Gore Strikes Back! A Al Gore 2004 Timeline

[NyQuil]

On December 16th 2002 Former Vice President Al Gore appeared on 60 Minutes saying that he was still unsure about a 2004 Presidential run and he and his wife Tipper would think about it and make a decision early next year.

In March 2003 Gore would start a presidential exploratory committee to test the waters but nothing was official yet.

Next month however in April Al Gore would release a video and on his website officially declaring a run for the 2004 Democratic Presidential Run. Gore would explain his reasons for running after such a controversial election last time saying that “He was close to sitting out this election cycle however he was put off guard by the Iraq War and President Bush’s handling of the economy.”

Also in his video Gore laid out a plan for a green economy to help fight climate change, ending the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and bring peace there,rolling back most of the top Bush tax cuts and several other major issues.

Despite that Gore would land second in support in the Democratic Presidential Nomination polls behind the popular grassroots candidate Vermont Governor Howard Dean.

However his luck would change when in the primary debates in the summer when Al Gore would show that there was still something left in him for a presidential run.

By the end of the summer Gore was in the lead with 38% of support to Dean’s 36% of support with Senator John Kerry and John Edwards with 28% and 23% of the vote respectively in 3rd and 4th place.
Gore obviously would overtake heavily the lead when it came to fundraising and campaign dominations by quite amount with John Kerry being in a distant second.

In September despite rumors general Wesley Clark would announce that he would not enter the Democratic Presidential race and would announce his endorsement for Al Gore. Afterwards Gore would start to see his support go up more but still the Dean campaign and it’s support was still there hoping to end any chance of a Gore comeback.

Gore was starting to able to appeal himself in now as a progessive and still the same Clinton like New Democrat in the campaign in working fashion.

While there was still much doubt that Al Gore could pull off such a comeback it certainly was still possible!

UP NEXT:The official beginning of the timeline.

Question 1:What about your Miracle Man John McCain 2008 victory timeline?
Answer:Well unfortunately while I still want to one day comeback to it and continue it I have suffered a burnout on that project and have lack of ideas as of now of how to foward that timeline so it will be on hiatus for now.

Question 2:Will this still have the same style as TMM?
Answer:Yes it isnt going away I am just changing it up for the prologue.
And yes I will still be covering sports and entertainment in this timeline.

 

[NyQuil]

As the new year came in and the primary stage started to heat up Gore and Dean were virtually tied in polling.

While Gore was seen as the guy to go to on electability and issues such as the economy,energy and imagination Dean was leading in enthusiasm,healthcare and foreign policy which was made him surge and be a viable candidate and threat to Gore receiving the nomination again.

As for Kerry and Edwards? They once thought to be viable candidates were setting themselves getting distant from Gore and Dean. In debates Edwards was seen as getting outmatched by Gore and his responses surely didn’t helped and showed that maybe this president run for his run was too early in his political career. As for Kerry he didn’t have that great of a short either however he know that if we stayed it for quite awhile he could be a possible solid Vice Presidental candidate for Gore and Dean or at least ending up in a nice cabinet position for the next Democratic president.

Gore would finally going on the attack more towards the more and more Iowa got close while stick hanging towards a mostly positive campaign by releasing ads showing Dean’s flip flops like his one on cutting social security and veterans pensions and his one on moving the retirement age to 70.

Dean would response in a Iowa debate that Gore’s ad was out of context and that it “messed around” with the idea of what he was saying. Dean would response to Gore saying that he didn’t seem to mind when he was Vice President under Clinton the idea of those cuts with the Republican led Congress.

Gore would response denying talks of that ever happening and called Dean’s rebuttal dishonest.

Either way the first official primary in Washington DC which was a non-binding primary meaning no delegates would be awarded to anymore no matter the results ended up going to Howard Dean and resulted in the drop out of long shot candidate but historical candidate former Illinois senator Carol Moseley Braun.

Despite the results and the win for Dean his and the remaining campaigns brush it off to the side and got ready for the first real prize of the primaries The Iowa Caucus.

(Author’s Note:I will be reporting the stories on this timeline as in the style of internet news reporting stating next update I wanted to just do the first 2 parts in this style as I felt the prologue to the primaries would go smoother and better)

 

[NyQuil]

JANUARY 17th 2004
GORE LEADS DEAN BY 5 IN IOWA AND TIED NATIONALLY ACCORDING TO NEW NBC POLL
NBCNEWS .COM

A new NBC News poll shows former Vice President Gore leading Governor Dean in the latest Iowa poll but tied with him nationally.

As for the rest Edwards,Kerry and Gephardt are the distant candidates with Edwards and Kerry going back in for in 3rd back in both Iowa and nationally.

JANUARY 19th 2004
GORE WINS IOWA,DEAN COMES IN SECOND PLACE, KERRY AND GEPHART DROP OUT
CNN. COM

Former Vice President Gore is the winner of the Iowa Caucus according to our CNN projection with 40% of the vote to Edwards’s 32% to Dean’s 28% of the vote who shockingly ends up the runner up in the results.

Congressman Dick Gephart has exited the race after disappointing results though Dennis Kucinich.John Kerry and Al Sharpton have decided to stay in this race despite distant finishes as well.

In his aftermath speech Gore thanked the people of Iowa and knew that they could be counted on while Edwards in his speech called his second place finish a “pryrrhic defeat” and the “momentum the campaign needed” a speech that has puzzled political pundits

JANUARY 20th 2004
LATE NIGHT COMEDIANS REACT TO IOWA RESULTS AND GORE VICTORY WHILE POKING FUN ON EDWARDS “PRYRRHIC DEFEAT” REMARKS AND SPEECH
CNN .COM

JANUARY 21th 2004
AFTER DROPPING OUT OF RACE GEPHART ENDORSES AL GORE
FOXNEWS .COM

In a statement by Congressman Gephart after first after dropping out of the presidential race decides to endorse Vice President Al Gore for president heating up more momentum for him after his Iowa Caucus win.

“I know Albert for the longest time and I feel like it’s his destiny to become the next president of the United States especially durning these times”

JANUARY 22nd 2004
NEW HAMPSHIRE DEBATE REACTIONS: DEAN COMES BACK FULL OF ENERGY AFTER UNDERWHELMING IOWA PERFORMANCE
CBSNEWS. COM

In the second held Presidential debate this primary season in New Hampshire the remaining candidates Gore,Dean,Edwards,Shaprton and Kucinich talked about issues such as responding to President Bush’s latest State of the Union,More on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan,Energy and “First 100 Days”

The highlights of the night people believe were

Edwards reacted and responded to his new infamous “Pryrrhic Defeat” remarks doubling down on it saying that he doesn’t regret and that people misunderstood the meaning of it.

