I've Seen America: If Al Gore Ran In 2008

[pericles]

Feb 16, 2017 0:45:09 GMT stevep said:

Now that's an interesting final sentence. Suspect McCain has gone too far to the right in his VP selection, as OTL, but have to see what happens. Not sure he will like how things develop as I got the impression he was actually a decent and honest man.

The pictures are back for this post so whatever change was made works for me.

I got the pictures off Google Images not AH.com. Next update coming soon-clue: September 15 will be key.

[lordroel]

Feb 16, 2017 2:11:26 GMT pericles said:

Feb 16, 2017 0:45:09 GMT stevep said:

Now that's an interesting final sentence. Suspect McCain has gone too far to the right in his VP selection, as OTL, but have to see what happens. Not sure he will like how things develop as I got the impression he was actually a decent and honest man.

The pictures are back for this post so whatever change was made works for me.

I got the pictures off Google Images not AH.com. Next update coming soon-clue: September 15 will be key.

Okay, thanks for explaining.

Wonder what happens on September 15th.

[pericles]

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE

 

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Huckabee speaks at a McCain rally on September 7 in Florida​ 

The Huckabee pick and the convention gave McCain a big boost in the polls. The party base was now eager to vote for McCain and determined to turn out in force, lest Al Gore finally win the presidency. Independents were not turned off by the Huckabee pick, at least yet, and the convention hammered at Gore's negatives. The polls saw a surge for McCain. McCain kept rising in the polls, until September 7 where he got the lead in the RCP average. At his height, on September 9 it was 47.8% McCain to 46.4% Gore. Al Gore's personal popularity was poor, with 50% of respondents viewing him favorably to 45% unfavorably in a new Gallup poll. Democrats began to panic in the face of McCain's surge, with some blaming Gore and his campaign for being too liberal and too weak. Gore sought to restore order. The Gore campaign began attacking Huckabee, warning that he had a "far-right agenda" for America and highlighting his socially conservative views. Gore declared that the McCain/Huckabee ticket is "the most extreme and conservative ticket since Goldwater. We've already seen how this turns out. Don't make the same mistake!" The Gore campaign split off in two camps, those who wanted to tar Huckabee and those who wanted to focus on the top of the ticket. That saw mixed messages coming out as some surrogates dismissed Huckabee and said "only Al Gore can bring the change we need, John McCain is a third term for George W Bush" while others attacked Huckabee, saying his views are "out of touch with the American people" and that he is "a dangerous man." The Gore campaign ran an ad highlighting Huckabee's views, and said at the end "John McCain-maverick? Not any more."

The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros sent the global financial system into a tailspin​ 

Then on September 15, a September Surprise threw the campaign right off course. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the subprime mortgage crisis infected the financial system. Anyone could be next. Gore had been following the crisis and communicating behind the scenes with Hank Paulson. while economics was not his top area he understood the situation. "This could be as bad as the Great Depression" Gore told aides "I just hope we can all follow John McCain's slogan and put country first." McCain was flailing. McCain said on the day of the meltdown that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." After being hammered as out of touc, he clarified that he meant the American people and said the economy is in "totla crisis." He came out in opposition to the Fed bailout of AIG. He then promised to fire SEC chairman Christopher Cox, but was soon reminded no President had that power. Huckabee threw his unehlpful input in too when he said that "the moral decline of our society, the attack on our family values championed by Al Gore has brought us to the brink of destruction." Gore replied that the real cause was a lack of regulation on Wall Street. He then proceeded to blame Bush for the crisis, saying that "under George W Bush, we have seen a repeat of the laissez-faire economics of the 1920s and the silencing of our regulators, we can now see all too clearly the result of that." Gore had to blame Bush really, because otherwise he would be under fire too, as he had been Vice-President for a President at the center of the deregulation.

On September 24, McCain 'suspended' his campaign and sought to delay the scheduled September 26 debate when he went to Washington to help broker a solution to the crisis. The move was criticized as a political stunt, and McCain faced critical media coverage. Gore, despite not holding public office, also came to Washington. A bipartisan meeting was held the next day, chaired by President Bush. There were awkward glances between Bush and Al Gore, afterwards the two had a quick laugh about how they hadn't expected to end up there after all that happened in 2000. At the meeting, McCain did not participate much, while Gore sought to corral House Democrat votes for a bailout plan. Then, he looked over to McCain "John, do you have anything to say?" McCain then said "I understand the House Republican position and they have a right to it." He failed to take a stand. Gore and Bush were, for once, united in their anger at McCain; he had organised an unnecesary meeting and made no contribution to it. Gore had McCain on leadership, Democrats soon began repeating Gore's talking points. McCain's poll numbers had started falling after September 15, now Gore was approaching landslide territory. McCain then left Washington and announced the debate would go ahead. He felt Gore had made it political and he was politicizing the crisis. Gore replied "Of course I'm politicizing the crisis, it's the greatest political issue facing our country." On September 26, Gore was at 48.7% to McCain's 43.9%, a 4.8% lead, bigger than most of what he had during the cycle. It looked as if the financial crisis had been the turning point. But it wasn't over yet. There was over a month to go and in there was a big test for Gore, the debates. He had lost them in 2000, now he believed he could win them. If he could avoid flunking it now and keep his lead, he would win.

