Years of Flames: A Timeline

Richard Russell in 1948. Bobby Kennedy in 1968, Ted Kennedy against Jimmy Carter in 1980. Russell began the long process of the Dems' de-Dixiefication, RFK toppled LBJ, then EMK helped dent Carter even further. GOP hasn't had a successful (in terms of dooming an incumbent) challenge since 1912. If a President is weak enough that such a challenge becomes viable, it doesn't bode well in the general election.
 
Ah, got it.;) Thank you.

Well, I'd say there's a great chance. Basically, the momentum of the campaign relies on who wins Washington and Virginia. If Cheney wins the primaries there, he'll have a chance at winning back the momentum and possibly deadlock the convention, and if he's very lucky, win the lucky number and the nomination. If McCain wins, that's the end of the Cheney campaign. I'll update it sooner - I won't wait another month. :D
 
Republican Primaries Pt. 2

"We have breaking news from Illinois. Reportedly, at the age of 71, Senator Paul Simon of Illinois has succumbed to a stroke in his Senate office in Washington. His condition is critical, and is at the hospital. However, doctors are reporting that he has little chance of living."

- CNN Transcript, February 23, 2000

"The few days after the death of Paul Simon saw me in limbo. Illinois law stated that there was going to be a special election in November, and early polls saw that both Democrats and Republicans were tied in the polls. Having hailed from Illinois, I realized I could be a candidate. I faced the facts: I didn't want to leave office, not yet. If I didn't seek re-election, there were two possibilities: McCain would win the Republican nomination for president, and there was no way I'd be his running mate, and there would be no place for me to go next. And even if the president won renomination and picked me as his running mate, there was no way for us to win without some cheating, and neither of us wanted to do that. If I went for the Senate seat, I would stay in politics. I made my decision on the same day of the important Republican primaries on February 29, dubbed Mini Tuesday."

- Donald Rumsfeld, interviewed by Ken Burns

Republican Mini Tuesday Results, February 29

Virginia Primary (R)

President Cheney - 50.1%
Senator McCain - 49.9%

Washington Primary (R)

Senator McCain - 50.3%
President Cheney - 49.7%

North Dakota primary (R)

President Cheney - 51%
Senator McCain - 49%

"Mini Tuesday, in the Republican Party, was as vital as Super Tuesday. The results of the primaries in Virginia, Washington, and South Dakota showed the game plan for the Cheney campaign: They had won Virginia and South Dakota, which kept them in the race. However, John McCain had won Washington, and that kept him in the lead in the delegates. Thus, Cheney had one goal: Sweep Super Tuesday. If the president were able to do that, he would be able to capture the lead in the delegates, and depending on how Florida went, that could give him the advantage in the convention that was destined to be multi-balloted. Of course, then the vice president made an announcement about his future."

- Some Election: The Presidential Campaign of 2000 by Pat Buchanan

"Regardless of which candidate the Republican Party nominates for president this year, I don't care. If McCain wins the nomination, I will support him. If President Cheney should win, I shall support him. Whoever the nominee, I will not seek re-election to the vice presidency this year. Rather, I feel that my homestate of Illinois needs me in their service. So, I am running for the late Paul Simon's seat in the Senate being contested this November, as a Republican. I hope for the best for all of the people of the United States, and just as I have served the people of the United States as vice president to the best of my ability, I shall do so as senator. Thank you."

- Vice President Rumsfeld declaring his candidacy for the U.S. Special Senate Election in Illinois, March 2, 2000
Republican Super Tuesday Results, Mar. 7 2000

Washington Caucus (R)

Senator McCain - 56%
President Cheney - 44%

Minnesota Caucus (R)

Senator McCain - 50.5%
President Cheney - 49.45%

Vermont Primary (R)

Jim Jeffords (write-in) - 60%
President Cheney - 23%
Senator McCain - 17%

Rhode Island Primary (R)

President Cheney - 61%
Senator McCain - 39%

Ohio Primary (R)

President Cheney - 70%
Senator McCain - 28%
Scattered - 2%

New York Primary (R)

Senator McCain - 52%
President Cheney - 48%

Missouri Primary (R)

President Cheney - 58%
Senator McCain - 42%

Massachusetts Primary (R)

Senator McCain - 50.1%
President Cheney - 49.9%

Maryland Primary (R)

President Cheney - 53%
Senator McCain - 47%

Maine Primary (R)

President Cheney - 56%
Senator McCain - 44%

Georgia Primary (R)

President Cheney - 62%
Senator McCain - 38%

Connecticut Primary (R)

President Cheney - 55%
Senator McCain - 45%

California Primary (R)

President Cheney - 56%
Senator McCain - 44%

"For the Cheney campaign, Super Tuesday was satisfying. Yes, McCain had won some of the primaries, but Cheney had won most of them, with the exception of New York. McCain still had a very small lead in the delegates, but Florida, which looked promisingly for Cheney, could change that."

