All Stand Down

[badgate]

XXXII: Atlas-Blue Dog Fight

Republican Presidential Candidates  (as of Jan. 1, 2016)

• Kentucky Senator Rand Paul
• New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
• Texas Senator Ted Cruz
• Texas Governor Rick Perry
• Frmr. Florida Governor Jeb Bush
• Congressman Paul Ryan
• Florida Senator Marco Rubio
• Frmr. Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum

Iowa
Paul Ryan - 31%
Rick Perry - 27%
Ted Cruz - 15%
Chris Christie - 11%
Rand Paul - 7%
Jeb Bush - 7%
Rick Santorum - 1%
Marco Rubio - 1%


New Hampshire
Chris Christie - 32%
Paul Ryan - 27%
Jeb Bush - 15%
Ted Cruz - 9%
Marco Rubio - 7%
Rand Paul - 5%
Rick Santorum - 4%
Rick Perry - 1%


--Marco Rubio withdraws, withholds endorsement.
--Rick Santorum withdraws, withholds endorsement.


South Carolina
Ted Cruz - 27%
Paul Ryan - 26%
Chris Christie - 20%
Rick Perry - 13%
Jeb Bush - 8%
Rand Paul - 6%


--Rand Paul withdraws, endorses Ted Cruz.
--Jeb Bush withdraws, withholds endorsement.


South Dakota
Chris Christie - 41%
Ted Cruz - 38%
Paul Ryan - 15%
Rick Perry - 6%

--Rick Perry withdraws, withholds endorsement.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan
Texas Senator Ted Cruz

[badgate]

XXXIII: Atlas-Blue Dog Fight, contd.

February 6
Chris Christie - Colorado, Nevada
Ted Cruz - Utah, North Carolina
Paul Ryan - Minnesota


--Jeb Bush endorses Chris Christie.


Florida
Ted Cruz - 39%
Chris Christie - 37%
Paul Ryan - 24%


February 23
Chris Christie - None.
Ted Cruz - Arizona
Paul Ryan - Michigan


SUPER TUESDAY
March 1
Chris Christie - Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, Tennessee.
Ted Cruz - Oklahoma, Texas.
Paul Ryan - None.


--Paul Ryan withdraws, endorses Chris Christie.


March 8
Chris Christie - Hawai'i, Ohio
Ted Cruz - Alabama, Mississippi

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan

--Rick Santorum endorses Ted Cruz.
--Rick Perry endorses Chris Christie.
--Marco Rubio endorses Chris Christie.

Illinois - March 15
Chris Christie - 56%
Ted Cruz - 43%

Louisiana - March 19
Ted Cruz - 63%
Chris Christie - 37%

April 5
Chris Christie - Maryland, D.C., Wisconsin
Ted Cruz - None.

April 26
Chris Christie - Connecticut, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
Ted Cruz - None.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan



May, 2016 - Ted Cruz: "I'm not backing down."


May, 2016 - Chris Christie: "We need to unite. The first Tuesday in May is the day for this party to stand up and decide our nominee."


May 3
Chris Christie - Kansas, Maine, New York.
Ted Cruz - Indiana, Georgia.


--Paul Ryan's delegates announce they will vote for Chris Christie.


May 10
Chris Christie - West Virginia.
Ted Cruz - Nebraska.


May 17
Chris Christie - Oregon.
Ted Cruz - Kentucky.


May 24
Chris Christie - California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Washington.
Ted Cruz - Arkansas, Alaska.


--Ted Cruz drops out, endorses Chris Christie.



Final Primary Map

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Texas Senator Ted Cruz
Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan

[badgate]

On July 13, the Christie campaign released the final short list for Vice President.
VEEPSTAKES

• Florida Senator Marco Rubio
• Pennsylvania Governor Pat Toomey
• Texas Governor Rick Perry
• New Mexico Governor Susanna Martinez
• Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton

READER'S POLL: Who should be on the Christie ticket?

[DKrol]

Christie/Toomey

[NewYorkExpress]

I know it sounds familiar but Christie/Martinez

[Enderman]

The RNC can't make another mistake, Christie/Martinez

[Brewer]

Christie/Martinez, duh .

[badgate]

XXXIV: UnConventional

July 30, 2016 - Electoral Map

President Hillary Clinton / Vice President Evan Bayh - 258
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie / Republican VP - 220
Tossup - 60



August, 2016 - Governor Christie introduces his Vice Presidential pick to the press corp after a diner town hall in Aurora, CO. Instead of the traditional speech given by a newly announced pick, Martinez fielded questions from the press for 45 minutes before she and Christie went to a rally in downtown Denver.