Dean and Gore came out with both candidates going back and for on energy with Dean saying Gore can’t be trusted on green energy and that Dean brought out a few endorsements proving his point.

Gore would respond showing and backing up his history of fighting climate change and for clean energy.

Overall the majority of viewers believe the Dean won the debate.

JANUARY 24th 2004
DEAN LEADS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IN CNN POLL WHILE STILL TRAILING GORE NATIONALLY
CNN. COM

Howard Dean leads 48% to Al Gore’s 38% in the recent CNN New Hampshire though he still trails Gore nationally.

JANUARY 27th 2004
DEAN EASILY WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE AS KUCINICH DROPS OUT GORE COMES IN SECOND
CNN .COM

CNN is projecting quite a win for Howard Dean in the New Hampshire primaries a state in which borders the state of Vermont in which he governors with 49% of the vote to Gore’s 39% of the vote with Kerry in third place with 26% of the vote.

Dennis Kucinich dropped out of the race and afterwards gave a endorsement to Howard Dean.

 

[NyQuil]

(Author’s Note:For the rest of the primaries I will do updates in this retrospect style. I will return to the news article style when the general election starts)

February would start out with a bang for the Gore campaign as he would win big on Mini Tuesday winning 4 out of the 6 states results. John Edwards would win South Carolina which saved his campaign for the time being. However it wasn’t as lucky for Al Sharpton as he dropped out after poor showings in all states that night and would later go on to endorse Al Gore in a rally in Tennessee calling him “A proven leader” and “The best Democrat to win in November”

In the debates Gore and Dean would try to prove to the country who was the most progressive candidate as it seemed like the Democratic Party would be heading that way in 2004 with split results among viewers.

Even though it was a tight race still Gore was starting to pull away in the polling and delegate count with wins including a big win in the Michigan primary in which afterwards the media started to believe Gore was the dominant frontrunner.

Dean would win some caucus here and there however Gore was winning the primaries that matter. Even though Dean thought he would sneak some victories due to possible union and labor endorsements. A majority of them ending up going to Al Gore as they felt more familiar with him.

As for John Edwards his campaign would come to a end after a 3rd place finish in the Wisconsin primary making it officially a 2 man race between Gore and Dean and going into March.

 

[NyQuil]

Super Tuesday on March 2nd delivered 2 big major blows to the Dean and Edwards campaigns as Gore won in the big delegate states of California,New York and Ohio 3 states the Dean campaign focuses heavily on in order to bring momentum on his side.

Dean would win the all the New England states expect for Connecticut while Edwards hoping that he would stay a lot in the race with a Georgia primary win would get a big blow as Gore would end up winning that state.

After that night Gore was pretty much all but the frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nominee once again despite stronger competition. That being said Gore and Dean pledged to not drop out and to keep going on.

Polls however were now showing Gore’s lead in national polling started to widen and the odds for Dean and Edwards were looking slim to none. And the campaign for Edwards would end next week after a weak showing in the states of Florida,Louisiana,Texas and Mississippi all states Al Gore would win.

Despite that Howard Dean would stay in the race telling his fans in a rally in Chicago Illinois “I don’t hear the fat lady singing so I don’t think it’s over.” A line that late night comedians and sketch shows like Saturday Night Live would have a field day with.

Meanwhile in the final Primary debate 2 nights before the Illinois primary Dean would struggle against only the other candidate on the stage Al Gore.

The day before the Illinois primaries senator John Kerry would break his silence and endorse Al Gore’s candidacy and told Democrats to officially to get behind him.

Gore would heavily win the Illinois primary though in a shocking turn to his supporters in Dean’s reaction speech to the Illinois results Dean would officially suspended his campaign.

“As much as I hate to say it there is no mathematical way we can win the nomination and I tell my supporters to go out and support Mr Gore so they we can prevent 4 more years of this administration in the White House.”

When the night was done and over with Al Gore was once again the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee.

 

[NyQuil]

MARCH 19th 2004
PRESIDENT BUSH GIVES REACTION TO GORE WINNING DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
FOXNEWS .COM

President Bush gave a interview on Hannity and Combes Friday asking questions about his re-election and the economy until the topic of Al Gore being the Democratic Presidential Nominee in which he would response with calling it “Interesting” and he hopes for a campaign that is not like 2000’s one.

Bush also says that he does not plan to the campaign trail until summer time.

MARCH 20th 2004
DEAN APPEARS IN GORE CAMPAIGN RALLY OFFICALLY ENDORSING HIM
CNN. COM

Now former Presidential candidate Vermont Governor Howard Dean officially endorsed the presumptive Democratic nominee Al Gote in a rally in Nashville Tennessee today.

In the rally Dean told supporters of his bitter from dropping out to put aside their differences and help put a man of progress in the White House this November.

Gore gladly accepted Dean’s endorsement as he took to podium to speak.

MARCH 22nd 2004
BUSH LEADS GORE BY 2 IN NBC POLLING
NBCNEWS . COM

President Bush leads former Vice President Al Gore by 2 according to latest NBC Poll

Bush leads in economic issues,electability and foreign policy however Gore leads on issues such a healthcare,enthusiasm and education.

Bush leads Republican voters heavily while Gore leads Democratic votes heavily and has a slight lead among Independent voters

MARCH 25th 2004
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS LEADERS OFFICIALLY ENDORSE AL GORE
ABCNEWS .COM

 

[NyQuil]

While the primaries still went on no one really paid any attention to it as Gore was already the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee.

As April started Gore started his prologue to what would be his general election campaign he would start to appeal more towards the progressive Dean voters with his plans to end the Iraq War by 2006 and the Afghanistan War when Osama Bin Laden has been dealt with.

While at the same time Gore would start to appeal more towards the Clinton style Democrats by talking about balancing the budget and extending the child tax credit along with tax cuts for the middle class.

Unlike in 2000 it seem like this time Gore was in hands with a united Democratic Party even with some Dean supporters still bitter about his defeat.

On the Republicans side however President Bush and the rest did not have any problems with facing Gore even though the county and the world was way different from their election matchup in 2000.

Rove and Bush would have long conversations in the White House on what to do and what not to do with Gore this time around. They would have some differences that said as Rove wanted the president to go on the attack while Bush himself wanted to run more on showcasing his record.

Rove’s campaign teach and Bush would find common ground on going on the attack against Gore when it comes to foreign policy.

