A New Millennium in America - a Gore Presidency and Beyond
Prologue
Prologue
Nashville, Tennessee
August 5th, 2000
“I think it’s the right choice, Mister Vice President.”
Albert ‘Al’ Gore frowned and leaned back in his chair, feet on desk in his Nashville office. He looked at Warren Christopher sitting opposite of him, the man who recommended him to Bill Clinton eight years ago and the man Gore trusted to find his running mate.
“I thought we had narrowed it down to Lieberman. A few days ago you said you were 99% certain. Why the sudden change, Warren?”
Warren Christopher, former Secretary of State to President Clinton, shrugged and drank deep from his mug of coffee. Finishing, he wiped his mouth and spoke with confidence. He had to convince the Vice President of this new choice. He felt it might make or break the campaign.
“I was convinced Joe would be the best choice, Mister Vice President, but I saw that CNN interview she gave and she expressed interest in being your VP. and that 1% uncertainty reared its head and had me thinking. I looked through her credentials and I think the positives outweigh any potential negatives.”
Gore looked at the two manila folders, one labeled JL and the other JS, on the desk and rubbed his eyes as his mind raced through recent weeks filled with exhaustion and frustration. A few weeks ago it had all seemed so easy, the choice so obvious a blind man could have seen it. John Edwards was to be his Vice President, the energetic and charismatic Senator from North Carolina. But doubts were raised about Edwards' inexperience, for being perhaps too politically young, questions were asked in the Gore campaign if Edwards' youth would be a detraction rather than an asset to the ticket. Would America feel safe knowing a Senator with less than two years experience was but a heartbeat away from the most powerful position on Earth?
As enthusiasm for Edwards dimmed, Lieberman and Kerry took the spotlight. Gore knew he needed a Northerner to balance the ticket, another reason they had distanced from Edwards. It had been back and forth between the two, but as of last week Gore and Christopher had tentatively agreed that Lieberman was the pick. Joe Lieberman was a centrist who voted as a Democrat domestically but on foreign policy and defense was more akin to a Republican. Him being a Northerner would help even out the ticket. Clinton and Gore got lucky with two men from the South on the ticket, twice, so he didn’t want to test it a third time. Above all, however, that made Gore favor Lieberman was his criticism of Bill Clinton. Having him on the ticket would highlight Gore severing ties to the previous Administration’s missteps and blunders, signaling the Democratic Party as a whole was moving on from Clinton and that Al Gore specifically was moving out from under the shadow of the controversial and scandal-riddled current president.
Yet now that might be all dashed away. Gore sighed and leaned forward, opening up the second manila folder and started reading. flipping through the stapled sheets, dark blue eyes flicking over the documents. The background research was extensive and Gore admitted he liked what he was looking at. At the end were five bullet points highlighting her strengths as a candidate.
•Gubernatorial experience, popular with constituents
•Stable marriage, no divorces or scandals
•Woman, will attract independent female votes
•Native American ancestry, could attract minority votes
•Northerner, can geographically balance the ticket
He scanned over it again, weighing his options and thinking of avery advantage and disadvantage this would bring. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind.
“Alright, I’m convinced. Give her office a call and see if the interest is real. If so, I’ll call her tonight and extend an offer.”
"Yes, sir."
Albert ‘Al’ Gore frowned and leaned back in his chair, feet on desk in his Nashville office. He looked at Warren Christopher sitting opposite of him, the man who recommended him to Bill Clinton eight years ago and the man Gore trusted to find his running mate.
“I thought we had narrowed it down to Lieberman. A few days ago you said you were 99% certain. Why the sudden change, Warren?”
Warren Christopher, former Secretary of State to President Clinton, shrugged and drank deep from his mug of coffee. Finishing, he wiped his mouth and spoke with confidence. He had to convince the Vice President of this new choice. He felt it might make or break the campaign.
“I was convinced Joe would be the best choice, Mister Vice President, but I saw that CNN interview she gave and she expressed interest in being your VP. and that 1% uncertainty reared its head and had me thinking. I looked through her credentials and I think the positives outweigh any potential negatives.”
