I got a feeling in my gut that the Apple exclusive RE games are going to be more along the line of a umbrella chronicles or a Gaiden game (i.e Code Veronica). RE6 at the very most will be a timed exclusive for the Itwin.
Massively Multiplayer: Gaming In The New Millennium
- Thread starter RySenkari
- Start date
- Status
I wonder if in a few years ITTL there will be articles saying consoles are dead like OTL.
Fall 2008 (Part 5) - Supernova Still Glowing
Elvenfall
Elvenfall is a JRPG exclusive to the Game Boy Supernova. Created by a fairly small Japanese developer and released in Japan in early 2008, it's localized for North America and Europe by Ubisoft and released in October 2008 in North America and early 2009 in Europe. It's a fairly traditional RPG, with turn-based combat and most of the familiar RPG tropes, though it does mix things up a bit with a few interesting combat systems and some plot twists and turns. The game features a group of four beautiful elven heroines who embark on a journey to save the land of Moradia from an apocalyptic event known as Elvenfall, in which the entire elf species will be stricken dead by a mysterious evil force. Elvenfall is said to be brought about by a wicked king named Goulart, the game's primary antagonist and the villain that our heroines set out to fight. The game features a traditional combat system in which the four characters battle with either physical attacks or magic and their enemies respond in kind. The characters' icons appear at the four corners of the screen, and light up different colors depending on what's happening on the battlefield. The four heroines share a connection known as Elvenlink, in which they can exchange stat boosts or even turns, or combine attacks with one another in similar fashion to Chrono Trigger. Elvenlink activates as the characters take damage or cause it, or heal or buff one another in battle, so it's in the player's best interest to have the heroines help one another in combat to charge up their Elvenlink abilities. The game itself is a combination of 2-D and 3-D graphics, featuring towns, dungeons, and other areas connected by stretches of field or forests that serve as the game's "overworld", so to speak. There's a great deal of dialogue in the game, and a significant portion of that dialogue is voice acted. Ubisoft used a Toronto-based voice cast for the game, and the four protagonists are as follows:
Phyria: The leader of the heroines, Phyria is a confident leader but is somewhat of a nerd, and utilizes powerful healing magic and some light-based attack magic in battle. She's secretly the daughter of Goulart, though this isn't revealed to the other heroines until about halfway through the game. Phyria is voiced by Stephanie Broschart.
Kalene: Kalene is a skilled and competent sword fighter, and is eager for adventure. She's Phyria's best friend and she and Phyria are the first two party members. Kalene's confidence is slowly eroded away by the game's events, and she hits a major low before being brought back to the brave heroine she has always wanted to be. Kalene is voiced by Bryn McAuley.
Serena: Serena is a hyper-excitable and incredibly perky elf who rushes into things before thinking and is talkative to the point of annoyance, but is also a loyal friend and incredibly kind and brave heroine. Serena is voiced by Marieve Herington.
Aster: Aster is a bit of a tomboy, she's had a rough past but she doesn't let that stop her from being a good person and joining up with the heroes when they need her the most. Aster is voiced by Nicki Burke.
The plot of Elvenfall is fairly straightforward, but with some really well placed plot twists that compel players to continue forward. A number of seemingly evil characters are revealed as good, and vice versa, as the game's events unfold, and though Elvenfall is a sprawling game with lots of quests to embark on, there are very few fetch quests and pretty much every quest has a purpose in the game's story, serves to develop an important character, or more often than not, both. There are side quests in the game, not a huge amount but enough to allow players to go off the beaten path once in a while, with most of the side quests appearing once air travel is acquired about two thirds of the way through. Eventually, it's revealed that King Goulart is not truly evil and that he is not the cause of Elvenfall, but that all of his seemingly evil actions were actually deeply misguided and with the purpose of preventing Elvenfall, not causing it. Goulart eventually sacrifices himself to save his daughter Phyria from being possessed by the game's true evil, a powerful dark wizard from the ancient past named Malaficarum, who brought about the first Elvenfall that nearly wiped out the entire elven species. The very last part of the game has the elven heroines and their allies banding together to stop Malaficarum and save the world from another apocalypse. The world is saved and despite the numerous sacrifices made along the way, the ending is a generally happy one, with Phyria becoming queen and her friends all having happy fates as well.
Elvenfall is somewhat hyped before its release as one of the biggest JRPGs of the year on the Supernova, though compared to many other games on the system, the hype level is still relatively low. Critical reviews are quite positive, praising the game's graphics (not Final Fantasy VII-2 level, but seen as a colorful modern throwback style reminiscent of an anime) and music (a whimsical original score composed by Daisuke Amaya, who didn't create Cave Story ITTL but is known more as a pioneering music engineer who has composed music for various Japanese games and has also created numerous music programs), and the quality of its English dub, despite Ubisoft dubbing the game in Toronto instead of Los Angeles. While the game doesn't achieve blockbuster sales, it's by far the best selling game created by its developer thus far, and reaches just under a million sales worldwide, with over 150,000 sales in North America by the end of its lifespan. It's seen as a cult classic hit and one of the best portable RPGs of the last five years, with some critics saying it's even better than Final Fantasy VII-2.
-
Justicar
Justicar is a third person futuristic shooter for the Game Boy Supernova. As the title implies, it centers around a protagonist named Damon (titled Sir Damon) who serves as a Justicar in the future United Earth Army, who is tasked with going forth and battling against threats to the planet. He wears a white suit of power armor and his manner of speech is somewhat medieval-esque, even as he fights in futuristic environments with high tech laser weapons. The Justicars must defeat a powerful army of space invaders known as the Nightslayers, who have just inflicted a brutal attack on Earth, killing over a billion people with a powerful orbital strike. The game plays much like contemporary space shooters of its day like The Covenant, with a fully third person view as Damon is sent into battle with a squad of his fellow Justicars. What sets the game apart is its intuitive combat system, in which the player doesn't have to exert a lot of effort to aim at their enemy. Aiming is mostly automatic, and instead, it's Damon's movement and positioning that make the most difference in battle. Damon must be careful to position himself in such a way so as to maximize damage to the enemy, while minimizing damage to himself and to his squad. The player is able to aim at numerous spots on an enemy's body, so straight up autoaim may not always be the way to go, with a targeted headshot able to finish off enemies faster. Some enemies have only two spots to aim while other enemies may have as many as 20. There are all sorts of weapons and enemy projectiles, so practically every battle is different, with the developers making an effort not to involve the player in the same kind of battle too many times. This game features voice acting, and Damon's squadmates will frequently communicate with him, with Damon able to respond in different ways depending on context during a fight. Sometimes, one of Damon's squadmates will offer help with an enemy, other times, they'll point out a weapon or item for Damon to collect. It's possible for his squadmates to be injured or killed during battle and this can put Damon at a disadvantage, so it's best that the player watch for danger cues and respond to them frequently. The game's HUD is sleek and informative, giving the player a wealth of information without being too terribly intrusive, and it's easy for the player to figure out icons and cues with practice. As mentioned before, Justicar features voice acting, and a number of familiar actors, including Simon Templeman and Gideon Emery, provide voices of some of the main characters. In fact, most of the game's protagonists have some kind of British accent, as is consistent with the game's medieval theming. Sir Damon is voiced by a British-accented unknown who is fairly highly praised for his performance. The game's graphics are among the best yet seen in a handheld game, and compare favorably to some console games thanks to the Supernova's small screen. The plot is fairly straight-forward and is more of an excuse for the gameplay than anything, with most of the strong plot beats centering around the relationship between Sir Damon and his squadmates. The Nightslayers don't have any real justifiable reason for attacking Earth, they're pretty much just evil space aliens, but hellaciously fun to fight. Justicar's plot is like something out of a summer blockbuster movie: fun and flashy, but nothing too special, and the end of the game sees the Justicars triumphing over the Nightslayers and saving Earth, though there is a bit of a plot hook for a sequel just before the credits. Justicar is released in October 2008 and is extremely highly praised for its graphics and gameplay, with the only major complaint being the lack of a multiplayer mode (though the developers imply that there will be one in a sequel). Critics call it spectacularly fun and the perfect example of what a handheld third person shooter should be, with many critics comparing it to Squad Four and calling it the game that 2007's Squad Four Unauthorized should have been. It sees some of the best reviews of the year for any game, and sales are excellent, which makes a sequel pretty much assured.
-
Sales for the Game Boy Supernova have remained consistently strong, and the handheld continues to top its rival, Apple's iPod Play, in the sales charts. Sales have dropped very slightly from their 2007 peak (when a string of first-party hits including Super Mario Dimensions 2 and Pokemon Black And White lit up sales charts), but the Supernova after three years continues to outpace its predecessor, the Game Boy Nova, by about 30% at similar points in both consoles' lifespans. With numerous major releases scheduled for this year and the next, the Supernova's outlook remains highly positive, and there's no doubt it will be one of the best selling handheld devices of the holiday season. Nintendo is set to launch a slightly smaller version of the Supernova next month, which will feature a slightly larger screen and improved ergonomics, along with a less clunky disc insertion mechanism. Called the Supernova Slim, it will come with a slightly higher price tag ($169.99 as opposed to the Supernova's current MSRP of $149.99), but should see robust sales and might even outpace last year's holiday numbers. Nintendo also plans to release a silver version of the Slim for $199.99 that will include a copy of Pokemon Silver.
While Nintendo has been eager to hype up the Supernova's success in various press releases and public announcements, there's one thing that the company absolutely hasn't mentioned: the prospect of a successor console. Rumors about an iPod Play successor have swirled in the gaming press for months, especially with the iPhone filling that role in some aspects. The iPhone packs more powerful hardware than the Supernova and the iPod Play, and will play certain games that the iPod Play won't, but its most notable innovation is its touch screen, the one major thing that the Supernova is lacking. Rumors around the Supernova successor have suggested an intermediate version, an upgrade that plays the same games but features touch controls and certain exclusive titles, and Nintendo has mentioned this prospect as well, with Satoru Iwata having given an interview at E3 2008 discussing the possibility. He categorically denied the notion of a touch screen Supernova, stating that "we want Supernova games to remain consistent for all owners, and adding a special version of the Supernova that would split our player base is absolutely out of the question".
