President Jerry Springer

[feeblepizza]

This is a timeline concerning the possibility of Jerry Springer remaining in Ohio politics and eventually rising to the top to become President of the United States. Coming soon .

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Wasn't he born in Canada, though?

Nonetheless, please change the constitution in order to complete what would be a timeline filled with awesomness.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Wasn't he born in Canada, though?

The UK, actually.

Nonetheless, please change the constitution in order to complete what would be a timeline filled with awesomness.

I agree with this.

[feeblepizza]

Jerry Springer's story is one of the most successful in American politics. Born in the UK in 1944, Springer's family immigrated to the U.S. in 1949. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University in 1965, and a Juris Doctor (JD) from Northwestern University in 1968.

In 1968, he became a political aide to Senator Robert Kennedy (D-NY), the brother of Springer's favorite President (John Kennedy, assassinated in 1963). After RFK's shooting, Springer joined the law firm Frost & Jacobs, where he began a short but successful legal career.

After a failed but nonetheless impressive run for the U.S. Congress in 1970, Springer decided to run for the Cleveland, Ohio Town Council. He was elected in the year 1971, but resigned in 1974 after admitting to hiring a prostitute. He retook his seat on the Council in a 1975 landslide. From 1977-1978, he served as Mayor of Cleveland.

In 1982, Springer pulled off an upset in the Democratic primary for Governor of Ohio, defeating big names such as Lieutenant Governor Dick Celeste and State Attorney General William J. Brown. Springer chose State Senator Myrl Shoemaker in hopes of gaining votes from the Southern part of the state. In the end, Springer defeated Republican Congressman Bud Brown, Jr. by under 5,000 votes. He defeated former Governor James Rhodes by a landslide in 1986.

Springer passed landmark healthcare legislation creating an almost universal healthcare system in the Buckeye State, giving over 600,000 uninsured adults, and all uninsured children, healthcare. Springer raised the state income tax by over 40% in order to pay for healthcare and other increased social spending programs. Springer also appointed many minorities to government positions in his belief of "social progress" for "underrepresented demographics." Springer signed a law banning the death penalty in the State of Ohio and commuted the sentences of several known murders and rapists, and signed the OCRS (Ohio Criminal Re-Education System) Act to introduce new rehabilitation programs to the state.

In 1988, he decided that it was time for him to take a leap and run for the United States Senate. Governor Springer faced incumbent Senator Howard Metzenbaum during the Democratic primary. The race was close, but Springer was declared the winner by a mere 1,000 votes. In the general election, he easily defeated Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich.

On January 4, 1989, Springer submitted a Constitutional Amendment stating that anyone born in a foreign country could run for President if they were a legal U.S. citizen for twenty years. The Amendment passed finally with much ado in 1991. Most thought that Springer was alluding to a future presidential bid, due to the fact that he was eligible to run for President under the guidelines of the Amendment (he had passed the twenty year mark in 1969).

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Springer-Kennedy Universal Healthcare Act, which gave healthcare coverage to all uninsured children and over thirty million uninsured adults. In 1999, the U.S. Congress passed the Springer-McCain Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, which gave a path to citizenship to the over five million illegals in the country. Springer voted against going the PATRIOT Act and was one of the Senate's most vehement critics of the War in Iraq.

Many speculated that Springer would run for President in 2004, but he backed down and endorsed Dennis Kucinich (later John Edwards, and later John Kerry). He was considered as a possible VP for John Kerry, but declined the position.

In 2006, however, Springer said: "I just might run for President in 2008." The media went wild.....


Pleeeeeeease review

[CathKhan]

Yeah!!!

[feeblepizza]

By December of 2006, the Democratic race was home to only two: former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel and sitting Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Another, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, had begun campaigning but had withdrawn due to fund-raising problems.

On December 11, 2006, Senator Springer announced that he would be running for President of the United States. He was immediately endorsed by Congressman Dennis Kucinich, another native of Cleveland who had run in 2004 and was rumored to have been planning a 2008 run. On December 16, Bayh dropped out due to name recognition problems, and endorsed Senator Springer for the presidency. He claimed that "Senator Springer is the best bet to bring the Democratic Party to a safe victory in the year 2008." Shortly afterward, former Governor Vilsack also endorsed Senator Springer, much for the same reasons as Senator Bayh.