RNC, Kansas City, MO - Christie's primary rival, Ted Cruz, electrified the conservative convention audience on the first night with this stellar keynote address. Some speculated Cruz may have overshadowed the party's nominee, but national viewership remained steady throughout the convention.


RNC, Kansas City, MO - New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez accepts Vice Presidential nomination, makes awkward arm gesture.


RNC, Kansas City, MO - Christie greets supporters as he makes his way from the convention floor to the stage to accept his party's nomination.


RNC, Kansas City, MO - New Jersey Governor Christopher Christie lit up television screens across the nation when he accepted the Presidential nomination. In his speech Christie called for unity across America, a return to the days of good neighbors, not partisan neighbors.


Post-RNC Map

President Hillary Clinton / Vice President Evan Bayh - 208
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie / New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez - 266
Tossup - 64



August, 2016 - Press Secretary Hilda Solis announces that President Clinton has suffered a concussion and is currently recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center. The DNC will begin as scheduled and Clinton will deliver her acceptance speech on the fourth night.


DNC, Philadelphia, PA - New Jersey Senator Cory Booker delivered a raucous keynote address on the first night, prompting James Carville to say "Damn, that kid's good" into an open mic.


DNC, Philadelphia, PA - Vice President Evan Bayh is renominated on the third night of the convention.


DNC, Philadelphia, PA - Hillary Clinton gave what many supporters called a "disappointing" and "lukewarm" speech. The words were right, but something wasn't. However, the overall coverage of the speech was positive.

President Hillary Clinton / Vice President Evan Bayh - 237
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie / New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez - 211
Tossup - 67

[badgate]

Presidents of the United States (1975-present)
39. James Earl Carter, Jr.....................1975-1981
40. Ronald Wilson Reagan...................1981 - 1989
41. George Herbert Walker Bush..........1989 - 1993
42. William Jefferson Clinton.................1993 - 1997
43. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr.....................1997 - 2001
44. George Walker Bush.....................2001 - 2005
45. John Sidney McCain III.................2005 - 2009
46. Barack Hussein Obama..................2009 - 2011
47. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius...............2011 - 2013
48. Hillary Rodham Clinton...................2013 - Present


Vice Presidents of the United States (1975 - Present)
42. Walter Frederick Mondale..........1975 - 1981
43. George Herbert Walker Bush..........1981 - 1989
44. James Danforth Quayle.................1989 - 1993
45. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr.....................1993 - 1997
46. Joseph Isadore Lieberman...............1997 - 2001
47. Richard Bruce Cheney...................2001 - 2005
48. Julius Ceaser Watts.......................2005 - 2009
49. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius................2009 - 2011
50. Timothy Michael Kaine.....................2011 - 2013
51. Birch Evans Bayh III........................2013 - Present

[tmthforu94]

This timeline is fantastic - keep it up!

[DKrol]

One of my favorites.

[badgate]

XXXV: 2016

First Sept. Poll
Hillary Clinton/Evan Bayh - 42%
Chris Christie/Susana Martinez - 40%
Undecided - 18%


Significant Events of the 2016 Fall Campaign (September)

• Christie calls for tax reform as major first term priority.
• National Weather Service announces that its database of rotating storm names has been hacked by the Chinese and they will be coming up with new names in the coming months.
• The NWS upgrades Tropical Storm Adalynn to a Hurricane; set to hit eastern seaboard on Sept. 17
• President Clinton livelier on the stump, and sees her poll numbers improve.
• Hurricane Adalynn hits eastern seaboard, traveling over all of Delaware before disbursing at Baltimore. The hurricane however stretched all the way south to Virginia Beach, hitting Norfolk and the majority of the Delmarva Peninsula. Early damage estimates total over $20 billion.
• President Clinton nationalizes the coast guards of all three states, as well as New Jersey. Christie, who had suspended his campaign during the hurricane, used his campaign to stoke conservative outrage at the move while openly being conciliatory.
• President Clinton meets with Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland Governors and promises unfettered help from the federal government.
• Christie resumes campaigning, openly speaks out against Clinton's preparedness for the storm.
• The White House announces that President Clinton has been hospitalized due to a blood clot that doctors believe is a result of the concussion she suffered in August. For the time being, Vice President Bayh has become the major surrogate for Clinton on the campaign trail. Former President Kathleen Sebelius also agreed to join the campaign as a chief surrogate.

