2068 US Presidential Election

The 2068 Presidential election was the 69th quadrennial election of the United States President. It saw the re-election of the incumbent President, Clara Caal, in a landslide victory over Libertarian Ralph Walderman and Conservative Gary Bladsterville. The election saw the demise of the Conservative Party as a significant political organization and a return to the two party system after nearly a decade with three major parties in Washington. Caal had in her first term had much sucess and presided over a period of economic expansion, which contributed largely to her sucess.

Primaries
Democratic Party

In 2067, President Caal announced that she would seek a second term. She was unopposed in the primary and became the official nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Indianapolis. Vice-President Phillip Schuller remained on the ticket as Caal's running mate, despite speculation that he might be dropped in favor of Secretary of War Abigail Smith.

Libertarian Party

Several candidates contested the Libertarian Nomination, leading to an extended Primary and party dissent over the nominee. Early on in the race, Amanda Wood, the party's nominee for Vice President in 2064, seemed to be ahead, but she was evetually discarded in favor of Ralph Walderman, a former Senator from New Hampshire. Walderman won the nomination by two votes delivered by superdelegates at the convention and named Robert Evans as his running mate.

Conservative Party

Still in disarray from their defeat in the 2064 Presidential elections and the 2066 midterms, the Conservative Party was unable to select a candidate in the primaries. At the Conservative National Convention in Pheonix, Garry Bladsterville was nominated on the 116th ballot, narowly beating Kathy Richards, who became the Vice Presidential nominee

Independence Party

After brief national prominence in the 2064 election, the Independence party fell into the shadows. At their convention in Houston, Bobby King was nominated for President and Sarah Anderson for Vice President.

General Election
Due to the turmoil in the Libertarian and Conservative parties, Caal was favored by the media as the obvious winner, but in the First Debate Ralph Walderman unexpectedly outpreformed her. Walderman's message of a return to simpler politics, coupled with Caal's lack of preparation for the debate, led the President to appear awkward and aloof, while Walderman came across as cool and put together. Caal responded by launching an agressive campaign against Walderman in the key swing states, mainly Utah, Nebraska, and Ohio, all of which she had won the previous election. In the second debate, she and Walderman came out neck and neck, with Bladsterville far behind in the polls.

Two weeks before the third debate, stocks rose 8% on Wallstreet, leading to an economic boom that strengthened Caal's reputation as an effective leader. This was followed by a stunning debate performance on Caal's part, in which she effectivly painted Walderman as incapable of filling the office of Commander-in-Chief. Walderman's campaing released an add attacking Caal's foreign policy reputation two days after, but it did little to mend the damage.

In the days before the election, Walderman rose in the polls, in part because of endorsements from reputable politicians, including former President Hayman Legree, the first Libertarian to win the White House. With the economy still expanding, however, and Caal exhalted as an exceptional foreign policy leader by Forgeign diplomats, Walderman remained significantly behind the President. Two days before the election, Walderman's campaign released an add attacking Caal's legacy. Instead of boosting Walderman's credibility, it weakened his leadership potential in the eyes of the public, and Vice President Schuller condemned the add as "childish and false".

Results
Caal won the election with a significant majority in the popular vote and electoral college, though some exit polls showed Walderman as the winner. In her victory speech, President Caal thanked Walderman for an integritous campaign and vowed to work with the Libertarian party to attain a bright future for the nation.

Aftermath
In the aftermath of the election, the Conservative Party disolved, partly because its candidate, Gary Bladsterville, had made several controversial remarks during the election that allienated much of the Party's base. As a result, in the 2070 midterms, most former Conservatives defected to the Libertarian Party, while the rest regrouped as the American Democracy Party, which never reached national prominence.