SanMan64

Banned
Maverick Victorious - A McCain 2008 TL

John+McCain+Accepts+Republican+Party+Nomination+8QM-FH8Ec_ql.jpg

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) addresses the 2008 Republican National Convention upon accepting the party's nomination for President of the United States
November 5, 2008, 12:00 AM EST - The last states on the west coast were being called by most major news companies at the moment. California, Oregon, and Washington were easily called for Senator Clinton (D-NY), however the rest of the nation would tell a different story.

Until October, the race looked like an easy win for Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton and her running-mate Senator John Edwards (D-NC) considering the disastrous Great Recession and President George W. Bush's approval ratings hitting 27% in late September. The Democrats had retaken the Senate in 2006 and were projected to make gains in the coming election in both houses.

The hopes, however, would come crashing down in the early days of October. Senator John Edwards, despite fending off the then-allegations, was confirmed to have conceived a child film maker and campaign staffer Rielle Hunter, sending the Clinton campaign into a tailspin and forcing Edwards to step down from the ticket and resign his Senate seat.

But the question remains, how will the Democrats recover from this sudden defeat in this election? And how will they cope with another four years of a Republican president?

Welcome...to Maverick Victorious.
 

SanMan64

Banned
September 7, 2003, 9:15 AM EST - Washington, D.C.

170px-John_Edwards_on_Meet_The_Press.jpg

John Edwards (D-NC) on Meet the Press

"Senator Edwards," Mr. Russert asked, "many are still wondering if you'll run for president against George W. Bush next year. Will you?"

"Tim, after much consideration, I feel that 2004 is not my year to run," replied the young Senator, "I will, however, seek reelection to my seat in the Senate and continue to serve my country there."

John Edwards, a young charismatic Democrat from a Republican-leaning state, was widely expect to run for president in the coming election and was seen as a strong contender to defeat President Bush in 2004. Senator Edwards, however, after discussing with his family, decided seeking another term in the Senate would be the best option for him.
John_Edwards_Pittsburgh_2007.jpg

Senator Edwards campaigning for reelection in September of 2004
Edwards was considered as a running-mate for Senator John Kerry (D-MA), however he was passed over for Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA). Despite this, Edwards helped campaign for John Kerry in North Carolina.

The Kerry/Vilsack went on to lose the general election, however John Edwards narrowly defeated Congressman Richard Burr (R-NC) for the Senate by a margin less than 50,000 votes.
 

SanMan64

Banned
gty_bill_clinton_2008_kb_150410_4x3_992.jpg

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) greets her supporters in Iowa with her husband Fmr. President Bill Clinton.
January 3, 2008, 9:00 PM CST - The Primaries Begin: Senator Hillary Clinton had pulled off a narrow victory over Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator John Edwards, winning 18 delegates over Obama's 16 and Edwards' 11. Despite his loss, Senator Obama encouraged his supporters to remain hopeful for the future and prepare for victories ahead. The Edwards campaign, however, was devastated by the loss and were very hopeful for a victory in Iowa, not to mention he was trailing by a large margin in national polls. Despite this, Edwards traveled to New Hampshire in hopes of defeating both Senators Clinton and Obama.

On the Republican side, Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) won Iowa by 43%, with Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) in second and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in third.
_81219913_78755491.jpg

Fmr. Governor Mike Huckabee upon winning the Iowa caucus


January 8, 2008 - 8:30 PM EST - A Race Narrowed: Despite increased campaign efforts, Edwards came in third place in New Hampshire, with Senator Clinton scoring her second win and Senator Obama trailing her by one delegate in the state. Edwards, now trailing by double digits behind Clinton and Obama, announced that he will be suspending his campaign for presidency.
120522055137-john-edwards-14-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg

Senator Edwards leaving his campaign office after suspending his campaign
On the Republican side, Senator John McCain scored his first victory in New Hampshire with 37% of the vote, with Former Governor Mitt Romney coming in second and Huckabee coming in third.
 
Last edited:
Edwards is not going to be on the ticket--period. The affair was pretty widely known--certainly to HRC and her circle--even if the mainstream media only obliquely referred to it. (They would no doubt have talked about it earlier and more directly if Edwards had stayed in the presidential race.) Even if Edwards' guilt were not proven at the time, it would just be an absurd risk to choose him.

I mean, look at 2016: in Kaine, she chose about the "safest" running mate available. (Not necessarily the best , since she would probably have won VA anyway, and other choices might have helped more in other states--but the 'safest" in conventional terms.)

And one more reason: neither HRC nor Obama would want to remind the country of the unsuccessful Kerry-Edwards ticket of four years earlier (where having Edwards on the ticket couldn't even prevent a Bush landslide in NC.)
 