Gore looked at the two manila folders, one labeled JL and the other JS, on the desk and rubbed his eyes as his mind raced through recent weeks filled with exhaustion and frustration. A few weeks ago it had all seemed so easy, the choice so obvious a blind man could have seen it. John Edwards was to be his Vice President, the energetic and charismatic Senator from North Carolina. But doubts were raised about Edwards' inexperience, for being perhaps too politically young, questions were asked in the Gore campaign if Edwards' youth would be a detraction rather than an asset to the ticket. Would America feel safe knowing a Senator with less than two years experience was but a heartbeat away from the most powerful position on Earth?
As enthusiasm for Edwards dimmed, Lieberman and Kerry took the spotlight. Gore knew he needed a Northerner to balance the ticket, another reason they had distanced from Edwards. It had been back and forth between the two, but as of last week Gore and Christopher had tentatively agreed that Lieberman was the pick. Joe Lieberman was a centrist who voted as a Democrat domestically but on foreign policy and defense was more akin to a Republican. Him being a Northerner would help even out the ticket. Clinton and Gore got lucky with two men from the South on the ticket, twice, so he didn’t want to test it a third time. Above all, however, that made Gore favor Lieberman was his criticism of Bill Clinton. Having him on the ticket would highlight Gore severing ties to the previous Administration’s missteps and blunders, signaling the Democratic Party as a whole was moving on from Clinton and that Al Gore specifically was moving out from under the shadow of the controversial and scandal-riddled current president.
Yet now that might be all dashed away. Gore sighed and leaned forward, opening up the second manila folder and started reading. flipping through the stapled sheets, dark blue eyes flicking over the documents. The background research was extensive and Gore admitted he liked what he was looking at. At the end were five bullet points highlighting her strengths as a candidate.
•Gubernatorial experience, popular with constituents
•Stable marriage, no divorces or scandals
•Woman, will attract independent female votes
•Native American ancestry, could attract minority votes
•Northerner, can geographically balance the ticket
He scanned over it again, weighing his options and thinking of avery advantage and disadvantage this would bring. Taking a deep breath, he made up his mind.
“Alright, I’m convinced. Give her office a call and see if the interest is real. If so, I’ll call her tonight and extend an offer.”
"Yes, sir."
+ + +
Thank you for joining us tonight here at CNN. If you have not heard already, there has been breaking political news. Vice President Gore has announced his choice for running mate: New Hampshire Governor Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen. This will be only the second time a woman has been selected as a Vice Presidential candidate between the major parties, both time on Democratic tickets." [1]
--CNN, August 2000
Snap polling amongst registered voters, Republican, Democrat and Independent, shows that Jeanne Shaheen scores moderate to high with Democrats, moderate with Independent and low to moderate with Republicans. Is Shaheen a credible threat to Governor Bush's? Will she pull away key female votes come November? This publicity stunt will likely not pay off but time will tell.
--Fox News, August 2000
"Why do you think he chose her and not Lieberman? Is Al Gore trying to appease the female base of the Democratic Party, to bring them back on his side following his boss' infidelity? It is heavily rumored Joe Lieberman was going to be the nominee before a last minute change."
"I’d gather it’s for a few reasons, Mary. The Shaheens delivered the New Hampshire Primary to Gore on a silver platter, sidelining Bill Bradley's efforts to win primary voters. Governor Shaheen's husband was Gore' campaign manager in the Granite State. That early win propelled Gore to secure three times the voter share Bradley got in the primaries as a whole. If Gore didn’t secure New Hampshire, those numbers would likely look different and he’d appear weaker to Democratic voters.
Being nominated for Vice President is a reward for her accomplishments, on-the-ground work in New Hampshire, and the recognition of women in politics. Gore knows what he wants in a Vice President and he knows the importance the position can have in an Administration. Shaheen also has more appeal to a broader range of people than whatever Lieberman might have been able to sway. She has experience as a state senator and as governor of a state that has a strong GOP presence and is seen as likable and approachable among the Party's liberal and moderate wings where Lieberman largely appeals to conservative Democrats."
