After the weekend, the voting day for the 1992 U.S. presidential election drew even closer.
The struggle for the position of the most powerful person in America would finally conclude on November 3rd.
As an independent candidate, Ross Perot had recently garnered 20% support. However, the power structure controlled by the two major parties in American politics would not change because of this. The results of this year's election were destined to be decided between the candidates of the two main parties.
Unlike many past elections where independent candidates only served as foils, Ross Perot's influence in this presidential election was significant enough to make both parties wary.
Monday passed quickly.
Tuesday, November 3rd, voting day.
To facilitate public voting, most schools and many businesses in the U.S. gave people a day off or half a day off to vote.
Simon had no plans to vote in this election.
He primarily wanted to avoid media scrutiny and any potential public reactions.
In reality, for various reasons, the group of non-voters in the U.S. is quite large.
Without plans to vote, Simon headed to San Francisco the day before the election.
Egret Portal would be conducting a 24-hour live webcast of the election, a high-traffic event expected to significantly boost the website's visibility. The entire Egret company had been preparing for this for over a month.
Early Tuesday morning, Simon and his assistant were up before 4 AM in their mountain villa in Woodside.
According to the voting procedure, polling stations across the U.S. opened at 6 AM and closed at 6 PM, running for 12 hours.
Arriving at Egret's headquarters in Palo Alto, the bustling, brightly lit office was a hive of activity.
Egret's top executives—Tim Berners-Lee, Jeff Bezos, and Carol Bartz—were already there, with Bezos, who oversaw online operations, pulling an all-nighter. They were keenly aware of the broader implications of this election.
If Clinton won, the federal policies over the next few years would favor new technological fields, crucial for the rise of the internet industry.
Simon entered the office building, joining the executives in a large open conference room overlooking the work area. The conference room wall featured a projection screen showing real-time election news and data.
While it was still just after 4 AM on the West Coast, it was already past 7 AM on the East Coast, and early voting data was coming in from New Hampshire.
Dixville Notch, a small town in New Hampshire, was the first to vote. Of the 78 voters, the preliminary results were: George Bush: 23 votes; Bill Clinton: 39 votes; Ross Perot: 16 votes.
Bill Clinton led significantly.
While the results from one small town could not decide the overall outcome, the media often imparted special interpretations and meanings to such early results.
For Clinton's supporters, this was undoubtedly a good omen.
Egret Portal immediately pushed Dixville Notch's results to the top of their headlines.
This was also a form of opinion shaping.
People tend to follow the crowd. Seeing the town's results and related reports might sway some voters at critical moments.
The U.S. presidential election is often the result of such incremental accumulations of inclinations.
Egret Portal was not alone in this. CNN, also leaning towards the Democratic camp, promptly reported Dixville Notch's results.
Both CNN, a veteran media outlet, and the emerging Egret Portal had significant influence on public opinion due to their extensive reach.
Moreover, both platforms had the advantage of real-time updates compared to traditional newspapers.
Thus, as the two platforms reported Dixville Notch's results simultaneously, the impact was immediate.
Across the Atlantic, the price of Brent crude oil futures on the London Commodity Exchange fell significantly following the Dixville Notch data release.
Despite any denials, it was well known that the Bush family represented the interests of American oil groups, and Bush's administration had notably driven up international oil prices in recent years.
The drop in Brent crude oil futures prices was the market's direct reaction to Bush's loss in an East Coast town.
Egret Portal and CNN quickly picked up on the oil futures price fluctuation and began further reporting.
Very timely, Bill Clinton, who had established an official blog on Egret Portal, quickly posted a thank-you note regarding Dixville Notch's results. Once pinned by Egret Portal, it attracted a flood of supportive comments from the online community following the election.
In just half an hour, the post garnered over 120,000 comments, becoming a small news event in itself, even reported in CNN's live news.
The Bush campaign, of course, had to respond.
However, unlike Clinton, and given the political leaning of the entire Westeros system, George Bush did not have an official blog on Egret Portal. His campaign team had to rebut through a high-level official's personal blog, criticizing Egret Portal and CNN for their sensationalism based on a small town's results.
This rebuttal post, though promoted to the trending list based on its popularity, was not pinned, and naturally, did not receive as much attention as Clinton's.
As the West Coast brightened, most states, except Alaska and Hawaii, began voting.
Throughout the day, the news was dominated by the latest election updates and expert commentary on various issues.
After breakfast at around 7 AM, Jeff Bezos and Carol Bartz went to vote, leaving temporarily. Tim Berners-Lee, still holding British citizenship, did not participate and returned to manage the headquarters. Simon also brought his assistant to his reserved office at Egret headquarters.
Comfortably reclining in his chair, Simon read the day's newspaper. After Jennifer turned on the computer and sorted a few freshly delivered documents, Simon pulled his assistant onto his lap.
Cuddled up against him, Jennifer glanced at the door, remembering she had locked it, and finally relaxed.
Watching Simon remove her high heels, she tucked her nylon-clad feet under herself and tried to divert his attention. "The bill to lift the ban on telecom operators entering equipment manufacturing was supposed to pass at the end of last month. Because of Egret Portal, it's been delayed. Do you think there will be any issues?"
