in to arrest the terrorists, one of them detonates a bomb, killing himself, two other terrorists, and an FBI officer. The remaining terrorist is taken into custody as fire erupts on the floor and the Monte Carlo is evacuated.


President McCain, Secretary of Defense Ridge, and Secretary of Homeland Security Cheney held a press conference an hour after the attack. Cheney took the spotlight with the media. During his response to the incident, he explained, "We are thankful that further damage was not caused and that the guests of the Monte Carlo were evacuated promptly. The brave and heroic actions of the FBI saved many lives today. The President and I send our condolences to the family of Agent Gonzalez."

The deadliest attack that month didn't come from terrorists, though, but from Mother Nature. On August 29th, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Southeastern Louisiana as a Category 3 hurricane. The hurricane's storm surge caused extensive damage along the Gulf Coast - from Texas to Alabama. The most damage was done in New Orleans, however, where almost 2,000 people were killed and thousands more were missing. 80% of the city had been flooded. The United States had not witnessed such a catastrophic natural disaster in decades.

Great timeline. I can't wait to see how McCain handles the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I think he will handle it much better than Bush did in RL.

I've decided to continue this TL up until the 2008 presidential election. Due to the fact that I want to begin my other TL, though, I've decided to jump from August 2005 until January 2007. Below is an update of what events occurred in the United States and throughout the world from August 2005 to January 2007. Following the update below, I will revert back to my month-by-month updates. Furthermore, I assure you that there are still many surprises left in this TL, and that the primary season and 2008 election will truly be a grand finale to this TL.

August 2005 - January 2007: The damage caused by Hurricane Katrina ended up exceeding $150 billion. Tens of thousands of people were stranded and violence, as well as looting, immediately developed. President McCain immediately responded to the crisis, and announced that F.E.M.A. (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) would bring relief to those devastated by the hurricane. Furthermore, McCain ordered the National Guard to move into New Orleans to rescue those who had been stranded and to secure peace. Border Patrol forces from Texas were also dispatched to combat the violence. President McCain and Secretary of Homeland Security Cheney immediately flew down to New Orleans, too. "I am doing everything in my power to make sure every man, woman, and child is taken care of," the President announced. In an address to Congress, the President also asked for $70 billion as aid for victims, which Congress approved. Of the 60,000 stranded people, it is estimated that around 50,000 were rescued.


Throughout the nation, people praised McCain's quick response to the disaster. The President rode a 65% approval rating into the first few weeks of September. In early September 2005, Edith Jones was confirmed as a replacement to Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Oddly enough, only one day later, Supreme Court Justice William Rehnquist died. McCain nominated J. Harvie Wilkinson, a conservative justice on the Fourth Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals, to be the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Weeks later, Wilkinson was confirmed.


French President Jacques Chirac declared a state of emergency in France when civil unrest and rioting broke out. In Germany, Angela Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany. Relations with the United States and Russia continued to deteriorate. In Iran,

By the time December of 2005 rolled around, American troops had secured the majority of Northern and Central Pakistan. Operations had also commenced in Southern Pakistan, around the cities of Bela and Pansi. It was still widely believed that Osama bin Laden was in Pakistan. The military continued to introduce new strategies and progress reports to Congress in efforts to get funding, which was always given. Ground combat operations in Iraq continued, as well, as American troops searched for Saddam.


Discussion of the 2006 elections began promptly as soon as January arrived. Democrats were determined to get a majority in the Senate. Although the Democrats held a majority in the House, the Republicans had +2 seats in the Senate. While many people claimed that 2006 would be the year that the Democrats took back the White House, others believed that President McCain's popularity would result in the Republicans holding onto the Senate. US troops captured Saddam in late February. A new democratic government was installed in Baghdad, too. The former Iraqi president would be brought before the government in July for a trial, which resulting in the new government sentencing Saddam to be hanged in August. The capture of Saddam was viewed as McCain's biggest achievement for the year.


Unfortunately, the capture of Saddam did not ensure stability in Iraq. Beginning in April, several attacks were made against the occupying NATO forces and the new government. CIA reports showed that several terrorist factions aligned with al-Qaeda were responsible for the attacks. Democrats used the attacks as their ammo for attacking the President's foreign policy decisions. Prominent Democrat Harry Reid stated during an interview that President McCain was "throwing this country's diplomatic relations down the drain." Republicans pointed to the success in Afghanistan as a response, explaining that Iraq and Pakistan could follow the same path. In July, war between Israel and Hezbollah. The war would last until August, when a peace agreement would be sponsored and reached by the UN Security Council, and would prove increasing instability in the Middle East. North Korea would test more missiles, as well.

()


On the Congress front, the 2006 Debt Reduction Act was narrowly passed in August. Democrats continued to attack McCain's spending on foreign wars, though. Congress would also pass various tax relief acts. In early September, Senate Minority Leader Ted Kennedy announced he would be stepping down from the position and that his successor would be Delaware Senator Joe Biden. Kennedy, who had been the Democrat's leader since the election of former President Daschle, would remain a Senator.

October was around the time that the President's shine began to wear off. Polls showed that the Democrats stood to gain at least four seats in the upcoming Senate races, and three more states were in a dead-heat. Furthermore, North Korea claimed to have conducted its first-ever nuclear test. Popularity showed that the War in Pakistan was becoming increasingly unpopular as it waged on, too - only 55% approved. Democrats continued to use this to their advantage as the elections grew closer, with several Democrats supporting a withdrawal option from Pakistan. The President's approval rating remained at 62%, however.