All in all the election was about to heat up

 

[NyQuil]

FEBRUARY 11th 2004
A-ROD STAYING IN TEXAS FOR 2004 SEASON
ESPN. COM

After failing to get a deal with the Boston Red Sox and now the New York Yankees the 2003 AL MVP and captain of the Texas Rangers will end up staying with the team for at least of the 2004 season.

Buck Showalter has said that he will try to make Alex Rodriguez more comfortable in Texas and help him make it “his team”


FEBRUARY 13th 2004
YANKEES TRADE ALFONSO SORIANO TO THE DODGERS FOR PROSPECTS AND 3RD BASEMAN ADRIAN BELTRE
MLB. COM

Unable to trade him in the failed A-Rod deal the Yankees have traded left fielder/2nd baseman Alfonzo Soriano along with prospects Melky Cabrera and Joaquín Árias to the Los Angeles Dodgers for their 3rd baseman Adrian Beltre plus pitching prospect Jonathan Broxton.

Yankees 3rd baseman and last years ALCS hero Aaron Boone suffered a torn ACL earlier this month causing the Yankees to go trade for what could quite possibly be their 3rd baseman of the future.

FEBRUARY 15th 2004
WWE NO WAY OUT RECAP :BIG SHOW BEATS KURT ANGLE AND JOHN CENA IN UPSET AS BROCK LESNER WINS BACK WWE TITLE AGAINST EDDIE GUERRERO
WWE. COM

John Cena and the Big Show had stunned the world and defeated Kurt Angle to become the #1 contender to the WWE Championship at WrestleMania XX next month as the rivalry between Cena and the Big Show heats up to be the biggest one going on in the wrestling world now.

A failed pinfall led by Eddie Guerrero caused Brock Lesnar to come back and get back his WWE championship back from last year as he hopes to hang on it for next month.

FEBRUARY 16th 2004
MONTERAL EXPOS:HOPE TO GET A NEW STADIUM IN THE CITY BY THE END OF THE YEAR
CTV .COM


FEBRUARY 22nd 2004
HOLLYWOOD SHOWS SUPPORT FOR BOTH DEAN AND GORE
WASHINGTON POST .COM

FEBRUARY 25th 2004
RICK JAMES ENTERS REHAB
MTV. COM

R&B and funk legend Rick James reportedly has enter a local Los Angelas rehab center after a reported near heart attack fuled by substance use.

James had recently expressed insert in returning to music and touring and hopes to do so after getting out.

 

[NyQuil]

APRIL 20th 2004
GORE RELEASES CAMPAIGN PLATFORM ON WEBSITE
CNN .COM

Democratic Presidential Nominee Al Gore released his campaign’s presidential campaign today as he celebrated the 1 month anniversary of him being the party’s presumptive presidential nominee again.

Plans to add a public opinion to the healthcare system
Invest in green energy and less on Fossil Fuels
Invest in green infrastructure
Repeal the top Bush Tax cuts
Invest in tax cuts for middle class and working families
Getting out of Iraq by the end by at least 4 years
Bringing peace to the Middle East
Making America’s trade deals fairer

For now those are the pledges Gore has promised from his campaign.

APRIL 22nd 2004
BUSH LEADS GORE IN VIRTUAL TIE NOW
NBCNEWS .COM

President Bush’s lead to Al Gore has slipped to a 1 virtual tie in the latest NBC poll 44% to 43% as more enthusiasm is being shown for the former Vice President and now leads in the subject of foreign policy.

APRIL 23nd 2004
GORE MEETS WITH FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
ABCNEWS .COM

Al Gore reportedly met with his former boss former president Bill Clinton today in his Arkansas home for private talks according to close sources.

It is unknown what the talks were about but they believe it was related to campaign matters.

APRIL 26th 2004
BUSH CAMPAIGN STARTS RAILES
FOXNEWS .COM

President George W Bush has officially started hitting the campaign trip for his re-election bid hitting the states of Florida and North Carolina a state the Gore campaign has targeted hoping to flip.

 

[NyQuil]

As May hit around the corner Vice President Gore started to set up his campaign team which included many Clinton staff like James Carville and former Gore staff like Ron Klain.

Meanwhile President Bush started to hit the campaign trail as his poll numbers against Gore started to dwindle. He would start to hit Gore on the campaign trail calling him “weak” on issues such as the economy and the foreign policy.

Gore once again continued to campaign appealing both to progressives and the “Clinton Democrats” that help Clinton carry the White House twice.

Bush would see his campaign bounce up again in the polls as he would hit the campaign trail however Gore still would have a slight lead on the main issues such as a the economy and enthusiasm but Bush would lead in foreign policy and energy.

Gore and his campaign would snap back at the Bush attempts saying that “This administration keep saying we are better off than we were 4 years ago yet this campaign keeps acting like it’s 4 years ago” Ron Klain Gore’s campaign chair would respond back on Meet the Press.

At the end of month around Memorial Day with that said Bush would end tying Gore in the polls 47 to 47% as people felt Gore’s attacks back at Bush were weak and the big official endorsement for Bush’s relection campaign by movie star turned governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Another factor was despite Gore’s plea to progressives Ralph Nader saw a return to the presidential race now running this time around as a Independent.

 

[NyQuil]

In Sports
The St Joseph Hawks men’s basketball team became the first team in several decades to finish the regular season and the conference tournament undefeated in several decades.

Brock Lesnar holds on to being the reigning WWE champion on March 1’s Monday Night Raw

Now Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jesse Orosco makes the April regular season roster and at the age of 47 and hopes to see action in his now 25th consecutive season of playing and pitching hoping to tie and break Nolan Ryan’s record.

Alex Rodriguez says that he hopes to play the rest of his contract out with the Texas Rangers after being nearly traded twice in one offseason.

The Final Four teams of the 2004 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
Saint Joepsh
Duke
Connecticut
Georgia Tech

In Entertainment
Not much changes yet

 

[NyQuil]

In the month of June both major campaigns would start with the running mate process

Right away despite rumors of replacements President Bush officially confirmed that Vice President Dick Cheney would be his running mate once again while Al Gore started to take a look at possible running mate choices for him.

He immediately ruled out his 2000 running mate Joe Lieberman respectfully though he teased that he could possibly be a cabinet member in his administration.

Gore while still running on a campaign to appear to the Democrats that put Clinton in the White House in 1992 and 1996 had mixed results when it came to appealing to the Dean like progressives and with that Ralph Nader now as a independent candidate was starting to become a spoiler candidate once again.

