Requiem of the Odyssey

ooc: Hello all! I know that Emerging Majority is still needing to be completed, and I promise that I will be done, and you will have the results of the 2016 election. However, I now present you with what you could call Emerging Majority's prequel, however that's not really a good title. This is a complete reboot of the story, like what they're doing with Spider-Man :p, except with the same general concept of a return of liberalism in the United States.

Requiem of the Odyssey


Wolf Blitzer (WB): "I am wolf Blitzer, and we are in the CNN election center, with the country's top political analysts with us. The results from the 2006 midterm elections are coming in as we speak, and I have to say the results cannot be pleasing to President George W. Bush. Our polling taken today, Democrats are leading Republicans on the generic ballot by a large 8 points, on par with NBC/Wall Street Journal, CBS/New York Times, and even FOX News polling data. According to most pollsters, that would lead the Democrats to picking up well over the 16 seats they need for control in the House of Representatives, and likely the 6 seats they need for control of the Senate. In fact, our recent polling data shows democrats winning approximately 37 seats, giving them a total of 239 seats. Could it be that Karl Rove and his team that crusaded George W. Bush to the Presidency and their permanent conservative majority may have come to a quick end? Joining me tonight in assessing the results is former Clinton campaign manager and aide James Carville. James, welcome to the show, and what can you tell us about tonight's results?

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James Carville (JC): Thanks Wolf, it's a pleasure to be on. Now, like you said, the democrats seem to be on a path to victory tonight. Quite possibly a wave of rejection unlike we've seen in over a decade. You can tell automatically that democrats are going to do well tonight because of races like the Arizona 8th congressional district. This district tends to lean conservative, with a Cook Political Voting Index rating of R+4, is going to the democrats hard tonight, as state senator Gabrielle Giffords is leading by as much as 10 points in some numbers coming out of the area. Also in Arizona, conservative scion J.D. Hayworth with his recent congressional page scandal, is likely to lose his seat as well. With most precincts polling in, state senator Harry Mitchell is going to win by about 4 points. Races like this are all across the country, and they're all going democrat tonight.

WB: I'd like to go to our next analyst, reporting from the frontlines tonight is former Gore for President chairwoman, Donna Brazile. Thanks for being with us tonight Donna. Can you tell us what's going on in the senate races tonight?

Donna Brazile (DB): Thanks for having me on tonight Wolf. Tonight's senate polling from what I'm seeing is showing the democrats picking up anywhere from 5-8 seats. Some races that were not even on our radar this morning, are all of a sudden competitive. Quite possibly the biggest sign of the anti-Republican swing this cycle is in traditional conservative Montana. Senator Conrad Burns is trailing his democratic challenger, state senator president Jon Tester, by 6 points. The keys to the midwest, Ohio and Pennsylvania have both gone heavily in the democrats favor tonight. Congressman Sherrod Brown is leading incumbent Senator Mike DeWine by 15 points, and in Pennsylvania the state treasurer and son of the former governor Bob Casey Jr. is leading outspoken conservative Senator Rick Santorum by 12. Our polling shows that moderate republican senator Lincoln Chafee is going to lose by 7 points to attorney general Sheldon Whitehouse. But the big stories of the night are in two traditionally republican states that haven't gone democrat in a very long time on the presidential stage, Virginia and Arizona. In Virginia, we have quite possibly the biggest race of all tonight, with polling showing a dead heat between Senator George Allen and former Secretary of the Navy, Jim Webb. Allen has become a perennial name of topic in potential candidates in the 2008 republican presidential primaries, but it would seem that he needs to win this race before he starts looking ahead to the next one. Senator John Kyl of Arizona is looking increasingly vulnerable, and has been over the course of the past few weeks in most polls. Right now, Kyl leads by only 2 points from our precincts over former state democratic party chair Jim Pederson. Democrats are also looking at substantial gains in the governor's mansions across the nation.

WB: Thanks for the update Donna. With the polls closing all across the country we can now take a closer look at the results.

