A Blessing in Disguise

I originally posted this TL on uselectionatlas.org, but I decided to move it here because Wikiboxes look much better on this site than on that one. I don't know if that's breaking a rule, but I'm doing it anyway. I hope you enjoy this TL.

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The year was 2004, and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold had just started his own party. Feingold, a lifelong Democrat, after being the only Senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act and seeing the majority of his Party in Senate vote to authorize the Iraq War had decided that, as much as he loved his party, he could no longer be a Democrat. On January 17th, 2004, Feingold announced he was going to leave the Democratic Party and instead become a Senator of his own newly founded Progressive Party, but would caucus with the Democrats. The Democratic Party in Wisconsin figured that running a Democrat would only risk splitting the liberal vote and decided instead to endorse Feingold in his upcoming re-election bid. So begins our story.
 
The 2004 Elections
In the race for the Presidency, George W. Bush was re-elected after a very bitter campaign where he successfully portrayed his opponent John Kerry as an elitist and soft on Terrorism. He also, controversially, ran a series of ads called "Swiftboat Veterans for truth" where a group of Veterans questioned Kerry's military heroics. Regardless of whether the ad was true or not, it was effective and was undoubtedly a factor in his re-election. In the end, the election came down to Ohio, which President Bush carried by about 2 points. There was some controversy about the vote in Ohio, with 33 representatives voting against certifying Ohio's electoral votes. Nevertheless, Kerry did not contest the results and George W. Bush was sworn in for a second term on January 20th, 2005.

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The results in the House of Representatives maintained Republican control of the Chamber.

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The results in the Senate not only maintained Republican control, they made it very unlikely the Democrats would retake the chamber in 2006. The Republicans picked up open seats in Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. On top of this, and worst of all for the Democrats, they unseated their Leader Tom Dashale in South Dakota, the first instance of a party Senate Leader being unseated since 1952. The sole bright spot for the Democrats in the Senate that year was picking up Seats in Colorado and Illinois, having failed to pickup targets in Kentucky, Alaska, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. The new Progressives won their first statewide race with their Leader Russ Feingold winning election to a third term in Wisconsin.


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The Gubernatorial races of 2004 resulted in no change in party standing, both parties picked up 2 Governorships.

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