Super-Catchy 2016 Election Timeline

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POST 1: JANUARY TO MAY 2015

A Breadth of Campaign Announcements:

•   23 March 2015 – United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) formally announces his candidacy for President of the United States during a weekly convocation at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Cruz, the first major candidate in either party to enter the race, asks those attending the convocation to “imagine a President who says ‘I will honor the Constitution’” and tells attendees that Republicans “have to win in November 2016.” However, Cruz is criticized by many in the media for the format of his announcement, as students at Liberty University were required to attend the convocation or pay a fine of $10.



•   7 April 2015 – Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) becomes the second major candidate to enter the 2016 presidential race by announcing his candidacy at the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Paul, known widely across the United States for his staunch conservatism, tells viewers that “we’ve come to take our country back,” saying that Americans “must not dilute our message or give up our principles.”



•   12 April 2015 – Former First Lady of the United States, Secretary of State, and United States Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) announces her presidential campaign through a two-minute video posted on social media detailing her enthusiasm for her campaign and outlining her vision for the United States if elected. Widely seen as the prospective nominee for the Democratic Party and a clear front-runner in the general election, Clinton’s announcement triggers a barrage of similar declarations by other presidential hopefuls in both parties.



•   13 April 2015 – Shortly after the campaign announcement of fellow presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) announces his candidacy for the presidency at a speech at the Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida. Rubio, the second Hispanic candidate in the Republican Party to formally announce his intentions for the 2016 presidential race, calls on Americans to “capture the promise of this new century” in order to ensure that the future generation will be composed of “the freest and most prosperous Americans that have ever lived.” However, due to the close proximity of Rubio’s announcement to that of fellow presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton, relatively little media attention is focused towards Rubio’s declaration.



•   30 April 2015 – United States Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) formally announces his candidacy as a Democrat for the Presidency of the United States. Sanders, a self-identified democratic socialist who caucuses with the Democratic Party on the Senate floor, is presented as a progressive alternative to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. In the 24-hour period directly following Sanders’ declaration, his campaign raises more than $1.5 million dollars, surpassing the amounts raised by any major candidates in the Republican Party during the first 24 hours following their respective campaign announcements.



•   4 May 2015 – Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina announces her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination through an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s Good Morning America. Fiorina, widely anticipated to be the only major female Republican candidate in the 2016 race, emphasizes herself as a conservative alternative to current Democratic front-runner and fellow female presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.



•   4 May 2015 – Shortly after the announcement of fellow Republican candidate Carly Fiorina, famed neurosurgeon and conservative political activist Ben Carson announces his run for the White House through a rally in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. Carson, the first African-American candidate to formally enter the 2016 race, tells supporters to “stop being loyal to a party or to a man and use your brain to think for yourself,” saying that he wants “to do what’s right” for America if elected.



•   5 May 2015 – Former Republican Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee formally announces his candidacy at a rally in his hometown of Hope, Arkansas. Huckabee, who placed third in the 2008 Republican Primaries with a victory in eight states, tells supporters that “I am a candidate for president of the United States of America.”



•   24 May 2015 – Former United States Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) formally announces his candidacy for the presidency at a rally in Richmond, VA. Webb, the third Democratic candidate to enter the 2016 race, tells supporters to “never give up and look towards the future for a brighter America.”



•   25 May 2015 – Former Republican Governor of Florida Jeb Bush formally declares his candidacy for the presidency in 2016 at a speech in Miami, Florida. Bush, the son and brother of two former United States presidents, tells supporters that “though America might be facing challenging times at the moment, with the right leadership and right ideals, our nation can once more become the greatest that the world has ever seen.”



•   27 May 2015 – Former United States Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) announces his run for the presidency in 2016 through a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. Santorum, the second-place finisher in the 2012 Republican primaries, tells supporters that “under a Santorum presidency, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will once more bless our sacred nation.”



•   28 May 2015 – One day after the candidacy announcement of fellow Republican Rick Santorum, Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal announces his candidacy for the presidency at a speech in Concord, New Hampshire. However, Jindal is criticized by the public and the media for participating in a campaign trip while those in his home state of Louisiana are ravaged by the incoming Hurricane Claudette.

May 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Republican Presidential Nomination
•Jeb Bush – 18.9%
•Marco Rubio – 16.0%
•Scott Walker – 12.7%
•Rand Paul – 10.1%
•Ted Cruz – 8.6%
•Mike Huckabee – 8.6%
•Chris Christie – 5.8%
•Ben Carson – 5.0%
•Rick Santorum – 2.9%
•John Kasich – 2.4%
•Rick Perry – 2.3%
•Bobby Jindal – 1.9%
•Carly Fiorina – 1.6%
•Lindsey Graham – 0.8%
•None/Other – 2.4%

May 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Democratic Presidential Nomination
•Hillary Clinton – 66.3%
•Joe Biden – 12.3%
•Bernie Sanders – 11.8%
•Martin O'Malley – 3.5%
•Jim Webb – 3.1%
•Lincoln Chafee – 1.8%
•None/Other – 1.2%

*Note: The above PPP survey asked Democratic respondents not to consider Elizabeth Warren as a candidate.