It seems, then, that Nintendo is content to let the Supernova enjoy its success for several more years. It's likely that the Supernova's successor, whatever form that takes, will include some form of touchscreen controls, but for now, the philosophy at Nintendo seems to be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". With the Supernova poised to be Nintendo's most successful handheld since the original Game Boy, and with the possibility of surpassing the Game Boy's sales numbers to become the most successful handheld game console ever, that strategy looks to be working. Who needs a touch screen when you have Mario and Pokemon, after all? But with the iPhone continuing to sell well amongst hardcore gamers looking for a cutting edge handheld gaming device, and with the iPod Play's successor potentially looming on the horizon, Nintendo may find its Supernova quickly becoming outdated. If Apple's handheld ambitions bring about the winds of change, we could see a Supernova successor sooner rather than later. If that's true, and if it does have a touchscreen, might we suggest Stan Bush's classic Transformers: The Movie song "The Touch" for the commercial?
-from an article on Nintendo Age, posted on November 7, 2008
Elvenfall is a JRPG exclusive to the Game Boy Supernova. Created by a fairly small Japanese developer and released in Japan in early 2008, it's localized for North America and Europe by Ubisoft and released in October 2008 in North America and early 2009 in Europe. It's a fairly traditional RPG, with turn-based combat and most of the familiar RPG tropes, though it does mix things up a bit with a few interesting combat systems and some plot twists and turns. The game features a group of four beautiful elven heroines who embark on a journey to save the land of Moradia from an apocalyptic event known as Elvenfall, in which the entire elf species will be stricken dead by a mysterious evil force. Elvenfall is said to be brought about by a wicked king named Goulart, the game's primary antagonist and the villain that our heroines set out to fight. The game features a traditional combat system in which the four characters battle with either physical attacks or magic and their enemies respond in kind. The characters' icons appear at the four corners of the screen, and light up different colors depending on what's happening on the battlefield. The four heroines share a connection known as Elvenlink, in which they can exchange stat boosts or even turns, or combine attacks with one another in similar fashion to Chrono Trigger. Elvenlink activates as the characters take damage or cause it, or heal or buff one another in battle, so it's in the player's best interest to have the heroines help one another in combat to charge up their Elvenlink abilities. The game itself is a combination of 2-D and 3-D graphics, featuring towns, dungeons, and other areas connected by stretches of field or forests that serve as the game's "overworld", so to speak. There's a great deal of dialogue in the game, and a significant portion of that dialogue is voice acted. Ubisoft used a Toronto-based voice cast for the game, and the four protagonists are as follows:
Phyria: The leader of the heroines, Phyria is a confident leader but is somewhat of a nerd, and utilizes powerful healing magic and some light-based attack magic in battle. She's secretly the daughter of Goulart, though this isn't revealed to the other heroines until about halfway through the game. Phyria is voiced by Stephanie Broschart.
Kalene: Kalene is a skilled and competent sword fighter, and is eager for adventure. She's Phyria's best friend and she and Phyria are the first two party members. Kalene's confidence is slowly eroded away by the game's events, and she hits a major low before being brought back to the brave heroine she has always wanted to be. Kalene is voiced by Bryn McAuley.
Serena: Serena is a hyper-excitable and incredibly perky elf who rushes into things before thinking and is talkative to the point of annoyance, but is also a loyal friend and incredibly kind and brave heroine. Serena is voiced by Marieve Herington.
Aster: Aster is a bit of a tomboy, she's had a rough past but she doesn't let that stop her from being a good person and joining up with the heroes when they need her the most. Aster is voiced by Nicki Burke.
The plot of Elvenfall is fairly straightforward, but with some really well placed plot twists that compel players to continue forward. A number of seemingly evil characters are revealed as good, and vice versa, as the game's events unfold, and though Elvenfall is a sprawling game with lots of quests to embark on, there are very few fetch quests and pretty much every quest has a purpose in the game's story, serves to develop an important character, or more often than not, both. There are side quests in the game, not a huge amount but enough to allow players to go off the beaten path once in a while, with most of the side quests appearing once air travel is acquired about two thirds of the way through. Eventually, it's revealed that King Goulart is not truly evil and that he is not the cause of Elvenfall, but that all of his seemingly evil actions were actually deeply misguided and with the purpose of preventing Elvenfall, not causing it. Goulart eventually sacrifices himself to save his daughter Phyria from being possessed by the game's true evil, a powerful dark wizard from the ancient past named Malaficarum, who brought about the first Elvenfall that nearly wiped out the entire elven species. The very last part of the game has the elven heroines and their allies banding together to stop Malaficarum and save the world from another apocalypse. The world is saved and despite the numerous sacrifices made along the way, the ending is a generally happy one, with Phyria becoming queen and her friends all having happy fates as well.
Elvenfall is somewhat hyped before its release as one of the biggest JRPGs of the year on the Supernova, though compared to many other games on the system, the hype level is still relatively low. Critical reviews are quite positive, praising the game's graphics (not Final Fantasy VII-2 level, but seen as a colorful modern throwback style reminiscent of an anime) and music (a whimsical original score composed by Daisuke Amaya, who didn't create Cave Story ITTL but is known more as a pioneering music engineer who has composed music for various Japanese games and has also created numerous music programs), and the quality of its English dub, despite Ubisoft dubbing the game in Toronto instead of Los Angeles. While the game doesn't achieve blockbuster sales, it's by far the best selling game created by its developer thus far, and reaches just under a million sales worldwide, with over 150,000 sales in North America by the end of its lifespan. It's seen as a cult classic hit and one of the best portable RPGs of the last five years, with some critics saying it's even better than Final Fantasy VII-2.
-
Justicar
Justicar is a third person futuristic shooter for the Game Boy Supernova. As the title implies, it centers around a protagonist named Damon (titled Sir Damon) who serves as a Justicar in the future United Earth Army, who is tasked with going forth and battling against threats to the planet. He wears a white suit of power armor and his manner of speech is somewhat medieval-esque, even as he fights in futuristic environments with high tech laser weapons. The Justicars must defeat a powerful army of space invaders known as the Nightslayers, who have just inflicted a brutal attack on Earth, killing over a billion people with a powerful orbital strike. The game plays much like contemporary space shooters of its day like The Covenant, with a fully third person view as Damon is sent into battle with a squad of his fellow Justicars. What sets the game apart is its intuitive combat system, in which the player doesn't have to exert a lot of effort to aim at their enemy. Aiming is mostly automatic, and instead, it's Damon's movement and positioning that make the most difference in battle. Damon must be careful to position himself in such a way so as to maximize damage to the enemy, while minimizing damage to himself and to his squad. The player is able to aim at numerous spots on an enemy's body, so straight up autoaim may not always be the way to go, with a targeted headshot able to finish off enemies faster. Some enemies have only two spots to aim while other enemies may have as many as 20. There are all sorts of weapons and enemy projectiles, so practically every battle is different, with the developers making an effort not to involve the player in the same kind of battle too many times. This game features voice acting, and Damon's squadmates will frequently communicate with him, with Damon able to respond in different ways depending on context during a fight. Sometimes, one of Damon's squadmates will offer help with an enemy, other times, they'll point out a weapon or item for Damon to collect. It's possible for his squadmates to be injured or killed during battle and this can put Damon at a disadvantage, so it's best that the player watch for danger cues and respond to them frequently. The game's HUD is sleek and informative, giving the player a wealth of information without being too terribly intrusive, and it's easy for the player to figure out icons and cues with practice. As mentioned before, Justicar features voice acting, and a number of familiar actors, including Simon Templeman and Gideon Emery, provide voices of some of the main characters. In fact, most of the game's protagonists have some kind of British accent, as is consistent with the game's medieval theming. Sir Damon is voiced by a British-accented unknown who is fairly highly praised for his performance. The game's graphics are among the best yet seen in a handheld game, and compare favorably to some console games thanks to the Supernova's small screen. The plot is fairly straight-forward and is more of an excuse for the gameplay than anything, with most of the strong plot beats centering around the relationship between Sir Damon and his squadmates. The Nightslayers don't have any real justifiable reason for attacking Earth, they're pretty much just evil space aliens, but hellaciously fun to fight. Justicar's plot is like something out of a summer blockbuster movie: fun and flashy, but nothing too special, and the end of the game sees the Justicars triumphing over the Nightslayers and saving Earth, though there is a bit of a plot hook for a sequel just before the credits. Justicar is released in October 2008 and is extremely highly praised for its graphics and gameplay, with the only major complaint being the lack of a multiplayer mode (though the developers imply that there will be one in a sequel). Critics call it spectacularly fun and the perfect example of what a handheld third person shooter should be, with many critics comparing it to Squad Four and calling it the game that 2007's Squad Four Unauthorized should have been. It sees some of the best reviews of the year for any game, and sales are excellent, which makes a sequel pretty much assured.
-
Sales for the Game Boy Supernova have remained consistently strong, and the handheld continues to top its rival, Apple's iPod Play, in the sales charts. Sales have dropped very slightly from their 2007 peak (when a string of first-party hits including Super Mario Dimensions 2 and Pokemon Black And White lit up sales charts), but the Supernova after three years continues to outpace its predecessor, the Game Boy Nova, by about 30% at similar points in both consoles' lifespans. With numerous major releases scheduled for this year and the next, the Supernova's outlook remains highly positive, and there's no doubt it will be one of the best selling handheld devices of the holiday season. Nintendo is set to launch a slightly smaller version of the Supernova next month, which will feature a slightly larger screen and improved ergonomics, along with a less clunky disc insertion mechanism. Called the Supernova Slim, it will come with a slightly higher price tag ($169.99 as opposed to the Supernova's current MSRP of $149.99), but should see robust sales and might even outpace last year's holiday numbers. Nintendo also plans to release a silver version of the Slim for $199.99 that will include a copy of Pokemon Silver.
While Nintendo has been eager to hype up the Supernova's success in various press releases and public announcements, there's one thing that the company absolutely hasn't mentioned: the prospect of a successor console. Rumors about an iPod Play successor have swirled in the gaming press for months, especially with the iPhone filling that role in some aspects. The iPhone packs more powerful hardware than the Supernova and the iPod Play, and will play certain games that the iPod Play won't, but its most notable innovation is its touch screen, the one major thing that the Supernova is lacking. Rumors around the Supernova successor have suggested an intermediate version, an upgrade that plays the same games but features touch controls and certain exclusive titles, and Nintendo has mentioned this prospect as well, with Satoru Iwata having given an interview at E3 2008 discussing the possibility. He categorically denied the notion of a touch screen Supernova, stating that "we want Supernova games to remain consistent for all owners, and adding a special version of the Supernova that would split our player base is absolutely out of the question".
