Had Gore won in 2000 and 2004, would Donald Trump have been able to win in 2008?

[NoTrump]

Had Al Gore won in 2000 and 2004, would Donald Trump have been able to win in 2008 on an anti-immigration platform?

Basically, I am thinking of Donald Trump doing what he did in 2016 (in regards to both the Republican presidential nomination and the general election) in real life--but in 2008 in this scenario.

Anyway, any thoughts on this?

[Lord Admirale]

Nope.

[NoTrump]

Nope.

How would 2008 in this TL be different from 2016 in our TL?

Also, couldn't an anti-immigration message resonate with Americans in 2008 in this TL due to the poor state of the U.S. economy during this time?

[Sir Mohamed]

Nah. I think Mitt Romney would have been elected then (John McCain is the 2004 nominee who loses to President Gore). In 2012, Barack Obama unseats President Romney and then possible creams Trump as the 2016 nominee.

2004:

✓ President Al Gore (D-TN)/Vice President Joe Lieberman (D-CT): 292 EVs.; 50.4%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL): 246 EVs.; 47.6%


2008:

✓ Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)/Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA): 284 EVs.; 51.0%
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)/Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN): 254 EVs.; 47.8%

2012:

✓ Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)/Senator Joe Biden (D-DE): 303 EVs.; 50.1%
President Mitt Romney (R-MA)/Vice President Eric Cantor (R-VA): 235 EVs.; 48.3%

2016:

✓ President Barack Obama (D-IL)/Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE): 352 EVs.; 52.2%
Businessman Donald Trump (R-NY)/Governor Mike Pence (R-IN): 186 EVs.; 45.8%

[Lord Admirale]

Nah. I think Mitt Romney would have been elected then (John McCain is the 2004 nominee who loses to President Gore). In 2012, Barack Obama unseats President Romney and then possible creams Trump as the 2016 nominee.

2004:

✓ President Al Gore (D-TN)/Vice President Joe Lieberman (D-CT): 292 EVs.; 50.4%
Senator John McCain (R-AZ)/Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL): 246 EVs.; 47.6%


2008:

✓ Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)/Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA): 284 EVs.; 51.0%
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)/Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN): 254 EVs.; 47.8%

I’d flip West Virginia and Virginia in 2004, and make West Virginia Dem in 2008.

[Lechasseur]

Nah. I think Mitt Romney would have been elected then (John McCain is the 2004 nominee who loses to President Gore). In 2012, Barack Obama unseats President Romney and then possible creams Trump as the 2016 nominee.

I think had Gore won in 2000, he'd probably have lost to John McCain in 2004, but assuming he did win I think Jeb Bush would have won in 2008. I don't think Obama would have become president in this scenario, he got his opening thanks to G. W. Bush's unpopularity and having Clinton as an opponent in the Democratic primary. After 2008 it's anyone's guess but I could see someone like Mark Warner or Evan Bayh become president in 2012 or 2016.