(Note: Mostly a joke)
At the onset of the third milennium, the American electoral system was in a state of disrepair. Elections became more and more expensive to run, to the point that it became necessary for any campaign to take heavy doses of corporate cash just to stay afloat. A brief timeline of events:
2000- Democratic nominee Al Gore defeats Republican George W. Bush. Due to a Supreme Court ruling, Bush is arbitrarily said to have won.
2001- Bush is sworn in as president. After a terrorist attack against the United Stateshe country unites around him.
2004- Bush actually wins this time.
2008- Democratic candidate Barack Obama defeats Republican candidate John McCain, in part due to an economic collapse. Oddly, Obama wins without being a complete corporate sellout. He is the last president to do so until 2028.
2010- The Supreme Court affirms the right of corporations to spend infinite money on political campaigns.
2012- Democrats are defeated across the country. The conservative message of "Freedom, guns, and corporate tax cuts" resonates with the American people, although only if over $1 billion is spent on spamming it on TV stations all across America. President Obama is defeated due to another economic crisis, ironically brought on by European austerity policies. However, the corporate message that "Obama is a socialist" is successful. People blame him for the economy and choose Mitt Romney.
2014- Republicans win big in midterm elections, now reaching 60 votes in the Senate. The Supreme Court rules 6-3 that corporations are literally people, and as such are entitled to every right of US citizens.
2016- As the global economy collapses, President Romney and Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton face a third party challenger- General Electric. General Electric, of the new Economic Freedom Party, entirely funds its own campaign, blanketing the country with billions of dollars in ad buys. GE wins the election, with a final result of:
GE-39%
Clinton-25%
Romney-35%
2017- President GE gives itself a $10,000,000,000 bailout, allowing it to overcome its expenses of the 2016 campaign.
2019- The Supreme Court rules that taxation is unconstitutional, explaining that there is no tax which may actually work for the common defense or the general welfare of the United States.
2020- The global economy, now completely tanked, continues to anger American voters. Frustrated at the liberal policies of the past few years, they vote to reelect GE, because liberals are bad for the economy.
2024- GE buys up a company and has it run for president, allowing a third term for itself. The Supreme Court, now with two corporations on the bench, rules that this is constitutional.
2025- Having almost no income due to the end of taxation, the government resorts to enforcing its laws by literal force, using a private sector security firm as its new army (The regular army was abolished in favor of market-based defense solutions). Many people resist and are killed, or relocated to privately owned prisons.
2027- A massive labor strike occurs. President GE attempts to break it up using its private army, but said private army is going nearly unpaid, and joins the strike.
2028- War begins, resulting in millions of lives lost. Corporate forces are largely defeated. In the end, a democratic government rises from the ashes. Free elections are held and a new law limits the amount of money that can be spent in support of any individual candidate. Corporations are firmly declared to be "Not really people." President Bob wins by a wide margin.
In the years afterward, the New United States went through cycles of growth and decline, but has never been seriously threatened from then to the present. Eventually, it gained respect around the world and worked closely with other nations to protect the democratic process.