September 2016 - Christie coopted a popular Democratic issue, income inequality, by making tax reform a centerpiece of his domestic agenda.


September 2016 - Hurricane Adalynn caused widespread damage in the states of Virginia, Maryland, and Deleware.


September 2016 - Vice President Evan Bayh was forced into becoming the campaign's chief surrogate and fundraiser, causing a dip in incoming donations as well as weakening the ticket's progress in the polls.


First October Poll
Hillary Clinton/Evan Bayh - 47%
Chris Christie/Susana Martinez - 44%
Undecided - 9%


Significant Events of the 2016 Fall Campaign (October)

• The Clinton reelection campaign withdraws from the first planned Presidential debate, citing the President's middling but stable condition.
• Reports surface that President Clinton's former husband is sleeping at her bedside in the hospital. While pundits enjoy themselves running segments speculating if they have reunited, most voters say they are tired of the Clinton family drama being played out on a national stage.
• President Clinton, Frmr. President Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsea Clinton left Walter Reed and traveled to the White House residence, where Clinton will continue to rest for 48 hours before returning to the campaign.
• The Vice Presidential debate is held at CNN headquarters in Atlanta, GA. Vice President Evan Bayh was declared the winner in a Gallup poll conducted the two days after the debate: 48-42-10. However, Martinez presented herself strongly and did no harm to the Christie/Martinez ticket.
• Hillary Clinton returns to the campaign trail, striking out on a week-long tour targeting a single state each day.
• Christie, doing very well in the polls, turns his attention to helping Republican Senate candidates in the hopes of gaining a majority for the party.
• In the Senate, the New Party (none of whom are up for election this year) blocked the Adalynn Relief Bill, demanding offsets to pay for it elsewhere. Senate Leader Elizabeth Warren condemned the Party for holding back desperately needed funds.
• Christie blasts the New Party and says that a vote for him and straight-ticket Republican will ensure a return to normal order in the Senate.
• The Town Hall Presidential Debate is held in Spokane, WA. Clinton did not disappoint her base but seemed detached to undecideds. Christie came away the declared winner by the punditry and polls: 45-39-16.
• Clinton floats second term agenda: trying again on electoral reform, improvements to the Affordable Care Act, and a drawdown of troops in the Middle East.
• In the Second Presidential Debate on foreign policy, Christie came out aggressive against the President, who did not push back. Clinton's best moment was her closing statement, while Christie's was his overall performance, where he demonstrated sound knowledge of international affairs and strong convictions in his vision for America's role in the world.
  
• The 2016 campaign ends with both candidates vying for Election Day coverage as they vote in their local precincts.

October, 2016 - President Clinton leaves Walter Reed to return to the White House after suffering a blood clot near her brain.


October 2016 - New Party Senator Jeff Sessions was the caucus' leader during the Adalynn Relief Bill showdown. Democratic and Republican Leaders Reid and Thune eventually agreed to find offsets for 40% of the bill while setting up a repayment plan for the rest from the states.


October 2016 - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie greatly impressed the country with his debate performances, causing many to rethink their vote before November.


Final 2016 Poll
Hillary Clinton/Evan Bayh - 46%
Chris Christie/Susana Martinez - 49%
Undecided - 5%[/list]

[badgate]

XXXVI: Elephants Rise Up

Welcome to Election Night coverage! This is Wolf Blitzer in the CNN Election Center, we just had the first round of state closings and things are looking good for the New Jersey Republican Chris Christie. Of the states called, all have gone to him without much to-do, except for Vermont and Virginia. Vermont goes to the President, while Virginia is too close to call at this early hour.


Georgia for Chris Christie

Indiana for Chris Christie

Kentucky for Chris Christie

South Carolina for Chris Christie

Vermont for Hillary Clinton

Virginia is too close to call

3-44-13

In the U.S. Senate, we have Dan Coates coasting to reelection. In Kentucky, the open race is too close to call but two recent campaign stops by Christie and Martinez are a good sign for Republican turnout in the race. Christie said mid-October that he hoped to help enough Republican Senate candidates get elected to obtain a majority in the legislative body. The House is projected to remain in Republican control, though the margin could be close.


