Refusal: An Alternate 2004 election TL

Should I end at 2004 or continue this until 2016?

  • End at 2004

    Votes: 6 16.7%
  • Continue this until 2016!

    Votes: 30 83.3%

  • Total voters
    36
December 13th, 2000

It was a day since Bush v Gore was ruled in favor of Bush

However, there was a problem:

George Bush did not have a mandate

The people voted for Gore

The Senate is tied 50-50

Even with Dick Cheney as a tie-breaker, Bush feared a Democratic resurgence in 2002

Bush had to do the right thing, something that will make the Gore people calm down, as they were pretty angry

"I will not run in 2004"
-President-elect George Bush in his victory speech
 
2001-2003: The Bush administration goes the same way as it did OTL

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE DICK GEPHARDT ANNOUNCES RUN!-1/4/2003

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER TOM DASCHLE ANNOUNCES RUN!-1/7/2003

SENATOR AND 2000 VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE JOE LIEBERMAN ANNOUNCES RUN!-1/13/2003

JOBS4PRESIDENT.COM LAUNCHED TO DRAFT BUSINESSMAN STEVE JOBS-1/22/2003

STEVE JOBS: I MAY OR MAY NOT RUN, WINKS TO PRESS-1/23/2003

GOVERNOR GARY JOHNSON OF NEW MEXICO ANNOUNCES RUN!-1/29/2003

SENATOR CAROL MOSELEY ANNOUNCES RUN!-2/18/2003

SENATOR BOB GRAHAM ANNOUNCES RUN!-2/27/2003

SENATOR CHRIS DODD ANNOUNCES RUN!-3/3/2003

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN ANNOUNCES RUN!-4/23/2003

SENATOR LINCOLN CHAFEE ANNOUNCES RUN!-4/25/2003

VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: I WILL NOT RUN, NOR WILL I SERVE-4/25/2003

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE: I AGREE WITH CHENEY'S COMMENTS, NEITHER WILL I-4/26/2003

NEW YORK MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI ANNOUNCES RUN!-4/27/2003

ARKANSAS GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/1/2003

 
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The more, the merrier. Will John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, Dennis Kucinich, and Al Sharpton run as OTL? I think Mike Gravel, Joe Biden, Evan Bayh, and Tom Vilsack would be more relevant in ATL 2004.
 
VERMONT GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/2/2003

MASSACHUSETTS SENATOR JOHN KERRY ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/2/2003

SURPRISE! FORMER SENATOR GARY HART ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/4/2003

GOVERNOR JEB BUSH OF FLORIDA ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/15/2003

STEVE JOBS ANNOUNCES RUN FOR REFORM PARTY NOMINATION!-5/17/2003

CONGRESSMAN KUCINICH ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/18/2003

CONGRESSMAN RON PAUL ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/20/2003

NEWT GINGRICH ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/25/2003

ALAN KEYES: I AM RUNNING AGAIN-5/27/2003

ELIZABETH DOLE ANNOUNCES RUN!-5/29/2003

FORMER GOVERNOR LAMAR ALEXANDER ANNOUNCES RUN!-6/3/2003

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT DAN QUAYLE: I WILL NOT RUN FOR PRESIDENT, BUT I SHALL RUN TO RETAKE MY SEAT!-6/7/2003

SENATOR BROWNBACK ANNOUNCES RUN!-6/18/2003

IOWA GOVERNOR TOM VILSACK ANNOUNCES RUN!-6/20/2003

LIBERAL ADVOCACY GROUP MOVEON.ORG ENDORSES HOWARD DEAN!-6/24/2003

LAWRENCE V TEXAS RULES SODOMY LAWS UNCONSTITUTIONAL-6/26/2003

DELAWARE SENATOR JOE BIDEN WANTS TO BE SENATE MAJORITY WHIP-7/3/2003

RON PAUL, DENNIS KUCINICH AND GARY JOHNSON HAVE ABOUT 5 MILLION DOLLARS IN THEIR CAMPAIGN!-7/9/2003

FIRST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE HELD-7/21/2003

RON PAUL: THE WAR IN IRAQ HAS BEEN A DISASTER, UNDER A PAUL PRESIDENCY, WE WILL WITHDRAW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

