Idea: Dukakis wins in 1988
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  Idea: Dukakis wins in 1988
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Author Topic: Idea: Dukakis wins in 1988  (Read 776 times)
its_gi_brown
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« on: October 11, 2021, 08:53:46 PM »
« edited: October 12, 2021, 04:54:49 PM by its_gi_brown »

1988 United States presidential election

The 1988 United States presidential election was a hotly contested race between Vice President George Bush (R-TX) and Governor Michael Dukakis (D-MA). The Democratic frontrunner was originally Gary Hart, but he was caught doing a no-no and dropped out, so Dukakis clinched the nomination instead. He named Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen as his running mate, who was widely liked, even more so than Dukakis. Vice President Bush experienced little opposition as he cruised to the nomination, and selected Indiana Senator Dan Quayle as his running mate, a move that was widely criticized, as Quayle had a reputation for being inexperienced and committing embarrassing gaffes. For most of 1988, polling was neck and neck between Dukakis and Bush. Dukakis surged ahead after his and Bentsen’s victories in their respective presidential and vice-presidential debates, but vivid advertisements such as the infamous “Willie Horton” and “Revolving Door” caused Bush to surge ahead. Both candidates engaged in aggressive attacking and defending themselves. On Election Day, the two candidates were tied, but Governor Dukakis narrowly defeated Bush. The tipping point state in Dukakis's victory over Bush was Michigan, which he won by 1.3%. Additionally, he defeated Bush in the key states of South Dakota and Montana, which bolstered his lead to a more comfortable yet still slim 280 electoral votes.


Electoral vote
Michael Dukakis: 280
George Bush: 258

Popular vote
Michael Dukakis: 49.6%
George Bush: 49.2%

States carried
George Bush: 28
Michael Dukakis: 22 + D.C.


I, Michael S. Dukakis, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.


Cabinet of Michael Dukakis, 41st President of the United States

Vice President of the United States: Lloyd Bentsen, former Senator from Texas
Secretary of State: Lee Hamilton, former Congressman from Indiana
Secretary of the Treasury: Paul Volcker, former Chair of the Federal Reserve
Secretary of Defense: Les Aspin, former Congressman from Wisconsin and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee
Attorney General: Susan Estrich, lawyer and campaign manager for the Dukakis '88 campaign
Secretary of the Interior: Bruce Babbitt, former Governor of Arizona
Secretary of Agriculture: James Hightower, former Commissioner of the Texas Dept. of Agriculture
Postmaster General: William Henderson, former official within the U.S. Postal Service
Secretary of Commerce: Anne Wexler, former Undersecretary of the Department of Commerce
Secretary of Labor: Henry Cisneros, former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas
Secretary of Energy: Charles B. Curtis, former Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Secretary of Education: Mary Hatwood Futrell, former president of the National Education Association
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Hale Champion, former Undersecretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under President Jimmy Carter
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Paul Tsongas, former United States Senator from Massachusetts
Secretary of Transportation: Frederick Salvucci, former Secretary of Transportation of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
White House Chief of Staff: Leon Panetta, former Congressman from Indiana and Chair of the House Budget Committee


Supreme Court justices appointed by President Michael Dukakis during his first term

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (nominated July 24, 1990, assumed seat October 7, 1990)
Gilbert Merritt (nominated June 28, 1991, assumed seat August 4, 1991)
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its_gi_brown
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« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2021, 09:16:22 PM »
« Edited: October 12, 2021, 03:47:05 PM by its_gi_brown »

1992 United States presidential election

The 1992 United States presidential election saw the incumbent president Michael Dukakis wipe the floor with Pat Buchanan, his Republican adversary, who served as a reaction to Dukakis's social liberalism. Buchanan, however, was not always the favorite for the Republican nomination. He only became the nominee after a series of fluke victories against Bob Dole in the primaries. Dole polled almost dead even with the President, and it is speculated that, had he gotten the nomination, he could have narrowly won. Dukakis entered the general election season with a significant lead which only widened after him and Lloyd Bentsen trounced their opponents in their respective debates. However, after the destructive 1992 L.A. riots, Dukakis's poll numbers sagged significantly and Buchanan was able to deny him his goal of getting at least 400 electoral votes. Also, Buchanan's staunch social views allowed him to sweep every former Confederate state except for Texas and Florida.


