Opening Pandora's Lockbox: An Open & Collaborative Al Gore 2000 Timeline

[Cathartic Cat]

My stab at an Al Gore Timeline. Feel free to make edits as you wish or to PM me if you have any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions.

POD: John McCain and George W. Bush wait until 2004 to run for President. Lamar Alexander wins the Republican Nomination. Alexander names Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as his running mate. Gore names House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt as his running mate.

Alternate Elections:

• US Senate Election in Illinois, 1992: Alan J. Dixon (D-Inc.) defeats Richard S. Williamson (R)
• US Senate Election in Illinois, 1996: Paul Simon (D-Inc.) defeats Al Salvi (R)
• US Senate Election in Illinois, 1998: Dick Durbin (D) defeats Peter Fitzgerald (R). Incumbent Alan J. Dixon to retire.
• US Senate Election in New York, 2000: Nita Lowey (D) defeats Pete King (R)
• US Senate Election in Illinois, 2002: Hillary Clinton (D) defeats Jim Durkin (R). Incumbent Paul Simon to retire.

US Presidential Election, 2000: Vice President Al Gore (D-TN) defeats Former Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

November 8th, 2000:
Outgoing President Bill Clinton meets with Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, President-elect Al Gore, and Vice President-elect Richard Gephardt in the Oval Office to discuss presidential transition. Texas Congressman and Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Martin Frost will replace Gephardt as House Minority Leader.

January 20th, 2001: Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. Inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States. Richard Andrew "Dick" Gephardt Inaugurated as the 46th Vice President of the United States.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

I posted a poll for anyone interested. The poll will determine what direction the timeline should go.

 

[Jonathan]

POD: John McCain and George W. Bush wait until 2004 to run for President. Lamar Alexander wins the Republican Nomination. Alexander names Former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as his running mate. Gore names House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt as his running mate.

Good POD
Having 11 points in a state with a 3.34% margin of victory, Missouri is a good home state to have a running mate.

Alternate Elections:

• US Senate Election in Illinois, 1992: Alan J. Dixon (D-Inc.) defeats Richard S. Williamson (R)
• US Senate Election in New York, 2000: Nita Lowey (D) defeats Pete King (R)
• US Senate Election in Illinois, 2002: Hillary Clinton (D) defeats Jim Durkin (R). Incumbent Paul Simon to retire.

1) What makes Hillary wait an extra two years, instead of taking New York? Nita Lowey is a good choice being the candidate to step forward, before standing aside for Hillary.
2) How does Alan J. Dixon manage to get renominated.

I posted a poll for anyone interested. The poll will determine what direction the timeline should go.

I voted on losing a re-election on the sense that could America handle 16 years of Democrats, not having this since 1952.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

Good POD
Having 11 points in a state with a 3.34% margin of victory, Missouri is a good home state to have a running mate.
1) What makes Hillary wait an extra two years, instead of taking New York? Nita Lowey is a good choice being the candidate to step forward, before standing aside for Hillary.
2) How does Alan J. Dixon manage to get renominated.
I voted on losing a re-election on the sense that could America handle 16 years of Democrats, not having this since 1952.

Thank you for your replies and feedback! I was afraid my timeline was getting overshadowed by the Ted Stevens Timeline. I was originally going to write that Paul Simon retires or dies sometime in 1999, creating a 2000 special election in Illinois, but that might be too hard to swallow. Alan Dixon wins re-nomination by campaigning harder in Cook County and Al Hofeld not running in the primary. The Clintons settle in some suburb north of Chicago, instead of Chappaqua and the NY Dem Senate primary includes Lowey, Andrew Cuomo, Carl McCall and Carolyn Maloney. I totally understand Gore losing in 2004. Although, if his GOP opponent is weak, he could win re-election in '04, leading to a Republican in '08.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

Here is a list of Alternate US Senators TTL. I wanted to avoid death and resignation from the Senate where possible. If you think I shouldn't do this for some of the Senators, let me know.
Alabama:

• Richard Shelby (R) Jan. 3, 1979-Inc.
• Howell Heflin (D) Jan. 3, 1981-Jan 3, 1999. Retired.
• Jeff Sessions (R) Jan. 3, 1999-Inc.

Alaska:

• Mike Gravel (D) Jan. 3, 1967-Jan. 3, 1979, Incumbent Bob Bartlett retires in 1966.
• Ted Stevens (R) Jan. 3, 1969-Inc.
• Frank Murkowski (R) Jan. 3, 1979-Dec. 2, 2002. Resigned early to be sworn-in as Governor.

Colorado:

• Wayne Allard (R) Jan. 3, 1999-Inc.
• Ken Salazar (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.

Georgia:

• Paul Coverdell (R) Jan. 3, 1993-Jan. 3, 1999. Retired.
• Johnny Isakson (R) Jan. 3, 1999-Inc.

