Collaborative Presidential Elections - New

[sentinel]

1988


President George H.W Bush's first term in office was fairly successful. President Bush was able to engage the Soviet Union on arms talks --and scored very highly on foreign policy amongst American voters. Domestic policy experts repeatedly claimed that the President was not paying enough attention to issues at home and his critics repeated these claims. The economy began to slow down in 1988, which scared many people and propelled Texas Billionaire Ross Perot to run for President as the Reform Party Candidate.

In 1988 Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis won the Democratic nomination after a relatively short but dirty primary battle. He selects Delaware Senator Joe Biden for his Vice President --although Biden had recently apologize for incorrectly attributing parts of a major speech during the primary.

Perot and Dukakis hit the President on economic fears when the President responded that the economy had slown down but it would soon pick back up.

Governor Michael S Dukakis/Senator Joseph R. Biden - 272 Electoral Votes, 40.1%
President George H.W Bush/Vice President Lamar Alexander - 266 Electoral Votes - 40.5%
Businessman Ross Perot/Admiral James Stockdale - 19.4% Popular Vote

Governor Dukakis barely wins the election but loses the popular vote to George H.W Bush. Exit polls showed that if the election had been Dukakis-Bush, Bush would have won 56-44.

Pennsylvania and Delaware were deciding states in this election, both won narrowly by Dukakis.

George H.W Bush was immediately speculated to challenge Dukakis in 1992 as he left office with a 50+% approval rating.

Notes:

Perot beats Dukakis in Texas
Perot says he would be "open to running as a Republican" even though he detests the two party system.

[sentinel]

2000

Citing concerns for the economy, former President George H.W Bush announces his intention to run for President again. Vice President Carroll Campbell also announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination. The former President's age and record on the economy would be a main issue in the heavyweight slug out --with the former President returning jabs saying that Campbell was "too conservative" for the nation and criticizing his lack of leadership as Vice President.

The race was a dead heat until the eve of the Texas and Ohio primary where President Dole endorsed his Vice President saying "George H.W had his chance and it didn't work out. Give Carroll that same chance..." Carroll Campbell would then go on to win Texas and Ohio by a slim margin and thus the Republican nomination. Campbell would choose Governor George W. Bush of Texas as his running mate, the son of his defeated primary foe.

On the Democratic side, the Democrats were eager to put back up their fallen star William Jefferson Clinton, former governor of Arkansas but he declined to run. North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt, Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Georgia Governor Zel Miller and California Senator Barbara Boxer were the main contenders in the race. Ultimately Governor Jim Hunt would become the nominee picking Maine Senator George Mitchell as his running mate.

After the mediocre, but popular, Dole Presidency Jim Hunt called upon Americans to try something new, and said "America is in a rut." Hunt made the campaign about competing visions --and Americans saw it as just that.

Vice President Carroll Campbell / Governor George W. Bush - 90 Electoral Votes, 42% popular vote
Governor Jim Hunt / Senator George Mitchell - 448 Electoral Votes - 59% popular vote

In fact, Americans saw Campbell as the most conservative candidate in recent history and denied him the presidency.

[sentinel]

Shoddy next. Doing it now.

[sentinel]

1988

President Geraldine Ferraro first term was off to a rough start. Conservative and Republican members of Congress stifled Ferraro's agenda by limiting the President's stimulus bill and voting to cut spending --which the President immediately vetoed. Instead of taking a bipartisan line, the President stubbornly said she would oppose the Conservative and Republican coalition and would not come to the table.

Ferraro would prove to be an aloof President who's staff would often pursue their own agenda unchecked. The number of bad media stories was sky rocketing and ultimately it would lead to a scandal where her Secretary of the Treasury would

Vice President Bob Graham would decline to run with Ferraro for a second term and in January 1989 he would resign from the Vice Presidency to run against Ferraro for the Democratic nomination for President.  He would defeat Ferraro in a rather easy primary.

On the Republican side, all the candidates would call election of Ferraro a waste of time.

Former Vice President Bob Graham (D-FL) / Governor William J. Clinton (D-AR) - 287 Electoral Votes, 50.1% Popular Vote
Senator Charles Mathias (R-MD) / Senator Chuck Percy (R-IL)- 251 Electoral Votes, 49.9% Popular Vote

[sentinel]

Ah sorry, I thought I read it all but I must have missed a tad bit.


Also, please date posts at the top (ex: 1988)