Last edited:

SanMan64

Banned
And one more reason: neither HRC nor Obama would want to remind the country of the unsuccessful Kerry-Edwards ticket of four years earlier (where having Edwards on the ticket couldn't even prevent a Bush landslide in NC.)

One of the PODs is that John Kerry does not pick John Edwards as his running mate due to him seeking another term in the Senate. Kerry selects Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack instead of him (the election goes almost identical to OTL, maybe Iowa goes blue).

By 2008, North Carolina is already looking swingy like Virginia, so Edwards could be seen as bringing a new, once solid red, swing state to the Dems' side.
 
One of the PODs is that John Kerry does not pick John Edwards as his running mate due to him seeking another term in the Senate. Kerry selects Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack instead of him (the election goes almost identical to OTL, maybe Iowa goes blue).

By 2008, North Carolina is already looking swingy like Virginia, so Edwards could be seen as bringing a new, once solid red, swing state to the Dems' side.

Virginia was considerably closer than North Carolina in 2004, even with Edwards on the ticket, and I really doubt that before the fall of Lehman Brothers the Democrats would have seen winning NC as much of a possibility. In any event, the Edwards affair was sufficiently well-known by the time of the convention to kill any chance of his being named as running mate.
 

SanMan64

Banned
Next post will be about the Democrats' Super Tuesday, stay tuned for that. However, I'm not sure how much time I want to spend in the primaries as I want to start working on the presidential debates and the course of the election.

Republican primaries go almost identical to OTL.
 

SanMan64

Banned
Super Tuesday
obama_hillary_clinton_2008_ap_img.jpg

Senator Clinton fires back after Senator Obama attacks her voting record
February 5, 2008 - Despite narrowly losing the contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, the Obama campaign remained hopeful after their big win in South Carolina. During the debates and on televised advertisements, Senator Barack Obama went on the offensive against Clinton, attacking her support for the Iraq War and other policies pushed by the unpopular Bush administration. These attacks, despite initially gaining ground for Obama's campaign, caused the Clinton campaign to go on the defensive and boosting her support in polls. The previous debate on January 31, however, did nothing to help either candidate.

Both candidates campaigned heavily across the nation in hopes of motivating supporters of turning out to the polls, however both candidates and pundits were certain of what would be the results of the night.

SUPER TUESDAY RESULTS:
ALABAMA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 27 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 25 delegates
ALASKA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 8 delegates
Senator Barack Obama -5 delegates
AMERICAN SAMOA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 2 delegates

Senator Barack Obama -1 delegate
ARIZONA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 33 delegates

Senator Barack Obama -23 delegates
ARKANSAS:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 30 delegates

Senator Barack Obama -5 delegates
CALIFORNIA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 212 delegates

Senator Barack Obama -158 delegates
COLORADO:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 22 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 33 delegates
CONNECTICUT:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 25 delegates (tie)
Senator Barack Obama - 25 delegates (tie)
DELAWARE:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 8 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 7 delegates
GEORGIA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 25 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 55 delegates
IDAHO:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 4 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 14 delegates
ILLINOIS:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 49 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 104 delegates
KANSAS:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 14 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 18 delegates
MASSACHUSETTS:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 61 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 32 delegates
MINNESOTA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 32 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 40 delegates
MISSOURI:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 41 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 31 delegates
NEW JERSEY:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 62 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 45 delegates
NEW MEXICO:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 15 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 11 delegates
NEW YORK:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 144 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 88 delegates
NORTH DAKOTA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 7 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 6 delegates
OKLAHOMA:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 25 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 13 delegates
TENNESSEE:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 44 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - 24 delegates
UTAH:
Senator Hillary Clinton - 11 delegates
Senator Barack Obama - 12 delegates
TOTAL VOTES:
Senator Hillary Clinton - +902 delegates

Senator Barack Obama - +753 delegates

124287-004-89F67592.jpg

"A Great Day for Women" - New York Times.
Senator Clinton emerged as the victor of Super Tuesday, overshadowing Barack Obama by about 150 delegates in that night alone.

"Tonight is a great night not just for us, but for women all across America!" said Senator Clinton at a post-Super Tuesday rally.

Senator Obama, however, was beginning to lose hope in the primaries. Rumors began circulating that the young Senator may drop out soon, however he assured his supporters that he will keep fighting until the very last day of the primaries.

(Sorry if this post is kinda crappy, but tbh I really want to start posting about the general election :p)
 

SanMan64

Banned
obama-sad-frown.jpg

Senator Obama shortly after dropping out of the primaries (March 11, 2008)
March 11, 2008, 8:30 PM CST - Despite winning some minor contests in recent weeks, Senator Barack Obama officially announced that he would be suspending his campaign. His rival, Senator Clinton, continued to come closer and closer to clinching the Democratic nomination and polls placed him further away from victory any time soon.

