What was the most consequential election in the past 25 years

[OSR stands with Israel]

Id go with 2000 as it was really when the modern Urban-Divide really started to show up , along with the Coasts vs Middle America divide as well.

Also the Bush presidency so far has been easily the most consequential presidency so far this century especially in terms of global affairs

[One Term Floridian]

2000 > 2004 > 2016 > 2020 > 2008 > 1996 > 2012

[darklordoftech]

2000 > 2016 > 2008 > 2012 > 2004 > 2020 > 1996

[Storr]

2000 is such an easy answer, but 2008 is has a reasonable argument with Obama being a significant departure from neoliberalism in the Democratic party.

[The Right Honourable Martin Brian Mulroney PC CC GOQ]

2000 is such an obvious answer, but I'll put in a word for 2008. The Obama presidency represents a fusion of Clintonian neoliberalism and millennial-era progressivism, which is basically the Democratic Party at this point. The GOP also changed significantly in reaction to Obama, the Bush-era consensus of hawkishness and bible-thumping has been significantly weakened, and today's GOP is largely a reaction to the urban and outward-oriented liberalism that the Obama era brought into power.

[xavier110]

This is a hard one. The most consequential election was probably 2012 or 2020. I guess I’m a bit contrarian since a lot of folks have 2012 near last.

Things would be a LOT different had Romney won. My mind can’t even fully process how everything would have changed, some things for the better even. At the very least, the D party probably would be in a better place now had he won. Our democratic norms would not be as challenged. Our faith in institutions would not be completely collapsed. Obviously this isn’t directly Obama’s fault, but you don’t have Trump emerging and Russian spies working alongside a presidential campaign with two-term President Romney.

As for 2020, had Trump been re-elected, I just can’t even fathom what a second term would have been like. Mass death, corruption galore, etc.

2016 and 2004 are among the least consequential to me. Ds were f***ed no matter the outcome. A disastrous Hillary presidency or Donald Trump? John Kerry leading us into the Great Recession?

[Senator-elect Spark]

2008

[DS0816]

Id go with 2000 as it was really when the modern Urban-Divide really started to show up , along with the Coasts vs Middle America divide as well.

Also the Bush presidency so far has been easily the most consequential presidency so far this century especially in terms of global affairs

According to the Democrats, over the course of the last 20-plus years, every one of them.

“This is the most important election of our lifetime.”

[Motorcity]

1. 2000
2. 2020
3. 2016
4. 2008
5. 2004
6. 2012

[dw93]

I'm not gonna count 2020, though I think time, depending on how much Biden gets done, could put it into consideration for the title.

That said, counting every Presidential election from 1996-2020, I'd rank them (most to least consequential) like this:

1. 2000
2. 2012*
3. 2016
4. 2008
5. 2004
6. 1996

*Everyone has this one ranked so low, but with hindsight, I think even with Trump never becoming President in this timeline, we'd be looking at a much different world today had Romney won in 2012.  For one thing, there's a better than average chance that Obamacare is repealed, and if it isn't repealed, it's significantly weakened, tax cuts akin to the Trump of Bush tax cuts would've happened in 2013 or 2014 instead of the top marginal rate returning to its Clinton era rate as it did with Obama, we'd have likely gone to war with Syria, and God only knows how much weaker Russia would be today with a guy that, to his credit,  believed Russia was our greatest geopolitical threat being elected President in 2012. Not to mention, the GOP wouldn't be the cult of Trump and God only knows what direction the Democrats would've gone in after an Obama loss in 2012. Would the party go more moderate? Would it get more progressive like it did after Trump won in 2016? Romney also would've likely served two terms as well and that to would have a lasting impact.

[Chips]

2000 and 2008 tied in my opinion.