2004: Hillary Clinton vs. George W. Bush

[Alben Barkley]

Keeping in mind that Kerry barely lost, could Hillary — at the time still popular among white working class voters along with her husband — have won, even with limited experience as a Senator? Would sexist dogwhistles about a woman leading in time of war have been a factor hurting her chances? Or was this actually, in hindsight, her best shot at the presidency? Who would have been her VP pick?

[Fuzzy Bear]

She was a former FLOTUS who was a backbenching Senator.  She'd have been considered to be someone nominated to give us Bill Clinton's 3rd term.

[NewYorkExpress]

This one's been done to death, for the most part, but Hillary probably was the strongest possible opponent Dubya could have faced in 2004. He certainly feared her candidacy more than he feared any Democrat who actually ran that year.

Hillary Clinton/Blanche Lincoln 49% 305 EV
George W. Bush/Dick Cheney 48% 233 EV

[dw93]

It was too soon for her and Bush and the war were still popular enough to where he still had a shot. She does about as well as Kerry did, maybe flipping New Mexico or Iowa, but that's it.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Bush/Cheney 294 51%
Clinton/Pryor 244 48%

[Agonized-Statism]

President George Bush (R-TX) / Vice President Dick Cheney (R-WY) ✓
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) / Fmr. Senator Gary Hart (D-CO)

[Suburbia]

Hillary's chance was 2008---she lost to Barack Obama who gave us a racial wave of anger that led to Trump