August 2005 - January 2007 (continued): In early November, President McCain was seen leaving the George Washington University Hospital with bandages on his face. Two days later, it was revealed that the President had had cancerous cells removed. Media networks immediately introduced an idea that many Americans had not thought about: was President McCain too senile to be President? What if the President's health got in the way of his job? Several criticisms floated around for days, with one reporter even openly asking Vice President Hutchison if she thought the President was too old for the job. Democrats unofficially launched their platform for the 2008 presidential election, with leaders encouraging younger candidates to run. The President insisted that his health was good.


Senate Election Results, 2006:
Arizona - John Kyl (R) is re-elected over Jim Pederson (D)
California - Dianne Feinstein (D) is re-elected over Dick Mountjoy (R)
Connecticut - Joe Liberman (I) defeats Ned Lamont (D)
Delaware - Tom Carper (D) is re-elected Jan Ting (R)
Florida - Bill Nelson (D) is re-elected over Katherine Harris (R)
Hawaii - Daniel Akaka (D) is re-elected over Cynthia Thielen (R)
Indiana - Richard Lugar (R) is re-elected over Steve Osborn (L)
Maine - Olympia Snowe (R) is re-elected over Jean Hay Bright (D)
Maryland - Ben Cardin (D) defeats Michael Steele (R)
Massachusetts - Ted Kennedy (D) is re-elected over Kenneth Chase (R)
Michigan - Debbie Stabenow (D) is re-elected over Mike Bouchard (R)
Minnesota - Amy Klobuchar (D) is re-elected over Mark Kennedy (R)
Mississippi - Trent Lott (R) is re-elected over Erik Fleming (D)
Missouri - John Ashcroft (R) is re-elected over Claire McCaskill (D)
Montana - Conrad Burns (R) is re-elected over John Tester (D)
Nebraska - Ben Nelson (D) is re-elected over Pete Ricketts (R)
Nevada - John Ensign (R) is re-elected over Jack Carter (D)
New Jersey - Bob Mendez (D) is elected over Thomas Kean, Jr. (R)
New Mexico - Jeff Bingaman (D) is re-elected over Allen McCulloch (R)
New York - Hillary Clinton (D) is re-elected over John Spencer (R)
North Dakota - Kent Conrad (D) is re-elected over Dwight Grotberg (R)
Ohio - Sherrod Brown (D) defeats Mark DeWine (R)
Pennsylvania - Bob Casey, Jr. defeats Rick Santorum (R)
Rhode Island - Sheldon Whitehouse (D) defeats Lincoln Chafee (R)
Tennessee - Bob Corker (R) is elected over Harold Ford, Jr. (D)
Texas - George W. Bush (R) is elected over Barbara Ann Radnofsky (D)
Utah - Orrin Hatch (R) is re-elected over Pete Ashdown (D)
Vermont - Bernie Sanders (I) is elected over Richard Tarrant (R)
Virginia - George Allen (R) is re-elected over Jim Webb (D)
Washington - Maria Cantwell (D) is re-elected over Mike McGavick (R)
West Virginia - Robert Byrd (D) is re-elected over John Raese (R)
Wisconsin - Herb Kohl (D) is re-elected over Robert Lorge (R)
Wyoming - Craig Thomas (R) is re-elected over Dale Groutage (D)

TOTAL SEATS
Republicans - 47
Democrats - 53 (including 2 independents)

The Democrats had regained control of the Senate. 2006 came to a close shortly thereafter. January marked the first session of the 110th Congress, as well as the State of the Union address by President McCain. In the address, the President urged for the continuation of support for NATO's intervention in Iraq, as well as the War in Pakistan. Many people still worried about the President's health and if he was fit for the job. The health concerns had reduced the President's approval rating back down to 60%. As January concluded, Americans knew that Democrats across the country would begin announcing their candidacies for the presidency soon enough.

Hmm...Sound's like the 2K's will see another One Term Presidency with question's over McCain's Health and Age...Not to mention what will happen once the economy falls off the cliff...Can't wait to see who gets the Democratic Nod ITTL, Keep it comming

Very good! :)
One little correction: It was Jim Talent in Missouri, not John Ashkroft. ;)

Thanks for the comments, they really keep this thing going!


ITTL, Jim Talent never became a Missouri Senator because Ashcroft kept his seat :)

February 2007: "I hereby declare my candidacy for the presidency!" Such words were spoken by former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel on February 2nd. Gravel was the first Democrat to declare his candidacy. Despite Gravel's enthusiasm, however, critics were quick to point out that Gravel was older than McCain. "Mike Gravel is a great guy, but he doesn't deliver the youth the American people are looking for," former President Bill Clinton commented.



Democrats continued to criticize McCain's leadership over NATO operations in Iraq. The new government was consistently under attack in Baghdad by terrorist factions. Many military commanders continued to suggest new strategies. Far-right Republicans pushed for an agenda that advertised complete control of Iraq, instead of major cities. The President refused to budge for the critics on both sides of the isle, however. During the second week of February, McCain hosted a series of town-hall discussions throughout the country to address the significance of NATO's operations in Iraq.


Operations in Pakistan continued to move forward, on the other hand. The majority of the country was now under US control, and al-Qaeda resistance was dwindling. Despite the success, polls proved that only 55% of Americans approved of the war.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 55%
No: 45%

On February 24th, former Secretary of State John Kerry announced that he would not be seeking the 2008 Democratic nomination.

