The Steamroller Presidency

[SirNick]

Sometime in 2007...
The Governor looks at himself in the mirror after making the appointment...second guessing his decision he returns the phone call that he had just hung up with and cancels the appointment

His term as Governor continues, with the man himself not liking his decision but realizing it was probably for the best.

March 17, 2008 - The Governor sits down for an interview.

"Governor, will you run for reelection in 2010?"
"It is a bit early for me to announce but I don't see a reason, at this time, why I would not pursue that. I'm focused on getting Hillary Clinton elected President in 2008."

[SirNick]

November 4, 2008

Senator Barack H. Obama / Senator Joseph R. Biden - 365 Electoral Votes, 52.9% Popular Vote
Senator John S. McCain / Governor Sarah Palin - 173 Electoral Votes, 45.7% Popular Vote

Sometime between election day and January 2009...
"Mr. President-elect, its great to hear from you..."
"Governor, I wanted to thank you personally for your support this election cycle. Especially for your advice during the current crisis."
"It is my pleasure, Mr. President-elect."
"I wanted to know if you would be interested in a position in my Administration. I think you are a rising star in the Democratic Party so I would understand if you did not want to."
"Mr. President-elect, I appreciate you thinking of me --but I think I can be more useful to you, to the Party, and to the nation if I stayed in my current position.
"Are you thinking about 2016?"
"I'm very much focused on my current job and my reelection campaign in 2010"
"Between you and me..."
"Yes, I am very interested in 2016."

[ChairmanSanchez]

Who is this Governor? I thought it was Joe Manchin but I guess not...

[CathKhan]

Waiting to find out who the Governor is!

[SirNick]

January 2009

Governor Eliot Spitzer's property tax cap passes both houses of the New York State legislature which caps school tax-levy increases at 4 percent a year or the rate of inflation, whichever is less. Spitzer comments include "bringing property taxes back under control will ensure longterm growth of our municipalities, homeowners will keep more of their hard earned money. Spending billions of state tax dollars to dull the pain of high local property taxes simply resulted in higher spending - and ultimately, even higher school property taxes. The only solution is a tax cap, and today the people of New York got just that."

March 2009

Spitzer once again pledges to use the stimulus package money for infrastructure reform and pledges to get people back to work as efficiently as possible. Spitzer also proposes more comprehensive job training programs in return for a soda tax.

July 2009

President Obama calls Governor Spitzer to Washington DC to lend his advice on health care and the economic crisis. An aide leaks that "Chief of Staff Emanuel and Governor Spitzer  had a shouting contest." Chief of Staff Emanuel remarks that the "conversation was productive despite the volume."

January 2010

Governor Spitzer formally announces that he will seek reelection as Governor of New York.

Former Congressman Rick Lazio, Businessman Carl Paladino and State Senator Dean Skelos announce their candidacy for the Republican nomination for Governor of New York around the same time.

January 2010

State Senator Scott Brown is elected as US Senator from Massachusetts defeating Martha Coakley.


March 2010

President Obama's health care package is passed, although many say that it is very watered down, others call it socialist. Governor Spitzer comments that "no package can be perfect, but this is a huge step forward for all Americans."

November 2010


Governor Spitzer defeats Republican nominee Dean Skelos 65% to 31%. The Rent is Too Damn High Party Candidate Jimmy McMillan receives 1.5% of the vote in a big surprise to many --having defeated the Libertarian and Green Party candidates. NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo wins reelection defeating a Republican DA from Staten Island.

The NY State Senate majority is held onto by the Democratic Party.

In Congress, Democrats lose 63 seats and in the Senate they lose 6.

January 2011

Governor Spitzer is sworn in for a second term as Governor. Respectively, Congress elects John Boehner as their Speaker.

[tb78]

It's Spitzer, never would have guessed. What happened to the girl from the rl scandal?

[SirNick]

February 2011

President Obama invites Governor Spitzer to Washington DC again, shortly after Rahm Emanuel's election as Mayor of Chicago, to discuss ways to cut the deficit. An aide notes that the volume was significantly lower this time around.

Unemployment drops to 8% in the United States.

April 2011

Budget negotiations stall and the US Government is shutdown. Speaker Boehner blames the shutdown on the President and Democrats saying that they wouldn't cut enough spending while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama say that "the spending cuts were agreed upon. This was an ideological issues for the Republicans. Republicans like Boehner want to cut funding to planned parenthood which provides affordable health care for both men and women."