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WB: This is Wolf Blitzer thank you for being with us tonight. We can now predict that Congressman Sherrod Brown of Ohio has defeated incumbent Mike Dewine, by a margin of 58-42, similarly in the Ohio gubernatorial race, congressman Ted Strickland has prevailed by 5 points. Popular democratic senator Dianne Feinstein has defeated Dick Mountjoy in California, taking an astounding 60% of the vote. You guys, earlier today we had Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel on the show and he summed it up quite well as to how the night would go. But here is a quote from him about why things are turning on George W. Bush and his party. "Look, all summer long you had Karl Rove up there with Mark McKinnon, and all the other top republicans over there on all the networks just talking about how the President had received a mandate from the American people, and yada, yada, yada... This is the mandate now. A mandate against a Presidency that has not only floundered in a war that they used propaganda to lie to the American public to create, but also a war in which the terrorist responsible for the largest foreign assault on American soil in history still remains free today. Democrats are going to be put in charge as a check against, quite possibly, the most reactionary presidency in the history of the country."

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US House of Representatives midterm elections, November 7th, 2006
Democrats: 239 seats (+37)
Republicans: 196 (-36)

Incumbent Speaker:
Dennis Hastert (R-IL)
Incoming Speaker: Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

US Senate midterm elections
Republicans: 50 (-5) +Vice President
Democrats: 50 (+5)

Incumbent Majority Leader:
Bill Frist (R-TN)
Incoming Majority Leader:
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Incumbent Minority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)
Incoming Minority Leader: Harry Reid (D-NV)

Arizona: John Kyl (R) defeated Jim Pederson
California: Dianne Feinstein (D) defeated Dick Mountjoy
Massachusetts: Ted Kennedy (D) defeated Kenneth Chase
Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar (D) defeated Mark Kennedy
Missouri: Claire McCaskill (D) defeated Jim Talent
Montana: Jon Tester (D) defeated Conrad Burns

Ohio: Sherrod Brown (D) defeated Mike Dewine

Pennsylvania: Bob Casey Jr. (D) defeated Rick Santorum
Rhode Island: Sheldon Whitehouse (D) defeated Lincoln Chaffee
Virginia: George Allen (R) defeated Jim Webb


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"Off to the races we go." - John Edwards
 
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New York Times, February 12th, 2007
-- Presidential race begins!

Obama joins Clinton, Edwards, Republicans in a free-for-all

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"
Let me begin by saying thanks to all you who've traveled, from far and wide, to brave the cold today(...) We all made this journey for a reason. It's humbling, but in my heart I know you didn't come here just for me, you came here because you believe in what this country can be. In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that's shut you out, that's told you to settle, that's divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what's possible, building that more perfect union(...) Let's be the generation that ends poverty in America. Every single person willing to work should be able to get job training that leads to a job, and earn a living wage that can pay the bills, and afford child care so their kids have a safe place to go when they work. Let's do this.(...) Let's be the generation that finally tackles our health care crisis. We can control costs by focusing on prevention, by providing better treatment to the chronically ill, and using technology to cut the bureaucracy. Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term.

I know there are those who don't believe we can do all these things. I understand the skepticism. After all, every four years, candidates from both parties make similar promises, and I expect this year will be no different. All of us running for president will travel around the country offering ten-point plans and making grand speeches; all of us will trumpet those qualities we believe make us uniquely qualified to lead the country. But too many times, after the election is over, and the confetti is swept away, all those promises fade from memory, and the lobbyists and the special interests move in, and people turn away, disappointed as before, left to struggle on their own(...) That is why this campaign can't only be about me. It must be about us -- it must be about what we can do together. This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. It will take your time, your energy, and your advice -- to push us forward when we're doing right, and to let us know when we're not. This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.

By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail.
But the life of a tall, gangly, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible.

He tells us that there is power in words.
He tells us that there is power in conviction.
That beneath all the differences of race and region, faith and station, we are one people. He tells us that there is power in hope.

As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say: "Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through."

That is our purpose here today. That's why I'm in this race. Not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation. I want to win that next battle -- for justice and opportunity. I want to win that next battle -- for better schools, and better jobs, and health care for all. I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America. And if you will join me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I'm ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you. Together, starting today, let us finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth."
- Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) announcing his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States

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Before July 27th, 2004, it is fair to say that less than 1% of the population had ever heard of Barack Hussein Obama, the then Illinois state senator from the 13th district. But on that day he began the reminder to all Americans of what the democratic party may have once stood for. And now, he joins senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and former senator and 2004 Vice-Presidential nominee John Edwards (D-NC) among a host of others in the quest for the democratic nomination. Clinton is seen as the prohibitive frontrunner, and in any other year, she most likely would be the consensus candidate. She is someone that has the ability to unite the democrats for the '08 election against a likely divided republican party. However, with Obama now entering the race, it is a completely different race. If the 45-year-old Obama were elected, he would become the nation's first African-American president. He is his campaign for White House on Saturday presenting himself as an agent of generational change who could transform a government hobbled by cynicism, petty corruption and “a smallness of our politics.” In the CBS/NYT poll taken following his announcement found that 19% of democrats would favor him to be the nominee, while 33% of democrats would favor Clinton, and 25% would favor Edwards.