With that Gore started to look at possible Vice Presidential candidate that could appeal to the progressives and people hoping for Nader to comeback.
5 names were put on that shortlist in hopes for that to happen.
2004 Democratic presidential candidate and Governor of Vermont Howard Dean
Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin
Washington Senator Patty Murray
Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings

Gore planned around early July to announce his decision for a pick but it was tough as he though all 5 could be very helpful in getting him the keys to the White House.

In the polls however Bush was started to gain more ground as he started to get more popular when it came to the economy and the way the country was going and that was without the idea of a Nader spolier.

Gore later in the month started to hit the campaign trail more with his solar energy plans and his economic plans however it was still conflicted on whenever to get our former President Bill Clinton on the campaign trail either now or later on in the general election.

That said the race was still far from over and in fact it was just about to get started.

 

[NyQuil]

As July came around Bush had a 1 point lead in the polls and Nader was starting to see himself as a possible spoiler again though this time as a Independent candidate.

A month away from the conventions George W Bush officially confirmed that Dick Cheney would be his running mate once again despite rumors that he would be dropped for someone like Rudy Gulliani.

It was deja vu for the Gore campaign as shades of 2000 were rising however on July 5th Al Gore would appear in a surprise appearance in Nashville Tennessee where he started his campaign and would finally announce his official pick for Vice President.

“It is a honor for me and Tipper to be out here to introduce the next Vice President of the United States Mr Howard Dean!”
And with that the Democratic ticket of Gore/Dean was officially confirmed.

“It is a honor to be the running mate for Mr Gore. I have always had the upmost respect for the man from his days as in the US Senate and then his days as Vice President of the United States and his public service this past couple years. We don’t agree on everything but we and this party should be united in getting back into the White House this November!”

The Bush campaign immediately attacked Gore after his Dean pick calling Dean “very weak” on foreign policy and thus the attack ads on Gore/Dean began.

Dean would campaign in the Midwest and Northeast to appeal to the youth progressive voters who were leaning towards Nader and Gore head out to the Southeast and try to flip it into the Democratic column just like his boss did a decade ago.

Gore started to now adapt more progressive ideas in his campaign such as universal child care,expanding Medicare,Getting out of Iraq ASAP,NAFTA renegotiations and a tax hike on the top income earners in America.

As stated earlier by the help of Karl Rove the Bush/Cheney re-election campaign started to roll out attack ads against Gore and Dean such as how Gore was “still the same” and how he hasn’t “learned anything”.

Gore on the other hand would not resort to attack ads at least yet and kept on with issues at hand.

Al didn’t want his former boss Former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail until after the convention after their officially endorsements.

At the end of the month Gore now was back in a 1 point lead however in national polling with him now leading in some notable key factors and the Nader effect was starting to fade away.

 

[NyQuil]

(Sorry if there aren’t any major butterfly effects here yet)
APRIL 3rd 2004
RICK JAMES RELEASED FROM LA REHAB CENTER SEES HIMSELF AS A “NEW MAN”
MTV .COM

Funk legend Rick James was released from rehab early Saturday morning after a near 2 month stay.

The 65 year old says that he is a “New Man” and that he will stay far away from hardcore drugs and hopes to return to the studio soon to record new music.

APRIL 6th 2004
A-ROD HOMERS ON FIRST PITCH AS RANGERS BEAT A’s 4-5 TO OPEN SEASON
ESPN. COM

Alex Rodriguez had quite the debut for his 2004 season in which he homer on the first pitch he saw and later added in a double in the Rangers 4 to 5 win.
A-Rod who almost wasn’t a member of this Rangers team seems to be fit nice with this new lineup and can try to sneak into the postseason.

APRIL 6th 2004
UCONN BEATS ST JOEPSH SPOILS PERFECT SEASON FOR THEM IN 73-69 VICTORY TO BECOME COLLEGE BASKETBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
CBSSPORTSLINE .COM

APRIL 9th 2004
CHARGERS TALKING ABOUT TRADING DOWN FROM NUMBER 1 PICK IN DRAFT
ESPN .COM
San Diego is looking and is hoping to trade the number 1 pick with a fellow early 1st round team.

Top overall player Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning’s father Archie Manning has expressed concerns about his son playing for the team after the few seasons it deal with Ryan Leaf.
San Diego has been talking with Arizona,New York Giants,Oakland and Cleveland about trading down for the number 1 pick and what possible returns they will get.

APRIL 16th 2004
CHARGERS WILL NOT DRAFT ELI MANNING NUMBER 1 OVERALL
NFL .COM

The San Diego Chargers have announced that they will not draft Ole Miss quarterback and the top quarterback on many draft boards Eli Manning number 1 overall and are still looking to trade down. However if they stay put at number 1 the Chargers are expected to take Iowa offensive tackle Robert Gallery,Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and any of the top defenders on the board.

“We respect the wishes of the Manning family and we don’t want to start any trouble.”- Said Chargers majority owner Alex Spanos in the team’s press statement.

 

[NyQuil]

APRIL 19th 2004
MAURICE CLARETT ELIGIBILITY PLEA HOLDS IN COURT WILL REMAIN IN THE 2004 NFL DRAFT
ESPN. COM

Maurice Clarett will stay eligible for the 2004 NFL Draft after his case survived from being overturned by the United States Court of Appeals despite threats of it being overturned.

In this event the NFL is expected to debate and vote on a new rule called the “Maurice Clarett rule” in which player who have at least played 1 season of college football and for some circumstances don’t play in their sophomore or any year 3 years after they graduated high school that they are granted eligibly for the NFL Draft.

It is expected to be debated on and voted on after this week’s NFL Draft

APRIL 22nd 2004
FORMER NFL SAFETY PAT TILLMAN WOUNDED IN AFGHANISTAN FIREFIGHT HOSPITALIZED
ABCNEWS. COM

Former NFL safety turned Army Ranger Pat Tillman was wounded in a firefight in the Khost Province of Afghanistan in the early hours of the morning.

Tillman though along with his squadmates we’re hospitalized and his condition is unknown.

APRIL 22nd 2004
ESPN. COM
DAY 1 OF 2004 NFL DRAFT RECAP BLOG

The first 3 rounds of the 2004 NFL Draft are in the books and it is time to recap what just happened!

The draft kicked off with the San Diego Chargers staying out with the 1st overall pick and pulled a stunner and taking Oklahoma Defensive End Tommie Harris number 1 overall!

Defensive line was the top need for San Diego and after unable to being able to trade down without getting rid of Drew Brees they go bold with someone who they had as the top non Eli Manning player on their draft board. Harris being the top picked was leaked out a couple hours to the NFL media however most of the general public did not know untill the announcement of the pick.

Harris however has been compared to Warren Sapp and they hope they comparison turns into the reality especially after what happened with the next pick.

