Alternate 2000

[YRABNNRM]

McCain runs as a Independent(Bull Moose). I think it would be safe to say that it would be a 1912 repeat but who would you vote for?

[© tweed]

NY Probably would be safe Gore, so McCain.

I think it's more like a 1992 repeat, only with McCain getting more votes.  PV---40-40-30 maybe?

[ShapeShifter]

Gore and Gore would win because the republicans would had split the vote.

[opebo]

I'd vote for GW, and McCain's plane would crash.

[Ben.]

Bush/Cheney (Rep) EV 259

Gore/ Lieberman (Dem) EV 247

McCain/ ? () EV 32

How about McCain's running mate, someone centrist but mildly to the left, retired pol or perhaps not a pol at all, but an effective performer and what party name would he run under? and what about the Gore v McCain v Bush debates... now they would be worth watching...

[ilikeverin]

How about McCain's running mate, someone centrist but mildly to the left, retired pol or perhaps not a pol at all, but an effective performer and what party name would he run under? and what about the Gore v McCain v Bush debates... now they would be worth watching...

Jesse Ventura, anyone?

[zachman]

McCain would be the star of the election. He'd have serious potential to eliminate Bush from being competitive. I'd bet 60% of swing voters vote for McCain.

[Ben.]

Gore and Gore would win because the republicans would had split the vote.

No! … because so many moderate independents and democrat leaners would be attracted to McCain and voting for him... I might have voted for him myself... not sure but it would be a tough choice...

Popular Vote:

Well you can assume that Bush has a solid 28% behind him while Gore with Nader in the mix as well has about 25% solid support leaving 47% of the vote swing voters to one degree or another, now its important to remember that amongst these there would be many moderate democrats and republicans who would normally vote for the Dems or the GOP respectively but are really attracted to McCain…

Of this 47%, about 27% would be usually reliable Democrats or Republicans (a split of say 17% being usually reliable Republicans and 10% usually being reliable Democrats) and from that 27% I reckon about 17% would go to McCain and they would be pretty evenly divided between Dems and GOP’ers with the GOP’er accounting for slight more of these voters…

so now we have

Gore- 28.8%
Bush- 34.2%
McCain- 17%
Undecided Independents- 20%

Under any circumstances McCain would do well with independents and nearly half of them would probably break for him so long as he kept up a good campaign and his message remained compelling and appealing…with the rest breaking fairly evenly with a slight advantage to Gore (Democrats, moderate ones, generally do better with independents and rely on them far more than Republicans do to win elections)…

So now…

Gore-36.6%
Bush-37.8%
McCain-25.6%

As far as states are concerned it would depend on the number of independent and moderate voters within the state, of course it is impossible to know how many moderate democrats or republicans are in any given state as sadly you don’t register as a moderate or extremist… I think also that McCain would do well with the nationalist and libertarian GOP and Democratic voters, In states like MO, WI and FL solider Dem party organisation would see off both GWB and McCain however Nader would combine with McCain to give Bush comfortable wins (2-4%) in MN and IA… while in ME and NH libertarian republicans, moderate democrats and independents would be mostly to deliver McCain wins in that region… a slimmer coalition would have delivered McCain’s home state as well as Nevada and New Mexico while it might have carried McCain to a narrow win in OR and allowed him to beat GWB into second place in CA and WA potentially…

Well that’s my rather quick analysis of such a race… it kind of makes me wish such a race had come to pass… ah well…                

[ilikeverin]

How about McCain/Ventura?

[Ben.]

How about McCain/Ventura?

I'm not sure i like Ventura, but i think McCain would be looking for a less brash VP... someone with experience and expertise in a particular field perhaps who was regularly sought out as an authority upon issues relating to such a field... but also someone with some political experience? ... I really can't think of anyone off the cuff... that said I reckon that Ventura would agree to campaign for McCain in a shot and that while probably not gaining MN for McCain together with LaDuke would probably tip the state to Bush... but I will have a search for possible McCain VPs... hum…    

[© tweed]

Gore/Lieberman 314
Bush/Cheney 212
McCain/Cohen 12

[Ben.]

Gore/Lieberman 314
Bush/Cheney 212
McCain/Cohen 12

I reckon that you underestimate the power of a well organised McCain independent run, and its appeal to both moderate democrats and republicans alike and independents as a whole, both Gore and Bush would have been hit badly by such a run imho, McCain’s run could even have lead to a second four way presidential race as in 1912, Bush v Gore v McCain v Nader ... Cohen (the former Sectary of Defence? see Above) good choice... got the moderate, but tough bi-partisan ticket excellent choice…

With McCain in the race something I hadn’t thought about is… would those voters (mostly liberal democrats and liberal indepednets) who wanted to vote for Nader and reported to polls that they would vote for Nader, in a race where McCain was making such a powerful run, in the end vote for Nader and perhaps give the greens a big boost by topping 5%? Or could McCain have the opposite effect, would there be the same issue with Buchanan on the right?        

[Duke Fan]

John McCain

[klrbzzz]

McCain ... easy decision!!!

[© tweed]

Nader would have been a non-issue

[dunn]

John McCain