Carter in '08!

[Vosem]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More to come!

[Vosem]

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

[Vosem]

And here's January for y'all!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Announced Run:

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

Formed Exploratory Committee:

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

Will Not Run:

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

[Vosem]

February!

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

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

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

February 13 - Mitt Romney formally announces a Presidential campaign.

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

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

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

[Vosem]

March!

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

February 13 - Mitt Romney formally announces a Presidential campaign.

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

Oh no!

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

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

[Vosem]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

May!

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

Please, if you are reading this, comment.

[Vosem]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

July 10 - Michael Chertoff terminates his exploratory committee.

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

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

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

[Vosem]

Can we reanimate Reagan's corpse to beat him?

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

[Vosem]

Another update for y'all!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The debate is widely considered a McCain victory.

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

October 12 - Tommy Thompson endorses Rudy Giuliani.

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

October 19 - Sam Brownback endorses Fred Thompson.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

December 17 – Joe Lieberman enthusiastically endorses John McCain.

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



Next up: The Iowa caucus!

[Vosem]

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

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

Spoiler: 2009: The Year of Four Presidents

[Vosem]

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

The Republican primary winner is…
 

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

The Democratic primary winner is…
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

The Republican primary winner is…
 

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

The Democratic primary winner is…
 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Democratic winner is…
 

Hillary Rodham Clinton 54.61%
Uncommitted 41.78%
Dennis Kucinich 3.61%

The Republican winner is…
 

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

Willard Romney has 46.

[Vosem]

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

The winner of the Democratic Nevada caucus is…
 

Jimmy Carter 35.82% (13)
Hillary Clinton 30.09% (12)
Chris Dodd 15.32%
Stephen Colbert 14.68%
Dennis Kucinich 4.09%

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

The winner of the Republican Nevada caucus is…
 

Mitt Romney 51.1% (18)
Rudy Giuliani 13.73% (4)
John McCain 12.75% (4)
Mike Huckabee 8.16% (2)
Fred Thompson 7.94% (2)
Ron Paul 6.32%

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

The winner of the South Carolina primary is…
 

John McCain 33.15% (18)
Mike Huckabee 29.84% (6)
Fred Thompson 15.63%
Mitt Romney 8.88%
Rudy Giuliani 8.88%
Ron Paul 3.62%


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

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

[Vosem]

Red - Giuliani
Green - Romney
Blue - McCain

Red - Carter
Blue - Clinton

[Vosem]

Spoiler: 2009: The Year of Four Presidents

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

[Vosem]

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

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

The winner of the Democratic South Carolina primary is…
 

Jimmy Carter 55.6% (25)
Hillary Clinton 26.68% (12)
Stephen Colbert 17.72% (8 )

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

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

The Republican Florida primary winner is…

Rudy Giuliani 39.74% (57)
John McCain 31.00%
Mitt Romney 26.03%
Ron Paul 3.23%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

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

[Vosem]

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

These are the Republican results:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Vosem]

Blue - McCain
Red - Giuliani
Green - Romney