It seems, then, that Nintendo is content to let the Supernova enjoy its success for several more years. It's likely that the Supernova's successor, whatever form that takes, will include some form of touchscreen controls, but for now, the philosophy at Nintendo seems to be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". With the Supernova poised to be Nintendo's most successful handheld since the original Game Boy, and with the possibility of surpassing the Game Boy's sales numbers to become the most successful handheld game console ever, that strategy looks to be working. Who needs a touch screen when you have Mario and Pokemon, after all? But with the iPhone continuing to sell well amongst hardcore gamers looking for a cutting edge handheld gaming device, and with the iPod Play's successor potentially looming on the horizon, Nintendo may find its Supernova quickly becoming outdated. If Apple's handheld ambitions bring about the winds of change, we could see a Supernova successor sooner rather than later. If that's true, and if it does have a touchscreen, might we suggest Stan Bush's classic Transformers: The Movie song "The Touch" for the commercial?
-from an article on Nintendo Age, posted on November 7, 2008
The United States Presidential Election Of 2008
As the second presidential debate on October 7, 2008 loomed and the economy continued to swoon, Jon Huntsman held firmly onto his double digit lead over his Democratic rival, Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. The second debate would have a town hall format, in which voters themselves would get to ask one of the candidates a question. Most of the questions posed to the candidates centered around the economy, with Jon Huntsman fielding questions about how he would help struggling Americans in these tough economic times, and Paul Wellstone fielding questions about the impact of his economic agenda on businesses and workers. While Paul Wellstone was used to interactions with voters of various stripes, including blue-collar voters, he seemed to have more experience fielding questions from farmers than he did from small business owners, and he had trouble shaking accusations that his economic plans would put a strain on employers. Meanwhile, Jon Huntsman was able to soothe the concerns of many of the voters who asked questions of him with a generally soothing, compassionate tone. While still emphasizing the need for personal responsibility and maintaining the strong business environment, he also seemed to sympathize with the working class and with poorer voters, and promised that the government, while smaller under his administration, would be a more focused government that would work with businesses to ensure that the needs of struggling Americans were still met, and that those who genuinely couldn't find work would be given a leg up. The viewers seemed to be more receptive to Huntsman's soothing tone than they were to Wellstone's confrontational tone, especially after Wellstone willingly embraced the "socialist" label he received from a small business owner in Florida who said that Wellstone's economic policies would make it more difficult to employ people at his construction business. While Wellstone was very eloquent in explaining socialism to the small business owner, and emphasized the differences between socialism and Soviet-style communism, the label seemed to stick to him in a negative way, and ultimately, viewers and pundits largely agreed that Huntsman won the second debate resoundingly. The debate win caused Huntsman's lead in the polls to continue to grow, surging to 15 points in some polls, with states like Illinois and Connecticut suddenly coming into play.
The vice presidential debate between Evan Bayh and Sonny Bono took place between the second and third debates, and most analysts called it a draw. The two candidates were both charismatic and friendly, with Bono largely criticizing politics as usual, and Bayh emphasizing that the government didn't need to be bigger but that it had to be able to work harder to properly serve the American people. Both candidates presented themselves well, and the debate proved to be fairly enlightening, showing the strength of the two VP candidates. The third presidential debate, on October 14th, was another more traditional style debate, with NBC's Brian Williams as moderator. Paul Wellstone presented himself as somewhat humbled by his recent difficulties in the polls, and answered the questions with a calm but somewhat emotional voice, expressing his love for America and his desire to make the country into a place where truly anyone could succeed, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Meanwhile, a confident Jon Huntsman was more stoic in his answers, boldly presenting his case that 16 years of Democratic rule had failed and had led the economy to its current state, of plummeting stock prices and rapidly growing unemployment. Huntsman claimed that the country couldn't take four more years of Democrats, while Wellstone claimed that the American people couldn't survive four years of Huntsman. The debate at times turned heated, but in the end, Wellstone and Huntsman shook hands and were all smiles. Ultimately, pundits and viewers both agreed that Huntsman came off as being somewhat arrogant in the debate, which hurt him slightly, but that he did continue to articulate his points slightly better than Wellstone did. Wellstone narrowly won most post-debate polls asking who won, but the debate win didn't do much for his overall poll numbers, which continued to trail behind Huntsman's by double digits.
As the election loomed, the economy continued to sag, while oil prices continued to rise as more troubling headlines came out of South America. Both Huntsman and Wellstone urged against intervention in Venezuela, while Al Gore pushed for America to take the lead in peace talks. It seemed like every day, more bad economic news broke. General Motors was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Numerous banks failed, most notably Bank of America on October 20, 2008. A proposed bailout bill stalled in Congress, with both Democrats Republicans split on whether or not to pass it. Paul Wellstone, with great reluctance, urged Congress to pass some kind of bailout measure even without guaranteeing mortgage relief for homeowners, which some on the left viewed as a betrayal, while Jon Huntsman remained categorically against any kind of bailout, repeatedly stating that "the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers". The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged throughout the month of October, dropping below 7,000 points on Halloween. As the election loomed, it became clear that the future of the country hung in the balance, but which way would the voters go? In the first few days of November, Paul Wellstone began rebounding in the polls, but it was slight: the most favorable major poll for him prior to the election was an NBC News poll that had him trailing Huntsman 53-45. If Wellstone won, it would be one of the biggest upsets in American political history.
-
Anderson Cooper: It's Election Night in America once again, this momentous night in which America will elect its president, a new House of Representatives will be chosen, a third of our Senators will be elected and all throughout the country, governorships, state legislatures, mayors, school boards will be chosen as the American people make their voices heard. Going into tonight's presidential race, Jon Huntsman has been the overwhelming favorite from pretty much the moment he secured the nomination, and he holds an 11 point lead in our ABC poll of polls going into tonight's race in which Democrats are expected to take a beating, perhaps similar to the one they suffered in 2006. The first few polls have closed, and we can make our first projections of the night. Our first projection is New Hampshire, a state that's been a major battleground state in the past several elections... it was not a battleground this year, we project that Jon Huntsman will win New Hampshire and that he is projected to win there by a wide margin. Perhaps not surprising, as New Hampshire calls itself the "Live Free Or Die State" and Huntsman is a more libertarian-leaning Republican, he did extremely well there in the primaries, but for a state that's usually one of the last to be called on any given presidential night, the fact that we can call it so quickly here is a good sign for Jon Huntsman. We can also call Tennessee for Jon Huntsman, that's a state that Al Gore won in 2004, it came down to the wire for Gore and was in fact the deciding state, but tonight it goes to Huntsman, who is winning there by 18 points. Massachusetts, however, goes to Paul Wellstone, and this was expected and Wellstone is winning there by quite a bit, so we do feel confident calling it for him tonight. However, two states that we don't feel confident calling for anyone just yet, and this may be bad news for Paul Wellstone: Connecticut and New Jersey, those are strong Democratic states in recent years but both of those races too close to call right now.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:10 PM
-
Tim Russert: So if you look here at this map, and I love this new map we've got.
Katie Couric: Isn't it a beautiful map?
Russert: It really is, you can do so much with it, it's really something. I've gotta tell ya, when they were about to conk me out for that quintuple bypass a few months ago, the thing I kept thinking was "I hope I wake up so I can do another presidential election night". I love these things, every single one of them is different.
Couric: And right now, Illinois is different from how it's been in recent years.
Russert: Illinois is very different, it's so close in Illinois right now. Huntsman is ahead there by seven points, but guess what they haven't counted yet? *points to Cook County on the map* That's Cook County, where Paul Wellstone is expected to perform like gangbusters, a little bit of Al Capone action by Paul Wellstone in Chicago. But will he find the votes he needs there, or just an empty vault like my pal Geraldo? We'll see.
-NBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:18 PM
-
Keith Olbermann: Are the results in from the Midwest?
Rachel Maddow: They are, and um, wow. This is some bad news for Paul Wellstone if this is true. Right now, NBC News is projecting that Jon Huntsman has won Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. All three of those states in the Huntsman column, and that doesn't leave much of a path to victory for Paul Wellstone.
Olbermann: That is, uh....
Maddow: That's a really tough break for Paul Wellstone, who's also behind right now in Michigan, and Wisconsin, and is really badly behind right now in Illinois. If Paul Wellstone loses Illinois, we can call this one early, I think. Right now, it's 244 electoral votes for Huntsman to just 59 for Wellstone, and this so far is going about how the polls said it would. Jon Huntsman holds a solid 12 percent lead. Meanwhile, Republicans are not only going to hold onto the House and Senate, they're going to gain seats. They're on pace, right now, if I look at the map, to have 290 seats, very close to 2/3rds of the seats in the House. Exactly 2/3rds, actually. And the only question remaining about the Senate is whether or not Republicans will hold a supermajority. They're going to pick up two seats which puts them at 58. Um, they did lose that seat in Nevada, which right now is actually looking like a really close three way race, maybe the most interesting race of the night there between Republican Danny Tarkanian, Democrat Shelley Berkley, and Libertarian Penn Jillette, and Jillette was actually leading very slightly in the polling going into that race. So it'll be very interesting if Republicans end up with 59 seats and then Penn Jillette wins, because remember, he's very VERY socially liberal and very fiscally conservative, and he could be... he could be the most important swing vote in the whole senate.
Olbermann: I do consider Penn Jillette my friend, even if he did call me a douchebag that one time.
*Laughter from the producers can be heard behind the camera*
-MSNBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:39 PM
-
Dan Rather: If we can put Virginia... in the win column for Huntsman, that would give him 268 electoral votes right now according to our map.
Scott Pelley: That's correct.
Rather: And we don't have the projections yet from Idaho, but you would have to imagine that even if Paul Wellstone pulled it out in um, in Nevada, which right now is going for Huntsman 51-45...
Bob Schieffer: I just don't see it. I do not see a path to victory right now for Paul Wellstone. Alaska hasn't even been called either way and Wellstone was trailing by more than 25 points there in the last poll.
Rather: So we can say with some confidence, even if it's not official, that Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States.
Schieffer: I believe so, Dan.
Rather: And this represents an absolutely stunning turn of events for the Democratic Party, which has held the White House for the last 16 years.
Schieffer: Well, if you remember, Al Gore won two of the closest, most contentious elections in American history. The 2000 election where he beat John McCain, that had to go to the Supreme Court, who ruled in McCain's favor but there just weren't enough votes in the recount to give McCain the victory. And then in 2004, Gore won 270 to 268, which is as close as it can be without going to the House of Representatives. So America has been thoroughly divided for the last decade, and this current economic crisis has been the tipping point to push Americans way over to the Republican side.