With the 2nd overall pick the Oakland Raiders wasted no time and immediately went ahead and took Eli Manning!
With a 38 year old Rich Gannon going into his 18th season in the league the Raiders couldn’t pass up on the attempt to have Manning as his successor and left him develop for a year under him watching him.

Raiders fans in MSG theater were estastic when they heard the pick knowing this could be the team’s best quarterback in years.

At pick 3 the Arizona Cardinals took Pittsburgh wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald


Fitzgerald is considered the top player in this draft class and might be the best wideout prospect in quite some time.
The 2003 Heisman runner up should be very helpful to Josh McCown or whoever will behind the center in Arizona this season.

At pick 4 we saw New York Giants go and take the first offensive lineman of the draft in Iowa’s Robert Gallery who they hope to be that special blindside blocker for their signal caller in 2004.

At pick 5 we saw the first trade of the draft when the Cleveland Browns went up and took the 2nd quarterback off the draft board in Miami OH’s Ben Roethlisberger who gets to stay in state.

Despite signing himself to a deal in the off season in a bizarre move the Browns dealt veteran quarterback Jeff Garcia in the deal and hope to have Kelly Holcomb as the placeholder until Roethlisberger is ready.

At pick 6 the Washington Redskins now in this pick took Kellen Winslow II tight end from Miami
Winslow’s height could create quite the problem for NFC defenses for years to come.

At pick 7 we saw another trade this time the Atlanta Falcons coming up a pick to take another Miami product in safety Sean Taylor.

Falcons couldn’t wait at what most people see as the best defensive prospect in the draft.

At pick 8 the Lions decided to upgrade their wide receiver core by taking Texas wide receiver Roy Williams who arguably was the best player available on the board at that time.

At pick 9 the Jacksonville Jaguars landed the 4th Miami FL prospect in not just the draft but the first round in linebacker Jonathan Vilma.

And the Houston Texans at pick 10 to round out the Top 10 of the draft were the ones to finally take the top cornerback in the draft Virginia Tech’s DeAngelo Hall.

Other notable first round picks were Phillip Rivers who finally went off the board at pick 15 to the Denver Broncos who traded up to get him to end his longer than expected wait.
The NC State signal caller was the 3rd signal caller taken in the first round and was the 2nd one taken by a AFC west team. Despite the presence of veteran quarterback Jake Plummer reports around the team don’t see him as a long term deal at quarterback

We would see the 4th and final quarterback of the draft taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers who took South Carolina cornerback Dunta Robinson with their first pick in the 1st round at pick 10 would trade back up in the late first round and would go bold and take Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub.

A record 7 Miami FL players were drafted in the first round as we saw also their linebacker DJ Williams go to the New York Jets at 12 and the Dolphins trading up and taking a offensive tackle of theirs Vernon Carey who will stay in city and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots taking their defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

In a wild 1st round that saw a record 15 first round trades when ended with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots reloading their defense with the before mentioned Vince Wilfork and Auburn’s Karlos Dansby

Other notable first round picks
Buffalo Bills-Reggie Williams WR Washington
New Orleans Saints-Kenechi Udeze DE USC
St Louis Rams-Stephen Jackson RB Oregon State
Detroit Lions-Chris Perry RB Michigan
Atlanta Falcons-Michael Clayton WR LSU
San Francisco 49ers-Michael Jenkins WR Ohio State
Carolina Panthers-Rahsaun Woods WR Oklahoma State



Early on in the 2nd round 5th quarterback taken in the draft which was Tulane signal caller JP Losman going to The New York Giants

Losman was expected to go before Matt Schaub but that did not turn out to be the case and he ends up being the go to guy if Jeff Garcia doesn’t pan out for them.

Here were other notable Round 2 picks
San Diego Chargers-Chris Snee OG Boston College
Detroit Lions-Igor Olshansky DT Oregon
Denver Broncos- Julius Jones RB Notre Dame
Dallas Cowboys-Tatum Bell RB Oklahoma State
Oakland Raiders-Bob Sanders SS Iowa
Minnesota Vikings-Justin Smiley OG Alabama
Baltimore Ravens-Tank Johnson DT Washington
Cleveland Browns-Marquise Hill DE LSU

As Round 3 came to be the day starred to come down a bit but the excitement was still there
Notable picks in Round 3

Arizona Cardinals-Darnell Dockett DT Florida State
San Diego Chargers-Nick Hardwick C Purdue
Green Bay Packers-Randy Starks DT Maryland
Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Bernard Berrian WR Fresno State
Jacksonville Jaguars-PK Sam WR Florida State
Cleveland Browns-Max Starks OT Florida
Denver Broncos-Chris Cooley TE Utah State

That is it for now check out tomorrow night after the conclusion of Day 2 and the conclusion of this draft as we recap what happen there.


APRIL 23rd 2004
NFL DRAFT DAY 2 RECAP
ESPN .COM

The 2004 NFL is in the books and now let’s recap what happened on the second and final day.

The big story was where would Maurice Clarnett someone who was projected to be be a 6th or 7th round pick end up going to at the end of the whole deal and what projected day 1 picks that were missed out go to on day 2.

Round 4 started out with a quarterback drafted as the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to pick 97 to take Louisiana Tech quarterback Luke McCown.
McCown will add nice youth depth behind the soon to be 34 year old starter Trent Green and 33 year old second stringer Todd Collins though it remains to be seen if he will be Green’s replacement.

Other notable Round 4 picks were
Oakland Raiders-Shaun Phillips DE Purdue
Seattle Seahawks-Jared Allen DE Idaho State
Cincinnati Bengals-Nathan Vasher CB Texas
Indianapolis Colts-Nate Kaeding K Iowa
New England Patriots-Ernest Willford WR Virginia Tech
Cincinnati Bengals-B.J Sander P Ohio State

Notable picks in Round 5
San Diego Chargers-Craig Krenzel QB Ohio State
San Diego Chargers-Willie Parker RB North Carolina
Houston Texans-Michael Turner RB Northern Illinois
Miami Dolphins-DJ Hackett WR Colorado
Jacksonville Jaguars-Jason Peters OT Arkansas

And in the 6th round we finally saw Maurice Clarnett taken by the the Cincinnati Bengals early on. This felt like it was gonna happen as the local route felt the safest.
Other notable picks in Round 6 were
Oakland Raiders-Tyson Clabo OT Wake Forest
New York Jets-Jim Sorgi QB Wisconsin
Seattle Seahawks-Vonta Leach RB East Carolina
San Francisco 49ers-Mike Adams S Delaware
Dallas Cowboys-Jeff Smoker QB Michigan State
San Diego Chargers-Adimchinobe Echemandu RB California

As we hit the 7th and final round of the draft we still saw some players that could have gone earlier if it wasn’t for injuries or other reasons get drafted like
New England Patriots-Derrick Ward RB Ottawa
Green Bay Packers-Scott Wells OG Tennessee
Miami Dolphins-Malcom Floyd WR Wyoming
Denver Broncos-Wes Welker WR Texas Tech
Jacksonville Jaguars-BJ Symons QB Texas Tech


And finally came time for Mr Irrelevant with the 255 and final pick in which the Oakland Raiders took Don Muhlbach a long snapper from Texas A&M!