The budget negotiations are resolved after 7 days after an email leak between Republican aides shows that the shutdown was due to funding of Planned Parenthood.

President Obama's approval jumps to 53-55% temporarily.

June 2011

Businessman Donald Trump announces that he will seek the Republican nomination for President.

The first Republican debate occurs between Tim Pawlenty, Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Buddy Roemer, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Roy Moore, Rick Santorum, Mitch Daniels, John Bolton, Michele Bachmann, Jimmy McMillan and Jon Huntsman."

A deficit reduction plan has not yet been reached and entitlement spending as well as the situation in Libya and the Middle East takes up most of the debate. Governor Spitzer calls the debate "a circus."

Iowa July 2011 Poll:

Romney: 23%
Trump: 18%
Paul: 15%
Gingrich: 10%
Pawlenty: 8%
Daniels: 6%
Bachmann: 5%
Unsure: 4%
Johnson: 3%
Santorum: 3%
Bolton: 2%
Cain: <1%
McMillan: <1%
Moore: <1%

Citing fundraising woes, John Bolton drops out in November 2011.

[SirNick]

It's Spitzer, never would have guessed. What happened to the girl from the rl scandal?

She's still being a prostitute. Just not with Spitzer.

[SirNick]

December 2011

The United States Congress defeats the President's deficit reduction plan which would have reduced the deficit by over 50% in 20 years. The President calls for "all parties to work through Christmas to find a bill that is suitable and to put ideology aside."

President Obama's approval, upon the defeat of this legislation, drops to 43%. Unemployment is around 7.7%. Many economists are concerned about inflation.

Governor Spitzer's approvals in his state remain around 50%, with unemployment in New York hovering around 6.5%. In December 2011, the NY State Legislature legalizes gay marriage as well as now allows medical marijuana.

February 2012

Iowa Caucus Results:

Donald Trump wins a very slim victory against former Governor Gary Johnson. Paul supporters were told to go to Johnson as their second choice.


Trump: 16.3%
Johnson: 16.2%
Romney: 16.0%
Daniels: 11.7%
Paul: 10.5%
Pawlenty: 9.3%
Gingrich: 7.5%
Bachmann: 6.1%
Santorum: 4.0%
Other: 2.4%

Herman Cain, Roy Moore drops out after their disappointing, yet not surprising, showing.

New Hampshire Primary Results:

Romney: 24.0%
Trump 17.3%
Johnson: 13.8%
Paul: 13.1%
Daniels: 12.3%
Pawlenty: 7.9%
Gingrich: 5.0%
Santorum: 2.1%
Bachmann: 2.0%
Other: 2.5%

After the New Hampshire primary, Gingrich, Santorum, Bachmann, Pawlenty and Daniels make a quiet exit. Pawlenty and Daniels both endorse Romney.


Nevada Primary Results:

Romney: 33.0%
Trump: 26%
Johnson: 23.9%
Paul: 17.1%

Ron Paul drops out of the race endorsing Gary Johnson.

South Carolina Primary Results:

Trump: 45%
Romney:  42%
Johnson: 13%

Johnson drops out of the race after this primary.

March 2012

Trump and Romney go onto Super Tuesday but Romney wins every state on Super Tuesday --trouncing Trump royally.

Trump vows to run as an independent, Romney declares himself the presumptive nominee.

[feeblepizza]

Trump and Romney go onto Super Tuesday but Romney wins every state on Super Tuesday --trouncing Romney Trump royally.

Trump vows to run as an independent, Romney declares himself the presumptive nominee.

Fixed.

[Senator Snowstalker]

Eliot Spitzer, according to recent polls, is still popular as a politician but not as a person.

[SirNick]

Will continue. Was busy this weekend but another update is forthcoming.

[specific_name]

I wouldn't be shocked if Spitzer one day makes a comeback, at least on the state level. You never know.

[SirNick]

April 2012

Governor Spitzer finishes his first budget on time without any extensions. The budget is said to be, by many economists, "one of the first budgets to show economic recovery in the states."

Spitzer loses his long fought battle on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants when the NYS Senate votes it down.


***Flashback***

January 2009

Hillary Clinton is appointed as Secretary of State of the United States by President Barack H. Obama. Governor Spitzer appoints Congressman Steve Israel to the seat. Democrats hold onto Israel's seat in a special election.

Newly appointed Senator Steve Israel (D-NY)

Senator Israel went on to win the special election in November 2010.

