Time for Sarah...

[VirginiaAaron]

"I, Sarah Palin, do solemnly swear..."

Image made myself

[VirginiaAaron]

Sarah

They had to make a decision. Sarah and Todd had no idea that 4 years ago, when they decided to join the GOP presidential ticket, that they'd be the center of the universe..

Sarah: "Well, what do you think we should do?"

Todd: "Honey, I think you've got a lot you can do for the country, but you've gotta think about the kids. Do you think the kids can go through another campaign?"

Sarah: "I don't know...Trig's 4 now, so we won't have to depend on Bristol to raise him while we're campaigning. Plus, we've got the money for a nanny now."

Todd: "Look, at the end of the day, it's your decision. I'll support you either way, the kids'll be with you either way. You've gotta ask yourself if the kids can do it, and do you think you can win?"

Sarah: "I don't really think it's a matter of if I'll win, it's by how much I win. People are tired of Obam'er..."

Sarah's phone rings, it's a number she doesn't know.

Sarah: "Hello?"

Donald Trump is on the other line.

Donald: "Hello, Governor Palin! How are you?"

Sarah: "I'm good Mr. Trump, how're you?"

Donald: "I'm great, I'm great. I was just wondering what you were thinking about, for 2012. I think we both appeal to similar patriots, and if you would like to run, I would be willing to step aside, if you can provide some assurances."

Sarah: "Donald I really don't know what I'm going to do. Todd and I haven't decided yet."

Donald: "Alright, well when you do decide, tell me. I think we can be great partners, we're both very loyal people, so let me know. I'm shooting for a June announcement if you decide not to run."

Sarah: "Alright Mr. Trump, I'll talk to you later."

Donald hung up the phone.

Sarah: "God, that guy is something else. I hope he isn't expecting VP. Can you imagine that guy in the White House? Give me a break."

Image from Wikimedia Commons

[VirginiaAaron]

Author's note: Just to clarify, for the most part, everything the Obama administration did in its first 4 years has mostly stayed the same. The only major change is the raid that killed Osama Bin-Ladin. As many of you know, the Situation Room was divided. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on the side to initiate the raid, while VP Joe Biden was more hesitant. In this timeline, the President decides to not push forward and Bin-Ladin remains at large.
(All images from Wikimedia Commons)

Election Timeline

-April 2011: former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich announces his presidential candidacy at a rally in Georgia
-May 2011: former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Chinese Ambassador Jon Huntsman, and Texas Congressman Ron Paul announce their candidacies, Sarah Palin announces exploratory committee on Sean Hannity's show
-June 2011: New York businessman Donald Trump announces exploratory committee with the slogan "Make America Great Again," Palin formally launches campaign in Des Moines, Iowa

I believe in an America where we defend our ideals, not fall down to terrorists. I believe in an America where we fight for the little guy. I believe in a country that cares about high deficits and high debts. I believe in an America where the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness still mean something! That is why I am honored to announce my campaign for President of the United States!

-July 2011: Trump officially launches his campaign at the Trump Tower in New York

You look around, and you see that we're not winning anymore. NAFTA is screwing us, NATO is screwing us over, and we've got a president who might not be American. What kind of world are we living in? I, and I alone, can fix this mess, which is why I, Donald J. Trump, am officially a candidate for President.

-July 2011: Sen. Rick Santorum and Rep. Michele Bachmann both decline to run. Bachmann endorses Palin, Santorum says he will endorse "at some point but not at this time." New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also declines to run. President Obama officially launches his re-election campaign in Florida with Vice President Biden by his side.

RealClearPolitics National Average, 2012 GOP Presidential Nomination

Sarah Palin: 23%
Mitt Romney: 18%
Donald Trump: 16%
Newt Gingrich: 11%
Ron Paul: 8%
Jon Huntsman: 1%
UNDECIDED: 23%

-August 2011: Rick Perry announces candidacy one week before the first Fox News debate.

FIRST GOP PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OF 2012

Megyn Kelly: Good evening and welcome to the first presidential debate of the 2012 election season.  Moderating with me tonight are my colleagues Chris Wallace, the host of Fox News Sunday, and Bret Baier, the host of Special Report. And I'm Megyn Kelly, host of The Kelly File.

Bret Baier: Tonight's rules are simple. Candidates will get 2 minutes to respond to questions posed by one of the moderators and 1 minute for rebuttals. There will be unlimited rebuttals, but we, as the moderators, have the jurisdiction on when to move on to another subject.

Chris Wallace: Now let's meet the candidates. In the center of the stage, former Governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP nominee for Vice President, Sarah Palin...

Kelly: Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney...

Baier: Businessman Donald Trump...

Wallace: Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich...

Kelly: Texas Congressman Ron Paul...

Baier: Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman...

Wallace: And lastly, Texas Governor Rick Perry

Wallace: Welcome, candidates. Let's get right into it. We all know you love hand-raising questions, so let's start this off. Is there anyone on stage, and can I see hands, who is unwilling tonight to pledge your support to the eventual nominee of the Republican party and pledge to not run an independent campaign against that person? (Trump raises his hand) Mr. Trump, you can not sign that pledge?

Trump: I can not. Look, I know many of these people on the stage, they're fine people, on both sides frankly. But they don't know how to win or get things done. I am the only one who can bring this country back.

Baier: Experts say that an independent run, from the right, would almost certainly hand re-election to President Obama.

Trump: You don't know that. Ross Perot was able to use his wealth to win people over and he almost won that election and I'm far richer than Ross Perot.

Romney: I think we can all admire Mr. Trump's ability to entertain. But that's not we need right now. We've got an entertainer in the White House, what we need is a leader. Mr. Trump has driven his businesses into debt, if he can't even solve his own debt, why should we trust him with our debt? Mr. Trum-

Trump: I got far more done than you ever have. I am the only person on stage who has created jobs.

Romney: That is not true, I created thousands of jobs at Bain Capital. I'm a businessman, just like you. Except I created stable jobs, and we made profits, we paid our taxes, we followed the rules. America needs a leader who actually knows world leaders, knows how to negotiate, and will leave our grandkids and our great-grandkids a better situation than the one we're in right now.

Baier: Governor Palin, would you like to weigh in?

Palin: Well I don't think people really care about politics as usual. (Applause fills the arena) People are losing jobs, wages are down, jobs are down, and we're having a cat-fight. I don't think the American people care. Let's talk about the issues. As Governor of Alaska, I cut taxes. I'll do that as President. As Governor, I worked with Republicans and Democrats to clean up politics. As governor, I cut $237 million out of our budget, in my first year alone. I'll make the cuts necessary to bring jobs back, to get our budget balanced, and get us back to where we need to be.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kelly: Governor Perry, you just announced your campaign less than one week ago. In your announcement speech, you also talked about cutting several federal agencies. What, specifically, would you cut?

Perry: Well, thank you for the question, Megyn, and I'd like to thank the city of Greenville, SC for hosting us tonight. I think there's a lot that has to go. The stench of Washington, it reeks. The President refuses to work with Congress. How does that work? We've got 3 co-equal branches of government, and I'll make sure we work with Congress and stop these ridiculous executive orders. There are a lot of bureaucrats in Washington. Those that aren't essential, they're gone on Day 1 of a Perry administration.

Kelly: Governor, with all due respect, you didn't answer the question. What federal agencies will you cut, if you're elected President?

Perry: Well, you've got the education department...the, the-uh commerce...commerce department. And then you've got the...the-

Trump: Spit it out, Rick! (Laughter and applause)

Perry: I'm gettin' there, Donald. And you've got so many agencies that can go, but the main ones are the commerce, and the...education department.

Kelly: Alright, I guess that'll do. Congressman Paul, some have criticized you saying that your views are closer to the Libertarian Party, not the Republican Party. What do you say to your critics?

Paul: They're wrong. The best thing for the GOP is actual fiscal conservatives. Everybody up here can act like they'll cut the budget, but they won't. We need defenders of liberty in Washington, but we've got bureaucrats that have been there for decades and decades with nothing to show for it.

Wallace: Mr. Paul, you, yourself have been in Congress, on and off, since 1979. What makes you different?

Paul: If you listened to my response, I said that there are people there for decades that have nothing to show for it. Anytime there's a bill that does something the federal government shouldn't be responsible for, I nay it. The government's responsibility is to defend, have a court system for civil disputes, and a court system for criminal cases, and that's pretty much it. That's real conservatism.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Baier: Alright everybody, it's now time for the 2-minute closing statements. We'll start with Ambassador Huntsman.

Huntsman: We're at a turning point right now. America's got two choices: sustainability, or more downturn? I've run a state, I know how to get budgets under control, I know how to be an executive. And that's what America needs, a dedicated, experienced, and bipartisan executive! I hope I can earn your vote come primary season.