Pelley: It's clear that Americans blame the current woes on Al Gore and the Democratic Party.
Rather: But remember, Republicans have been the majority in both houses of Congress for the last two years.
Schieffer: Whoever's in that seat in the Oval Office gets the blame for the economy, that's been the American way for far longer than the past two years. Remember George Bush, back in 1992. Everyone expected him to beat Bill Clinton, but as James Carville put it, "it's the economy, stupid!" and that's what Americans voted on tonight. And yes, Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States. CBS can't call it, but-
Rather: Well, actually, Bob, I'm just getting some news in my ear right now. CBS has projected the following states: Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, all for Jon Huntsman, putting Huntsman at 301 electoral votes. And with that, CBS News can officially project that Jon Huntsman will be the next president of the United States of America.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:50 PM
-
*Massive celebrations can be seen taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Jon Huntsman and his family and supporters are gathered to watch the election results.*
Wolf Blitzer: And there you see the victory celebrations starting now for Jon Huntsman, who CNN projects will be the next president of the United States of America.
S.E. Cupp: This was a definitive, decisive win for Jon Huntsman. It was never in doubt, all night long. From the start of the night, just victory after victory. Illinois, Illinois which has voted in Democrats for who knows how long, it looks like Illinois will go for Huntsman.
Blitzer: This is shaping up to be perhaps the biggest electoral victory for a president since back in 1988 when George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis.
*Huntsman is shown shaking hands with some of his supporters at his election HQ, while his family looks on.*
Blitzer: Jon Huntsman also will probably have the most votes that a presidential candidate has ever received in terms of popular vote, right now he leads Paul Wellstone by nearly 13 percent, just an absolutely resounding victory and one that will mean a new direction for the country, certainly a different direction from President Gore who has been maligned in recent days as the economy has continued to worsen.
-from CNN's Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:52 PM
-
Anderson Cooper: It's 10:00 PM on the East Coast, and we have results now from California, Washington, and Oregon. All three are going for Paul Wellstone, adding 73 electoral votes to his column, perhaps the only good news Paul Wellstone will hear all night, as this election was called for Jon Huntsman about ten minutes ago. Right now, the electoral vote tally stands at 353 for Jon Huntsman and 136 for Paul Wellstone, with Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland, normally reliable blue states, all now being projected as falling into Jon Huntsman's column in this incredible night that has seen Republicans sweep into office all across the country. Republicans are poised to pick up more than 20 seats in the House and could be looking at outnumbering Democrats in that chamber 2 to 1, while they also look to gain a supermajority in the Senate after Dick Zimmer defeated Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey, which puts Republicans at a projected 58 seats, Democrats at a projected 39 seats, with three outstanding: two elections right now that are too close to call, and then Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont who we suspect will continue to caucus with the Democrats. Those two Senate elections, that special election in Nevada which right now is at a near three way tie, and then that other election in West Virginia where Jay Wolfe has a two percent lead over incumbent Jay Rockefeller, Wolfe is expected to win but we can't call that just yet. Any way you look at it, Jon Huntsman will be entering the Oval Office with massive support from Congress, and what appears to be a significant mandate to enact his agenda.
Bob Woodruff: It definitely appears that Jon Huntsman will be sweeping into office on a massive wave of popular support, but remember, he's entering that office under the toughest conditions that perhaps any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a massive economic crisis looming.
Cooper: Huntsman has promised to take control from day one and be the change that this country needs, and there will definitely be changes on day one, no doubt about it. Al Gore has been almost a lame duck president over the last two years with Republicans in such dominant control of Congress, but now that Republicans control the presidency and both houses, what's going to be done to steer America out of this crisis?
Woodruff: The American people certainly have confidence in Jon Huntsman, as evidenced by this massive electoral landslide he's just been given.
Cooper: We can now put another state in the win column for Jon Huntsman, and that would be Maine, all of its electoral votes will be going to Huntsman, all of its districts voting for him tonight. Again, right now it's a fairly moot point but winning Maine which has been another reliable blue state just shows how big of a swing it's been from Al Gore to Jon Huntsman.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 10:01 PM
-
Katie Couric: And we can now make a call in that crucial Nevada senate race, the three way race between Libertarian candidate and magician Penn Jillette and his Republican opponent Danny Tarkanian and his Democratic opponent Shelley Berkley. And... we can call that race for Penn Jillette, which gives the Libertarian Party its first ever seat in the United States Senate. Republicans will control 59 seats in that chamber, Democrats will control 39 seats, Independents will control 1 seat and then the Libertarian Party will have that one seat, Penn Jillette, who is projected to win with 35.1% of the vote to Danny Tarkanian's 33.5% and Shelley Berkley's 31%, with .4% of the vote going to other candidates.
Tim Russert: Penn Jillette will also be the first atheist to be elected to the United States Senate, which in a country with such strong religious traditions seems even more remarkable.
Couric: And with the Republicans failing to gain a true supermajority, Jillette will end up being an incredibly important swing vote in this upcoming session as Jon Huntsman hopes to get his agenda passed in Congress.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 11:23 PM
-
The 2008 United States Presidential Election saw a number of historic firsts. It was the biggest electoral vote margin of victory for a Presidential winner since 1988, and it saw Democrats' 16 year control of the White House end with Jon Huntsman's resounding victory. It was the first time that a large number of Millennials were able to vote in the polls, and though a majority of them voted for Paul Wellstone, a significant number of young voters also voted for Jon Huntsman, in what many pundits labeled the "rise of the South Park Republicans", a long-awaited voting bloc of socially liberal but fiscally conservative young people who leaned Libertarian and saw both major parties as being in opposition to their interests, wanting the government to step back and take a much smaller role in determining their fates. It was these "South Park Republicans" who were also credited with elevating illusionist and skeptic Penn Jillette to the United States Senate in what was considered a massive upset victory over two much more experienced and well known politicians. It was thought that after professional wrestler Jesse Ventura had narrowly lost his gubernatorial bid in 1998 to Norm Coleman that "gimmicky" political candidates would fade away from electoral ambition, as Arnold Schwarzenegger had done when given the chance to run for governor of California in 2003. Of course, no less than the new Vice President-elect himself Sonny Bono had once been a major celebrity, and his elevation to the second highest office in the land, one heartbeat away from the presidency, was seen as a sign that truly anyone could run for office and win in this dynamic political environment. As the last couple months of Al Gore's presidency ticked away, the economy remained in serious trouble, and Congress knew that measures had to be taken to ensure continued economic stability. In late November, Congress did pass a compromise stimulus bill that would prop up some banks and bail out a small amount of needy homeowners. It was largely seen as a band-aid on a gaping wound, and too late to save companies like Bank of America and Lehman Brothers, but it did keep the Dow from plunging under 6,000, and it also helped restore a limited measure of consumer confidence ahead of the holiday season, to the point where president-elect Huntsman declined to criticize it. Huntsman promised that once he took office, he would reinvigorate American businesses and bring the country out of recession. With an electoral mandate and the confidence of a majority of Americans, he was in a position to do just that, and the decisions he would make in his first 100 days would either lead America back to prosperity or plunge it into ruin.
-
"We may not have won today, but as long as I live and breathe, I will continue to fight for the American people. I will fight for the poor. I will fight for those who have been discriminated against. I will fight for the common man and woman against the oppression of the forces that seek to exploit them. I will be an advocate for those who work with every ounce of their energy but are still forced into homelessness and poverty by the greedy excesses of big business. I will continue to fight for all Americans as we enter a new era of economic uncertainty. We may not have won today, but I will never admit defeat, because this struggle is bigger than any one election. It is a struggle for the soul and spirit and life of the American people and the future of our country, and that is a struggle I will never quit. I will never quit on any of you and I will never quit on my country! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and who will continue to support me and our common cause, it is you who gives me the strength to keep fighting!"
-Democratic candidate Paul Wellstone, from his concession speech at 12:15 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
"Today is a new day for the American people. Today is the beginning of our journey, out of the mires of economic crisis and into the sunshine of American prosperity! My dream of an America where liberty stands at the forefront of everyday life is now a reality, thanks to all of you! I just want to thank everyone who supported us through this incredible struggle. I want to thank my beautiful wife and my amazing children for putting up with the stress of this long campaign, and I want to promise them that their dad will be there for them even as he works for the American people in the White House. I want to thank my running mate and the Vice President elect of the United States, Sonny Bono, for giving me so much inspiration and for being my partner and my friend throughout these last few months, and I know he's going to do an amazing job as my vice president. Folks, I'm not going to lie to you. There's still a lot of work to be done. Once we get to the White House, there's going to be a lot of work going on. A lot of debate, because I'm not just going to be a president for the Republicans, but a president for all Americans, and I know that both sides of the aisle have some great ideas for where we need to take this country. I'm ready to compromise, but I won't compromise on freedom, because that's the number one issue that I ran for and whatever solutions we come up with for dealing with this crisis together, I won't sign off on anything that jeopardizes the freedom and liberty that makes America the greatest country in the history of the world!"
-President-elect Jon Huntsman, from his victory speech at 12:28 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 288 (+28)
Democrats - 147 (-28)
-
U.S. SENATE ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 59 (+2)
Democrats - 39 (-3)
Libertarians - 1 (+1)
Independents - 1 (Bernie Sanders, caucuses with Democrats)
-
FINAL PRESIDENTIAL POPULAR VOTE TALLY
Jon Huntsman - 72,884,506
Paul Wellstone - 56,183,971
-
(Source: Created on 270towin.com)
The vice presidential debate between Evan Bayh and Sonny Bono took place between the second and third debates, and most analysts called it a draw. The two candidates were both charismatic and friendly, with Bono largely criticizing politics as usual, and Bayh emphasizing that the government didn't need to be bigger but that it had to be able to work harder to properly serve the American people. Both candidates presented themselves well, and the debate proved to be fairly enlightening, showing the strength of the two VP candidates. The third presidential debate, on October 14th, was another more traditional style debate, with NBC's Brian Williams as moderator. Paul Wellstone presented himself as somewhat humbled by his recent difficulties in the polls, and answered the questions with a calm but somewhat emotional voice, expressing his love for America and his desire to make the country into a place where truly anyone could succeed, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Meanwhile, a confident Jon Huntsman was more stoic in his answers, boldly presenting his case that 16 years of Democratic rule had failed and had led the economy to its current state, of plummeting stock prices and rapidly growing unemployment. Huntsman claimed that the country couldn't take four more years of Democrats, while Wellstone claimed that the American people couldn't survive four years of Huntsman. The debate at times turned heated, but in the end, Wellstone and Huntsman shook hands and were all smiles. Ultimately, pundits and viewers both agreed that Huntsman came off as being somewhat arrogant in the debate, which hurt him slightly, but that he did continue to articulate his points slightly better than Wellstone did. Wellstone narrowly won most post-debate polls asking who won, but the debate win didn't do much for his overall poll numbers, which continued to trail behind Huntsman's by double digits.
