If Gore had won in 2000, who would have challenged him in 2004?

[dudeabides]

If Vice President Al Gore had won the 2000 presidential election, who would have challenged him in 2004?

My guess would be Senator John McCain of Arizona, and McCain would have won in 2004. If not McCain, then Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

[Jerseyrules]

Senator Giuliani

[dudeabides]

Senator Giuliani

Well, Rudy would have run in 2004. But, McCain would have won New Hampshire and South Carolina. Someone else, maybe Mike Huckabee, would have won Iowa. In 2004, McCain and Giuliani were both very popular. McCain's popularity went south during the 2006 cycle when he continued to support the war in Iraq. Giuliani's went downhill after he failed to win Florida's GOP primary in 2008.

[Jerseyrules]

What about Powell or Christine Todd Whitman?  Or Liddy Dole (I like her a lot, she should've been President).

[dudeabides]

What about Powell or Christine Todd Whitman?  Or Liddy Dole (I like her a lot, she should've been President).

Powell never wanted to be President. Christine Todd Whitman is too liberal for the GOP. She was a pretty bad governor as well. Liddy Dole would have been formidable, but I think she should have been the candidate in '96 instead of her husband.

2004 would have featured a primary with John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Bill Frist, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and George Pataki. McCain would have won the nomination in keeping with the GOP "next in line" and also because McCain's popularity increased beginning in 2000 and he became extremely popular in 2003 & 2004 before his popularity went down in 2006 because of Iraq.

[Jerseyrules]

What about Powell or Christine Todd Whitman?  Or Liddy Dole (I like her a lot, she should've been President).

Powell never wanted to be President. Christine Todd Whitman is too liberal for the GOP. She was a pretty bad governor as well. Liddy Dole would have been formidable, but I think she should have been the candidate in '96 instead of her husband.

2004 would have featured a primary with John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush, Bill Frist, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, and George Pataki. McCain would have won the nomination in keeping with the GOP "next in line" and also because McCain's popularity increased beginning in 2000 and he became extremely popular in 2003 & 2004 before his popularity went down in 2006 because of Iraq.

What about Jeb?  I can see him on the ticket, maybe McCain's VP or he could even win it himself.  Or perhaps W gives it another go - he lost narrowly in 2000 ITTL so why not?  Even more interestingly, what if the reverse of otl 2000 happens - Bush wins the popular vote, Gore wins electoral vote?  Does that leave W with enough momentum to give it another go in 04?

[justfollowingtheelections]

If Gore had won, I think there's a good chance McCain might have been offered the Secretary of State or Defense position (probably the latter), especially if Lieberman had a say in the matter.
Also a lot would depend on whether 9/11 had happened and Gore's reaction to it.

If Gore had gone to war like Bush did, then there is a good chance the Republicans might have run an anti-war candidate in '04.

[Darth Maul]

If Gore wins I see two possibilities.

1.mccain runs in 2004 and wins.
2.the republicans run a anti-war candidate.

[Mr. Morden]

It depends on how McCain navigates the political waters of the Gore years.  If we assume that 9/11 still happens, then, based on his 2000 campaign and status as a former POW and member of the Armed Services Committee, McCain would presumably be the de facto leading voice for the GOP on foreign policy and defense issues during a time when Gore is dealing with the aftermath of 9/11.  If McCain can successfully navigate the perilous political waters (knowing when to back Gore during the "rally around the flag" phase, and knowing when to attack him for not being hawkish enough), then he's the logical 2004 nominee for the GOP.....But he might end up screwing that up.

It also, of course, depends on what McCain does on domestic issues.  IRL, the phase of McCain's career when he went farthest left on domestic issues was 2001-2003, but I assume that if he was aiming to run for the GOP nomination in 2004, then he would have handled that period differently.

If it's not McCain, then I don't know.  Maybe Frank Keating?

Other possible candidates in the 2004 primaries: Don Nickles (if Keating doesn't run), George Allen, John Engler, Tommy Thompson, Fred Thompson or Bill Frist, Chuck Hagel, Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, and Alan Keyes.