On the Republican side of things, the field is finally beginning to take shape. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) is currently gaining ground on frontrunner, Arizona senator John McCain (R-AZ), but the recent entries of former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee (R-AK) and Virginia senator George Allen (R-VA) has thrown recent polls for a loop. Romney is coming off a strong term as Governor of a deep blue state, in which he enacted a free-market health care reform plan known as Romneycare that is projected to have every citizen of the state have health insurance by 2015. His campaign has structured this into a redux of President Bush's "compassionate conservatism." He is, however, seen a moderate by most in the conservative wing of the Republican Party, which puts him at odds with another in the race. John McCain's loss in the 2000 republican primary shook him to the core, and there was a time when it looked like his old friends Ted Kennedy and Tom Dashle were going to be able to convince him to join the democrats. His party line votes on social issues, while pursuing a mavericky/moderate pursuit of independents with his fiscal policies and other issues such as climate change and immigration has helped him build a consensus heading into the primary season. However, Huckabee and Allen's respective entrance's will certainly shake up the race. Both will be competing for the conservative edge in the race, which the winner of will likely take on the winner of Romney v. McCain. Others in the race include reps. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) and Ron Paul (R-TX), former senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), and former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson {no relation}(R-WI). Expect both primaries to be hectic as the race of a lifetime gets underway.

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As the campaign kicks into gear, I feel more confident than ever that we can do it. We are finally starting to see our incredible money machine rake in the donors and the high-rollers, along with the get out the vote effort making headway in recruiting younger, first time voters, excited about politics again. Ax is saying that we have to win Iowa, everything depends on Iowa, and that if we can win in Iowa, we can win the whole damn thing. I'm starting to come around to that idea. David Plouffe has signed on to at least guide us through the primaries, although I have no doubt that he'll stay on in the general should we get that far. If we take Iowa, we'll be able to roll out the big guns to put Hillary out once and for all in New Hampshire, which is not something I thought could be done, even a month ago. Edwards will put up a good fight in South Carolina, but if he's gone through the first two primaries without a win, his money is going to be looking pretty dry while after winning in both of the first two states, the opposite will be true for us. The debates are going to be huge for us, I have to show to people that I am: A) Not a Bush (which I'll admit is pretty easy for me to do considering my views on Iraw), and B) Not a Clinton. I have to prove we are different. If I can't, than people are going to go with the face of the establishment and a proven record. But Iraq and Healthcare are just two of our many differences. The first one is on April 27th, in South Carolina.
- Obama diaries, February 14th

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"I know what they're saying. They're saying I'm done, that I've got no shot, and that my numbers are gonna fall quickly with Huck in the race now. Hanity said he doesn't think I'll even make it to the primaries. Let me say this, I'm going to stick this out, all the way to the end. I have a good plan already, and I'm prepared to set it in motion to get things going. I want to be McCain a la 2000 in the primaries. Living off the land, moving around, being fluid with everything. Only we're gonna have money while doing that too. I don't want a big staff at first, I don't want dozens of high-paid, lackluster political consultants. And I don't want to get cocky. I want a small budget team of quality workers to start, as soon as we start raking in money, then we'll start moving up. Slow and steady wins the race, and this time, the race is mine to win. None of these guys is going to be easy enough to run circles around in the debates, so I'll have to figure that one out. The only guy qualified apart from me in this field, is John. Mitt? One term as Governor of Massachusetts and he's qualified for President? I don't think so, and I can guarantee you, we'll all be hitting him for that. I think that Huck will eventually drop out as he sits in the middle of the field right now, and John will be left as my only real competition. Iowa will be brutal and could be the winner take all match up. This country needs a fighter right now, more than ever, and I'm gonna be that for them. And then I'm gonna go out there and take down whichever one of the three clowns the democrats nominate. Will you help me?"
- Senator George Allen (R-VA) talking to campaign manager Chip Saltsman

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Excellent update! Having read Emerging Majority I am interested in seeing the direction you take this timeline.

I am curious to see how George Allen will alter the Republican primaries. I know there was talk of him running before he lost his Senate seat IOTL.
 
Thank you! It's unfair to call this TL a prequel, for it'll have a different story. But they are similar, and I look forward to it.
 