Well hope you had as much fun covering this NFL draft and we can’t wait till the season starts!

APRIL 26th 2004
TILLMAN AND SQUADMATES EXPECTED TO RECOVER FROM WOUNDS
NYT .COM
Pat Tillman is expected to recover from his injuries that he suffered on Saturday in a early morning firefight.

It is unknown however what will happen to Tillman next and if that he will face being discharged soon.

 

[NyQuil]

JULY 26th 2004
DEMOCRATS UNITE BEHIND GORE/DEAN TICKET AT DAY ONE OF DNC IN BOSTON
CNN .COM

Unity was the key word at day of the 2004 Democratic National Convention in which the ticket of Al Gore once again for President and this time Howard Dean for Vice President was almost unanimously voted for on the first and lone ballot.

Day 1 also saw speeches from former President Jimmy Carter from his Georgia home,former Vice President Walter Mondale, Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama who gave the 17 minute Keynote Speech and wife of Howard Dean Judy Dean who all made speeches similar in tone of uniting the Democratic Party towards Gore and Dean

The most notable speech of the night however was from the Rev Al Sharpton who lashed out at the Republican critics of Al Gore saying “They have no ideas on their platform expect for attacking him!” Showing a opposite side to the main message of the day,

When it came to celebrities singer and songwriter Dave Matthews preformed the nation anthem and “This Land Is Your Land” with his band to kick off the first day of the DNC.

JULY 27th 2004
DNC DAY 2 SHOWS STAR POWER AND FORMER FIRST AND SECOND LADIES TAKE THE STAGE
CNN .COM

At Day 2 of the DNC the stars aligned as musicians like Lenny Kravitz and Justin Timberlake preforming to kick off the second day of the convention. Stephen Stills of the legendary band Crosby Stills and Nash preformed his classic hit with the band “For What It’s Worth” .

Billy Crystal would be one of the celebrity speakers on Day 2 cracking jokes about Bush and his administration ending with “Al Gore will clean that mess out next January”

While West Wing actor Martin Sheen called himself a “Long time admirer of Mr Gore” and a “big fan” of Howard Dean that there is no one is else in this presidential race that can clean up this administration’s corruption other than the ticket of Gore/Dean.

“Despite what you hear from the Republicans who are controlled by the oil companies I may just act as a president on TV but I know someone who can be this country’s actual president when I see it and that is Al Gore!”

In what some expects see as a pitch for a position in a possible Gore Administration said that this convention going on right now should have been the one nominating Al Gore for “Reelection”

Other people we saw from speeches were from Missouri Congressman Dick Gephart,Illinois Senator Dick Durbin,South Dakota Senator Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

JULY 28th 2004
DNC DAY 3 HOWARD DEAN OFFICIALLY ACCEPTS THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE
CNN .COM

Vermont Governor Howard Dean officially accepted the Democratic Party Vice Presidential nomination on the night of Day of the DNC convention.

Dean in his speech proclaimed that Al Gore and him would be the most progressive administration in last 40+ years.

Dean also called for the office of Vice Presidency to return to its actual role instead of being a place for someone to be a “Co President” jabbing at Vice President Cheney and his power.

During his speech Dean would let out a scream as he accepted the nomination which is now being coined “The Dean Scream” by pundits.

Other notable speakers were former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson,daughter of John F Kennedy Caroline Kennedy and AFL CIO president John Sweeney.

JULY 29th 2004
DNC DAY 4 CONVENTION ENDS WITH GORE ONCE AGAIN OFFICIALLY BEING DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTAL NOMINEE
CNN .COM

On the final night of the 2004 DNC in Boston which got out to a start with major applause as longtime Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy came out with the opening speech of the final night.

Other notable speeches that got the crowd on their feet was from former President Bill Clinton who claimed that “No one in this country is more prepared to be in the Oval Office during these times than Al Gore” and that the voters in November have a chance to correct themselves.

And finally the time came after a induction speech by Tipper Gore and a video showcasing the life and political history of Al Gore the moment the people in the building were waiting for Al Gore once again accepting the Democratic Party Presidential Nomination.

In Gore speech’s he revealed that he was very close to not running for president or public office again but the war in Iraq and how the state of the Earth’s climate made him reconsider.

Gore noted that the Democrats should take 2 lessons from 4 years ago.
1.Every vote counts like any democracy should.
2.What happens in a presidential election matters a lot and the outcome effects all of the American people.

Gore had a rebuttal to the Republican response of Gore’s repeating of what happened in 2000 saying that “It was a learning experience” and that it was “Just a beginning” and that the “good ending we want in this story” is coming soon.

Gore also claimed that he comes here more experienced and more prepared than ever to take on the role to be the holder of the West Wing and that these challenges aren’t Republican challenges or Democratic challenges and that they are American challenges.

Echoing the words that his running mate Howard Dean said in his speech last night Gore said that his administration will be the most progressive one in 40 years.

Gore that this election will decide the impact of what the country will be for the next 20 years.

“Do they want one controlled by oil billionaires or one controlled by the people? “Hopefully it’s the latter that the people choose in November!”

Gore ended his hour long speech by telling the people that “This was been a wild ride so far but this is just the beginning!”

The final night would end with Al and Tipper Gore getting one last standing ovation from the crowd and exiting the stage thus ending the convention.

 

[NyQuil]

It was only now 3 months from the election and after the DNC in Boston the ticket of Gore and Dean took a 2 to 3 point lead in nationwide polling.

Meanwhile television and radio campaign ads started to hit the airwaves.

The Bush campaign would release ads attacking Gore for his “flip flops” on foreign policy such as his positions on Iraq and Afghanistan withdrawals while also on his his electability after what happened last election cycle.

Meanwhile Gore ran ads going after the Bush campaign with one talking about his “Misleading ads” and ads taking aim at both Bush’s 2003 tax cuts and his foreign policy woes.