Hawaii:

• Daniel Inouye (D) Jan. 3, 1963-Jan. 3, 2011. Retired.

Illinois:

• Alan J. Dixon (D) Jan. 3, 1981-Jan. 3, 1999
• Paul Simon (D) Jan. 3, 1985-Jan. 3, 2003
• Dick Durbin (D) Jan. 3, 1999-Inc.
• Hillary Clinton (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.

Massachusetts:

• Ted Kennedy (D) Jan. 3, 1961-Jan. 3, 2009. Retired.
• Paul Tsongas (D) Jan. 3, 1977-Jan. 3, 1983
• John Kerry (D) Jan. 3, 1983-Inc.

Minnesota:

• Paul Wellstone (D) Jan. 3, 1989-Jan. 3, 2001. Retired.
• Rod Grams (D) Jan. 3, 1997-Jan. 3, 2003
• Mark Dayton (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.
• Norm Coleman (R) Jan. 3, 2001-Jan. 3, 2007

Mississippi:

• Trent Lott (R) Jan. 3, 1991-Jan. 3, 2009
• Thad Cochran (R) Dec. 27, 1978-Inc.

Missouri:

• Jim Talent (R) Jan. 3, 2001-Jan. 3, 2007. IATL, John Ashcroft retires. Jim Talent is nominated and defeats deceased Governor Mel Carnahan by 0.1%.

Nevada:

• Richard Bryan (D) Jan. 3, 1987-Jan. 3, 1999
• John Ensign (R) Jan. 3, 1999-Jan. 3, 2011
• Harry Reid (D) Jan. 3, 1989-Inc.

New Jersey:

• Frank Lautenberg (D) Dec. 27, 1982-Inc.
• Jon Corzine (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.

New York:

• Nita Lowey (D) Jan. 3, 2001-Inc.

North Carolina:

• Elizabeth Dole (R) Jan. 3, 1999-Jan. 3, 2005. Elizabeth Dole doesn't run in 2000, waits until 2004.
• John Edwards (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Jan. 3, 2009
• Richard Burr (R) Jan. 3, 2005-Inc.
• Kay Hagan (D) Jan. 3, 2009-Inc.

Oklahoma

• David Boren (D) Jan. 3, 1981-Jan. 3, 1993
• Jim Inhofe (R) Jan. 3, 1993-Inc.
• Don Nickles (R) Jan. 3, 1979-2003
• Tom Coburn (R) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.

Rhode Island:

• Claiborne Pell (D) Jan. 3, 1959-Jan. 3, 1995
• Jack Reed (D) Jan. 3, 1995-Inc.
• John Chafee (R) Jan. 3, 1973-Jan. 3, 1997
• Lincoln Chafee (R) Jan. 3, 1997-Jan. 3, 2003. Retired.
• Sheldon Whitehouse (D) Jan. 3, 2003-Inc.

South Carolina

• Jim DeMint (R) Jan. 3, 2005-Jan. 3, 2011. Retired.

West Virginia:

• Robert Byrd (D) Jan. 3, 1961-Jan. 3, 2009. Retired.
• Joe Manchin (D) Jan. 3, 2009-Inc.
• Jennings Randolph (D) Jan. 3, 1959-Jan. 3, 1983. Retired.
• Jay Rockefeller (D) Jan. 3, 1983-Inc.

Wyoming:

• Craig Thomas (R) Jan. 3, 1995-Jan. 3, 2007. Retired.
• John Barrasso (R) Jan. 3, 2007-Inc.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

So far for Gore's cabinet, I have UN Ambassador Richard Holbrooke for Secretary of State. Any more suggestions?

 

[Jonathan]

Holbrooke, is a good call especially with him being a top policy adviser to Al Gore during his 1988 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

With Al Gore making a big deal of being his own person and not having have Bill Clinton campaigning for him as much as he could have, shows that he is very likely to replace the cabinet wholesale as if an entirely new administration with no connection to the previous administration.

Secretary of the Treasury
- William M. Daley, former banker, Sec. of Comm. in Clinton Cabinet and Chairman of Al Gore's 2000 Campaign.

Secretary of Defense
- Sam Nunn, ideal with his political experience and credentials on national defense
- Bob Kerrey, served in the Vietnam War as a United States Navy SEAL officer and was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in combat. (Although endorsed Bill Bradley)
- General Wesley Clark

Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Bill Bradley [1]

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Bill Bradley [1]

Secretary of Agriculture
- Rick Perry (R)

Secretary of Transport
- J. Bennett Johnston
- Buddy Roemer (R)

Secretary of Education
- Governor of North Carolina Jim Hunt. He was considered for this possition, in OTL by Gore, Kerry and Obama.

Veterans Affairs
- Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York
- Any failed Defense candidate.

White House Cheif of Staff
- Donna Brazile, Al Gore's 2000 Campaign Manager, political strategist and political analyst. She could be the first female and African-American in this office.