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**Feel free to comment!**

[Pouring Rain and Blairing Music]

I'd say FF so far. Not sure if PPP would ask people not to consider Warren, but it's a nice touch.

[JonathanSwift]

I'm enjoying it. Please continue!

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POST 2: JUNE 2015

We All Love Announcements:

•   1 June 2015 – Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, an apparent front-runner in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, announces his candidacy for the presidency in a short video posted on social media followed by a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Walker, currently a favorite among Republican primary voters according to most polls, tells supporters to “look towards the future, not the past” – an apparent jab towards fellow presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.



•   1 June 2015 – United States Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) announces his candidacy for the 2016 presidential race at a speech in Charleston, South Carolina. However, Graham’s announcement is largely overshadowed by that of fellow Republican candidate Scott Walker, an apparent front-runner for his party’s nomination.



•   3 June 2015 – Former Governor of Maryland Martin O’Malley announces his candidacy for the presidency at a rally in Baltimore. O’Malley, the fourth major Democratic candidate to enter the 2016 race, labels himself as a moderate and more modern alternative to current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.



•   7 June 2015 – Ohio Governor John Kasich, a Republican, announces his candidacy at a speech in Cleveland, Ohio. Kasich, who has been experiencing a recent leap in support for the Republican nomination according to most polls, tells viewers to “support [him] in order to reassure a brighter future for all Americans.”



•   19 June 2015 – Former Governor and United States Senator Lincoln Chafee (D-RI) announces his candidacy for the 2016 presidential race through a three-minute long video posted on social media. Chafee, a former Republican, presents himself as a progressive alternative to current Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, while promising more bipartisanship and federal cooperation under a Chafee administration.



•   19 June 2015 – Former Republican Governor of Maryland Bob Ehrlich announces his candidacy for the 2016 election at a rally in Baltimore. Ehrlich, the third Maryland resident to announce his candidacy for the presidency after fellow former governor Martin O’Malley and neurosurgeon Ben Carson, tells supporters that he’s “in it to win it,” despite consistency low showings of support according to most polling.



•   26 June 2015 – Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie, a Republican, announces his candidacy at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa. Christie, a prominent Republican and former front-runner among Republican presidential nominees, tells supporters that, regardless of his recent decrease in popularity according to most polls, “we will strike back.”



•   27 June 2015 – United States Congressman Peter King (R-NY) announces his candidacy for the presidency through an interview on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer. Despite consistently low showings of support in most polls, King tells viewers that “when Americans truly see which candidates do want the best for our nation and which ones do not, I think the choice for Peter King will be an easy one.”



In Other News:

•   7 June 2015 – In the Turkish general election of 2015, incumbent Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s conservative Justice and Development Party holds a plurality of the 550 Turkish parliament seats, winning 263 seats and 42.7% of the popular vote. Meanwhile, the left-wing social-democratic Republican People’s Party, while making gains from the previous 2011 election, still only wins 138 parliament seats and 26.1% of the popular vote. The far-right Nationalist Movement Party wins 89 seats and 16.4% of the popular vote, while the leftist Peoples’ Democratic Party wins 60 seats and 10.2% of the vote. Though Davutoglu loses his majority in the Turkish parliament due to the election results, he is able to maintain his position as Prime Minister of Turkey by forming a governmental coalition with the fellow right-wing Nationalist Movement Party.



•   8 June 2015 – Vice President Joe Biden announces through a White House press release that he will not be a candidate in the 2016 presidential election. “Though I have greatly enjoyed serving the people of the United States as Vice President throughout the last seven years, I recognize that it is time for the people of America to have a new leader, and believe that that new leader can and should be my close and respected friend, Hillary Rodham Clinton.”



•   28 June 2015 – Former President of the United States James Earl Carter, Jr. dies of heart failure at his home in Plains, Georgia. Carter, the 90-year-old former 39th President of the United States, is survived by his wife Rosalynn Carter, four children, and eight grandchildren. Shortly following the Carter Center’s announcement of their founder’s death, President Barack Obama announces through a press release “Jimmy Carter was one of the best men I have ever had the honor to have known. His bold and unflinching advocacy for human rights, along with his tireless work to improve the quality of life for those around the world regardless of gender, race, wealth, age, or sexual orientation, have given him a legacy that should make him go down in history as one of the greatest freedom fighters our nation has ever seen.”

