McCain vs. Obama 2008, with a strong economy.

[Bo]

Here's how I would envision this scenario occurs. Between 2001 and 2004, Bush Jr. pressures Alan Greenspan not to lower interest rates too much and not to keep them too low for too long. Thus the housing bubble is never created. In order to revive the economy, Bush Jr. passes a large stimulus package (which he calls The Capital Injection Act) in his first term, thus reviving the economy and helping him get reelected. The economy grows steadily and continuously since 2003 and many new jobs are created between 2003 and 2008.

Now for the results:

McCain/Palin-342 EV
Obama/Biden-196 EV

McCain wins in a large landslide due to the good economy and the improving situation in Iraq. NiK, how do you think this election (under these cirumstances) would have turned out if Hillary was the nominee instead of Obama?

[Bo]

Well, Palin wouldn't have been the VP nominee, and Hillary probably would be the Democratic nominee. 

I'd say Obama would hold off for 2012 or 2016 in this scenario.

I beg to differ. I still think Obama would run in this scenario, since Iraq was the hot issue in late 2006/early 2007 (when Obama announced his bid) and back then no one knew what the economy would look like in 2008. Thus, since the Iraq War still occurs in this scenario, Obama still decides to run in 2008. Hillary might have won the nomination, though, since the economy officially went into a recession in December 2007 and all of the primaries/caucuses were held after that date (and thus many Democrats thought Obama would win due to the poor economy and decided to vote for him). I think that if the economy was in good shape in 2008, many Democrats would have worried about electability more and thus decided to vote for Hillary in the priamries, giving her the nomination. In regards to Palin, you're probaably right that McCain would not have picked her for VP in this scenario.