North Carolina is too close to call

Ohio is too close to call

West Virginia for Chris Christie

3-49-46

Alabama for Chris Christie

Connecticut for Hillary Clinton

Delaware for Hillary Clinton

Florida is too close to call

Illinois is too close to call

Maine (state-wide) is too close to call

Maine (ME-1) for Hillary Clinton

Maine (ME-2) is too close to call

Maryland for Hillary Clinton

Massachusetts for Hillary Clinton

Mississippi for Chris Christie

Missouri for Chris Christie

New Hampshire is too close to call

New Jersey is too close to call

Oklahoma for Chris Christie

Pennsylvania is too close to call

Rhode Island for Hillary Clinton

Tennessee for Chris Christie

Washington, D.C. for Hillary Clinton

42-92-136

So the 8 o'clock states have closed, and Chris Christie has widened his lead! He now leads the President by exactly fifty electoral votes. In our too close to call column, Illinois is certainly a surprise. The state - with the exception of the not-yet-in Cook county, seems to have gone very strongly to the right. In the Senate race, Sheila Simon is sailing against her Republican nobody opponent; after further health complications, Sen. Mark Kirk announced his retirement in January of 2016. Missouri Sen. Blunt has been reelected, and Congressman Markwayne Mullin is the projected new Senator from Oklahoma. Failed 2014 Gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizou, is the new Senator from Maryland. Marco Rubio currently leads his challenger but it is still too close to call. In another banner race, Pennsylvania's Sen. Pat Toomey is currently .6% behind Democratic Sec. of State Kathleen Kane. Incumbent Democrat Richard Blumenthal has been reelected in Connecticut. We'll be back in an hour with the 9 o'clock states; that's 153 electoral votes yet to be called! Who knows, we may be able to call some of our "too close" states in between.

[badgate]

I won't be posting the second half until this evening when I'm back from work (so around midnight central time). Feel free to make predictions RE: How big will Christie win? Will Republicans be able to take the Senate? If Republicans get 50 seats, considering the rest is divided between Dems and News, does that give them a majority?

[Flake]

Republicans win 49 seats, control the House of Representatives by a 25 seat margin, Clinton wins by three electoral votes.

[Pessimistic Antineutrino]

Republicans win 49 seats, and Christie takes in the neighborhood of 290-320 electoral votes. (Due the premise of this timeline a Clinton victory is impossible)

[badgate]

All Presidents serve one term, yes, but it's possible Clinton is reelected and something happens.

[badgate]

XXXVII: Insert Clever Title Here

Welcome back! We hope you enjoyed that episode of NBC's hilarious comedy Community, Thursdays at 8pm ET. We have the big nine o'clock poll closings, so let's get to work.


Too Close to Call states: North Carolina for Chris Christie

Maine (state-wide) for Hillary Clinton

Illinois for Hillary Clinton


9 o'clock states

Arizona for Chris Christie

Colorado is too close to call

Kansas for Chris Christie

Louisiana for Chris Christie

Michigan is too close to call

Minnesota is too close to call

Nebraska (state-wide) for Chris Christie

Nebraska (NE-1; NE-3) for Chris Christie

Nebraska (NE-2) is too close to call

New Mexico is too close to call

New York for Hillary Clinton

South Dakota for Chris Christie

Texas for Chris Christie

Wisconsin is too close to call

Wyoming for Chris Christie

93-180-150

Hey, we forgot to call Arkansas.


Arkansas for Chris Christie

93-186-150

So we now have an even larger lead for Chris Christie. In Senate races, Pat Toomey has pulled ahead of Kathleen Kane but the race is within 5,000 votes and will probably lead to a recount. Lisa Madigan was declared the winner in Illinois four minutes before the state was called for the President. The Wisconsin Rematch between Russ Feingold and Ron Johnson has been a brutal one, but our election desk gives Feingold the edge, and early reports indicate the same. In the midwest, John Boozeman of Arkansas has been reelected easily. In Arizona, Senator John McCain has run for a historic final term, and did not draw a serious challenger as most Arizona Democrats prefer to cull their base for the time being. In Colorado Michael Bennett has been reelected. We've got a few close states that are now being called, hold on...


Minnesota for Hillary Clinton

Michigan for Hillary Clinton

Virginia for Chris Christie

New Jersey for Chris Christie

Maine (ME-2) for Hillary Clinton


aaaaaaaaaaand............