As the election loomed, the economy continued to sag, while oil prices continued to rise as more troubling headlines came out of South America. Both Huntsman and Wellstone urged against intervention in Venezuela, while Al Gore pushed for America to take the lead in peace talks. It seemed like every day, more bad economic news broke. General Motors was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Numerous banks failed, most notably Bank of America on October 20, 2008. A proposed bailout bill stalled in Congress, with both Democrats Republicans split on whether or not to pass it. Paul Wellstone, with great reluctance, urged Congress to pass some kind of bailout measure even without guaranteeing mortgage relief for homeowners, which some on the left viewed as a betrayal, while Jon Huntsman remained categorically against any kind of bailout, repeatedly stating that "the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers". The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged throughout the month of October, dropping below 7,000 points on Halloween. As the election loomed, it became clear that the future of the country hung in the balance, but which way would the voters go? In the first few days of November, Paul Wellstone began rebounding in the polls, but it was slight: the most favorable major poll for him prior to the election was an NBC News poll that had him trailing Huntsman 53-45. If Wellstone won, it would be one of the biggest upsets in American political history.
-
Anderson Cooper: It's Election Night in America once again, this momentous night in which America will elect its president, a new House of Representatives will be chosen, a third of our Senators will be elected and all throughout the country, governorships, state legislatures, mayors, school boards will be chosen as the American people make their voices heard. Going into tonight's presidential race, Jon Huntsman has been the overwhelming favorite from pretty much the moment he secured the nomination, and he holds an 11 point lead in our ABC poll of polls going into tonight's race in which Democrats are expected to take a beating, perhaps similar to the one they suffered in 2006. The first few polls have closed, and we can make our first projections of the night. Our first projection is New Hampshire, a state that's been a major battleground state in the past several elections... it was not a battleground this year, we project that Jon Huntsman will win New Hampshire and that he is projected to win there by a wide margin. Perhaps not surprising, as New Hampshire calls itself the "Live Free Or Die State" and Huntsman is a more libertarian-leaning Republican, he did extremely well there in the primaries, but for a state that's usually one of the last to be called on any given presidential night, the fact that we can call it so quickly here is a good sign for Jon Huntsman. We can also call Tennessee for Jon Huntsman, that's a state that Al Gore won in 2004, it came down to the wire for Gore and was in fact the deciding state, but tonight it goes to Huntsman, who is winning there by 18 points. Massachusetts, however, goes to Paul Wellstone, and this was expected and Wellstone is winning there by quite a bit, so we do feel confident calling it for him tonight. However, two states that we don't feel confident calling for anyone just yet, and this may be bad news for Paul Wellstone: Connecticut and New Jersey, those are strong Democratic states in recent years but both of those races too close to call right now.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:10 PM
-
Tim Russert: So if you look here at this map, and I love this new map we've got.
Katie Couric: Isn't it a beautiful map?
Russert: It really is, you can do so much with it, it's really something. I've gotta tell ya, when they were about to conk me out for that quintuple bypass a few months ago, the thing I kept thinking was "I hope I wake up so I can do another presidential election night". I love these things, every single one of them is different.
Couric: And right now, Illinois is different from how it's been in recent years.
Russert: Illinois is very different, it's so close in Illinois right now. Huntsman is ahead there by seven points, but guess what they haven't counted yet? *points to Cook County on the map* That's Cook County, where Paul Wellstone is expected to perform like gangbusters, a little bit of Al Capone action by Paul Wellstone in Chicago. But will he find the votes he needs there, or just an empty vault like my pal Geraldo? We'll see.
-NBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:18 PM
-
Keith Olbermann: Are the results in from the Midwest?
Rachel Maddow: They are, and um, wow. This is some bad news for Paul Wellstone if this is true. Right now, NBC News is projecting that Jon Huntsman has won Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. All three of those states in the Huntsman column, and that doesn't leave much of a path to victory for Paul Wellstone.
Olbermann: That is, uh....
Maddow: That's a really tough break for Paul Wellstone, who's also behind right now in Michigan, and Wisconsin, and is really badly behind right now in Illinois. If Paul Wellstone loses Illinois, we can call this one early, I think. Right now, it's 244 electoral votes for Huntsman to just 59 for Wellstone, and this so far is going about how the polls said it would. Jon Huntsman holds a solid 12 percent lead. Meanwhile, Republicans are not only going to hold onto the House and Senate, they're going to gain seats. They're on pace, right now, if I look at the map, to have 290 seats, very close to 2/3rds of the seats in the House. Exactly 2/3rds, actually. And the only question remaining about the Senate is whether or not Republicans will hold a supermajority. They're going to pick up two seats which puts them at 58. Um, they did lose that seat in Nevada, which right now is actually looking like a really close three way race, maybe the most interesting race of the night there between Republican Danny Tarkanian, Democrat Shelley Berkley, and Libertarian Penn Jillette, and Jillette was actually leading very slightly in the polling going into that race. So it'll be very interesting if Republicans end up with 59 seats and then Penn Jillette wins, because remember, he's very VERY socially liberal and very fiscally conservative, and he could be... he could be the most important swing vote in the whole senate.
Olbermann: I do consider Penn Jillette my friend, even if he did call me a douchebag that one time.
*Laughter from the producers can be heard behind the camera*
-MSNBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:39 PM
-
Dan Rather: If we can put Virginia... in the win column for Huntsman, that would give him 268 electoral votes right now according to our map.
Scott Pelley: That's correct.
Rather: And we don't have the projections yet from Idaho, but you would have to imagine that even if Paul Wellstone pulled it out in um, in Nevada, which right now is going for Huntsman 51-45...
Bob Schieffer: I just don't see it. I do not see a path to victory right now for Paul Wellstone. Alaska hasn't even been called either way and Wellstone was trailing by more than 25 points there in the last poll.
Rather: So we can say with some confidence, even if it's not official, that Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States.
Schieffer: I believe so, Dan.
Rather: And this represents an absolutely stunning turn of events for the Democratic Party, which has held the White House for the last 16 years.
Schieffer: Well, if you remember, Al Gore won two of the closest, most contentious elections in American history. The 2000 election where he beat John McCain, that had to go to the Supreme Court, who ruled in McCain's favor but there just weren't enough votes in the recount to give McCain the victory. And then in 2004, Gore won 270 to 268, which is as close as it can be without going to the House of Representatives. So America has been thoroughly divided for the last decade, and this current economic crisis has been the tipping point to push Americans way over to the Republican side.
Pelley: It's clear that Americans blame the current woes on Al Gore and the Democratic Party.
Rather: But remember, Republicans have been the majority in both houses of Congress for the last two years.
Schieffer: Whoever's in that seat in the Oval Office gets the blame for the economy, that's been the American way for far longer than the past two years. Remember George Bush, back in 1992. Everyone expected him to beat Bill Clinton, but as James Carville put it, "it's the economy, stupid!" and that's what Americans voted on tonight. And yes, Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States. CBS can't call it, but-
Rather: Well, actually, Bob, I'm just getting some news in my ear right now. CBS has projected the following states: Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, all for Jon Huntsman, putting Huntsman at 301 electoral votes. And with that, CBS News can officially project that Jon Huntsman will be the next president of the United States of America.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:50 PM
-
*Massive celebrations can be seen taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Jon Huntsman and his family and supporters are gathered to watch the election results.*
Wolf Blitzer: And there you see the victory celebrations starting now for Jon Huntsman, who CNN projects will be the next president of the United States of America.
S.E. Cupp: This was a definitive, decisive win for Jon Huntsman. It was never in doubt, all night long. From the start of the night, just victory after victory. Illinois, Illinois which has voted in Democrats for who knows how long, it looks like Illinois will go for Huntsman.
Blitzer: This is shaping up to be perhaps the biggest electoral victory for a president since back in 1988 when George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis.
*Huntsman is shown shaking hands with some of his supporters at his election HQ, while his family looks on.*
Blitzer: Jon Huntsman also will probably have the most votes that a presidential candidate has ever received in terms of popular vote, right now he leads Paul Wellstone by nearly 13 percent, just an absolutely resounding victory and one that will mean a new direction for the country, certainly a different direction from President Gore who has been maligned in recent days as the economy has continued to worsen.
-from CNN's Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:52 PM
-
Anderson Cooper: It's 10:00 PM on the East Coast, and we have results now from California, Washington, and Oregon. All three are going for Paul Wellstone, adding 73 electoral votes to his column, perhaps the only good news Paul Wellstone will hear all night, as this election was called for Jon Huntsman about ten minutes ago. Right now, the electoral vote tally stands at 353 for Jon Huntsman and 136 for Paul Wellstone, with Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland, normally reliable blue states, all now being projected as falling into Jon Huntsman's column in this incredible night that has seen Republicans sweep into office all across the country. Republicans are poised to pick up more than 20 seats in the House and could be looking at outnumbering Democrats in that chamber 2 to 1, while they also look to gain a supermajority in the Senate after Dick Zimmer defeated Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey, which puts Republicans at a projected 58 seats, Democrats at a projected 39 seats, with three outstanding: two elections right now that are too close to call, and then Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont who we suspect will continue to caucus with the Democrats. Those two Senate elections, that special election in Nevada which right now is at a near three way tie, and then that other election in West Virginia where Jay Wolfe has a two percent lead over incumbent Jay Rockefeller, Wolfe is expected to win but we can't call that just yet. Any way you look at it, Jon Huntsman will be entering the Oval Office with massive support from Congress, and what appears to be a significant mandate to enact his agenda.
Bob Woodruff: It definitely appears that Jon Huntsman will be sweeping into office on a massive wave of popular support, but remember, he's entering that office under the toughest conditions that perhaps any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a massive economic crisis looming.
