Link to To the Edge and Maybe Over Parts 3-6 can be found in my sig. TL;DR is that Gore died on 9/11, Lieberman became president and the War on Terror is going more or less how it was going under Bush OTL. Congress is Democrat-held following the 2002 midterms.
To the Edge and Maybe Over-Part 7
“No, I will not be entering the presidential race. I intend to carry on my work in the administration and ensure our national security is upheld.”
-Secretary of State John McCain in response to whether he would be seeking the Republican presidential nomination, January 3rd, 2003
“The despicable, vicious, cowardly attacks against us on September 11th must never be forgotten. I was there on the frontlines of the immediate aftermath-I have seen what the kind of terror spread by the likes of Osama and Saddam looks like up close. We need someone who fully understands the barbarity we are facing now and it is for this reason I am seeking the Republican nomination for President of the United States.”
-Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani announcing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, March 30th, 2003
GOVERNOR JEB BUSH ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT BE ENTERING THE RACE, REFRAINS FROM FORMAL ENDORSEMENT
REPRESENTATIVE KUCINICH CONDEMNS LIEBERMAN AS ‘NEOLIBERAL WARMONGER’ IN ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIMARY CHALLENGE
POLLING SHOWS MAYOR GIULIANI WITH SIGNIFICENT LEAD OVER MAJOR CHALLENGERS, GENERAL ELECTION POLLS SHOW DEAD HEAT.
-Headlines in The Wall Street Journal, May-August 2003
“The Lieberman administration’s invasion of Iraq is not defensible either legally or practically. Lieberman did not gain a Congressional declaration of war, which is required by the Constitution before launching a war. And in addition to that, the administration has not provided any shred of evidence that Saddam Hussein is connected to the activities of Al-Qaeda or the September 11th attack on our country. In addition to all of this, Lieberman has used the attacks to justify legislation that impedes our civil liberties domestically. I am running for president in order to push back against these attacks on freedom by the current administration.”
-Congressman Ron Paul announcing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, April 5th, 2003
“I respect Mayor Giuliani and agree his leadership earned him the title ‘America’s mayor.’ But looking at his stances on the issues—they aren’t Republican or conservative or Christian. I think we can do better than nominating a candidate with New York values.”
-Senator Rick Santorum in the first Republican primary debate, August 19th, 2003
“No, I don’t agree with Senator Santorum. Giuliani’s positions are not necessarily the ones I hold, but we are a big tent party.”
“Do you feel the same way about Congressman Paul’s positions?”
“…Well, yes, but I think there is a big difference between policy differences stemming from religious convictions and the kind that endanger the American public.”
-Interview between Governor Tommy Thompson and CNN, August 22nd, 2003
AMIDST DEM BACKLASH, LIEBERMAN AGREES TO DEBATE KUCINICH
RON PAUL RALLY DRAWS CROWD OF 6,000 IN DES MOINES
TERRORIST ATTACK KILLS 8 US SERVICE MEMBERS IN AFGHANISTAN
IN THIRD REPUBLICAN DEBATE, GIULIANI HITS PAUL OVER NEWSLETTERS CONTROVERSY
-Headlines of The Washington Post, August-November 2003
“I’m worried about too many Muslims entering the US. Lieberman is liberalizing immigration laws for Iraq and that concerns me—what if there are infiltrators? It’s a threat.”
“I understand your concern and agree with it. As president, I would pause immigration from Muslim-majority countries in order to make sure we have a strong vetting system in place.”
-Exchange between unknown Iowa voter and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, November 19th, 2003
“In between ‘New York values,’ Ron Paul’s newsletters and Giuliani’s Muslim ban, I think we can say: Congratulations Tommy Thompson! You are the most minority-friendly Republican candidate left in the race!”
-Larry Wilmore on an episode of The Daily Show, November 21st, 2003
“I’ve gotta say, I’m tired of smears directed at my friend Ron Paul. He and I disagree on a lot of things, but I know he is a good man and if I lose and he wins, I will strongly consider supporting him over the current president.”
-Representative Dennis Kucinich at a campaign event, December 2nd, 2003
PAUL WINS IOWA IN UPSET, GIULIANI IN THIRD
KUCINICH, GIULIANI WIN NEW HAMPSHIRE
GIULIANI, PAUL PULL AHEAD ON SUPER TUESDAY AS THOMPSON DROPS OUT
KUCINICH VOWS TO FIGHT TO CONVENTION EVEN AMIDST DISAPPOINTING SHOW IN OHIO
SANTORUM DROPS OUT, ENDORSING GIULIANI AS ‘LEADER WE NEED’
FIGHT BREAKS OUT BETWEEN GIULIANI AND PAUL SUPPORTERS IN ALASKA CAUCUS
PAUL ACKNOWLEDGES VICTORY ‘LIKELY IMPOSSIBLE,’ STILL REFUSES TO ENDORSE GIULIANI
LIEBERMAN’S OFFER TO MEET WITH KUCINICH REBUFFED BY CANDIDATE
-Headlines of The Washington Post, January-June 2004
“I have long believed that there is no meaningful difference between our two major parties. Democrat, Republican, both of them are, in the end, chickenhawks who care more about their corporate cronies than the average American. I am running to provide voters with an alternative to the stale status quo of the two-party system—the chance to vote for peace, clean government and personal liberty.”
-Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura announcing his independent bid for president on May 3rd, 2004. Ventura would jointly seek the nomination of both the Libertarian and Green Parties