***

Back to the future

May 2012

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney selects Senator Mark Kirk of Illinois as his running mate.

Mitt Romney at a campaign stop.

Senator Kirk speaking after being picked as Romney's running mate

The move is hailed by many moderates and pro-choice groups but conservative Republicans are upset with the pick due to Kirk's pro-choice record. Romney responds to the criticisms saying "I don't want to stifle debate in my White House by picking advisors who always agree with me, or are going to be pushovers. Good debates form good solutions."

June 2012

Donald Trump selects Ford CEO Alan Roger Mulally as his running mate calling him a "great businessman, someone who managed to reform his company and turn it around completely. We need a reformer like him in government and he is going to make a great Vice President and make me an even greater President."

However on the same day a chemical spill, due to a truck accident, in Kansas has the potential to harm hundreds of people. The Obama Administration, via the EPA and FEMA, evacuate thousands of people within 50 miles of the spill site. The incident largely eats up what media coverage Trump's VP pick would have got.

After several days of emergency crews cleaning up the spill, people are allowed to re-enter their homes once air quality tests come back with good results.

Late June Polling:

Obama/Biden: 40%
Romney/Kirk: 26%
Trump:/Mulally: 15%
Undecided: 19%

[SirNick]

July - August 2012

Governor Spitzer, a surrogate for the Obama campaign, is sent out talking about the economy for President Obama.

It is worth mentioning, that Governor Deval Patrick is also a surrogate who appears sometimes with Spitzer but often as an advocate of Obamacare.

September 18, 2012

With the first Presidential debate only days away, President Barack H. Obama comes on television very close to midnight and gives the following statement...

  Good evening.  Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 11 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.  The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

The next day the Obama Administration releases photos of the body which had been buried at sea.

Press Secretary James Carney is asked "Did the Administration wait until the election to do this? Why now?" Carney responds "President Obama is more concerned with the safety of American citizens than the results in November. The President saw an opportunity to take out Bin Laden and we went for it and we were successful."

President Obama's approval jumps in the next few days. Romney and Obama spar at the debate and Romney hits Obama on Libya while both candidates hit Trump on having a niave and childish view of how foreign policy works --Romney remarks "You can't throw a tantrum then fire a foreign dignitary. They don't work for you."

October 2012

The first Vice Presidential debate in October goes largely unnoticed.

Obama, Trump and Romney debate one more time before the election. The second and final debate focuses on domestic policy including health care. Trump gets hit for having "absolutely no health care plan other than returning to what it was like in the Bush years" and for "flip flopping on issues more times than anyone can count." Obama is blasted for not showing more leadership on economic issues and not doing enough about the deficit to which he responds "Mitt, you represent the party of NO. The Republican Party voted down my bipartisan deficit plan because they didn't want another win under my belt. Republicans are putting politics before country and now so are you by criticizing the failure of that bill."

Last Gallup Poll Prior to the Election:

Obama/Biden: 53%
Romney/Kirk: 40%
Trump:/Mulally: 5%
Undecided: 2%

[SirNick]

November 2012

Election Day Results

[/b]

President Barack H. Obama/Vice President Joseph R. Biden, 417 Electoral Votes 54.8% Popular Vote
Governor Willard M. Romney/Senator Mark Kirk, 121 Electoral Votes, 40.5% Popular Vote
Donald Trump/Allan Mulally - 0 Electoral Votes, 4.7% Popular Vote

President Barack Obama buoyed by the death of Bin Laden and the, slow, economic recovery is reelected to a second term as President of the United States.


Wolf Blitzer: Off the top of your head, who do you think the Democratic candidates in 2016 will be?
Anderson Cooper: I think Governor Deval Patrick is eyeing the nomination.
David Gergen: No doubt Spitzer will go for the nomination.
James Carville: I'm interested to see if Mayor Emanuel goes for it. He has the experience and name recognition.
Blitzer: And the Republican side?
Cooper: Mark Kirk might have a shot even after tonight's devastating loss.
David Gergen: Christie if he wins reelection in 2014.
James Carville: I'd be scared for America if Rand Paul or Rubio ran.
Blitzer: We'll have to wait a little to find out.


