Collaborative Presidential Elections - New

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Wow, a full-on Kennedy dynasty in this one.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

President Mark Warner (D-VA)/Vice President Barack Obama (D-IL) - 411 electoral votes, 55.1% of the popular votes
Governor Rick Perry (R-TX)/Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) - 127 electoral votes, 43.2% of the popular vote

Mark Warner's moderate, low-drama Presidency was popular, although he never connected with the public as the most successful Presidents do. His approval ratings remained fairly high, but the economy continued being a drag on his Presidency, and polls showed he was vulnerable to a challenge from former VP Chafee. However, Chafee was upset in Iowa and South Carolina by firebrand Texas Governor Rick Perry, who cruised to the nomination. Chafee withheld an endorsement in the race, criticizing Perry for being too extreme. Perry got a brief boost in the polls when he picked popular Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his VP choice, but some disastrous debate performances and radical statements doomed his candidacy. In the end, Warner was re-elected by a huge landslide, the biggest for a Democrat since 1968.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

1996:

President Robert Dole (R-KS)/Vice President Carroll Campbell (R-SC) - 272 electoral votes, 49.9% of the popular vote
Governor William J. Clinton (D-AR)/Senator Albert Gore Jr. (D-TN) - 266 electoral votes, 49.8% of the popular vote

Having barely eked out a win over President Dukakis due to concerns over the economy, President Dole's tenure could best be described as "safe". He was a well-liked, conservative President who rarely championed any massive policy overhauls, unlike his controversial predecessor's push for National Health Care. As such, his approval ratings remained moderately high. Dole was expecting an easy re-election campaign against the gaffe-prone Biden, but that plan changed when Biden was upset in the primary by the charismatic Governor from Arkansas, who doubled down on southern appeal with Senator Gore, and tried to portray Dole and Campbell as Washington insiders. It was one of the tightest races in US history, eventually decided by a 1,200 vote margin in New Hampshire, as President Dole successfully used Vice President Campbell to shore up his support in the deep south, holding Governor Clinton's gains to his home state of Arkansas.

Despite the closeness of the loss, Governor Clinton's concession speech was upbeat and optimistic, with many speculating that despite a narrow win by the incumbent, Clinton's time in the spotlight was far from done.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Ray, wouldn't TN be Democratic and not AR?

VP picks usually have far less impact on the state than Presidential nominees. I'm assuming Clinton's home turf would vote for him no matter what, as he was very popular there. Meanwhile, Gore's presence on the ticket would make Tenn much closer than it would have been, but Dole as an incumbent President with a popular southern Veep would put it just out of reach.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

2008:

President Hunt's second term was smoother than the first, without any major terrorist attacks to make him look incapable of protecting the country. However, the war in Afghanistan dragged on, with no end in sight, and Americans were beginning to lose patience. President Hunt had always charted a middle path between the hawks and the doves when it came to the war on terror, but it was becoming clear that would not be the case for long.

On the Democratic side, Vice President Mitchell, an experienced statesman, decided to run despite his age. He proved himself to have plenty of energy on the campaign trail, but wasn't able to harness much excitement for continuing the administration's course. Freshman Senator Barack Obama, elected on Hunt's coattails four years earlier, waged an energetic, youth-driven campaign appealing to disaffected liberals, and after upset wins in Iowa and South Carolina, was able to trounce the aging Mitchell on Super Tuesday. He chose longtime Massachusetts Senator and war hero John Kerry as his running mate, balancing the ticket effectively.

On the Republican side, former VP nominee George Allen was the favorite, but his campaign unraveled when he used a racially-charged slur against a journalist. With the conservative right united behind Allen, it left an opening for a moderate voice, which turned out to be Arizona Senator John McCain, who promised to bring the war in Afghanistan to a swift end with total victory. McCain, while an older candidate, was helped by the presence in the race of Vice President Mitchell, who was several years older. After securing the nomination, McCain chose popular Utah Governor Jon Huntsman as his running mate, shoring up his moderate appeal.

