Progressive Election 2012 (Obama/Biden v Romney/Petraeus)

[Platypus]

The 2012 progressive election (one state a day) kicks off with the President maintaining his VP as his ticketmate, and eventual GOP nominee Mitt Romney strengthening his military and FP credentials with General David Petraeus of Virginia (ish).

Day 1: Mississippi kicks off the campaign, voting against the Democrats.

Romney leads 6-0.

Day 2: The South seems to be supporting Romney, regardless of religion, as South Carolina goes GOP.

Romney leads 15-0.

Day 3: As the south stays GOP, the Northeast seems to be staying Democrat, as New Jersey votes for Obama, 54-45.

Romney leads 15-14.

Day 4: The first vaguely contentious state heads to the polls, and Obama secures it convincingly: Minnesota stays Red.

Obama leads 24-15.

Day 5: Neigbouring South Dakota prefers Blue, however.

Obama leads 24-18.

Days 6+7: The campaign starts to properly heat up with the first Presidential debate in Tucson, Arizona, focussing on Economics. Mitt Romney performs strongly, but as he was expected to pund Obama into the desert sands and didn't, he sees little real benefit. After spending Saturday in Arizona, both candidates head to Michigan on Sunday, where Petraeus has spent his time. Biden has focussed on New Hampshire.

After Week 1:

Obama: 24
Romney: 18

[Platypus]

Day 8: New Hampshire votes, and at the 11pm reporting blackout, remains to close to call: 94% counted, and Obama leading by 89.

Obama leads 24-18-4?.

Day 9: Whilst a few more votes are added to NH, results are waiting on overseas and exceptional ballots. Hawai'i doesn't particularly mind as it votes overwhelmingly for the Democratic ticket.

Obama leads 28-18-4?.

Day 10: Arizona heads to the polls and supports Romney/Petraeus 53-45 in a disappointing result for the President, as New Hampshire still doesn't declare. Obama leads by 92 votes there.

Romney leads 29-28-4?.

Day 11: The District of Columbia votes overwhelmingly for Obama, shocking all.

Obama leads 31-29-4?.

Day 12: New Hampshire declares Obama the victor, despite the final tally being undetermined until a recount. He won by 90 votes on the first count. Michigan votes and, as expected, is closer than in 2008...but Obama holds on, disppointing Romney in his 'other other' home state.

Obama leads 51-29.

Days 13+14: Both VP candidates stay in Texas on the weekend, where the first VP debate is held, on mixed issues. Both men perform excellently, and the debate is named a tie. Romney spends his weekend in Massachusetts, whilst Obama is in Texas on Saturday and Oregon on Sunday.

Result after week 2:

Obama: 51
Romney: 29

[Platypus]

Day 15: Texas votes. Obama had hoped to steal it off the GOP and go a long way towards winning the election early, but he fails: 52% Romney to his own 46%.

Romney leads 67-51.

Day 16: Oregon heads to the polls and votes overwhelmingly for the President, confirming itself as a red state.

Romney leads 67-58.

Day 17: The west remains the focus as Wyoming supports Romney/Petraeus by a significant margin.

Romney leads 70-58.

Day 18: Massachusetts not only fails to support their homeboy, but Obama actually increases his margin on 2008.

Romney leads 70-69.

Day 19: With a record low turnout, Louisiana votes for Romney...but only by 14,220 votes.

Romney leads 78-69.

Days 20+21: Obama and Biden seem comfortable to leave California and Connecicut be, as the spend all their time in Florida. Romney also camps out in America's wang, whilst Petreaus visits Connecticut for the weekend until Sunday night, when he visits a military hospital in Tallahassee.

Result after three weeks:

Romney: 78
Obama: 69

[Platypus]

Day 22: Despite closing in a bit, the GOP can't take Connecticut.

Romney leads 78-76.

Day 23: The Romney ticket gains 3 more votes in Montana.

Romney leads 81-76.

Day 25: Florida votes, and the result come in: a (barely) 6 figure win for the President, even if it cost a lot of time and money to get it, the Obama campaign is in a good mood, especially when the next two states to round out the week look strong for them.