Senate Results:

Virginia: Former Governor Tim Kaine defeats Republican George Allen (Democratic hold)
Hawaii: Former Congressman Ed Case defeats the Republican challenger for Daniel Akaka's seat. (Democratic hold)
New Mexico: Congressman Martin Heinrich holds Jeff Bingaman's seat for the Democrats. (Democratic hold)
North Dakota: Heidi Heitkamp, former ND Attorney General, wins election by a narrow margin to the Senate (Democratic hold)
California: Dianne Feinstein holds onto her seat in California. (Democratic hold)
Delaware: Tom Carper holds onto his seat.  (Democratic hold)
Florida: Bill Nelson holds onto his seat. (Democratic hold)
Maryland: Ben Cardin holds onto his seat. (Democratic hold)
Michigan: Debbie Stabenow holds onto her seat. (Democratic hold)
Minnesota: Amy Klobuchar holds onto her seat. (Democratic hold)
Missouri: Even though President Obama carried the state. Claire McCaskill loses to Republican Sarah Steelman by 1,000 votes. (Republican pick up)
Montana: Jon Tester is defeated by Republican Marc Racicot 51-49. President Obama won the state with 47% of the vote.(Republican pick up)
Nebraska: Senator Ben Nelson is defeated by Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning (Republican pick up)
New Jersey: Bob Menendez holds onto his seat (Democratic hold).
New York: Steve Israel holds onto his seat (Democratic hold)
Ohio: Sherrod Brown holds onto his seat. (Democratic hold)
Pennsylvania: Bob Casey holds onto his seat. (Democratic hold)
Rhode Island: Sheldon Whitehouse holds onto his seat. (Democratic hold)
Washington: Maria Cantwell holds onto her seat. (Democratic hold)
West Virginia: Joe Manchin holds onto his seat (Democratic hold)
Wisconsin: Tammy Baldwin defeats Paul Ryan after Senator Kohl's retirement. (Democratic hold)
Connecticut: Actor Alec Baldwin defeats Linda McMahon for Joseph Lieberman's seat. (Democratic pick up)
Vermont: Bernie Sanders wins reelection. (Independent hold)
Arizona: Rodney Glassman defeats Jeff Flake for Senator Jon Kyl's seat. (Democratic pick up)
Texas: Elizabeth Jones defeats the Democratic candidate for Senate. (Republican hold)
Indiana: Dick Lugar holds onto his seat after a tough challenge from both the Democrat and Tea Party candidate (Republican hold)
Mississippi: Roger Wick holds onto his seat (Republican hold)
Tennessee: Bob Corker holds onto his seat (Republican hold)
Utah: Orrin Hatch holds onto his seat (Republican hold)
Wyoming: Barrasso holds onto his seat (Republican hold)
Massachusetts: Scott Brown holds onto his seat (Republican hold)
Nevada: Dean Heller is defeated by Catherine Cortez Masto the Nevada Attorney General. (Democratic pickup)
Maine: Olympia Snowe had been defeated in the Republican primary by Chandler Woodcock. Snowe decided not to run as an independent and Woodcock was defeated by Democrat Phil Bartlett. (Democratic pickup)

Senate 2013-2015 Composition:

Democrats: 54 (+1)
Republicans: 46 (-1)
Independents: 1

House of Representatives 2013-2015 Composition:

Republicans: 220 (-22)
Democrats: 215 (+22)

[SirNick]

Gubernatorial Elections Results:

Washington: Democrat Christine Gregoire wins reelection. (Democratic hold)
Vermont: Democrat Peter Shumlin wins reelection.  (Democratic hold)
Utah: Republican Gary Herbet wins reelection. (Republican hold)
Montana: Democrat Steve Bullock defeats former Republican Congressman Rick Hill. (Democratic hold)
Indiana: Republican Congressman Mike Pence is elected. (Republican hold)
Delaware: Democrat Jack Markells wins reelection. (Democratic hold)
Missouri: Democrat Jay Nixon wins reelection. (Democratic hold)
New Hampshire: Democrat Governor John Lynch wins reelection.  (Democratic hold)
North Carolina: Pat McCroy defeats Governor Perdue (Republican pick up)
North Dakota: Drew Wrigley defeats the Democratic candidate. (Republican hold)
West Virginia: Earl Ray Tobin defeats the Republican candidate (Democratic hold)

[SirNick]

January 2013

President Obama is inaugurated for his second term. His second term begins with some major cabinet shake-ups.

Chief of Staff
Tom Daschle

Department of State
Secretary William B. Richardson

Department of the Treasury
Secretary Timothy Geithner

 
Department of Defense
Secretary Charles Hagel
 
Department of Justice
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.