March 2007: President McCain also came under fire from several economists, who voiced their concerns about the collapse of the housing bubble. Many economists also theorized that if the government's spending continued along with the tightening of credit, a recession would not be far away.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President McCain?
Yes: 58%
No: 42%

Several people continued to voice concern about the President's health. "Has anyone seen this guy with a smile on his face the past few weeks?" late night host Jay Leno remarked. The two wars, along with domestic issues, were definitely taking their toll on the President. Rasmussen released a poll in mid-March, examining if people thought that the President's age was a concern.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you think President McCain's health is an issue?
Yes: 46%
No: 51%
Unsure: 3%


At the end of March, only a little more than one month after Mike Gravel announced he would be running for President, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson declared his candidacy in Sante Fe. Richardson held an impressive resume, which included his tenure as Secretary of Energy under President Clinton, as well as US ambassador to the United Nations. The Democrats now had two men in the field for the 2008 nomination.

GLPman leaves hole in his TL :(

But GLPman update his TL! :)

Keep this coming.

This really is a great TL. You really seem to have put a lot of effort into this. This timeline is probably the most detailed I've read yet. I hope that either Hillary or Gore wins in 2008. Gore should be considered a much more credible candidate in 2008 since he became governor of Tennessee and since he did not lose in 2000 like in RL.

Mike Gravel!

Go Gravel!

Who else is going to through their hats in the ring for the Democratic side? and Are you planning on taking this up to just 2008 or maybe go to 2012?

April 2007: At the beginning of the month, former Vice President Al Gore announced that he would not be seeking the 2008 Democratic nomination, much to the dismay of many people. Gore explained that he would continue his environmental activism, instead. "I will strongly support the Democratic candidate for the 2008 presidential election," Gore claimed.


On April 6th, President McCain hosted the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, at the White House to discuss the War in Pakistan, as well as future hopes for the region.

Controversey over the NATO's presence in Iraq continued to escalate. Many Democrats insisted that the war was unnecessary and wasteful. Most Republicans defended the President's decision to invade, and pointed to the toppling of Saddam's regime and capture as proof that the war had been successful. The President himself also responded to the attacks, saying, "When I took the oath of office, I assured the American people that I would be protecting them. Today, we face a world blackened with terrorist threats. We will not sacrafice our liberties and give into the demands of these mad men. Never before have we done so, and we certainly will not under my administration."


Unfortunately, war was not the only thing that the President had to respond to - a sinking economy was beginning to worry many Americans. The President's approval rating remained at 58%, despite the unstable economy, but many pundits began wondering how the Republicans' majority in the Senate would fair in 2008.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President McCain?
Yes: 58%
No: 42%

May 2007: In wake of the calls of withdrawal from Iraq, the President's advisors strongly suggested that the President put forth a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Although the President initially refused, it became increasingly obvious as the month carried on that establishing a timetable would make sense, even if it wasn't followed.


On May 6th, Nicolas Sarkozy is elected President of France.

On May 14th, John Edwards, who had been a North Carolina Senator since 1999, announced that he would be running for President in 2008. "This country is being led down the wrong path. We can still save it and return power to the people," Edwards stated. "My campaign to restore this country's sense of pride will begin immediately." Edwards was immediately declared the front-runner by several organizations.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 53%
No: 47%

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support NATO's intervention in Iraq?
Yes: 48%
No: 52%

On May 19th, former Secretary of State John Kerry restated that he had no intention of running for President in 2008.

On May 21st, President McCain announced during a press conference that NATO forces would begin withdrawing from Iraq in November 2008. The President had no intention of following the plan, and purposefully scheduled it the same month as the 2008 election so that his opponent would not be able to attack him for inaction. McCain was later said to have told one of his advisors, "I gave the people what they expected, Jim." Indeed, McCain saw his approval rating jump to 60%.

But then something happened that nobody expected; something that shook the American people. On May 25th, at approximately 11:00 in the morning, the President suffered a stroke. While there had been debate in previous months about whether the President was fit to stay in office, this incident left no room for debate - the stroke was fatal. The President was pronounced dead. The White House immediately issued a statement about the tragic loss. Vice President Kay Bailey Hutchison was also sworn in as President.


Two hours later, President Hutchison issued a statement: "Let us carry on the great legacy that President John McCain established; let us not fear our enemies; let us stand up for the ideals set forth by our Constitution; let us celebrate our freedom as it was protected by the great man named John Sydney McCain." These words marked the beginning of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Presidency.

All the way with Kailey Bay!!!Although under very sad circumstances, with the first sitting Presidential death 35 years. I guess the 2k's will be known as the decade of the Four Presidents(Clinton, Daschle, McCain and Hutchinson) and it's still not a guarantee if Kay wins a second term with the economic downturn....Keep it comming.

Well, this is very sad. :(
Kay Bailey would be an excellent President. I wish she hadn't ran for Governor and instead prepared for a `12 run. I think she could win.

First woman president!  Under such unfortunate circumstances, though.  Will Hutchison seek a full term?

Here's hoping for a Democratic victory in 2008. How does McCain handle the Iranian nuclear threat and the Israel/Palestine conflict?

June 2007: The summer of 2007 began in the wake of President McCain's death. Newspapers continued to publish articles and various news networks aired specials on McCain's presidency. Reports of violence of Iraq and Pakistan were blocked out for the time being, but the wars continued to rage on.

On June 9th, Dennis Kucinich announced his bid for the presidency in Lakewood, Ohio. Kucinich criticized Republicans for "distancing the United States from its goals." Kucinich also spoke out against both the Pakistan and Iraq wars, saying that immediate withdrawal was necessary. The Ohio Representative was seen as the favorite candidate for far left voters.