Obama leads 105-81.

Day 26: California votes and hands Obama/Biden 55 votes.

Obama leads 160-81.

Day 27: Polling had suggested a Obama blowout win in Iowa, and whilst that didn't happen, it was still comfortable, 53-46, and Obama finishes the first month with double Romney's EVs.

Obama leads 166-81.

Days 28+29: Things are pretty good in the Democrtic camp, but the next week looks like it might hurt their momnetum with only Indiana in play for the President. Unsurprisingly, he spends his time there, and Biden splits his between Indiana and Pennsylvania in preparation for next week. Petreaus moves through Tennessee and Indiana, whilst Romney spends his time in Pennsylvania.

Result after four weeks:

Obama: 166
Romney: 81

[Platypus]

Day 30: Kentucky votes strongly for the Republicans.

Obama leads 166-89.

Day 31: Utah does the same, only moreso, with a 77% turnout.

Obama leads 166-95.

Day 31: Indiana votes, and at the reporting curfew, Romney/Petraeus have a moderately comfortable lead.

Day 32: After a few more hours in the morning, Indiana is called for the GOP, boosting their result in Alabama, for a strong blue win and a revival of confidence in the GOP camp.

Obama leads 166-115.

Day 33: Kansans back Romney, rounding out a perfect week.

Obama leads 166-121.

Days 34+35: The second debate is held in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on foreign policy. Depite name dropping his running mate 11 times, Romney is widely judged to have performed rather awfully when he claimed to like 'lomitos con queso and dillos' when enunciating his ties with Latin America. Both top of ticketers stay in Pennsylvania all weekend, whilst both VP candidates spend their whole weekends in Nevada.

Result after five weeks:

Obama: 166
Romney: 121

[defe07]

I'd like to see the Presidential Primaries play out using the Progressive Plan!

[Platypus]

Day 36: Nevada votes, and the Democrats carry it by 2%.

Obama leads 172-121.

Day 37: Maryland is strongly for the President.

Obama leads 182-121.

Day 38: The Democrats are feeling confident again as they win a third state this week, carrying Pennsylvania by a dash under 100,000 votes and breaking the 200 point mark.

Obama leads 202-121.

Day 39: Romney/Petraeus end the run with a win in Oklahoma.

Obama leads 202-128.

Day 40: The GOP also takes Alaska.

Obama leads 202-131.

Days 41+42: The weekend. With four swing states coming up, The Democrats think they can finish the election off if they win three. Unfortunately for them, the GOP is well ahead in North Carolina polls, and Colorado, Ohio, and Missouri are all dead heats. Obama focusses on Ohio all weekend, whilst Biden is in Colorado. Petraeus is in Missouri on Saturday before joining Biden in Colorado on Sunday for the second VP debate, focussing on 'America's Future Needs' in a town hall format. Whilst neither candidate falters, Petraeus is considered to have performed slightly better. Romney is in Colorado to congratulate Petraeus on Sunday, after spending his Saturday in Ohio.

Result after six weeks:

Obama: 202
Romney: 131

[Platypus]

Day 43: A big week for both camps starts off with a Republican win in Missouri.

Obama leads 202-141.

Day 44: Ohio votes, with a high turnout, and an unconfirmed result at 11pm. Obama leads by just over 2000 votes.

Day 45: Counting continues in Ohio as North Carolina votes for Romney/Petraeus, 51-47. At the end of the second day, Obama continues to lead, but by only 613 votes, with the remaining votes, largely military, expected to fall heavily to the GOP.

Obama leads 202-156.

Day 46: New York gives Obama some good news: A strong win. Oio doesn't do the same; at the end of counting, Romney has won by 5 votes, pending an immediate recount.

Obama leads 231-174.

Day 47: Colorado heads to the polls, and with a 70% turnout is also too close to call at the end of the night. Analysts expect that if Romney carries it, his prospects are still reasonable. If not, he'll struggle to win, especially with Ohio recounting.

Days 48+49: Everyone is waiting for the Colorado results and Ohio recount, but all four ticketmates spend their weekends in Virginia. The Democrats believe if they can carry it, they will win. The GOP believe the same. On Sunday afternoon, Colorado is officially called, for Mitt Romney, by 2,203 votes.