 
Department of the Interior
Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar

 
Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack

 
Department of Commerce
Secretary Olympia Snowe

 
Department of Labor
Secretary Hilda L. Solis

 
Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Deval Patrick

 
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan

 
Department of Transportation
Secretary Jim Oberstar

 
Department of Energy
Secretary Arnold Schwarzenegger

 
Department of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan

 
Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Max Cleveland


Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Tim Roemer


No major opposition to any of the nominees.

February 2012

With more Democrats in Congress, Obama gives it a second try at his deficit proposal and this time it is passed, after some changes. The bill makes fixes in Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security that would reduce the deficit. The Administration also agrees to support legislation that would deal with tort reform that has bipartisan support in the Senate.

[SirNick]

April 2013

Yemen installs an operative of Al-Qaeda Yemen as its leader. President Obama calls for the leader to step down and says that the United States will not work with a leader that is openly a member of al-Qaeda.

Governor Eliot Spitzer is reportedly mulling a Presidential bid and makes a stop to talk about the economy in New Hampshire. The Governors popularity has dropped in New York after a battle with public unions over collective bargaining rights. Spitzer had taken away some, but not all, of these rights in the most recent state budget.

May 2013

The United Nations Security Council votes to implement severe sanctions on Yemen.


July 2013

 Another provision of Obamacare goes into effect, the implementation of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan. Health & Human Services Secretary Deval Patrick oversees this process.

President Obama's approval is at 53%
Unemployment is at 7.0%

September 2013

The United Nations votes in the affirmative on even more sanctions on Yemen which seem increasingly ineffective.

November 2013

Republican Governor Chris Christie wins a second term as Governor defeating Democrat State Senate Leader Barbara Buono.

Democrat Mark Herrings wins the race for Governor of Virginia defeating Lt. Gov Bill Bolling.

January 2014

Unemployment goes up from 7.0% to 7.1% --as a result the stock market drops unexpectedly and the President's approval drops to 40% virtually overnight. Americans are still sensitive about a double dip recession. The President calls the increase a "blip in the path to recovery."

Possible Republican Contender for the Presidency Mark Kirk retorts that "a hundred thousand jobs is not a blip to the people that just lost them."

March 2014

Senator John McCain hits the Obama Administration for not taking action on Yemen and letting the "ineffective" United Nations take the lead role.

President Obama's approval is around 40% still, unemployment has gone back down to 7.0%

Note By 2014 15,000 troops are left in Iraq and 5,000 Coalition forces are left in Afghanistan. Qaddafi is no longer in power in Libya but it is in no way a democracy.


July 8, 2014

Vice President Joseph R. Biden is hospitalized with heart problems. President Obama visits him in the hospital and wishes for him a speedy recovery.

July 15, 2014

After a week in the hospital Vice President Biden leaves saying that he "ate one too many cheeseburgers in my life." Doctors say publicly that he is expected to be fine.

September 14, 2014

Vice President Joseph R. Biden dies at the age of 72 due to a heart attack midflight from Washington DC to a trip to Portland, Oregon.

The Vice President is given a state funeral in the following days.

President Obama gives an emotional speech about "the boy from Scranton" at the Vice President's funeral.

Separately, he says he will appoint a new Vice President in the coming weeks.

[SirNick]

October 1, 2014

President Obama announces that he will have selected a new Vice President for Congress to confirm by the end of the month. With the midterm elections coming around he says "he doesn't anticipate the new Vice President will be confirmed until after the midterm elections."

October 3, 2014

The New York Times reportedly has gotten its hands on a short list for Vice Presidents...and they have quoted a senior aide saying "The President is deciding if he wants to appoint someone who he wants to succeed him or not..."

Short List:

Former Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton of New York
Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York
Health & Human Services Secretary Deval Patrick of Massachusetts
Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia
Former Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin
Undersecretary for Defense Michèle Flournoy
Former Governor Kathleen Sebelius

[SirNick]

October 28, 2014

President Obama announces his pick for the next Vice President of the United States...

Former Governor of Kansas and former Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. Pundits say this pick will be easily approved by the Senate and will most definitely be approved by at least a majority in the House since pundits assume Democrats will vote in-bloc and the Kansas delegation of 4 Republicans will vote with the Democrats, leaving a deficit of one vote which pundits believe the President can easily find.