Following Kucinich's announcement, Gallup released a poll on the candidates that had entered the Democratic field so far. Edwards was still the front-runner, but Richardson had picked up some momentum. It was still extremely early on in the primary season, however.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which candidate do you support for the Democratic nomination?
Edwards: 46%
Richardson: 32%
Kucinich: 13%
Gravel: 9%

The most awaited announcement came on June 18th, when President Hutchison announced that she would be running for re-election in 2008. "Together, you and I have the duty to finish the agenda put forth by President McCain. Our great nation has made great strides since 2004 as we combat conflicts both abroad and at home." Vice President Hutchison also announced that she would select her Vice President by the end of July or early August.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support President Hutchison?
Yes: 61%
No: 37%
Unsure: 2%

Meanwhile, Senator Edwards began campaigning in Iowa. At a rally in Des Moines, Edwards called for a "return to principles." Edwards knew it was early on in the primary season, but hoped he could maintain his lead.

Hmm...Might TTL's 2008 General Election be Hutchinson vs. Edwards?, Can't wait to see what happens in the Democratic Primaries...GLP, Keep it comming

Does Edwards still have his affair in this TL? If so, things could get pretty nasty.

I think we need to add some color(I'm Black, don't get ofended) to the rather lilly white, Democratic Field lol...Maybe Governor Bill Richardson still decide to dump his hat into the race, former Secretary Carol Mosley Braun? Secretary Bobby Scott? Governor Cruz Bustamante of California etc...Lol, are all the major leaders of the party like former Vice President Dean, Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Barack Obama steering clear of the election due McCain's death an Kay's popularity?....Keep it comming

Can we expect an update soon? :) This is really really good.

^^^^^^^^^

This

I've been extremely busy recently, I'll try and deliver an update soon!

cant wait till the next update ☻

This ^

I recommend someone new, like an African American business or nonprofit leader. Someone who has connections with corporate boards but makes a signature issue out of say education. Doubt he/she has a chance like Obama had; but it would bring something new to the TL, I'd say Franklin Raines since Fannie Mae didn't blow up.

July 2007: The United States celebrated its independence on July 4th for the first time under a women president. A large celebration was thrown on the National Mall, during which President Hutchison delivered a speech and called for a minute of silence to honor the death of President McCain. In the speech, President Huchison explained, "Despite the death of one of our greatest leaders, our nation continues to move forward. The United States Constitution begins with the words 'We the People.' Today, we the people remain unified against the threats we face, both at home and abroad. Our great nation has faced threats before. We are here today because of the brave men and women that stood up against the evil tyranny of a great empire. Our nation was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and I promise you that these principles are just as strong today as they were when countless colonists defended their young nation from oppression."


Despite the optimism of the President, many media outlets continued to question whether the country was truly safe from further terrorist attacks. The most recent attempt to attack the United States had occurred almost two years ago, in August 2005, when Pakistani extremists were arrested in Las Vegas in the Monte Carlo.

On July 20th, during a press conference, President Hutchison neither confirmed nor denied that she would followed the timetable for Iraq that had been set forth by President McCain. "If our troops continue to make progress, then yes, I will follow the timetable. If our military advisors think more time is needed to secure the region, however, I will not throw away all of our efforts and disgrace the families of those troops who have died simply to meet a timeline." Democratic candidates Edwards and Richardson both criticized the President's remarks, claiming that she was sending mixed signals to the American people and not being honest.


In the Democratic Primary race, which was still months away from beginning, Edwards remained in the lead with a 10-point lead over Bill Richardson. At the end of the month, though, things were shaken up when Representative Jessie Jackson, Jr. announced his candidacy in Chicago.


Quick polls showed support for Jackson put him right behind Richardson:

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which candidate do you support for the Democratic nomination?
Edwards: 34%
Richardson: 27%
Jackson: 22%
Kucinich: 10%
Gravel: 7%

August 2007: August was an extremely quiet month. The wars in Iraq and Pakistan continued to wage on. The media's focus seemed to shift temporarily from the wars to the backgrounds and potential of the Democratic candidates. President Hutchison announced early on in the month that she would be introducing immigration reform policies and harsher border restrictions. The announcement was met with great criticism from leading Democrats, such as Senate Majority Leader Joe Biden and Democratic candidate John Edwards.


President Hutchison also announced she would be selecting a Vice President in September. She announced that she would be meeting with several prominent Republicans across the country for consideration.

Possible VP picks:

Norman "Norm" Coleman - Minnesota Senator

()

J.C. Watts - Oklahoma Representative

()

George Pataki - Former New York Governor

()

Judd Gregg - New Hampshire Senator

()

John Ensign - Nevada Senator

()

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President Hutchison?
Yes: 62%
No: 38%

Awesome update GLP, Nice to see that Kay's adjusting to the reigns of power quite quickly in the aftermath of McCain's death. I kinda would like to see Kay take the gamble and pick a moderate vp like Pataki or Gregg to make a plan for those former Rockefeller Republican voters in the Northeast....And Im absolutely extacted about the Prospet of a Jackson Candidacy...Keep it comming!!!

()

I echo Historico: Pataki or Gregg for VP.

Keep 'em coming. ;)

Pataki

How about someone Pro-Life?

Like Gregg? ;)

Yep.

Hutchison-Gregg 2010.

No to Pataki

September 2007: A new series of polls on the Democratic candidates was released in the beginning of September. Surprisingly, the poll showed that New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was now tied with Senator Edwards, with Jesse Jackson, Jr. still in third.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Which candidate do you support for the Democratic nomination?
Edwards: 30%
Richardson: 30%
Jackson: 24%
Kucinich: 11%
Gravel: 5%

On September 6th, President Hutchison announced her choice of Judd Gregg for Vice President. Republicans across the country praised the choice, viewing Judd as a Republican version of Dean and a candidate who would most certainly draw votes in the Northeastern states in the 2008 election. At the press conference, Judd stated, "I am humbly honored to be selected and even more humbly honored to serve this great country. I look forward to beginning my work." Gregg would begin his service as Vice President a week later.