Wallace: Speaker Gingrich

Gingrich: I might not have gotten very much time tonight and it's for one reason and one reason only. The media is scared. They're scared that if a principled conservative leader like myself becomes the nominee of the Republican party, that President Obama will lose. Since I didn't get a lot of time, I'm just gonna highlight over what I support real quick. As President, we're getting rid of the EPA, we'll replace it with the Environmental Solutions Agency that will actually get things done instead of being a government money-sucking machine. We need to focus on education, not by Common Core, but we need to hand education back to the states, they're better at handling it than we are. We need to cut taxes, we need to cut regulation, let businesses flow, we'll bring jobs back, and the economy will be back. If we run with that message, President Obama will lose and America will win. Go to Gingrich2012.com to donate to help us with our fight to defeat President Obama.

Kelly: Mr. Trump

Trump: We've got to build a wall, that's priority #1. There are millions of illegals flowing through our southern border, taking jobs, committing crimes, raping our great American women, and bringing in drugs. And Mexico will pay for it. I'm the only one not bought and paid for by Washington. A vote for Trump is a win for America!

Baier: Governor Perry

Perry: America wants a principled conservative leader, I've got a record of getting things done for the people of Texas. I'm pro-life, anti-taxes, anti-regulation, and anti-spending. I'll lower the income tax as low as we can get it, I'll abolish abortions, and we'll slash regulations. We're gonna get this country back on track. That, I can promise.

Wallace: Governor Romney

Romney: It's been quite the night. I'd like to thank Greenville for hosting us, and I want to thank our hosts tonight. I made the cuts that were needed as Governor of Massachusetts. I provided common-sense leadership for Massachusettsans and as a business leader, I created thousands of stable jobs for working people. We all agree that low taxes and low regulations are important. But the type of leader is important too. Stable leaders who know what they're doing that aren't infected by Washington is what we need, I'm that kind of leader.

Kelly: Governor Palin, finish us out.

Palin: You all know me. I was born and raised, just a small town girl from Alaska. They told me, you can't be elected in Alaska. I got elected. I got to represent my home town of Wasilla as their Mayor. And I worked my way all the way up to Governor. I took on the old boys network in Juneau and I won. The media tried to take me down, but you can't knock down Sarah Palin. If you want a conservative fighter, that will do anything to take this country back, vote for me. If you want four more years of partisan bickering, then vote for the other guy. If you can give us a few books, go to Sarah2012.com and give us a few bucks, and if you can't donate that's fine, but I'd appreciate your vote. Thanks to Fox and our moderators and Greenville for hosting us. G'night.

Baier: On behalf of my colleagues, the city of Greenville, and all of the candidates on the stage, thank you for watching. As always, we stick by our slogan, fair, balanced, and unafraid.
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Image made myself

[VirginiaAaron]

All images are from either Wikimedia Commons or faketrumptweet.com

The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer

Wolf: Good evening, and welcome to The Situation Room, I'm Wolf Blitzer. We've got a lot to talk about, and joining me tonight is Colorado's junior Senator, Michael Bennet. Senator Bennet, thank you for coming on.

Michael: Thanks for having me, Wolf.

Wolf: Let's talk about some of the key issues at the forefront of the presidential campaign right now. A video from Al-Qaeda, featuring their leader Osama Bin-Ladin, suggests that another attack on U.S. soil is imminent. How should the United States react to this?

Michael: Well, Wolf, I don't think panic is the right tone to set. They've threatened us plenty of time, and I'm certain, with President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and everybody in the administration on top of this, the American people will be safe.

Wolf: We'll have to wait and see, let's talk politics. Right now, Governor Sarah Palin is leading the GOP nomination. CNN, along with the Des Moines Register, has a new poll out of Iowa, just being released. It shows Governor Palin at 30%, Governor Romney on 25%, Congressman Paul on 15%, Mr. Trump also on 15%, Speaker Gingrich on 9%, and Governor Perry on 4%. Does this change the race, and should President Obama worry about his re-election chances?

Michael: The President shouldn't be too worried. Obviously things change on a dime, but the Republicans don't have a message to campaign on. They don't like the president, but the unemployment rate is starting to trend downward, the U.S. has added more jobs this quarter than any other since the Great Recession, wages are starting to go up. People's wallets are starting to fill up, and that'll lead them to vote for President Obama. I know, that in my home state of Colorado, people are happy with-

Wolf: Excuse me, Senator, but we have breaking news coming out right now. Businessman Donald Trump has just announced, via Twitter, that he is suspending his presidential campaign. Let's put the tweet on the screen,

Wolf: So, there we have it. The GOP presidential race just suffered its first major casualty. Let's bring in CNN's chief political analyst John King for his thoughts on this new development.

John: Well thanks for having me on, Wolf. This is major. No doubt about it. Will Mitt Romney be hurt? Possibly. It's obvious that Mr. Trump won't be endorsing any candidate yet but he's made it clear that candidate will not be Mitt Romney. Mr. Trump's strengths, surprisingly, were among blue-collar workers, particularly in the midwest. It's not clear yet if this was a real, serious presidential campaign or if it was to just get some attention for his television show. I'm not sure, however he did plug his show in the tweet.

Wolf: It's obvious he won't be backing any candidate yet, but who are the most likely to get his endorsement?

John: Well I think it's really down to two different candidates. Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin. If Gingrich gets the endorsement, he would get a coalition of semi-establishment voters, and the Trump voter. If Palin gets the endorsement, she'll be in a good position in Iowa, as well as New Hampshire, a state previously thought to be a strong-hold for Mitt Romney

Wolf: Thanks for that insight, John. Let's bring in one of the candidates, for her reaction, appearing via cell phone, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Governor Palin, thanks for calling in, what're your thoughts on Mr. Trump suspending his campaign

Sarah: Well, thanks for having me Wolf, I think a lot of things. Mr. Trump is a very accomplished businessman, I've got a lot of respect for him. We agree on a lot of issues, and he's been nothing but kind to me. But his spot on the debate stage will be missed.

Wolf: If you are elected president, would Mr. Trump have a job in the administration?

Sarah: Well, it’s way too early to speculate, but I do believe that Mr. Trump loves his country, and if that’s something he wants to do, I’m sure we can figure out the best way for him to serve his country.

Wolf: Alright, thank you, Governor Palin. From Washington, I’m Wolf Blitzer, good night.

[VirginiaAaron]

Mitt

Mitt was in a hotel room in New Hampshire. He was flipping through channels before eventually settling on CNN. He was half-listening to the Bennet interview, half going through emails. Suddenly the breaking news alert came on CNN

Wolf (on TV): Excuse me, Senator, but we have breaking news coming out right now. Businessman Donald Trump has just announced, via Twitter, that he is suspending his presidential campaign.

Mitt: "Ann! Ann, come in here! Look at this..."

Ann: "Oh my goodness...this is...good, right?"

Mitt: "I...I don't know."

The eldest Romney sons entered the hotel room, to check on their parents.

Tagg: "Mom, Dad, did you see this?"

Josh: "I'm shocked...can you believe this?"

Mitt: "It's crazy...I think I might need a glass of milk."

Ann: "I'm not surprised...he's a con-man. This was just another con. He'll get some more ratings for his "apprentice" show but he doesn't care about America."

Mitt: "So what do we do, how do we respond?... Where's Ed? Tagg can you go find Ed."

Tagg: "He's meeting with the Hillsborough County GOP chair."

Mitt picks up his cell phone and calls Ed to organize a response plan. A few days later at the Gingrich's, Speaker Gingrich and his team were scrambling to find out how to persuade Trump to give him his endorsement.

Newt

Donald: Look, Newt, the best thing for you to get my endorsement is to just show loyalty. Maybe you start using some of my plans, start drinking Trump Water, and stick to your guns.

Newt: Alright, Mr. Trump, thank you for your time.

Donald: Of course, good luck, win big!

*Newt ends the call*

Newt: His head is so far up his own a**. Knowing him he'll just end up endorsing that walrus...

Callista: I'm afraid to ask...who's the walrus?

Newt: Palin.

Newt was angry. He used everything in his arsenal and still wasn't making a dent in the polls. However, with Trump leaving the race, Newt felt an opening. Newt's Chief of Staff, Patrick Millsaps, told him the first national poll without Trump was about to be released.

2012 REPUBLICAN NOMINATION, DECEMBER 9-12, FOX NEWS

Sarah Palin: 30%
Mitt Romney: 23%
Newt Gingrich: 22%
Ron Paul: 10%
Rick Perry: 7%
Jon Huntsman: 3%
UNDECIDED: 5%

[VirginiaAaron]

FINAL PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE BEFORE THE IOWA CAUCUS

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Anderson Cooper: Good evening and welcome to the last Republican presidential debate before the Iowa Caucuses. I'm Anderson Cooper, of AC360. With me tonight is my fellow moderator, Wolf Blitzer, of the Situation Room.

