The Hunting Grounds: Turmoil in America

[Continential]

Thanks everyone! It's officially revived then, still not sure about the format but we'll just do what works.

Meanwhile, I edited the Israeli 2006 election because it was a bit too unrealistic before. That's the new one:



2006 Israeli Knesset Election- Results
Labour Party (Amir Peretz)- 25 Seats  (+6)
Kadima (Ehud Olmert)- 17 Seats  (+2)
Likud (Benjamin Netanyahu)- 15 Seats  (-9)
Yisrael Beiteinu (Avigdor Lieberman)- 12 Seats  (+9)
Shas (Eli Yishai)- 11 Seats  (+-0)
Gil (Rafi Eitan)- 10 Seats (Didn't Contest)
National Union-National Religious Party (Binyamin Elon)- 9 Seats  (+2)
Meretz-Yachad (Yossi Beilin)- 6 Seats  (+-0)
United Torah Judaism (Ya'akov Litzman)- 5 Seats  (+-0)
Ra'am-Ta'al (Ibrahim Sarsur)- 4 Seats  (+2)
Hadash (Mohammad Barakeh)- 3 Seats  (+-0)
Balad (Azmi Bishara)- 3 Seats  (+-0)

Anti-LBGTQ Parties in a Left wing Collation, boo, Balad/Hadash joining the coalition or supporting it would be way better.

But for serious, your content is good, and thank you for reviving it! 

[America Needs R'hllor]

Thanks everyone! It's officially revived then, still not sure about the format but we'll just do what works.

Meanwhile, I edited the Israeli 2006 election because it was a bit too unrealistic before. That's the new one:



2006 Israeli Knesset Election- Results
Labour Party (Amir Peretz)- 25 Seats  (+6)
Kadima (Ehud Olmert)- 17 Seats  (+2)
Likud (Benjamin Netanyahu)- 15 Seats  (-9)
Yisrael Beiteinu (Avigdor Lieberman)- 12 Seats  (+9)
Shas (Eli Yishai)- 11 Seats  (+-0)
Gil (Rafi Eitan)- 10 Seats (Didn't Contest)
National Union-National Religious Party (Binyamin Elon)- 9 Seats  (+2)
Meretz-Yachad (Yossi Beilin)- 6 Seats  (+-0)
United Torah Judaism (Ya'akov Litzman)- 5 Seats  (+-0)
Ra'am-Ta'al (Ibrahim Sarsur)- 4 Seats  (+2)
Hadash (Mohammad Barakeh)- 3 Seats  (+-0)
Balad (Azmi Bishara)- 3 Seats  (+-0)

Anti-LBGTQ Parties in a Left wing Collation, boo, Balad/Hadash joining the coalition or supporting it would be way better.

But for serious, your content is good, and thank you for reviving it! 

Thanks!!
As for Israel- generally, until they bound themselves to Netanyahu, Shas has been joining left-wing coalitions So this is the most realistic "PM Peretz" outcome

[America Needs R'hllor]

The Hastert Administration
(Part I- March to August)

The administration of President John Dennis Hastert was a rocky one from the beginning. His pardon of former President Cheney, whose bullet killed both former President Bush and his own popularity, caused a lot of bipartisan outrage. Still, a lot of Americans were willing to give the conservative former Speaker of the House a chance, and his approvals remained above water.

The first order of business for President Hastert was stabilizing his administration. Most Bush cabinet officials were retained, but he had to find replacements for the departed Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Press Secretary Scott McClellan. OMB Director Joshua Bolten was widely expected to be chosen, but President Hastert surprised and annoyed many members of his administration when he instead appointed former Illinois Attorney General Tyrone C. Fahner, a close ally, citing "familiarity" and the need to have "a Chief of Staff who will work closely with the President". Commentator Tony Snow was chosen Press Secretary as expected. Much to the comfort of the President, Karl Rove later resigned from his role as Deputy Chief of Staff, moving to work on the Republican Party's midterm campaign. Republicans in the House, meanwhile, elected Majority Leader John Boehner to replace Hastert as Speaker of the House.

A few days later, however, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice submitted her resignation, citing just "personal reasons". People close to Rice later said that she was disgusted by the entire order of events and did not wish to be part of the administration after all that happened. At first, Hastert was going to nominate UN Ambassador John Bolton to the position, but after a majority of Senators- all Democrats and Jim Jeffords (I-VT), as well as GOP members Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Susan Collins (R-ME), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), George Voinovich (R-OH), John Warner (R-VA) and Chuck Hagel (R-NE), constituting a majority, made clear they'd oppose him, Hastert rereated and made another choice. He nominated former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to the State Department, and with the support of Hagel, Collins and Voinovich managed to confirm him.

The Hastert administration continued, but the road was almost as rocky as its start. Members of the Bush family and people close to them, chiefly Laura Bush, continued to criticize Hastert's pardon of Cheney and calling for Hastert not to run for reelection in 2008. The Iraq War wasn't going as well as expected, with more dead American soldiers every month and no end in sight, and the new Secretary of State didn't seem too popular with world leaders. And if that wasn't enough, the economy wasn't doing too well. GDP growth was slowing, the housing prices were in a freefall as part of what many called "the bursting of the housing bubble", a thriving market that was booming in the early 2000s, the Bush tax cuts didn't seem to be "paying for themselves" and several economists started predicting a recession. However, aside from the leadership crisis following the death of President Bush, Americans weren't feeling the effects of all those factors yet, and Hastert was still seen favourably, making several speeches about "moving forward in times of tragedy" that resonated with Americans shocked after Bush's death.

However, trouble was brewing. In July 2006, an anonymous person contacted journalist Eric Lipton from the New York Times, and told him to look into several cash withdrawals made by the President. Lipton, in turn, contacted sources in the FBI and the IRS. In early September, FBI Director Bob Mueller informed the President that he was personally looking into several suspicious cash withdrawals, and that he'd soon be invited to give his explanation.

Key Polling (September 2006)

President Dennis Hastert job approval (September 1st)
Disapprove- 52%
Approve- 40%
Unsure- 8%

Generic Congressional Ballot- 2006
Democrat- 53%
Republican- 37%
Other\Undecided- 10%

Who will you support in the 2008 Presidential election? (Hastert)
Generic Democrat- 47%
President Dennis Hastert (R-IL)- 42%
Others\Undecided- 11%

Who will you support in the 2008 Presidential election? (Other Republican)
Generic Democrat- 44%
Generic Republican- 43%
Others\Undecided- 13%

Who do you support for the Republican nomination in 2008?
President Dennis Hastert (R-IL)- 41%
Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL)- 13%
Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)- 11%
Fmr. Secretary Condoleezza Rice (R-CA)- 9%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)- 5%
Fmr. First Lady Laura Bush (R-TX)- 4%
Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)- 2%
Governor George Pataki (R-NY)- 2%
Others- 4%
Undecided- 9%

Who do you support for the Democratic nomination in 2008?
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)- 32%
Fmr. Vice President Al Gore (D-TN)- 15%
Fmr. Senator John Edwards (D-NC)- 11%
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)- 11%
Senator John Kerry (D-MA)- 8%
Fmr. Governor Mark Warner (D-VA)- 3%
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)- 2%
Senator Joe Biden (D-DE)- 2%
Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)- 2%
Others- 3%
Undecided- 11%

[😥]

Great update!