In the general election, Senator Obama had the momentum early, but during the debates, McCain pointed out the irony on Obama running on a platform of change, when it was his party that had been running things for eight years. In the end, the public voted for a tougher hand in the war on terror, and McCain/Huntsman eked out a narrow victory.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Jon Huntsman (R-UT) - 290 electoral votes, 50.3% of the popular vote.
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)/Senator John Kerry (D-MA) - 248 electoral votes, 49.1% of the popular vote

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Was the 22nd amendment passed in this timeline?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

1980:

Richard Nixon was one of the most moderate leaders ever to be elected under the Socialist Labor banner - and he was also one of the most canny political strategists to ever occupy the White House. He began his Presidency with only a narrow mandate, and from the start he sought to distance himself from the previous SL Presidents by reaching out to the opposition. This continued with his second term, and his popularity stayed steady. While past Presidents had abided by an unwritten rule to only serve two terms, it soon became clear that Richard Nixon had bigger plans.

Vietnam, the biggest thorn in the President's side, was soon turned to his favor as he began the process of withdrawing US troops, but pressured the recalcitrant Houses of Congress into approving a robust aid package for the South Vietnamese, providing them with weapons that allowed them to hold off the North Vietnamese forces. In the end, a tenuous truce was forged between North and South Vietnam, bringing an end to the conflict for now. While the anti-war left, driven by the Communist party, did not approve of continued American intervention in Vietnam, the majority of the public was happy to have troops out of harm's way, and was impressed by the approaches he made to China, fending off potential future wars in the region.

Nixon's economic policies kept a strong focus on helping the working class, reducing taxes for low earners and weakening the Right to Work act. However, he rejected many of the Socialist Labor Party's past economic strategies, instead choosing to chart a "Third Way" between the unapologetic capitalism of President Goldwater and the radicalism of the Communists. This resulted in no small amount of conflict between Nixon and his vice president, with Humphrey eventually choosing to retire from politics and not run again with Nixon.

As expected, Nixon was re-nominated without challengers at the Socialist Labor party convention - which Nixon had begun subtly to simply refer to as the "Labor" party, as part of his efforts to appeal to the center - despite some controversy over his decision to run for a third term. He shocked the country by choosing Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke, a charismatic African-American moderate, as his new running mate. This was an attempt by Nixon to offset his centrist politics and cut into the Communist party's lead with African-American voters.

The Republicans, caught off-guard by Nixon's plans, knew they had an uphill battle due to the outcome in Vietnam. Senator Bob Dole, a likable but low-key politician who had served his state well, stepped up as the candidate this time, choosing Texas Senator George Bush as his running mate.

The Communists were hoping for big gains this time, due to picking up disaffected ex-SL party members. The charismatic Governor Kennedy, who had overshadowed the top of the ticket four years ago, was tapped as the candidate. His choice as Vice President was Congressman Malcolm Little, a New York firebrand who had become the new face of the civil rights movement after King's assassination. Little's story of growing up amidst poverty and racial hatred, only to find purpose in the Communist party and rising through the ranks, energized the left and gave them hope for a comeback against Nixon.

The Christian Alliance party saw opportunity as well, with the Republicans finding themselves in dire straits. They had the most crowded primary, with Wallace, Maddox, McKeithen, and others running. The primary was eventually won by Wallace, who chose North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, a fellow hardliner, as his running mate. Although in the past they had been an increasingly southern party, Wallace saw the changing tides and altered his platform, placing more of a focus on populism and economic issues.

The Libertarians, never a strong force electorally, nominated economist Milton Friedman and Texas Doctor Ron Paul as their ticket, aiming to increase the discussion of their views as well as build up a potential star in Paul. The Socialist Freedom party, seeing its membership dwindle in the wake of the Communists' resurgence, did not run a slate in '80.

While the campaign was energetic and filled with large personalities, it seemed like a foregone conclusion from the start. Nixon's plan bore fruit, giving him chunks of the base from most of the major parties and allowing him to open up a wide lead that he never relinquished. It soon became a battle for second place and the publicity that would come from a place in the runoff.

In the end, Nixon's strategy worked perfectly. The Republicans and Communists saw their bases heavily eaten into by Nixon's candidacy and Brooke's historic place on the ticket. The Christian Alliance, waging their strongest campaign since Patton's day, were able to limp into the runoff, giving  Nixon exactly the opponent he wanted. The biggest surprise of the night was the Libertarian ticket, which had waged an energetic campaign in neglected states, taking the state of Alaska.