[lordroel]

Feb 16, 2017 22:54:50 GMT pericles said:

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE

 

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Huckabee speaks at a McCain rally on September 7 in Florida​ 

The Huckabee pick and the convention gave McCain a big boost in the polls. The party base was now eager to vote for McCain and determined to turn out in force, lest Al Gore finally win the presidency. Independents were not turned off by the Huckabee pick, at least yet, and the convention hammered at Gore's negatives. The polls saw a surge for McCain. McCain kept rising in the polls, until September 7 where he got the lead in the RCP average. At his height, on September 9 it was 47.8% McCain to 46.4% Gore. Al Gore's personal popularity was poor, with 50% of respondents viewing him favorably to 45% unfavorably in a new Gallup poll. Democrats began to panic in the face of McCain's surge, with some blaming Gore and his campaign for being too liberal and too weak. Gore sought to restore order. The Gore campaign began attacking Huckabee, warning that he had a "far-right agenda" for America and highlighting his socially conservative views. Gore declared that the McCain/Huckabee ticket is "the most extreme and conservative ticket since Goldwater. We've already seen how this turns out. Don't make the same mistake!" The Gore campaign split off in two camps, those who wanted to tar Huckabee and those who wanted to focus on the top of the ticket. That saw mixed messages coming out as some surrogates dismissed Huckabee and said "only Al Gore can bring the change we need, John McCain is a third term for George W Bush" while others attacked Huckabee, saying his views are "out of touch with the American people" and that he is "a dangerous man." The Gore campaign ran an ad highlighting Huckabee's views, and said at the end "John McCain-maverick? Not any more."

The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros sent the global financial system into a tailspin​ 

Then on September 15, a September Surprise threw the campaign right off course. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the subprime mortgage crisis infected the financial system. Anyone could be next. Gore had been following the crisis and communicating behind the scenes with Hank Paulson. while economics was not his top area he understood the situation. "This could be as bad as the Great Depression" Gore told aides "I just hope we can all follow John McCain's slogan and put country first." McCain was flailing. McCain said on the day of the meltdown that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." After being hammered as out of touc, he clarified that he meant the American people and said the economy is in "totla crisis." He came out in opposition to the Fed bailout of AIG. He then promised to fire SEC chairman Christopher Cox, but was soon reminded no President had that power. Huckabee threw his unehlpful input in too when he said that "the moral decline of our society, the attack on our family values championed by Al Gore has brought us to the brink of destruction." Gore replied that the real cause was a lack of regulation on Wall Street. He then proceeded to blame Bush for the crisis, saying that "under George W Bush, we have seen a repeat of the laissez-faire economics of the 1920s and the silencing of our regulators, we can now see all too clearly the result of that." Gore had to blame Bush really, because otherwise he would be under fire too, as he had been Vice-President for a President at the center of the deregulation.



On September 24, McCain 'suspended' his campaign and sought to delay the scheduled September 26 debate when he went to Washington to help broker a solution to the crisis. The move was criticized as a political stunt, and McCain faced critical media coverage. Gore, despite not holding public office, also came to Washington. A bipartisan meeting was held the next day, chaired by President Bush. There were awkward glances between Bush and Al Gore, afterwards the two had a quick laugh about how they hadn't expected to end up there after all that happened in 2000. At the meeting, McCain did not participate much, while Gore sought to corral House Democrat votes for a bailout plan. Then, he looked over to McCain "John, do you have anything to say?" McCain then said "I understand the House Republican position and they have a right to it." He failed to take a stand. Gore and Bush were, for once, united in their anger at McCain; he had organised an unnecesary meeting and made no contribution to it. Gore had McCain on leadership, Democrats soon began repeating Gore's talking points. McCain's poll numbers had started falling after September 15, now Gore was approaching landslide territory. McCain then left Washington and announced the debate would go ahead. He felt Gore had made it political and he was politicizing the crisis. Gore replied "Of course I'm politicizing the crisis, it's the greatest political issue facing our country." On September 26, Gore was at 48.7% to McCain's 43.9%, a 4.8% lead, bigger than most of what he had during the cycle. It looked as if the financial crisis had been the turning point. But it wasn't over yet. There was over a month to go and in there was a big test for Gore, the debates. He had lost them in 2000, now he believed he could win them. If he could avoid flunking it now and keep his lead, he would win.

So the bankruptcy of the Lehman Bros is the big September 15th surprise you are talking about.

[pericles]

Feb 16, 2017 22:56:57 GMT lordroel said:

Feb 16, 2017 22:54:50 GMT pericles said:

SEPTEMBER SURPRISE

 

Republican vice-presidential nominee Mike Huckabee speaks at a McCain rally on September 7 in Florida​ 

The Huckabee pick and the convention gave McCain a big boost in the polls. The party base was now eager to vote for McCain and determined to turn out in force, lest Al Gore finally win the presidency. Independents were not turned off by the Huckabee pick, at least yet, and the convention hammered at Gore's negatives. The polls saw a surge for McCain. McCain kept rising in the polls, until September 7 where he got the lead in the RCP average. At his height, on September 9 it was 47.8% McCain to 46.4% Gore. Al Gore's personal popularity was poor, with 50% of respondents viewing him favorably to 45% unfavorably in a new Gallup poll. Democrats began to panic in the face of McCain's surge, with some blaming Gore and his campaign for being too liberal and too weak. Gore sought to restore order. The Gore campaign began attacking Huckabee, warning that he had a "far-right agenda" for America and highlighting his socially conservative views. Gore declared that the McCain/Huckabee ticket is "the most extreme and conservative ticket since Goldwater. We've already seen how this turns out. Don't make the same mistake!" The Gore campaign split off in two camps, those who wanted to tar Huckabee and those who wanted to focus on the top of the ticket. That saw mixed messages coming out as some surrogates dismissed Huckabee and said "only Al Gore can bring the change we need, John McCain is a third term for George W Bush" while others attacked Huckabee, saying his views are "out of touch with the American people" and that he is "a dangerous man." The Gore campaign ran an ad highlighting Huckabee's views, and said at the end "John McCain-maverick? Not any more."