On September 9th, a debate between all the Democratic candidates was hosted at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. A variety of issues were discussed. Richardson attacked Jackson on unfamiliarity on the issues; Edwards claimed he was the most well-rounded candidate; and Jackson proposed himself as a "fresh" candidate. Polls afterwards showed that Richardson was the winner of the debate, with Edwards in a close second.


By mid-September, many economists were still expressing concern over the continuous downward spiral of the DOW. Several economists even predicted a recession sometime in the new two years. The White House dismissed these claims as "weak." Many people still held their concerns, however.

A poll at the end of the month showed declining support for NATO's intervention in Iraq, which was proceeding at a slow rate:

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you support NATO's intervention in Iraq?
Yes: 45%
No: 55%

In response to this poll, President Hutchison announced she would be visiting the NATO headquarters in Iraq to discuss the future of Iraq. It would be the President's first foreign policy trip.


As September came to a close, nobody knew what to expect for the upcoming months with a declining economy and a very close Democratic Primary race.

Nice Installment GLP, it see ims like Kay might be in a very interesting position come fall of 08...Keep it commin!

Yay for VP Gregg.

Ok GLP, Let's wrap the rest of 2007 up so we can get to the slugfest which is sure to be the Democratic Primaries lol...Keep it comming!!!

I love this timeline post a new update soon.

October 2007: On October 5th, President Hutchison arrived in Iraq on her first foreign policy trip to discuss the future of NATO's operations in Iraq. Outside the NATO headquarters in Iraq, President Hutchison announced, "It is NATO's goal to ensure success in Iraq, just as success was accomplished by the United States in Afghanistan." NATO arrived at the decision to increase troop numbers, 75% of which would be American troops, over the next three months.


Democrats quickly criticized President Hutchison for pushing for a troop surge. A poll found that 90% of Republicans favored the troop surge, while only 12% of Democrats approved. A national poll found that the approval of the war went up 2% from last month, however. Nonetheless, the majority of Americans did not approve of the war.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of NATO's intervention in Iraq?
Yes: 47%
No: 53%

Democratic Candidate Dennis Kucinich also saw his numbers drop in the polls when he responded to the troop surge on a CNN interview, calling the President "nothing more than clueless cowgirl." Kucinich, who was already had little support, saw his numbers drop.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Which candidate do you support for the Democratic nomination?
Edwards: 32%
Richardson: 30%
Jackson: 24%
Gravel: 8%
Kucinich: 6%

November 2007: The wars abroad continued to rage on. Back home in the United States, the immigration reform bill that was introduced in August was finally passed on for the Legislative Branch's approval. The bill, if passed, would increase border security and create new security projects along the border. Republicans praised the bill, while Democrats were harshly opposed. In Los Angeles, San Diego, and other cities across the country, immigrants held protests.


By the end of the month, Americans were eager for the primary season to begin. The democratic candidates continued to campaign across the country. At a rally in Des Moines, John Edwards explained, "When the Iowa Caucus arrives, we will win! When the New Hampshire primary arrives, we will win! And when the General Election arrives, we will win!" Edwards remained the front runner.


The Primary Season was only around the corner. Nobody was entirely sure - not even the candidates themseleves - was sure what was going to happen.

Go Jesse!!!, But no I wonder what's President Hutchinson's support for the Immigration Reform Bill, since she like Bush IOTL, is from from a border states so she might be a strong proponent of it...Keep it comming GLP

Can't wait till Iowa. : )

Hutchison-Gregg 2008!

Thanks for the comments. I'll try and update again soon. Get ready for the Democratic Primaries!

December 2007: As the year came to a close, all eyes turned to the Iowa, where the Democratic Primaries would begin with the Iowa Caucus in only one month. Support seemed to be equally divided among Richardson, Edwards, and Jackson. An Iowa straw poll released on December 9th showed Richardson maintaining a narrow lead in Iowa.

IOWA POLL - DECEMBER 9 2007
Which Democratic candidate do you support for President?
Richardson: 29.8%
Edwards: 28.0%
Jackson: 27.7%
Kucinich: 10.3%
Gravel: 4.2%  

Because the Iowa Caucus was so close, Richardson supporters  - and Richardson himself - were very enthusiastic.


Beginning on December 15th, the surge of troops into Iraq, which was authorized by President Hutchison and NATO in October, began. 10,000 American troops were deployed to Iraq. The Democrats harshly criticized the troop surge, especially the Democratic candidates for the 2008 election. Despite the criticism, though, many Americans knew that the troops were desperately needed in Iraq. The removal of Saddam had only temporarily subsided the violence and now NATO and US troops faced increasing violence from terrorist insurgencies.


The continuous attacks on GOP's war tactics and strategies resulted in the decrease of the President's approval rating. Although she firmly defended her stances and positions, the President saw her approval rating drop below 60% for the first time since she took office.

NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President Hutchison?
Yes: 58%
No: 42%

On December 20th, former President Daschle released his book, which immediately jumped to the top of book lists everywhere. In the book, President Daschle explained important and difficult decisions of his presidency. He also stated his support of President Hutchison as Commander in Chief, as well as the wars in Iraq and Pakistan, despite his opposition to invasion of Iraq during his presidency.


As 2007 came to a close, the nation looked to the past to remember President McCain and to the future towards the Democratic Primaries.


January 2008: No sooner than January began were the Iowa Caucus held. The Democratic candidates had campaigned for a long time in anticipation of this day. As voters flocked to the polls, nobody was sure who would be the victor. It became evident very quickly that the results were going to be close, though.