President Richard Nixon (SL-CA)/Senator Edward Brooke (SL-MA) - 368 electoral votes, 36.1% of the popular vote
Governor George Wallace (CA-AL)/Senator Jesse Helms (CA-NC) - 78 electoral votes, 18.6% of the popular vote
Governor Edward Kennedy (C-MA)/Congressman Malcolm Little (C-NY) - 55 electoral votes, 19.2% of the popular vote
Senator Robert Dole (R-KS)/Senator George Herbert Walker Bush (R-TX) - 34 electoral votes, 18.1% of the popular vote
Economist Milton Friedman (L-NY)/Congressman Ron Paul (L-TX) - 3 electoral votes, 7.5% of the popular vote

The runoff was low key, with everyone knowing exactly who was going to win. Many supporters of the Communists chose to stay home, while disaffected Republicans broke for Nixon, choosing him over the arch-conservative Wallace. Nixon received a huge mandate for his third term and, many said, changed the face of American politics.

President Richard Nixon (SL-CA)/Senator Edward Brooke (SL-MA) - 420 electoral votes, 59.2% of the popular vote
Governor George Wallace (CA-AL)/Senator Jesse Helms (CA-NC) - 118 electoral votes, 40.8% of the popular vote

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Was the 22nd amendment passed in this timeline?

Not so far, so any President could seek a third term if they wanted .

I figured if anyone was going to take advantage, it was going to be Nixon.

I actually had this story planned for Nixon's second term, but Cath beat me and I didn't want to lose it. I find this Center-Left version of Nixon fascinating. This is one of the best timelines so far, and I wanted to play.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Hey, I like your contribution. Just in the future if you change where it says color=yellow to color=gold it makes it a little easier to read (personally I can't read anything in yellow without highlighting it). Also, if you want to make a fifth candidate show up on the electoral map (instead of just toss up grey) you can do this:
Take: &AK=0;3;3
and make it: &AK=5;3;3

If you do that with your map, for example, it gives you this:


You can only do that for up to 5 candidates, though. Anything above 4 shows up as brown, so a 5 and 6 would look the same.

The format that the atlas uses for these maps is [State]=[Candidate who won];[Electoral Votes];[Percentage that candidate got in state]

So you can change it in a lot of fun ways, like showing Wyoming with 100 EVs:
Or removing Wyoming altogether:

These can all be cool to use in alt history scenarios, although in this one we seem to be assuming that all the states had the population they historically did and that they all joined the union at the time they did.

Was the 22nd amendment passed in this timeline?

Not so far, so any President could seek a third term if they wanted .

Also, we seem to be operating under the assumption that you do not have to be a native born citizen (that would have disqualified President Berger).

Thanks for the tips! I've played before, but this is the first time I've jumped into one with multiple parties.

The latter point may have been an accident, but it does raise an interesting what if for a future round...

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I was unaware that Berger was born in Austria Who do we replace him with?

Debs would be a bit old and Norman Thomas would be a bit young, but both are plausible.

I've got next once we sort this out, if no one objects.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

1988:

The Communist Presidency of Edward Kennedy was ambitious from the start. It soon became clear that Kennedy had no desire to move to the center like many Presidents planned to, but rather intended to follow through on his campaign promises. With a majority of seats in the House and Congress thanks to a tentative alliance between the Communists and Socialist Labor, many reforms were passed quickly. The Equal Rights Amendment was passed by both houses of Congress, although it stalled in the states due to opposition from the South and West. In response, Kennedy led Congress to pass it piece by piece through legislation. Federal bills banning discrimination based on sexual orientation were passed as well, leading to both celebrations and protests, with limited riots breaking out in several areas. Kennedy wound up calling in the National Guard to protect gay communities in several cities, although critics accused him of overstating the threat. Due to his strong stands against discrimination, Kennedy became an immensely popular figure around the world.

However, not all his policies were as popular. His attempts at expansive gun control legislation were struck down by the Supreme Court, made of primarily Socialist Labor nominees. In response to the Chernobyl disaster, Kennedy ordered a federal ban on the construction of any future nuclear power plants in the country, calling the technology a "Harbinger of death and destruction". Most controversial of all was Kennedy's call for an end to the cold war. While Nixon had toyed with the idea, bringing peace with China, Kennedy's eagerness to find common ground with Soviet Communism energized the right, as did his moves towards nationalizing troubled industries.

Kennedy refused to run from the label "Communist", instead embracing it and painting himself as a friend of downtrodden, worried Americans. This led to him becoming one of the most polarizing Presidents in United States history, with his supporters as determined to keep him in office as his detractors were to defeat him.