Wolf Blitzer: Let's meet tonight's candidates. In the center of the stage, please welcome former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin

Cooper: Former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney

Blitzer: Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich

Cooper: Texas Congressman Ron Paul

Blitzer: Governor of Texas, Rick Perry

Cooper: And lastly, Chinese Ambassador Jon Huntsman

Blitzer: Let's get right into it. Governor Perry, you've touted your state's low taxes, the lack of regulation, tough tort reform as the recipe for job growth in the Lone Star State, but Texas ranks last among those who have completed high school, there are only eight other states with more living in poverty, no other state has more working at or below the minimum wage. So is that the kind of answer all Americans are looking for?

Perry: The American people want a jobs president. In the last few years, Texas has created a million jobs while the nation lost two and a half million jobs. If we let free enterprise and low taxes lead the way, jobs will come, that's what we've done in Texas, 95% of our jobs are above the minimum wage in fact. So our nominee's gotta be the best person to take the case to the President, and show the American people that jobs get created under Republicans not Democrats.

Cooper: Governor Romney, Governor Palin's campaign has been running ads in the early-primary states, referring to your time at Bain Capital, that you were a "buyout specialist." She's also hit on the point that under your leadership in Massachusetts, the commonwealth ranked 47 out of 50 in job-creation. What do you say to the Governor?

Romney: Well, first of all, I'd like to thank the University of Iowa for hosting us tonight, as well as CNN and our moderators for hosting tonight. Governor Palin, you must've not seen what I inherited when I took office. The situation was far worse than it was when I left office. We got our unemployment rate down to around 5%. We created more jobs in Massachusetts in my four years as Governor than the President has in the entire country. My experience, having started enterprises, having helped other enterprises grow and thrive, is what gives me the experience to put together a plan to help restructure the basis of America's economic foundation so we can create jobs again, good jobs, and compete with anyone in the world.

Cooper: Governor Palin, your response?

Palin: Well that's just not true. I respect Governor Romney, I think he'd be a better president than the current one, but that's not a high bar. Governor Romney, you kinda pivoted there. He may have only been Governor for one term, but he can still play the Washington games. When you get an uncomfortable question you pivot and re-state your 15 second memorized speech your advisors gave you. When the time comes, Mitt becomes a conservative, but when it's time to show your chops, he flip-flops. First, he supports same-sex marriage, now he's against it. He said that abortion should be "safe and legal" but now he's pro-life. First he was against Don't Ask, Don't Tell and now he's in favor. Changing your position on minor policies is one thing. But Governor, you can't even be on board with basic conservative principles. I'm a principled conservative, I stick to my guns when my position is popular or unpopular. I don't play the Washington games. Mitt Romney is more of the same, Sarah Palin is real change and I think the people of Iowa will understand that on Caucus night.

Cooper: Governor Romney, do you have a response?

Romney: Not really, but it would be a real shame if smears and lies defined this race, Governor Palin. And if you'd like to get down into the dirt, I can do that, Governor.

Blitzer: Let's move to Ambassador Huntsman. Some Republicans believe that because you worked in the Obama administration, that disqualifies you from running for President as a Republican. What do you say to your critics?

Huntsman: Well, I really relish this opportunity to speak, I don't get very many of them. No, it doesn't disqualify me. It shows leadership. I didn't vote for President Obama, I won't vote for President Obama. I think he's been a bad president. But, it shows that I will work with both sides no matter our disagreements to get things done. America wants progress, and the only way we get progress is through bipartisan leadership. I will bring that, if elected.

Cooper: Speaker Gingrich, let's talk about immigration. There hasn't been a clear explanation on your policy for immigration, can you clear that up?

Gingrich: Not sure what you're getting at there, Anderson, but I'll give you my immigration policy and my record.  We ought to control the border, we ought to have a legal guest worker program. We ought to outsource it, frankly, to American Express, Visa, and MasterCard, so there's no counterfeiting, which there will be with the federal government. We should be very tough on employers once you have that legal program. We should make English the official language of government. We should insist that first-generation immigrants who come here learn American history in order to become citizens. We should also insist that American children learn American history. And then find a way to deal with folks who are already here, some of whom, frankly, have been here 25 years, are married with kids, live in our local neighborhood, go to our church. It's got to be done in a much more humane way than thinking that to automatically deport millions of people.

Cooper: Thank you, Speaker Gingrich. Governor Palin, in 2006 during your campaign for Governor of Alaska, you came out in what's now known as the bridge to nowhere. When you campaigned for Vice President, you said you were opposed. What changed?

Palin: That's not true, Anderson. I was against the bridge as Governor, I made sure it stopped. Anybody that says otherwise is just getting their information from the liars in the mainstream media. End of story.

Romney: This is what I'm talking about. The American people don't want a president who refuses to acknowledges facts. We also need a nominee who isn't going to be stumped by easy questions. There's a chance that John McCain would be president right now if Sarah had just done her homework, if she read her briefings, if she did the work of a Vice President in the lead up to the election. But instead, she fumbled a very easy interview with Katie Couric, made the party and the ticket a laughing stock. If we put her at the top of the ticket, we will have four more years of Barack Obama.

Gingrich: See, this is what the American people are tired of. The American people want to know how we're gonna lower taxes, recover the biggest and best economy in the world, they want to know how we're gonna bring them well-paying jobs. They don't want a cat fight, they want answers. What Mitt and Sarah have done is attack each other, and that's politics as usual. These are unordinary times, and what we need is a leader, not someone who just throws attack a their opponent.

Blitzer: Alright, let's get back on topic. This is the final question, and Ambassador Huntsman, you'll answer first. You've been elected president, you're in the Oval Office, which world leader do you call first?

Huntsman: The British-American relationship is one of the most important we have, so, to continue that friendship, I'd call Prime Minister David Cameron.

Blitzer: Governor Perry?

Perry: Well, I would call my friend, the President of Mexico Vicente Fox.

Blitzer: Governor, President Fox left office in 2006.

Perry: Oh, oops. Well, I would contact whoever the new President of Mexico is.

Blitzer: Congressman Paul

Paul: Good to know you've acknowledged my existence. First question in a long time. I'd call the President of China, Hu Jintao, and I'd tell him that he's not gonna be able to screw over the United States anymore.

Cooper: Speaker Gingrich

Gingrich: I share the same sentiment of Ambassador Huntsman, but with Canada. They're our direct northern neighbor, and they deserve an early call from the new President, Newt Gingrich.

Cooper: Governor Romney

Romney: I agree with Newt, our relationship with Canada and Mexico, as our direct neighbors, are our most important relationships, and I'd make sure Prime Minister Harper and President Calderó get a call.

Blitzer: Governor Palin, finish us off.

Palin: I'd call that punk Vladimir Putin and tell him if he wants to come to the negotiating table, let's go, but if he wants to escalate tensions, then we can do the same.

Cooper: Thank you, Governor Palin, and all of our candidates tonight for participating in the debate. In just 2 weeks, Iowans will make their decision, good luck candidates.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

The debate was seen, mostly, as a win for Gingrich. His line criticizing Palin and Romney for their "politics as usual" was a big hit with voters, particularly in Iowa. But will that matter at the ballot box? Only time till tell. The biggest losers of the debate were Governor Perry and Governor Palin. Palin didn't get as many burns, but she certainly said things that could and will be used against her. Perry, just didn't do his homework. How this all will affect the Iowa caucus, and the following primaries? Only time will tell, plus rumors of an attempted attack on the U.S.'s Amtrak system by Al-Qaeda could shake up the race.

CNN/DES MOINES REGISTER POLL, GOP IOWA CAUCUS, DECEMBER 29-JANUARY 1, 2012

Sarah Palin: 30%
Mitt Romney: 29%
Newt Gingrich: 24%
Ron Paul: 11%
Rick Perry: 3%
Jon Huntsman: 1%
UNDECIDED: 2%

PALIN +1

[VirginiaAaron]

FOX COVERAGE OF THE IOWA CAUCUSES, PART 1

Graphics made myself

Baier: It is 9:00 in the east, and we're now starting to get results out of Iowa. Tonight's results will give us the first indicator of who the Republican nominee will be, and who may be the 45th President of the United States. Good evening, I'm Bret Baier with Megyn Kelly, and welcome to Fox News's coverage of the 2012 Republican Iowa Caucuses.