The bankruptcy of Lehman Bros sent the global financial system into a tailspin​ 

Then on September 15, a September Surprise threw the campaign right off course. Lehman Brothers went bankrupt, and the subprime mortgage crisis infected the financial system. Anyone could be next. Gore had been following the crisis and communicating behind the scenes with Hank Paulson. while economics was not his top area he understood the situation. "This could be as bad as the Great Depression" Gore told aides "I just hope we can all follow John McCain's slogan and put country first." McCain was flailing. McCain said on the day of the meltdown that "the fundamentals of the economy are strong." After being hammered as out of touc, he clarified that he meant the American people and said the economy is in "totla crisis." He came out in opposition to the Fed bailout of AIG. He then promised to fire SEC chairman Christopher Cox, but was soon reminded no President had that power. Huckabee threw his unehlpful input in too when he said that "the moral decline of our society, the attack on our family values championed by Al Gore has brought us to the brink of destruction." Gore replied that the real cause was a lack of regulation on Wall Street. He then proceeded to blame Bush for the crisis, saying that "under George W Bush, we have seen a repeat of the laissez-faire economics of the 1920s and the silencing of our regulators, we can now see all too clearly the result of that." Gore had to blame Bush really, because otherwise he would be under fire too, as he had been Vice-President for a President at the center of the deregulation.



On September 24, McCain 'suspended' his campaign and sought to delay the scheduled September 26 debate when he went to Washington to help broker a solution to the crisis. The move was criticized as a political stunt, and McCain faced critical media coverage. Gore, despite not holding public office, also came to Washington. A bipartisan meeting was held the next day, chaired by President Bush. There were awkward glances between Bush and Al Gore, afterwards the two had a quick laugh about how they hadn't expected to end up there after all that happened in 2000. At the meeting, McCain did not participate much, while Gore sought to corral House Democrat votes for a bailout plan. Then, he looked over to McCain "John, do you have anything to say?" McCain then said "I understand the House Republican position and they have a right to it." He failed to take a stand. Gore and Bush were, for once, united in their anger at McCain; he had organised an unnecesary meeting and made no contribution to it. Gore had McCain on leadership, Democrats soon began repeating Gore's talking points. McCain's poll numbers had started falling after September 15, now Gore was approaching landslide territory. McCain then left Washington and announced the debate would go ahead. He felt Gore had made it political and he was politicizing the crisis. Gore replied "Of course I'm politicizing the crisis, it's the greatest political issue facing our country." On September 26, Gore was at 48.7% to McCain's 43.9%, a 4.8% lead, bigger than most of what he had during the cycle. It looked as if the financial crisis had been the turning point. But it wasn't over yet. There was over a month to go and in there was a big test for Gore, the debates. He had lost them in 2000, now he believed he could win them. If he could avoid flunking it now and keep his lead, he would win.

So the bankruptcy of the Lehman Bros is the big September 15th surprise you are talking about.

Yes.

[lordroel]

Feb 16, 2017 23:05:20 GMT pericles said:

Feb 16, 2017 22:56:57 GMT lordroel said:

So the bankruptcy of the Lehman Bros is the big September 15th surprise you are talking about.

Yes.

Seems that Gore looks more a leader than McCain.

[pericles]

THE FINAL STRETCH
 

Republican nominee John McCain at the September 26 presidential debate, held in the University of Mississippi, Mississippi​ 

On September 26, the first presidential debate for the general election was held. Al Gore was confident that he would beat McCain, but he was also nervous about a repeat of his 2000 experience. While he had dominated the issues, the media didn't care about the issues, they cared about Gore sighing in the debate, or awkwardly trying to stand over George W Bush. He couldn't give them any openings. The debate was on foreign policy, a key issue for McCain, but everyone knew the economy was the elephant in the room. Gore, unlike McCain, was proficient in both issues. Gore was going to speak on both the issues and simply try to get George W Bush into the discussion as much as possible. Bush's approval rating was at 25%, and the swing voters in states like Ohio and Florida that would decide the election were not part of that 25%. "I'm gonna beat him" Gore said. And then he walked onto the stage.