[KaiserDave]

Oh the Blue Tsunami that's about to occur will make 2008 look like 2010....


I can't wait

[America Needs R'hllor]

Meanwhile, in the rest of the world...

While the Hastert Administration was getting its start in the United States, the rest of the world was moving on.

In Italy, the April general election resulted in a change of leadership, as the controversial Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and his center-right Forza Italia party lost their majority to the center-left Union alliance, lead by Romano Prodi, who would become Prime Minister now.

In Hungary, the April election resulted in the governing Socialist Party and Prime Minister    Ferenc Gyurcsány rising in seats while beating out the then-largest party in the parliament, Fidesz, and opposition leader Viktor Orban. They continued their governing coalition with the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats party. Lastly, in Slovakia, the governing Christian Democratic coalition of Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda was defeated, with the young Smer- Social Democracy party becoming the largest and its leader Robert Fico becoming Prime Minister. Howeber, the anti-immigration Smer decided to coalition with the nationalist far-right Slovak National Party and the populist People's Party, causing their suspension from the center-left S&Ds European alliance.

In Israel, coalition talks concluded with Amir Peretz, the senior politician and leader of the Labour Party, becoming Prime Minister with the support of Kadima, Shas, Gil and Meretz. Tzipi Livni, interim leader of Kadima, was appointed Foreign Minister, with her main opponent, former IDF Chief  Shaul Mofaz, retained his position of Defense Minister.

The 31st Israeli Government

Prime Minister: Amir Peretz (Labour Party)

Speaker of the Knesset: Ofir Pines-Paz (Labour Party)

Foreign Minister: Tzipi Livni (Kadima)
Defense Minister: Shaul Mofaz (Kadima)
Finance Minister: Avishay Braverman (Labour Party)
Justice Minister and Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Ansitemitism: Isaac Herzog (Labour Party)
Education Minister: Yossi Beilin (Meretz-Yachad)
Home Minister: Yuli Tamir (Labour Party)
Industry, Trade and Employment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister: Eli Yishai (Shas)
Negev and Galiliee Development Minister and Deputy Prime Minister: Shimon Peres (Kadima)
Internal Security Minister: Avi Dichter (Kadima)
Health Minister: Ya'akov Ben-Yezri (Gil)
National Infaustracture Minister: Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labour Party)
Housing and Construction Minister: Ami Ayalon (Labour Party)
Transportation Minister: Haim Ramon (Kadima)
Communications Minister: Ariel Atias (Shas)
Welfare and Social Services Minister: Shelly Yachimovich (Labour Party)
Senior Affairs Minister: Rafi Eitan (Gil)
Agriculture Minister: Shalom Simhon (Labour Party)
Environmental Protection Minister: Michael Malchior (Meimad\Labour Party)
Science, Culture and Sports Minister: Raleb Majadele (Labour Party)
Tourism Minister: Dalia Itzik (Kadima)
Minister without Protfolio for Religious Affairs: Yitzhak Cohen (Shas)
Minister without Protfolio: Meshulam Nahari (Shas)
Minister without Protfolio: Avraham Hirshzon (Kadima)
Minister without Protfolio for Public Broadcasting: Eitan Cabel (Labour Party)
Minister without Protfolio: Meir Sheetrit (Kadima)

During the coming months, two important leadership races were held- in Kadima, Tzipi Livni comfortably defeated Minister Shaul Mofaz, Minister Avi Dichter and Minister Meir sh**trit, though Mofaz got closer than expected. In Likud, meanwile, leader Netanyahu obliged to the pressure of holding an early primary, but ran again himself. His opponents were former Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, former Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz, former Internal Security Minister Uzi Landao, former Housing Minister Natan Sheranski, far-right libertarian activist Moshe Feiglin and chairman of Global Likud Dani Danon. Netanyahu advanced to the second round against Shalom, his chief opponent, but there shockingly lost in an upset, owing largely to the dissatisfaction from his results.

Kadima Leadership Race, 2006
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni- 45.6% ✓
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz- 42.4%
Minister Meir Sheetrit- 6.2%
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter-  5.8%

Likud Leadership Race, 2006 (Round 1)
Fmr. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu- 31.2% ✓
Fmr. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom- 28.9% ✓
Activist Moshe Feiglin- 15.3%
Fmr. Housing Minister Natan Sheranski- 9.9%
Fmr. Internal Security Minister Uzi Landao- 6.4%
Fmr. Agriculture Minister Yisrael Katz- 5.2%
Mr. Dani Danon- 3.1%

Likud Leadership Race, 2006 (Round 2)
Fmr. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom- 50.3%✓
Fmr. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu- 49.7%

But the Peretz Ministry started off wild, with security issues coming to the forefront. In late June, Hamas killed two Israeli soldiers and abducted soldier Gilad Shalit to Gaza, prompting the IDF to start "Operation Summer Rains", which failed to get Shalit back. Hamas asked for 1000 prisoners, including terrorists with blood on their hands, in exchange for Shalit. The operation continued for months, and Prime Minister Peretz reportedly insisted on finishing it with a return of Shalit to Israel. Meanwhile, in July, near the Lebanon border, Hezbollah terrorists abducted two Israeli soldiers and killed eight, causing Israel to begin an operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which would become the Second Lebanon War. Peretz let Defense Minister Mofaz make most of the security-related decisions in the two-front war, while Foreign Minister Livni smoothed out the relations with the world. The war dragged on until August, and while Hezbollah was wounded and deterred, it was not defeated. This was seen by the Israeli public as a failure, and a later investigation found that many of the lacking decisions were made by IDF Chief Dan Halutz, who consequently resigned and was replaced by Gabi Ashkenazi. The handling of the war by Peretz and Mofaz was seen as solid. Meanwhile, in September, following a surge of attacks, Peretz struck a ceasefire with Hamas- with a surprising deal. Israel agreed to release 500 Hamas prisoners in exchange for Shalit. Peretz reportedly insisted on continuing attacking Gaza until Hamas agreed. This was met with both praise and criticism in Israel- many were happy to see Shalit return, but others were critical of the price.

[We Live in Black and White]

Holy s**t, how have I missed this timeline up until now? Imagine an America where we abruptly traded a dumbass for a maniac for a pedophile.