Kelly: We're now just starting to get results out of rural counties, up in northeast Iowa, and not surprisingly Governor Sarah Palin is doing well there. With just 1% of the vote counted, Governor Palin leads with 45%, Congressman Ron Paul in second place on 30%, rounding out the top tier at this time is Speaker Newt Gingrich at 13%. Behind him is Governor Mitt Romney on 5%, Governor Perry on 4%, and Ambassador Huntsman on 1%. We just want to tell our viewers right now to take these results with a grain of salt. This is just a very very small portion of the votes, and it's highly likely that this will not be the final standings after all the caucusing is finished.

Baier: Now, we're starting to get more results in. Urban areas in Cedar Falls and Davenport are beginning to report. Mitt Romney has taken the lead, with 25% of the expected vote in. Governor Palin isn't far behind with 28%, Congressman Paul holding steady doing well with college students, he's at 20%. Speaker Gingrich's on 11%, Governor Perry on 6% and Ambassador Huntsman on 3%. Tonight, we're also going to likely see the field winnow a bit. We may see one or two candidates suspend their campaign tonight, depending on the end result. One thing, though, is for sure, this race is close and is going to remain close throughout the night.

Kelly: We have more results coming in, with 50% of the vote, Governor Palin has retaken the lead very very narrowly. She leads by just a fraction of a percent, with Governor Palin and Governor Romney both on 29%. Speaker Gingrich on 18%, Congressman Paul 17%, Governor Perry on 5%, and Ambassador Huntsman on 2%. Now, keep in mind, the GOP agreed to get rid of their viability threshold. Previously, you had to get at least 15% of the vote to get delegates, but with the closeness and the number of candidates, they've ditched that. If you get 2% of the vote, you get 2% of the delegates. So that's good news for the lower-tier candidates not doing well in the vote counts at this hour.

Baier: Stay with us, we've got more coverage of the Iowa Caucuses with our expert panelists.

[VirginiaAaron]

Great timeline, the graphics are very good. Keep it up!

Thank you so much!

[VirginiaAaron]

Thanks! The compliments really keep me going, so thank you all.

[VirginiaAaron]

FOX NEWS IOWA CAUCUS COVERAGE, PART 2

All Images are from Wikimedia Commons. All graphics are made myself

Baier: Welcome back to Fox News's coverage of the Iowa Republican presidential caucus. At this hour, we currently have just about 3 quarters of the expected caucus results in. Right now, Governor Romney currently leads Governor Palin by just a single point. Behind Governor Palin is Congressman Ron Paul running strong at 18%. Speaker Newt Gingrich, neck and neck with Congressman Paul. Governor Perry and Ambassador Huntsman in single digits.

Kelly: Fox is now able to project however, that Ambassador Huntsman will get 6th place and Governor Perry will get 5th place. This isn't very surprising, the Ambassador and the Governor have been well behind the pack for most of the night. Do not be surprised if we see one, or maybe even both of these candidates leave the race.

Baier: And now, here, we've got a live look at the caucusing at a caucus site in Ames, Iowa.

Kelly: Now, with 90% of the result being counted, Sarah Palin re-takes her lead, however it is still a dead heat between Governor Palin and Governor Romney.

Baier: Fox is now able to say that Speaker Newt Gingrich will place 4th tonight, with Congressman Ron Paul placing 3rd.

Kelly: We're now getting word that Rick Perry is about to speak at his election night rally in Iowa. Here is, Governor Rick Perry of Texas.

It has become apparent to me, as a result of tonight's results, that I will not be President of the United States. So I have decided to suspend my presidential campaign. And, I am also proud to throw my support to my good friend, the next President of the United States, Sarah Palin! I'm calling on all of my fellow candidates to drop out, endorse Sarah Palin, let's coalesce around Governor Palin. To beat Obama, we're gonna need unity, so let's coalesce now and have a united party. Thank you, Iowa, thank you to our campaign volunteers, and God bless America!

Baier: Just gonna break in now to make this official, Governor Rick Perry has suspended his presidential campaign and has decided to endorse Governor Sarah Palin. Let's bring in Chris Wallace for his analysis. Chris, what does Perry's endorsement of Palin mean for the race?

Wallace: Well we really don't know until we have results out of the Iowa Caucus. Once we have a good idea of who wins, then we'll get the full picture. If Romney wins Iowa, the Perry endorsement probably won't mean anything for the race as a whole. If Palin wins Iowa, then she'll get a boost in South Carolina where Perry was trying hard there. However, Governor Romney hasn't made a clear sign that he's aiming to win South Carolina. Governor Palin really should be worried about Newt Gingrich in South Carolina, Romney in New Hampshire, and Paul in Nevada. However, we really won't know anything for sure until all the caucusing is finished.

Kelly: Thank you, Chris. We've got more results coming in from Iowa. With 98% of caucus sites reporting, Sarah Palin only leads by a fraction of a percent. She's barely leading over Governor Mitt Romney, they're both on 28%. Congressman Paul is on 20%, staying steady in the 18-21% region. Same thing for Speaker Gingrich, currently on 18%. The now dropped-out Rick Perry is on 5%, and Ambassador Huntsman on 1%.

Baier: It's been close all night, back and forth between Romney and Palin, but we now have enough caucus-sites reporting to project a winner. Fox News now projects Governor Sarah Palin is the winner of the Iowa Caucus.

Kelly: Let's take a look at the final vote counts. Governor Palin ends the night, winning the Iowa Caucus by just 2 points over Governor Romney. Congressman Paul on 20%, Speaker Gingrich on 18%, the now-dropped out Governor Perry on 5%, and Ambassador Huntsman, who I'm told we have breaking news on, at 1%. Bret, what's the breaking news we have on Ambassador Huntsman.

Baier: Sources to Fox News have found out that Ambassador Huntsman will be suspending his campaign. Jon Huntsman, the former Governor of Utah, the Ambassador to China, will now leave the presidential race. It was previously thought he would have a bad showing in Iowa, but come back in New Hampshire, but something has changed and now he's out.

Kelly: We're down to four: Palin, Romney, Paul, and Gingrich. Let's take a look at our delegate board. Governor Palin sits on 11 delegates, Governor Romney on 10 delegates, Congressman Paul on 8, Speaker Gingrich on 7, Governor Perry on 3, and Ambassador Huntsman on 1.

Baier: That's all for our coverage of the Iowa Caucuses, thank you all for watching and remember fair, balanced, and unafraid. I'll see you tomorrow night at 6 for the Special Report and Megyn'll be on for the Kelly File at 8. Good night, folks.

[VirginiaAaron]

Awesome election graphics, good job on this tl!

Thank you so much!

[VirginiaAaron]

CANDIDATE SPEECHES FOLLOWING THE IOWA CAUCUS

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tweets come from TweetGen

The caucus was over. Sarah Palin, the winner of the Iowa Caucus, gave her speech not long after she was projected by Fox News. She was mostly gracious, taking the time to congratulate her fellow candidates and thanking her staffers and campaign volunteers:

We did it! Can you believe it? Hard work really pays off, folks. First off, I want to thank the people of Iowa, whether you caucused for me, Governor Romney, Congressman Paul, or Speaker Gingrich, I want to thank you for caucusing. I want to thank my former fellow candidates, Governor Perry and Ambassador Huntsman for their hard work on the campaign trail and I wish them good luck in whatever is in their future. I also want to give a hand to Governor Romney on a hard-fought race here in Iowa. And I also want to thank our hard-working volunteers. Whether you knocked on doors in the freezing cold weather, whether you were hitting the phone bank, or whether you just spread the word about the campaign to your friends and family, I appreciate all the hard work for me, the campaign, and our country. Thank you, Iowa! On to New Hampshire, and South Carolina, then Nevada, and then the White House!

Governor Romney spoke shortly after Governor Palin.

I just got off the phone with Governor Sarah Palin of the great state of Alaska. I congratulated her on her win in the Iowa Caucus, and I let her know that I wish her good luck in New Hampshire. And I told her, we're gonna win New Hampshire! I want to just thank everybody involved in the campaign. Whether you gave us some money or you volunteered, your work is very appreciated. On to New Hampshire!

Speaker Gingrich and Congressman Paul congratulated Governor Palin via Twitter:

[VirginiaAaron]

New Hampshire

The race in New Hampshire was heating up. Romney and Palin mainly attacked each other, while Gingrich and Paul were focusing on Romney. Polling gave Romney an advantage, but some thought Palin could get a boost from Iowa. A recent CNN/UNH poll gave Romney a slight advantage in the granite stage:

CNN/UNH POLL, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY, JAN 6-8, 2012

Mitt Romney: 34%
Sarah Palin: 30%
Ron Paul: 18%
Newt Gingrich: 17%
UNDECIDED: 1%

ROMNEY +4

With only a week between the Iowa Caucus and New Hampshire primary, most of the campaigning was a battle of who could peg down Romney, and who could sway the last minute voters...

NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY RESULTS

Images from Wikimedia Commons, Graphics made myself

Smith: Good afternoon and welcome to Shep Smith Reporting, I'm Shep Smith. Last night was an important night for New Hampshire Republicans as they weighed in for who they want to see go up against President Obama in November. Fox was able to project last night, at 9:45, just an hour and 45 minutes after the polls close that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was the winner. We've got all 100% of the precincts reporting, and here is the final tally. Governor Romney on 36% of the vote, Governor Palin on 27%, Congressman Paul and Speaker Gingrich both on 18% within less of a percentage point of each other. Make sure you stay tuned into Fox News because in just a week, Nevada and South Carolina will vote. Typically South Carolina votes and then Nevada votes the following week but the Nevada Board of Elections decided to push the election ahead one week. Stay tuned to see whether Governors Romney and Palin continues their winning streaks, or whether Congressman Paul and Speaker Gingrich rise up. Fair, balanced, and unafraid, that's Fox News, have a good rest of your day.

[VirginiaAaron]

SC/NV Results

Graphics made myself

After recent rule changes, the Nevada Caucuses got moved up a week to be held the same day as the South Carolina primary. It seems, however, with the changing date, turnout for the caucuses was lower than expected. However, it didn't stop Governor Romney from taking Nevada. Pundits had speculated that Palin would easily take South Carolina and be in good standing to get close or win Nevada. However, the opposite was true. Nevada was projected by most major media organizations about an hour and a half after polls closed (at 10:00). South Carolina was a tug-of-war between Palin and Gingrich. People expected Gingrich to perform well, but not ahead of Romney. In the end, Palin edge out a win in South Carolina. The delegates however, remain close.

South Carolina: Delegate Count

Sarah Palin: 16
Newt Gingrich: 15
Mitt Romney: 11
Ron Paul: 8

Nevada: Delegate Count

Mitt Romney: 9
Sarah Palin: 7
Ron Paul: 5
Newt Gingrich: 4

In just a little over a week, a whole host of states will be voting. Including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. (If this seems like a lot of states, it is. Apparently a lot more states than the usual Iowa, NH, Nevada, and SC vote before Super Tuesday, but I didn't know that. So, I just lumped the rest into the 2012 Super Tuesday states).

[VirginiaAaron]

SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS

Graphics made myself. Additional images come from Wikimedia Commons

Wallace: Good morning, and welcome to Fox News Sunday. It was quite the night for the frontrunners, Governor Palin and Governor Romney. The field narrowed to 3, as Speaker Gingrich suspended his campaign. There were 3 states that give all their delegates to the winner: Ohio, Florida, and Arizona. Governor Palin won 2, Governor Romney won 1. But, let's look at the results, state-by-state. Starting off with the Alaska caucuses.

Wallace: No surprise in Governor Palin's home state of Alaska. She easily takes the caucuses, she's won 22 delegates, Congressman Paul won 3 delegates, Governor Romney took 2, and Speaker Gingrich got 1 delegate.

Wallace: Arizona was very close, Governor Palin only winning the state by 1 point. But because of the state's winner take all rules, Palin is getting all 57 delegates in Arizona.

Wallace: Governor Romney notched his first win of the Super Tuesday in the state of Colorado. Governor Romney earned 15 delegates, Governor Palin on 10 delegates, Congressman Paul on 7, and Speaker Gingrich now on 5.

Wallace: Florida, another winner-take-all state, Governor Palin wins that state and she gets all 122 delegates.

Wallace: Newt Gingrich got his first win, in his home state of Georgia, where he represented Georgia's 6th District for 20 years. A bit close for comfort, perhaps that's why he decided to suspend his campaign. Speaker Gingrich on 35 delegates, Governor Palin on 22 delegates, Governor Romney on 13, and Congressman Paul got 6 delegates.

Wallace: Governor Romney won Idaho, by about 3 points. He'll get 13 delegates, Governor Palin on 12, Congressman Paul on 4, and Speaker Gingrich rounding out the group on 3 delegates.

Wallace: Governor Romney also won the Maine caucuses. He has gotten 8 delegates, Congressman Paul over-performing expectations here as he earns 7 delegates, Governor Palin on 5 delegates, and Speaker Gingrich on 2.

Wallace: No surprise here, Governor Romney gets a landslide in his home state of Massachusetts. He'll get the vast majority of delegates. Romney on 31 delegates, Congressman Paul on 5, Governor Palin on 3, and Speaker Gingrich on 2 delegates.

Wallace: And as you can see, Governor Romney has narrowly won the state he was born in, the state of Michigan. His father, George Romney, was the Governor of Michigan in the '60s before he became Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for President Richard Nixon. Governor Romney on 25 delegates, Governor Palin on 24, Speaker Gingrich on 14, and Congressman Paul on 10.

Wallace: Governor Palin has notched a big win in Minnesota, perhaps that could be because of her strong endorsement from Congresswoman Bachmann. 18 delegates awarded to Governor Palin, 9 for Congressman Paul, 8 for Governor Romney, 4 for Speaker Gingrich.

Wallace: Another big win for Governor Palin in Missouri. She'll take 31 delegates, 17 for Governor Romney, 4 for Congressman Paul, and 2 for Speaker Gingrich.

Wallace: Sarah Palin also winning big in North Dakota. 17 delegates for her, 6 for Governor Romney, 5 for Congressman Paul, and 1 for Speaker Gingrich.

Wallace: A very close race in Ohio. This is the 3rd and final winner-take-all state voting tonight, and it narrowly goes to Governor Romney, by a fraction of a percent. He'll get all 82 delegates.

Wallace: There we have the results out of Oklahoma. Governor Palin has won, she'll get 20 delegates, Governor Romney will get 11, Speaker Gingrich will get 8, and Congressman Paul will be awarded 4 delegates.

Wallace: Let's take a look at the results in Vermont. Governor Romney narrowly fending off a strong challenge from Congressman Paul there in the Green Mountain state. Governor Romney will win Vermont, he'll get 6 delegates, Congressman Paul gets 5 delegates, Governor Palin gets 4 delegates, and Speaker Gingrich ends the night with 2.

Wallace: Last state of the night, the state of Wyoming. Governor Palin winning big in the Cowboy State. She has won 19 delegates, Governor Romney has won 7, Congressman Paul has won 2, and Speaker Gingrich has won 1.

Wallace: Let's take a look at the delegate count. Governor Palin walking out of Super Tuesday the clear winner. She's on 438 delegates, Governor Romney on 295, Speaker Gingrich has 118 delegates, and Congressman Paul has 107. Now, as we told you at the start, Speaker Gingrich has suspended his campaign. His campaign has not signaled whether they will be endorsing any of the 3 candidates remaining. Now, we're also getting a Fox News alert...

Wallace: Businessman Donald Trump, who ran briefly earlier this year, has endorsed Sarah Palin at a rally in Nashville, Tennessee. How will this affect the race? We'll see next week as another batch of states vote. Come back to Fox to see who will win the primaries and caucuses in Alabama, American Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, Kansas, Mississippi, the Northern Mariana Islands, Tennessee, the Virgin Islands, and Virginia. I'm Chris Wallace, thank you for watching.

[VirginiaAaron]

BREAKING NEWS: REP. PAUL (R-TX) SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN, PLANS TO WIN CONVENTION DELEGATES

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Stephanopoulos: Good morning and welcome to ABC's This Week, I'm George Stephanopoulos. Right as we begin the show this morning we're getting news from Congressman Ron Paul's campaign. Let's take a look at his speech:

Good morning everybody. So, I'm gonna get right to the point. I frankly do not see a path forward to the nomination. Which is why I've decided to suspend my presidential campaign. However, I will still be pushing for the principles of small government and liberty. I will continue to run my campaign, however I will cease in-person campaigning. Instead I will be pursuing the support of unbound delegates, so that my campaign and our supporters can have influence on the party's platform. I will not be making an endorsement of Governor Palin or Governor Romney at this time. Unfortunately I don't think either of them have what it takes to beat President Obama and I hope we have a contested convention so that someone else can come up to run against those two.

Stephanopoulos:So, there you have it. What started as a 6-person race, has become a 2-person race. Governor Sarah Palin or Governor Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee. Stay with us as we get reaction from our All-Star panel.

[VirginiaAaron]

MORE RESULTS FROM THE 2012 PRIMARIES

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Baier: Good evening and welcome to Fox News's continued coverage of the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. After last week's Super Tuesday, a huge change has occurred. Newt Gingrich ended his campaign, Donald Trump endorsed Sarah Palin, and Ron Paul ended all active campaigning but is continuing to seek delegates at the convention.