Pennsylvania for Hillary Clinton

140-213-76

10:00 o'clock

Iowa is too close to call

Montana for Chris Christie

Nevada is too close to call

Utah for Chris Christie

Too Close to Call states: Nebraska (NE-2) for Chris Christie

Wisconsin for Hillary Clinton

New Hampshire for Hillary Clinton

154-223-73

It was perhaps a little optimistic for Christie to hope to take a Senate majority from the 2016 map. Republicans have been playing defense in races across the country this year, and the best they can do is give themselves a good launching pad for 2018. Sen. Johnson of Wisconsin has been declared the narrow winner, while Pennsylvania's Senate race has ended with a 9,000 vote margin of victory for Democrat Kathleen Kane. In Nevada, Majority Leader Harry Reid has been beheaded...figuratively. In a quickly-called race, Gov. Brian Sandoval has crushed the incumbent. Marco Rubio has also been reelected in Florida, good news for the Republicans. But Iowa may be another story. The state is seeing a record number of crossover votes BOTH WAYS. Thousands have said they intend to vote Clinton/Grassley and thousands more say Christie/Mathis. Iowa could very well end the night with their first female senator. However, we now have some more chess pieces to move in the Presidential race.

11 o'clock

California for Hillary Clinton

Hawaii for Hillary Clinton

Idaho for Chris Christie

North Dakota for Chris Christie

Oregon for Hillary Clinton

Washington for Chris Christie

Too Close to Call states: Iowa for Hillary Clinton

New Mexico for Chris Christie



Wow, Chris Christie has completely sewn up the Mountain West.


Colorado for Chris Christie

Nevada for Chris Christie












CRUCIAL STATE CALLED

Ohio for Chris Christie



So, including the yet-to-be-called state of Alaska, which is all but guaranteed to go to Christie, we can now call New Jersey Governor Chris Christie the President-elect with 268 electoral votes. Once Alaska is called, its three electoral votes will put Christie over the top at 271. Florida remains close but most are expecting it to be ultimately called for Christie within 48 hours.

Final Map

President Hillary Clinton / Vice President Evan Bayh - 238
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie / New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez - 300

Senate Map

30% Saturation = Pick Up
50% Saturation = Open Seat
80% Saturation = Incumbent Reelected


Senate (post-2016)
Republican - 42
Democrat - 48*
Independent - 1 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)
New Party - 8

*Excludes Pennsylvania which Democratic candidate Kathleen Kane won by 9,000 votes against Republican incumbent Pat Toomey. The election results have been disputed and a recount will begin no later than Nov. 12. It is likely that this election will ultimately be decided in court.

[badgate]

Presidents of the United States (1975-present)
39. James Earl Carter, Jr.....................1975-1981
40. Ronald Wilson Reagan...................1981 - 1989
41. George Herbert Walker Bush..........1989 - 1993
42. William Jefferson Clinton.................1993 - 1997
43. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr.....................1997 - 2001
44. George Walker Bush.....................2001 - 2005
45. John Sidney McCain III.................2005 - 2009
46. Barack Hussein Obama..................2009 - 2011
47. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius...............2011 - 2013
48. Hillary Rodham Clinton...................2013 - 2017
49. Christopher James Christie...............2017 - Present


Vice Presidents of the United States (1975 - Present)
42. Walter Frederick Mondale..........1975 - 1981
43. George Herbert Walker Bush..........1981 - 1989
44. James Danforth Quayle.................1989 - 1993
45. Albert Arnold Gore, Jr.....................1993 - 1997
46. Joseph Isadore Lieberman...............1997 - 2001
47. Richard Bruce Cheney...................2001 - 2005
48. Julius Ceaser Watts.......................2005 - 2009
49. Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius................2009 - 2011
50. Timothy Michael Kaine.....................2011 - 2013
51. Birch Evans Bayh III........................2013 - 2017
52. Susana Martinez............................2017 - Present









AUTHOR'S NOTE: If anybody knows a fuller version of Martinez's name, let me know. For this list I prefer to have full birth names.