It's quite a lot less difficult to believe after Trump, actually.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Note: updated President Hastert's approvals to reflect the approval a Republican would have in September 2006.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The Hastert Administration
(Part II- September-October)


Sources: Wikipedia Commons

August 17th: Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire goes into action, Second Lebanon War ends

August 18th: Per the demands of Prime Minister Peretz, bodies of two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah returned

August 21st: Did the Bubble Burst? Commerce Department estimates housing prices down 3% since January

August 25th: Hastert VP search to enter "intensive stage"; Jeb Bush, McCain, Romney reportedly on the shortlist

August 29th: Former First Lady claims Jeb Bush was offered VP spot, "refused categorically"

September 2nd: Meghan McCain reveals father was "second person to be offered the VP spot", Senator McCain says he "won't accept" position

September 6nd: White House sources claim Hastert "frantically searching for VP", interviewing candidates

September 10th: Brussels can breath sigh of relief as pro-Europe Social Democrats retain power in Montenegro election

September 11th: A HOUSING CRISIS APPROACHES: economist warns "recession will be nasty and deep", housing indicators in "freefall"

September 13th: Hastert narrows shortlist; Romeny, Giuliani, Ryan considered main contenders

September 15th: Gallup poll: Hastert approvals plummet to 37%, "honeymoon definitely over"

September 17th: Center-right Moderate Party gains seats in Swedish election, Fredrik Reinfeldt likely to form majority government with Centre, Liberal People's and Christian Democratic parties

September 18th: BREAKING: President Hastert announces Giuliani is VP pick, expected to try for quick confirmation

September 21st: Opinion: Mayor Giuliani cheated on his wife and announced his divorce to the press without telling her. Is this the example our Vice President should set for our children?

September 24nd: Giuliani confirmed as Vice President by House and a 68 majority in the Senate, states that he's "happy to serve America in these difficult times"

September 26th: Hastert approvals tick up to 41%, Giuliani approvals at 53%

September 28th: BREAKING: e-mails released of Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL), member of GOP leadership, making suggestive comments to underage congressional pages; Foley confirms sending emails, claims they were "innocuous"

September 29th: Rep. Foley resigns abruptly after IMs released of explicitly sexual messages to underage male pages

September 30th: Investigation requested by Rep. Pelosi referred to Ethics Committee by Speaker Boehner; President calls released IMs "vile and repulsive"

October 1st: Right-populist coalition loses majorit in Austrian election, SPÖ-Greens win narrow 93-seat majority

October 2nd: GOP in trouble? More and more details come of key figures including President Hastert, Speaker Boehner and NRSCC Chair Reynolds having prior knowledge of Foley emails

October 3rd: Rep. Tom Reynolds reportedly urged "reluctant" Foley to run for reelection despite having knowlwedge of emails; Reynolds Chief of Staff resigns

October 4th: Boehner knew of Foley emails as early as spring 2006; calls for Speaker to resign intensify

October 5th: New TIME poll finds majority of voters believe GOP leadership "covered up" Foley scandals; Democratic generic ballot lead in steep rise

October 7th: President Hastert calls on Speaker to resign, says Foley scandal "very serious" and "would never have happened under my watch"

October 11th: Facing immense pressure, Speaker Boehner, Rep. Reynolds resign from leadership roles; sources say Boehner "furious at the President" for "shifting blame"

October 16th: House GOP selects Majority Leader Blunt, unmarred by Foley scandal, as new Speaker of the House

October 19th: BOEHNER DROPS BOMBSHELL: Claims he approached then-Speaker Hastert in spring 2006, told that Hastert will "take care of it"; President denies, calls Boehner "a desparate liar"

October 20th: Rep. Reynolds confirms he and Boehner approached Hastert; Minority Leader Pelosi says she is "disgusted" with President's inaction on "such vile deeds"

October 21st: Hastert claims he "doesn't recall" conversions with Boehner, Reynolds; Vice President Giuliani remains silent, reportedly "deeply concerned" with Hastert's handling of the scandal

October 23rd: "I take responsibility, but I've done nothing wrong": President Hastert dodging and deflecting and the public loses the trust it had left

October 27th: BREAKING NEWS: President Hastert testified before FBI on the issue of financial transactions

October 28th: Rumours swirl that FBI continues to investigate Hastert for cash withdrawals, payments to an "individual A"

October 29th: Brazilian election results in socialist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva winning an easy reelection against center-right candidate Geraldo Alckmin

October 30th: With ship almost sinking, Hastert gives address to the nation from Oval Office, assures that investigations are into "routine and unimportant actions that will soon be cleared out as unproblematic in any way"


If the start of the road for President Hastert's administration was littered with rocks, the next months were littered with boulder. The economy continued slowing and the Iraq War continued growing more and more unpopular, causing the President's support to decline even more. But the main issue on the table, that set aside all legislative priorities, was finding a Vice President. According to sources who would speak years later, Hastert was extremely frantic to find a good Vice President before the midterms, despite the role having no inherent role other than inheritance and tie-breaking in the Senate.

The first to be offered the role was Governor Jeb Bush, the late President's brother, in an attempt to sooth tensions in side the GOP. The next on the list was the respected Arizona Senator, John McCain. But when Bush and McCain both refused, Hastert and his team had the following short-list:

Fmr. Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)
Fmr. Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)
Fmr. CEO Carly Fiorina (R-CA)
Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Governor Rick Perry (R-TX)
Fmr. Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR)
Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)


Source: Flickr

In the end, Hastert made his choice- former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Despite concerns about Giuliani's past affairs and his moderate positions on social issues, the President decided that as a conservative, the former Mayor could help him shore up support with the moderates who disapproved of him in polls, and his national security credentials could help with the Republican Party's pro-Bush establishment. Additionally, Hastert desperately needed someone who'd get quickly confirmed in Congress and would boost his falling approval numbers before the midterm elections. Indeed, Giuliani didn't have much of a problem to be confirmed in the House. The Senate didn't prove a problem either, getting a majority of 68 (all 55 Republicans save for Chafee, independent Jim Jeffords and Democrats Pryor, Lincoln, Feinstein, Lieberman, Nelson (FL), Bayh, Landrieu, Baucus, Nelson (NE), Conrad, Dorgan, Johnson and Byrd). For a few days, the President's approvals rose, as America's Mayor was popular with the general public.

But then, things started to take a wrong turn for the GOP. The headlines speak for themselves. When the scandal of Rep. Tom Foley, the Deputy Whip of the GOP Caucus in the House, sending sexual emails and IMs to underage congressional pages, it took many victims. The first was Foley himself, who resigned immediately after explicit IMs were leaked, but then news started flowing that GOP leadership had knowledge of the emails. The second victim was GOP prospects in the upcoming midterms- numbers showed their numbers plummeting, and it became clear that Democrats are likely to retake congress. President Hastert, who was Speaker when the emails were initially brought to the attention of several congressmen, used his connections and influence to shift the blame on NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds (R-NY) and Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), causing both of them to resign from their roles and become the next victims.