Result after seven weeks:

Obama: 231
Romney: 183

[Platypus]

Day 50: In what is expected to be a good week for Obama, there is a bit of a shock as Maine votes for Obama 50-47... and he loses upstate.

Obama leads 234-184.

Day 51: No big surprises in Delaware, however, easily supporting the President and his VP.

Obama leads 237-184.

Day 52: North Dakota supports Romney in a move that shocks everyone to their cores.

Obama leads 237-187.

Day 53: Obama wins by a slightly reduced margin on 2008 in Illinis...not that it was ever in doubt.

Obama leads 257-187.

Day 54: Knowing he needs to win basically every vaguely marginal state from here on, Romney gets a bit of releif as the Ohio recount reaffirms his win, this time by 7 votes. There will be a third and final recount, however. He also thanks Moroni for a surprisingly good win in Virginia, 52-46.

Obama leads 257-200.

Days 55+56: The weekend. Confident of victory in Vermont, and suspecting bad things in West Virginia, Georgia, and Arkansas, Obama and Viden concentrate all their efforts in Wisconsin. Unsurprisingly, Romney and Petraeus do the same, knowing that they need to keep winning every swing state to have a chance at the White House.

Result after eight weeks:

Obama: 257
Romney: 200

[Platypus]

Day 57: As expected, West Virginia goes for the GOP, but all attention is focussed on Wisconsin, where millions are being spent on anything that can get either candidate over the line. Polls there are showing Obama up by 2%, but Romney is closing.

Obama leads 257-205.

Day 58: Nobody really cares, but Arkansas gives Romney three states in a row, as the world watches to see if there will be a fourth...

Obama leads 257-211.

Day 59: With record independent turnout, Obama is confident of victory in Wisconsin when polls close. As the result comes in, however, the confidence shifts, and by the 11pm reporting curfew, Romney is ahead by 1600 votes with 4.7% to count,

Day 60: Obama wins Vermont handily, meaning that if Wisconsin falls in his favour, he wins four more years. But throughout the day he falls further back, and Wisconsin is called for the GOP.

Obama leads 260-221.

Day 61: Georgian democrats try their hardest to put Obama over the line, but fail.

Obama leads 260-237.

Days 62+63: The weekend.

Obama focusses on Washington, knowing it's all he needs, although Biden focusses on Tenness all weekend as a backup. Romney is also in Washington on Saturday, where a hastily rescheduled final debate takes place, on Social Policy, in Tacoma. The crowd seems to give the win to Obama, and polls do the same, at least in the state that counts - Obama is up by a hard-to-beat seven points.

Result after nine weeks:

Obama: 260
Romney: 237

[Platypus]

The states left are:

Rhode Island:
Obama 58%
Romney 40%

Idaho:
Romney 68%
Obama 29%

Nebraska:
Romney 60%
Obama 39%

Washington:
Obama 53%
Romney 46%

Tennessee:
Romney 52%
Obama 45%

New Mexico:
Obama 50%
Romney 47%

[Del Tachi]

Obama should win RI, WA and NM handily.

[Platypus]

Day 64: Rhode Island supports Obama/Biden

Obama leads 264-237.

Day 65: Idaho falls on Mitt Romney's side, with 71% of the vote.

Obama leads 264-241.

Day 66: Nebraska votes, with all districts, for Romney/Petraeus.

Obama leads 264-246.

Day 67: Washington has the opportunity to push the Democrats over the line, and does so with a strong turnout and 55% of the votes.

Obama wins 276-246.

Day 68: Less than a third of Tennesseeans vote, but those who do give Obama a narrow victory.

Obama wins 287-246.

Days 69+70: With the election all but over, the GOP thanks it's supporters, as the Democrats do the same. New Mexico is still to vote, but the result is known: three Presidents in a row have been re-elected, and the donkeys have 4 years more in the white house.

Day 71: New Mexico votes for the President (re-elect).

Obama wins 292-246.

FINAL RESULT:

[Platypus]

Hope you enjoyed it, wonder who'll be up for 2016?