Hypothetical 2016 Election (Republicans)

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Don't vote unless you're a Republican or Republican-leaning Independent. I already did this as a timeline, but I'd like to see it.

Basically, Romney narrowly defeats Obama in 2012. Republican lose a few seats in the House and control the Senate 50-50, with Vice President Jindal as the tiebreaker. Now, the economy, despite growth in the first year or so, has now gone into a smaller recession. In 2014, Democrats retook both houses of Congress. Romney's approval as of January 2012 is 38%, and trails most hypothetical opponents. However, the US has exited Afghanistan and Iraq.

The candidates are:

President Mitt Romney of Massachusetts: Yeah.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky: The Tea Party has lost some strength from its peak in 2010, but remains a force in the Republican Party. Paul hopes to at least coax Romney to move to the right, as well as take his father's mantle.