2012: Gov. Dino Rossi vs. Obama

[Left Wing]

Two term Washington Governor Dino Rossi wins the 2012 GOP nomination. Who does he pick for vp and how does he do?

[Chips]

Rossi makes ground in the west and flips NV, CO and IA but it isn't enough.

Obama: 311 electoral votes
Rossi: 227 electoral votes

[Crumpets]

If Rossi can lose to Christine freaking Gregoire twice, he'd definitely lose to Obama. Although it would definitely be hilarious if it all came down to one state, took months to figure out, and he loses on the last recount.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

If Rossi can lose to Christine freaking Gregoire twice, he'd definitely lose to Obama. Although it would definitely be hilarious if it all came down to one state, took months to figure out, and he loses on the last recount.

If Dino Rossi is a two term governor in this timeline, then he has not lost to Christine Gregoire twice.

[NewYorkExpress]

Rossi picks up his home state of Washington, and Oregon, but can't make headway anywhere else.

Barack Obama/Joe Biden 52% 313 EV
Dino Rossi/Mitch Daniels 47.9% 225 EV

[McGarnagle]

Rossi picks up his home state of Washington, and Oregon, but can't make headway anywhere else.

Barack Obama/Joe Biden 52% 313 EV
Dino Rossi/Mitch Daniels 47.9% 225 EV

No way, this is ridiculous

I don't mean to be rude, but come on.

If Rossi were to have been a two-term governor here he would have barely squeaked by in 2004 and 2008 against relatively uncharismatic competition (probably Gregoire both times). On top of that Washington is a somewhat difficult state to govern. Governors here don't get to build very impressive resumes of accomplishments - there will always be gridlock with the state legislature to contend with, as well as our state's regressive tax system. They can get cabinet positions or ambassadorships but they don't win Presidential elections.

No way could he have beaten Obama. If Mitt Romney couldn't win his home state, Dino Rossi certainly wouldn't win his.

[Crumpets]

If Rossi can lose to Christine freaking Gregoire twice, he'd definitely lose to Obama. Although it would definitely be hilarious if it all came down to one state, took months to figure out, and he loses on the last recount.

If Dino Rossi is a two term governor in this timeline, then he has not lost to Christine Gregoire twice.

Fair enough, but any version of Dino Rossi that would win in 2008 would have had to have been a fundamentally different person than IRL Dino Rossi, or our national timeline in terms of popularity of the Republican Party in Washington would have had to have been fundamentally different, so I'm not sure if we can really model it.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

If Rossi can lose to Christine freaking Gregoire twice, he'd definitely lose to Obama. Although it would definitely be hilarious if it all came down to one state, took months to figure out, and he loses on the last recount.

If Dino Rossi is a two term governor in this timeline, then he has not lost to Christine Gregoire twice.

Fair enough, but any version of Dino Rossi that would win in 2008 would have had to have been a fundamentally different person than IRL Dino Rossi, or our national timeline in terms of popularity of the Republican Party in Washington would have had to have been fundamentally different, so I'm not sure if we can really model it.

All of this is true. But wild guesses are one of Atlas's favourite sports.