Jennifer's slender frame felt delicate in Simon's arms. He tightened his hold, kissed her neck, and said, "It's a trend that won't change. You know, this time not only the White House but the Democrats are likely to control both the House and the Senate. Even if the White House delays it for a few months, once the transition of power is complete, it will still pass."
Jennifer, tickled by his kiss, squirmed a bit and instinctively moved closer, "But, I think it might not be that simple?"
Indeed, it wouldn't be that simple.
Even if George Bush stepped down this time, the Bush family's deep-rooted influence in American politics would not disappear.
However, politics is all about negotiation.
If we can't pass a bill favored by the entire industry under favorable conditions, it would be incompetence.
Especially for Bill Clinton.
If he successfully moves into the White House, both Hollywood and Silicon Valley have given him substantial support.
If he can't deliver the expected benefits to his supporters, re-election, or maintaining his influence post-presidency, would be impossible.
Based on Simon's past life memories, Bill Clinton was a reliable person in this regard.
As they chatted, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Startled, Jennifer jumped up like a scared rabbit, then realized she wasn't wearing shoes.
Frantically finding her shoes and fixing her clothes, she then ran to open the door.
The knocker was Claire Gein, followed by another girl named Jennifer.
Claire showed no reaction to the assistant's flushed face, greeted Simon, and everyone sat on the lounge area's sofa.
To escape the earlier embarrassment, the assistant volunteered to make coffee.
The petite Jennifer Berry's eyes followed the assistant out of the office, then refocused on Simon.
Although she appeared reserved and obedient on the surface, her blue eyes still held a hint of the fervor she displayed when she rushed the stage at a Madonna concert.
It was like being poisoned.
Every time she thought about working beside him every day in the future, Jennifer Berry was too excited to sleep.
But she was also a smart girl.
She knew that being too obvious could backfire.
So now she looked nothing like a fangirl. Her apartment, filled with everything related to him, still indicated much. However, she never let anyone else into her private space.
Well, except for him.
Facing Simon, the girl was a bit distracted.
She couldn't help but wonder what he and the other Jennifer were doing in the office just now. Obviously something intimate, would she get to experience that too?
These thoughts stirred uncontrollable emotions.
Across the sofa, Simon looked helplessly at the blushing girl. After discussing Tin Cable with Claire for a while, he couldn't help but give her a knowing look.
Claire, noticing the girl's reaction, found it amusing.
Jennifer Berry usually hid it well, but as a smart woman herself, Claire could see through her easily.
She just didn't expect the girl to slip up now.
The office door opened again, and the assistant walked in with coffee. With some private thoughts, Claire didn't want the assistant to see Jennifer Berry's current state, so she pinched the girl's waist and whispered, "Jen, you'd better wash your face."
Startled and realizing her mistake, Jennifer Berry remembered staring at him for so long, embarrassedly excusing herself, "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."
She got up and quickly left the sofa.
The assistant carefully carried the coffee tray, noticing the girl leaving but not her blush, curiously but without question, placing the tray on the coffee table and distributing the coffee.
Jennifer Berry returned, everything back to normal.
But seeing the assistant comfortably sitting beside him, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious
.
After discussing Tin Cable, occasionally checking the election progress, time flew by.
By 4 PM on the West Coast, it was already 7 PM on the East Coast.
One hour after the polls closed in some states, results began to come in.
At 7:08 PM Eastern Time, Indiana, in the Great Lakes region, was the first to announce its results.
George Bush won.
He secured the first 12 electoral votes.
Indiana, adjacent to the Great Lakes, is part of America's old industrial belt. With the decline of the auto industry, the region's economy has remained sluggish, known as the "Rust Belt," a traditional Republican stronghold.
Bush's team celebrated, but it only lasted three minutes.
At 7:11 PM, New Hampshire announced its results, with Bill Clinton winning and securing his first 4 electoral votes.
Subsequently, a series of eastern states announced results, and Bill Clinton, who didn't win the initial race, started gaining momentum.
Maine, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware…
The New England area, the first to report results in the U.S. Northeast, almost entirely leaned towards Clinton, unlike the previous election where Bush had a clear advantage.
Next, in the Southeast, Bush regained some ground. Except for Georgia, traditional Republican strongholds like Florida and Alabama went to Bush.
However, the Southeast was Bush's only stronghold.
His defeat began in the "Rust Belt," where he initially won.
In the Great Lakes region, which had been predominantly red in the last election, Indiana was the only red state this time. Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and others turned blue.
Compared to New England's single-digit electoral votes, the populous "Rust Belt" region's states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, had 107 electoral votes. Bush only took Indiana's 12, leaving 95 for Clinton.
In the U.S. presidential election, the total number of electoral votes is 538, with a winner-takes-all system.
Typically, when a candidate secures more than half, or 270 electoral votes, they win the election.
With just the "Rust Belt" states, Clinton gained 95 electoral votes. Including those from New England and other states where results were announced, he had a significant lead.
As votes from the Midwestern Tornado Alley states were counted, Clinton secured 274 electoral votes, winning the election early.
By midnight West Coast time, with results in from all states including Hawaii, Clinton won decisively with 370 to 168 electoral votes, defeating incumbent President George Bush and unexpectedly rising to the presidency.
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