Initially, McCain had the upper hand. He declared 'Al Gore's portrayal of the War on Terror is just wrong. We are winning in Iraq, we are beating the terrorists, and America is safer. The surge has worked. And we can't afford to cut and run. It may be tempting to cut and run, to flee from our enemies, but it only emboldens the terrorists, let's the rebuild and leave us at risk of another attack like 9/11. There is only one solution; beat them." Gore gave a reply on how the war in Iraq was a mistake and had fueled Al-qaeda recruitment, but he was going down in the weeds and getting tedious. However, his campaign team noticed something. McCain wasn't looking at Gore at all, he wasn't directly talking to him. He was talking and looking at the camera. Now, politicians are supposed to talk to the audience, but this was taking things too far. McCain was coming off as disrespectful. McCain labelled Gore as having "bad judgement." Then, Gore struck back, declaring "Senator McCain, with all due respect, you are the one with bad judgement. It was bad judgement to go into war in Iraq. It was bad judgement to say we would be greeted as liberators. It was bad judgement to vote for such a disastrous war and still you do not renounce that vote. It was bad judgement to vote with George W Bush 95% of the time. That is all true Senator McCain, and it shows you lack the good judgement to be our President." McCain's weak response was to try and pedantically take down Gore's claims. On the economy. Gore had the upper hand. "Here are the facts. When George W Bush was inaugurated, we had record prosperity and job creation, record home ownership, huge budget surpluses, rising wages. And now we have a vicious housing crisis, disastrous deficits, jobs dying by the thousands each month, an economic crisis unparalleled since the Great Depression. Senator McCain said the economy is fundamentally strong. Well, I disagree. It was fundamentally strong. But this administration has changed that." McCain charged that Gore's tax plan would undermine economic growth. Gore had a zinger up his sleeve "You look at the 1990s to see how false your claim is, Senator." Gore then launched into a defense of his tax plan that soon went too wonky. At the end of the debate, in his closing argument, Gore declared "I was the People's Choice for President of the United States in 2000. And I promised a fair tax system, a truly fiscally responsible government, an administration that cared for all Americans and lifted everybody up, a responsible foreign policy. a climate policy that did our bit to protect our planet, and to protect and enhance the prosperity we enjoyed. I did not take office, George W Bush did, and with the support of John McCain. We can now see how that turned out, And we need to make America Great again, and that's not happening with Senator McCain. It's happening if we bring in real change and elect me as your President with a Democratic Congress. That is my promise to you."

Republican vice-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee at the vice-presidential debate​ 

Gore was declared the winner of the debate. The media faulted him for being boring at times, but ultimately he was effective when he needed to be and McCain came off as disrespectful. A post-debate poll showed that 37% of viewers thought the debate was a draw, 37% thought Gore was the winner and 26% thought McCain won. Then, on October 2, the vice-presidential debate was held. Mike Huckabee and Russ Feingold were diametrically opposed to each other ideologically. Huckabee was 'that Southern bible-loving hillbilly', the solidly populist Christian conservative. Then there was Russ Feingold, 'that cheese-head liberal Jew'. The public had unusually unfavorable views of both candidates, while Feingold was the most popular he was distrusted on ideological grounds, while Huckabee's favorability rating was, according to a PPP poll, 41% favorable to 40% unfavorable. The two shook hands and then the battle began. Feingold fired the first shot, declaring "I am a maverick. I understand some people are uncomfortable with my principles, that I'm somehow out there, but they are my principles and I stand by them. I believe that government should lift people up and give people a helping hand, rather than focusing on regulating consensual relations between adult human beings and sending our troops to die in pointless wars. Senator McCain once was a maverick too, and we worked together to reform our broken campaign finance system. Sadly, John McCain is not a maverick anymore." Huckabee then charged that Feingold was too liberal, saying "Senator Feingold is just wrong, John McCain is a maverick. So am I. And we are going to reform the broken city of Washington. Al Gore is a fraud, a snake-oil dealer offering false solutions. He and you Senator are running on an extreme, far-left agenda, one that will hurt our economy and the moral foundations of our society." Feingold fired back "I'm only far-left to you because you're so far-right" before litigating Hucakbee's extreme positions on social issues. Huckabee made a gaffe when he said that "America is a Christian nation with Christian values, and you senator do not share our moral values." While he later clarified that he meant Judeo-Christian values and he was attacking Feingold personally, the statement was seen as offensive to Jews and several Jewish groups condemned Huckabee. Feingold focused more on Huckabee, while Huckabee trained his fire on Al Gore. And then, the debate was over. Most observers thought the debate had little effect, but that Feingold had won it. The polls backed that up,

Democratic nominee Al Gore at the second presidential debate​ 

Gore/Feingold was still leading in the polls, and leading big. CBS had Gore up 51-43, Gallup had him up 50-47, Pew had him 50-43, ABC News had him 51-45. The second debate was a draw, Gore struggled to connect in the town hall format, while McCain came off again as disrespectful. The third debate was Gore's biggest win. McCain went negative on Gore, at one point outright saying "Well, that's just not true and you know it." McCain's negative tone rubbed the wrong way with suburban women voters. Gore did well on the economy, and attacked McCain on the deficit, arguing his budget plan was wrong because it put the burden on those "who are most vulnerable and who already hurting, thanks to the policies of the current administration. I will make sure those with the broadest shoulders bear the heaviest burden."

With a landslide in sight, Gore looked at expanding the map. Arkansas could be in reach, polls showed a close race there. Missouri could be a swing state again, the candidates were virtually even there. Virginia was looking competitive too. Gore was leading in Colorado, which used to be a red state. The expand the map question was a big debate in the Gore campaign in the final weeks. Axelrod argued for it, saying that Gore had a conceivable path to pick up many red states and that expanding the map would give Gore the largest possible mandate and put more Democrats in Congress, helping advance Gore's agenda. However, Brazile argued against, Gore needed to stick to 270, and not let McCain make a late comeback. Axelrod argued back that expanding the map would stop McCain making a late comeback as it would force him to compete in red states, not swing states. There were no signs of a McCain comeback. Indeed, McCain was flailing. He had lost the debates, and his vice-presidential pick was proving a liability. Moderates were abandoning him. The economy was rapidly deteriorating, and with it McCain's chances. Gore decided to plunge the knife in and go for a landslide. He landed in Virginia and made his final case.

