Reporting for Duty: The Presidency of John Kerry and Onwards.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, December 1st, 2007: With Iowa practically a month away, the early phase of the primary campaigns begin to near it's climax. With candidates barnstorming their way through Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina in the hopes of gaining momentum, President Kerry remains in the White House as his challenger Dennis Kucinich's primary campaign limps underfunded and understaffed ahead of New Hampshire's primary.
Sunday, December 2nd, 2007: On Fox News Sunday, former Governor Bill Weld announces he will run for President in 2008 as a Libertarian candidate. His entry into the race makes him only the second high profile politician to contest their nomination (asides from Ron Paul's '88 campaign).
Wednesday, December 5th, 2007: Robert Hawkins, aged 19, shoots and kills 10 people in an Omaha mall before shooting himself. The shooting is the worst incident since the Virginia Tech massacre. Coincidentally, President Kerry was in Omaha to address a trade convention, resulting in police presence being staggered due to security concerns.
Friday, December 7th, 2007: Pearl Harbor Day is observed, with President Kerry laying a wreath in Hawaii in remembrance of the dead.
Sunday, December 9th, 2007: With real estate plummeting amid concerns of a looming recession, President Kerry appears on Meet the Press to outline a plan to freeze mortgage rates. Some progressive minded Democrats, including Congressman Kucinich and Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Ted Kennedy (D-MA), argue for more decisive action.
Monday, December 10th, 2007: Vladimir Putin names outgoing Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev as his intended successor. This makes for a job switch, with Medvedev set to be a weak head of state while Putin will continue to hold unchallenged influence in the newly empowered post of Prime Minister.
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007: The President charges Larry Summers, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, with the responsibility of establishing a plan to send every American a tax rebate. The President's hope is that the infusion of cash into the American economy would help keep small businesses afloat. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Kerry's chief opponent in the primary, calls for the Social Security Administration to be converted into a system similar to the proposed universal basic income.
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) announces he will not seek another term in the House, and will focus squarely on his efforts to win the Republican nomination.
Sunday, December 16th, 2007: Bill Weld makes headlines on the anniversary of the Boston tea party by joining a gaggle of libertarian activists in Boston led by statesman and poet D.W. Perry. The group dumps several pounds of tea into the harbor while dressed as colonial era figures, uploading their video to Myspace and YouTube. Bill Weld looks really stupid when all is said and done.
Monday, December 17th, 2007: Taking a firm stand publicly for the first time, President Kerry calls for President Pervez Musharraf to resign from the Presidency and allow for free and fair elections.
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007: Time magazine names Speaker Blunt, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell as their persons of the year, labeling them "the obstructors."
Thursday, December 20th, 2007: At 81 years of age, Queen Elizabeth II officially surpasses Queen Victoria's record as longest lived monarch.

Charlie

Friday, December 21st, 2007.

11:15 AM, Tallahassee, FL.

[1]

Charlie Crist did not expect to become this popular. But suddenly, every Republican candidate seemed to want to be his best friend. Rudy Giuliani was attempting to make an Alamo-like stand in Florida, which he hoped would save his flailing candidacy. Yet Rudy was hardly alone. Governor Romney offered to help fund his 2010 reelection effort, or perhaps, a challenge to incumbent Senator Betty Castor. Brownback and Allen both appealed to Crist, claiming to be more fiscally prudent than the other while downplaying their (usually) strongly pro-life outlook. Elizabeth Dole made a pitch, as did Huckabee and Hunter. Only Ron Paul and George Pataki ignored the expected trip to Florida to seek his endorsement, which did not bother Crist as Paul was a kook and Pataki barely had enough money to keep his staff on hand as they limped into the primary season.

But in Tallahassee, there was never any doubt about who'd get the coveted Crist endorsement. It was none other than his predecessor, Jeb Bush, the weak but steady frontrunner in the race. Though both could be considered pragmatic moderates, Crist was a good bit more liberal ideologically than Jeb Bush's reform-minded, technocratic approach. It was obvious to everyone in the state capital that Jeb was the logical choice. Endorsing a non-Floridian, however, could erode Jeb Bush's support in his own home state and effectively take him out of the race. Charlie liked Jeb, but the Governor enjoyed playing the role of kingmaker.

So which man would he crown?

The most obvious candidate aside from Bush was Mayor Giuliani, who was an icon in the eyes of the state's sizable population of New York transplants. Rudy was aggressively courting Governors, and none were more important than Sanford and Crist in his eyes. Sanford was simply a non-starter, with his libertarian flavored brand of constitutionalism clashing against security hawk Giuliani's anti-terrorism proposals. Yet Crist, like the mayor, was a social moderate who had appeal to Democrats and independents. Giuliani, accompanied by Governor Christie of New Jersey, even went so far as to make the pilgrimage from New Hampshire to Tallahassee to personally ask for Crist's endorsement.

"Nobody told me the choice would be this hard" lamented the Governor in his office within the phallic and distastefully designed capital compound that towered over Tallahassee. His chief of staff, George LeMieux, sat across from him. It was no secret at the capital or over at the RPOF offices on the Jefferson Street that George had his own political ambitions, coveting the Senate seat held by the still relatively popular incumbent Senator Betty Castor.

"Are you really sure you want to go with Rudy though?" asked LeMieux, almost with a small drop of desperation. "I'm not hook line and sinker on it" replied the Governor, "but I feel that supporting Jeb won't have any impact. It won't raise eyebrows. It would result in this state being ignored by the others like some sort of favorite sun type primary."

"You can't be this indecisive, Charlie" answered LeMieux, "the people on Jefferson Street are getting hell from the base. If you endorse a liberal Republican like Giuliani, you're only going to be defined as one too. And that will cause big problems in 2010, regardless if you run for Senate or Governor again." Crist swiveled around in his chair, turning towards the printer which began to vibrate and print out the email he had just received.

"Hold on George, you're going to like this" said the Governor as he handed a few pages that he just printed and stapled together. "Oh wow!" exclaimed LeMieux, "people must really like Jeb." "Numbers don't lie" answered the Governor as he turned towards his phone and began dialing his predecessors number.