"My wife, Michelle, and our loving daughters have come to the consensus that 2008 is not our year for the presidency," said Senator Obama, "Therefore, I am officially suspending my campaign for the presidency."

In the emotional speech, Senator Obama called on his supporters to support his rival in the general election and remain faithful to the future.

"Although our campaign is over, we should continue looking forward to the brighter days ahead."

With McCain becoming the Republican presumptive nominee on March 5, the general election narrowed down to Senator John McCain (R-AZ) versus Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY).
 

SanMan64

Banned
August 22, 2008, 3:30 PM - Grand Rapids, Michigan - With only weeks before her official nomination by the Democratic Party, Senator Clinton and her team sought out a choice for the Vice Presidential nomination. Many were predicting Evan Bayh, John Edwards, or even her rival, Senator Barack Obama, as her running mate. The Clinton campaign decided to make the official announcement at her next campaign stop in Michigan. Her official shortlist included the following candidates:
  • Senator Joe Biden (D-DL)
  • Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
  • Senator John Edwards (D-NC)
  • Governor Tim Kaine (D-VA)
  • Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)
  • Governor Brian Schweitzer (D-MT)
  • Governor Ted Strickland (D-OH)
In the week leading up to August 22, the list narrowed down to Senator Bayh, Senator Edwards, and Governor Strickland. The Clinton campaign determined that Strickland and Bayh were "safer" candidates, however Edwards was more energizing and could bring a red state to her side in the election.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce to you my running mate, as well as our next Vice President, Senator John Edwards from North Carolina!"
TW2UOd6.png

Senator Edwards with Senator Clinton after being announced as her running mate

Political experts deemed Edwards, albeit somewhat dangerous with small rumors circulating that he had an affair, was an energizing pick for the Democratic base and drive up votes in key states, as well as potentially pushing North Carolina to become a swing state.

August 28, 2008, 1:15 PM - Norfolk, Virginia - Similarly to Clinton, just weeks were leading to McCain's official nomination by the Republican Party. With Bush's unpopularity, the media and the general public were very interested to see who Senator McCain would pick as his Vice President. Rumors circulated that he may choose Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), an independent Democrat, as his running mate, while others suggested he would choose former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) or former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) as his running mate. His official shortlist narrowed down to the following candidates.
  • Former Senator George Allen (R-VA)
  • Governor Charlie Crist (R-FL)
  • Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
  • Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
  • Governor Bobby Jindal (R-LA)
  • Governor Sarah Palin (R-AK)
  • Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN)
  • Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)
"My friends, I am pleased to introduce to you the next Vice President of the United States, Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota!" announced Senator McCain at his rally.
08pawlenty_600.jpg

Governor Tim Pawlenty with his wife, Mary, after being selected as Senator McCain's running mate.
"Governor Pawlenty has had an accomplished career as a Republican governor from a mostly Democratic state. His ability to work across the aisle is what we need now more than ever in Washington," continued McCain.

Many conservative pundits were concerned that a McCain/Pawlenty ticket was not conservative enough, however others argued that the ticket could attract votes from moderate Democrats who were not pleased with the Senator Clinton and Senator Edwards.

Head to Head Polling (as of August 28):
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)/Senator John Edwards (D-NC) - 49%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) - 43%

Undecided - 8%
 
Last edited:
If you read the earlier posts, you will notice Kerry picked Vilsack as his running mate, not Edwards.

Anyway, though I am still quite skeptical of the way you think McCain would win in 2008, the update was pretty good.
 
You realize I was kidding about Crist, right? He's a f**kin opportunist who'll stop at nothing to gain power
 

SanMan64

Banned
August 25-28, 2008 - Denver, Colorado - The 2008 Democratic National Convention begins with energetic speeches from Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Senator John Kerry (D-MA), Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), former President Bill Clinton (D-AR), and the keynote address from former Governor Mark Warner (D-VA).
9104446-large.jpg

Senator John Edwards accepts his nomination as the Vice Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party
0f8193d13dd0ea4863b23a02306fdef2.jpg

Senator Hillary Clinton accepts her nomination as the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party

September 1-4, 2008 - St. Paul, Minnesota - The 2008 Republican National Convention commences amid protests against the Iraq War and anger at the rate of poverty and homelessness in the United States.
068c9464-a233-4c1d-9960-2bee0c2c725f-2048.jpeg

Governor Tim Pawlenty accepts his nomination as the Vice Presidential nominee of the Republican Party
r

Senator John McCain accepts his nomination as the Presidential nominee of the Republican Party

 
Top