Gore was facing a final round of attacks, but it was all background noise now. It was clear he had won. The polls all showed it, McCain knew it, the map showed it, the results just needed to come in. Gore made the final push on the campaign trail, but even then he was already thinking ahead. The economy would need to come first, it was in turmoil and needed to stop the bleeding and then repair. The war in Iraq would need to be wound down, while on the environment, Gore was weighing up whether to pursue cap and trade in his first year in office. The Democrats would have big majorities in Congress, that was a certainty. The question was how big. Gore landed in Tampa for his final rally on November 3. It was a moment of redemption. Florida was still close, the RCP average had Gore at 50.5% there to 48.9% for McCain. But it would be enough. He had lost in 2000. Now, barring a miracle for McCain, he would win. He would be the first election loser since Nixon to return to win the presidency. Nixon, eh? Gore's comeback bid had been compared to Nixon's in many ways. The difference was, Gore hoped, that he wouldn't have a Watergate. It was a curious comparison, but also apt. He had come back from the depths to the heights again. George W Bush faced the prospect of handing the Oval Office over to Gore. Gore was energized. "I am so looking forward to tomorrow!" The crowd cheered "We are going to win, and we are going to Make America Great Again! Like me, this country is going to come back!" Cheering and chanting rose over Gore, Now, he had done all he could. It was up to the American people now.

[pericles]

Predictions for the election results?

[stevep]

Feb 19, 2017 20:13:27 GMT pericles said:

Predictions for the election results?

  It definitely sounds like a Gore victory but how completely and what happens in the two houses as that would greatly affect how much a President Gore can actually achieve, as other Presidents have discovered.

[lordroel]

Feb 19, 2017 21:29:18 GMT stevep said:

Feb 19, 2017 20:13:27 GMT pericles said:

Predictions for the election results?

  It definitely sounds like a Gore victory but how completely and what happens in the two houses as that would greatly affect how much a President Gore can actually achieve, as other Presidents have discovered.

I also think a Gore victory, but you never now what voters will choice.

[pericles]

GORE WINS! 

Al Gore/Russ Feingold-Democratic: 340 EV 51.95% 

John McCain/Mike Huckabee-Republican: 198 EV 46.41% 

2008 House elections 

Nancy Pelosi-Democratic: 253+17 52.8% 

John Boehner-Republican: 182-17 42.9% 

2008 Senate elections[1] 

Harry Reid-Democratic: 56+7 

Mitch McConnell-Republican: 42-7 

Independent: 2_​ 

The 2008 US election ended in a big victory for the Democratic Party. Al Gore won a resounding victory, beating McCain by just under 6% and forcing him under 200 electoral votes. Democrats made big gains in both houses of Congress, with a very strong House majority and 58 Senate seats (the 2 Independents caucus Democrat), just two votes short of a filibuster. The Republican Party's future looked uncertain, having been swept out of power and with Al Gore set to implement his agenda. Al Gore's victory was soon clear. He went out to speak to his cheering supporters "Thank you! Thank you! 8 years makes a hell of a difference, that is clear tonight. This has been a great campaign, and it is clear to me, that despite the challenges we face, and they are many, we can move forward as a nation. We can work together in pursuit of our common purpose and in pursuit of a more perfect union. I would not have run if I did not believe we can do this. We can meet the challenges we face, together, and make this country great again. We can rise beyond what divides us to what unites us, to go forward into the 21st century with unity, strength, and purpose. I have received a call from Senator McCain" The crowd erupted in shouts and cheering "He congratulated me on the victory I have won, the victory we have won. And I congratulated him on the campaign he ran, an honorable and dignified campaign, suitable for a man like Senator McCain, who has given so much to our nation. We have our differences, but I have always respected Senator McCain, and I look forward to working with him in the weeks, months and years to come, to serve America. I am so honored and humbled to be your President. I really am. And I will be a President for all Americans, Republican or Democrat, of all races, creeds and faiths, rich and poor, to make America great again." Al Gore had finally won. Third time lucky it was. It had been a rough campaign, with much negativity, and the vast majority of Americans thought their country was going on the wrong track. But Al Gore now had the chance to fix it. He had a mandate and a Congress willing to implement that mandate. As Al Gore left the stage, the hard part had only just begun. The governance of America.

​

[1]All races remain the same as IOTL except Norm Coleman(R) is re-elected in Minnesota.

[lordroel]

Feb 20, 2017 3:57:15 GMT pericles said:

GORE WINS! 