Electoral vote
Michael Dukakis: 397
Pat Buchanan: 141

Popular vote
Michael Dukakis: 52.9%
Pat Buchanan: 46.1%

States carried
Michael Dukakis: 32 + D.C.
Pat Buchanan: 18


I, Michael S. Dukakis, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.


Supreme Court justices appointed by President Michael Dukakis during his second term

Stephen Breyer (nominated June 14, 1993, assumed seat August 6, 1993)
George Mitchell (nominated May 17, 1994, assumed seat August 14, 1994)
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its_gi_brown
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« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2021, 08:25:37 AM »
« Edited: October 12, 2021, 05:29:55 PM by its_gi_brown »

1996 United States presidential election

After the failure of Pat Buchanan in 1992, Bob Dole was able to sweep the primaries and win the nomination against several others. He claimed that Buchanan's ultra-conservative ways gave Michael Dukakis another term, and that he would fare much better against this year's Democratic nominee, be it Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Bill Bradley, or whoever else. He tapped Congressman Jack Kemp to be his running mate, who was generally thought of as a solid choice. As for the Democrats, it was considered to be a wide open race, until Vice President Lloyd Bentsen declared his intention to run, which mostly cleared the field. However, stalwart liberal Jesse Jackson, who claimed to be the true ideological successor of Michael Dukakis, refused to budge. However, this backfired when Dukakis endorsed Bentsen. Bentsen eventually defeated Jackson, who begrudgingly endorsed him at the Democratic National Convention. Bentsen named Secretary of Labor Henry Cisneros, a Dukakis appointee, to be his running mate. Cisneros was considered to be a good choice, as he only solidified Texas further for Bentsen, and his young looks, more liberal ideas, and Latino background provided a good balance for old, white, moderate Bentsen. In the general election season, Bentsen quickly made it clear that he had no desire to run for a second term. Thus, reluctant liberals and progressives backed him, as there was an open primary in four years anyways. There was a lot of controversy around Bentsen's age, as many thought 75 was far too old for a president. This was slightly dampened by Dole being old himself and Bentsen's decision to serve only one term, but that controversy was the main thing he had to fight off as he campaigned. In the end, the popularity of President Dukakis was too much to overcome, and Bob Dole was soundly defeated by Lloyd Bentsen.


Electoral vote
Lloyd Bentsen: 347
Bob Dole: 191

Popular vote
Lloyd Bentsen: 51.9%
Bob Dole: 48.2%

States carried
Lloyd Bentsen: 26 + D.C.
Bob Dole: 24


I, Lloyd M. Bentsen, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.


Cabinet of Lloyd Bentsen, 42nd President of the United States

Vice President of the United States: Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Labor under President Michael Dukakis
Secretary of State: Warren Christopher, former Deputy Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter
Secretary of the Treasury: Gerald Corrigan, former President of the N.Y. Federal Reserve Bank
Secretary of Defense: Harold Brown, former Secretary of Defense under President Jimmy Carter
Attorney General: Paul Brountas, lawyer and confidant to President Michael Dukakis
Secretary of the Interior: Sam Nunn, former United States Senator from Georgia
Secretary of Agriculture: Eugene Moos, farmer and Congressional aide
Secretary of Commerce: Michael Kantor, former United States Trade Representative
Secretary of Labor: Robert Reich, author and economist
Secretary of Energy: Federico Peña, former mayor of Denver, Colorado
Secretary of Education: John Brademas, educator and former House Majority Whip
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Karen Davis, former head of the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: William Apgar, professor and economist
Secretary of Transportation: Rodney Slater, former Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration
White House Chief of Staff: Martha Collins, former Governor of Kentucky


Supreme Court justices appointed by President Lloyd Bentsen during his first term

No Supreme Court vacancies occured during Lloyd Bentsen’s first term.
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its_gi_brown
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« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2021, 05:30:08 PM »
« Edited: October 14, 2021, 08:11:52 PM by its_gi_brown »