2008 Republican Primary (Florida)
Jeb Bush: 39%
Rudy Giuliani: 25%
George Allen: 12%
Mitt Romney: 11%
Elizabeth Dole: 5%
Ron Paul: 4%
Sam Brownback: 1%
Mike Huckabee: 1%
George Pataki: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007: Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) tells reporters that she is in the race through Iowa, but admits that she is willing to "reassess" her campaign should she perform bad. It is likely that Dole will face State Senator Kay Hagan in 2008 should she bow out of the race and seek a second term.
Tuesday, December 25th, 2007: Christmas Day is celebrated across the country.
Thursday, December 27th, 2007: Benazir Bhutto is shot twice and further injured after armed suicide bombers fire on her car before detonating their suicide vests as she left a political rally in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Severely injured and having lost more than half her blood, she is rushed by ambulance and then by helicopter to a hospital in Islamabad. Al Qaeda claims credit for the attack on their website.
Friday, December 28th, 2007: Doctors continue to perform surgeries on the severely injured Benazir Bhutto, though leaks from sources close to the doctors claim her condition has improved and stabilized despite the extent of her injuries.
Sunday, December 30th, 2007: Against all odds, Benazir Bhutto awakens after one final surgery to repair damage to her organs. She is expected to remain in the hospital for some time, which could prevent her from campaigning against President Musharraf.
Monday, December 31st, 2007: New Years Eve is celebrated worldwide, marking the beginning of an election year campaign.
Presidential Approval Rating
Disapprove: 57%
Approve: 31%
Undecided: 12%

2008 Democratic Primary (Nationwide)
John Kerry: 92%
Dennis Kucinich: 8%

2008 Republican Primary (Nationwide)
George Allen: 21%
Jeb Bush: 20%
Sam Brownback: 18%
Mitt Romney: 13%
Ron Paul: 10%
Rudy Giuliani: 9%
George Pataki: 5%
Elizabeth Dole: 2%
Mike Huckabee: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%

2008 Republican Caucus (Iowa)
Sam Brownback: 30%
Mitt Romney: 23%
George Allen: 19%
Ron Paul: 11%
Jeb Bush: 8%
Mike Huckabee: 5%
Rudy Giuliani: 1%
Elizabeth Dole: 1%
George Pataki: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%

2008 Republican Primary (New Hampshire)
Jeb Bush: 29%
Mitt Romney: 24%
George Allen: 17%
Ron Paul: 11%
Rudy Giuliani: 7%
Sam Brownback: 7%
Elizabeth Dole: 2%
Mike Huckabee: 1%
George Pataki: 1%
Duncan Hunter: 1%
[1] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (Florida Memory Project - Public Domain)

[KaiserDave]

Cheering for Mitt against the two headed snake of Brownback and Allen.

EDIT: But of course I'll support statesman and poet DW Perry over any of them. Also I can totally see Weld looking stupid at that march.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008: The presidential campaign is now officially underway as the Iowa caucuses loom.
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008: Governor Bob Vander Plaats of Iowa endorses Sam Brownback's campaign just a day before the caucuses. It is expected that his endorsement could boost the Kansas Senator's narrow lead over Governor Romney.
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008: Iowa caucuses are held.

2008 Iowa Democratic Caucus.

Democratic Caucus: 2,500 Votes, 45 Delegates.
John Kerry: 95.19% - 2,379 votes, 45 delegates.✓
Dennis Kucinich: 4.81% -120 votes.

2008 Iowa Republican Caucus.

Republican Caucus: 119,188 Votes, 34 Delegates.
Sam Brownback: 30.23% - 36, 030 votes, 11 delegates.✓
Mitt Romney: 27.66% - 32,967 votes, 10 delegates.
George Allen: 13.37% - 15,935 votes, 6 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 10.15% - 12,097 votes, 4 delegates.
Ron Paul: 7.99% - 9,523 votes, 3 delegates.
Mike Huckabee: 4.57% -5,446 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 3.33% - 3,968 votes.
Elizabeth Dole: 1.25% - 1,489 votes.
George Pataki: 0.90% - 1,072 votes.
Duncan Hunter: 0.55% - 655 votes.
Friday, January 4th, 2008: After dismal showings in Iowa, Senator Elizabeth Dole and former Governor Mike Huckabee drop out of the race. Dole launches her reelection campaign and declines to immediately endorse a candidate, while Huckabee throws his support behind Senator Brownback's campaign.
Saturday, January 5th, 2008: The Wyoming Republican caucus is conducted.

2008 Wyoming Republican Caucus.

Republican Caucus: 1,224 Votes, 14 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 45.69% - 559 votes, 6 delegates.✓
Sam Brownback: 17.75% - 217 votes, 2 delegates.
George Allen: 13.40% - 164 votes, 2 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 11.36% - 139 votes, 2 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 8.00% - 97 votes, 2 delegates.
Ron Paul: 2.45% - 30 votes.
Rudy Giuliani: 1.25% - 15 votes.
George Pataki: 0.10% - 1 vote.
Sunday, January 6th, 2007: A Fox News debate in New Hampshire is canceled hours before due to an electrical fire causing damage to the stage. There are no injuries, and the Republican candidates use the time to squeeze in last minute campaign stops.
Monday, January 7th, 2007: Congressman Dennis Kucinch (D-OH) tells reporters that he will end his primary campaign should his candidacy fail to win 25% of the vote.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist endorses Jeb Bush as the primary season begins. The decision to side with Bush over Giuliani causes an internal crisis within the Mayor's campaign as their momentum in must-win Florida begins to stall. Within two hours, all of Giuliani's top campaign staff have resigned. Seeing the writing on the wall, Giuliani calls a press conference where he announces he will drop out just a day before the New Hampshire primary. Though Giuliani cites poor polling in Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Florida, it is widely thought in Washington that the Crist endorsement was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Tuesday, January 8th, 2007: The New Hampshire primaries are held.

2008 New Hampshire Democratic Primary

Democratic Primary: 75,401 Votes, 22 Delegates.
John Kerry: 86.12% -  64,935 votes, 22 delegates.✓
Dennis Kucinich: 13.88% - 10,465 votes.

2008 New Hampshire Republican Primary.

Republican Primary: 234,851 Votes, 12 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 37.57% - 88,233 votes, 5 delegates.✓
Mitt Romney: 30.02% - 70,502 votes, 4 delegates.
George Allen: 14.92% - 35,309 votes,
Ron Paul: 10.21% - 23,978 votes,
Sam Brownback: 5.50% - 12,916 votes.
George Pataki: 1.20% - 2,818 votes.
Duncan Hunter: 0.58% - 1,362 votes.
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008: Governor Pataki drops out of the race and endorses Romney. All the while, Duncan Hunter states he will contest the South Carolina primary due to the strong military presence there.
Thursday, January 10th, 2008: Fox News hosts a presidential forum in Columbia, South Carolina. Originally scheduled to be a full debate, it was modified to a more issue focused one-on-one type of interview on the orders of Fox New's Roger Ailes. This was done primarily to involve all candidates, as Brownback, Paul, and Romney all had scheduling conflicts.
Friday, January 11th, 2008: Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke dies from an aortic aneurysm while on a flight back from Islamabad, where he had been holding talks with President Musharraf about a possible "exit strategy." Holbrooke had also visited a recovering but still severely injured Benazir Bhutto. A visibly upset President Kerry goes before the media in the Rose Garden, where he hailed Holbrooke's legacy and vowed to nominate a new Secretary before the month ends.