(R) If the election is as close as our election, Gore, may need to have Republicans in his cabinet, these supported him in 1988.

[1] Who had made child poverty a significant issue in his campaign. He promised to address the minimum wage, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, allow single parents on welfare to keep their child support payments, make the Dependent Care Tax Credit refundable, build support homes for pregnant teenagers, enroll 400,000 more children in Head Start, and increase the availability of food stamps.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

Holbrooke, is a good call especially with him being a top policy adviser to Al Gore during his 1988 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

With Al Gore making a big deal of being his own person and not having have Bill Clinton campaigning for him as much as he could have, shows that he is very likely to replace the cabinet wholesale as if an entirely new administration with no connection to the previous administration.

Secretary of the Treasury
- William M. Daley, former banker, Sec. of Comm. in Clinton Cabinet and Chairman of Al Gore's 2000 Campaign.

Secretary of Defense
- Sam Nunn, ideal with his political experience and credentials on national defense
- Bob Kerrey, served in the Vietnam War as a United States Navy SEAL officer and was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in combat. (Although endorsed Bill Bradley)
- General Wesley Clark

Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Bill Bradley [1]

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
- Bill Bradley [1]

Secretary of Agriculture
- Rick Perry (R)

Secretary of Transport
- J. Bennett Johnston
- Buddy Roemer (R)

Secretary of Education
- Governor of North Carolina Jim Hunt. He was considered for this possition, in OTL by Gore, Kerry and Obama.

Veterans Affairs
- Ed Koch, former Mayor of New York
- Any failed Defense candidate.

White House Cheif of Staff
- Donna Brazile, Al Gore's 2000 Campaign Manager, political strategist and political analyst. She could be the first female and African-American in this office.

(R) If the election is as close as our election, Gore, may need to have Republicans in his cabinet, these supported him in 1988.

[1] Who had made child poverty a significant issue in his campaign. He promised to address the minimum wage, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, allow single parents on welfare to keep their child support payments, make the Dependent Care Tax Credit refundable, build support homes for pregnant teenagers, enroll 400,000 more children in Head Start, and increase the availability of food stamps.

Thank you for the suggestions. So far I have the following:

• Secretary of State: Richard Holbrooke
• Secretary of the Treasury: William M. Daley
• Secretary of Defense: Sam Nunn
• Secretary of Health and Human Services: Bill Bradley
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Buddy Roemer
• Secretary of Agriculture: Rick Perry
• Secretary of Transportation: J. Bennett Johnston
• Secretary of Education: Jim Hunt
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Ed Koch
• White House Chief of Staff: Donna Brazile
• National Security Advisor: Wesley Clark

 

[Jonathan]

Republicans:
- Having Senator John McCain in the cabinet could be an idea, but it'll be hard for him to be persuaded.
- Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a senator with links with intelligence and veterans.
- Nebraska Senator Charles T. "Chuck" Hagel, who IOTL, served as Secretary of Defense for Obama
- William S. Cohen, former senator from Maine, who served as defense secretary under Democratic President Clinton

Attorney General
- Former Maine Senator George J. Mitchell

Secretary of Energy
- Former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun

Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Former Texas Governor Ann Richards
- California State Treasurer Kathleen Brown (Sister of Jerry)

Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Vermont Governor Howard Dean

Others
- Former Ohio Senator, John Glenn.
- Former Colorado Senator Gary Hart.

 

[Cathartic Cat]

Republicans:
- Having Senator John McCain in the cabinet could be an idea, but it'll be hard for him to be persuaded.
- Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a senator with links with intelligence and veterans.
- Nebraska Senator Charles T. "Chuck" Hagel, who IOTL, served as Secretary of Defense for Obama
- William S. Cohen, former senator from Maine, who served as defense secretary under Democratic President Clinton

Attorney General
- Former Maine Senator George J. Mitchell

Secretary of Energy
- Former Illinois Senator Carol Moseley Braun

Director of the Office of Management and Budget
- Former Texas Governor Ann Richards
- California State Treasurer Kathleen Brown (Sister of Jerry)

Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
- Vermont Governor Howard Dean

Others
- Former Ohio Senator, John Glenn.
- Former Colorado Senator Gary Hart.

Thank you for the suggestions! So now I have:

• Secretary of State: Richard Holbrooke
• Secretary of the Treasury: William M. Daley
• Secretary of Defense: Sam Nunn
• Attorney General: George J. Mitchell
• Secretary of the Interior: Gary Hart
• Secretary of Agriculture: Rick Perry
• Secretary of Health and Human Services: Bill Bradley
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Buddy Roemer
• Secretary of Transportation: J. Bennett Johnston
• Secretary of Energy: John Glenn
• Secretary of Education: Jim Hunt
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Ed Koch
• White House Chief of Staff: Donna Brazile
• National Security Advisor: Wesley Clark
• Director of the Office of Management and Budget: Ann Richards
• Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy: Howard Dean