Cooper: Huntsman has promised to take control from day one and be the change that this country needs, and there will definitely be changes on day one, no doubt about it. Al Gore has been almost a lame duck president over the last two years with Republicans in such dominant control of Congress, but now that Republicans control the presidency and both houses, what's going to be done to steer America out of this crisis?
Woodruff: The American people certainly have confidence in Jon Huntsman, as evidenced by this massive electoral landslide he's just been given.
Cooper: We can now put another state in the win column for Jon Huntsman, and that would be Maine, all of its electoral votes will be going to Huntsman, all of its districts voting for him tonight. Again, right now it's a fairly moot point but winning Maine which has been another reliable blue state just shows how big of a swing it's been from Al Gore to Jon Huntsman.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 10:01 PM
-
Katie Couric: And we can now make a call in that crucial Nevada senate race, the three way race between Libertarian candidate and magician Penn Jillette and his Republican opponent Danny Tarkanian and his Democratic opponent Shelley Berkley. And... we can call that race for Penn Jillette, which gives the Libertarian Party its first ever seat in the United States Senate. Republicans will control 59 seats in that chamber, Democrats will control 39 seats, Independents will control 1 seat and then the Libertarian Party will have that one seat, Penn Jillette, who is projected to win with 35.1% of the vote to Danny Tarkanian's 33.5% and Shelley Berkley's 31%, with .4% of the vote going to other candidates.
Tim Russert: Penn Jillette will also be the first atheist to be elected to the United States Senate, which in a country with such strong religious traditions seems even more remarkable.
Couric: And with the Republicans failing to gain a true supermajority, Jillette will end up being an incredibly important swing vote in this upcoming session as Jon Huntsman hopes to get his agenda passed in Congress.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 11:23 PM
-
The 2008 United States Presidential Election saw a number of historic firsts. It was the biggest electoral vote margin of victory for a Presidential winner since 1988, and it saw Democrats' 16 year control of the White House end with Jon Huntsman's resounding victory. It was the first time that a large number of Millennials were able to vote in the polls, and though a majority of them voted for Paul Wellstone, a significant number of young voters also voted for Jon Huntsman, in what many pundits labeled the "rise of the South Park Republicans", a long-awaited voting bloc of socially liberal but fiscally conservative young people who leaned Libertarian and saw both major parties as being in opposition to their interests, wanting the government to step back and take a much smaller role in determining their fates. It was these "South Park Republicans" who were also credited with elevating illusionist and skeptic Penn Jillette to the United States Senate in what was considered a massive upset victory over two much more experienced and well known politicians. It was thought that after professional wrestler Jesse Ventura had narrowly lost his gubernatorial bid in 1998 to Norm Coleman that "gimmicky" political candidates would fade away from electoral ambition, as Arnold Schwarzenegger had done when given the chance to run for governor of California in 2003. Of course, no less than the new Vice President-elect himself Sonny Bono had once been a major celebrity, and his elevation to the second highest office in the land, one heartbeat away from the presidency, was seen as a sign that truly anyone could run for office and win in this dynamic political environment. As the last couple months of Al Gore's presidency ticked away, the economy remained in serious trouble, and Congress knew that measures had to be taken to ensure continued economic stability. In late November, Congress did pass a compromise stimulus bill that would prop up some banks and bail out a small amount of needy homeowners. It was largely seen as a band-aid on a gaping wound, and too late to save companies like Bank of America and Lehman Brothers, but it did keep the Dow from plunging under 6,000, and it also helped restore a limited measure of consumer confidence ahead of the holiday season, to the point where president-elect Huntsman declined to criticize it. Huntsman promised that once he took office, he would reinvigorate American businesses and bring the country out of recession. With an electoral mandate and the confidence of a majority of Americans, he was in a position to do just that, and the decisions he would make in his first 100 days would either lead America back to prosperity or plunge it into ruin.
-
"We may not have won today, but as long as I live and breathe, I will continue to fight for the American people. I will fight for the poor. I will fight for those who have been discriminated against. I will fight for the common man and woman against the oppression of the forces that seek to exploit them. I will be an advocate for those who work with every ounce of their energy but are still forced into homelessness and poverty by the greedy excesses of big business. I will continue to fight for all Americans as we enter a new era of economic uncertainty. We may not have won today, but I will never admit defeat, because this struggle is bigger than any one election. It is a struggle for the soul and spirit and life of the American people and the future of our country, and that is a struggle I will never quit. I will never quit on any of you and I will never quit on my country! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and who will continue to support me and our common cause, it is you who gives me the strength to keep fighting!"
-Democratic candidate Paul Wellstone, from his concession speech at 12:15 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
"Today is a new day for the American people. Today is the beginning of our journey, out of the mires of economic crisis and into the sunshine of American prosperity! My dream of an America where liberty stands at the forefront of everyday life is now a reality, thanks to all of you! I just want to thank everyone who supported us through this incredible struggle. I want to thank my beautiful wife and my amazing children for putting up with the stress of this long campaign, and I want to promise them that their dad will be there for them even as he works for the American people in the White House. I want to thank my running mate and the Vice President elect of the United States, Sonny Bono, for giving me so much inspiration and for being my partner and my friend throughout these last few months, and I know he's going to do an amazing job as my vice president. Folks, I'm not going to lie to you. There's still a lot of work to be done. Once we get to the White House, there's going to be a lot of work going on. A lot of debate, because I'm not just going to be a president for the Republicans, but a president for all Americans, and I know that both sides of the aisle have some great ideas for where we need to take this country. I'm ready to compromise, but I won't compromise on freedom, because that's the number one issue that I ran for and whatever solutions we come up with for dealing with this crisis together, I won't sign off on anything that jeopardizes the freedom and liberty that makes America the greatest country in the history of the world!"
-President-elect Jon Huntsman, from his victory speech at 12:28 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 288 (+28)
Democrats - 147 (-28)
-
U.S. SENATE ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 59 (+2)
Democrats - 39 (-3)
Libertarians - 1 (+1)
Independents - 1 (Bernie Sanders, caucuses with Democrats)
-
FINAL PRESIDENTIAL POPULAR VOTE TALLY
Jon Huntsman - 72,884,506
Paul Wellstone - 56,183,971
-
(Source: Created on 270towin.com)
Well you've done something incredible here. I probably voted in this election and may have actually voted Republican. But that depends, who ran for president for the other parties?
As the second presidential debate on October 7, 2008 loomed and the economy continued to swoon, Jon Huntsman held firmly onto his double digit lead over his Democratic rival, Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. The second debate would have a town hall format, in which voters themselves would get to ask one of the candidates a question. Most of the questions posed to the candidates centered around the economy, with Jon Huntsman fielding questions about how he would help struggling Americans in these tough economic times, and Paul Wellstone fielding questions about the impact of his economic agenda on businesses and workers. While Paul Wellstone was used to interactions with voters of various stripes, including blue-collar voters, he seemed to have more experience fielding questions from farmers than he did from small business owners, and he had trouble shaking accusations that his economic plans would put a strain on employers. Meanwhile, Jon Huntsman was able to soothe the concerns of many of the voters who asked questions of him with a generally soothing, compassionate tone. While still emphasizing the need for personal responsibility and maintaining the strong business environment, he also seemed to sympathize with the working class and with poorer voters, and promised that the government, while smaller under his administration, would be a more focused government that would work with businesses to ensure that the needs of struggling Americans were still met, and that those who genuinely couldn't find work would be given a leg up. The viewers seemed to be more receptive to Huntsman's soothing tone than they were to Wellstone's confrontational tone, especially after Wellstone willingly embraced the "socialist" label he received from a small business owner in Florida who said that Wellstone's economic policies would make it more difficult to employ people at his construction business. While Wellstone was very eloquent in explaining socialism to the small business owner, and emphasized the differences between socialism and Soviet-style communism, the label seemed to stick to him in a negative way, and ultimately, viewers and pundits largely agreed that Huntsman won the second debate resoundingly. The debate win caused Huntsman's lead in the polls to continue to grow, surging to 15 points in some polls, with states like Illinois and Connecticut suddenly coming into play.
The vice presidential debate between Evan Bayh and Sonny Bono took place between the second and third debates, and most analysts called it a draw. The two candidates were both charismatic and friendly, with Bono largely criticizing politics as usual, and Bayh emphasizing that the government didn't need to be bigger but that it had to be able to work harder to properly serve the American people. Both candidates presented themselves well, and the debate proved to be fairly enlightening, showing the strength of the two VP candidates. The third presidential debate, on October 14th, was another more traditional style debate, with NBC's Brian Williams as moderator. Paul Wellstone presented himself as somewhat humbled by his recent difficulties in the polls, and answered the questions with a calm but somewhat emotional voice, expressing his love for America and his desire to make the country into a place where truly anyone could succeed, regardless of the circumstances of their birth. Meanwhile, a confident Jon Huntsman was more stoic in his answers, boldly presenting his case that 16 years of Democratic rule had failed and had led the economy to its current state, of plummeting stock prices and rapidly growing unemployment. Huntsman claimed that the country couldn't take four more years of Democrats, while Wellstone claimed that the American people couldn't survive four years of Huntsman. The debate at times turned heated, but in the end, Wellstone and Huntsman shook hands and were all smiles. Ultimately, pundits and viewers both agreed that Huntsman came off as being somewhat arrogant in the debate, which hurt him slightly, but that he did continue to articulate his points slightly better than Wellstone did. Wellstone narrowly won most post-debate polls asking who won, but the debate win didn't do much for his overall poll numbers, which continued to trail behind Huntsman's by double digits.
As the election loomed, the economy continued to sag, while oil prices continued to rise as more troubling headlines came out of South America. Both Huntsman and Wellstone urged against intervention in Venezuela, while Al Gore pushed for America to take the lead in peace talks. It seemed like every day, more bad economic news broke. General Motors was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Numerous banks failed, most notably Bank of America on October 20, 2008. A proposed bailout bill stalled in Congress, with both Democrats Republicans split on whether or not to pass it. Paul Wellstone, with great reluctance, urged Congress to pass some kind of bailout measure even without guaranteeing mortgage relief for homeowners, which some on the left viewed as a betrayal, while Jon Huntsman remained categorically against any kind of bailout, repeatedly stating that "the government should not be in the business of picking winners and losers". The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged throughout the month of October, dropping below 7,000 points on Halloween. As the election loomed, it became clear that the future of the country hung in the balance, but which way would the voters go? In the first few days of November, Paul Wellstone began rebounding in the polls, but it was slight: the most favorable major poll for him prior to the election was an NBC News poll that had him trailing Huntsman 53-45. If Wellstone won, it would be one of the biggest upsets in American political history.