Sunday, January 13th, 2008: While campaigning in Michigan, Governor Romney finds himself being mocked after he told an audience at a campaign rally that he "loves the trees" when asked to name one thing about Michigan he likes.
Monday, January 14th, 2008: Bobby Jindal is sworn in as Governor of Louisiana after having been elected in November in a landslide.
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008: The Michigan primaries are held.

2008 Michigan Republican Primary.

Republican Primary: 869,293 Votes, 30 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 46.16% - 10,465 votes, 18 delegates.✓
George Allen: 30.22% - 262,700 votes, 12 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 13.52% - 117,528 votes.
Sam Brownback: 4.86% - 42,247 votes.
Ron Paul: 3.45% - 29,990 votes.
Duncan Hunter: 1.79% - 15,560 votes.
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008: Senator Allen is endorsed by Governor Mark Sanford and Senator Jim DeMint, a major boost heading into South Carolina.
Thursday, January 17th, 2008: Senator Adam Putnam (R-FL) endorses Governor Bush ahead of the next round of primaries and begins actively campaigning in Florida on his behalf. With Giuliani's departure from the race, Bush is now free to expend resources outside of his non-competitive home state.
Friday, January 18th, 2008: A man armed with a shotgun is arrested near the White House. A search of his home reveals he had intended to open fire at either the capital or the executive mansion.
Saturday, January 19th, 2008: The South Carolina and Nevada primaries are held.

2008 Nevada Caucuses + South Carolina primary.

Nevada Republican Caucus: 44,324 Votes, 31 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 56.33% - 24,967 votes, 17 delegates.✓
Ron Paul: 19.35% - 8,576 votes, 6 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 9.07% - 4,020 votes,  3 delegates.
George Allen: 8.26% - 3,661 votes, 3 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 5.91% - 2,619 votes, 2 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 1.08% - 478 votes.

South Carolina Republican Primary: 445,677 Votes, 24 Delegates.
George Allen: 48.87% - 217,802 votes, 24 delegates.✓
Jeb Bush: 21.22% - 94,572 votes.
Mitt Romney: 14.08% - 62,751 votes.
Sam Brownback: 8.72% - 38,863 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.48% - 24,423 votes.
Duncan Hunter: 1.63% - 7,264 votes.
Sunday, January 20th, 2008: Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) announces he is withdrawing from the presidential race during an interview with CBS's Face the Nation.
Monday, January 21st, 2008: While America marks Martin Luther King Day, stock markets in Europe tumble as fears over the subprime mortgage crisis looms over the economy. President Kerry tells reporters at a press conference that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong."
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008: Actor Heath Ledger dies aged 28 after an accidental overdose.
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008: President Kerry announces the selection of Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg as Holbrooke's successor. Steinberg has served in the role of Deputy Secretary of State since 2005, and had originally declined Kerry's offer before agreeing to take on the role.
Friday, January 25th 2008: The Senate Foreign Relations Committee begins hearings for the nomination of James Steinberg.
Tuesday, January 29th, 2008: The Florida primary is held.

2008 Florida Republican Primary

Republican Primary: 1,949,498 Votes, 57 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 52.76% -  1,026,800 votes, 57 delegates.✓
George Allen: 25.08% - 488,934 votes.
Mitt Romney: 10.19% - 198,653 votes.
Sam Brownback: 6.92% - 134,905 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.08% - 99,034 votes.
Republican Delegate Count (January)
Jeb Bush: 67 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 55 delegates.
George Allen: 47 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 15 delegates.
Ron Paul: 9 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 2 delegates.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Go Romney!!!

[KaiserDave]

Wow, Allen is really underperforming! I guess Jeb! or Mitt I’d be fine with, just not Brownback or an Allen comeback.


Great writing!

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Just a heads up, the next update might take a day or two before it gets up because of Super Tuesday. I’m thinking of condensing the Super Tuesday results in the interest of time but I need to find a format.

[KaiserDave]

Just a heads up, the next update might take a day or two before it gets up because of Super Tuesday. I’m thinking of condensing the Super Tuesday results in the interest of time but I need to find a format.

Great!

At some point could we get a HRC chapter, she's been lurking around, I'm curious to know her thoughts.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Just a heads up, the next update might take a day or two before it gets up because of Super Tuesday. I’m thinking of condensing the Super Tuesday results in the interest of time but I need to find a format.

Great!

At some point could we get a HRC chapter, she's been lurking around, I'm curious to know her thoughts.

Hillary will be around, but right now she's just laying low and working to build political clout. I plan on featuring her prominently in the aftermath of the election, regardless of who wins.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Friday, February 1st, 2008: Super Tuesday draws near, the Republican candidates face a reckoning of sorts. The primary was far from certain. Brownback and Allen continue to canibalize their shared voter base, with Brownback performing strongly with evangelicals and western conservatives whereas Allen is running as a southern populist. Romney, having seen narrow losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, is hoping to propel himself back into the race before the Republican establishment rallies around Governor Bush.
Saturday, February 2nd, 2008: The Maine Republican Caucus is held.

2008 Maine Republican Caucus: 5,491 Votes, 21 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 45.29% - 2,486 votes, 21 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 30.67% - 1,684 votes.
Ron Paul: 14.90% - 818 votes.
George Allen: 6.15% - 357 votes.
Sam Brownback: 2.99% - 164 votes.
Sunday, February 3rd, 2008: On NBC's Meet the Press, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) insists he will remain in the Republican primaries all the way through the convention.

Former President George W. Bush begins actively campaigning for his younger brother Jeb Bush, campaigning in the winner-take-all state of Missouri. It is the first time Bush has spoken out about politics, though Bush refrains from attacking Kerry and instead focuses on promoting his brother's strong points.

Superbowl XLII sees the New York Giants beating the New England Patriots 17-14.
Monday, February 4th, 2008: A secret meeting between Brownback and Allen is held quietly inside a private dining room at a restaurant in DC, mediated by former candidate Newt Gingrich. Both insist that the other should drop out, and there is little headway in their efforts to stop a Bush or Romney nomination. Hours later, the story leaks to CNN, and the Brownback campaign accuses Allen of intentionally leaking the information.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008: Super Tuesday primaries held.

Super Tuesday

2008 Alabama Republican Primary: 552,155 Votes, 45 Delegates.
George Allen: 43.75% - 241,567 votes, 26 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 33.29% - 183,812 votes, 19 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 10.34% - 57,092 votes.
Mitt Romney: 10.10% - 55,767 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.52% - 13,914 votes.