2000 United States presidential election

Things were going good for President Lloyd Bentsen and the Democrats until February of 1998, when President Lloyd Bentsen suffered from two strokes, one on February 14th and the other one, more severe, on the 21st. After the first one, he immediately invoked the 25th Amendment, and after the second one, was so injured that he had to use a wheelchair for the remainder of his term. Reactions from the public varied for the three months he was hospitalized, and his approval rating varied heavily. Some supported their stricken leader, while others were furious at his judgement for running despite being older than any president in history. Meanwhile, Vice President Cisneros got generally high marks for his three-month job as Acting President, earning praise mostly for his crisis management skills and his unwillingness to overstep his bounds as a caretaker president. Nonetheless, President Bentsen returned after three months of rehabilitation, and his approval rating stabilized. Cisneros enjoyed a mostly clear field until Nebraska Governor Bob Kerrey, who saw an opening amongst white, moderate voters, declared his candidacy in a move that came as a shock to many people. However, Cisneros enjoyed a decent lead in polling, and did not seem all too worried. Cisneros and Kerrey even personally liked each other, and the campaign was clean of the bad blood that normally plagues primary season. Cisneros maintained his lead in polling, and Kerrey was prepared to drop out and endorse him, but fate had a different plan. On May 22, 2000, Henry Cisneros was shot and killed by a mentally ill Mississippian man, who called Cisneros a "radical leftist communist" who was going to "take all of our guns and make us slaves" in his short manifesto. The nation was in shock. Republicans and Democrats alike condemned the assassination, and Bob Kerrey delivered a tearful eulogy at Cisneros's funeral. "I had many disagreements with him," said Kerrey, "but at the end of the day, we were on the same team, and we both felt the same basic need to help the downtrodden, the outcasts, and those who live in the shadow of this society. I am proud to say that I loved Henry Cisneros."

Most prominent Democrats stayed out of the race out of respect for Cisneros, and Kerrey cruised to the nomination with little trouble. At the convention, he tapped former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley as his running mate, a standard choice met with little fanfare or criticism.

The Republican side was a Mexican standoff between two party heavyweights: Arizona Senator John McCain and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, son of former Vice President George Bush. The two candidates were neck and neck from the beginning all the way into June. However, on June 21, at the end of a run-of-the-mill campaign speech, there was no applause, which Bush did not anticipate. He then half-jokingly said "Please clap," and that line, caught on camera, was played over and over again by the media because it was funny. Although Bush strongly denied that the "please clap" was not what sank his campaign, afterwards, people just didn't take him as seriously, and McCain was able to take a narrow lead, after which Bush suspended his campaign. He endorsed McCain immediately after. At the RNC, McCain announced that Missouri Senator John Danforth would be his running mate. Danforth was widely respected and considered to be a good choice.

The general election campaign was highly competitive. McCain highlighted his independent record and the country's desire for change after twelve years of Democrats, while Kerrey campaigned heavily on the good economy and the popularity of Dukakis, Bentsen, and Cisneros (who is basically treated like a president because of how much he is respected, and his three month stint as Acting President). McCain was considered to have won the debates, which gave him a slight lead over Kerrey, which he never lost.


Electoral vote
John McCain: 277
Bob Kerrey: 261

Popular vote
John McCain: 50.4%
Bob Kerrey: 49.1%

States carried
John McCain: 30
Bob Kerrey: 20 + D.C. + NE-02


I, John S. McCain, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.


Cabinet of John McCain, 43rd President of the United States

Vice President of the United States: John Danforth, former Senator from Missouri
Secretary of State: Richard Armitage, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs
Secretary of the Treasury: Phil Gramm, economist and former Senator from Texas
Secretary of Defense: John Lehman, former Secretary of the Navy
Attorney General: Sam Brownback, former United States Senator from Kansas
Secretary of the Interior: Mark Racicot, former Governor of Montana
Secretary of Agriculture: Newt Gingrich, former Congressman from Georgia and Speaker of the House
Secretary of Commerce: Lewis Eisenberg, former Chair of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Goldman Sachs exectuive
Secretary of Labor: John Engler, former Governor of Michigan
Secretary of Energy: Joe Barton, former Congressman from Texas
Secretary of Education: Lisa Keegan, educator and former Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Michael Leavitt, former Governor of Utah
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development:
Secretary of Transportation: Bill Graves, former Governor of Kansas and head of the American Trucking Association
White House Chief of Staff: Rick Davis, American political consultant