Kelly: With the recent drop-outs, we're down to two candidates. Former Governor of Alaska and 2008 Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, and former Governor of Massachusetts and 2008 presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Both of these candidates have been part of national campaigns, but now who will take the reins in 2012 to take on President Obama? A recent poll conducted by Fox has found what the President's job approval looks like, and which candidate does better against President Obama. Let's take a look at these polls:

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA (D-IL) JOB APPROVAL, FOX NEWS, 3/8-3/12

APPROVE: 49%

DISAPPROVE: 46%

NET APPROVAL: +3

GENERAL ELECTION MATCHUP: PALIN VS. OBAMA, FOX NEWS, 3/8-3/12

PRESIDENT OBAMA: 51%

GOVERNOR PALIN: 45%

UNDECIDED: 3%

OBAMA +6

GENERAL ELECTION MATCHUP: ROMNEY VS. OBAMA, FOX NEWS, 3/8-3/12

PRESIDENT OBAMA: 49%

GOVERNOR ROMNEY: 46%

UNDECIDED: 3%

OBAMA +3

Baier: As you can see, President Obama leads both Governor Palin and Governor Romney but the President's lead is much smaller against Governor Romney than Governor Palin. Surely this helps Governor Romney's electability argument, but will it matter with voters? Let's see...

Kelly: Fox News is now able to say that Governor Palin will win the states of Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia. Meanwhile, Governor Romney will win American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. At the end of the night, here is where we stand with the remaining candidates: Governor Palin is in the lead with 593 delegates while Governor Romney trails with 428 delegates.

2012 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DELEGATES

1,282 Needed to Win

Sarah Palin: 593

Mitt Romney: 428

Newt Gingrich: 118

Ron Paul: 109
Rick Perry: 3
Jon Huntsman: 1

[VirginiaAaron]

Newt and Mitt

Images from Wikimedia Commons

It had been a good few months for the Palin campaign. They maintained a steady delegate lead over Governor Romney, scored endorsements from former candidates (Trump, Perry), as well as Tea Party Republicans she helped elect in 2010 such as Governors Rick Scott of Florida, Chris Christie of New Jersey, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Bob McDonnell of Virginia, and Terry Brandstad of Iowa. Governor Palin was lacking, however, with her endorsements from Capital Hill. Aside from Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, not many big names had endorsed her.

Sarah's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, urged her to call former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Getting his support would be concrete to winning over Republicans in D.C.

On the advice of Kellyanne, Sarah made a call to Speaker Gingrich a few days after Super Tuesday II.

Sarah: Hey Newt, it's Sarah. How're you and Callista doing?

Newt: We're fine, Sarah. Look, let's cut to the chase. I know you want an endorsement, right?

Sarah: Yeah that may be partly why I'm calling.

Newt: Look, Mitt already told me that he'd give me Secretary of Commerce. I promised him my endorsement. So if I'm going back on my word, I'm gonna need something big.

Sarah: I'd be honored to vet you for Vice President, Newt.

Newt: No, I don't want Veep. I want real power, I'm not gonna sit around being your patsy. I need something big.

Sarah: What were you thinking?

Newt: Well, I was thinking Secretary of State.

Sarah: Newt, you know I can't promise you that.

Newt: *sigh* Fine...Treasury...

Sarah: Well, Mr. Speaker...we have a deal. I look forward to working with you.

Newt: Alright, ma'am. And, by the way, maybe we can find somewhere for my wife.

Sarah: I can't give her anything too high up. That'd be a conflict of interest. How about Ambassador to...I don't know, the Holy See?

Newt: That's fine. She'll be happy to hear she has a job when we win in November.

Sarah: Alright Newt, well it was good talkin' to ya. Bye now.

Todd entered the hotel room with a bowl of popcorn.

Todd: So what'd he ask for?

Sarah: Treasury.

Todd: Woah. Did you say yes?

Sarah: Of course. I have to. But he said he had a deal with Mitt. Maybe this'll get Mitt closer to stepping aside.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Newt realized what he had done. He just sacrificed his reputation as someone for keeping his word, excluding the past marriages, to be the Secretary of Treasury. He felt bad. Guilt. Not something the Georgian felt very often. He decided to call Governor Romney to tell him what he had done.

Newt: Governor Romney, it's Newt. How're you doing?

Mitt: I'm fine, Newt, how're you?

Newt: I've been better, Mitt. Look, I'm sorry to tell you this, but I just agreed to endorse Sarah Palin on Friday.

Mitt: Excuse me?

Newt: Look, I know we had a deal, but the door for you is quickly closing. You're down in all the polls, the party isn't on your side. It's just not looking like you can be the nominee, Mitt.

Mitt looked around the room. He was surrounded by his wife Ann, his chief strategist Ed Gillespie, his advisor Beth Myers, and his campaign manager Matt Rhoades.

Newt: If you play your cards right, you might get a spot in the administration.

Mitt hung up the phone on Newt. He was infuriated. His last bit of hope, the Gingrich delegates, were gone. He didn't want to admit it, but Newt was right. The door to Mitt winning the nomination was slowly closing.

Mitt: So, now what?

Ann: It's up to you, Mitt. We can keep pushing, or we can bow out and try to get her to give you a job.

Beth: We'll be behind you no matter what.

Ed: Governor, you're gonna have to pretty much run the table. Most of the winner-take-all states are grabbed, but you'd have to get all of them. And win almost all the other states, rather convincingly.

Matt: Governor, we can still get to the nomination. It's a steep hill, but that's never stopped us before. You can't...you can't drop out. She can not be president. She can barely put together a coherent thought. Governor, you can't seriously be considering dropping out?

Mitt: Beth can you get Governor Palin on the phone... I'm gonna drop out...

Ed and Beth had blank faces. Not sure how to feel. Ann put on a frown but was secretly happy the campaign would be over. Ann never really had an affinity for politics the way her husband did. Matt, however, was pissed off. He didn't want to work under a Sarah Palin administration. She could never be president, someone with that little intelligence or experience could never be president. It would be a slight to American ideals.

Mitt: Hi, Governor Palin. It's Governor Romney.

Sarah: Mitt! I didn't expect you to call me. To what do I owe the pleasure?

Mitt took a deep breath in, unsure of his future. He wasn't sure if he should just keep fighting, or just keep going. His heart told him to push forward, but his brain told him to bow out. He couldn't believe he was about to say the words he was about to.

Mitt: I just wanted to let you know that I'll be suspending my campaign tomorrow morning, and I wanted to congratulate you on being the presumptive nominee.

Sarah: Mitt, I can't believe this. Thank you so much for calling, and thanks for the congratulations. I really admired your campaign, and I'm sure there's a spot in the Palin administration for you.

Those words irked Mitt. "The Palin administration..." It was supposed to be his turn. He had lost elections before, to Ted Kennedy and John McCain. But he thought this was his to lose. And here he was, once again, conceding.

Mitt: Speaking of that, I'd love to talk about my future in the administration. I think for dropping out, despite having a viable path to the nomination, I'm gonna need a good position. A really good position.

Sarah: What were you thinking, Mitt?

Mitt: Secretary of State, and I want some of my people on the general election team. I also want to have discretion over your veep.

Sarah: I'm not gonna lie, Mitt, I thought you would be my veep!

Mitt: I'm not interested in Vice President. It's a nothing job. If you aren't able to offer me Secretary of State, then I might reconsider the campaign.

Sarah: No, you can have it. It's yours. All of it.

[VirginiaAaron]

BREAKING NEWS: ROMNEY ENDS CAMPAIGN AT GOP UNITY RALLY

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Cooper: Good evening, I'm Anderson Cooper, reporting live from New York City. We're coming on, here at the top of the hour, with breaking news. Former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney has suspended his presidential campaign, and he has pledged his support for Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. She is at a rally in the state of Florida with Governor Romney, Speaker Boehner, along with other former candidates including businessman Donald Trump, Governor of Texas Rick Perry, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, along with former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman. Let's break-in now as Governor Romney gives his endorsement speech, introducing the presumptive GOP nominee Sarah Palin.

Sarah and I don't agree on all the issues. But we agree on the fundamental issues. Government works best when it gets off the back of the little guy. That we need low taxes and low regulation to bring back this economy. We believe that all lives matter, especially the smallest ones. And what unites us as Republicans is the need to defeat President Obama in November! Please join me in welcoming the first female nominee for president of a major party and the 45th President of the United States, Sarah Palin!