2008 Alaska Republican Caucuses: 13,703 Votes, 26 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 35.68% - 4,889 votes, 15 delegates.
George Allen: 20.19% - 2,776 votes, 4 delegates.
Ron Paul: 18.70% - 2,562 votes, 4 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 14.44% - 1,978 votes, 4 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 10.99% - 1,505 votes.

2008 Arizona Republican Primary: 541,035 Votes, 50 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 42.74% - 231,238 votes, 50 delegates.
George Allen: 35.20% - 190,444 votes.
Jeb Bush: 14.59% - 78,937 votes.
Sam Brownback: 6.19% - 33,490 votes.
Ron Paul: 1.28% - 6,925 votes.

2008 Arkansas Republican Primary: 229,153 Votes, 31 Delegates.
George Allen: 34.97% - 80,134 votes, 12 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 28.60% - 65,537 votes, 9 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 15.77% - 36,137 votes, 5 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 15.61% - 35,770 votes, 5 delegates.
Ron Paul: 5.05% - 11,572 votes.

2008 California Republican Primary: 2,932,811 Votes, 173 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 33.96% - 993,049 votes, 161 delegates.
George Allen: 24.19% - 709,446 votes, 12 delegates
Mitt Romney: 20.87% - 612,077 votes.
Sam Brownback: 13.45% - 394,463 votes.
Ron Paul: 7.53% - 220,840 votes.

2008 Colorado Republican Primary: 70,229 Votes, 22 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 41.80% - 29,355 votes, 12 delegates.
George Allen: 38.77% - 27,227 votes, 10 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 12.30% - 8,638 votes.
Sam Brownback: 4.62% - 3,244 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.51% - 1,762 votes.

2008 Connecticut Republican Primary: 151,604 Votes, 27 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 37.90% - 57,457 votes, 27 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 37.75% - 57,230 votes.
George Allen: 12.04% - 18,253 votes.
Sam Brownback: 7.60% - 11,521 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.71% - 7,140 votes.

2008 Delaware Republican Primary: 50,237 Votes, 18 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 39.18% - 59,398 votes, 18 delegates.
George Allen: 31.06% - 47,088 votes.
Mitt Romney: 14.72% - 22,316 votes.
Ron Paul: 7.71% - 11,688 votes.
Sam Brownback: 7.33% - 11,112 votes.

2008 Georgia Republican Primary: 963,541 Votes, 48 Delegates.   
George Allen: 27.45% - 264,492 votes, 14 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 25.95% - 250,038 votes, 13 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 20.50% - 245,702 votes, 11 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 19.22% - 185,192 votes, 10 delegates.
Ron Paul: 6.88% - 66,291 votes.

2008 Illinois Republican Primary: 899,422 Votes, 57 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 42.51% - 382,344 votes, 57 delegates.
George Allen: 29.08% - 261,551 votes.
Mitt Romney: 21.19% - 190,587 votes.
Sam Brownback: 6.22% - 55,944 votes.
Ron Paul: 1.00% - 55,944 votes.

2008 Massachusetts Republican Primary: 500,550 Votes, 40 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 58.77% - 294,173 votes, 40 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 22.91% - 114,676 votes.
Ron Paul:  7.77% - 38,892 votes.
George Allen: 6.46% - 32,335 votes.
Sam Brownback: 4.09% - 20,472 votes.

2008 Missouri Republican: 588,720 Votes, 58 Delegates.
Sam Brownback: 28.60% - 168,373 votes, 58 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 26.12% - 153,773 votes.
Mitt Romney: 25.88% - 152,360 votes.
George Allen: 15.95% - 93,900 votes.
Ron Paul: 3.45% - 20,310 votes.

2008 Montana Republican Caucus: 1,630 Votes, 25 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 32.80% - 534 votes, 25 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 26.05% - 424 votes.
George Allen: 19.96% - 325 votes.
Jeb Bush: 16.70% - 272 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.49% - 73 votes.

2008 New Jersey: 566,201 Votes, 52 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 37.17% - 210,456 votes.
George Allen: 24.51% - 138,775 votes.
Mitt Romney: 22.87% - 129,490 votes.
Sam Brownback: 9.90% - 56,053 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.55% - 31,424 votes.

2008 New York Republican Primary: 670,078 Votes, 101 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 44.43% - 297,715 votes, 101 delegates.
George Allen: 25.22% - 169,663 votes.
Mitt Romney: 23.44% - 157,066 votes.
Sam Brownback: 4.55% - 30,488 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.36% - 15,813 votes.

2008 North Dakota: 9,743 Votes, 23 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 30.95 - 3,015 votes, 7 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 26.90% -2,620 votes, 6 delegates.
George Allen: 21.12% - 2,057 votes, 5 delegates.
Ron Paul: 10.90% - 1,061 votes, 3 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 10.05% - 979 votes, 2 delegates.

2008 Oklahoma: 335,054 Votes, 38 Delegates.
Sam Brownback: 36.71% - 122,998 votes, 38 delegates.
George Allen: 25.78% - 86,376 votes.
Mitt Romney: 20.11% - 67,379 votes.
Jeb Bush: 12.96% - 43,422 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.44% - 14,876 votes.

2008 Tennessee Republican Primary: 553,005 Votes, 52 Delegates..
George Allen: 43.48% - 240,446 votes, 22 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 34.85% - 192,722 votes, 18 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 10.70% - 59,171 votes, 12 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 8.42% - 46,563 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.55% - 14,101 votes.

2008 Utah Republican Primary: 296,061 Votes, 36 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 70.38% - 208,367 votes, 36 delegates.
George Allen: 18.99% - 56,221 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.31% - 15,720 votes.
Jeb Bush: 4.09% - 12,108 votes.
Sam Brownback: 1.23% - 3,641 votes.

2008 West Virginia Republican Primary: 117,945 Votes, 27 Delegates.
George Allen: 33.88% - 39,959 votes, 11 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 24.60% - 24,296 votes, 9 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 20.17% - 23,789 votes, 7 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 15.51% - 18,293 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.84% - 6,887 votes.
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008: Governor Bobby Jindal endorses Jeb Bush ahead of his state's primary. Jindal, a fiscal conservative with a reform minded agenda, was expected to throw his support behind Senator Allen.
Thursday, February 7th, 2008: Serbia's Minister for Kosovo warns that the Serbian province's leadership might soon declare independence.
Friday, February 8th, 2008: Louisiana and Kansas primaries held.

Louisiana + Kansas Primaries.

2008 Louisiana Republican Primary: 156,101 Votes, 46 Delegates.
George Allen: 35.66% - 55,665 votes, 19 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 24.80% - 38,713 votes, 14 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 23.44% - 36,590 votes, 13 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 12.65% - 19,746 votes.
Ron Paul: 3.45% - 5,385 votes.