Al Gore/Russ Feingold-Democratic: 340 EV 51.95% 

John McCain/Mike Huckabee-Republican: 198 EV 46.41% 

2008 House elections 

Nancy Pelosi-Democratic: 253+17 52.8% 

John Boehner-Republican: 182-17 42.9% 

2008 Senate elections[1] 

Harry Reid-Democratic: 56+7 

Mitch McConnell-Republican: 42-7 

Independent: 2_​ 

The 2008 US election ended in a big victory for the Democratic Party. Al Gore won a resounding victory, beating McCain by just under 6% and forcing him under 200 electoral votes. Democrats made big gains in both houses of Congress, with a very strong House majority and 58 Senate seats (the 2 Independents caucus Democrat), just two votes short of a filibuster. The Republican Party's future looked uncertain, having been swept out of power and with Al Gore set to implement his agenda. Al Gore's victory was soon clear. He went out to speak to his cheering supporters "Thank you! Thank you! 8 years makes a hell of a difference, that is clear tonight. This has been a great campaign, and it is clear to me, that despite the challenges we face, and they are many, we can move forward as a nation. We can work together in pursuit of our common purpose and in pursuit of a more perfect union. I would not have run if I did not believe we can do this. We can meet the challenges we face, together, and make this country great again. We can rise beyond what divides us to what unites us, to go forward into the 21st century with unity, strength, and purpose. I have received a call from Senator McCain" The crowd erupted in shouts and cheering "He congratulated me on the victory I have won, the victory we have won. And I congratulated him on the campaign he ran, an honorable and dignified campaign, suitable for a man like Senator McCain, who has given so much to our nation. We have our differences, but I have always respected Senator McCain, and I look forward to working with him in the weeks, months and years to come, to serve America. I am so honored and humbled to be your President. I really am. And I will be a President for all Americans, Republican or Democrat, of all races, creeds and faiths, rich and poor, to make America great again." Al Gore had finally won. Third time lucky it was. It had been a rough campaign, with much negativity, and the vast majority of Americans thought their country was going on the wrong track. But Al Gore now had the chance to fix it. He had a mandate and a Congress willing to implement that mandate. As Al Gore left the stage, the hard part had only just begun. The governance of America.

​

[1]All races remain the same as IOTL except Norm Coleman(R) is re-elected in Minnesota.

Lets see what he makes out of America.

[pericles]

TRANSITION 

President-Elect Al Gore's Chief of Staff, former Senate Democrat leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota​ 

One of the first transition decisions by President-Elect Al Gore was the selection of Chief of Staff. Gore was always leaning towards one person, Tom Daschle, Daschle had served as leader of the Senate Democrats from 1995 to 2005(when he lost re-election in 2004) and for all but a one and a half years of that time had been Senate Minority Leader. Daschle endorsed Gore early in the race and informally advised his campaign. Gore thought that Daschle had what it took, he would be a smart, calm executive, like Gore in that regard, and with his congressional connections he could muster Democrat votes for Gore's agenda, votes that Gore would need. Daschle wasn't hard charging, but Gore thought that he would be the stable anchor for an administration destined to face extremely rough headwinds and challenges. He wasn't settled on Daschle though. Congressman Rahm Emanuel was floated, but Gore thought Rahm too abrasive, besides Rahm had endorsed Hillary Clinton. Rahm may not have wanted the job, he wavered on it and likely preferred to stay in the House and achieve his dream of becoming Speaker of the House. John Podesta had served as Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, and he was thought suitable for the role. The problem was, Gore didn't warm to him. Donna Brazile was thought to be in contention for the role, but she decided not to do it. Gore decided he would go with Tom Daschle. Daschle accepted Gore's offer, and soon took the position as his Chief of Staff.

President-Elect Al Gore and outgoing President George W Bush share an awkward, but congenial, moment in the Oval Office​ 

Al Gore had won his mandate. Now he needed to implement it. The first phase of that would be the transition. Transitions, traditionally, went better for Republicans than Democrats because Democrats focused on policy and Republicans on management. And the transition indeed got off to a bumpy start with leaks from Goreland and disorganization. However, after that things got back on track, and cabinet selections began to be made. Of invaluable help to the transition was George W Bush, who did his best to ensure the transition was smooth. Bush saw the election, rightly, as a personal rejection. Gore had made it about how bad Bush was and run a buyer's remorse campaign, and he had won big, But Bush wanted to do his bit to mend fences and ensure Gore could get a good start. They met in the Oval Office on November 15th, and shared an awkward exchange. Bush marveled "I never thought that I would be succeeded by you, Al. Perhaps you'll be succeeded by John McCain!" The two laughed at that. Gore then replied "Turns out, I really did win the election. Eight years later though!" The Bush administration went out of its way to make the transition as seamless as possible for the incoming administration, earning accolades from Gore staff members and outside experts alike. 

  

Gore nominee for Treasury Secretary, Lawrence 'Larry' Summers​ 

In the Senate, Vice-President Elect Feingold resigned his Senate seat in Wisconsin. There would be no special election, it would occur with the 2010 Senate elections. Democrat Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle appointed Tom Barrett to fill the seat. Gore began selecting his cabinet. He decided that Bob Gates would remain Secretary of Defense, continuing from the Bush administration. Gates brought continuity on Iraq, where he was in agreement with Gore's promise to withdraw, he lent an impression of bipartisanship, he offered political cover for tough decisions on standing up to the military brass and cancelling weapons systems and he was known as bipartisan, non-ideological and decent. One of the key choices was for Treasury Secretary. Despite Paul Volcker being speculated for the job, it was always a choice between Tim Geithner and Larry Summers. Summers had served as Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, and he had the experience necessary to brave the economic crisis. Geithner was at the center of it, directly involved in the bailouts at the Fed, and he had in depth experience of the crisis. Gore doubted that Geithner was 'ready for prime time'. While Summers had been forced to resign from Harvard in 2005 for un-PC comments about women in the sciences, Gore knew that Larry was ready for prime time and could get the economy back to health. On November 22, he announced that he was selecting the "eminently capable and qualified" Larry Summers for Treasury Secretary.