"So you're saying Governor Shaheen is a better choice than the senator? The choice seems hollow, Geraldine. I have a hard time picturing the party of womanizers like JFK and Clinton aim to treat women with respect. Honestly, I think he only did it to mislead undecided female voters that the scandal-riddled Democratic Party is the home for women in politics. American voters will see right through that and you know it."
"I don't think that is accurate, Shaheen has broader appeal and if she can swing New Hampshire's four Electoral votes to Gore, that could once again provide him an early and crucial win that could act as a catalyst across the country. She may or may not be better than Lieberman, but I doubt she'd do any worse. And Al Gore is not choosing Shaheen because she is a mere checkbox on some hypothetical electoral victory bingo card, Mary. She has political experience, is popular in her state, and shares many of the values Vice President Gore has stated throughout his campaign. She compliments the ticket in ways Lieberman wouldn’t have been able to, or for that matter Edwards or Kerry.”
--Crossfire, Geraldine Ferraro vs Mary Matalin
After several days filled with passionate speeches and popular themes during the Democratic National Convention held here in the City of Angels, Al Gore and Jeanne Shaheen have officially been nominated as the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The Gore/Shaheen ticket is set to hit the campaign trail in the coming days, with both crisscrossing the country to hold town hall meetings, speeches, fundraiser dinners and other public events to gain momentum for the election this November which only a few short months away.
--Los Angeles Times, August 2000
--CNN, August 2000
Snap polling amongst registered voters, Republican, Democrat and Independent, shows that Jeanne Shaheen scores moderate to high with Democrats, moderate with Independent and low to moderate with Republicans. Is Shaheen a credible threat to Governor Bush's? Will she pull away key female votes come November? This publicity stunt will likely not pay off but time will tell.
--Fox News, August 2000
"Why do you think he chose her and not Lieberman? Is Al Gore trying to appease the female base of the Democratic Party, to bring them back on his side following his boss' infidelity? It is heavily rumored Joe Lieberman was going to be the nominee before a last minute change."
"I’d gather it’s for a few reasons, Mary. The Shaheens delivered the New Hampshire Primary to Gore on a silver platter, sidelining Bill Bradley's efforts to win primary voters. Governor Shaheen's husband was Gore' campaign manager in the Granite State. That early win propelled Gore to secure three times the voter share Bradley got in the primaries as a whole. If Gore didn’t secure New Hampshire, those numbers would likely look different and he’d appear weaker to Democratic voters.
Being nominated for Vice President is a reward for her accomplishments, on-the-ground work in New Hampshire, and the recognition of women in politics. Gore knows what he wants in a Vice President and he knows the importance the position can have in an Administration. Shaheen also has more appeal to a broader range of people than whatever Lieberman might have been able to sway. She has experience as a state senator and as governor of a state that has a strong GOP presence and is seen as likable and approachable among the Party's liberal and moderate wings where Lieberman largely appeals to conservative Democrats."
"So you're saying Governor Shaheen is a better choice than the senator? The choice seems hollow, Geraldine. I have a hard time picturing the party of womanizers like JFK and Clinton aim to treat women with respect. Honestly, I think he only did it to mislead undecided female voters that the scandal-riddled Democratic Party is the home for women in politics. American voters will see right through that and you know it."
"I don't think that is accurate, Shaheen has broader appeal and if she can swing New Hampshire's four Electoral votes to Gore, that could once again provide him an early and crucial win that could act as a catalyst across the country. She may or may not be better than Lieberman, but I doubt she'd do any worse. And Al Gore is not choosing Shaheen because she is a mere checkbox on some hypothetical electoral victory bingo card, Mary. She has political experience, is popular in her state, and shares many of the values Vice President Gore has stated throughout his campaign. She compliments the ticket in ways Lieberman wouldn’t have been able to, or for that matter Edwards or Kerry.”
