2000Outgoing President Scott of Connecticut has presided over eight years of relative peace and prosperity. His Vice President, Shua of Virginia, is now seeking the White House on his own accord, running, like his boss before him, as a centrist "New Democrat." The Republicans have nominated the Governor of Michigan, Cathcon, a populist conservative, in hopes of capitalizing upon blue collar discontent with the Democrats after the signing of NAFTA by President Scott. The left, dissatisfied with having to choose between "the far right and the right wing" throws a lot of support behind the Green Party nominee, Peter Nerdman of Pennsylvania, or as the media calls him "Peter the Lefty." The election is a down to the wire affair with polls changing daily; Shua up, Shua down, Cathcon up, Cathcon down. The debates (which include Nerdman) are reminiscent of the '92 contests, although it is clear that the candidate most benefiting from them is Cathcon.
On Election Day the Governor of Michigan pulls off a victory, scoring 296 electoral votes to Vice President Shua's 242 and Nerdman's 0. No candidate wins a majority of the popular vote, although Cathcon manages to eek out a small plurality of it, dodging questions of his being an "illegitimate" President. To this day, Democrats still blame Nerdman for "throwing the election to Cathcon" and lay the blame for the Venezuelan War, which happened on Cathcon's watch, at his feet.
Vice President Shua of Virginia and Senator Marokai of Ohio (Democratic Party): 242 electoral votesGovernor Cathcon of Michigan and Governor Reaganfan of Ohio (Republican Party): 296 electoral votesActivist Peternerdman of Pennsylvania and Activist Bandit the Worker of Kentucky (Green Party): 0 electoral votes