With the GOP Caucus in crisis mode, Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-MO), an uncontroversial establishment figure, was chosen to replace former Speaker Boehner, who became a very short-lived leader. But then, both Boehner and Reynolds revealed under oath before the Ethics Committee that they informed Hastert of the Foley issue- and he did nothing about it. The story made waves, and Hastert's denials found no sympathy with Americans, whose approval of the President sank to historic lows. To make matters worse, the FBI investigation into several cash withdrawals leaked, and rumours started circulating in fringe left circles of an "individual A" being involved and receiving the payment.

It was disastrous- the public's trust in its leadership was already historically low following the shocking death of President Bush by his Vice President's accidental, and possibly negligent, actions and the Foley scandal. The notion that the new President covered up a possible sexual abuse of minors scandal and has his own corruption investigation crushed the public, and protests broke out all over the nation, from Portland to San Diego, calling on the entire leadership chain, from President Hastert to Vice President Giuliani to Speaker Blunt, to resign. Many of the protests turned into riots. The economy started slowing down rapidly as consumer and investor confidence plummeted, and terror attacks against American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan increased sharply. A mix of leadership, economic and national security crises was truly a poisonous combination for the social fabric of America.


Key Polling (November 2006)

President Dennis Hastert job approval (November 1st)
Disapprove- 71%
Approve- 22%
Unsure- 7%

Vice President Rudy Giuliani approval (November 1st)
Disapprove- 49%
Approve- 34%
Unsure- 17%

Speaker Roy Blunt approval (November 1st)
Disapprove- 41%
Approve- 38%
Unsure- 21%

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi approval (November 1st)
Approve- 45%
Disapprove- 41%
Unsure- 14%

Direction of the Country (November 1st)
Wrong Track- 79%
Right Track- 11%
Unsure- 10%

Generic Congressional Ballot- 2006
Democratic- 57%
Republican- 31%
Other\Undecided- 12%

Who will you support in the 2008 Presidential election? (Hastert)
Generic Democrat- 53%
President Dennis Hastert (R-IL)- 35%
Others\Undecided- 12%

Who will you support in the 2008 Presidential election? (Other Republican)
Generic Democrat- 50%
Generic Republican- 41%
Others\Undecided- 9%

Who do you support for the Republican nomination in 2008?
President Dennis Hastert (R-IL)- 33%
Vice President Rudy Giuliani (R-NY)- 15%
Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL)- 14%
Fmr. Secretary Condoleezza Rice (R-CA)- 10%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)- 7%
Fmr. First Lady Laura Bush (R-TX)- 5%
Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)- 2%
Governor George Pataki (R-NY)- 2%
Others- 5%
Undecided- 7%

Who do you support for the Democratic nomination in 2008?
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)- 31%
Fmr. Vice President Al Gore (D-TN)- 17%
Fmr. Senator John Edwards (D-NC)- 11%
Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)- 10%
Senator John Kerry (D-MA)- 9%
Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)- 4%
Fmr. Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD)- 2%
Senator Joe Biden (D-DE)- 1%
Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)- 1%
Others- 4%
Undecided- 10%

[America Needs R'hllor]

The 2006 Midterms (Part 1)


Sources: Wikipedia Commons

The week before the November 7th midterms wasn't any better for the GOP than the weeks before. The headlines were still filled with news of the Foley Scandal, the economic slowdown and the quagmire in Iraq when it was reported that the FBI investigation into the President's cash withdrawals continued despite the President's testimony. A day later, FBI Director Mueller confirmed that the FBI is "having a good look" at the President's "financial conduct and financial relations", but that it would be "unfair" to talk about the details and that the public should "wait with patience, and hope this turns out to be nothing". This was seen as a confirmation for the rumours that Hastert was paying someone, reportedly an "individual A". Mueller also asked the media not to "circulate conspiracy theories and inaccuracies, for the good of the country". But still, the headlines were filled by the story and America's trust in the President and his party was much lower than even during the Watergate Scandal. Democrats were bracing for a midterm landslide, but when it came it shocked even optimistic members of the party.

U.S. Senate Elections, 2006

Senate Election Results by state:

Arizona- A usually reliably but not overwhelmingly conservative state, Democrats saw an opportunity here as the President's approvals fell sharply. By the time the September primary for the seat came around, polls showed presumptive Democratic nominee Jim Pederson still trailing the popular GOP Senator Jon Kyl, but by high single-digits. Many voters, especially independents and moderates, were strongly reluctant to vote for a Republican, even one as popular as Kyl, and many were just planning to stay home while liberal turnout was expected to be turbo-charged. So, with Pederson's consent, he was switched with Arizona Attorney General and former Mayor of Phoenix Terry Goddard, who was polling much better due to strong popularity and name-recognition. In one of the shocking results of the night, Goddard defeated the popular Kyl, who was reelected without major competition in 2000, by a decent margin.

Arizona Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Attorney General Terry Goddard- 49.5% ✓
Senator Jon Kyl (I)- 46.8%
Fmr. Sherriff Richard Mack- 3.7%

California- Even in a normal environment, the longtime Senator Dianne Feinstein wouldn't have to worry about reelection in the solidly Democratic California. 2006 was no different in that regard, and Feinstein easily defeated GOP nominee Richard Mountjoy, a former State Senator, by a landslide.

Connecticut- One of the most interesting Senate races in the country pitted incumbent Senator Joe Lieberman, who lost the Democratic primary and ran in an independent platform called "Connecticut for Lieberman", against the liberal insurgent who defeated him, businessman Ned Lamont. The Republican nominee, former Derby Mayor Alan Schlesinger, was a non-factor. Throughout the campaign, Lieberman was shown with strong leads against Lamont, gaining support from both conservatives and Democratic moderates. But as President Hastert's approvals crashed, and as Lamont ran more ads showing Lieberman praising him and supporting the unpopular war in Iraq, Lieberman's numbers declined. On election night, Lamont won a shocking upset, ensuring a more liberal Democrat in the Senate.

Connecticut Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
Businessman Ned Lamont- 47.3% ✓
Senator Joe Lieberman (I)- 46.6%
Fmr. Mayor Alan Schlesinger- 5.3%
Others- 0.8%

Delaware- Another solid Democratic state, incumbent Senator Tom Carper won an easy reelection here over Republican professor Jan Ting, with over 70% of the vote.

