1992: Bill Clinton vs. George H.W. Bush

[DevotedDemocrat]

I pick Bush, only because history has proven that Bush was more Liberal than Clinton and also the right wing might not have gone nuts if Bush had won in 1992. The GOP might not have retaken Congress in 1994 if we had a Republican President in office at that time. We wouldn't av had gridlock or needless, bitterly partisan things like Whitewater and the impeachment.

The GOP might not have continued it's course of going ever further to the right if a moderate, centrist Republican was re-elected. It might've been seen as a mandate for moderation. Republicans have argued that only a "true Conservative" can win an election, so the definition of a "Conservative" moves further and further to the right in response. See how rabid and radically McCain played it in '08 or how Romney catered to the fringe far right last year.

If a true moderate Republican--like HW Bush--would've won in '92, perhaps some of the damage Reagan caused could've been undone and the Republican Party would've veered back toward being the more sensible, pre Reagan GOP.