Pundits also note that this pick shows how concerned the President is with the implementation of his new health care law. Just a note that Sebelius chose to serve only 4 years as Secretary of HHS. The President says she did an amazing job.

[JulioMadrid]

Sebelius? Really? I was hoping for a Obama/Sebelius ticket in 2008 =) !!!

[SirNick]

November 2014 Election Results

President Obama's approval is in the low 50's, unemployment hovers around 7%

Alaksa: Mark Begich wins a second term (Democratic hold)
Louisiana: Democrat incumbent Mary Landrieu is defeated by  Republican Lt. Governor John Dardenne (Republican pick up)
Massachusetts: John Kerry wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Arkansas: Mark Pryor wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Colorado: Mark Udall wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Delaware: Chris Coons wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Iowa: Former Governor Chet Culver is defeated by Republican Tom Latham (Republican pick up Tom Harkin retired)
Illinois: Dick Durbin wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Michigan: Carl Levin retires and former Governor Jennifer Granholm wins his Senate seat (Democratic hold)
Minnesota: Al Franken wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Montana: Former Congressman Rick Hills wins reitirng Senator Max Baucus' seat (Republican pick up)
New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen wins reelection (Democratic hold)
New Jersey: Corey Booker wins election to the Senate. (Democratic hold)
New Mexico: Tom Udall wins reelection (Democratic hold)
North Carolina: Kay Hagan wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Oregon: Jeff Merkley wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Rhode Island: Jack Reed wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Virginia: Mark Warner wins reelection (Democratic hold)
South Dakota: Tim Johnson retires, Congresswoman Kristi Noem wins election to the Senate (Republican pick up)
West Virginia: Jay Rockefelle retires, Carte Goodwin wins election to his former seat (Democratic hold)
Kentucky: Mitch McConnell wins reelection (Republican hold)
Alabama: Jeff Sessions wins reelection (Republican hold)
Georgia: Saxby Chambliss wins reelection (Republican hold)
Idaho: Republican Lt. Governor Brad Little wins election to the Senate (Republican hold)
Kansas: Republican Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt wins election to the Senate (Republican hold)
Maine: Susan Collins is defeated in the primary and decides not to run as an independent. Former Governor John Baldacci wins election to the Senate. (Democratic pick up)
Mississippi: That Cochran wins reelection (Republican hold)
Nebraska: Mike Johanns wins reelection (Republican hold)
South Carolina: After surviving a primary fight Lindsey Graham wins reelection (Republican hold)
Tennessee: Lamar Alexander wins reelection (Republican hold)
Texas: John Cornyn wins reelection  (Republican hold)
Wyoming: Republican Colin Simpson wins election to the Senate (Republican hold)


 Senate 2015-2017 Composition:

Democrats: 51 (-3)
Republicans: 49 (+3)
Independents: 1

House of Representatives 2015-2017 Composition:

Republicans: 226 (+6)
Democrats: 209 (-6)

[SirNick]

November 2014 Post Midterms

Democrats lose seats in both houses of Congress but nothing nearly as close to as what happened in 2010.

Kathleen Sebelius is approved in the Senate by a 90-10 margin, while in the House she is approved by 339 - 96 vote margin. The new Vice President is sworn in on November 25th.

In an interview not long after her swearing in...

"Governor, will you seek the Democratic nomination for President?"
"I'm focused on the job at hand. I can't imagine thinking about what I'm going to do next right now.
"Will you run down the line?"
"Thats not something I want to even think about right now. I'm focused on helping the President implement and improve the health care law and keeping our country safe"

January 2015

23 months until the election. No candidates have announced yet.


Gubernatorial Election Results 2014:

Colorado: John Hickenlooper wins reelection (Democratic hold)
Kansas: Sam Brownback wins reelection (Republican hold)
Maine: LePage loses reelection to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. (Democratic pick up)
Michigan: Rick Rnyder loses reelection in a rematch against Virgil Bernero (Democratic pick up)
New Mexico: Susana Martinez wins a second term (Republican hold)
New York: Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is elected (Democratic hold)
Oklahoa: Mary Fallin wins a second term (Republican hold)
Oregon: John Kitzhaber opts not to run for a fourth term and Attorney General John Kroger wins election (Democratic hold)
Pennsylvania: Tom Cortbett wins a second term (Republican hold)
Tennessee: Bill Haslam wins reelection (Republican hold)
Wisconsin: Scott Walker is defeated by Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin (Democratic pick up)
Wyoming: Matt Mead is reelected (Republican hold)
California: Gavin Newsom wins election succeeding retiring Governor Brown (Democratic hold)
Connecticut: Dan Malloy is reelected (Democratic hold)
Hawaii: Mufi Mannemann succeeds Neil Abercrombie as Governor (Democratic hold)
Rhode Island: Lincoln Chafee wins a second term as a independent. (Independent hold)
South Carolina: Nikki Haley wins  a second term (Republican hold)
South Dakota: Dennis Daugaard wins a second term (Republican hold)
Vermont: Peter Shumlins wins another term (Democratic hold)
Florida: Rick Scott wins reelection (Republican hold)
Nevada: Brian Sandoval wins reelection (Republican hold)
Arkansas: Rick Crawford wins election (Republican pick up)
Illinois: Peter Roskam is elected (Republican pick up)
Iowa: Kim Reynolds is elected (Republican hold)
Maryland: Lt. Governor Anthony Brown is elected (Democratic hold)
Massachusetts: Incumbent Governor Timothy Murray is defeated by  Republican Senator Scott Brown (Republican pick up)
New Hampshire: Ovide Lamontagne is elected (Republican pick up)
Ohio: John Kasich is defeated by Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan (Democratic pick up)
Alaska: Sean Parnell is reelected (Republican hold)
Arizona: Phil Gordon is elected (Democratic pick up)
Idaho: Republican hold
Utah: Republican hold
Nebraska: David Heineman wins reelection (Republican hold)
Texas: Defeated Former Congressman Chet Edwards makes a dramatic comeback and wins the election for Governor of Texas (Democratic pick up)

[SirNick]

February 2015

Progress in the House of Representatives becomes increasingly stagnant with an all time partisan high. The last major deal to go through was the debt package and since then the House and Senate haven't been able to agree on much. Pundits believe a government shutdown is likely in the near future.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio states that he will notrun for President in 2016.

Nevada Senator Catherine Masto announces that she will seek the Democratic nomination.

March 2015

Former Democratic Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer forms an exploratory committee to run for President.

Senator Mark Kirk, Republican Vice Presidential nominee in 2012, forms an exploratory committee to run for President.

Congress avoids shutting down the government by using a short term continuing resolution, Obama pledges to veto a second one.

April 2015

Senator John McCain dies in his home in Arizona on the same day as President Obama vetoes the next continuing resolution. Governor Phil Gordon says he will appoint a Republican to finish out McCain's term.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says that he is considering a run and will decide soon.

Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson says that he will not seek the Republican nomination. Mitt Romney and Donald Trump say they will not be candidates in 2016.

The US Federal Government shuts down for two days until a compromise is reached.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner forms a Presidential exploratory committee.

Senator Rand Paul forms a Presidential exploratory committee.

Secretary of Health & Human Services Deval Patrick resigns this month. President Obama nominates his Chief of Staff Tom Daschle to be the next Secretary who is quickly approved in the Senate (having paid his back taxes).

South Carolina Republican Governor Nikki Haley announces that she will seek the Republican Presidential nomination.

****Flashback****

June 2011

Ruth Bader Ginsburg announces she will step down from the Supreme Court. The President's nominee to replace Ginsburg, Federal Judge Diane Wood, is approved in August 2011.

***Back to the future***

May 2015

At the ripe old age of 79, Justice Antonin Scalia passes away. The President has a rare moment where he can alter the balance of the Court. Republicans call for a conservative to replace the late-Justice, but Democrats call for the President to appoint a true liberal to alter the Court. President Obama nominates Denny Chin to fill the seat. Chin's foreign birth comes up in the confirmation hearings which results in a drop of Congress' approval. After a month of hearings, Denny Chen is confirmed 54-46 --with Mark Kirk and Lindsey Grahmn crossing over.

Former Democratic New York Governor Eliot Spitzer forms an exploratory committee for President.

Former Democratic Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley forms an exploratory committee for President.

June 2015

Republican Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie forms an exploratory committee for President.

South Dakota Senator Kristi Noem announces that she will seek the Republican nomination.

Former Secretary of Health & Human Services and former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick announces his exploratory committee for President.

Former Republican Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell forms an exploratory committee for President.

President Obama orders the predator-drone bombing of several al-Qaeda targets in Yemen calling them "credible threats to free countries."

July 2015

Republican New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez  forms an exploratory committee for President.

Vice President Kathleen Sebelius says she is not yet ready to announce her intentions.