2008 after two terms of Al Gore

[Leroy McPherson fan]

What would 2008 have looked like after two terms of Gore?

I think the Republicans would have been heavily favored, but who would the nominees have been?

McCain probably blew it in 2004, so he would likely be out. So maybe Romney or Huckabee? Or Fred Thompson?

The Democrats would probably have been a mess. I just can’t see Lieberman winning the primary even as a sitting VP. So maybe it would have been between Kerry, Obama, Dean, Wesley Clark, Hillary and Edwards or something like that?

Btw I got the idea from this video

[dw93]

Romney/Allen defeat Lieberman/Bayh. The Republicans have a Supermajority in congress, just like the Democrats did after 8 years of Bush. Hillary and Obama see the writing on the wall and sits 2008 out and wait till 2012. Without the Iraq war vote, given how close the 2008 primaries of our timeline was, Hillary gets the Democratic nomination over Obama in 2012, and has a 50/50 chance against Romney in the general. Obama would then get the nomination in 2016 if Romney is re elected, or 2020 if Clinton defeats Romney in 2012.

[NewYorkExpress]

I don't think Romney could win the Republican nomination in 2008, not during the recession. Assuming McCain is the nominee in 2004, I'd guess the 2008 Republican nominee would either be Jeb Bush or possibly a social conservative like Huckabee, Sam Brownback or Mike Pence.

For the Democrats, I agree that Hillary sits it out, but I'm not as sure about Obama. He'd see Lieberman, who is out of step with the Democratic electorate as highly vulnerable, and he disliked being in the Senate anyways. He might have ran anyways. Biden probably still runs, as does Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman, and Gephardt.

As for the election itself, it probably comes down to who Republicans nominate. If they nominate Romney, or someone like Trump or Michael Bloomberg, they lose because they seem out of touch during an economic recession. Nominating someone who isn't a plutocrat, means they win.


Senator Barack Obama/Senator Hillary Clinton (D) 50.76%
Former Governor Jeb Bush/Former Governor George Pataki (R) 48.99%

[ShadowRocket]

I've seen that video before.  Alternate History Hub is a YouTube channel I enjoy a lot as well.

But my guess is that either Romney or Jeb Bush becomes the Republican nominee in this scenario. I definitely think it would've been someone seen as friendly to the party establishment at the bare minimum.

Who the Democratic nominee would've been is a bit more unclear for me though I agree it definitely wouldn't be Lieberman. I'll go out on a limb and say that Hillary still runs and wins the nomination over a lackluster field.

Ultimately going on to lose the general to Romney or Jeb.

[Sir Mohamed]

Assume McCain was the nominee, Jeb Bush might be the most likely GOP nominee. I think Obama would have sit that one out, perhaps eying IL-Gov 2010 after a term in the senate and look ahead for 2016.

Even without a recession, I don't see Dems holding on the WH for a 5th term.



✓ Former Governor Jeb Bush (R-FL)/Senator John E. Sununu (R-NH): 295 EVs.; 50.9%
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)/Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN): 243 EVs.; 47.4%

[Agonized-Statism]

Romney wins the primaries pretty easily as an immigration hawk, appealing to a proto-Tea Party which sees substantial growth after McCain's loss. The Midwest flips because of this, the War on Terror, and the completely unfathomable possibility of a business mogul being looked at as someone with the financial expertise necessary to save the economy (as if that would ever happen, right?).


Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) / Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
Fmr. Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) / Governor Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) ✔

[Fuzzy Bear]

I don't think Romney could win the Republican nomination in 2008, not during the recession. Assuming McCain is the nominee in 2004, I'd guess the 2008 Republican nominee would either be Jeb Bush or possibly a social conservative like Huckabee, Sam Brownback or Mike Pence.

For the Democrats, I agree that Hillary sits it out, but I'm not as sure about Obama. He'd see Lieberman, who is out of step with the Democratic electorate as highly vulnerable, and he disliked being in the Senate anyways. He might have ran anyways. Biden probably still runs, as does Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman, and Gephardt.

As for the election itself, it probably comes down to who Republicans nominate. If they nominate Romney, or someone like Trump or Michael Bloomberg, they lose because they seem out of touch during an economic recession. Nominating someone who isn't a plutocrat, means they win.


Senator Barack Obama/Senator Hillary Clinton (D) 50.76%
Former Governor Jeb Bush/Former Governor George Pataki (R) 48.99%

On the contrary:  Romney would have been Dr. Mitt for the Democratic ailment of Recessionitis in the context of this thread.  That would have been the strategy, and given the context of the recession being brought on by DEMOCRATS, it would have been a winning strategy.

[Schiff for Senate]

I don't think Romney could win the Republican nomination in 2008, not during the recession. Assuming McCain is the nominee in 2004, I'd guess the 2008 Republican nominee would either be Jeb Bush or possibly a social conservative like Huckabee, Sam Brownback or Mike Pence.

For the Democrats, I agree that Hillary sits it out, but I'm not as sure about Obama. He'd see Lieberman, who is out of step with the Democratic electorate as highly vulnerable, and he disliked being in the Senate anyways. He might have ran anyways. Biden probably still runs, as does Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman, and Gephardt.

As for the election itself, it probably comes down to who Republicans nominate. If they nominate Romney, or someone like Trump or Michael Bloomberg, they lose because they seem out of touch during an economic recession. Nominating someone who isn't a plutocrat, means they win.


Senator Barack Obama/Senator Hillary Clinton (D) 50.76%
Former Governor Jeb Bush/Former Governor George Pataki (R) 48.99%

On the contrary:  Romney would have been Dr. Mitt for the Democratic ailment of Recessionitis in the context of this thread.  That would have been the strategy, and given the context of the recession being brought on by DEMOCRATS, it would have been a winning strategy.

It would both help and hurt Romney, actually. Remember that he opposed bailing out Detroit ("LET DETROIT GO BANKRUPT") in 2008, so that would hurt in MI and the Rust Belt. On the other hand if he painted himself as an economic expert who was a moderate I can see him winning both the primary and the general.