Cooper: And here comes the presumptive nominee, Sarah Palin. She is making history as she will likely be the first woman to ever be nominated for president by a major party. It's important to note, also, the absence of Congressman Ron Paul who has yet to endorse Governor Palin. More on that later on, but here is the presumptive Republican nominee, Sarah Palin.

Hello Florida! I want to thank my friends for being here today. I want to thank Mr. Trump, Governor Romney, Speaker Gingrich, Governor Perry, and Ambassador Huntsman for joining me today as we unite the GOP, along with my good friend Speaker Boehner. This campaign is for Americans that are tired of things as usual. This campaign is for people that want to shake up the system. To show Washington how things are done. And this, this is a campaign to show President Obama and the liberal elites in the media that they do not represent America. This is America. Hard-working folks, just trying to earn a livin'. I want to thank all of ya for being here, God bless America and may God bless the great state of Florida!

Cooper: So there it is, the conclusion of the GOP Unity Rally. It started with speeches from Speaker Boehner, along with the 2012 candidates. And then Governor Romney introduced Governor Palin. The Palin campaign was asked when a Vice President will be announced. They issued a statement saying they're beginning a "thorough vetting process to find who will join Governor Palin on the ticket." Who will that be? Who knows for sure? But here are the expected frontrunners...

Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie

U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas

Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell

former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty

U.S. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida

U.S. Senator John Thune of South Dakota

Governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada.

And lastly, former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney

It's expected that Governor Palin will pick a man, someone probably from a swing state, and somebody with a lot of experience. Governor Palin only served part of her term as Governor of Alaska, and before that served as the Mayor of her small home town of Wasilla, Alaska. That really puts a lot of attention on Governors Romney, Sandoval, Pawlenty, and McDonnell along with Senators Thune, Cornyn, and Portman. In reality, any of these men could be the next Vice President. We'll be looking soon, however, on who Governor Palin chooses. Thank you all for watching, I'm Anderson Cooper.

[VirginiaAaron]

Barack

It was night time in the Oval Office. The President was sitting with his Chief of Staff, Jack Lew.

Jack: Mr. President, it's not looking good. She's making inroads with blue collar workers in the midwest and she's doing better with old folks, even better than McCain. She's leading with men and she's getting a little too close for comfort with women.

Barack: How can we be losing to that lunatic? We did healthcare, we prevented the 9/11 anniversary attack, and we've got a great recovery. What does she have to offer? Guns for rednecks and stopping the gays. Can you, uh, do me a favor? I just need a moment by myself.

Jack: Sure thing, Mr. President. Good night.

Barack paced around in the courtyard. He needed to clear his head. Paranoia about the election was getting to him. Palin was set to announce a VP any day, and before they know it, the debates will start. The campaign was set to get their first internal swing state polls tomorrow. Now he felt in limbo.

A secret service officer approached the President.

SS Officer: Mr. President, you're needed in the situation room.

Barack paced to the situation room. Late-night conflicts usually weren't good. When he entered the situation room, Vice President Joe Biden, the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, the National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, and a bunch of military officials stood for the President.

Barack: Please, take a seat. What's goin' on?

Leon: Mr. President, an Iranian terror group has captured a group of 7 soldiers in Tehran.

Barack: Well how do we get them back?

Leon: They're asking for arms.

Barack: Well I'm not Reagan, so...what other options do we have?

Hillary: Nobody else is saying anything. We've asked for an open dialogue, some sort of phone call being set up, and they haven't said a thing.

Barack: Well, what do we do?

Tom: Well, I know this might not be popular but...we could drone strike them...

Joe: Mr. President, with all due respect, you can't drone strike them. That's gonna escalate tensions, and we can't afford that, especially with the election coming soon.

Barack: Alright, Hillary. What do you think?

Hillary: It's our only option, Mr. President. It's this or we drone strike them. It's lose-lose either way.

Barack: Leon.

Leon: Our only course of action is to authorize the strike, sir.

Tom: I agree, Mr. President.

Barack: How much time do we have?

Hillary: Unclear, sir. We have at least a few hours, at most 2 days.

Barack: Just, let me clear my head. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Barack walked out of the room. He paced through the White House. He had to choose between doing what's right for the country, or what might be the nail in the coffin of his re-election bid. A few hours passed. The sun was about to rise, he called the group back to the Situation Room.

Joe: Mr. President, what's your decision?

Barack: I'm gonna do the strike.

[VirginiaAaron]

Obama vs. Palin RCP Average

National:

President Obama: 48.3%

Governor Palin: 44.9%

Obama +3.4

Electoral College: 270 to Win
President Obama: 216
Governor Palin: 190
TOSSUP: 132

Colorado

President Obama: 48.5%

Governor Palin: 47.9%

Obama +0.6

Florida

Governor Palin: 48.6%

President Obama: 44.9%

Palin +3.7

Iowa

Governor Palin: 50.2%

President Obama: 43.9%

Palin +6.3

Maine's 2nd District

Governor Palin: 44.8%

President Obama: 44.6%

Palin +0.2

Nebraska's 2nd District

Governor Palin: 45.0%

President Obama: 44.7%

Palin +0.3

Nevada

President Obama: 50.4%

Governor Palin: 47.1%

Obama +3.3

New Hampshire

President Obama: 51.0%

Governor Palin: 48.5%

Obama +2.5

North Carolina

Governor Palin: 50.9%

President Obama: 43.8%

Palin +7.1

Ohio

Governor Palin: 50.6%

President Obama: 45.9%

Palin +4.7

Pennsylvania

President Obama: 50.5%

Governor Palin: 44.4%

Obama +6.1

Virginia

Governor Palin: 44.4%

President Obama: 44.2%

Palin +0.2

Wisconsin

Governor Palin: 43.9%

President Obama: 43.8%

Palin +0.1

No Tossup Map

Electoral College: 270 to Win

Governor Palin: 283 ✔

President Obama: 255

[VirginiaAaron]

Sarah's Choice

Images from Wikimedia Commons

It was a late night at a hotel in Columbus, Ohio. Governor Palin, the presumptive GOP nominee, had just met with Senator Rob Portman. He was a part of the group of finalists to be Governor Palin's VP. Earlier that week, the Governor had requested that the list be narrowed. She removed John Cornyn from her list because he didn't bring much in electoral advantage, Texas was a safe Republican state. She also removed Tim Pawlenty, saying he was "too blegh" and boring. John Thune was removed for the same reason Cornyn was. And lastly, Mitt Romney declined, instead opting for Secretary of State.

Sarah was in the living room of her suite with campaign advisors. As part of being the presumptive nominee, Sarah wanted a composite of all the other candidate's staff. Joining her team was Beth Myers, Governor Romney's most trusted advisor, along with Lanhee Chen serving as a policy advisor. Myers was leading the search for a Vice President and quickly climbed up the ranks as someone Sarah trusted and respected. Also in the room was Sarah's campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway and her Chief of Staff, Michael Glassner.

Sarah: Alright, who're we down to?

Beth: Christie, McDonnell, Portman, Rubio, and Sandoval.

Sarah: What did the McDonnell vet find?

Lanhee: Well, he's been in deep s**t.

Sarah: Language, Lanhee.

Lanhee: Sorry, ma'am. We found that he's been taking gifts from donors. Him and his wife have taken anywhere between $100k to $150k in gifts.

Sarah: Yeah, get him off. He's not welcome in the campaign. Make him like chair of the Virginia campaign, but not Veep.

Beth: How do you feel about Governor Christie?

Sarah: sigh, he's really loud, first of all. Plus, he's such a figure that he's gonna take all the attention. I'm the nominee, so I need the most attention. We need somebody somewhat "moderate", boring but not too boring, and a guy. Christie's too loud, shelf him for now. Don't get rid of him, but move him to the back of the line.

Michael: How did you feel about Senator Portman after the meeting today?

Sarah: I like him. He's a sweet guy. Pretty middle-of-the-road, he'll help us lock up Ohio, and he's not looking for attention.

Kellyanne: We can move him up to phase 3. What do you think of Rubio?

Sarah: He's another celebrity. I think he looks at this as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Reminds me of Christie but skinnier and polished.

Kellyanne: We'll move him to the back of the line. How about Sandoval?

Sarah: I've barely talked to him. All I've seen from him is that A) he endorsed Romney and B) we haven't met in person yet. Schedule a meeting with him ASAP. We can do a rally in Reno or something. Feel how we get along, ya know?

Lanhee: So we're removing Christie, Rubio, and McDonnell...right?

Sarah: Mhm... Alright, I'm getting tired. Can you guys uh, get outta my room?

The group dispersed but Sarah asked Beth to hang back.

Sarah: I think there's some people we need to let go.

Beth: Who were you thinking?

Sarah: I don't like how Lanhee spoke to me.