 

Richard Holbrooke, Gore choice for Secretary of State, in 2008​ 

Much of Gore's cabinet was a continuation from the Clinton years. Nearly half of his appointments were former Clinton appointees. It did make sense, despite the enmity between Gore and the Clintons. The Clintons had presided over a strong economy, peace and prosperity, and Gore was right in the middle, permanently linked to it having served for eight years as Vice-President. One Clinton carryover that would not be in Gore's cabinet was Hillary Clinton. The idea of having her in State had been raised to Gore, who shot it down, arguing that their sour relationship and her baggage and fame meant she would be wrong for the role. Gore weighed up Richard Holbrooke, Joe Biden and John Kerry. Gore weighed it up carefully, but in the end he decided on Holbrooke. Holbrooke had served as Balkan envoy and US Ambassador to the UN under Clinton, and he was one of the nation's most qualified and influential diplomats.

Senator Judd Gregg(R-NH), Al Gore's nominee for Commerce Secretary​ 

Gore appointed his protege, Carol Browner, to head the EPA. Browner was a convert to the market-based cap and trade approach to climate change, and would be a key figure in the administration, especially with Gore's commitment to combating climate change. For Commerce, there was Penny Pritzker, a billionaire, and Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg. Pritzker, despite having been Gore's campaign finance chair, was initially favored by Gore for the position. However, Harry Reid suggested Gore instead appoint Senator Gregg, a Republican, to Commerce. It would be a show of bipartisanship when the nation needed it most, and Gore would look more moderate with Gregg. Gore liked the idea. He met with Gregg on December 10, and offered him the job. Gregg expressed reluctance given his diverging views with Gore. But Gore won him over, and it was announced that Gregg would be nominated for Commerce. Republican Bonnie Newman would be appointed to Gregg's seat, even though the Governor of New Hampshire was a Democrat, to avoid the appointment looking like an attempt to increase the Democrat Senate majority. Gore nominated Clinton supporter Tom Vilsack for Agriculture, and Arne Duncan went to Education.

Al Gore cabinet (still to be confirmed by Senate)
President: Al Gore
Vice-President: Russ Feingold
Secretary of State: Richard Holbrooke
Treasury Secretary: Larry Summers
Defense Secretary: Bob Gates
Attorney General: Janet Napolitano
Interior Secretary: Ken Salazar
Agriculture Secretary: Tom Vilsack
Commerce Secretary: Judd Gregg
Labor Secretary: Hilda Solis
HHS Secretary: Kathleen Sebelius
VA Secretary: Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security: Jack Reed
Chief of Staff: Tom Daschle
EPA Administrator: Carol Browner
OMB Director: Peter Orzag
UN Ambassador: Susan Rice
US Trade Representative: Austan Goolsbee


Gore's cabinet choices had been made. On January 20, he would be inaugurated. In the mean time, he was already working with Congress on the pressing issues of the day. The stimulus, set to be at least hundreds of billions of dollars, was being prepped by Gore with Congress for him to sign as soon as possible. The economic crisis necessitated that his first task would be to stop the bleeding. Already though, Gore was looking ahead. Cap and trade was something he wanted passed in his first term. There was a whole host of priorities, from healthcare to immigration to foreign policy, that would require Gore's attention. Gore remained, despite the fevered attacks of some Republicans, a center-left politician, center being the key word. But he was surprisingly ambitious, though at the same time incrementalist. 'We can go ten meters with ten one meter steps, or five meters with one five meter step." Gore chose the former, but he was determined to go the whole ten steps. He had not made the decision to run again lightly, and he was determined to use this chance well.

[lordroel]

Feb 21, 2017 8:25:07 GMT pericles said:

TRANSITION 

President-Elect Al Gore's Chief of Staff, former Senate Democrat leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota​ 

One of the first transition decisions by President-Elect Al Gore was the selection of Chief of Staff. Gore was always leaning towards one person, Tom Daschle, Daschle had served as leader of the Senate Democrats from 1995 to 2005(when he lost re-election in 2004) and for all but a one and a half years of that time had been Senate Minority Leader. Daschle endorsed Gore early in the race and informally advised his campaign. Gore thought that Daschle had what it took, he would be a smart, calm executive, like Gore in that regard, and with his congressional connections he could muster Democrat votes for Gore's agenda, votes that Gore would need. Daschle wasn't hard charging, but Gore thought that he would be the stable anchor for an administration destined to face extremely rough headwinds and challenges. He wasn't settled on Daschle though. Congressman Rahm Emanuel was floated, but Gore thought Rahm too abrasive, besides Rahm had endorsed Hillary Clinton. Rahm may not have wanted the job, he wavered on it and likely preferred to stay in the House and achieve his dream of becoming Speaker of the House. John Podesta had served as Chief of Staff to Bill Clinton, and he was thought suitable for the role. The problem was, Gore didn't warm to him. Donna Brazile was thought to be in contention for the role, but she decided not to do it. Gore decided he would go with Tom Daschle. Daschle accepted Gore's offer, and soon took the position as his Chief of Staff.

President-Elect Al Gore and outgoing President George W Bush share an awkward, but congenial, moment in the Oval Office​ 

Al Gore had won his mandate. Now he needed to implement it. The first phase of that would be the transition. Transitions, traditionally, went better for Republicans than Democrats because Democrats focused on policy and Republicans on management. And the transition indeed got off to a bumpy start with leaks from Goreland and disorganization. However, after that things got back on track, and cabinet selections began to be made. Of invaluable help to the transition was George W Bush, who did his best to ensure the transition was smooth. Bush saw the election, rightly, as a personal rejection. Gore had made it about how bad Bush was and run a buyer's remorse campaign, and he had won big, But Bush wanted to do his bit to mend fences and ensure Gore could get a good start. They met in the Oval Office on November 15th, and shared an awkward exchange. Bush marveled "I never thought that I would be succeeded by you, Al. Perhaps you'll be succeeded by John McCain!" The two laughed at that. Gore then replied "Turns out, I really did win the election. Eight years later though!" The Bush administration went out of its way to make the transition as seamless as possible for the incoming administration, earning accolades from Gore staff members and outside experts alike. 