SAM BROWNBACK: SODOMY LAWS HAVE TO BE DECIDED BY THE LEGISLATORS THE PEOPLE CHOSE, NOT 9 PEOPLE CHOSEN BY THE PRESIDENT

GARY JOHNSON: LAWRENCE V TEXAS IS A GOOD THING

NEWT GINGRICH: I GAVE THE GOP THE HOUSE AFTER 40 YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, AND I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP THE WHITE HOUSE!

RUDY GIULIANI: I'VE SEEN THE FACE OF EVIL, AND 2 YEARS AGO, IT HIT NEW YORK

JOHN MCCAIN: WE NEED TOUGH LEADERSHIP, AND BE STEADFAST IN OUR FIGHT FOR FREEDOM

LINCOLN CHAFEE: I AGREE WITH CONGRESSMAN PAUL

ELIZABETH DOLE: WE NEED TOUGH LEADERSHIP!

MIKE HUCKABEE: AS GOVERNOR, ARKANSAS EXPIERENCED AN ECONOMIC BOOM

LAMAR ALEXANDER: I AM A PRAGMATIST, AND I WILL BRING BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS TO THE TABLE

JEB BUSH: I KNOW THE PRESIDENT PERSONALLY, I SHALL CONTINUE HIS POLICIES, AS I KNOW WHAT IS PLANS WOULD HAD BEEN IF HE HAD RUN IN 2004


MCCAIN, GINGRICH AND HUCKABEE GAIN BOOSTS AFTER DEBATE-7/22/2003

JOE BIDEN: RUDY GIULIANI'S PLATFORM IS "A NOUN, A VERB, 9/11"-7/22/2003

JOE BIDEN APOLOGIZES-7/25/2003

FORMER US SENATOR BILL BRADLEY ANNOUNCES RUN!-8/2/2003

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE HELD-8/12/2003

HOWARD DEAN: PRESIDENT BUSH'S ACTIONS IN IRAQ HAVE BEEN A TOTAL FAILURE

DENNIS KUCINICH: I WILL DO TO AMERICA WHAT I HAVE DONE TO CINCINATTI!

JOHN KERRY: THE FUTURE DOESN'T BELONG TO FEAR, BUT TO FREEDOM

BILL BRADLEY: IF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHOSEN ME, THERE WOULD HAD BEEN NO IRAQ

JOE LIEBERMAN: WE CAN'T KEEP PRETENDING THAT THERE ISN'T A THREAT. THERE IS, AND I APPLAUD PRESIDENT BUSH FOR STANDING UP TO EVIL, BUT HIS ECONOMIC VIEWS WOULD LEAD THIS NATION TO RUIN

DICK GEPHARDT: WE WILL WIN IN OHIO! IN MISSOURI! IN FLORIDA! AND THEN IN WASHINGTON DC WE WILL TAKE BACK THE WHITE HOUSE! YEAH!

CHRIS DODD: PRESIDENT BUSH IS A DISASTER

TOM DASCHLE: PRESIDENT BUSH WAS BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN HIS MOUTH


KERRY GAINS 5 POINTS AFTER DEBATE, WEIRD "GEPHARDT SCREAM" HURTS GEPHARDT, JOE LIEBERMAN IS BUMPED TO LAST PLACE-8/13/2003

GEORGIA SENATOR ZELL MILLER: I SUPPORT SENATOR LIEBERMAN-8/13/2003

 
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BRAUN DROPS OUT!-9/13/2003

BRADLEY DROPS OUT!-9/19/2003

DOLE DROPS OUT!-9/22/2003

DODD DROPS OUT!-9/30/2003

ALEXANDER DROPS OUT!-10/8/2003

VILSACK: DUE TO LOW CAMPAIGN FUNDS, I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO DROP OUT-10/22/2003

PAULMENTUM-RON PAUL IS 2ND PLACE IN IOWA POLLS! RON PAUL: IT'S HAPPENING!-11/3/2003

HART DROPS OUT!-12/12/2003


Republican January Primaries:
2004gopjan.PNG

Bush
Gingrich
McCain
Huckabee


Iowa was nearly a 3-way tie between Brownback, Huckabee and Bush. Brownback, being a native son and an evangelical Republican, managed to come on top of Huckabee and Bush.