IOWA CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
()

Results:
Jackson: 28.4%
Edwards: 27.9%
Richardson: 27.0%
Kucinich: 10.6%
Gravel: 6.1%

Across the nation, commentators marveled at Jackson's victory. Surely, nobody had expected that the Illinois Representative would win in Iowa. Both Richardson and Edwards made speeches in which they assured their voters they would fare better in New Hampshire. "You and I both know that this fight is far from over," John Edwards vowed. Gravel and Kucinich decided to remain in the race. The last speech of the night was made by the victor, Jesse Jackson. "Media commentators across the country are surprised by our victory tonight. Surely they have underestimated our momentum and our desire to change this country! It's time to bring our success to New Hampshire!" Crowds cheered as Jackson stepped off the stage.


The New Hampshire Primary would be held in only five days and the final poll was released two days before.

FINAL NEW HAMPSHIRE POLL - JANUARY 6 2008
Which Democratic candidate do you support for President?
Edwards: 30.2%
Richardson: 28.2%
Jackson: 26.4%
Gravel: 12.0%
Kucinich: 3.2%

How would the New Hampshire Primary fare? Was the final New Hampshire poll accurate? Voters were about to find out.  

Go Jesse!!!, I wonder if Richardson will stay into the race to he comes across more Latino friendly states...Keep it comming

Go Richardson!!!!

Richardson for president!

Go Richardson 2008!

It was a contributing factor, but definitely didn't at all cost Bush the election.

Anyway, thanks for the comments, guys. I'll working on the next update so it should be up within a few days.

January 2008 (continued): Jesse Jackson hoped his victory in the Iowa Caucus, as well as his new title as the Democrats' Dark Horse candidate, could score him a victory in the New Hampshire Primary. Polls had shown Edwards in the lead. But, as the Iowa Caucus proved, polls couldn't always be trusted. How would the polls stand up this time around? All five Democratic candidates viciously campaigned in New Hampshire the five days before the Primary, hoping they could squeeze out a victory.

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 30.3%
Richardson: 28.1%
Jackson: 27.5%
Gravel: 10.1%
Kucinich: 4.0%

Edwards had edged out both Richardson and Jackson. Kucinich, who had only gathered four percent of the vote, decided to drop out. Gravel announced he would stay in. Although Jackson had come in third, he was extremely close to Richardson and had gathered more support than polls had shown. Governor Richardson still had yet to win a primary or caucus, which concerned many of his supporters. Would the New Mexico Governor be able to grab Nevada?


In Pakistan, US troops finally entered Multan on January 10th. Although they encountered little resistance, the US Army had identified the city as a key strategic point for holding Pakistan. Unfortunately, the lack of violence in Multan didn't give US troops a break, since more violence erupted along the Northern part of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Approval of the War in Pakistan among Americans was measured at 52%, which was an increase from previous months.


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of the War in Pakistan?
Yes: 52%
No: 48%

The troop surge in Iraq proved to be quite effective. Violence in Karbala and Al Kut dropped by 25% in the first two weeks. Nonetheless, NATO still had a lot of work to do and the Democrats back in the US utilized the longevity of the war to try and portray it as a pointless war.


As the Nevada Caucus rolled around, Governor Richardson looked to bring his campaign back on track. He desperately needed a victory. He knew a loss could result in the suspension of his campaign. Edwards, on the other hand, hoped to ride the coattails of his victory in New Hampshire and score a win in Nevada. Jackson knew his chances weren't great in Nevada, but remained hopeful anyway.

NEVADA CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson
()

Results:
Richardson: 37.5%
Edwards: 32.1%
Jackson: 25.9%
Gravel: 4.5%

Richardson had snatched the victory he needed and walked away with 37.5% of the vote. Nevada's hispanics had turned out in large numbers to support him, too. Edwards came in second with 32.1%, while Jackson had only pulled off 25.9%. Gravel had only pulled in 4.5% of the vote, but kept his promise to stay in.

On January 21st, stock markets across the world plunge and fears of a US recession increase.


The South Carolina Primary was held on January 26th. Polls had shown a dead heat between Jackson and Edwards. Both men had only won one contest so far and desperatley needed a victory in South Carolina to pull away from the other candidates. John Edwards' southern ties as a North Carolina Senator aided him greatly, but Jackson's popularity among African-American voters could push the Illinois Representative to victory.

SOUTH CAROLINA PRIMARY - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
()

Results:
Jacskon: 42.9%
Edwards: 34.2%
Richardson: 19.7%
Gravel: 3.2%

Jackson emerged victorious with 42.9% of the vote. Edwards and Richadson weren't concerned, however, as they looked forward to Michigan and Florida.

Very Interesting, So will Michigan and Florida still actually count ITTL or did the DNC punish them for moving their dates up before Super Tuesday like IOTL? If not I perdict that high black voter turnout will narrowly throw Michigan to Jackson and Florida will be a squeeker highly competetive with Richardson locking in the Cuban vote, Jackson locking in the Black Vote, and Edwards with White Blue Dogs...Can't wait to see what happens during super tuesday keep it comming

Go Jesse!

February 2008: The beginning of February hosted the Michigan and Florida primaries. Both Michigan and Florida had attempted to move their primaries to late January instead of Super Tuesday on February 5th. The DNC decided, in turn, decided that both primaries would be held on February 1st. Top Republicans criticized the change in schedule as unorganized.  Jackson was favored to pull out a slim victory over Edwards in Michigan, while Florida was a dead-heat between the top three candidates. Richardson pulled the Latino vote, Jackson was popular among Blacks, and polling showed that Edwards was extremely popular in the I-4 corridor.


MICHIGAN PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
()

Results:
Jackson: 37.6%
Edwards: 33.1%
Richardson: 26.5%
Gravel: 2.8%

FLORIDA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 35.1%
Richardson: 32.7%
Jackson: 32.2%
Gravel: 3.2%

Edwards had walked away with Florida and Jackson had captured Michigan. There was no doubt that Richardson's campaign was in trouble as Super Tuesday approached. Both Edwards and Jackson had collected the momentum they needed.