-
Anderson Cooper: It's Election Night in America once again, this momentous night in which America will elect its president, a new House of Representatives will be chosen, a third of our Senators will be elected and all throughout the country, governorships, state legislatures, mayors, school boards will be chosen as the American people make their voices heard. Going into tonight's presidential race, Jon Huntsman has been the overwhelming favorite from pretty much the moment he secured the nomination, and he holds an 11 point lead in our ABC poll of polls going into tonight's race in which Democrats are expected to take a beating, perhaps similar to the one they suffered in 2006. The first few polls have closed, and we can make our first projections of the night. Our first projection is New Hampshire, a state that's been a major battleground state in the past several elections... it was not a battleground this year, we project that Jon Huntsman will win New Hampshire and that he is projected to win there by a wide margin. Perhaps not surprising, as New Hampshire calls itself the "Live Free Or Die State" and Huntsman is a more libertarian-leaning Republican, he did extremely well there in the primaries, but for a state that's usually one of the last to be called on any given presidential night, the fact that we can call it so quickly here is a good sign for Jon Huntsman. We can also call Tennessee for Jon Huntsman, that's a state that Al Gore won in 2004, it came down to the wire for Gore and was in fact the deciding state, but tonight it goes to Huntsman, who is winning there by 18 points. Massachusetts, however, goes to Paul Wellstone, and this was expected and Wellstone is winning there by quite a bit, so we do feel confident calling it for him tonight. However, two states that we don't feel confident calling for anyone just yet, and this may be bad news for Paul Wellstone: Connecticut and New Jersey, those are strong Democratic states in recent years but both of those races too close to call right now.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:10 PM
-
Tim Russert: So if you look here at this map, and I love this new map we've got.
Katie Couric: Isn't it a beautiful map?
Russert: It really is, you can do so much with it, it's really something. I've gotta tell ya, when they were about to conk me out for that quintuple bypass a few months ago, the thing I kept thinking was "I hope I wake up so I can do another presidential election night". I love these things, every single one of them is different.
Couric: And right now, Illinois is different from how it's been in recent years.
Russert: Illinois is very different, it's so close in Illinois right now. Huntsman is ahead there by seven points, but guess what they haven't counted yet? *points to Cook County on the map* That's Cook County, where Paul Wellstone is expected to perform like gangbusters, a little bit of Al Capone action by Paul Wellstone in Chicago. But will he find the votes he needs there, or just an empty vault like my pal Geraldo? We'll see.
-NBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:18 PM
-
Keith Olbermann: Are the results in from the Midwest?
Rachel Maddow: They are, and um, wow. This is some bad news for Paul Wellstone if this is true. Right now, NBC News is projecting that Jon Huntsman has won Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. All three of those states in the Huntsman column, and that doesn't leave much of a path to victory for Paul Wellstone.
Olbermann: That is, uh....
Maddow: That's a really tough break for Paul Wellstone, who's also behind right now in Michigan, and Wisconsin, and is really badly behind right now in Illinois. If Paul Wellstone loses Illinois, we can call this one early, I think. Right now, it's 244 electoral votes for Huntsman to just 59 for Wellstone, and this so far is going about how the polls said it would. Jon Huntsman holds a solid 12 percent lead. Meanwhile, Republicans are not only going to hold onto the House and Senate, they're going to gain seats. They're on pace, right now, if I look at the map, to have 290 seats, very close to 2/3rds of the seats in the House. Exactly 2/3rds, actually. And the only question remaining about the Senate is whether or not Republicans will hold a supermajority. They're going to pick up two seats which puts them at 58. Um, they did lose that seat in Nevada, which right now is actually looking like a really close three way race, maybe the most interesting race of the night there between Republican Danny Tarkanian, Democrat Shelley Berkley, and Libertarian Penn Jillette, and Jillette was actually leading very slightly in the polling going into that race. So it'll be very interesting if Republicans end up with 59 seats and then Penn Jillette wins, because remember, he's very VERY socially liberal and very fiscally conservative, and he could be... he could be the most important swing vote in the whole senate.
Olbermann: I do consider Penn Jillette my friend, even if he did call me a douchebag that one time.
*Laughter from the producers can be heard behind the camera*
-MSNBC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:39 PM
-
Dan Rather: If we can put Virginia... in the win column for Huntsman, that would give him 268 electoral votes right now according to our map.
Scott Pelley: That's correct.
Rather: And we don't have the projections yet from Idaho, but you would have to imagine that even if Paul Wellstone pulled it out in um, in Nevada, which right now is going for Huntsman 51-45...
Bob Schieffer: I just don't see it. I do not see a path to victory right now for Paul Wellstone. Alaska hasn't even been called either way and Wellstone was trailing by more than 25 points there in the last poll.
Rather: So we can say with some confidence, even if it's not official, that Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States.
Schieffer: I believe so, Dan.
Rather: And this represents an absolutely stunning turn of events for the Democratic Party, which has held the White House for the last 16 years.
Schieffer: Well, if you remember, Al Gore won two of the closest, most contentious elections in American history. The 2000 election where he beat John McCain, that had to go to the Supreme Court, who ruled in McCain's favor but there just weren't enough votes in the recount to give McCain the victory. And then in 2004, Gore won 270 to 268, which is as close as it can be without going to the House of Representatives. So America has been thoroughly divided for the last decade, and this current economic crisis has been the tipping point to push Americans way over to the Republican side.
Pelley: It's clear that Americans blame the current woes on Al Gore and the Democratic Party.
Rather: But remember, Republicans have been the majority in both houses of Congress for the last two years.
Schieffer: Whoever's in that seat in the Oval Office gets the blame for the economy, that's been the American way for far longer than the past two years. Remember George Bush, back in 1992. Everyone expected him to beat Bill Clinton, but as James Carville put it, "it's the economy, stupid!" and that's what Americans voted on tonight. And yes, Jon Huntsman will be the 44th President of the United States. CBS can't call it, but-
Rather: Well, actually, Bob, I'm just getting some news in my ear right now. CBS has projected the following states: Idaho, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, all for Jon Huntsman, putting Huntsman at 301 electoral votes. And with that, CBS News can officially project that Jon Huntsman will be the next president of the United States of America.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:50 PM
-
*Massive celebrations can be seen taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah, where Jon Huntsman and his family and supporters are gathered to watch the election results.*
Wolf Blitzer: And there you see the victory celebrations starting now for Jon Huntsman, who CNN projects will be the next president of the United States of America.
S.E. Cupp: This was a definitive, decisive win for Jon Huntsman. It was never in doubt, all night long. From the start of the night, just victory after victory. Illinois, Illinois which has voted in Democrats for who knows how long, it looks like Illinois will go for Huntsman.
Blitzer: This is shaping up to be perhaps the biggest electoral victory for a president since back in 1988 when George Bush defeated Michael Dukakis.
*Huntsman is shown shaking hands with some of his supporters at his election HQ, while his family looks on.*
Blitzer: Jon Huntsman also will probably have the most votes that a presidential candidate has ever received in terms of popular vote, right now he leads Paul Wellstone by nearly 13 percent, just an absolutely resounding victory and one that will mean a new direction for the country, certainly a different direction from President Gore who has been maligned in recent days as the economy has continued to worsen.
-from CNN's Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 9:52 PM
-
Anderson Cooper: It's 10:00 PM on the East Coast, and we have results now from California, Washington, and Oregon. All three are going for Paul Wellstone, adding 73 electoral votes to his column, perhaps the only good news Paul Wellstone will hear all night, as this election was called for Jon Huntsman about ten minutes ago. Right now, the electoral vote tally stands at 353 for Jon Huntsman and 136 for Paul Wellstone, with Connecticut, New Jersey, and Maryland, normally reliable blue states, all now being projected as falling into Jon Huntsman's column in this incredible night that has seen Republicans sweep into office all across the country. Republicans are poised to pick up more than 20 seats in the House and could be looking at outnumbering Democrats in that chamber 2 to 1, while they also look to gain a supermajority in the Senate after Dick Zimmer defeated Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey, which puts Republicans at a projected 58 seats, Democrats at a projected 39 seats, with three outstanding: two elections right now that are too close to call, and then Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont who we suspect will continue to caucus with the Democrats. Those two Senate elections, that special election in Nevada which right now is at a near three way tie, and then that other election in West Virginia where Jay Wolfe has a two percent lead over incumbent Jay Rockefeller, Wolfe is expected to win but we can't call that just yet. Any way you look at it, Jon Huntsman will be entering the Oval Office with massive support from Congress, and what appears to be a significant mandate to enact his agenda.
Bob Woodruff: It definitely appears that Jon Huntsman will be sweeping into office on a massive wave of popular support, but remember, he's entering that office under the toughest conditions that perhaps any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt, with a massive economic crisis looming.
Cooper: Huntsman has promised to take control from day one and be the change that this country needs, and there will definitely be changes on day one, no doubt about it. Al Gore has been almost a lame duck president over the last two years with Republicans in such dominant control of Congress, but now that Republicans control the presidency and both houses, what's going to be done to steer America out of this crisis?
Woodruff: The American people certainly have confidence in Jon Huntsman, as evidenced by this massive electoral landslide he's just been given.
Cooper: We can now put another state in the win column for Jon Huntsman, and that would be Maine, all of its electoral votes will be going to Huntsman, all of its districts voting for him tonight. Again, right now it's a fairly moot point but winning Maine which has been another reliable blue state just shows how big of a swing it's been from Al Gore to Jon Huntsman.
-from ABC's Election Night 2008 coverage on November 4, 2008, at 10:01 PM
-
Katie Couric: And we can now make a call in that crucial Nevada senate race, the three way race between Libertarian candidate and magician Penn Jillette and his Republican opponent Danny Tarkanian and his Democratic opponent Shelley Berkley. And... we can call that race for Penn Jillette, which gives the Libertarian Party its first ever seat in the United States Senate. Republicans will control 59 seats in that chamber, Democrats will control 39 seats, Independents will control 1 seat and then the Libertarian Party will have that one seat, Penn Jillette, who is projected to win with 35.1% of the vote to Danny Tarkanian's 33.5% and Shelley Berkley's 31%, with .4% of the vote going to other candidates.
Tim Russert: Penn Jillette will also be the first atheist to be elected to the United States Senate, which in a country with such strong religious traditions seems even more remarkable.