[badgate]

XXXVIII: The First Term of President Christopher Christie

Christopher James Christie, 49th President of the United States



Susana Martinez, 52nd Vice President of the United States



115th Congress

House
Republican - 228
Democrat - 206
Independent - 1

Senate
Republican - 42
Democrat - 49
Independent - 1 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)
New Party - 8

The Cabinet of President Chris Christie (2017-Present)

• Secretary of State - Robert Zoellick (R-MA)
• Secretary of Defense - John McCain (R-AZ)
• Attorney General - John Cornyn (R-TX)
• Secretary of Treasury - Patrick Toomey (R-PA)
• Secretary of Health & Human Services - Paul Ryan (R-WI)
• Secretary of Labor - Rick Snyder (R-MI)
• Secretary of Education - Michelle Rhee (D-D.C.)
• Secretary of Natural Resources - Jim Inholfe (R-OK)
• Secretary of Housing & Urban Development - Mick Cornett (R-OK)
• Secretary of Business - Scott Brown (R-MA)
• Secretary of Homeland Security - Andrew Napolitano (L-NJ)
• Secretary of Transportation - Marion Blakely (R-AL)
• Secretary of Veteran's Affairs - Max Cleland (D-GA)

Significant Events Leading Up to Chris Christie's First Term (Election Day 2016 - Jan. 19, 2017)

• Christie announces State, Justice, and Defense two weeks after election day.
• A Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision allows the recount of the U.S. Senate race to continue.
• The electoral college formally elects Chris Christie and Susana Martinez.
• Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey resigns. Lt. Gov. Jeffrey Chiesa becomes acting Governor of New Jersey.
• Gov. Susana Martinez of New Mexico resigns, providing a shift of political power in the state. Democratic Lt. Gov. Gary King is now the Governor of New Mexico.
• The Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race is called for Kathleen Kane.
• The Senate holds its leadership elections:

Democrats
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - Amy Klobuchar: 33; Alison Lundergan Grimes: 17
AMY KLOBUCHAR is elected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Kirsten Gillibrand: 19; Brian Schatz: 12; Chris Murphy: 9; Maria Cantwell: 10
CHRIS MURPHY drops out, endorses Kirsten Gillibrand
2nd Ballot - Kirsten Gillibrand: 24; Brian Schatz: 15; Maria Cantwell: 11
MARIA CANTWELL drops out, does not endorse.
3rd Ballot - Kirsten Gillibrand: 33; Brian Schatz: 17
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND is elected Minority Whip


New Party
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - Susan Collins: 8
SUSAN COLLINS is reelected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Joe Manchin: 8
JOE MANCHIN is reelected Minority Whip


Republicans
Minority Leader
1st Ballot - John Thune: 42
JOHN THUNE is reelected Minority Leader

Minority Whip
1st Ballot - Mike Lee: 30; Kelly Ayotte: 12
MIKE LEE is reelected Minority Whip

• The Senate holds Administrative elections.

Senate Leader
1st Ballot - Elizabeth Warren: 58; Ted Cruz: 42
ELIZABETH WARREN is reelected Senate Leader

Senate Whip
1st Ballot - Heidi Heitkamp: 15; Martin Heinrich: 43; John Boozeman: 42
2nd Ballot - Heidi Heitkamp: 9; Claire McCaskill: 45; John Boozeman: 46
HEIDI HEITKAMP drops out, endorses John Boozeman
4th Ballot - Martin Heinrich: 50; John Boozeman: 50
Vice President Bayh votes for MARTIN HEINRICH
4th Ballot + VP - Martin Heinrich: 51; John Boozeman: 50
MARTIN HEINRICH is elected Senate Whip

[badgate]

As Bridgegate has played out, I have conceded a break from this TL because the current circumstances are too good not to incorporate in some way. I will not divulge whether this will have happened in his Governorship or will contribute to his Presidency, but I wanted y'all to know what is causing the delay. Currently I plan on publishing The First Term of President Christopher Christie on Thursday, Jan. 16.

[hurricanehink]

Awesome! Can't wait to hear how you incorporate

[badgate]

XXXIX: The First Term of President Chris Christie, cont.d

Early 2017 - President Christie enjoyed early success with a major legislative achievement, and a withdrawal agreement with Syria.


February, 2017 - Dallas Mayor Stefani Carter becomes the first African-American Senator from Texas when she is appointed by Governor Greg Abbott.