Heading into 1988, polls showed Kennedy vulnerable but hardly doomed. All parties were energized to bring their best candidates to the table this time. The Communists, to no one's surprise, re-nominated Kennedy/Holtzman, but things were much more contested in the other parties.

The Socialist Labor party found themselves facing a crisis, as many believed that the left had passed them by, embracing a more radical version of their platform. Attempting to strike a balance between the Communists' platform and the resurgent right wing, they nominated genial New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a moderate and passionate advocate for urban areas. His running mate, charismatic Colorado Senator Gary Hart, complemented the ticket and helped them recapture the center, as Nixon had aimed. Rumors swirled around Hart's womanizing nature, but the scandal stayed under the surface for the duration of the campaign.

The Republicans were still struggling to find their balance after being completely shut out since Goldwater's tenure and missing the runoff in the last two elections. Congressman John Anderson, a well-liked centrist, stepped up to run, promising a "return to normalcy" after the radicalism of the Kennedy years. His running mate, the moderate New Hampshire Senator Warren Rudman, brought additional policy gravitas to the ticket, although pundits criticized the ticket as wonkish and having little appeal to blue collar voters. It seemed clear that the Republicans were trying to make inroads in the north as a common-sense party, as opposed to competing against the Christian Alliance in the south.

The Christian Alliance party had a disappointing 1984, but Kennedy's tenure had re-energized them, giving them an effective boogeyman to campaign against. After two turns in the VP slot, it was Jesse Helms' turn to lead the party, and he did not disappoint the party faithful. He ran an unabashed campaign against social liberalism, using the party convention to rail against the forces of "Feminism, Sodomy, and forced integration that are destroying this country". His running mate, Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, brought a softer voice to the party, and allowing the ticket to place some emphasis on economics while Helms fired up the party on social issues. Cochran's full-throated defense of capitalism made him one of the rising stars of the campaign, even as Helms' rhetoric made many center-right voters uncomfortable.

The Libertarian party had quickly become a one-man show, as Ron Paul was nominated once again. Choosing Libertarian author Harry Browne as his running mate, Paul seemed re-energized by the Kennedy years, giving him the perfect opponent to make his case for economic non-interventionism against. While many doubted Paul would ever reach the Presidency, his focused, determined campaign was winning him more and more fans by the day.

Although President Kennedy was suitably left-wing for most communists, the New Left Party continued to run a ticket designed to bring attention to black issues. The radical preacher Jeremiah Wright, who had gained a following in Chicago, headed the ticket, with radical historian Howard Zinn as his running mate. While they had no chance at making any real impact, they pushed an unapologetic message of racial and economic justice, and a consistent condemnation of US intervention abroad.

With what many people called the closest election ever looming, all parties were jockeying for that little extra bit of support that could send them into the runoff.

President Ted Kennedy (C-MA)/Vice President Elizabeth Holtzman (C-NY) - 175 electoral votes, 24.1% of the popular vote
Senator Daniel Moynihan (SL-NY)/Senator Gary Hart (SL-CO) - 156 electoral votes,  24.6% of the popular vote
Senator Jesse Helms (CA-NC)/Senator Tad Cochran (CA-MS) - 98 electoral votes, 17.3% of the popular vote
Congressman Ron Paul (L-TX)/Author Harry Browne (L-NY) - 59 electoral votes, 16.7% of the popular vote
Congressman John Anderson (R-IL)/Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) - 59 electoral votes, 16.1% of the popular vote
Reverend Jeremiah Wright (NL-IL)/Historian Howard Zinn (NL-NY) - 1.1% of the popular vote

The election was a crushing defeat for the Republicans, as their new direction had yet to take hold. For the second time in a row, the Socialist Labor and Communist parties would face off. Although President Kennedy had won the first round in terms of electoral votes, it would soon turn out to be a pyrrhic victory. Senator Moynihan had learned from the mistakes of the last SL ticket, and he made it his priority to reach out to the supporters of the losing parties, particularly the Republicans and Libertarians. By presenting himself as the common-sense alternative to the excesses of the communists, he was able to take advantage of the country's desire for a more centrist path.

Senator Daniel Moynihan (SL-NY)/Senator Gary Hart (SL-CO) - 395 electoral votes, 53.6% of the popular vote
President Ted Kennedy (C-MA)/Vice President Elizabeth Holtzman (C-NY) - 143 electoral votes, 46.4% of the popular vote

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I'll jump in to help finish the last timeline. Been a busy week, but it was a great one.