2008 Kansas Republican Primary: 19,133 Votes, 36 Delegates.
Sam Brownback: 78.60% - 15,038 votes, 36 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 9.24% - 1,767 votes.
George Allen: 7.08% - 1,354 votes.
Jeb Bush: 3.20% - 612 votes.
Ron Paul: 1.88% - 352 votes.
Tuesday, February 9th, 2008: Ralph Nader announces on CNN's Larry King Live that he will seek the Presidency as an independent candidate. Nader had previously run in 1996 and 2000 as a Green, but performed poorly as an independent candidate in 2004. Nader also confirms that Native American activist Russell Means will run on the ticket with him.
Wednesday, February 10th, 2008: Controversial Professor Ward Churchill, who called victims of 9/11 "little Eichmanns," announces he will run for President as a Green Party candidate.
Thursday, February 11th, 2008:  A gunman shoots six people fatally and injures a dozen more when he enters a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opens fire.

The Potomac Primary.

2008 Maryland Republican Primary: 320,989 Votes, 37 Delegates.
George Allen: 40.44% - 129,807 votes, 37 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 23.77% - 76,299 votes.
Mitt Romney: 20.00% - 64,197 votes.
Sam Brownback: 9.05% - 29,049 votes.
Ron Paul: 6.74% - 21,665 votes.

2008 Virginia Republican Primary: 489,252 Votes, 60 Delegates.
George Allen: 70.00% - 342,476 votes, 60 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 11.86% - 58,025 votes.
Sam Brownback: 7.61% - 37,232 votes.
Mitt Romney: 5.89% - 28,816 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.04% - 19,765 votes.

2008 Washington DC Republican Primary: 6,211 Votes, 16 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 55.55% - 3,450 votes, 16 people.
Mitt Romney: 31.03% - 1,927 votes.
George Allen: 4.80% - 298 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.61% - 286 votes.
Sam Brownback: 4.01% - 249 votes.
Friday, February 13th, 2008: With Jeb Bush asserting his status as the clear frontrunner, the race turns towards Ohio and Texas in the upcoming weeks.
Sunday, February 17th, 2008: Kosovo declares independence from Serbia, with both the European Union and the United States issuing statements recognizing the secession of the Serbian province.
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008: Washington and Wisconsin hold primaries.

2008 Washington Republican: 529,932 Votes, 40 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 31.71% - 168,041 votes, 12 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 29.03% - 153,839 votes, 12 delegates.
George Allen: 18.88% - 100,051 votes, 8 delegates.
Ron Paul: 10.63% - 56,331 votes, 4 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 9.75% - 51,668 votes, 4 delegates.

2008 Wisconsin Republican Primary: 402,699 Votes, 43 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 54.20% - 218,262 votes, 43 delegates.
George Allen: 22.33% - 89,992 votes.
Mitt Romney: 13.09% - 52,713 votes.
Sam Brownback: 6.22% - 25,047 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.16% - 16,752 votes.
Republican Delegate Count (February)
Jeb Bush: 603 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 267 delegates.
George Allen: 171 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 166 delegates.
Ron Paul: 16 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 2 delegates.
Wednesday, February 20th, 2008: Fidel Castro resigns as President of Cuba, but remains head of the Communist Party. Due to increasingly worsening health, power officially changes to Castro's brother Raul, who has been governing the country for two years behind the scenes.
Friday, February 21st, 2008: Serb nationalists riot in the country's capital and storm the US embassy in protest of President Kerry recognizing Kosovo's independence. All American personnel and staff are evacuated uninjured in the hours leading up to the rioting, but the embassy building itself is set on fire. President Kerry accuses Russia for stirring up the tensions on the street that had been building in the days following Kosovo's independence.
Monday, February 20th, 2008: President Kerry meets privately with Speaker Blunt and Senator McConnell to negotiate a plan to provide struggling Americans with a tax rebate. While Kerry hopes that such a stimulus package will grease the wheels of the economy, the Republicans are worried about the price tag.
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2008: The New York Philharmonic becomes the first musical ensamble from the west to perform in North Korea.

[KaiserDave]

Awesome! Looks like Jeb! is the one but there could be a surprise!

Also, fun fact, may or may not have a distant relative who was on that NY Philharmonic tip to the DPRK.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Hopefully Mitt wins an upset victory in Ohio and Texas or otherwise this primary is over

[Continential]

Hopefully Mitt wins an upset victory in Ohio and Texas or otherwise this primary is over

You do realize that Texas is Dubya's home, and Dubya will campaign for Jeb in Texas.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Hopefully Mitt wins an upset victory in Ohio and Texas or otherwise this primary is over

You do realize that Texas is Dubya's home, and Dubya will campaign for Jeb in Texas.

That’s why I said upset

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Saturday, March 1st, 2008: Colombian forces kill Raul Reyes (the second in command of FARC) in a raid across the border in Ecuador. President Rafael Correa bitterly protests the violation of Ecuadorian borders, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mobilizes the military. President Kerry condemns Chavez for ratcheting up tensions.
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008: Former President George W. Bush campaigns for his brother Jeb in the critical state of Texas, where he remains popular. The Bush campaign believes that wins in Texas and Ohio could force his rivals out of the race, but Allen, Brownback, and Romney all claim they intend to go on past the next round of primary elections.

The Senate votes 86-14 to confirm James Steinberg as Secretary of State, replacing the late Richard Holbrooke.
Monday, March 3rd, 2008: UN Ambassador Richard Morningstar argues on behalf of Colombia before the UN as the Cuban, Brazilian, Ecuadorian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan delegates stage a walk out.
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008: Primaries in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

"Ides of March" Primaries.

2008 Ohio Republican Primary: 1,095,917 Votes, 85 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 50.63% - 554,862 votes, 85 delegates.
George Allen: 20.66% - 226,416 votes.
Mitt Romney: 20.42% - 223,786 votes.
Ron Paul: 5.80% - 63,563 votes.
Sam Brownback: 2.49% - 27,288 votes.

2008 Texas Republican Primary: 2,191,834‬ Votes, 140 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 35.12% - 769,772 votes, 61 delegates.
George Allen: 23.60% - 517,272 votes, 36 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 16.23% - 355,734 votes, 25 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 13.34% - 292,390 votes.
Ron Paul: 11.71% - 2,191,834 votes.‬

2008 Rhode Island Primary: 26,996 Votes, 17 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 51.76% - 13,973 votes, 17 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 29.16% - 7,872 votes.
George Allen: 12.88% - 3,477 votes.
Ron Paul: 4.30% - 1,160 votes.
Sam Brownback: 1.90% - 512 votes.