Significant Events of Christopher Christie's First Term (2017)

• President Chris Christie is sworn in and holds a 59% approval rating on Inauguration Day.
• In his Inaugural address, President Christie calls for reform to the electoral process, endorsing a conservative pet project, the apportionment of electoral votes by congressional district. Christie's overall speech aimed for "unity" in the "middle of the political spectrum, where the heart of America really lies."
• In his State of the Union, President Christie got into more detail. He vowed to veto a budget that was not balanced, and proposed a series of tax reforms including a 2% cut for the top 20%, 5% cut for the bottom 60%, a $9.00 minimum wage, and a decrease of corporate taxes averaging -4% for each bracket, but only -1% for the top bracket. Christie also expanded on his election law: proposing a nonpartisan agency to oversee the application of census data for the purpose of redistricting, and requiring nationally 12 days of early voting for all major elections and primaries.
• Two weeks after being sworn in, President Christie makes a secret trip to Syria to meet with the newly elected Prime Minister. Christie also met with American peacekeepers in the nation and, with newly-confirmed Secretary of State Robert Zoellick worked out a timetable for American extraction. The trip was kept secret for national security reasons, and Press Secretary Carla Fortuno released a statement around 4:00AM EST, 15 minutes before Air Force One landed at Andrews Air Force Base.
• February 20 - President Christie gets his first 60% approval rating.
• The House passes on partisan lines the Christie election law. Democrats have opposed much of it, even the nonpartisan agency that would normally be hailed by the left. Democrats have been raring to show Republicans what their own medicine tastes like, so many in the party have been on media spinning a narrative that the agency would take away people's constitutional rights, etc. Death panel-y stuff. The Senate, which has very-much relied on committee structure now that there is no majority, is expected to pass its own bill to conference with the House in March.
• The Senate unanimously accepts new rules addressing inefficiencies created by and discovered after the creation of the New Party.
• Texas Governor Greg Abbott appoints Dallas Mayor Stefani Carter to replace John Cornyn in the US Senate. Arizona Governor Jan Brewer appoints her chief-of-staff, Joe Arpaio, to replace John McCain and sets a special election primary for June 2, and the special general election for September 9. Texas will hold a special election for its seat in 2018, to fill out the term.
• Stefani Carter (R-TX) and Joe Arpaio (R-AZ) are sworn in by Vice President Susana Martinez.
• Senate only passes piecemeal election law, including nonpartisan agency and early voting but not electoral college reform.
• Taliban attack on American peacekeeping base in Syria kills 128, 39 civilians.
• President Christie makes Bridget Anne Kelly his chief-of-staff, after Kesha Reynolds quits. POLITICO reports that Reynolds and the President clashed, and had intense arguments. Early reporting on the Christie White House begins to depict a tribal atmosphere where there are alliances, and betrayals, and quite possibly an elimination round. Kelly is known as a "loyal team player" and was touted by FOX News in 2016 for her chairmanship of the Vice Presidential search committee.
• President Christie visits the Hill to ask the Speaker for more Adalynn Hurricane Relief for New Jersey and the Delmarva peninsula, pointing to many who were without heat and still are occasionally because of storm damage.
• While the Speaker was meeting with President Christie, presiding officer of the House Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) s outsmarted by Democrats, and they are procedurally able to bring up to a vote the Senate's election reform bill. By a two-vote margin, it passes. When Christie hears of this right after his meeting, he confronts Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in the Capitol building under the major dome. Videos spread across the internet of the President yelling, ranting frankly at the Democratic house leader who had just given him two of his major policy initiatives. Democrats condemned the President for the confrontation, and work on almost all legislation stops as Democrats lead walk-outs of committee hearings and refuse to work with their Republican counterparts. Congress had briefly worked, but gridlock took its icy hold again. Bitter partisanship filled the airwaves of CSPAN for weeks and the ever-awful Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz took to openly calling President Christie "President Bully."
• Needless to say, President Christie never got that extra relief money. Two days later, surrounded by his senior staff and no cameras, he quietly signed the bill into law.
• President Christie sees his approval rating go under 50% for the first time, and his disapproval hits 45% nationally.

[badgate]

XXXX: The First Term of President Chris Christie, contd.

Significant Events of Christopher Christie's First Term (2017-early 2018)