Florida- A very competitive state in normal cycles, this time Florida saw a popular incumbent, Bill Nelson, against LeRoy Collins Jr., a navy veteran and son of a former Governor by the same name, who was chosen the Republican nominee after no one of higher stature wished to run (Rep. Katherine Harris filed to run before dropping out and deciding to run for reelection to her House seat). Nelson won easily, the race called at poll-closing.

Florida Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
Senator Bill Nelson (I)- 66.3% ✓
Attorney LeRoy Collins Jr.- 32.6%
Others- 1.1%

Hawaii- After weathering a primary challenge from fellow Asian-American congressman Ed Case, incumbent Senator Daniel Akaka easily won reelection in that deeply Democratic state, defeating Republican State Representative Cynthia Thielen.

Indiana- Despite the foul national environment for Republicans, Senator Richard Lugar managed to distance himself from the Hastert administration and his popularity allowed him to win without a problem despite the Democrats presenting a challenger in the form of party chair Dan Parker.

Indiana Senate Election, 2006 (Republican Hold)
Senator Richard Lugar (I)- 59.1% ✓
Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker- 35.5%
Mr. Steve Osborn- 5.4%

Maine- Despite running in a liberal state like Maine, the popular incumbent GOP Senator Olympia Snowe, who described herself as a "liberal Republican" during the campaign and worked hard to differentiate herself from the Hastert administration, won an easy reelection against Democrat Jean Hay Bright, taking just over 60% of the vote and winning every county.

Maryland- In this solid Democratic state, the election saw an open seat as popular incumbent Paul Sabarnes decided to retire. After defeating former Rep. Kweisi Mfume and other candidates in the primary, Rep. Ben Cardin won the general election against the Republican nominee, Lieutenant Governor Michael Steele, with ease despite expectations of a close race.

Maryland Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
U.S. Rep. Ben Cardin- 58.7% ✓
Lieutenant Governor Michael S. Steele- 39.5%
Others- 1.8%

Massachusetts- Ever since he announced that he'd run for reelection, there was little doubt that longtime incumbent Senator Ted Kennedy would win. Republican Kenneth Chase wasn't helped by the GOP's historic unpopularity, and Kennedy won with over 70% of the vote.

Michigan- Despite some speculation that incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow would be vulnerable, GOP nominee Oakland County Sherriff Michael Bouchard lost quite easily. With the economic slowdown hurting Michigan especially, with over 8% unemployment, and the President deeply unpopular, Stabenow won with over 60% of the vote.

Michigan Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
Senator Debbie Stabenow (I)- 60.4% ✓
Sherriff Michael Bouchard- 38.3%
Others- 1.3%

Minnesota- A normally liberal state, Minnesota was no different in an anti-GOP year like 2006. Incumbent DFL senator Mark Dayton retired, citing his displeasure with Washington, D.C., but Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar won the Democratic nomination and the general election with ease, defeating Republican Rep. Mark Kennedy.

Minnesota Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
County Attorney Amy Klobuchar- 59.9% ✓
U.S. Rep. Mark Kennedy- 35.8%
Others- 4.3%

Mississippi- Despite an unpopular Republican administration, Republican Senator Trent Lott was still popular in his state and received opposition from little-known African American State Representative Eric Flemming, leading to an easy if closer than expected reelection with 59% of the vote.

Missouri- In one of the night's ten Democratic gains, Republican Senator Jim Talent, elected in a 2002 special election, was defeated by Democratic State Auditor Claire McCaskill. A close race throughout the election, McCaskill ran a very strong campaign despite a financial disadvantage. In the end, the GOP's unpopularity was what killed Talent, who lost by a decent margin.

Missouri Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
State Auditor Claire McCaskill- 50.7% ✓
Senator Jim Talent (I)- 45.7%
Others- 3.6%

Montana- The Democratic Party's third gain for the night was with Montana State Senator Jon Tester, who ran a charismatic campaign, using his folksy image and fabulous flattop to defeat three-term incumbent Conrad Burns, whose involvement in the Jack Abramoff scandal and in the unpopular GOP made him very vulnerable.

Montana Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
State Senator Jon Tester- 49.3% ✓
Senator Conrad Burns (I)- 47.8%
Mr. Stan Jones- 2.9%

Nebraska- Despite it being a solid conservative state, Nebraska did not give trouble to its popular moderate Democratic Senator, Ben Nelson, who defeated businessman Pete Ricketts with over 65% of the vote in a favourable year.

Nevada- One of the most surprising contests of the night was in Nevada. Incumbent Republican John Ensign was considered a popular Senator despite his conservative positions and support for the Iraq War. However, as the mood soured on the GOP and the war both, he started losing ground. The Democrats, initially considered likely to nominate Jack Carter, navy veteran and son of former President Carter, were concerned by April 2006 that Carter's inexperience and recent arrival to the state (2002) will be a hurdle in a now-winnable race. In what became a trend in several Senate races now seen as winnable (such as Arizona), the Democrats saw a new candidate entering in the last moment- longtime Rep. Shelly Berkley. On election night, Berkley narrowly unseated Ensign.

Nevada Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Shelly Berkley- 48.8% ✓
Senator John Ensign (I)- 48.3%
Others- 2.9%

New Jersey- In a relatively liberal state, the appointed Senator Bob Menendez received a fairly strong challenger in the form of the moderate Thomas Kean, Jr., son of a former Governor. However, despite astrong showing in early polls, Kean lost handily on election night as the GOP's unpopularity sank him.

New Jersey Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
Senator Bob Menendez (I)- 55.3% ✓
State Senator Thomas Kean, Jr.- 43.9%
Others- 0.8%

New Mexico- Despite being a close state on the federal level, New Mexico gave its incumbent Democratic Senator, Jeff Bingaman, an easy reelection with over 70% of the vote against GOP nominee Allen McCulloch.

New York- Former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, the GOP nominee for the seat, nevver had any chance against the popular Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a likely 2020 Presidential contender. As New Yorkers measured the stability of the Clinton years against the Bush-Cheney-Hastert years, the decision became even easier and the Senator won with over 70% of the vote.

North Dakota- After the wildly popular GOP Governor John Hoeven declined to run, another deeply conservative state became an easy race for a popular Democratic incumbent. Senator Kent Conrad defeated his Republican opponent, Dwight Grotberg, with almost 70%.

Ohio- Another gain for the Democratic Party, Ohio saw an unpopular incumbent Senator, Mike DeWine, facing off against a popular progressive Democrat, Sherrod Brown, former Ohio Secretary of State and U.S. Representative. National Republicans had to triage this race as Brown's polling leads became insurmountable, and he won with ease.

Ohio Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Sherrod Brown- 58.5% ✓
Senator Mike DeWine (I)- 41.5%

Pennsylvania- Similar to Ohio, Pennsylvania had an unpopular Republican, the deeply socially conservative Rick Santorum, against a popular Democrat, Stete Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. In election night, Casey won easily.