2008 Vermont Primary: 39,843 Votes, 17 Delegates.
Mitt Romney: 60.54% - 24,120 votes, 17 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 25.48% - 10,151 votes.
Ron Paul: 7.76% - 3,091 votes.
George Allen: 4.37% - 1,741 votes.
Sam Brownback: 1.85% - 737 votes.
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008: Senator Brownback goes on the offensive against George Allen in Mississippi, where he is aiming to surpass Allen in the delegate count. This would position himself as the main conservative alternative to Bush and Romney.
Thursday, March 6th, 2008: A small pipe bomb explodes outside a military recruiting station in the early morning hours. No injuries are reported, though the blast does damage the small building. An FBI and NYPD investigation is launched, but law enforcement suspects the attack was the work of anarchists.
Friday, March 7th, 2008: A Rio Group Summit held in the Dominican Republic sees failed negotiations between Colombian President Uribe and President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez flies to Havana hours later, where he meets with retired President Fidel Castro. Photos taken of the two leftist dictators makes international news as it is the first images released on Castro, dispelling the rumors swirling in Miami that Castro was dead.
Monday, March 10th, 2008: Rumors of Vice President's alleged infidelity begins to swirl in Washington, DC. When pressed by reporters, White House Press Secretary Dag Vega categorically denies the rumors and chides the press corp for asking such questions.

Senator Sam Brownback commits to continuing his campaign, and vows he will contest the Pennsylvania primary. Many in the media begin speculating that a brokered convention could result from the primaries.
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008: The Mississippi Republican Primary is held.

Mississippi Primary

2008 Mississippi Republican Primary: 143,286 Votes, 36 Delegates.
George Allen: 58.76% - 84,194 votes, 36 delegates.
Jeb Bush: 15.09% - 21,621 votes.
Sam Brownback: 14.92% -21,378 votes.
Mitt Romney: 8.73% - 12,508 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.50% - 3,582 votes.

Republican Delegate Count (February)
Jeb Bush: 834 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 301 delegates.
George Allen: 243 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 191 delegates.
Ron Paul: 16 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 2 delegates.
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008: Alan Keyes (who has failed to get on any primary ballots and wrangled only a few thousand scattered write-in votes) announces he is leaving the Republican Party and will continue his campaign for the presidency as a candidate of the Constitution Party.
Saturday, March 15th, 2008: The Chinese National Assembly reelects Hu Jintao for another term as President of China, while Xi Jinping.
Sunday, March 16th, 2008: JP Morgan Chase purchases Bear Stearns at just two dollars per-stock in an effort from keeping the company from collapse; Bear Stearns had lost billions of dollars as a result of the housing bubble bursting.
Monday, March 17th, 2008: In the wake of Bear Stearns collapse and buyout, stocks on Wall Street tumble to new lows as fears of recession become slowly realized.
Tuesday, March 18th, 2008: The Organization of American States (OAS) condemns the recent Colombian incursion into Ecuador and threatens sanctions should another incident occur.
Thursday, March 20th, 2008: Due to a recent crackdown in Tibet by the regime in Beijing, President Kerry floats the possibility that he will boycott the games in protest. China's state run media and secretive government have claimed that
Monday, March 24th, 2008: The Pakistani People's Party, led by Benazir Bhutto (who remains in rehabilitation due to injuries sustained in an assassination attempt) wins a majority of seats in the Pakistani legislature. As a result, she is set to take office once more as Prime Minister.
Tuesday, March 25th, 2008: Senator Allen (R-VA) calls on Senator Brownback (R-KS) to "do the right thing" and withdrawal from the race to unify the conservative wing of the party. Similarly, Governor Romney's campaign begins signalling that their candidate may soon bow out of the race if he doesn't perform strongly in Pennsylvania.
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his country's military is "ready and willing" to combat the "Yankee Imperialists" as tensions in Latin America rise to levels not seen since the Cuban missile crisis. 

George

Friday, March 28th, 2008.

10:25 AM, Coral Gables, FL.

[1]

They just couldn't out-raise Jeb.

It was early in the morning, but Jeb was due to hold one quick brunch fundraiser before he was due to fly out to Pittsburgh from Fort Lauderdale later that night. The primary season was now quiet, with the Pennsylvania primary nearly a month away. Jeb drove himself, driving through the wealthy suburbs of Miami while a handful of staffers began arriving in advance at the home of a certain State Representative.

That State Representative was none other thank the Speaker, Marco Rubio. At 36 years old, Marco was hailed as a rising star in Florida politics. A pragmatic but conservative of Cuban heritage, Jeb saw potential in Rubio early on. Rubio had agreed to hold the fundraiser at his residence, the type of home that many would call a "McMansion."

Most of the attendees were wealthy business owners, primarily real estate and stock brokers, who Rubio had pulled together after they were firmly convinced Jeb Bush was the clear frontrunner once again. While some would prefer Allen or Brownback or Romney, Jeb offered the quickest, easiest route to forcing John Kerry out of the White House.

Of course, Rubio wanted something in return. In 2010, Senator Betty Castor was up for reelection, and though she was approaching 70 years of age, she was still roaring to go. Highly popular among swing voters and seniors, the Senator was a wonk on education policy. She was also the most vulnerable Senators. Rubio sensed opportunity as Jeb pulled up and parked on the curb.

"Governor" greeted the Speaker, "we're glad you could be here today." The Governor shook Rubio's hand, and they walked up the driveway. "How are the numbers in Pennsylvania?" inquired Rubio, "you're getting pretty close." Jeb nodded, then said after a brief pause "we really might finally win this thing."

"We've got about 45 guests waiting to shake your hand" said Rubio, "we've raised $45,000 today." "Fantastic" said Jeb, his voice lacking in enthusiasm, his hand worn from the rigors of campaign life. In his mind, he questioned why he agreed to do this. His campaign had no trouble raising money, and he had no trouble helping out Rubio, his friend. But he was none the less exhausted. Still, he had no desire to be rude, and though he knew this was mostly just an example of Rubio trying to show himself off as influential ahead of the Senate race.

"Romney might drop out" Jeb said, "we might lock this up after Pennsylvania."

"Well, you can always count on me" said Rubio, before asking "can I always count on you?"