  

Gore nominee for Treasury Secretary, Lawrence 'Larry' Summers​ 

In the Senate, Vice-President Elect Feingold resigned his Senate seat in Wisconsin. There would be no special election, it would occur with the 2010 Senate elections. Democrat Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle appointed Tom Barrett to fill the seat. Gore began selecting his cabinet. He decided that Bob Gates would remain Secretary of Defense, continuing from the Bush administration. Gates brought continuity on Iraq, where he was in agreement with Gore's promise to withdraw, he lent an impression of bipartisanship, he offered political cover for tough decisions on standing up to the military brass and cancelling weapons systems and he was known as bipartisan, non-ideological and decent. One of the key choices was for Treasury Secretary. Despite Paul Volcker being speculated for the job, it was always a choice between Tim Geithner and Larry Summers. Summers had served as Treasury Secretary under Bill Clinton, and he had the experience necessary to brave the economic crisis. Geithner was at the center of it, directly involved in the bailouts at the Fed, and he had in depth experience of the crisis. Gore doubted that Geithner was 'ready for prime time'. While Summers had been forced to resign from Harvard in 2005 for un-PC comments about women in the sciences, Gore knew that Larry was ready for prime time and could get the economy back to health. On November 22, he announced that he was selecting the "eminently capable and qualified" Larry Summers for Treasury Secretary.

 

Richard Holbrooke, Gore choice for Secretary of State, in 2008​ 

Much of Gore's cabinet was a continuation from the Clinton years. Nearly half of his appointments were former Clinton appointees. It did make sense, despite the enmity between Gore and the Clintons. The Clintons had presided over a strong economy, peace and prosperity, and Gore was right in the middle, permanently linked to it having served for eight years as Vice-President. One Clinton carryover that would not be in Gore's cabinet was Hillary Clinton. The idea of having her in State had been raised to Gore, who shot it down, arguing that their sour relationship and her baggage and fame meant she would be wrong for the role. Gore weighed up Richard Holbrooke, Joe Biden and John Kerry. Gore weighed it up carefully, but in the end he decided on Holbrooke. Holbrooke had served as Balkan envoy and US Ambassador to the UN under Clinton, and he was one of the nation's most qualified and influential diplomats.

Senator Judd Gregg(R-NH), Al Gore's nominee for Commerce Secretary​ 

Gore appointed his protege, Carol Browner, to head the EPA. Browner was a convert to the market-based cap and trade approach to climate change, and would be a key figure in the administration, especially with Gore's commitment to combating climate change. For Commerce, there was Penny Pritzker, a billionaire, and Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg. Pritzker, despite having been Gore's campaign finance chair, was initially favored by Gore for the position. However, Harry Reid suggested Gore instead appoint Senator Gregg, a Republican, to Commerce. It would be a show of bipartisanship when the nation needed it most, and Gore would look more moderate with Gregg. Gore liked the idea. He met with Gregg on December 10, and offered him the job. Gregg expressed reluctance given his diverging views with Gore. But Gore won him over, and it was announced that Gregg would be nominated for Commerce. Republican Bonnie Newman would be appointed to Gregg's seat, even though the Governor of New Hampshire was a Democrat, to avoid the appointment looking like an attempt to increase the Democrat Senate majority. Gore nominated Clinton supporter Tom Vilsack for Agriculture, and Arne Duncan went to Education.

Al Gore cabinet (still to be confirmed by Senate)
President: Al Gore
Vice-President: Russ Feingold
Secretary of State: Richard Holbrooke
Treasury Secretary: Larry Summers
Defense Secretary: Bob Gates
Attorney General: Janet Napolitano
Interior Secretary: Ken Salazar
Agriculture Secretary: Tom Vilsack
Commerce Secretary: Judd Gregg
Labor Secretary: Hilda Solis
HHS Secretary: Kathleen Sebelius
VA Secretary: Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security: Jack Reed
Chief of Staff: Tom Daschle
EPA Administrator: Carol Browner
OMB Director: Peter Orzag
UN Ambassador: Susan Rice
US Trade Representative: Austan Goolsbee


Gore's cabinet choices had been made. On January 20, he would be inaugurated. In the mean time, he was already working with Congress on the pressing issues of the day. The stimulus, set to be at least hundreds of billions of dollars, was being prepped by Gore with Congress for him to sign as soon as possible. The economic crisis necessitated that his first task would be to stop the bleeding. Already though, Gore was looking ahead. Cap and trade was something he wanted passed in his first term. There was a whole host of priorities, from healthcare to immigration to foreign policy, that would require Gore's attention. Gore remained, despite the fevered attacks of some Republicans, a center-left politician, center being the key word. But he was surprisingly ambitious, though at the same time incrementalist. 'We can go ten meters with ten one meter steps, or five meters with one five meter step." Gore chose the former, but he was determined to go the whole ten steps. He had not made the decision to run again lightly, and he was determined to use this chance well.

One Susan Rice, Bob Gates and Richard Holbrooke are names that i know, i hope that Richard Holbrooke does not die in function.

[stevep]

Interesting combination of people. Not sure I know that much about them but does sound likeGore's trying to set up a broad based government to enable substantial changes to legistration.