Supreme Court justices appointed by President John McCain during his first term

No Supreme Court vacancies occurred during John McCain's first term.
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its_gi_brown
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« Reply #4 on: October 14, 2021, 05:07:35 PM »
« Edited: October 14, 2021, 08:16:19 PM by its_gi_brown »

2004 United States presidential election


On September 11, 2001, the worst tragedy to hit the United States in American history happened. Millions of Americans watched the television as the severity of the disaster increased tenfold. Some cried openly. Others watched, silently and sternly. Four jets were hijacked. Two were flown into the Twin Towers in New York, killing thousands of people and hundreds of first responders, one was flown into the Pentagon, killing hundreds of service members and defense personnel, and one was flown into the White House, killing President John McCain and his entire staff.

On the same day that 3,454 people were killed in an act of terror and the nation was mourning, John Danforth was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. After careful consideration, Danforth appointed Pennsylvania Governor John Ridge as his new vice-president. Ridge's selection was applauded, and the Senate confirmed him overwhelmingly. Danforth made no changes to McCain's cabinet "out of respect for Mr. McCain," he promised. "I will govern in a manner similar to his and not replace any of his cabinet members unless absolutely necessary."

Meanwhile, the American public was absolutely furious and seething for revenge against the enemy that killed over 3,000 Americans and the President. It was quickly rumored that Saudi Arabian terrorist Osama bin Laden was responsible, and he confirmed this in a video released shortly after the attacks. Pressure was on President Danforth to avenge his predecessor at all costs, and sooner rather than later. Soon, the Department of Defense, under his oversight, developed a plan to obliterate everyone responsible for the attack. Called Operation Vindictive Son, this operation was larger than D-Day, or any other single operation in American military history. American troops were to invade Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and any other country thought to harbor bin Laden or his terrorists. Troops landed simultaneously in all four countries on March 4, 2002. However, Saudi Arabia was the world's largest oil producer, and it could no longer export oil as it was being invaded, so the world economy immediately crashed and entered a recession, and unemployment shot up all over the world, particularly in America. The rest of Europe, originally hesitant about helping the US invade four countries simultaneously, now openly resisted American efforts to drag the rest of NATO into the conflict. US efforts on this field never came to fruition, and it remained a solely American war for its entire duration. The military's budget immediately increased in size by massive margins, causing drastic cuts to social programs such as Social Security, infuriating the American public, particularly senior citizens, who used to back Danforth uniformly. By March of 2003, John Danforth's approval rating was at 33% and falling steadily, and unemployment was at 11% and rising. The fact that Democrats had taken back both the House and the Senate only further frustrated Danforth's plans to continue the war. "We must stop at nothing to find and kill the terrorists responsible for the murder of our President," said Danforth in his 2003 State of the Union address. "even if we must endure personal hardship or difficulty in doing so."

Things started looking better and better for the Democrats, and they entered the primary season with a wide field of candidates, including big names such as Al Gore, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, Bob Graham, and even Bob Kerrey again. Al Gore was among the first to drop out, saying that "my home state needs me right now and my duty is to them." Candidates slowly dropped out until only three big names were left: Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh, and Bob Graham. Graham and Bayh heavily criticized Lieberman's hawkish stances on defense, which Lieberman responded to by saying "I am the only candidate who can end these wars while simultaneously remaining strong and able to properly capture and destroy Osama bin Laden," which softened Democrats, who were still furious about 9/11. John Kerry was the clear frontrunner going into Super Tuesday, but Joe Lieberman and Bob Graham successfully hit on him for being too dovish and not having the drive to capture and kill Osama bin Laden. On Super Tuesday, Joe Lieberman won several key primaries and surged ahead. He never lost this momentum, and Kerry, Bayh, and Graham dropped out. Joe Lieberman was now the Democrats' presidential nominee, and he chose Bayh as his running mate. Bayh was celebrated as a competent, good pick.