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008: President Kerry departs with newly minted Secretary of State James Steinberg travel to the Romanian capital of Bucharest for the annual NATO summit. In addition to agreements for more security cooperation, particularly in the Balkans and Eastern Europe, both Albania and Croatia formally join the alliance. This is much to the anger of Moscow, where Vladimir Putin - now the Prime Minister - warns against further NATO encroachment around Russia and her neighbors.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008: Former President George W. Bush announces his new foundation aimed to fight HIV, Aids, malaria, and famine in Africa.
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008: Actor and 2nd amendment activist Charlton Heston dies at 84.
Friday, April 4th, 2008: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai reach a power sharing agreement in which Tsvangirai agrees to become Prime Minister of a unity government.
Thursday, April 10th, 2008: Pastor Chuck Baldwn of Florida announces his candidacy for the Constitution Party's nomination. Baldwin, who was the party's 2004 Vice Presidential candidate, is joined by Jerome Corsi and Alan Keyes in the small party's race for President.
Friday, April 11th, 2008: Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) endorses Mitt Romney while Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) throws his support around Governor Bush.
Saturday, April 12th, 2008: Russia warns it will use it's position on the UN Security Council to block Ban Ki Moon from a second term as Secretary General of the United Nations should the UN recognize Kosovo's independence.
Sunday, April 13th, 2008: Former Congressman Bob Barr announces he will seek the Libertarian Party nomination, but angers many in his new party when he goes on Fox News and publicly demands Ron Paul drop out of the Republican primary and endorse him in order to consolidate the libertarian base. Paul responds in a terse statement in which he praises the Green and Constitution Party's efforts and warns the Libertarian Party from nominating either Weld or Barr.
Friday, April 18th, 2008: CNN's Richard Quest is arrested trying to purchase meth in Central Park.
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008: The Pennsylvania Primary is held.

2008 Pennsylvania Primary

2008 Pennsylvania Republican Primary: 815,364 Votes, 74 Delegates.
Jeb Bush: 53.23% - 434,018 votes, 74 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 27.51% - 224,306 votes.
George Allen: 12.25% - 99,822 votes.
Sam Brownback: 7.56% - 61,641 votes.
Ron Paul: 2.45% - 19,976 votes.

Republican Delegate Count (February)
Jeb Bush: 908 delegates.
Mitt Romney: 301 delegates.
George Allen: 243 delegates.
Sam Brownback: 191 delegates.
Ron Paul: 16 delegates.
Duncan Hunter: 2 delegates.
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008: Governor Romney and his wife Ann fly out to their Utah vacation home for a few days rest and deliberations about the future of his campaign.
Thursday, April 24th, 2008: The Constitution Party convention is held in Kansas City, Missouri. Jerome Corsi is nominated for President while attorney Darrell Castle is nominated for Vice President by acclamation.

[1]

Mitt

Friday, April 25th, 2008.

4:00 PM, Park City, UT.

[2]

The Governor paced around the office of his Utah vacation home, where he had retreated to after a string of devastating defeats. Any minute now his phone would ring, and Romney was feeling mixed emotions as he debated the offer from Governor Bush. On one hand, the Governor had the option of leaving Boston for Washington to serve in the next Republican cabinet, which could only further bolster his credentials. It was obvious that President Kerry was struggling, but his potential defeat was hardly a done deal. Romney was increasingly cognizant of the fact that he could be nominated by a brokered convention, which was looking less and less likely. He had nothing to gain by not endorsing the Governor. He knew what he had to do. He dialed the number on the business card and waited until a familiar voice come through the line within a matter of seconds.

"This is Jeb" answered Bush, who was back home in Miami. "It's Mitt" said Romney, "I'm going to be straight for you. At this point, the numbers won't add up. I won't be able to work with Allen or Brownback, and honestly, I'd rather not have to deal with them any more than I already do."

"I understand" affirmed Jeb, "when do you want to announce this?"

"I think we're going to shoot a quick video and upload it to our Facebook and YouTube channels."

"I think you're a true patriot, Mitt" said Bush, "you'll make a great Treasury Secretary."
[1] Original creation by me using Wiki.
[2] Taken from Wikipedia Commons (DonkeyHotey)

[Huey Long is a Republican]

We'll probably see a boring, bland Republican Ticket to go against Kerry/Obama in 2008 and they'll barely lose. Maybe Bush/Frist?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

We'll probably see a boring, bland Republican Ticket to go against Kerry/Obama in 2008 and they'll barely lose. Maybe Bush/Frist?

I feel that one factor that is under-looked is that Kerry's election in a time of war and subsequent healthcare overhaul created what I envision as a proto-Tea Party movement. This is manifested in a smaller, more fiscal focused revival of "movement conservatism" that doesn't have as much influence as the OTL Tea Party. While in this timeline, only Lincoln Chafee went down in his primary. But they still  helped push Chris Christie and Terry Kilgore get elected. That would make Frist very unlikely to get on the ticket. He's sort of a Jeff Flake style critic of the modern GOP, particularly the House Republicans, but he mostly just practices medicine.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Ugh , go Jeb I guess.

[Continential]

Ugh , go Jeb I guess.

But the other option is having a comprimise with George "Welcome to America, maraca!" Allen as the nominee and Brownback is horrible.

[2016]

Major Misjudgement by the Republican Party by nominating Jeb Bush four years after his brother lost the Presidency.
Kerry and I presume Obama are going to carpet-bomb Jeb about GWB mishandling about Iraq War, etc.

The only silver lining for Jeb is the Financial Crisis in September 2008 but Kerry is certainly going to blame Dubya for that.

[KaiserDave]

