John McCain President on 9/11

[Samof94]

What changes if he is President in the 2000’s?

[darklordoftech]

He sends troops into Tora Bora.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

This is why some of the McCain myth-making is misguided, even though, yes, he was much more personally admirable than most of the other Republicans who were national figures during the same period he was. He absolutely would have done almost everything Bush and Cheney did in terms of bombings, invasions, etc., and they probably would have stayed popular for much longer because he had credibility as a hawk of the non-chicken variety. I highly doubt a strong anti-Iraq War consensus develops after eight years of President McCain.

[brucejoel99]

This is why some of the McCain myth-making is misguided, even though, yes, he was much more personally admirable than most of the other Republicans who were national figures during the same period he was. He absolutely would have done almost everything Bush and Cheney did in terms of bombings, invasions, etc., and they probably would have stayed popular for much longer because he had credibility as a hawk of the non-chicken variety. I highly doubt a strong anti-Iraq War consensus develops after eight years of President McCain.

Well, there's still a question as to whether he'd even engage with Iraq in the 1st place, though, considering that he didn't exactly hold a personal grudge against Saddam like the veterans of Poppy Bush's administration did. As much of a super hawk as he was, without an actually legitimate purpose to go in there, he may very well have not.

[Proud Houstonian]

McCain would do what bush did but on a Lesser Level

[CEO Mindset]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

[darklordoftech]

No Gauntanamo Bay

[Samof94]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

[CEO Mindset]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

[NewYorkExpress]

McCain would have rightly blamed Saudi Arabia instead of Iraq, so instead invading Iraq after Afghanistan, we would have invaded Saudi Arabia.

Needless to say, that wouldn't have gone over well across the Middle East.

[Samof94]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

Does Trump still run?

[CEO Mindset]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

Does Trump still run?

yeah, his path is smoother imo

my guess is you see a president list of mccain, vilsack/edwards/biden(your choice of which), trump

[darklordoftech]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

Does Trump still run?

That depends on who succeeds McCain as President.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

He would have slaughtered millions in the ME, as he would have if he were President during the Arab Spring.

[darklordoftech]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

Does Trump still run?

yeah, his path is smoother imo

my guess is you see a president list of mccain, vilsack/edwards/biden(your choice of which), trump

I doubt there would be any birther attacks on Vilsack, Edwards, or Biden.

[Samof94]

dubya minus no child left behind and a bit more secular, probably no bush tax cuts so less deficits/inflation

Seems likely that would be the case.

yeah

a less Jesusy gop and somewhat lower deficits/less inflation so slightly better than otl imo

Does Trump still run?

yeah, his path is smoother imo

my guess is you see a president list of mccain, vilsack/edwards/biden(your choice of which), trump

I doubt there would be any birther attacks on Vilsack, Edwards, or Biden.

I can see him try to run in a GOP primary and flunk out.

[UWS]

McCain would have managed to get Bin Laden eliminated as he would have sent more troops in Tora Bora. As a result, he would win re-election in a landslide in 2004 and with at least 350 EVs

[oldtimer]

Worse results with more blind aggression.

What ruined Bush was his aggressive foreign policy that pushed oil prices sky high and crashed a fragile economy that was struggling to recover from the Dot-Com bust.

I remember how John McCain struck actual terror on most voters in 2008, from the prospect of him making things even worse by doubling down on the Bush Administration.

[Suburbia]

This is why some of the McCain myth-making is misguided, even though, yes, he was much more personally admirable than most of the other Republicans who were national figures during the same period he was. He absolutely would have done almost everything Bush and Cheney did in terms of bombings, invasions, etc., and they probably would have stayed popular for much longer because he had credibility as a hawk of the non-chicken variety. I highly doubt a strong anti-Iraq War consensus develops after eight years of President McCain.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Would have handled Afghanistan much better, not have intervened in Iraq, no Bush level tax cuts, would have won re election by quite a lot.

[UWS]

And unlike Bush, McCain was from the very beginning in favor of the Homeland Security Department and of the 9/11 Commission