In 1992, George Bush wins reelection over Bill Clinton, with a decent popular vote margin but a tighter electoral vote margin, thanks to the popularity of the Southrons Clinton and Gore. Although he dropped out, Ross Perot recivies a large amount of votes regardless.
George Bush/Dan Quayle Bill Clinton/Al Gore Ross Perot/George Stockdale | 48.2% 45.1% 1.8% | 273 EV 265 EV 0 EV |
The economy starts to grow and Bush is popular, and Quayle keeps quiet. Byron White retires from the Supreme Court and is replaced by
Emilio Garza, becoming the first Latino Supreme Court Justice. In 1994, in Somalia the Bush Administration not only sends the requested assets, but they also see things through after the engagement. The death of Mohammed Aidid at the hands of Delta Force and the Rangers in April, 1994, is a huge triumph for the Bush Administration. In Michigan, son of former governor
Willard M. "Will" Romney defeats Congressman Bob Carr in the Senate race there.
In 1996, Governor
Mario Cuomo easily wins the Democratic nomination for president. He selects former California governor
Jerry Brown as his running mate. The Republicans select
Bob Dole, who chooses the popular moderate Massachusetts governor
William Weld for his vice president. While the Bush-Quayle administration is highly popular, Dole struggles to overcome voter fatigue of 16 years of Republican rule, the longest run since the administrations of FDR and Harry Truman, and voters are tired of old, overly familiar faces (Reagan, of course, first ran in 1976, as had Dole, and Bush in 1980). While the polls are close, a strong showing by Cuomo in the debates puts him over the top. Weld, at least, wins New Hampshire for Dole.
Mario Cuomo/Jerry Brown Bob Dole/William Weld | 51.4% 48.3% | 274 EV 264 EV |
Cuomo benefits from continued economic growth, but many voters credit the Bush administration with it, so he stays not so popular, leading to some losses in the 1998 midterms. In Texas, for example,
George W. Bush, son of the president, is elected governor, as is his brother,
Jeb Bush. Shortly after, he pushes a universal, single-payer insurance system and as his primary delegate chooses HHS Secretary
Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of the 1992 candidate, leading to the common name "Hillarycare". Clinton is able to attractively market the program, leading to its narrow passage in 2000, and Cuomo sees an upturn in popularity. He faces no real challenge to nomination.
The two main contenders for the Republican nomination are Connie Mack and
John Danforth, the latter eventually eking it out. Danforth selects New Jersey governor
Christine Todd Whitman as his running mate, making her the first woman to be nominated by the Republican party for vice-president. That is not enough to overcome the popularity of Hillarycare and the good economy of the dot-com boom, and Cuomo wins in a relative landslide. There are also gains in the Senate and in the States, for example
Chuck Robb is reelected Senator from Virginia, narrowly defeating George Allen.
Maria Cantwell defeats incumbent Slade Gorton in Washington, while in Montana
Brian Schweitzer defeats Conrad Burns. Debbie Stabbenow comes close in Michigan, but Will Romney prevails narrowly, 49%-47%.
Mario Cuomo/Jerry Brown John Danforth/Christine Todd Whitman | 55.3% 43.8% | 400 EV 138 EV |
Unfortunately for President Cuomo, things turn bad in his second term. The dot-com boom turns into a bubble, which bursts. The president rejects calls for stimulus, and tax cuts, so the economy remains stagnant. One bright spot is his intervention in Afghanistan early in 2001, acting on reports citing the Taliban's cooperation with al-Qaeda, that decapitates the leadership of those two groups. Resistance leader
Ahmad Shah Massoud is quickly able to take over the country with American support, and a
loya jirga proclaims the restoration of
Mohammed Zahir Shah with Massoud as Prime Minister. Cuomo meets with the Afghan king in 2002, and the whole affair bolsters his popularity.
However the economy remains stagnant, and Cuomo's popularity flounders. As an attempt at stimulus, construction is launched on a massive 17,000 mile national high speed rail system to be completed by 2025. In the 2002 midterms many of the gains made in 2000 are reversed.
Norm Coleman defeats the progressive Paul Wellstone in Minnesota, while in Louisiana
Suzanne Haik Terrell defeats Mary Landrieu. In Georgia,
Herman Cain is elected to the Senate. In Michigan, Senator Will Romney is elected governor, defeating House Whip David E. Bonior, on the platform of furthering Canada-Michigan trade, meanwhile, in Oklahoma, Congressman
J.C. Watts is elected Governor. One gain for the Democrats is the
victory of former HHS Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton over incumbent senator Tim Hutchinson.
In 2004, Vice President Jerry Brown wins a contentious nomination race against Dick Gephardt and Bill Bradley, and eventually chooses neither as his vice presidential candidate, instead opting for New Mexico Governor
Bill Richardson. The republicans nominate former vice-presidential nominee Christine Todd Whitman, who wins the primary race comfortable, making her the first woman to ever be nominated for the presidency. She wins comfortably, closing the gender gap and winning over young women 55-44. It is said that many, both male and female, are eager to see a woman in the White House. Her vice president is the conservative
Orrin Hatch, selected to mollify the concerns of those who deemed her more moderate. On January 21st, 2005, Christine Todd Whitman makes history by becoming the first female President of the United States of America. Hatch, less notably, is the first Mormon vice-president. It goes without mention that
Jon M. Huntsman Jr. is elected governor of Utah.
Christine Todd Whitman/Orrin Hatch Jerry Brown/Bill Richardson | 52.8% 47.1% | 306 EV 232 EV |