Kerry could very well win, which would be a major lol moment and I will love to see the Jeb! crowds face when it happens. But it's probably very very bad for the Democratic Party.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Thursday, May 1st, 2008: In a video released online in the morning, Mitt Romney announces he will pull out from the race and endorse Jeb Bush, effectively ensuring that the former Florida Governor will have the support of enough delegates to the convention.
Friday, May 2nd, 2008: Senator George Allen (R-VA) announces he is "reconsidering" his campaign in the wake of Romney's decision to endorse Bush. Allen dodges a question from MSNBC's Joe Scarborough about whether or not he'd seek a spot on the ticket with Governor Bush.
Saturday, May 3rd, 2008: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) announces he will suspend all further campaigning but insists he is not dropping out, and will seek to have his delegates seated at the GOP convention.
Sunday, May 4th, 2008: On Fox News Sunday, Senator Allen withdraws from the race and releases his delegates. Senator Brownback (R-KS) also suspends his campaign, announcing his withdrawal in a statement released on his website. Like Allen, Brownback releases his delegates and makes a vague promise to "support the nominee."
Monday, May 5th, 2008: The Federal Reserve System releases a report which warns banks are tightening lending practices in response to the subprime mortgage crisis.
Tuesday, May 6th, 2008: After months of behind the scenes work, Congress approves a $300 billion bailout of Freddie Mae and Fannie Mac in order to keep them solvent before they're forced to foreclose on thousands of people's homes.
Wednesday, May 7th, 2008: Presumptive Republican nominee Jeb Bush announces that he has put together a team led by former Senator Connie Mack III to vet and nominate potential Vice Presidential candidates. The campaign vigorously asserts that Bush has not yet even put together a short-list, and tells journalists that an announcement will come in the late summer before the GOP convention.
Thursday, May 8th, 2008: With his Republican opponent now clear, the Kerry-Edwards '08 campaign goes into full gear. A number of TV ads are commissioned in order to link Jeb Bush with the controversial foreign policy of his brother.
Sunday, May 11th, 2008: Free & Equal along with C-SPAN host a debate among "alternative candidates." Attending is independent candidate Ralph Nader, former Governor Bill Weld, activist Mary Ruwart, businessman Wayne Alan Root, and former Congressman Bob Barr (Libertarian), Constitution Party nominee Jerome Corsi, and Green Party candidates Kent Mesplay, former Senator Mike Gravel, Professor Ward Churchill, activist Howie Hawkins, and Pat LeMarche, the 2004 Green VP nominee.
Monday, May 12th, 2008: Barry Bonds is indicted on perjury charges and obstruction of justice in relation to his use of performance enhancing drugs.
Thursday, May 15th, 2008: Interpol claims that computers seized by Colombian forces during the cross border raid to kill FARC militant Raul Reyes were not tampered with, confirming Colombia's allegations that the documents prove Venezuelan and Ecuadorian support for the leftist guerrillas. The Colombian army is mobilized as Secretary of State James Steinberg makes an emergency trip to Bogota in order to calm tensions, but President Uribe insists that the army must be prepared for a potential attack from both sides of their borders.  
Friday, May 16th, 2008: For the first time since talks in Annapolis failed, the Palestinian Authority expresses an interest in resuming dialogue with Israel. President Kerry expresses cautious optimism and a willingness to rejoin the negotiations should Israel agree to do so.
Sunday, May 18th, 2008: The FBI arrests two Yemeni immigrants based in Houston; both are charged after purchasing fake plastic explosives from an undercover agent. Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Harman reports that the two were radicalized by the radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki over the internet.
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008: A senior FARC militant known as "Karina" is captured by Colombian forces. President Uribe does not disclose whether she was taken into custody within Colombian borders, leading Hugo Chavez to claim the raid was a "kidnapping" that violated international law.
Friday, May 23rd, 2008: 10,000 Iraqi soldiers are deployed to the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, where they quickly "mop up" the Iranian backed Shia militias based in the area. The mission is carried out with only minimal coalition support.

2008 Libertarian National Convention

Monday, May 26th, 2008.

5:00 PM, Denver, CO.

There was applause at the Libertarian National Convention as the first ballot resulted with no winner. The Libertarians were, to say the least, a freak show. Some were so anti-government that they didn't even think the party nominating one candidate on a federal ticket wasn't libertarian enough. Neither was Bill Weld, according to the Bob Barr backers, and Bob Barr wasn't libertarian enough according to Mary Ruwart supporters. Supporters within all three camps even booed those writing in Ron freaking Paul. As the second ballot neared, there was a great tension that lingered in the air over the delegates.

The second ballot was much like the first, with Mary Ruwart tying the former Massachusetts Governor. On the convention floor, supporters of Ruwart courted the radical caucus while Bob Barr and Bill Weld bickered over who would offer the party greater national attention. A number of smaller candidates, like marijuana activist Steve Kubby, withdraw from the race, with most Jingozian and Kubby and Smith supporters embracing the candidacy of Ruwart. All the while, businessman Wayne Alan Root - who was not well received by most libertarians (moderate or radical) to begin with, begins openly negotiating with Ruwart and Weld supporters in exchange for the Vice Presidential nomination.  

The third ballot saw George Phillies, a professor, eliminated. The resulting tie between Weld and Ruwart however was a bad sign, and many predicted that what should've been a two ballot vote at worst will turn into a ten ballot nightware. Weld, realizing that the party could fracture with state affiliates nominating more....libertarian candidates. It was important for him to publicly rebuke and reject the possibility of having Wayne Alan Root join the ticket, instead promising a more ideological running mate.

Another round, another tie. Sensing futility (and elimination), Bob Barr and Wayne Root both released their delegates in the hope of capturing Weld's favor. Though a third of them voted for Ruwart, it was enough to put Weld over the top. As a result, the former Massachusetts Governor is nominated narrowly over Ruwart as the Presidential candidate of the Libertarian Party.

In his acceptance speech, he announces his selection of California Judge Jim Gray, a known opponent of the war on drugs. Gray is backed by both Bob Barr and Mary Ruwart for the position, allowing for the Libertarian Party to limp out of a divisive convention without shattering the party. Nominated by (near) unanimous acclamation, the Weld/Grey ticket hits the campaign trail in their pursuit of the presidency.
Note: All wikipedia infoboxes are my own creation.

[Continential]

What about the Green Party, does McKinney win in 2006 instead of losing to Hank Johnson in the primary, and does Nader win the GNC as he won various states in the primary.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

What about the Green Party, does McKinney win in 2006 instead of losing to Hank Johnson in the primary, and does Nader win the GNC as he won various states in the primary.

Nader has already announced his decision to run as an independent with Native American activist and former Libertarian (lost to Ron Paul at the 1988 LNC) Russell Means. Nader is running as an independent again rather than as a Green, mainly because he had serious reservations about the party's bias in favor of David Cobb in 2004.

The Green Convention is in the next update; candidates including former Senator Mike Gravel, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (who lost her primary like in OTL), edgelord Professor Ward Churchill, filmmaker Jesse Johnson, and activist Howie Hawkins. Also, no Green Party convention is complete without Kent Mesplay running.

I'm actually really looking forward to 2012, because that election will have some pretty cool and underlooked third party candidates.

[Continential]

What about the Green Party, does McKinney win in 2006 instead of losing to Hank Johnson in the primary, and does Nader win the GNC as he won various states in the primary.

Nader has already announced his decision to run as an independent with Native American activist and former Libertarian (lost to Ron Paul at the 1988 LNC) Russell Means. Nader is running as an independent again rather than as a Green, mainly because he had serious reservations about the party's bias in favor of David Cobb in 2004.

The Green Convention is in the next update; candidates including former Senator Mike Gravel, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (who lost her primary like in OTL), edgelord Professor Ward Churchill, filmmaker Jesse Johnson, and activist Howie Hawkins. Also, no Green Party convention is complete without Kent Mesplay running.

I'm actually really looking forward to 2012, because that election will have some pretty cool and underlooked third party candidates.

What is Matt Gonzalez doing right now? He seems to be interesting as he almost defeated Gavin Newsom for mayor and I like the TL, Green Revolution on the Golden Gate by wilcoxhar.