2004 vice-presidential nominee and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards jumped into the race on December 26. He and Springer were seen as the front-runners among already declared candidates.

In January, three Senators made announcements: Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Hillary Clinton of New York, and Joe Biden of Delaware. Dodd and Biden didn't gain much traction, but Senator Clinton immediately rose to front-runner status among the ranks of Edwards and Senator Springer. Many were surprised at Clinton's run, due to the fact that Senator Springer was one of the Clinton White House's biggest allies, especially after the Republican Revolution of 1994.

In February, Illinois Senator Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the White House. He was not considered a front-runner, but he did gain favorable polling numbers and was considered a moderately reasonable "long shot" candidate at the nomination.

The final announcement came on May 21, when New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson threw his hat into the ring. He was seen much in the light of Senator Obama: as a candidate who could, with a lot of work, have a slight chance at the nomination.

By December of 2007, the polls were still of little help in predicting the election's outcome:

National Polling, Democrats in 2008
Springer 22%
Clinton 21%
Edwards 20%
Obama 13%
Richardson 12%
Biden 4%
Dodd 4%
Gravel 3%

Springer, Clinton, and Edwards were in a dead heat for the nomination, while candidates such as Obama and Richardson hoped for an upset. Pundits were buzzing at the possibilities. Finally, on January 3, they got their results.....


Next post: THE IOWA CAUCUS!!!!!

Pleeeeeeease review

[feeblepizza]

Comments? Complaints? Critiques?

(Sorry to Cathcon, I just had to use that in a TL .)

[CathKhan]

Comments? Complaints? Critiques?

(Sorry to Cathcon, I just had to use that in a TL .)

Comments, Questions, Critiques, Complaints, Compliments?

Geez, get it right! If you're gonna copy my style, at least do a good imitation!

[feeblepizza]

Comments? Complaints? Critiques?

(Sorry to Cathcon, I just had to use that in a TL .)

Comments, Questions, Critiques, Complaints, Compliments?

Geez, get it right! If you're gonna copy my style, at least do a good imitation!

I'll try to remember that next time

[JulioMadrid]

If I could vote in the D's primary, I'd vote for Springer (he seems to be the most liberal candidate, and I really can't understand how bayh supported him over clinton).

I'd like Obama as his VP pick

[CathKhan]

I'm guessing the Liberal support of him will, in this TL, be like the Liberal support of Obama, with everbody raving about how he's the first _____ to have a chance to win the Presidency. In RL, it was the first African American, ITTL, it's the first President not to be born in this country.

[feeblepizza]

On January 3, 2008, Jerry Springer won the Iowa Caucus, with John Edwards coming in second and Hillary reaching a distant third. Others (Obama, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, and Gravel) did poorly. Dodd and Biden even dropped out; Dodd endorsed Springer, but Biden declined to support anyone just yet.

On the Republican side, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee claimed a victory; former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney came in second, Arizona Senator John McCain in third, and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson achieving fourth place; others (Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, California Congressman Duncan Hunter, and former Ambassador Alan Keyes) performed badly. About 4% of voters voted for uncommitted delegates.

On January 8, 2008, the New Hampshire primaries occurred. On the Democratic side, Senator Springer won an incredibly close race against Hillary Clinton, taking the Granite State by less than 0.05% of the vote. The count dragged on until morning, but the results were conclusive, and Senator Clinton gave a gracious concession.

On the Republican side, John McCain upset Northwestern favorite son Mitt Romney.

Democratic Delegate Count - Springer (25), Clinton (24), Edwards (18)


Republican Delegate Count - Romney (24), Huckabee (18), McCain (10), Thompson (6), Paul (2), Hunter (1)


Revieeeeeeeeeeeeeew

[feeblepizza]

Comments, Questions, Critiques, Complaints, Compliments?

(I got it right this time ).

[CathKhan]

Comments, Questions, Critiques, Complaints, Compliments?

(I got it right this time ).

Fiiiinally! (but you're still just a Cathcon copy off )

I'm rooting for Mitt Romney, but it would be interesting to see Ron Paul win the Nevada caucus.