User:Hemlock Martinis/Democratic Civil War

Democratic Civil War
Part of United States presidential election, 2008
Barack Obama supporters storm an Iowa caucus, triggering the Democratic Civil War
Date January 3 — June 7, 2008 Location United States of America Result Obama Pyrrhic victory
Belligerents
Obama campaign	Clinton campaign
Commanders and leaders
Barack Obama David Axelrod Oprah Winfrey Ted Kennedy Al Gore John Edwards † Jeremiah Wright (POW)	Hillary Clinton Bill Clinton Mark Penn Howard Wolfson Harold Ickes Geraldine Ferraro Republican Party
Strength
A majority of delegates and superdelegates	18 million cracks Operation Chaos Party Unity My Ass
Casualties and losses
His general election chances	The respect of most of the Democratic Party

The Democratic Civil War refers to a prolonged period of internecine struggle within the Liberal League (colloquially referred to as "Democrats"). The brutal and bloody war, which took place in the larger context of the American War of Succession, was fought between multiple forces led by a variety of prominent Democratic figures. After the initial skirmishes, the House of Clinton and Barack Obama emerged as the most powerful warlords. When the Clintonites' Super Tuesday stratagem failed to decisively crush Obama's forces, the war devolved into a guerrilla campaign waged across the entirety of the United States. Both leaders rallied large amounts of vassals to their side as well as some of the most prominent and powerful members of the Democratic nobility in their bid for hegemony.

The calm before the storm

While some historians claim that the civil war was fought outside the public eye since at least 2004, the most commonly agreed upon start date for the conflict is November 7, 2006. On that date, the Liberal League managed to score a string of impressive victories to oust the ruling Conservative Coalition (colloquially, the Republicans) from both houses of Parliament for the first time in almost two decades. Emperor of the Americans George III's domestic and foreign policies were considered to be a driving force behind the huge Democratic gains. But George III's health was failing, and without an heir (Grand Vizier Richard Cheney having already abdicated his place in the line of succession) the League and the Coalition both frantically began searching for a successor who would be able to win over both the American people and the College of Elders responsible for electing the next Emperor.

Rise of the House of Clinton

Hillary Clinton emerged quickly as a possible Democratic successor to George III. As a politically powerful member of the House of Clinton, the husband of abdicated Emperor William IV and as Baroness of New York in her own right, Hillary was well-placed to lead the Democrats back to complete control of the Forbidden City and the Imperial Palace. She quickly assembled a team of top Democratic generals and strategists, drawing from her connections from her husband's reign to staff her army with some of the most grizzled veterans of the previous dynastic struggles. However, the Duchess faced considerable obstacles. Many Americans (including some in the League) regarded her with some skepticism due to her prominent role in her husband's Privy Council and she had already established herself as a hated foe of the Coalition. Additionally, as the first female Empress she would face considerable opposition from those who believed a woman was not capable of fulfilling the strenuous and tough role as leader of the American people.

To counter these weaknesses, the Clintonites devised a grand stratagem to capture the Throne of the Eagles. The first half, or "Primary" phase, consisted of eliminating her rivals and rallying the League to her side. First, her generals would focus all their military strength and resources in certain key states to subjugate as many of their Democratic rivals as possible as quickly as possible. Then, as their forces fanned out across the nation they would eliminate the remaining opponents in one simultaneous stroke within a twenty-four hour period in what her advisors termed "Super Tuesday". The Duchess and her advisors expected that a quick and overwhelming victory would rally enough of the League's vassals to her side to claim leadership at the Synod of Denver later that summer.

A new hope

Few Democratic nobles wished to challenge the might of the House of Clinton. Its supremacy over the internal politics of the League of the last two decades was rock-solid, and no one had the name recognition or financial resources to challenge the Clintonian war machine. Of the candidates that did announce their desire for the throne only John Edwards, a baron from the Duchy of North Carolina had a national profile as second-in-command of Baron Kerry's failed 2004 coup. Thus, the field of opponents to Baroness Clinton's bid for the throne was considered by the clergy to be trivial.

On February 10, 2007, a young noble from the Duchy of Illinois announced his intention to challenge the Republicans for the throne. He wasn't well-known in League circles or in national circles, having only been elevated as Baron of Illinois three years earlier. But this humble community organizer, who had dazzled many vassals at the Synod of Boston with his inspiring oratory and energized many Americans with his message of hope and change, nevertheless stood on the steps of an old court of justice and announced his intention to become Emperor of the Americans. Barack Obama's quest began there.

Obama's strategy to defeat his rivals before the Synod of Denver featured both traditional and unorthodox elements. Like many candidates, he sought to win in the initial battles rather than cede them to the House of Clinton. Yet he also realized that Hillary's "Super Tuesday" plan had a fundamental flaw: her top-down command structure only moved to a state after it had captured the one it was in. Obama took advantage of the large guerrilla army he had gathered through a system of relay runners known as the Internets and planted them in all of Hillary's Super Tuesday states, hoping that their simultaneous counterattacks on the chosen day would throw her command structure into chaos and win over all the Super Tuesday vassals for himself.