--Crossfire, Geraldine Ferraro vs Mary Matalin
After several days filled with passionate speeches and popular themes during the Democratic National Convention held here in the City of Angels, Al Gore and Jeanne Shaheen have officially been nominated as the Democratic candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The Gore/Shaheen ticket is set to hit the campaign trail in the coming days, with both crisscrossing the country to hold town hall meetings, speeches, fundraiser dinners and other public events to gain momentum for the election this November which only a few short months away.
--Los Angeles Times, August 2000
Shaheen-Cheney Vice Presidential Debate
MODERATOR: "From historic Danville, Kentucky, good evening, and welcome to this year’s sole vice presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. I’m Bernard Shaw of CNN, the moderator for this evening. Tonight we come to you from Newlin Hall in the Norton Center for the Arts on the campus of Centre College. To President John Rausch, the faculty, students and community leaders state-wide, we thank you for hosting this debate. The candidates are the Republican nominee, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney of Wyoming, and the Democratic nominee, Governor Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire-
SHAHEEN: "We’re not spending any more than is projected by the experts, unlike our opponents. We’re setting aside $300 billion in a reserve fund in case the projections those nonpartisan experts make aren’t quite right. We understand that balancing the budget, keeping America out of debt is a way to keep interest rates down and the economy growing which benefits all Americans."
SHAHEEN: "We’re not spending any more than is projected by the experts, unlike our opponents. We’re setting aside $300 billion in a reserve fund in case the projections those nonpartisan experts make aren’t quite right. We understand that balancing the budget, keeping America out of debt is a way to keep interest rates down and the economy growing which benefits all Americans."
---
MODERATOR: "Governor, your response to the education question."
SHAHEEN: "Al Gore and I are committed to making America’s public schools the best in the world. As a former educator myself I disagree with what my opponent has said. A lot of progress has been made in recent years. Average testing scores are up and a lot of extraordinary work is being done by tens of thousands of parents, teachers, administrators and students all around America. There is more to be done, I won’t dispute that. There are fields we need to improve on to remain competitive on the world stage. Not only are we taking $300 billion off the top of the surplus to put in reserve fund, the rest we’ll use for middle class tax cuts and invest in programs like education. There’s a big difference between these two tickets. Our opponents are going to spend $1.6 trillion of the $1.8 trillion surplus projected on that big tax cut that Al Gore talked about the other night so effectively. We’re saving money to invest in education which will pay dividends in a generation. You cannot reform education and improve it in this country without spending some money. Al Gore and I have committed almost $220 billion for that purpose. This money will be out towards recruiting 100,000 new teachers to reduce classroom sizes, to boost teacher and paraprofessional pay, to provide more resources and programs to aid child development and provide more electives alongside general classroom resources. This money will also help local school districts build new buildings so our children are not learning in crumbling classrooms. And we’re not just going to stop at public education. We’re going to go on and give the middle class the ability to deduct up to $10,000 a year in the cost of college tuition. Now, that is a tremendous life-saving change which will help people carry on their education and allow them to develop the kinds of skills that will help them succeed in the high-tech economy of today."
SHAHEEN: "Al Gore and I are committed to making America’s public schools the best in the world. As a former educator myself I disagree with what my opponent has said. A lot of progress has been made in recent years. Average testing scores are up and a lot of extraordinary work is being done by tens of thousands of parents, teachers, administrators and students all around America. There is more to be done, I won’t dispute that. There are fields we need to improve on to remain competitive on the world stage. Not only are we taking $300 billion off the top of the surplus to put in reserve fund, the rest we’ll use for middle class tax cuts and invest in programs like education. There’s a big difference between these two tickets. Our opponents are going to spend $1.6 trillion of the $1.8 trillion surplus projected on that big tax cut that Al Gore talked about the other night so effectively. We’re saving money to invest in education which will pay dividends in a generation. You cannot reform education and improve it in this country without spending some money. Al Gore and I have committed almost $220 billion for that purpose. This money will be out towards recruiting 100,000 new teachers to reduce classroom sizes, to boost teacher and paraprofessional pay, to provide more resources and programs to aid child development and provide more electives alongside general classroom resources. This money will also help local school districts build new buildings so our children are not learning in crumbling classrooms. And we’re not just going to stop at public education. We’re going to go on and give the middle class the ability to deduct up to $10,000 a year in the cost of college tuition. Now, that is a tremendous life-saving change which will help people carry on their education and allow them to develop the kinds of skills that will help them succeed in the high-tech economy of today."