Pennsylvania Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
State Treasurer Bob Casey Jr.- 60.2% ✓
Senator Rick Santorum (I)- 39.8%

Rhode Island- A liberal northeastern state, Rhode Island saw an interesting Senate race. The liberal Republican Senator, Lincoln Chafee, initially tried to run for reelection, challenged by the more conservative Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey in the primary. However, in September he dropped a bomb by announcing he was leaving the Republican Party and would run for reelection as an independent, promising to caucus with the Democrats if he won. However, Republicans nominated Laffey instead, and the Democratic former Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse won the three-way race easily. Asked if he thought his defeat would help the country by giving control of the Senate to Democrats, Chafee replied "honestly, yes".

Rhode Island Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Fmr. Attorney General Sheldon Whitehouse- 46.3% ✓
Senator Lincoln Chafee (I)- 27.1%
Mayor Steve Laffey- 26.6%

Tennessee- Expected to be one of the closest races in the nation, the Tennessee election pitted moderate New Democrat Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. against Republican former Mayor of Chattanooga Bob Corker. In the end, after a close and nasty campaign, the national anti-GOP winds blew away Corker and Ford was able to secure another Democratic gain. Ford became Tennessee's first African American Senator and the first Demorat to win a seat since 1994.

Tennessee Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr.- 50.3% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Bob Corker- 48.9%
Others- 0.8%

Texas- If you had to ask a random observer which Senate seat was the most interesting in 2006, they'd probably reply 'Texas'. In the strongly conservative state, a very unique situation was created. The deceased President Bush was extremely popular in the state, as its former Governor, and his death by former President Cheney created deep hostility towards the former Vice President. When President Hastert granted him a pardon, much of the hostility was directed to him, and the slowing economy and scandal-filled month of September harmed the GOP even more. The incumbent Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, was popular and uncontroversial as she ran for a third term. But Democrats saw a prominent candiate entering in the form of the liberal U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, an Iraq War opponent. In the subsequent election, Doggett ran a strong campaign that focused on the economy and on moral issues, painting Hutchinson, who many criticized for "sleeping on the wheel", as a blank-check supporter of the "corrupt GOP leadership" and for the unpopular President Hastert. Doggett made a point in one of the deabtes to say that he'd "never have pardoned Cheney". Come election night, Doggett shockingly won by a narrow margin.

Texas Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett- 48.9% ✓
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (I)- 48.6%
Mr. Scott Jameson- 2.5%


The new Senator from Texas, Lloyd Doggett (source: Flickr)

Utah- A safe Republican state with an uncontroversial incumbent, Utah reelected Senator Orrin Hatch over Democrat CEO Pete Ashdown, with a little under 60%.

Vermont- The liberal northeastern state saw an open seat as independent Senator Jim Jeffords decided to retire. Republican Businessman Richard Tarrant was swept aside by U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, a progressive independent endorsed by the Democratic Party.

Virginia- The Democrats' tenth pickup in the Senate, Virginia certainly saw an interesting race. The Republican incumbent, George Allen, was running for a second term and also served as a Governor in the past, making him a tough opponent. Democrats had a close race- the frontrunner was Jim Webb, decorated Vietnam veteran and former Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan, a moderate who supported right-to-work laws and opposed gun control. Against him stood businessman Harris Miller and a late entry- former Lieutenant Governor Don Beyer. Before the election, Miller dropped out and endorsed Beyer, who went on to beat Webb in an upset. In the general election, the political winds ended up triumphant, and despite the candidate perceived "more electable" losing the primary, Allen lost his Senate seat to the blue wave.

Virginia Senate Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Fmr. Lt. Gov. Don Beyer- 51.4% ✓
Senator George Allen (I)- 47.0%
Others- 1.6%

Washington- In the liberal west coast state, the Democratic incumbent Maria Cantwell didn't have much trouble winning a second term, despite being seen as vulnerable early on. She beat Republican CEO Mike McGavick with over 60% of the vote.

West Virginia- Despite the state's rapid move right, incumbent Democrat Robert Byrd was popular, and beat minor challenger John Raese, a perenniel candidate, with over 65% of the vote.

Wisconsin- A state that usually can elect Republicans, Wisconsin gave no chance to Robert Lorge, who tried to challenge popular incumbent Democrat Herb Kohl in an unfavourable year and lost badly.

Wyoming- The solid conservative western state didn't give popular incumbent Senator Craig L. Thomas defeating his Democratic challenger, Dale Groutage.

[KaiserDave]

Oh my.....oh my

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

So the Senate reverses from 55-45 R to 55-45 D. Dems need 4 or 5 more gains in 2008 to go filibuster proof, depending on if Arlen Specter still switches parties. In our timeline, they took 8 gains that year.

[Anti-Bothsidesism]

Oh my.....oh my

And this is just the senate

[We Live in Black and White]

Oh.

Oh heavens.

Parrotguy, you know how to make a Democrat happy.

[Elcaspar]

If this what the Senate looks like i literally can't wait to see the House and Gubernatorial results.

[Roll Roons]

If this what the Senate looks like i literally can't wait to see the House and Gubernatorial results.

I bet Democrats pick up around 45 House seats (they got 31 IRL), and win every gubernatorial race apart from AL, CA, CT, GA, HI, NE, SD and VT.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The 2006 Midterms (Part 2)


Sources: Wikipedia Commons

U.S. House Elections, 2006



The 2006 House of Representatives election was a bloodbath for Republicans- Democrats flipped as many as 65 seats, taking a decisive majority of 267 seats against 168 Republicans. This ensures no majority in the House for any White House initiative without the consent of the next Speaker, Nancy Pelosi from California, who'd become the first woman Speaker in Unites States history, the woman who reached the highest position ever.

One notable result included President Hastert's former district, IL-14, where Democratic physicist Bill Foster defeated Republican businessman Jim Oberweis, Hastert's handpicked successor. 38 years old Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs in war, won election in Illinois' 6th district. Veteran Scott Kleeb won election against Republican Adrian Smith in the deep-red NE-3 district. And Democrats won Wyoming's at-large district for the first time since 1976 with businessman Gary Trauner.

If you have any questions on House results, hit me up!

U.S. Gubernatorial Elections, 2006

U.S. Gubernatorial Results by State:

Alabama- In the Heart of Dixie, conservativism managed to defy the national winds. Governor Bob Riley managed to sweep aside a challenge from Democratic Lieutenant Governor Lucy Baxley with over 50%, despite a closer-than-expected race with Baxley winning 47% of the vote.