On February 4th, Iran opened its first space center and tested the international community by launching a rocket into space. The same day, the US stock market plunges 3%.

Super Tuesday was only one day away. Across the country, people prepared to cast their votes. Would the Democrats find their candidate after the results of Super Tuesday? Furthermore, as the economy continued to decline, Americans couldn't help but wonder if a recession inevitable.

Looks like itll be a Jackson/Edwards slugfest from here on out...Can't wait for Super tuesday

Great TL.  Over the entire decade, there isn't really much to quibble about, though I wonder how Frank was appointed to Kerry's Senate seat since Paul Celucci (R) was still Governor.  I'd have thought he'd appoint Mittens or Jane Swift (though probably not Joe Malone since they had that heated primary in '98).

BTW, thank you for sparing my beloved home state a full term of Cruz Bustamante; Simon was a terrible candidate, but an infinitely better executive than Cruz could hope to be.

Thanks for the comment. They really keep this old bird going!

February 2008 (continued): Super Tuesday had arrived. Across the country, Americans scrambled to thir nearest voting stations to cast their votes. Political strategists predicted that Super Tuesday would most likely define the Democratic nominee. Both the Edwards and Jackson campaigns were hopeful of achieving victories in crucial states. Support for Richardson had withered as Edwards and Jackson picked up momentum.


NATIONWIDE POLL - FEBRUARY 4th 2008
Which Democratic candidate do you support for President?
Edwards: 37.1%
Jackson: 33.4%
Richardson: 27.4%
Gravel: 2.1%

FEBRUARY 5th "SUPER TUESDAY" RESULTS - DEMOCRAT:

Alabama Primary Results:
Jackson: 43.6%
Edwards: 37.2%
Richardson: 16.0%
Gravel: 3.2%

Alaska Caucus Results:
Edwards: 41.6%
Jackson: 25.9%
Richardson: 18.0%
Gravel: 14.5%

Arizona Primary Results:
Richardson: 38.6%
Edwards: 33.1%
Jackson: 26.1%
Gravel: 2.1%

Arkansas Primary Results:
Edwards: 36.2%
Jackson: 33.2%
Richardson: 27.6%
Gravel: 3.0%

California Primary Results:
Edwards: 35.9%
Richardson: 32.5%
Jackson: 29.5%
Gravel: 2.5%

Colorado Caucus Results:
Richardson: 33.4%
Edwards: 32.3%
Jackson: 29.7%
Gravel: 4.6%

Connecticut Primary Results:
Edwards: 36.5%
Jackson: 32.1%
Richardson: 28.2%
Gravel: 3.2%

Delaware Primary Results:
Edwards: 35.0%
Jackson: 33.5%
Richardson: 30.1%
Gravel: 1.4%

Georgia Primary Results:
Jackson: 38.6%
Edwards: 35.6%
Richardson: 24.5%
Gravel: 1.3%

Idaho Caucus Results:
Richardson: 34.0%
Edwards: 32.0%
Jackson: 25.5%
Gravel: 8.5%

Illinois Primary Results:
Jackson: 47.5%
Edwards: 30.2%
Richardson: 20.8%
Gravel: 1.5%

Kansas Caucus Results:
Edwards: 38.9%
Jackson: 30.1%
Richardson: 26.5%
Gravel: 4.5%

Massachusetts Primary Results:
Edwards: 36.3%
Richardson: 32.0%
Jackson: 29.7%
Gravel: 2.0%

Minnesota Caucus Results:
Edwards: 35.0%
Jackson: 33.5%
Richardson: 28.0%
Gravel: 3.5%

Missouri Primary Results:
Edwards: 34.2%
Jackson: 33.8%
Richardson: 30.8%
Gravel: 1.2%

New Jersey Primary Results:
Edwards: 35.2%
Jackson: 34.1%
Richardson: 28.7%
Gravel: 2.0%

New Mexico Primary Results:
Richardson: 50.4%
Edwards: 23.5%
Jackson: 22.8%
Gravel: 3.3%

New York Primary Results:
Edwards: 34.1%
Jackson: 33.0%
Richardson: 31.6%
Gravel: 1.3%

North Dakota Caucus Results:
Edwards: 35.6%
Jackson: 31.3%
Richardson: 31.0%
Gravel: 2.1%

Oklahoma Primary Results:
Edwards: 33.8%
Richardson: 32.0%
Jackson: 29.3%
Gravel: 3.9%

Tennessee Primary Results:
Edwards: 35.8%
Jackson: 33.8%
Richardson: 28.6
Gravel: 1.8%

Utah Primary Results:
Edwards: 35.7%
Richardson: 35.0%
Jackson: 25.3%
Gravel: 4.0%

Edwards' campaign claimed victory following the results. Edwards' biggest wins were in California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Tennessee. Political analysts commented on how race seemed to play a big card in the vote breakdown. Jackson had managed to carry the Black vote, which in turn helped him win contests over Edwards in the Deep South. Latino turnout for Richardson was extremely high, especially in the Western states. Jackson knew that Edwards had managed to win the majority of the contests, but the Illinois Representative still finished in a close second several times, most notable in New York and New Jersey. Jackson therefore vowed to stay in the race. Gravel announced he would drop out.


Despite Richardson's victories in Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, the New Mexico governor did not receive the support he had wished for. In Sante Fe, Richardson announced he would be suspending his campaign.


With both Gravel and Richardson out, the race for the Democratic nomination was between Jackson and Edwards. Although Edwards was ahead, there was no proving that Jackson couldn't deliver a comeback. Jackson hoped he could pick up Richardson's support.