- Some Election: The Presidential Campaign of 2000 by Pat Buchanan


Florida Primary (R) - March 14, 2000

President Cheney - 52%
Senator McCain - 48%

Republican Presidential Primaries 2000

genusmap.php


Next Up: The 2000 Republican National Convention
 
Republican National Convention 2000

Republican Primary for U.S. Senate Special Election in Illinois, July 10

Donald Rumsfeld - 59%
Al Salvi - 41%

Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate Special Election in Illinois, July 10

Dick Durbin (only name on ballot) - 99%

"Going into the Republican National Convention on July 31, the Republican leaders were wary of what to do about the convention. They had two completely different candidates entering the convention, neither one of them having a majority of the delegates and with the president having only a slight lead over Senator John McCain. You had President Dick Cheney, running on a platform pointing to his experience in 'winning wars against tyranny.' Then, you had Senator McCain, running on a more peaceful platform, opposed to the actions of the president in the past four years. You had a confused convention, not knowing which platform to run on."

- Some Election: The Presidential Campaign of 2000 by Pat Buchanan

First Ballot at RNC 2000 - July 31
2172 Needed for Nomination

Dick Cheney - 2060
John McCain - 1998
Abstentions - 61

"No candidate on the first ballot - that was expected. Now, we had to convince the sixty-one abstained delegates to vote for the president, to get us even closer to renomination. After the second ballot, we only had seventy-two delegates more to go. Just do more wooeing, and we would have the nomination by the third ballot."

- Karl Rove, interviewed by Ken Burns

"I will continue to defend America, and I will steamroll through the general election, through Senator Clinton's campaign, and we will triumph in American glory."

- President Cheney addressing the delegates

Second Ballot at RNC 2000 - July 31
2172 Needed for Nomination

Dick Cheney - 2100
John McCain - 2019

"This America has much more potential than what it has under the present administration. We have to show that potential in peaceful ways to nations turned against us, not in ways involving nuclear weapons."

- Senator McCain addressing the delegates

Third Ballot for RNC 2000 - July 31

John McCain - 2069
Dick Cheney - 2050

"Hit five ballots, and I'm endorsing Bill Clinton."

- Republican Party Chairman after third ballot results

"We will not make any speeches before the fourth ballot. I urge the delegates at this convention to vote for whom you think would make the best president of the United States."

- Republican Party Chairman to the delegates before Fourth Ballot

"There was a tense feeling in the air as the delegates voted. They were no more under pressure from any candidates or party bosses; they now had to vote their conscience. It all depended on whether they thought President Dick Cheney had done a good job or not."

- Karl Rove, interviewed by Ken Burns

Fourth Ballot at RNC 2000

John McCain - 2173
Dick Cheney - 2162

"The president was very downcast when he heard that the Republicans had nominated John McCain narrowly on the fourth ballot. This was the first time a president had ever been denied his party's nomination since 1884. Not only was there this humiliation, but also one fact that saddened him the most: his political career was finished. He was leaving on January 20, 2001."

- Karl Rove, interviewed by Ken Burns

TO BE CONTINUED

(Author's Note: This is the second-to-last update of the timeline. The next update will be about the general election, and will go up to the inauguration of the 43rd President on January 20, 2001. The next update will be the last.)
 
Campaign 2000 and The End of the Timeline

"Due to his great service to the state of New York, and the fact that he is a great man who I would be distinguished to serve with, I am, with the agreement of this man, announcing that Governor George Pataki will be my running mate."

- Senator McCain (R-AZ) declaring his running mate, RNC '00

Vice Presidential Ballot RNC '00

George Pataki - Unanimous Voice Vote

"Then it was our turn. We had a lot easier of a time with setting up our convention and how we were going to show Bill Clinton as a hero to deserves to be president, and I'm convinced we did a good job."