And save the new one to start after three more turns! It's a cool what-if.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

2000:

Hillary Rodham, the first female President since the 1940s, entered office in an era where many were beginning to view the Presidency as a thankless job. Not since Richard Nixon - who, ironically, had sought to bring new stability to the multi-party system before he was cut down - had a President been re-elected. And not since Kennedy had one even made it to the runoff! Rodham, a canny political mind, sought to break this curse by pivoting to the center.

Rodham's domestic policies were very popular, following in the footsteps of President Kemp's moderate stances. By trying to appeal to all sides - a tough on crime approach to please the Republicans and Christian Alliance, and a focus on economic fairness and the social safety net to appease the Communists - she held a decent-sized lead heading into the runoff.

The Communists sought to paint Rodham as a tool of the right, nominating Bernie Sanders, the Vermont Governor and former VP nominee as their candidate. He chose well-respected Georgia Congressman John Lewis, a legend of the civil rights era, as his running mate, and the two elder statesmen of the Communists ran an aggressive campaign.

The Republicans chose to target Rodham's one weak spot - foreign policy. She had kept a largely hands-off approach during her term, and the Republican candidate, former Vice President John McCain, was well suited to take advantage of that. The moderate, well-respected McCain was seen as a strong candidate, and he chose New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman as his running mate, helping him with the female vote.

The Christian Alliance, shut out of the Presidency since Patton's era, were seeking a way back to relevancy. The defection of Bush scion Jeb Bush to the party gave them that opening, allowing them to nominate their most high-profile candidate in a long time. He chose Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, a socially conservative firebrand, as his running mate and gave the party their best shot in a long time at getting to the runoff.

The Libertarians also sensed their moment, recruiting their most high-profile candidate ever - the Libertarian governor of New York, Donald Trump. The controversial real estate developer had been elected in 1998, replacing Socialist Labor Governor Mario Cuomo. Trump's bombastic style and rightward tilt made him very different from past candidates, and he chose New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, one of the most popular governors in the nation, as his running mate.

The New Left nominated Senator Nader once again, as he sought to bring more attention to the environmental issues that had been ignored by the major parties. He chose Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, the only other elected official the party had gained in the last four years, as his running mate. While the ticket had little chance of getting significant electoral votes, Nader campaigned as if the election was within his grasp. The New Democrats did not field a ticket in 2000, as the moderates in the Republicans and Socialist Labor party played well to their audience.

The runoff was one of the most divided in history, with no candidate dominating, and the runoff coming down to the wire.

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) - 142 electoral votes, 21.1% of the popular vote
President Hillary Rodham (SL-NY)/Vice President Ann Richards (SL-TX) - 138 electoral votes, 21.3% of the popular vote
Governor John "Jeb" Bush (CA-FL)/Senator Sam Brownback (CA-KS) - 136 electoral votes, 19.8% of the popular vote
Governor Donald Trump (L-NY)/Governor Gary Johnson (L-NM) - 88 electoral votes, 18.6% of the popular vote
Governor Bernie Sanders (C-VT)/Congressman John Lewis (C-GA) - 34 electoral votes, 13.6% of the popular vote
Senator Ralph Nader (NL-CT)/Congressman Dennis Kucinich (NL-OH), 5.1% of the popular vote

President Rodham improved on the past two Presidents, making it into the runoff, and early polling showed her as the favorite against Senator McCain, as Christian Alliance and Libertarian voters weren't enthusiastic about him. However, the conversation changed in October, when terrorists attacked the USS Cole and pushed foreign policy to the forefront of the debate. Senator McCain tirelessly hammered Rodham for her inactivity in response, promising to target terrorists wherever they hid. President Rodham tried to portray McCain as reckless, but the Vietnam Veteran had tapped into the national anger and energized the right. And as the election results came in, the pundits were united - the multi-party system had led to the "Era of the One-Termer".

Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ) - 295 electoral votes, 51.2% of the popular vote
President Hillary Rodham (SL-NY)/Vice President Ann Richards (SL-TX) - 243 electoral votes, 48.8% of the popular vote

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

2008:

President McCain's two-term Presidency was the most successful in well over a decade. While some on the left grumbled about his aggressive foreign policy, his decision to keep US troops off the ground in Iraq was immensely popular, and kept the war from becoming a quagmire. His approval ratings remained solid, and many in the party wanted him to run for a third term. However, in November 2007, McCain announced that he would not be seeking re-election.