Alaska- The state of Alaska had a certainly interesting gubernatorial race. In the GOP primary, unpopular Governor Frank Murkowski was defeated by a landslide by Sarah Palin, former Wasilla Mayor, coming third behind former State Senator John Binkley. Democrats nominated former Governor Tony Knowles. It was a close race throughout, but the anti-GOP mood reached all the way to the cold north and gave Knowles the victory, the Democrats reclaiming the Governor's mansion in the state.

Alaska Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Fmr. Governor Tony Knowles- 45.4% ✓
Fmr. Mayor Sarah Palin- 42.7%
Fmr. State Rep. Andrew Halcro- 10.7%
Others- 1.2%

Arizona- Despite running for reelection in a Republican state, Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano was widely popular and, helped by the national environment, defeated former Center for Arizona Policy President Len Munsil with 65% of the vote.

Arkansas- With the incumbent Governor, conservative Republican Mike Huckabee, term-limited, Arkansas had a competitive race for the open seat. In the end, the Democratic nominee and Arkansas Attorney General Mike Beebe surged on his popularity to handily beat former U.S. Representative Asa Hutchinson.

Arkansas Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Attorney General Mike Beebe- 58.5% ✓
Fmr. U.S. Rep. Asa Hutchinson- 37.6%
Others- 3.9%

California- In the liberal western state, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican, managed to narrowly avoid the strong national winds (or, some say, tornadoes) against his party. He defeated State Treasurer Phil Angelides by a narrow margin.

California Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Republican Hold)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (I)- 47.0% ✓
State Treasurer Phil Angelides- 45.3%
Others- 7.7%

Colorado- In Colorado, Democrats captured the Governor's mansion with former Denver District Attorney Bill Ritter, defeating Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez handily on the back of the blue wave, replacing the term-limitted Republican Bill Owens.

Colorado Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Fmr. District Attorney Bill Ritter- 59.1% ✓
U.S. Rep. Bob Beauprez- 38.6%
Others- 2.3%

Connecticut- Just like in the Senate race, an anti-GOP, anti-war, liberal wave hit Connecticut on the gubernatorial level. Incumbent Republican Jodi Rell, a relatively moderate and very popular Governor, was shocked when the Democratic nominee, Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, defeated her by a razor-thin margin.

Connecticut Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz- 49.3% ✓
Governor Jodi Rell (I)- 49.1%
Others- 1.6%

Florida- In one of the most surprising gubernatorial races, Florida avoided the strong anti-GOP wave and elected a Republican to replace the popular but term-limited Jeb Bush- Republican Attorney General Charlie Crist narrowly defeated Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Davis. This victory is attributed to a couple factors- one is the differentiation of Governor Bush from the Hastert Administration after his vocal criticism of the Chenney pardon. The second is that Crist himself worked extrmely hard to present himself as a moderate to liberal Republican in the general election, promising to "break from Hastert".

Florida Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Republican Hold)
Attorney General Charlie Crist- 49.5% ✓
U.S. Rep. Jim Davis- 48.1%
Others- 2.4%

Georgia- Another surprising result came from Georgia. There, the popular conservative incumbent Sonny Perdue was narrowly defeated by Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor, which served to show just how far the anti-GOP and anti-Hastert sentiment went- even the conservative Georgia didn't reelect its Governor.

Georgia Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor- 47.9% ✓
Governor Sonny Perdue (I)- 46.6%
Mr. Garrett Hayes- 4.5%

Hawaii- Initially, Hawaii Democrats didn't bother finding any major opponent for incumbent Republican Governor Linda Lingle, who was popular and considered non-partisan by many. However, as the national mood soured on Republicans, U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie was successfully recruited to run for the seat. His campaign successfully painted Lingle as a conservative and partisan Republican, pointing out her role as temporary chair of the 2004 RNC in the absence of President Hastert. Come election night, Abercrombie won by a landslide.

Hawaii Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie- 57.6% ✓
Governor Linda Lingle (I)- 40.6%
Others- 1.8%

Idaho- In this deeply conservative western state, Republicans managed to escape embarrassment when U.S. Rep. and former Lieutenant Governor Butch Otter won over newspaper publisher Democrat Jerry Brady to replace Governor Jim Risch (who ran for Lieutenant Governor, the post he held before Governor Kempthorne was appointed Interior Secretary). But it was closer than expected- Otter won just 49.5% to Brady's 46.8%.

Illinois- In this Democratic-leaning state, there was little doubt that Democrats could hold the Governor's Mansion. Indeed, Governor Rod Blagojevitch won reelection against Republican State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka with over 50%, despite a strong campaign by Green Party nominee Rich Whitney, who won double digits.

Iowa- The popular Democratic Governor Tom Vilsack was term-limited, but with a favourable environment, Secretary of State Chet Culver had little problem beating Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle with 55%.

Kansas- Despite the state being solidly Republican on a federal level, popular Democratic incumbent Kathleen Sebelius easily won reelection against Republican State Senator Jim Barnett, taking over 60% of the vote.

Maine- Another Democratic hold, Maine gave a reelection victory to Democrat John Baldacci, who swept away opposition from Republican State Senator Chandler Woodcock, Independent State Representative Barbara Merrill, and Green Pat LaMarche.

Maine Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Hold)
Governor John Baldacci (I)- 40.8% ✓
State Rep. Barbara Merrill- 25.7%
State Senator Chandler Woodcock- 22.3%
Activist Pat LaMarche- 10.4%
Others- 0.8%

Maryland- In this northeastern Democratic-leaning state, Republican incumbent Bob Ehrlich wasn't particularly popular. Coupled with a terrible national environment, his chances were very slim, and he was indeed defeated by the Democrat, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, who won over 55% of the vote.

Massachusetts- With the retirement of the popular Governor Mitt Romney, a rumoured 2008 Presidential candidate, Democrats seemed poised to take the governor's mansion in such a year. Indeed, civil right attorney Deval Patrick easily won, defeating Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey with over 60%.

Michigan- With a relatively-contested Senate race, Republicans fielded self-funding businessman and donor Dick DeVos to challenge progressive Governor Jennifer Granholm. It proved to be a disaster, as she won with over 60%.

Minnesota- In this liberal-leaning state, Governor Tim Pawlenty was relatively popular, but also not considered particularly moderate. With the national mood turning increasingly against the GOP, Pawlenty struggled to hold on, but it proved to be in vain- Democrat Mark Dayton, who retired from the Senate and ran for Governor, defeating Attorney General Mike Hatch in his party's primary, beat Pawlenty and incumbent Independence Party nominee Peter Hutchinson handily.

Minnesota Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Senator Mark Dayton- 48.4% ✓
Governor Tim Pawlenty (I)- 42.4%
Businessman Peter Hutchinson- 8.2
Others- 1.0%

Nebraska- One of the lone seats retained by the GOP, Nebraska reelected Governor Dave Heineman, a conservative Republican, in tandem with Democratic Senator Ben Nelson, both with landslides.

