in the novel's alternate universe, al gore won the 2000 presidential election over george w. bush. he is reelected in 2004 and is succeeded by hillary clinton in 2008. however, the september 11, 2001 attacks still occurred, although they targeted boston and philadelphia rather than new york city and washington d.c.. macleod explains, "the point made...is that these matters are affected by more powerful forces than the personality of a particular president. in practice the democratic party leadership in congress is just as committed to the war's continuation and possible extension as the republicans. i didn't want the book to be read as just a fictional form of partisan 'bush-bashing'."