Vice President Whitman was the consensus choice as the Republican nominee, hoping to capitalize on the President's popularity. New York Governor Rudy Giuliani, the former Mayor who won international acclaim for his cleanup of the city as well as his response to the 9/11 attacks, was chosen as Whitman's running mate, creating a ticket of Northerners.

The Socialist Labor party, stinging after missing the primary in 2004, regrouped and sought to shore up their Midwestern base. Former VP nominee Evan Bayh swept through the primaries, thanks to his effective appeal to blue collar workers and farmers. He chose Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer as his running mate, giving the party more Western appeal. However, the party was soon caught up in scandal when former Presidential nominee John Edwards was accused fraud relating to an extramarital affair. No one was sure what effect this would have on the clean ticket of Bayh/Schweitzer.

The Libertarians had made it to the runoff for the first time in the previous election, their best showing ever. Gary Johnson had lost respectably against the popular President McCain, and the party was happy to give him another shot. He chose the son of party legend Ron Paul, Senator Rand Paul, as his running mate, marking a meteoric rise for the young Senator. Many felt this election could be Johnson's to lose.

The Christian Alliance party had yet to make inroads outside the Bible Belt, but the candidacy of Mike Huckabee, the charming, folksy Governor of Arkansas, gave them new hope. Huckabee was seen as a strong change of pace from the dogmatic Brownback, who had turned off many right-leaning voters. While Huckabee was unabashedly conservative, his style won him many new fans. However, his pick of Texas Governor Rick Perry - an attempt to wrest Texas back from the Libertarians - backfired as Perry made a number of controversial statements on the campaign trail.

The Communists were slowly sinking into irrelevance after two fifth-place showings in a row. The party managed to give themselves a slight boost by convincing the New Left party to merge with them, in exchange for a stronger focus on environmental issues and an anti-interventionist foreign policy. Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who had been on the New Left ticket eight years prior, was nominated for President and chose Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as his running mate. But many in the party were concerned that they were headed the same way as the New Left party.

The first round was tight, with Whitman maintaining a small but consistent lead. However, a stock market crisis in the waning days of the election sent her poll numbers tumbling, with the McCain administration attacked on both sides by the Socialist Labor party, who claimed that more government intervention was needed to protect the public, and the Libertarians, who blamed government-run loan programs for setting the stage for the disaster. In the end, these competing visions would go head-to-head. On election day, the Republicans found themselves nearly wiped out, with Giuliani's popularity helping to carry big states in the Northwest, but not nearly enough to make it into the runoff. Johnson's decision to campaign hard in California and Florida paid dividends, as he eked out a narrow plurality and won the first round, despite taking only 9 states.

Former Governor Gary Johnson (L-NM)/Senator Rand Paul (L-KY) - 152 electoral votes, 25.3% of the popular vote
Senator Evan Bayh (SL-IN)/Governor Brian Schweitzer (SL-IN) - 150 electoral votes, 24.9% of the popular vote
Governor Mike Huckabee (CA-AR)/Governor Rick Perry (CA-TX) - 128 electoral votes, 19.1% of the popular vote
Vice President Christine Todd Whitman (R-NJ)/Governor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) - 82 electoral votes, 19.6% of the popular vote
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (C-OH)/Governor Deval Patrick (C-MA) - 26 electoral votes, 10.6% of the popular vote

The runoff was guaranteed to be tight, a battle of two competing economic visions for the country. Passions ran high, with Bayh accusing Johnson of wanting to abandon the victims of the economic collapse, while Johnson claimed that Bayh would pass the debt on to future generations. In the end, Bayh carried the Midwest, looking unbeatable as the early results rolled in. But Johnson's gambit to appeal to the urban population of the west coast states, with a particular focus on college students, paid dividends as he narrowly carried the states of Oregon and Washington, pushing him just over the line. The Libertarians had reached the White House.

Former Governor Gary Johnson (L-NM)/Senator Rand Paul (L-KY) - 271 electoral votes, 50.2% of the popular vote
Senator Evan Bayh (SL-IN)/Governor Brian Schweitzer (SL-MT) - 267 electoral votes, 49.8% of the popular vote

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Bump. Anyone want to do 2012, or should be start a new one/continue with the 1864 one?

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

This was one of the best timelines we've done in this thread, hands down.

Should we bump the 1864 one and go from there?