On the Republican side, it wasn't looking good for President Danforth. He faced multiple challenges from within the Republican Party, namely former Florida governor Jeb Bush, former Speaker of the House and agriculture secretary Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback. Ron Paul gained an early lead with his strong libertarian views, criticizing Danforth for his disastrous war in the Middle East and the PATRIOT act, the latter of which being a point of contention against President Danforth, who stood by the act, as he signed it into law. As the accusations that he was too soft on defense increased, Paul faded, and going into Super Tuesday, it was certain that either Huckabee or Danforth would be the Republican nominee. However, Super Tuesday defied everybody's expectations by delivering several key victories to Paul, giving his campaign a badly-needed boost. One week later, President John Danforth announced that he was no longer running for reelection, in a video that shocked Americans. In it, a frail, haggard Danforth explained himself. "I can't conscionably do this anymore," Danforth said to an audience of tens of millions of Americans. When he gestured with his hands, they trembled visibly, and by the end of the video, it was clear that Danforth was barely keeping his composure. Many Americans who previously expressed disapproval of Danforth now sympathized with their president, and his approval rating stabilized a little bit. Huckabee faded in the polls after this announcement, and Ron Paul carried his momentum all the way to the Republican National Convention. He begrudgingly picked Huckabee as his running mate, and they were off to make the case for libertarianism to the American people.

The general election campaign was heated. Free of Danforth's unpopularity, Paul closed in on Lieberman in the polls, and by October, both were neck and neck. The race was at a virtual tie. As the results rolled in, it looked like Lieberman was going to win as he swept New Hampshire by a few percentage points, but Lieberman's path to 270 quickly stalled as Wisconsin, New Mexico, and Colorado were called for Paul. The popular vote was virtually tied. Nevada was called for Paul, and that was the ballgame for Lieberman, who immediately called Paul to concede, but hung up halfway through, as his advisors pulled him into the conference room from which he watched the results roll in. Lieberman had taken the lead in Florida, and he was steadily gaining. If Florida was called for him, which was likely, the Electoral College would sit at a 269-269 tie, forcing a contingent election in the House. Florida was called for Lieberman later that morning.

On a chilly January morning, the House of Representatives held a contingent election in which Lieberman was elevated to the presidency. Many conservative names associated with Paul vociferously alleged voter fraud and other irregularities, but Paul was adamant in making them stop, as he wanted to avoid a constitutional crisis. Paul would go down in history as a gracious loser who put the country in front of his own political career, and Lieberman would go down in history as the 45th President of the United States.


Electoral vote
Joe Lieberman: 269
Ron Paul: 269

Popular vote
Joe Lieberman: 49.6%
Ron Paul: 49.0%

States carried
Ron Paul: 30
Joe Lieberman: 20 + D.C. + NE-02


I, Joseph I. Lieberman, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.


Cabinet of Joe Lieberman, 45th President of the United States

Vice President of the United States: Evan Bayh
Secretary of State: Richard Holbrooke, former Assistant Secratary of State under Preisdent Lloyd Bentsen
Secretary of the Treasury: Lawrence Summers, economist and former Vice President of Development Economics and Chief Economist of the World Bank
Secretary of Defense: Norm Dicks, former Congressman from Washington
Attorney General: Walter Dellinger, former Acting Solicitor General under President Michael Dukakis
Secretary of the Interior: Al Gore, former Senator from Tennessee
Secretary of Agriculture: Charles Stenholm, former Congressman from Texas
Secretary of Commerce: Norman Mineta, former Congressman from California
Secretary of Labor: Linda Thompson, former executive secretary of the AFL-CIO
Secretary of Energy: James Langdon, lawyer
Secretary of Education: Thomas Carper, former Governor of Delaware
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Howard Dean, former Governor of Vermont
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Norm Rice, former Mayor of Seattle, Washington
Secretary of Transportation: Jane Garvey, former Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration
White House Chief of Staff: Geroge Mitchell, former Senate Majority Leader


Supreme Court justices appointed by President Joe Lieberman during his first term

Merrick Garland (nominated March 17, 2005, assumed seat July 8, 2005)
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