---
MODERATOR: "The next question goes to you, Governor. This is the 21st Century yet on average an American working woman in our great nation earns 75 cents for each $1 earned by a working male. What do you propose to do about it?"
SHAHEEN: "It’s a good and important question. Obviously in our time, fortunately, great advances have been made by women achieving the kind of equality that we were too long denied. Bernie, your question is absolutely right. Women — actually the number I have received is seventy-two cents for every dollar a man receives in a comparable job. Al Gore and I have issued an economic plan in which we’ve stated specific goals for the future. And one of those goals is to eliminate the pay gap between men and women. It’s unfair and it’s unacceptable. And the first way we will do that is by supporting the Equal Pay Act which has been proposed in Congress-"
SHAHEEN: "It’s a good and important question. Obviously in our time, fortunately, great advances have been made by women achieving the kind of equality that we were too long denied. Bernie, your question is absolutely right. Women — actually the number I have received is seventy-two cents for every dollar a man receives in a comparable job. Al Gore and I have issued an economic plan in which we’ve stated specific goals for the future. And one of those goals is to eliminate the pay gap between men and women. It’s unfair and it’s unacceptable. And the first way we will do that is by supporting the Equal Pay Act which has been proposed in Congress-"
---
SHAHEEN: "That is simply incorrect, Mr. Cheney, we are not abandoning stay-at-home mothers. Our proposed tax cuts also give a $600 tax credit to stay-at-home moms as we realize they are performing a vital service to society. Our middle-class tax cuts are targeted in areas that need it. Tax credits for better and less expensive child care, tax credits for middle class families that don’t have health insurance from their employers. The college tax deduction I talked about earlier. A $3,000 tax credit for a family member who stays home with a parent or grandparent who is ill-"
---
SHAHEEN: "My answer is no, I would not support legislation that is being introduced in Congress to override the Food and Drug Administration decision on RU-486."
---
SHAHEEN: "Well, there’s good news from Belgrade today, Bernie, as you know-"
---
SHAHEEN: "Al Gore and I are committed to continuing the acquisition program and transforming the military into a 'lean-and-mean' fighting machine. True, there are fewer people in uniform today, but person-to-person, unit-by-unit, this is the most powerful and effective military in the history of the world. And again, Al Gore and I will do whatever is necessary to keep it that way."
---
MODERATOR: "Governor."
SHAHEEN: "I agree Saddam Hussein is a regional threat but we do not move headlong and gung-ho into the region. We must ensure the Iraqis honor the No Fly Zone, with the threat of further sanctions or, potentially, military intervention in the way of aerial bombardment without a ground element."
SHAHEEN: "I agree Saddam Hussein is a regional threat but we do not move headlong and gung-ho into the region. We must ensure the Iraqis honor the No Fly Zone, with the threat of further sanctions or, potentially, military intervention in the way of aerial bombardment without a ground element."
---
MODERATOR: "Governor Shaheen, this question is for you. Many experts are forecasting continuing chaotic oil prices in the world market. Wholesale natural gas prices here in our country are leaping. Then there are coal and electricity. Have previous Republican and Democratic Congresses and administrations, including this one, done their job to protect the American people?"
SHAHEEN: "Not enough, but this administration and Vice President Gore and I have had both a long-term strategy to develop energy independence and a short-term strategy. In fact if the current administration had been given the amount of funding that it had requested from the Republican Congress, we would be further along in the implementation of that long-term strategy aimed at developing cleaner sources of energy, giving tax credits to individuals and businesses to conserve and use energy more efficiently. Aimed at a partnership for a new generation of vehicles with the American automobile industry which is making great progress and can produce a vehicle that can get eighty miles per gallon. We also have a short-term strategy. To deal with exactly the kind of ups and downs of energy prices. I know it was controversial, but Al Gore and I believed it was important in the short-term to reach into the strategic petroleum reserve, take some of the oil we have, put it in the market, show the big oil companies and the OPEC oil-producing countries that we have got some resources with which we can fight back. We aren’t going to lay back and let them roll over our economy. We did it also because gasoline prices were rising and home heating oil inventories were real low. Both of our tickets agree on LIHEAP keeping the low income housing assistance program, but our opponents offer no assistance to middle-class families hit by rising gas prices and a shortage of home heating oil. The fact is that since the reserve was opened the price of oil on world markets has dropped $6 a barrel. That’s a good result and I’m proud of it."