• In the Arizona Senate Race, the Democrats nominated Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, while Rep. Matt Salmon narrowly defeated incumbent Senator Joe Arpaio.
• President Christie welcomes the first 9,000 American troops home from Syria on July 4.
• The House passes piecemeal parts of President Christie's tax reform, while the Senate bides its time to pass an omnibus bill in reaction. Senate Leader Elizabeth Warren and Speaker of the House Eric Cantor agree to work on this issue after a slow and painful summer. Both politicos hope, in the dog days of summer, a deal can be struck.
• On a 300+ bipartisan vote, the House raises the minimum wage to $9.25 an hour, completing the Christie tax reform. Democrats in the Senate refuse to accept $9.25 and along with New Senators Susan Collins, Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, and Republican Senator Rob Portman spearhead a $10.10 wage for the Senate's bill. President Christie is mum on the higher minimum wage, refusing to say if he would veto it.
• After only eight and a half months on the job, Secretary of Defense John McCain resigns. In a Wall Street Journal editorial, McCain admits that he had taken the job as a "farewell tour" and had told then-President-elect Christie that he'd only stay on for a year or 18 months, tops. But McCain goes on to cite "hard-line control over access to the President, greater than what we saw with the secretive Sebelius and Clinton White House," and says that he was treated as a figurehead for most of his time on the job. President Christie thanked McCain in a short statement to the press, thanking him for his service in the Navy, the Senate, and "as a great and sage Secretary of Defense." Many pundits have said they think "sage" was a swipe at the spry yet ancient McCain.
• Tech bubbles created by Social Media companies burst, and the economy enters its first recession since 2007. Unemployment rises by .8% by October 1, and retail hires during the holiday don't look like they will stop the bleeding.
• Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick wins an upset victory. Polls the final week of the Arizona special Senate election showed Salmon leading by 4, but the Republican in fact lost by 5. Kirkpatrick becomes a national star for the next few days as many are shocked and thrilled by her unexpected victory. A special election is set for her House district, which is a swing district and is expected to be just as competitive as the Senate election.
• Senate Leader Elizabeth Warren announces that at the beginning of 2018 the Senate will revert to its old rules, as Democrats have an incoming one-vote majority. Many speculate that Warren and Klobuchar will have a tough intra-party fight over who is Majority Leader.

Senate (as of Oct. 1, 2017)
Republican - 41
Democrat - 50
Independent - 1 (Caucuses with Democrat Party)
New Party - 8

• Congress passes Christie's tax reforms, with a $10.10 minimum wage that Christie has now publicly accepted.
• In an East Room press conference, President Christie nominates former Missouri Senator Jim Talent to be his new Secretary of Defense.
• President Christie issues a veto threat on the budget, reminding that he will only accept a balanced budget. Democratic appropriators in the Senate force through a balanced budget by cutting only in Defense, which the House refuses to accept.
• October 15 - The Government shuts down, and President Christie strongly refuses to negotiate unless Democrats agree to balance the budget with both defense AND domestic cuts, and denounces the Congress for not "fulfilling its essential duty."
• Stocks plummet after four days of shutdown, and unemployment is seen spiking going into November. Polls show the shutdown weighing on Christie, not because voters disagree with his position, but because of his statement where he refused to negotiate. Most voters are under the impression the shutdown is happening solely because the President wants his way or the highway.
• On Day Eleven of the Government Presidential Temper Tantrum Shutdown Boo Hoo Game (that's what DWS called it on MSNBC last night), President Christie quietly asks the Speaker to invite Senate Leader Elizabeth Warren to meet for budget "discussions."
• After sixteen days, Congress produces a balanced budget with 60% defense cuts and 40% domestic cuts. President Christie signs it in a largely publicized ceremony.
• The Senate confirms former Missouri Senator Jim Talent to head the Department of Defense before calling recess for the holidays.
• January, 2018 - A report surfaced in the Washington Post and then spread online that then-Governor Christie's administration had withheld aid to New Jersians in Pro-Clinton areas who were without heat, power, or water after Hurricane Adalynn. E-mails from President Christie's chief-of-staff, who was a senior advisor in the Governor's administration, say "time for a cold night in Atlantic City and Cape May." The elected officials of both those places, Democrats who had supported Christie in his reelection as Governor, had endorsed President Clinton in the 2016 election. At the time it was reported that Christie was very angry to have lost the endorsements, as winning his home state was a very touchy subject with the Governor during his Presidential campaign. When one news report at the time said a young child was taken to the ER with sever pneumonia, one Christie official E-Mailed: "I feel bad for the children." Kelly replied: "They are the children of Clinton voters."

September, 2017 - Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick wins an upset victory in a special Senate election. Democrats say it is a mandate on President Christie's first term and predict strong headwinds for the Democratic party in 2018.


January, 2018 - A report surfaced in the Washington Post and then spread online that then-Governor Christie's administration had withheld aid to New Jersians in Pro-Clinton areas who were without heat, power, or water after Hurricane Adalynn.

[RedPrometheus]

Great update! I think it's a realistic depection of a Christie presidency...