Presidents of the United States (1989-)
1989-1997 - (R) - George H.W. Bush (1)
1997-2005 - (D) - Joe Biden (2)
2005-2009 - (D) - Richard Gephardt (3)
2009-2014 - (R) - Mitt Romney (4)
2014-20?? - (R) - Sam Brownback (5)
[1] The revelations that Democratic nominee Bill Clinton had fathered a child with model Gennifer Flowers sent President Bush back to the White House in a fourth consecutive electoral victory for the GOP. Bush would preside over a modest and uncontroversial second term, leaving office with an approval rating of 52%.
[2] Senator Joe Biden was the surprise victor in the 1996 Democratic primaries, beating Al Gore, Ann Richards and John Kerry to take the crown. Tapping Dick Gephardt as a running mate, he beat Bob Dole in a landslide and became the first Democratic president since Jimmy Carter. His first term in office was defined by NATO intervention in Kosovo and reforms of both the education and healthcare systems and, with no reason to switch horses midstream, the American people reelected him comfortably in November 2000 against former Vice President Dan Quayle. His second term was defined by the devastating September 14th terror attacks and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan, securing his place in history as a popular and competent president. Days before he handed over office to Dick Gephardt, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was shot and killed in Afghanistan.
[3]Vice President Gephardt beat John McCain in November 2004, riding the coattails of the popular Biden administration, and was inaugarated at the 43rd President of the United States, ensuring at least twelve years of Democratic occupation of the White House. The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, as well as the damage caused by the bombing of Times Square in July 2007, resulted in Gephardt's approval ratings plummeting and he was soon facing a Congress dominated by the GOP. Finding few friends abroad (with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair refusing to take part in any invasion of Iraq) and unable to pass the legislation he wanted, Gephardt became the first one term president since Jimmy Carter.
[4] Mitt Romney comfortably beat Dick Gephardt in the autumn of 2008 and returned the Republicans to the White House for the first term in twelve years. Sluggish economic growth and his decision to go to war with Iran in the autumn of 2011 contributed to Romney's falling popularity. The confirmation of an Iranian nuclear weapons program in March 2012 effectively sealed his reelection against Martin O'Malley, but as the years drew on and the economy refused to budge his approval ratings remained relatively low. When asked to sum up the Romney administration in a poll, it said a lot that the two most popular words for his business-like approach were "efficient" and "boring".
[5] After years of work and toil, it took three bullets to bring the Romney presidency to a premature end. The nation turned on their televisions and experienced an event the country hadn't witnessed since 1963, as a sombre doctor announced that his team had been unable to save the life of the President. As a solemn Sam Brownback took the oath of office, a nation mourned, but how the new President will govern remains to be seen...