June 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Republican Presidential Nomination

Excluding 'None/Other'

•Jeb Bush – 19.7%
•Marco Rubio – 17.2%
•Scott Walker – 12.2%
•Rand Paul – 9.6%
•Mike Huckabee – 9.0%
•Ted Cruz – 8.2%
•Chris Christie – 6.4%
•Ben Carson – 4.6%
•Rick Santorum – 3.4%
•John Kasich – 3.2%
•Rick Perry – 2.4%
•Bobby Jindal – 1.4%
•Carly Fiorina – 1.2%
•Peter King – 0.4%
•Bob Ehrlich – 0.3%

June 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Republican Presidential Nomination

Excluding 'None/Other'

•Hillary Clinton – 68.1%
•Bernie Sanders – 19.9%
•Martin O'Malley – 4.8%
•Jim Webb – 4.7%
•Lincoln Chafee – 2.5%

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**Feel free to comment!**

[Maxwell]

please reduce image sizes.

[Enderman]

I mean, I know that Christie is a bit bit, but do you really have to have him explode the thread?

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My bad. I didn't check to make sure that the image sizes were correct after I posted (they don't look big in the preview).

[SATW]

looks great so far #Rubio2016

[NeverAgain]

;-; RIP Carter RIP Christie

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POST 3: JULY 2015

More Campaign Announcements, As Always:

·         4 July 2015 – Former Republican Governor of Texas Rick Perry announces his candidacy for the presidency in 2016 through a televised Independence Day speech in Manchester, New Hampshire. Perry, who was previously a candidate in the 2012 presidential election, tells supporters that “with the help of God Almighty and the support of Jesus Christ, our campaign for a better American future will be a successful one.”



·         8 July 2015 – Business magnate and conservative political figure Donald Trump announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at a speech in Colombia, South Carolina. Trump, famous for his outspoken personality and well-known celebrity status, says that he had delayed what would have been an earlier announcement regarding his intentions due to a golfing-related injury in late May.



·         16 July 2015 – Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and advisor to President George W. Bush John Bolton announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination at a rally in Davenport, Iowa, despite previous indications that he would not run in the 2016 cycle. Bolton, known widely for his staunch neoconservative views, tells supporters that “it’s time for America to at least have a president with some common sense.”



·         29 July 2015 – Former Governor George Pataki (R-NY) announces his candidacy for the presidency at a speech Manhattan. Pataki, one of the most popular governors in New York’s history, tells supporters that “America deserves a leader with the skills, experience, and ideals necessary to bring our nation back into the international playing field.”



In Other News:

·         1 July 2015 - Republican United States Representative Frank Guinta (NH-01) resigns from his seat in Congress after a well-publicized scandal regarding $355,000 in illegal campaign donations from his parents. In a statement posted on his website, Guinta apologizes for his illegal actions, saying that "I feel I can no longer effectively represent the people of New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District due to the recent allegations regarding my inappropriate campaign actions." Many political pundits and analysts expect that Democratic former Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter, Guinta's long-time political rival, will retake Guinta's seat in the upcoming special election.



·         17 July 2015 - Former United States Senator and famed astronaut John Glenn (D-OH) dies at his home in Columbus, Ohio at age 93. Glenn, the oldest living United States Senator at the time of his death, is praised as "an influential and inspiring figure for all Americans" by President Barack Obama.



·         31 July 2015 - A variety of minor media outlets first publish allegations that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been involved in a three-year affair with staffer Alisha Davidson. The allegations, though unconfirmed, gain widespread public attention.

June 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Republican Presidential Nomination

Excluding 'None/Other'

•Jeb Bush – 20.0%
•Marco Rubio – 17.4%
•Scott Walker – 11.7%
•Mike Huckabee – 9.4%
•Rand Paul – 9.0%
•Ted Cruz – 7.1%
•Chris Christie – 6.6%
•Ben Carson – 4.0%
•Rick Santorum – 3.5%
•Rick Perry – 3.4%
•John Kasich – 3.1%
•George Pataki – 1.3%
•Donald Trump – 0.8%
•Bobby Jindal – 0.8%
•Carly Fiorina – 0.8%
•John Bolton – 0.6%
•Lindsey Graham – 0.4%
•Peter King – 0.1%
•Bob Ehrlich – 0.0%

June 2015 PPP Survey - 2016 Presidential Election - Republican Presidential Nomination

Excluding 'None/Other'

•Hillary Clinton – 66.3%
•Bernie Sanders – 22.1%
•Martin O'Malley – 4.9%
•Jim Webb – 4.8%
•Lincoln Chafee – 1.9%

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**Feel free to comment!**

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I'll probably get back to this one some time in the future of now...

[emcee0]

like.. now? looks like it has potential!