John McCain, after reeling from a 4th humiliation in Iowa, won New Hampshire (nearly losing to Giuliani) and Michigan. But he also won those states in 2000, and he didn't win the primaries there....

Rudy Giuliani, after losing New Hampshire, declared that he will only focus on Florida and New Hampshire, the "bigger states". But after losing them, the Giuliani campaign was broke. Giuliani dropped after Florida

Gingrich's victory in South Carolina and Huckabee's victory in Louisiana gave the two campaign's boosts

Lincoln Chafee, in the mean time, has vowed to "fight the good fight"

Jeb Bush, in the mean time, carried his frontrunner status to the primaries, winning Florida, a big state. Many suspect that Bush will become the GOP nominee

all in all, the Anti-Bush candidates have to get their act together if they are serious about defeating Bush. However, Chafee stated that he wouldn't vote for Gingrich, Huckabee or Bush. When asked about McCain, Chafee said "I'll think about it"

Democratic January and February primaries:

2004demfeb.PNG

Dean
Daschle
Edwards

Kerry
Gephardt

Due to regional bias, Daschle won Iowa, but not before Dean won Washington DC by a landslide. Howard Dean has begun to act more and more like a liberal candidate, not a left-populist one, which may explain his losses of Wisconsin and Michigan to Edwards

John Kerry's main support has been coming from the mountain states

Dick Gephardt, in the mean time, has only won Missouri, but Gephardt could pose a threat to Edwards and Daschle. However, some were turned off from Gephardt after his campaign decided to ask for a recount in Oklahoma. The recount ended with Edwards winning by a bigger margin. That little stunt made his already anemic poll numbers drop even more

Howard Dean appears to be the frontrunner, as in the big states like California and New York, he is winning. Dean is 3rd place in Texas, but only by 5 points. Dean can easily change his standing in Texas.
 
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Democratic Primaries, March
2004demmarch.PNG

Dean
Kerry
Daschle
Gephardt
Edwards


Super Tuesday occured in March, and the big winner was Howard Dean and his campaign. The Dean '04 campaign got a lot of boosts from the Super Tuesday Victory. After Super Tuesday, Dean focused his attention on Texas, the state which could give him the nomination. Texas also is tied between Edwards and Kerry. Dean spent 3 days in Texas, and that was enough for a narrow Dean Victory. Edwards dropped out following Texas

After winning Massachusetts, Kerry decided to stay in the race. Massachusetts was "Make it or Break it" for Kerry

The Daschle campaign suffered a blow from which it could never recover when, by 13 points, in an upset, Gephardt won Kansas.

Following March, Dean has been treating himself as the presumptive nominee. And you know what? Many agree with that statement

Republican Primaries, February
2004gopfeb.PNG

Bush
McCain
Brownback
Huckabee
Gingrich

Chafee

The next couple of primaries were a big victory for the Jeb Bush 2004 campaign. However, a big surprised occured when Lincoln Chafee won Massachusetts by just 115 votes!

Gingrich, Brownback, McCain and Huckabee all won states, but it looks like that they can't stop the Bush train, especially after Bush's victories in California and New York (Bush campaigned with Giuliani there)

(sorry for the short update)
 
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They believe that the election was stolen

That, and higher Democratic turnout

Why was there higher turnout? That makes no sense, if Bush had declared he would not run in 2004 he would look even more presidential than he already did after 9/11.
 
Democratic Primaries, April-June
2004demaprmay.PNG

Dean
Kerry
Edwards
Daschle
Gephardt


Dean has been strengthening his presumptive nominee status by winning states like Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

However, Gephardt has been winning some states as well, such as West Virginia, Indiana and (gasp) North Carolina!