Beth: Ma'am, I'm not sure what you mean.

Sarah: I dunno, I just get a bad feeling from him.

Beth: Can you just give him one more chance? He's a really talented guy, and I think he's an asset to the campaign. At least, wait until after the convention if we're gonna ditch him.

Sarah: Alright, I can do that. I wanted to let you know that I'm gonna make you my Deputy Chief of Staff.

Beth: Oh thank you so much, ma'am. I'm honored.

Sarah: Alright, tomorrow we need to call Brian. Next week I'll try to make a final decision.

Beth: Sounds like a plan. Good night, ma'am.

The Final 2

[VirginiaAaron]

This is interesting! However I don't think Palin would win.

Surprised that the Thread Writer chose a Palin TL over a Haley TL since he is from SC.

I highly doubt Palin would win, but this timeline isn't necessarily about what I think would happen if she was the nominee. Rather, this is what would need to happen for her to win. And even then, it'd still be a fluke for her to win.

And as for Nikki Haley, I'm a big fan of hers. If she runs in 2024, which I hope she does, hopefully she'll go back to pre-Trump ideals. I really hope she doesn't embrace Trumpism, and if she does, I'll probably support Larry Hogan or whoever is the most moderate.

I didn't write a Haley timeline because so many 2024 timelines are happening with the 2020 election just wrapping up. However, never say never, I might do a Haley timeline at some point.

[VirginiaAaron]

It's Rob.

It was an early July morning. Governor Palin was about to make her first major decision as the presumptive GOP nominee. Her meeting with Governor Sandoval didn't go as well as she thought...

A few days earlier, Sarah had told Governor Sandoval and Senator Portman that they were the final 2 contenders. Sarah met with Governor Sandoval shortly after that announcement to the two at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City.

Palin: Alright, Governor, it's great to see ya. How the heck are ya?

Sandoval: I'm well, ma'am. Welcome to Nevada and welcome to the Governor's Mansion!

Palin: It's great to be with you. Your vet came back yesterday, and you're all clear. Clean as a whistle. But the only concern is that the convention might be split for some of your positions on things. So, I wanted to do a quick fire-round with you on the issues. Sound good?

Sandoval: All good, ma'am.

Palin: Alright, what's your position on abortion?

Sandoval: I am pro-choice but I'm against federal funding for abortions.

Palin: See, Brian, that's a problem. The party is pro-life, we're a pro-life party. And it'll be difficult to win over swing voters if we have a divided ticket. How about gay marriage?

Sandoval: I'm pro-civil unions, but against marriage.

Palin: That's a shame, the party is against both. Brian, I really am concerned that if we have someone too far away from the party on two really core social issues, we're gonna have a divided convention. We can't afford another embarrassment. If I pick you, then we're running the risk of a bunch of evangelical, socially conservative delegates either walk out of the convention or write-in another VP candidate. Brian, I think you're a great Governor. Smart as a whip. But, I just don't think that your views accurately match the national party. I hope you can keep this confidential, but we're gonna go with Senator Portman, providing he accepts.

Sandoval: *sigh* Well, it was an honor to be considered and I look forward to going on the stump for you here. And, if a position in the cabinet looks good for me, please let me know, ma'am.

Palin: I sure will. Thanks for having me here. Let's go do our rally in Reno, and then I'll be flying over to Ohi-ah.

Governor Palin and Governor Sandoval had a quick rally in Nevada talking about unity and the economy. There was a big crowd and with speculation that Governor Sandoval would be the VP nominee, Palin took a minor lead in the polls in Nevada. However, most pundits speculated this was just a bump after Palin became the presumptive nominee.

After the rally, Sarah boarded her campaign plane to call Senator Portman.

Palin: Rob, Rob, it's me, Sarah. How're you?

Portman: I'm well, Governor Palin. How are you and your family?

Palin: We're doing well. I'm just gonna get right to the point, I just met with Governor Sandoval. And I let him know that...I have decided that I'm gonna eliminate him from consideration. Which means, I would like to formally ask you to be my running mate!

Portman: Ma'am, I'm honored. I would be delighted to join the ticket.

Palin: That's fantastic news. Great, great, great. Well, I'll give you an hour or so to tell your family and your staff. Try to keep this quiet, we're gonna drop a tweet on the twitter announcing the pick. Are you available tonight for a rally in Cincinnati?

Portman: Yes I am, ma'am. Can't wait to be there.

Not long after she made her decision, the tweet was made public. The 2012 election would be Obama/Biden vs. Palin/Portman.

Tweet made by TweetGen, Palin/Portman logo made myself

At the rally, Sarah gave a warm introduction to Senator Portman:

Rob has dedicated his life to public service. Whether it's been serving the people of Ohio in Congress, or working to create jobs and cut the budget in the White House, Rob is a dedicated fighter. He's always fought for the forgotten men and women of this country. The construction workers in Wisconsin, the farmers in Iowa, the teachers of Ohio, the factory workers in Michigan, the retail workers in Pennsylvania, the nurses in Florida, and the truck drivers of Virginia. Rob and I will always work hard to keep taxes low, balance the budget, and hold Washington accountable. Rob and I agree that our number one biggest priority must be the recovery. President Obama has been focused on bailing out companies, but not helping out workers. When Rob and I are in the White House, there will be more money in your wallet, a safe nation, and patriotism will return in the United States. Please help me welcome, my friend, the next Vice President of the United States, Senator Rob Portman!

Governor Palin, thank you for welcoming me to the ticket. For such an important position, it's important that the American people know a little bit about me. I represented my fellow Ohioans for 12 years as a Congressman and for the last year as a U.S. Senator. I served in the H.W. Bush administration as the Director of Legislative Affairs. I also negotiated better trade deals as the Trade Representative during the Bush administration. And I served as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, holding Washington accountable for their endless spending. But that's not what defines me. I've been married to the love of my life for 26 years. We've got 3 great kids. I was born and raised here in Cincinnati. My great-grandfather came here from Switzerland to start a new life. The economic promise of the American dream is what attracted him to the United States. But unfortunately, the American dream is fractured right now. This is a critical point for the United States. Do we have another 4 years of chaos and division, or do we take a new course? A course of new jobs, lower spending, and fiscal responsibility. Fiscal responsibility isn't even in President Obama's vocabulary. Rather than working to get jobs back, the President has forced the American people to take on an expensive healthcare plan that's more of government-overreach and taking money out of the pockets of hard-working Americans. As your Vice President, we're gonna stop that. And with Sarah by my side, we will bring America back! Thank you!

Image from Wikimedia Commons

[VirginiaAaron]

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION PART 1

Images from Wikimedia Commons

Baier: Good evening and welcome to Fox News's Coverage of the 2012 GOP Convention, I'm Bret Baier.

MacCollum: And I'm Martha MacCallum. In just 2 days, former Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska will become the first woman ever nominated by a major party for president. But first, the delegates have to officially vote. That vote is happening on the floor right now. Speaker Boehner is about to come onto the stage to certify the delegate totals. Let's go to the floor of the RNC in Tampa, Florida. Here's Speaker John Boehner of Ohio:

Boehner: The Chair is prepared to announce the results. Huntsman 1, Perry 3, Paul 109, Gingrich 118, Romney 428, Palin 1903. Accordingly, the Chair announces that Sarah Palin, having received a majority of these votes entitled to be cast at this convention, has been selected as the Republican Party nominee for President of the United States!

Baier: Fascinating stuff, history is made as Sarah Palin becomes the first woman to win the nomination of a major party. She will not officially accept the nomination till the final night of the convention, in 2 days.

MacCallum: Last night, Nikki Haley, the Governor of South Carolina, gave the first keynote speech. Tomorrow night, Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey, will give the other keynote state. Historic speeches for them both, there's never been 2 keynote speeches. Notable speakers from night 1 include Todd Palin, Congressman Jason Chaffetz, Congressman Tim Scott, Chairman Reince Priebus, and Speaker John Boehner. There was a very popular moment from last night, where a group of Republican women came on stage to unite together. Some of the women included IN State Rep. Jackie Walorski, NE Legislator Deb Fischer, Virginia Delegate Barbara Comstock, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, Mayor Mia Love, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Senator Kelly Ayotte, Governor Mary Fallin, and even Ann Romney, all came together to unite behind Governor Palin's nomination.

Baier: Tonight, we'll see Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Rand Paul, Senator John McCain, who was Governor Palin's running mate in 2008. Joining them are Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, Governor Susana Martinez, Senator John Thune, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and rounding out the group is Senator Rob Portman who is set to accept his nomination for Vice President of the United States.

MacCallum: Quite a night it will be. Stay tuned for continued coverage of the 2012 GOP Convention. We'll be here all night, stay with us.