SHAHEEN: "Not enough, but this administration and Vice President Gore and I have had both a long-term strategy to develop energy independence and a short-term strategy. In fact if the current administration had been given the amount of funding that it had requested from the Republican Congress, we would be further along in the implementation of that long-term strategy aimed at developing cleaner sources of energy, giving tax credits to individuals and businesses to conserve and use energy more efficiently. Aimed at a partnership for a new generation of vehicles with the American automobile industry which is making great progress and can produce a vehicle that can get eighty miles per gallon. We also have a short-term strategy. To deal with exactly the kind of ups and downs of energy prices. I know it was controversial, but Al Gore and I believed it was important in the short-term to reach into the strategic petroleum reserve, take some of the oil we have, put it in the market, show the big oil companies and the OPEC oil-producing countries that we have got some resources with which we can fight back. We aren’t going to lay back and let them roll over our economy. We did it also because gasoline prices were rising and home heating oil inventories were real low. Both of our tickets agree on LIHEAP keeping the low income housing assistance program, but our opponents offer no assistance to middle-class families hit by rising gas prices and a shortage of home heating oil. The fact is that since the reserve was opened the price of oil on world markets has dropped $6 a barrel. That’s a good result and I’m proud of it."
---
SHAHEEN: "-I swear here and now that Social Security will be solvent until at least 2054. It is the backbone of our retirement system and our ticket pledges to keep it so."
--Shaheen vs Cheney Vice Presidential Debate [2]
In the Vice Presidential Debate held last week, Secretary Cheney was seen as the winner amongst many registered voters, with 84% of Republicans thinking he came out on top while 53% Independents and only 12% Democrats thought the Secretary won the debate. As for Governor Shaheen, her personality shone in the debate, as did her sense of humor and quick wit that has helped smooth out Al Gore's robotic rough edges on the campaign trail. In facing off against Secretary Cheney, Shaheen had impressed 67% Democrats who thought she had won the debate, with Republicans and Independents at 12% and 41%, respectively.
--The Washington Post, October 2000
As the election is only days away, both Bush/Cheney and Gore/Shaheen make final adjustments to their strategy.
--Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 2000
Tonight is the night. Democracy in action. Go out and vote, no matter who it is for, it is important the voice of all Americans are heard tonight. This election will decide how our nation moves forward into the new millennium.
--MSNBC, November 2000
"Unsurprisingly Gore takes an early lead in New England. Picking Shaheen is paying dividends as New Hampshire went Blue by less than a thousand votes, pushing the swing state further towards the Democrats. It is the third time in a row that the Granite State has voted for a Democrat in a presidential election-"
"-it is with some surprise that George W. Bush has swept the South in its near-entirety, both for the fact that Gore is a Southerner and that during both the '92 and '96 Elections the South was a competitive electoral battleground. The only state still in play is Florida, which is too close to call as of this moment-"
"-key Midwest states such as Michigan and Illinois go Democrat but Ohio's crucial 21 electoral votes goes to Bush-"
"-the entirety of the Great Plains goes to the Republicans, except for New Mexico which remains a Democratic bastion in the region-"
"If you are joining us now, the final result for California should be coming in any minute- hold on... I can confirm that California and its 52 Electoral Votes have gone to Vice President Gore. Gore won over a million and a half more voters in the state compared to Governor Bush. With Oregon and Washington also going to Gore, this leaves the Vice President with 267 Electoral Votes. Governor Bush meanwhile was able to eek out a victory in Florida after a round of recounting, securing the state's impactful 25 Electoral Votes by a mere thousand votes. This has caused both tickets to be tied at 267, making this the closest Presidential Election since 1876. Now it is up to Hawaii to decide who will be the next president-"
"It's confirmed. Gore has won Hawaii! Having secured almost 56% of the vote, Vice President Gore has surpassed the required 270 Electoral Votes. Ladies and gentlemen, we can say with absolute certainty that Al Gore is now the President-Elect of the United States of America." [3]
--Shaheen vs Cheney Vice Presidential Debate [2]
In the Vice Presidential Debate held last week, Secretary Cheney was seen as the winner amongst many registered voters, with 84% of Republicans thinking he came out on top while 53% Independents and only 12% Democrats thought the Secretary won the debate. As for Governor Shaheen, her personality shone in the debate, as did her sense of humor and quick wit that has helped smooth out Al Gore's robotic rough edges on the campaign trail. In facing off against Secretary Cheney, Shaheen had impressed 67% Democrats who thought she had won the debate, with Republicans and Independents at 12% and 41%, respectively.
