New Horizons

Out of a lack of time to flesh out the exact dynamics of the primary seasons for each party, I'm going to skip ahead to the beginning of summer to get to the "juicy" part of the timeline.

CLINTON PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE
April 22nd, 2008, CNN.com


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Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has earned enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for President, according to CNN projections. Her 53-47 victory over fellow Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) in Pennsylvania tonight puts the former First Lady at 2,019 delegates, just slightly over the 2,018 delegates necessary to win the nomination. After a shockingly divided and protracted primary season, the first task of the Clinton campaign is to reunify the party behind the presumptive nominee, which may be difficult considering the perceived animosity between the progressives and self-described moderate New Democrats. Feingold has not yet given his concession speech, and it is not known whether he will endorse his former primary rival or withhold his support.


STARTING WITH A BANG: THE GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN
May 1st, 2008, POLITICO


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Just over a week has passed since Hillary Clinton won the Democratic presidential nomination, and with six months still to go until Election Day, the general election campaign has already kicked into high gear. The presumptive Republican nominee, former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, has begun a blitz of attacks against his New York opponent, criticizing Clinton on a variety of issues including foreign and domestic policy. At a rally in Nashua, New Hampshire, Romney questioned Clinton's commitment to a U.S. military victory in Iraq. "I'm not sure what [Clinton] has what it takes to commit to a full victory over the insurgents attacking our troops in the combat zone. She voted for authorizing the war five years ago, yet she has repeatedly opposed the war during the primaries. Which Clinton should we believe, the current one or the one five years ago?"

Yet despite Romney's advantage of being able to focus on the general election thanks to his earlier primary victory in March, polls show a tight race going into the summer. And there is still the question of both candidates' picks for the vice presidential slots on their respective tickets. Clinton must pick a candidate that will heal the wounds of the bruising primary campaign and unify the Democrats behind her candidacy; top picks speculated include Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, who skipped a presidential run himself last year, and her chief primary rival, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin. As for Romney, he must demonstrate his conservative credentials to a distrustful Republican base; as many of us can recall, many conservatives were hesitant about voting for Romney and sided with Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas. A popular name floated about in the conservative blogosphere is his one of his primary rivals, former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas.


NATIONAL TRACKING POLL
Romney 45% | Clinton 45%
10% Undecided/Other


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Romney - 191 | Clinton - 190 | Toss Up - 157
 
NOTE: Stay tuned for some exciting details coming up very soon. ;)

BREAKING NEWS
CLINTON V.P. SHORT LIST LEAKED

July 28th, 2008, CNN.com


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Long anticipated details regarding the possible choices for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket this fall were leaked last night. A list of five candidates was leaked by a senior campaign aide, who preferred to remain anonymous when releasing the details. According to the leaked memo, the contenders on the list include:

- Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
- Ted Strickland, Governor of Ohio
- Evan Bayh, United States Senator from Indiana
- Tom Vilsack, Former Governor of Iowa
- Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania​

Notably absent from the list are Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, who is polling as the most popular choice of likely Democratic voters as Clinton's running mate; and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, who has become embroiled in scandal earlier this month over allegations that he fathered a child out of wedlock. The liberal wing has been noticeably disappointed at the lack of "genuine progressives" being considered for the V.P. slot, according to MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow.
 
CONFLICT BREAKS OUT BETWEEN GEORGIA AND RUSSIA
August 7th, 2008, CNN.com


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Tensions between the former Soviet republic of Georgia and the Russian Federation have escalated to the point of outright conflict, over the disputed status of the two breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The two regions are claimed by Georgia, but have been de facto independent with Russian peacekeeping troops stationed to discourage any Georgian attempts to re-assert control. However, the Georgian military began an artillery bombardment of the town of Tskhinvali and surrounding villages. Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili claimed that the Georgian military is only targeting South Ossetian military positions, but reports have indicated that Russian peacekeeping troops have been targeted by artillery shells and several casualties have been confirmed by Russia's defense ministry.
 
RUSSIAN FORCES ADVANCE TOWARDS TBILISI
August 14th, 2008, CNN.com


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Russian forces have pushed into Georgia proper from the disputed South Ossetia region, after ceasefire negotiations mediated by the European Union fell through due to Georgian refusals to relinquish control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Georgian capital of Tbilisi is now within range of enemy artillery, following the capture of the town of Mtskheta, and Russian military officials have ordered the capital to be placed under siege. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in a press conference at the Kremlin that "We have no choice but to continue this conflict as Georgia will not relent in its oppression of the citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. When the [Georgian] government is ready to come to the table, we will gladly implement a ceasefire and settle matters diplomatically." An estimated 376 casualties have been inflicted upon Russian soldiers, compared to 1,343 casualties for the Georgian military; an estimated 405 civilian casualties have been sustained, along with over 80,000 civilians displaced by the conflict so far.
 
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