The President's State of the Union speech should be interesting. First time in a long time not to happen in January, but W has always wanted to be different. Perhaps this year he's finally gonna be his own man and his own President. It's worth a shot for him considering President Cheney's approval ratings are in the complete shitter. He's got to understand now that it's a different playing field. We took 37 congressional seats and 5 senate seats, all thanks to our very, very effective grassroots campaigning and our ability to pick candidates that can win in their states and districts. Rahm did an excellent job of that this past year, but what I have to say will absolutely kill us in the long run, is the republican leaning districts in big cities. Urban areas are democratic areas. It's a fact of life. But look at the Ohio 15th, based in and around Columbus, and yet it's got a CVI rating of R+1. The gerrymandering on the part of Republicans is sickening. And yet, here I am advocating we do it. With Ted Strickland winning in Ohio, that should change things. The one race I wish had ended up differently is Florida. Miami, one of the fastest growing cities in the country is so divided up that Republicans dominate it. Charlie Crist is a good moderate, and I'm glad to see the Republican Party still has a few (considering John McCain and Mitt Romney hardly qualify anymore), but it would have been nice to change the pace in the state after a Bush was leaving office. There is talk of being able to convince Crist of switching parties... but I'm gonna leave that one to Hillary or Barack. Whichever one of them is elected. They can deal with it in two years' time.
- Dean Diaries, February 15th

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"Thank you very much. And tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honor of my own as the first president to begin the State of the Union message with these words: "Madame Speaker."

In his day, the late Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., from Baltimore, Maryland, saw Presidents Roosevelt and Truman at this rostrum. But nothing could compare with the sight of his only daughter, Nancy, presiding tonight as speaker of the House of Representatives. (Cheers, applause.) Congratulations, Madame Speaker! Congratulations. Two members of the House and Senate are not with us tonight, and we pray for the recovery and speedy return of Senator Tim Johnson and Congressman Charlie Norwood. Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: This rite of custom brings us together at a defining hour — when decisions are hard and courage is needed. We enter the year 2007 with large endeavors underway, and others that are ours to begin. In all of this, much is asked of us. We must have the will to face difficult challenges and determined enemies — and the wisdom to face them together. Some in this Chamber are new to the House and Senate — and I congratulate the Democrat majority in the house and welcome back the Republican majority in the senate. Congress has changed, but not our responsibilities. Each of us is guided by our own convictions — and to these we must stay faithful. Yet we are all held to the same standards, and called to serve the same good purposes: To extend this Nation’s prosperity ... to spend the people’s money wisely ... to solve problems, not leave them to future generations ... to guard America against all evil, and to keep faith with those we have sent forth to defend us.
We are not the first to come here with a government divided and uncertainty in the air. Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and we can achieve big things for the American people. Our citizens don’t much care which side of the aisle we sit on — as long as we are willing to cross that aisle when there is work to be done. Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans, and help them to build a future of hope and opportunity — and this is the business before us tonight. A future of hope and opportunity begins with a growing economy — and that is what we have. We are now in the 41st month of uninterrupted job growth — a recovery that has created 7.2 million new jobs ... so far. Unemployment is low, inflation is low, and wages are rising. This economy is on the move —"
"Oh my god!!! CALL AN AMBULENCE!!!!!!!!!!" - Speaker Pelosi

Washington Post, February 20th, 2007
-- Vice-President Cheney: Dead

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At approximately 2:17 am, this morning, Dr. Edwin Nakamura of George Washington University Hospital announced that Vice-President Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney was dead. The cause of death was a stroke that occurred during President George W. Bush's state of the union speech. Elected to the US house of representatives from Wyoming in 1978, he served in that capacity for 10 years, being reelected 5 times, and rising to the position of GOP minority whip. In 1988, he was selected to be the Secretary of Defense under the first President Bush. Following the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, Cheney left public service, and became the Chairman and CEO of Halliburton, a capacity in which he served until 2000. At which time he joined his former boss's son, George W. Bush, in running on the republican ticket for Vice-President. Much controversy has surrounded his tenure, including some who have referred to the Bush administration as the "Cheney Administration." However, with whatever possible scandals or rumors there are, the United States will be indebted to his service for a very long time. The next issue facing the country, however, is who President Bush will nominate to become Cheney's replacement. The field to replace the President is already filling up, including many on his own side of the isle. The GOP elite are asking him to choose carefully, as his pick will likely become the prohibitive frontrunner. John McCain, the former adversary from their heated 2000 GOP primary-turned close ally in the war on terror is the current frontrunner. However, even with their new found alliance, it is unlikely that the President will select him. Many in the party are circling around former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Virginia Senator George Allen to fill the void. The more moderates in the party are hoping for Romney, while conservatives are getting excited about Allen. The President has stated that he will not name a successor, or even begin vetting, until after Cheney's funeral out of respect.