Couric: And with the Republicans failing to gain a true supermajority, Jillette will end up being an incredibly important swing vote in this upcoming session as Jon Huntsman hopes to get his agenda passed in Congress.
-from CBS' Election Night coverage on November 4, 2008, at 11:23 PM
-
The 2008 United States Presidential Election saw a number of historic firsts. It was the biggest electoral vote margin of victory for a Presidential winner since 1988, and it saw Democrats' 16 year control of the White House end with Jon Huntsman's resounding victory. It was the first time that a large number of Millennials were able to vote in the polls, and though a majority of them voted for Paul Wellstone, a significant number of young voters also voted for Jon Huntsman, in what many pundits labeled the "rise of the South Park Republicans", a long-awaited voting bloc of socially liberal but fiscally conservative young people who leaned Libertarian and saw both major parties as being in opposition to their interests, wanting the government to step back and take a much smaller role in determining their fates. It was these "South Park Republicans" who were also credited with elevating illusionist and skeptic Penn Jillette to the United States Senate in what was considered a massive upset victory over two much more experienced and well known politicians. It was thought that after professional wrestler Jesse Ventura had narrowly lost his gubernatorial bid in 1998 to Norm Coleman that "gimmicky" political candidates would fade away from electoral ambition, as Arnold Schwarzenegger had done when given the chance to run for governor of California in 2003. Of course, no less than the new Vice President-elect himself Sonny Bono had once been a major celebrity, and his elevation to the second highest office in the land, one heartbeat away from the presidency, was seen as a sign that truly anyone could run for office and win in this dynamic political environment. As the last couple months of Al Gore's presidency ticked away, the economy remained in serious trouble, and Congress knew that measures had to be taken to ensure continued economic stability. In late November, Congress did pass a compromise stimulus bill that would prop up some banks and bail out a small amount of needy homeowners. It was largely seen as a band-aid on a gaping wound, and too late to save companies like Bank of America and Lehman Brothers, but it did keep the Dow from plunging under 6,000, and it also helped restore a limited measure of consumer confidence ahead of the holiday season, to the point where president-elect Huntsman declined to criticize it. Huntsman promised that once he took office, he would reinvigorate American businesses and bring the country out of recession. With an electoral mandate and the confidence of a majority of Americans, he was in a position to do just that, and the decisions he would make in his first 100 days would either lead America back to prosperity or plunge it into ruin.
-
"We may not have won today, but as long as I live and breathe, I will continue to fight for the American people. I will fight for the poor. I will fight for those who have been discriminated against. I will fight for the common man and woman against the oppression of the forces that seek to exploit them. I will be an advocate for those who work with every ounce of their energy but are still forced into homelessness and poverty by the greedy excesses of big business. I will continue to fight for all Americans as we enter a new era of economic uncertainty. We may not have won today, but I will never admit defeat, because this struggle is bigger than any one election. It is a struggle for the soul and spirit and life of the American people and the future of our country, and that is a struggle I will never quit. I will never quit on any of you and I will never quit on my country! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and who will continue to support me and our common cause, it is you who gives me the strength to keep fighting!"
-Democratic candidate Paul Wellstone, from his concession speech at 12:15 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
"Today is a new day for the American people. Today is the beginning of our journey, out of the mires of economic crisis and into the sunshine of American prosperity! My dream of an America where liberty stands at the forefront of everyday life is now a reality, thanks to all of you! I just want to thank everyone who supported us through this incredible struggle. I want to thank my beautiful wife and my amazing children for putting up with the stress of this long campaign, and I want to promise them that their dad will be there for them even as he works for the American people in the White House. I want to thank my running mate and the Vice President elect of the United States, Sonny Bono, for giving me so much inspiration and for being my partner and my friend throughout these last few months, and I know he's going to do an amazing job as my vice president. Folks, I'm not going to lie to you. There's still a lot of work to be done. Once we get to the White House, there's going to be a lot of work going on. A lot of debate, because I'm not just going to be a president for the Republicans, but a president for all Americans, and I know that both sides of the aisle have some great ideas for where we need to take this country. I'm ready to compromise, but I won't compromise on freedom, because that's the number one issue that I ran for and whatever solutions we come up with for dealing with this crisis together, I won't sign off on anything that jeopardizes the freedom and liberty that makes America the greatest country in the history of the world!"
-President-elect Jon Huntsman, from his victory speech at 12:28 AM on the morning of November 5, 2008
-
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 288 (+28)
Democrats - 147 (-28)
-
U.S. SENATE ELECTION RESULTS
Republicans - 59 (+2)
Democrats - 39 (-3)
Libertarians - 1 (+1)
Independents - 1 (Bernie Sanders, caucuses with Democrats)
-
FINAL PRESIDENTIAL POPULAR VOTE TALLY
Jon Huntsman - 72,884,506
Paul Wellstone - 56,183,971
-
(Source: Created on 270towin.com)
I hope this means we will have a progressive democratic president willing in 2016
I would perfer 2016. 2008 -2016 is a bad time to be presidnet. Even if thinks get sliglty better under 8 years of hntsman the public will stop balming gore and the democarts and start balming huntsman and the republicans if thing aren't bomming hugely. I feel that obama made things a little better but the media keep attackign him. 8 years of huntsman and small to modest growth means the public will probbly be more open to a democrat. 2016 gives the democarts more time to take back congress for the first time since 1994
I just got a nutty idea. Jhon huntsman dies in acidnet in plane crahs in 2014 or 2015 (Wellstone death was butterlied and we havn't had a presidnet die since kendy)and bone become presidnet and santorn becsue vp. . Bonno would be our oldest presient at 79 or 80. Santion tries to get to get bono declared senile and incompent so he become presidnet. The media ponce on this and cause it an attmpet at a medical coup and say paint snaton as being bitter at huntsman for chosign bono as his vp and that he trying to get venage on bono by having him public declared incompent. There may be a few nuttjob conspirey thoeries accuses santorn of saboaging airfoce one.This leads to a democarcit landslide.
Bookmark1995
Banned
That would depend if Huntsman either pushes some kind of stimulus, or if Huntsman goes all Hoover-Tea Party on the American economy, and the economy and deficit only worsen. If that happens, we could see the rise of a left-wing Tea Party, and the fortunes of the Dems could reverse dramatically. OTL, who expected the Republicans to bounce back so quickly after Bush's second term and Palin. The Democrats could easily choose recover and choose another strong leftist to run in 2012. Maybe...Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama, or even someone else, like Russ Feingold.
There is also another wild card to consider: Penn Jillette. As stated, he now has incredible influence over decision making. While he would support laissez faire, he would be incredibly disgruntled by Republican House and Senate pushing for blatant crony capitalism, bans on scientific research, and total religious quackery. 2008-2012 was also when weed legalization and gay marriage became a cause celebre, which is something Penn would be completely in favor off.
If Huntsman and the rest of the GOP behave too much like religious police, act to beholden to crony businessmen, and actively suppress new social freedoms, then Penn would definitely run over President on the Libertarian Party ticket. I can see him and Gary Johnson forming the Jillette/Johnson 2012 ticket.
Faced with a still struggling economy, a popular 3rd party candidate who could drain away Republican votes, and the Democratic Party screaming "Jon Hoover", Huntsman could lose pretty handily in 2012, becoming a Republican Jimmy Carter.
EDIT:
If Huntsman were to lose control over at least one house in Congress, it would mean he would be forced to compromise with the Democrats to get the right budget, which could kill him among more extreme conservatives.
Last edited:
By the way, you mentioned in a (much) earlier post that after Chris Benoit's suicide the WWE would find itself facing some serious competition by another company; is it a RL company (Ring of Honor for example, especially if people like CM Punk and Daniel Bryan do not jump ship) or a fictional enterprise? Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman teaming up to found some kind of "EWCW" would make Vince shit his pants, since plenty of people he and his right hand men have wronged over the years would love to give them a hand in bringing the McMahon empire down. Hell, even just hiring Chyna as a colour commentator would be more than enough to make Vince McMahon's entire family alert the police.
The Republicans dealing with the 2008 recession, on the other hand... fuck. Just, fuck.
The Republicans dealing with the 2008 recession, on the other hand... fuck. Just, fuck.
I would pefer if Huntsman barely winds a seconds Term and some one Like Bernie sanders, Russ Fiengold or Denis Kusinic winns in 2016. I like the idea of the democirts runing a blackman other then obama in 2012. America first morman presiden Jhon hutnams beating a black man in 2012 has some symerty over how Our first Black Presidnet Obama beat the mormkon romey in 2008
4 terms of Democratic rule that ends in a massive recession makes a Republican landslide somewhat inevitable! 
Glad that it's Huntsman and Sonny Bono, at least. And Penn Jillette as a Senator? whew.
Glad that it's Huntsman and Sonny Bono, at least. And Penn Jillette as a Senator? whew.
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
The moment of Truth. I guessed (correctly) that John Huntsman would win the Preisdency but the 42-state landslide was unexpected. I also guessed (even more correctly) Penn Jillette would win that seat in Nevada, why else would this race be mentioned so often?
I feel sorry for Wellstone in this situation but to be fair he probably would have been a one-term President in this spot, regardless if the economy recovered or not.
"Fiscal conservatism" does wonders for an economy. Until it collapses, then it just drives it into the ground again. This'll be fun, and that is all I will say on the matter for the time being, except that the weather calls for butterflies and a darn good chance that businesses still going strong IOTL to not be around by the present day and/or 2021 ITTL.
As for speculation in 2012/2016, I'm in no position to say, as it's too far ahead in the scope of this TL to manage for it, but while I'm not trying to sound off I would just like to try and remind fellow commenters and all-round swell people to be careful with how close to OTL current politics you get, that's all.
I feel sorry for Wellstone in this situation but to be fair he probably would have been a one-term President in this spot, regardless if the economy recovered or not.
"Fiscal conservatism" does wonders for an economy. Until it collapses, then it just drives it into the ground again. This'll be fun, and that is all I will say on the matter for the time being, except that the weather calls for butterflies and a darn good chance that businesses still going strong IOTL to not be around by the present day and/or 2021 ITTL.
As for speculation in 2012/2016, I'm in no position to say, as it's too far ahead in the scope of this TL to manage for it, but while I'm not trying to sound off I would just like to try and remind fellow commenters and all-round swell people to be careful with how close to OTL current politics you get, that's all.
- Status