In a big foreign policy endorsement recently medically discharged from the Army Pat Tillman would endorse Al Gore on his personal blog saying
“The Vice President has the blueprints for peace in the Middle East and that 4 more years of the current administration will cause more aggression in the area and that he would aim for War in Iran in his second term.”

The Bush campaign would use the Olympics going on in Athens also in his campaign ads and in some of his speeches but there was something going for in favor of Gore that would be a major red flag for the Bush campaign.

Recently polling showed that Gen X and youth voters had the highest excitement to vote in a presidential for the first time since 1992.

Also in late August disapprove of the Iraq War hit 60% of Americans and while Gore’s post convention boost went away he was still hanging onto a 2 point lead in national polls.

However the RNC was coming up soon and Bush and his fellow Republicans saw this as a big opportunity to get themselves back ahead.

 

[NyQuil]

MAY 1st 2004
NFL. COM
TOP NFL DRAFT PICKS HIT ROOKIE MINICAMP

For the first time many of the highly anticipated rookies in the upcoming NFL season put on their new teams uniforms for the first time.

From Eli Manning in Oakland to the number 1 pick Tommie Harris in San Diego to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona to Sean Taylor in Atlanta to Ben Roethlisberger in Cleveland

Many rookies also talked to the press with Tommie Harris saying that he is exited to be here as the number 1 pick in San Diego and Eli Manning saying he is thankfully to be in a opportunity like here in Oakland.

MAY 4th 2004
RICKEY HEADS TO JAPAN VETERAN MAJOR LEAGUER HEADS TO NBP LEAGUE
MLB .COM

The career of Rickey Henderson is not quite over and will take a stop overseas to Japan.

The 44 year old signed a deal to play for the Seibu Lions in Japan’s Nippon Baseball League.

Henderson had tried to make the A’s roster spot in Spring Training but was cut before the final rosters were announced.

“Henderson is excited for the next stop in his baseball journey”-His agent remarked

MAY 5th
SO LONG SAMMY? SOSA AND CUBS ON BREAKING POINT
SPORTINGNEWS .COM

It is looking like the relationship between the Chicago Cubs and Sammy Sosa is on the breaking point and that he will could be right during or right before the trade deadline in July.

Sosa has had a disappointing start to the 2004 season with only 5 home runs so far and less than 50 RBIs with a .201 batting average.
Though he hopes to change that going into midseason.

MAY 7th 2004
ALEX RODRIGUEZ UNLIKELY TO BE TRADED THIS SEASON
MLB .COM

MAY 10th 2004
STEELERS RELEASE CHARLIE BATCH
NFL .COM


MAY 23rd 2004
SHARKS BEAT FLAMES IN WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS IN 7 GAMES WILL MEET FACE FELLOW STANLEY CUP FIRST TIMERS TAMPA BAY LIGHTING
NHL .COM

Next month’s Stanley Cup Finals will be a tale of 2 teams making their first appearances the San Jose Sharks and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Game 1 will start on May 27th 7 PM Central Time and will beat the Lighting’s home area the St Pete Times Forum.

MAY 26th 2004
MAGIC RECEIVE 1ST OVERALL PICK IN NBA DRAFT LOTTERY FOLLOWED BY BULLS AT 2 AND EXPANSION BOBCATS AT 3
NBA .COM

The Orlando Magic will receive the first overall pick of the NBA Draft for the 3rd time in franchise history. This who still doesn’t have a for sure number 1 pick could see a trade if they can’t find that certain guy.

The Chicago Bulls will receive the 2nd pick and the the Expansion Charlotte Bobcats who were ineligible to receive the first overall picks will be picking 3rd overall.

The Wizards,Hawks,Clippers,Suns,Cavaliers.76ers and SuperSonics will round out the top 10 of the draft.

MAY 28th 2004
END OF A ERA IN ST LOUIS,RAMS RELEASE KURT WARNER AS RAMS ARE KEEN ON MARC BULGER
NFL .COM

It is a end of quite a era in St Louis as the Rams have decided to cut ties with former 2 time NFL MVP and Super Bowl winning quarterback Kurt Warner.

Warner’s struggles the past year cause backup Marc Bulger to come into the spotlight and impress the team enough to led them to another NFC West title after a disappointing 2002.

It is not the end of the road for Warner however as he expect to be the top player in the summer free agent market.

MAY 30th 2004
STEELERS AND KURT WARNER AGREE TO A 1 YEAR DEAL WORTH 3 MILLION
ESPN .COM

The career of Kurt Warner has a new stop now in the city of Pittsburgh with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh of course traded up in the 1st round of last month’s draft to draft Virginia’s Matt Schaub so at the very least he will serve as a bridge quarterback as Schaub watches from the sideline.

Though with the release of Charlie Batch last month and coach Cowher signaling that Schaub won’t start right away expect a Tommy Maddox and Kurt Warner batting for the starting quarterback position this training champ.

“I’m excited to see what Pittsburgh holds and this organization has for me in this next step of my career”-Kurt Warner saying in his official statement about the signing

 

[NyQuil]

RNC DAY 1:AUGUST 30th 2004
(Author Note:Most of the speeches about Bush and his polices are the same OTL what has changed are the speeches taking about his opponent now Gore. Here are the main notable speeches that have mostly changed)

Recently retired General Tommy Franks praises the Bush’s administration and its record on the the War on Terror and that Al Gore will reverse it and will let the enemy win by pulling out US troops too early.

New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani praised Bush and his response to the 9/11 attacks and said the Republican Party’s main goal through history is to “Expand Freedom” and that the Democrats and Al Gore have been trying to paint a different story about what has happened and that Americans should keep the faith in this administration to guide on through a second term.

Arizona Senator John McCain said while he has respect for Al Gore he is not what is needed in this time for American leadership when proven leadership is already there. Even so he said despite our differences we are Americans first off and we need to sand with our president during these times.

Singer and songwriter Vladimir John Ondrasik know more famously as his stage name “Five for Fighting” gave a speech about his story of being a grandson of Slovakian immigrants to America and how great the America dream is. He claimed that not all hit marks on the chart are Democrats some of us are Republicans like the people in here!

He would later go on and preform 2 of his songs “100 Years” and “Angels and Girlfriends”

-Former Democratic New York City Ed Koch spoke talking about Democrats for Bush like him and not all Democrats agree with Al Gore’s ideology and that not all of them will benefit from a Gore Presidency.


Other notable speakers
Michael Bloomberg
George Allen
Lindsay Graham
Bob Taft
Ann Wagner

AUGUST 31th 2004: RNC DAY 2
Day 2 of the Republican National Convention was kicked off by President Bush’s younger brother Florida governor Jeb Bush and later on his son George P Bush spoke.