Nevada- The "blue tsunami" truly reached Nevada. While Senator John Ensign was shockingly beaten by Shelly Berkley, U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons, the Republican nominee for Governor to replace the retiring Kenny Guinn from the same party, was handily beaten, as well. The woman who silently snapped his neck was Dina Titus, a State Senator dubbed by Senator Harry Reid "the most powerful woman in Nevada".

Nevada Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
State Senator Dina Titus- 46.9% ✓
U.S. Rep. Jim Gibbons- 43.6%
Others- 9.5%

New Hampshire- The popular Democratic Governor John Lynch won a crushing 75% against his opponent, State Rep. Jim Coburn, to no one's surprise.

New Mexico- Another non-surprise, Democratic Governor Bill Richardson coasted to reelection with almost 70% of the vote against businessman John Dendahl.

New York- With popular Republican George Pataki retiring, Democrats gained the Governor's mansion in this liberal state, with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer easily winning against former State Assemblyman John Faso.

Ohio- Republican Governor Bob Taft was both term-limited and historically unpopular. With the GOP President also deeply unpopular, Democrat U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland easily won against Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, winning north of 60% of the vote.

Oklahoma- In this conservative state, Democratic Governor Brad Henry was very popular and had no issue getting reelected handily over Republican U.S. Rep. Ernie Istook.

Oregon- Another easy reelection went to Democrat Ted Kulongoski, who won over 50% of the vote against Republican former Portland Schoolboard Chairman Ron Saxton.

Pennsylvania- Governor Ed Rendell, a popular Democratic incumbent, easily beat back a challenger from Republican basketball playet Lynn Swann, winning north of 60%.

Rhode Island- While Sheldon Whitehouse took the Senate seat from now-indepdendent Lincoln Chafee, Democrats also beat the Republican Governor, Don Carcieri, a social conservative, who lost to Democratic Lieutenant Governor Charlie Fogarty.

Rhode Island Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
Lt. Gov. Charlie Fogarty- 51.5% ✓
Governor Don Carcieri (I)- 48.5%

South Carolina- As the national mood soured on the GOP, Democrats increasingly saw incumbent Governor Mark Sanford, a conservative Republican, as a target. However, Sanford's popularity and the state's rightward lean was hard to overcome, and he defeated State Senator Tommy Moore 53%-47%.

South Dakota- The popular Republican incumbent, Mike Rounds, avoided the national mood and won with over 65% over Democratic State Rep. Jack Billion.

Tennessee- The wildly popular Democratic Governor Phil Bredesen easily won reelection, taking over 70% of the vote against State Senator Jim Bryson. This also likely helped Harold Ford Jr., the victorious Senate nominee.

Texas- With a fascinating Senate race, Texas also delivered in the gubernatorial front. The anti-Hastert mood did not escape Democrats here, and they hoped centrist U.S. Rep. Chris Bell would help them defeat their opponent. Governor Rick Perry, who assumed office after President Bush's election in 2000 and won reelection in 2002, was running again, but his approvals plummeted after he botched several issues on the state level, coupled with the slower economy and the anti-GOP national mood. He was also challenged by State Comptroller Carole Keeton 'Grandma' Strayhorn, a moderate Republican running an independent bid and accusing Perry of incompetence, and the populist country singer Kinky Friedman. During September, as the GOP's prospects turned dim nationally, Grandma dropped out of the race and endorsed Bell, changing her party registration to independent. Coupled with a surge for the populist Friedman, who took a lot of conservative voters disillusioned with Perry, allowed Bell to win by an upset and take back the Texas Governor's mansion for the Democratic Party.

Texas Gubernatorial Election, 2006 (Democratic Gain)
U.S. Rep. Chris Bell- 42.9% ✓
Governor Rick Perry (I)- 39.8%
Mr. Kinky Friedman- 15.3%
State Comptroller Carole Keeton 'Grandma' Strayhorn- 1.3%
Mr. James Werner- 0.7%

Vermont- The state continued its streak of electing moderate Republicans, reelecting Jim Douglas despite the national mood. Douglas won with 54% over Democrat Scudder Parker.

Wisconsin- Initially thought to be competitive, the challenge of U.S. Rep. Mark Green to incumbent Democrat Jim Doyle quickly turned sour, together with the national anti-GOP sentiment. Doyle won with almost 55% of the vote.

Wyoming- Despite being arguably the most Republican state in the nation, Wyoming granted its popular Democratic Governor, Dave Freudenthal, an easy reelection of over 70% against Republican Ray Hunkins.

2006 Midterm Results Overview

Composition of the U.S. Senate, 2007

Democratic Majority: 55 Seats
Democrats: 54 Seats ↑ (+9)
Indepdndents: 1 Seat (+-0)

Republican Minority: 45 Seats
Republicans: 45 Seats ↓ (-9)

Senate Leadership:
Senate Majority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)
Senate Majority Whip: Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Senate Minority Leader: Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Senate Minority Whip: Trent Lott (R-MS)

Composition of the U.S. House of Representatives, 2007
Democratic Party: 267 ↑ (+65)
Republcian Party: 168 ↓ (-64)

House Leadership:
House Speaker: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
House Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
House Majority Whip: Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
House Minority Leader: Roy Blunt (R-MO)
House Minority Whip: Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Composition of U.S. Governorships, 2007

Democrats: 36 States ↑ (+14)
Republicans: 14 States ↓ (-14)

[America Needs R'hllor]

Note: I really enjoy writing this TL. The chaos is great, it's a complete mess and I love it. However, considering where this is going with the Republican Party in a veeeery uncomfortable position (don't worry though, the right will come back! It always does), it will probably not continue for a long time- I will of course see it through to a satisfying end, but after a point it'll probably not be terribly interesting. So after it's done I'm looking to either continue an old project or start a new one that will span more years, or something else- we'll see! Also, I'd love to hear your opinions on this one

[We Live in Black and White]

😍😍😍

[KaiserDave]

I’ll just say that I love it

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

I wanted to see the 2008 election cycle play out in this timeline.

[😥]

Great! I want to see 2008 election! Al Gore/Hillary Clinton 2008!

[America Needs R'hllor]

I wanted to see the 2008 election cycle play out in this timeline.

Oh, I'll definitely write 2008. It'll be interesting

[OSR stands with Israel]

This makes 2006 OTL look like nothing , cant wait for the 2008 Election

[Joseph Cao]

This is an absolutely impressive writeup, and the detail is everything one could have asked for. Well done!

I know the focus for 2008 will be on the presidential election, but I'll just put it out here that another breakdown of House/Senate/gubernatorial results of this quality would be literal catnip. Especially if a certain Louisiana Republican also defies the national environment in this timeline by winning a heavily Democratic district in New Orleans.