However, it appears that it's too late. Already, John Kerry dropped out after the month of May ended, and Dean is being treated as the presumptive nominee by everyone except by Gephardites

Democratic Primaries, June
2004jun.PNG

Dean
Kerry
Edwards
Daschle
Gephardt



Dean won every other primary in June, Dick Gephardt dropped out a week after and releashed his delegates to Dean. However, Joe Lieberman (who dropped out after April), has refused to release his delegates to Dean, while Kucinich vows to go all the way to the convention. But then again, they only have 50 delegates combined (32 Lieberman, 18 Kucinich), so he isn't that much of a threat. Tom Daschle stayed on just to see the results in South Dakota. He dropped out after winning South Dakota

Republican Primaries, March-June
2004gopjun.PNG

Bush
McCain
Brownback
Huckabee
Gingrich
Chafee


By February 29th, Jeb Bush was the presumptive nominee. No doubt about it. Sure, other candidates may win some states, but Jeb Bush was unstopabble. He really did seal the nomination after George Bush's endorsement in March.

Huckabee, McCain and Brownback didn't win any other state after February, while Gingrich won Mississippi

McCain dropped out in April, Huckabee and Brownback in May.

Gingrich stayed on until the last primaries ended

In the end, Bush was the presumptive nominee, as expected.

What About Jobs?

apple-steve-job-apearing-on-stage-ipod-2004.jpg

Steve Jobs announcing his candidacy, 5/17/2003


However, a lot of the media was focusing on Steve Jobs, the Apple CEO who said he would be running for the Reform Party nomination. His candidacy was supported by Ross Perot, and there was a very big chance for the Reform party to gain relevance once more.

With little opposition (though Ralph Nader did win DC, Connecticut and Vermont), Steve Jobs won the Reform nomination. At first, he wanted to choose Apple Co-founder Steve Wozniak as his running mate, but after that was thrown out of the Window due to them both being from California. After a lot of persuading, Steve Jobs chose Ted Weill, a Mississippi Reform Party activist, to appease the part of the Reform Party not happy with a Technocrat like Jobs in control of the party

Ralph Nader launched an independent run later on


The 2004 Republican Convention
185px-2004_Republican_National_Convention_Logo.jpg



The GOP convention was notable, as Georgia Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) made a fiery speech supporting Bush and attack Dean. Saying stuff like "The Democratic Party I know today has been hijacked by far-left radicals. Now, the people that are most like the Democrats in my time are standing here, in this arena". After the speech, Zell Miller threatened journalist Chris Matthews to a duel after a heated argument. Jeb Bush chose Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas as his running mate

There was also mild protest activity, but it wasn't too big.

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"They will lose, and Freedom will win"
-Dick Cheney

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"George Bush has protected Americans from terrorism! And Jeb Bush shall do the same!"
-Rudy Giuliani

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"I accept your nomination"
-Jeb Bush

The 2004 Democratic convention


On the first day of the Democratic convention they were a bit shaken. After Lieberman lost, he refused to endorse Dean and instead launch an Independent campaign with Former Congressman and 1980 contender John B. Anderson, while Kucinich endorsed Nader. But a day later, they got back to normal.
Howard Dean chose John Edwards as his running mate, after a tough vetting process. The Keynote

"You know, if we had went with our gut, it would had been Dean/Daschle"
-Dean campaign worker Bob Corley, January 12th, 2009 in the documentary The Big Mess: The story of the 2004 Election

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"We will take back the House! The Senate! And then we will take back the White House! Yeah!"
-Tom Harkin

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"I accept your nomination for president of the United States!
-Howard Dean

POLLING AFTER ALL 3 CONVENTIONS ENDED:

Bush/Huckabee: 37%
Dean/Edwards: 35%
Jobs/Weill: 20%
Lieberman/Anderson: 4%
Nader/Camejo: 2%
Undecided: 2%
 
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