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"Dick Cheney. If anything, I will always remember him for one thing. He is the man that shot his friend in the face... while quail hunting. FUCKING QUAIL HUNTING!!!
He went hunting for quail! You do not use the words 'hunt' and 'quail' in the same sentence. You don't hunt quail! You might track quail! You might walk behind them. Wondering, 'what kind of a miserable fuck existence do you have.' They barely fucking fly! And they clip their wings! They clip their wings so they can't fly any higher than 10 feet, are you fucking kidding me? There fucking tiny little birds! Going quail hunting is like saying 'i'm going fishing,' and going to a goldfish bowl and going 'Got it!' Now... for those of you who don't know... I... am not a hunter. Even though I probably look good in orange. But it seems to me, that if you're gonna go hunting, you've gotta actually go hunting. Like, I don't know, letting a bird actually fly around, and you have to take aim and all that shit. Or maybe hunting a real animal, like maybe deer-like something that's moving about. Or better yet, what you really should hunt is something like a bear, something that could eat your face... The former Vice-President was hunting in a place, that rich people pay to hunt at. They actually pay people to drive them to where the animals are!!! That's not fucking hunting! There is a fence around the place! Son of a bitch! You can't fucking trap a deer in the corner and call it hunting! Laddies and gentlemen, this is my fondest memory of President Cheney. Now his Vice-President George W. Bush can show us what he's got."
- Lewis Black, February 24th at the Warner theater in D.C.

"Alright America, here we go! George W. Bush's presidency starts now!"
- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show, February 24th, 2007

You know, I may not have liked Dick all that much, but I can respect him. He may have done more damage to this country than he could ever know beyond the grave, but he was the Vice-President of the United States of America, and that means something in my book. We've had our squablings in the press, but I really couldn't care less anymore. Bygones be bygones. What I'm more concerned with, is passing this comprehensive immigration reform bill. John is really sticking his neck out on the line to get this done with his party. It's not a popular thing in the Republican primary these days for real, bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform. But he's out there in Iowa and New Hampshire campaigning on it. More power to him. Sometimes, I'm really surprised he's not a democrat. I wish Tom and I'd been able to convince him to switch in '01. But I guess he wanted to be President too much. Too bad. The bill is looking good though. The "Z-Visa" is proving to be more popular in the polls than I thought it would, it's going to eventually require a more adequate overhaul of Social Security, and I know that, as do most democrats in favor of this bill, but raising the FICA tax should suffice for now, and having immigrants being forced to pay their fair share of it. The DREAM act is picking up more steam, and could likely be amended onto the bill in the next month or so. Our problem really lies in the guest worker part of the bill. We're disagreeing on how many illegal immigrants can actually gain a "Y-Visa," and for how long they'd have it. Byron is trying to work a deal, but that's probably the most complicated part of the equation right now."
- Kennedy Diaries, March 4th, 2007

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Accepted! Always hard to write a political timeline when politicians have their own plans of their own. I look forward to the reboot
 
expect rapidfire updates (within a couple days of each other) for a while. I'm really trying to get past the '08 election and into ----------'s first term. ;)
 
Some would say that process doesn't really matter to President George W. Bush. You would probably be right taking a look at his track record, but there was one thing that was certainly Mr. Bush's claim. Gut overruled head. He knew that whoever he picked would certainly have political backlash with the 2008 Presidential election picking up steam and rounding the corner. So he decided to do what he thought actually made the most sense. So he had his staff draw him up a list of ten names, with a variation of experience, age, position, etc... After a week they narrowed it down to five.