- Living in a Dark, Dark World by Paul Wellstone

Presidential Ballot DNC '00

Bill Clinton - Unanimous Voice Vote

"This is an America that is currently under an administration that has poisoned the image of this great nation, that has made it seem to all other nations that the United States of America is a barbaric nation ready to kill anyone who stands in the path of our influence. Yet we aren't that nation, and such is why this nation's image is poisoned. I believe, with the help of all Americans, that I can be the antidote to that poison. Also, I believe that Senator Paul Wellstone is the man who can help America in this time, and he will be my running mate."

- Senator Bill Clinton (D-AR) Addressing the DNC, August 14, 2000

Vice Presidential Ballot DNC '00

Paul Wellstone - Unanimous Voice Vote

"Then, the campaign began, though the results were very obvious. Bill Clinton started the campaign at a 55% approval, with John McCain at a 37%."

- Some Election: The Presidential Campaign of 2000 by Pat Buchanan

CNN Poll, 9/11/2000

Who Will You Vote for this November?

Bill Clinton / Paul Wellstone - 51%
John McCain / George Pataki - 39%
Undecided - 8%
Other - 2%

"I believe the American people have been looking for a new president. I agree with Senator Clinton, that we do need change in America. But I don't believe in Clinton's idea of change. We are in a recession right now - we should not be spending money, we should be saving it, so that we can fix this problem of ours."

- Senator McCain on the Campaign Trail, September 28 2000

Infamous McCain Attack Ad, October 2000

(Darkness)
First Woman's Voice: Eight years ago, Bill Clinton attacked our hero George Bush, who was rightfully a hero who brought justice in the Gulf War. Bill Clinton was against these heroics in the Middle East, and he promises to be against them as president. He is now attacking John McCain, also a hero of the Vietnam War.
Man's Voice: I fought in Vietnam, and the things John McCain did as a prisoner of war was heroic. I never saw Bill Clinton doing anything like that.
Second Woman's Voice: We need heroism in America - and I think Bill Clinton just doesn't have that.
First Woman's Voice: Vote for John McCain, for a stronger and better America.

Presidential Debate Excerpt, October 12 2000

Speaker:
The next question will focus on the ads of both campaigns. Senator Clinton, how do you respond to Senator McCain's attacks on your character?
Clinton: Well, the thing is, I don't like them, and I don't believe they're right. Just because I fought in a war, just because I didn't fight, just because I never fought for my country with a weapon, does not mean I'm a bad person, or I haven't fought for my country. I have fought for my country, as I did when I campaigned for the American people back in 1992, and when I went to Russia to save the American people from nuclear disaster.
Speaker: Senator McCain, you have thirty seconds for a response.
McCain: Honestly, I think that nothing Senator Clinton just mentioned was heroic, except for going to Russia, which I did as well. Campaigning for president in 1992 was not fighting. With these ads, I'm just stating the truth.

"The debates did absolutely nothing to the polls - the election saw what was expected from all."

- Former Vice President Donald Rumsfeld, interviewed by Ken Burns

genusmap.php


Sen. Bill Clinton (D-AR) / Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN) - 441 EVs
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) / Gov. George Pataki (D-NY) - 97 EVs

Illinois Senatorial Election, Nov. 7 2000

Donald Rumsfeld (R) - 50.9%
Dick Durbin (D) - 49.1%

"Donald Rumsfeld, upon his election to Senate from Illinois, resigned the vice presidency on December 31, 2000, and Senator Rumsfeld was sworn in on January 3, 2001."

- Wikipedia article on Donald Rumsfeld

"I, William Jefferson Clinton, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend, the Constitution of the United States. So help me God."

- The Swearing in of 43rd President Bill Clinton, Jan. 20 2001

"So, with the leaving of Richard Cheney from the office of president, the presidency of Bill Clinton began. The six years Dick Cheney spent as president were long and interesting, just as every president's terms in office are. Yet, Dick Cheney's presidency had a certain air about it, that makes it so interesting."

- American Presidents, Editor's Note on the Cheney Presidency

END OF TIMELINE
 
Thanks, RB. I know it wasn't really that great for most of it, but as I learned with the other two TLs, I learned the ways of making a timeline. I'm thinking of revising it and posting Years of Flames 2nd Edition in the After 1900 section, if not the timeline section. I think it could use a lot of redoing, so it could be a good timeline.

However, there's one thing that's unsettled - where everybody is now. I'll post a "Where are they now" section pretty soon. Be prepared - it's going to be long and detailed. I'll even make a presidential list, a list of elections, and anything anybody wants.:)

EDIT

I forgot to mention - the Where Are They Now is going to explain the whole set-up with Donald Rumsfeld's election to the Senate.
 
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