Jeb Bush pokes fun at the critics who thought that his older brother was only president because he was governor of Florida and not Gore saying “Hey if I was allowed to do it I would” cracking a joke about the circumstance.

First Lady Laura Bush would be the next big speaker of the night talking about “Milltary families” and her husband being a wartime president.

“Mr Gore has not proven himself that he is able to handle such a conflict what what is happening in the Middle East and has not proven to be reliable in make the tough choices and the hard decisions in foreign policy.”

However the big speaker was the final one that of course being action movie star and now Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger who make the crowd roar in approval on why despite he is a Republican unlike many others in Hollywood and of course his story of how we can to America.

Arnold did not speak of Al Gore until the end of speech when he told the crowd and the cameras that in response of a another potential chance of a Al Gore presidency that Mr Gore “You won’t be back” in Washington! of course referring to famous line in the Terminator movies.

Other notable speakers were
Elizabeth Dole
Tom Ridge
Sam Brownback
Bill Frist

SEPTEMBER 1st 2004:RNC DAY 3
President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney are near unanimously nominated as the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominee

Another “Democrats for Bush” member Georgia Senator Zell Miller came out and and praised the foreign policy of the Bush administration in a fiery while criticizing Gore’s foreign policy proposals saying that Gore/(Ted)Kennedy will help us cut down and lose ground in our mission in the Middle East with massive military spending cuts and claiming that Gore and the rest of the Democrats have a obsession to bring down “Our Commander in Chief”

Miller would cause buzz when he called Al Gore’s Vietnam service “Do nothing” and that his foreign policy would be “Do nothing”

A rising star in the GOP Wisconsin congressman Paul Ryan would take the stage in another notable speech taking aim at Gore’s tax and spending policy sayin that are “Hidden fees and extra costs” for working families.

“Bush and Cheney know what to do with your money and they know they trust you to use it more than they do.”

The final speech of the night of course was being nominated for the Vice Presidential nomination the incumbent Vice President himself Dick Cheney.

In his speech he compared Bush dealing with the War on Terror to FDR dealing with World War II and to Reagan dealing with nuclear threats against the Soviet Union and that they should take his word that there is no one more experience to deal with this current crisis than the current Commander in Chief

Other notable speakers that day were
Mitt Romney
Lynne Cheney
Mitch McConnell
Elaine Chao
Michael Reagan
Rick Santorum

RNC DAY 4:SEPTEMBER 2nd 2004
On the 4th and final day of the 2004 RNC believe the president accepted his nomination for re-election many stars came out to show their support for the president like athletes Lynn Swann and Dorothy Hamill and the governor of New York himself George Pataki

More GOP rising stars came out such as Mel Martinez a outgoing Bush Administration cabinet member running for Senate in Florida and Nevada Attorney General Brian Sandoval

But the speech everyone was waiting for came of course president George W Bush himself (Which is pretty much the same as OTL)

And with that is the 2004 Republican National Convention

Now the general heats up!

 

[NyQuil]

2 months now from the big day Bush came back and took a 1 point lead from the convention boost.

Going into September it was quite clear at the Gore 2004 campaign was quite different than the one 4 years prior. For one no need to hold on to his Allies like a outgoing popular president and rather campaigning like a total middle of the road Democrat this time around Gore’s campaign had a more populist tone.

Gore in his first September rally in Denver Colorado would response and rebuttal to Republican talking points of him wanting to “Cut the military” saying that despite those taking points he has no plans of a early Afghanistan withdrawal and that he would continue the mission of hunting down Osama Bin Laden if elected.

Later in the month thinking it was what he needed when it came to a boost before the debates notable names starting to appear on the campaign trail for him such as former President Bill Clinton,former First Lady turned New York US Senator Hillary Clinton,Gore’s running mate in 2000 Senator Joe Lieberman and of course his wife Tipper Gore.

The former Vice President started then to campaign into states that he hoped to get back into the Democrats column such as West Virginia,Georgia and his home state of Tennessee

In West Virginia Gore would do a speech revealing a sort of First 100 Days as President plan such as
Reworking NAFTA
Repeal of acts like the Patriot Act
Reforming Homeland Security
Lowering the age of Medicare and Medicaid plus revealing a popular option for healthcare
Renewing the Assault Weapons Ban
Strengthening the Brady Bill
Campaign finance reform
Protecting Social Security from privatization


Meanwhile his running mate Howard Dean would make the rounds on the late night shows such as Late Show with David Letterman and The Daily Show with John Stewart.
Dean would continue bring a boost towards Millennial and Gen X voters with him brining the populist tone for the Gore campaign making speeches warning that President Bush would make healthcare and social security “For profit”

The Bush campaign would respond back to the statements calling them “Untrue and tone deaf”

Then it came on September 30th the first Presidential debate! Bush’s post convention boost had been gone and now was once again a virtual tie lead but this was the moment to shine for both campaigns.

At the end of the first one it seemed like Gore came out on top which his clear answers when it came to his rebuttal on Bush’s claims that he wanted to weaken the Military and that Gore would have the US stay put in Afghanistan until the mission to get Bin Laden was over

Gore would double down on that statement saying that the US should focus more on Bin Laden than Iraq while still having some troops over there for peacekeeping.

A bug blunder upon Bush was a “Bulge” in his suit which looked to be a wired radio receiver in which he had on to receive instructions from his strategists.

The President spoke out “Let me finish” at one point despite being in a middle of a statement causing confusion among others.

This story despite just being unconfirmed rumors make rounds on the internet and talk shows and the White House defended it as a “wrinkle in the fabric” than a radio there.

Gore would call out Bush during his debates calling him “Weak on terror” saying that he would not cut Homeland Security and that he would invest it in and would make better use of the National Guard.

Bush would see himself however more in tone when it came to the topic of Homeland Security saying that it would be a big key for him to help strengthen in the start of his second term and seem more polished on that topic.

That said when the debate was done Gore was seen as the winner of the debate by quite a lot.

Bush’s weak responses that didn’t lead to any hard hitting rebuttal and Gore coming in as a way better and more in tone debater than 4 years ago helped his case.

Going into October Gore found himself in a solid 2 point lead nationwide and started to find himself closing in within battleground states like Ohio,Iowa,Nevada,Colorado and Pennsylvania while starting to make grounds in what was taught to now solid leaning Republicans states like Missouri,Tennessee and West Virginia.


But the Bush Campaign still wasn’t worry and very hopefully about victory but “surprise” to them something game changing was about to happen.