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John McCain. The old adversary turned close white house stalwart in the senate had certainly earned the right to be the frontrunner heading into the race. But, Mark McKinnon thought, that despite his obvious qualifications, his selection would be purely political. Condoleezza Rice, the White Houses personal favorite for the job. However, it became increasingly clear through media appearances, and whispers through the grapevine, that although Rice was saying she had no interest in running, that she would run for the nomination should she become Vice-President. With the country in an anti-Bush sort of mood, Rice, despite being potentially very appealing to GOP voters, and in another time appealing to moderates and independents, wouldn't last a chance in the general election. Senator George Allen despite starting to fire up some support in Iowa and South Carolina, was ruled out for unknown reasons. Possibly because the Bush team felt that if they were to pick a person from the people running for the nomination, it ought to be McCain. Next on the list was Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, recently elected to a second term in a blue state, in a blue electoral year. He was seen as a rising star in the party. Popular with evangelicals, with a modern take on fiscal conservatism, and was quite popular with independents as well with his positions on non-fiscal domestic issues. His work with the democratic ran state legislature gave him standing as a bipartisan figure who could deal with another parties control. Bush kept him on the list. Last but certainly not least would likely be the best choice supported by the entire country, and quite possibly the best thing Bush could do. Former secretary of state, Colin Powell. Powell had served honorably and was a popular black republican, while moderate to liberal on domestic issues, was a stalwart of republican ideals on foreign policy. And it could be said that no one in the country had more intricate knowledge on the subject. A nomination of Powell would do many things. One, secure his position as being non-political, as Powell repeated his claim to having no interest in the Presidency, going so far as to say, "I don't care what the analysts say. I have no plans to run for President right now."

Bush told his chief of staff Joshua Bolten that he saw two choices on the table, with two potential outcomes. Should he choose Pawlenty, he'd give the Republicans a fresh face in the otherwise bland talks about the potential 2008 nominee. Pawlenty could also become the true leader of the party and take the Republicans toward a place of modernization as the country seemingly moved away from the Republicans of the Reagan era. In essence, Pawlenty would be the best pick for the party. However, should he choose Powell, he'd give the country reassurance to his commitment in the war on terror and show that he'd have a new sense of order. Despite the early bumps in the road during the early days of both Afghanistan and Iraq, people seemed to believe things were alright and in control. Polls showed that it was not mainly Bush nor Cheney that kept the American people reassured in their safety, but Colin Powell. Powell, Bush said, was the best pick for the country. So George W. Bush was faced with a decision, party or country?

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Time Magazine: April 20th, 2007, Vice-President Colin Powell, Will he Run?

People can say what they want, and Republicans can write as many op-eds addressing the need for me to enter the Presidential race. I don't want to, and I don't want to be President. It's not my sort of job. There are enough skilled Republicans in the field to do well and be the leader we need right now. I believe that the best man for the job right now is John McCain. Now I know politics better than some would expect, so I know I can't endorse him yet. But when the time comes, and he needs that surging boost in the polls, I plan on being there for him. On the democratic side, I like most of them. Hillary is likely going to be the nominee, with Edwards being the runner-up. Obama will probably stay in the race to get his brand out there, yet when the Q1 fundraising numbers show him picking up nothing, he'll wind his campaign down. I see him as Veep with Clinton on the top of the ticket. No doubt he's the future of that party. So we'll see what happens. - Powell diaries, April 21st

I can't say that I was expecting to be named Veep. I knew that vetting was almost guaranteed as my style of Republicanism is sweeping the party, but Bush is a smarter guy than the critics give him credit. He knew that he couldn't pick one of the republicans already running for the nomination. The party would automatically not be his anymore, as whoever he nominated would become the heir apparent. That's why Pawlenty would have been a choice he could live with. The party would be changing, but he would have handed T-Paw his coronation, and his potential victory in November '08 would give Bush the crowning achievement of rebuilding and moving the Republican Party in a new direction. But we got Powell, and I completely support him. There is no republican I feel is better suited to be Vice-President than him, and he's sure as hell earned his stripes. I'm going to begin courting him along with a series of other moves to help get my portfolio up on the national level. First, I'm going to start working my way up on alternative energy legislation. If Pawlenty's emergence in all of this proves anything, it's that Al Gore started a movement in America last year with An Inconvenient Truth, and it's time for Republicans to get on that bandwagon. McCain has it going for him that he's already a believer in climate change, but I'm going to work with democrats to see if we can work a limited Cap-and-Trade bill into the works. It may be unpopular in Virginia, but Allen was in favor of it and almost beat me on it. It's going to be an issue that defines the coming years. If nothing else, my attempts to get legislation on the issue are going to get people talking about me. - Allen Diaries, April 25th

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"It's a good day to see real experience and leadership being chosen over party loyalties." - John McCain on Colin Powell's nomination to the Vice-Presidency.
 
Thank you for the comments! I was looking for a real POD, and thought a world post-Cheney would be a good place to start. ;)
 
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