--The Washington Post, October 2000
As the election is only days away, both Bush/Cheney and Gore/Shaheen make final adjustments to their strategy.
--Fort Worth Star Telegram, November 2000
Tonight is the night. Democracy in action. Go out and vote, no matter who it is for, it is important the voice of all Americans are heard tonight. This election will decide how our nation moves forward into the new millennium.
--MSNBC, November 2000
"Unsurprisingly Gore takes an early lead in New England. Picking Shaheen is paying dividends as New Hampshire went Blue by less than a thousand votes, pushing the swing state further towards the Democrats. It is the third time in a row that the Granite State has voted for a Democrat in a presidential election-"
"-it is with some surprise that George W. Bush has swept the South in its near-entirety, both for the fact that Gore is a Southerner and that during both the '92 and '96 Elections the South was a competitive electoral battleground. The only state still in play is Florida, which is too close to call as of this moment-"
"-key Midwest states such as Michigan and Illinois go Democrat but Ohio's crucial 21 electoral votes goes to Bush-"
"-the entirety of the Great Plains goes to the Republicans, except for New Mexico which remains a Democratic bastion in the region-"
"If you are joining us now, the final result for California should be coming in any minute- hold on... I can confirm that California and its 52 Electoral Votes have gone to Vice President Gore. Gore won over a million and a half more voters in the state compared to Governor Bush. With Oregon and Washington also going to Gore, this leaves the Vice President with 267 Electoral Votes. Governor Bush meanwhile was able to eek out a victory in Florida after a round of recounting, securing the state's impactful 25 Electoral Votes by a mere thousand votes. This has caused both tickets to be tied at 267, making this the closest Presidential Election since 1876. Now it is up to Hawaii to decide who will be the next president-"
"It's confirmed. Gore has won Hawaii! Having secured almost 56% of the vote, Vice President Gore has surpassed the required 270 Electoral Votes. Ladies and gentlemen, we can say with absolute certainty that Al Gore is now the President-Elect of the United States of America." [3]
U.S. Presidential Election 2000
Electoral Vote:Al Gore [D] - 271
George W. Bush [R] - 267
Popular Vote:
Al Gore [D] - 51,297,104
George Bush [R] - 50,744,062
U.S. Congressional Elections
Senate:Republicans: 54 → 50 [-4]
Democrats: 46 → 50 [+4]
House of Representatives [4]:
Republicans: 223 → 219 [-4]
Democrats: 211 → 214 [+3]
Independents: 1 → 2 [+1]
President-Elect Al Gore
Vice President-Elect Jeanne Shaheen
[1] PoD - Shaheen being selected to be VP as she expresses interest instead of the opposite
[2] Shaheen gets more favorable ratings than Lieberman after the VP debate.
[3]Al Gore wins, albeit by extremely thin margins.
[4] House elections are almost the same as OTL but Connecticut 2nd: Sam Gejdenson [D] beats Rob Simmons [R]
Minnesota 2nd: David Minge [D] beats Mark Kennedy [R]
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