The Campaign Trail: Post Your Maps!

[Bigby]

Can someone give a uh, detailed walkthrough of sorts on how to win with Wallace? I followed the general advice someone gave earlier and can't win. I've tweaked that advice a bit and still can't win. It's driving me nuts.

Yea that game is bugged. I literally spent every campaign stop in NC and went with good old Carolina boy Thurmond as VP. I hate NC.In fact I even lost SC because i threw everything into NC.

I even won North Carolina as Wallace once, and Nixon still squeaked by with 270 EVs. What hurts is that Nixon seems to still win elsewhere as OTL no matter that Wallace does.

[Bigby]

Election Day, 2000. Governor Bush Defeats Gore, Gains Over 300 EVs! Regains Midwest for GOP.

Governor George W. Bush (R- TX)/Fmr. General Collin Powell (R - VA): 301 EVs
Vice President Albert Gore (D - TN)/Senator Joe Lieberman (D - CT): 237 EVs

Activist Ralph Nader (G - CT)/Winona DaLuke (D - MN): 0 EVs

The site refuses to show me the final result breakdown by state, so sadly I cannot give PV count. I ran with Powell as my VP rather than Cheney, and I also alternated between moderate and conservative answers. I never picked an obviously left-wing option, and I focused my campaign visits exclusively in the Midwest. (MI, WI, IA, OH, and PA were the only states I visited when asked to pick a state.) My only two mistakes were being a little too harsh against the Clintons and being willing to open up oil reserves to supply people with extra heating. In my focus on the Midwest, I apparently lost TN to Gore. It was worth gaining three extra states and winning Florida (to my knowledge) without having to go to the Supreme Court over a recount.

[Bigby]

They should have added 2004 instead as the issues were a lot better

I actually saw 2000 as pretty fun. It's my new favorite campaign to run on Normal. I wish that you could run against non-default opponents, though.

[Bigby]

The 2000 election seems to be quite difficult, even on lower difficulties.

I've won as Bush both times I tried, but I failed as Gore.

[Bigby]

Tried 2000 on normal again. I swear, it's easier to win as Bush than it is as Gore. I picked John Danforth as my VP, and I was more conservative than my playthrough as Bush/Powell. However, I did not veer somewhat into anti-Clinton territory like last time. I won the same amount of EVs, 301, but I won different states. I was weaker in the Midwest but stronger in the West. I won Florida by a margin of 1.2%, and I'd win even without it, so again, no Supreme Court case for me.

2000 Election Results: Governor Bush Defeats Vice President Al Gore! Republicans Retain Senate, 53-47. Republicans Retain House 224-210.

Governor George W. Bush (R - TX)/Fmr. Senator John Danforth (R - MO): 301 EVs
Vice President Al Gore (D - TN)/Senator Evan Bayh (D - IN): 237 EVs

The Senate and House results I posted are alternate history. Just some flavoring to go with the alternate results.

[Bigby]

392: Vice Pres. Al Gore(D-TE)/Sen. Evan Bayh(D-IN) - 51.6%
146: Gov. George W. Bush(R-TX)/Fmr. Rep. Dick Cheney(R-WY) - 45.7%
Ralph Nader - 2.4%
Pat Buchanan - 0.3%

Wow. How'd you do it?

I just ran on a moderately independent platform taking a few independent ideas on private school vouchers for low-income families and the lockbox for Medicaid. I usually chose to run as my own man and run a positive, optimistic campaign. All I had to connect with Clinton on was the budget..

Maybe when I play as Gore I am being too liberal? Could explain why I only win as Bush.

[Bigby]

So they added a 1976 campaign. It's good if you're Carter, bad if you're Ford. That's not much of a surprise. I played a game as Carter with Scoop Jackson as my VP. I was very moderate, more moderate than real Carter even. I only was really liberal with unions, and that was to secure the left vote as I wanted to be moderate there too. It worked out in the end, as I went from the 297 OTL EVs to 368, albeit the popular margins were still slim in many places. The only state I did worse in was Pennsylvania.

2016 Presidential Election - Carter Edges Out Ford in PV, Wins EV Landslide! Wins on Moderate Platform!

Fmr. Governor Jimmy Carter (D - GA)/Senator Scoop Jackson (D - WA): 368 EVs
President Gerald Ford (R - MI)/Senator Bob Dole (R - TX): 170 EVs

[Bigby]

It's possible to win as Ford on Easy, apparently. I was moderate on some issues and went more mainline conservative as I became more comfortable. I had a misstep about the ERA, but that was before Carter's Playboy scandal, so I rebounded. I didn't make the Polish gaffe, so that was the biggest godsend. I even got brave and campaigned some in the South; it paid off to an extent. I only wonder if I would have won with the same strategies on Normal...

Election Night 1976: Ford Wins Electoral Landslide, Won on United Moderate-Conservative Coalition, Survives From Brink of Defeat.

President Gerald Ford (R - MI)/Senator Howard Baker (R - TN): 443 EVs
Fmr. Governor James Carter (D - GA)/Senator Scoop Jackson (D - WA): 95 EVs

President Ford was won his own term in the White House. Though Carter began hundreds of EVs ahead of Ford, the President made a miraculous, almost unbelievable comeback by being strong against his opponent, showing his strength and success as President, and his success in building a moderate-conservative coalition in the GOP. Senator Howard Baker will succeed Nelson Rockefeller as VP; Rockefeller will resign tomorrow for Baker to ascend to the Vice Presidency early. President Ford has announced his intention to nominate Rockefeller for HUD. In a conciliatory gesture, Ford has offered Ronald Reagan a position in his 2nd term's cabinet should be accept.

(Swapped Mondale for Jackson for extra alternate history flavor.)

[Bigby]

Challenge: Have Ford win LA, MS, & AL on Easy. Anyone want to try?

Damn, I've already come close. I got all bul AL.

[Bigby]

I just won as Nixon in a landside, though popular vote was neck and neck. It paid off to still visit the South and even Minnesota. I think avoiding the debate helped the most: http://www.americanhistoryusa.com/campaign-trail/game/61239

I am on mobile, so I will add the mal later.

[Bigby]

https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/campaign-trail/game/97203

Just did the honest nail biter of 1948 on Easy. I was doing extremely well until the gaffe on slums. Oh well, I still win with 305 EVs. Visiting California paid off, despite losing Massachusetts and Virginia to Truman. I chose Bricker for Warren over VP, but I was only slightly more aggressive and conservative than OTL. I basically won with a Yankee coalition.

[Bigby]

-Snip-

Now imagine if that WA faithless elector still voted for Reagan ATL.

[Bigby]

Hillary is a Manchurian Candidate for the GOP.

I tried that same strategy and did even more horribly than you did. I preformed better in the popular vote but CRASHED in the electoral vote. Hell, I even lost California by over one percent! Donald better be happy that I gave him an even bigger win than Reagan 1984.

https://www.americanhistoryusa.com/campaign-trail/game/390551