If Edwards is as much of a spectacular a-hole ITTL as he is IRL, I see a victory for Hutchison/Gregg in the works.

Keep it up. :D

February 2008 (continued): With Richardson out, Jackson and Edwards were the only two remaining candidates. Although Edwards had managed to deliver the most victories on Super Tuesday, Jackson had come in a close second several times in extremely important states. On news channels, many top Democrats explained the possibility of a Jackson comeback in the new few weeks.


On their barnstorms throughout the nation, both Edwards and Jackson capitalized the sinking economy. Following Super Tuesday, the US stock market plunged over 3%, further indicating that a recession was on the horizon. "Republican economic policies during the past several years, including the ones that are employed under President Hutchison, are responsible for this country's economic downturn," Senator Edwards explained before a rally in Seattle, Washington. While Democrats blamed Republicans for the economic troubles, Republicans pointed their fingers to the Clinton and Daschle administrations. At Camp David, President Hutchison delivered a speech on the economic downturn, in which she stated, "Our economy continues to falter as the weeks progress. There are those who assert that our government's current policies are to blame for this - an inaccurate and speedy conclusion. Our economy, like all those of capitalist, has its ups and downs. There is no proof yet that we are on track for a full-blown recession."


NATIONWIDE POLL
Do you approve of President Hutchison?
Yes: 56%
No: 44%

On Feburary 7th, the Louisiana Primary, Nebraska Caucus, and Washington Caucus were held. The media gave little attention to the contests in light of the recent economic developments.

LOUISIANA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
()

Results:
Jackson: 54.9%
Edwards: 45.1%

NEBRASKA CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 57.8%
Jackson: 42.2%

WASHINGTON CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 51.2%
Jackson: 48.8%

The results of the contests proved the rifts between supporters of each candidates. Jackson carried Louisiana by over 8 points due to the black voter turnout. In Nebraska, however, Edwards had won with a 15 point lead because of his popularity among Democrat Midwestern farmers. In Washington, Edwards had barely nudged Jackson out. Democrat strategists explained that February 9th could be viewed as a tie between the two candidates: even though Edwards had crushed Jackson in Nebraska, Jackson had won in Lousiana, which was a more populous state, and Washington was extremely close.

One day later, the Maine Caucuses were held. Polls found that Edwards and Jackson were virtually tied in the state. Both men spent the entire afternoon of February 9th and day of February 10th campaigning in the state, hoping to squeeze out extra votes at the last second.

MAINE CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 52.1%
Jackson: 47.9%

Once again, Edwards had emerged victorious. Jackson reassured voters that Virginia and Maryland would prove more successful, while Edwards asserted that victory in the battle for the nomination was near. Analysts predicted that by late February or early March, the race for the Democratic nomination would be over.

February 2008 (continued): February was finally beginning to wind down. Five contests remained for the Democratic candidates: DC Primary, Maryland Primary, Virginia Primary, Hawaii Caucus, and Wisconsin Primary. Democrats across the nation knew it was extremely important to select a candidate as quickly as possible. Edwards remained in the lead nationally over Jackson by an average of eight points. Although it will still early on in the primary season, Republicans quickly capitalized on the divisions within the Democrats. During an press interview, Vice President Gregg, who had mostly remained off the political stage is prior months, stated, "The divisions that we see among the Democrats right now are nothing more than typical."


NATIONWIDE POLL
Which Democratic candidate do you support for President?
Edwards: 54.0%
Jackson: 46.0%

In order to take advantage of his lead over Jackson, Edwards increased the number of attack ads on Jackson. Jackson, Edwards argued, lacked the experience needed to not only win the election in the fall, but to be a successful commander-in-chief. "We need to get this guy out of the race as soon as possible," Edwards commented to an advisor, "or we're going to have a harder time taking down the GOP."


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr.
()

Results:
Jackson: 67.2%
Edwards: 32.8%

MARYLAND PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 53.6%
Jackson: 46.4%

VIRGINIA PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 54.9%
Jackson: 45.1%

Jackson's campaign was dealt a devastating blow. Although Jackson had won DC, his monumental losses in Maryland and Virginia resulted in many delegates going to Edwards and a complete loss of momentum. Edwards' new ads had worked effectively. On February 14th, new polls showed Edwards was in the lead in both Wisconsin and Hawaii - states that had previously showed strong support for Jackson.

Meanwhile, on February 17th, President Hutchison's immigration bill was introduced to Congress. Polls showed that Republicans were strongly in favor of the bill, while Democrats were strongly opposed. Independents, on the other hand, seemed to be evenly split. Both Jackson and Edwards campaigned heavily against the bill while barnstorming. At a rally in Milwaukee, Jackson explained, "This bill is just one more piece of the Republican agenda that is sending this country spiraling in the wrong direction."


HAWAII CAUCUS RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 52.9%
Jackson: 47.1%


WISCONSIN PRIMARY RESULTS - DEMOCRAT
Winner: North Carolina Senator John Edwards
()

Results:
Edwards: 55.3%
Jackson: 44.7%

Jackson's campaign had lost all momentum. In what had been an extremely competitive state, Jackson was defeated by 11 points. With a lack of momentum and quickly declining support, Jesse Jackson knew it was time to suspend his campaign. On February 21st in Chicago, Jackson announced he would suspend his campaign. "I thank all of you who poured all your hard work into this campaign. While this is not the outcome I had hoped for, I am glad that I was bested by such a respectable and qualified candidate. John Edwards has my support in the battle for the White House, and I ask that you give him yours." John Edwards was now the Democratic nominee for the 2008 presidential election.