Would Vice President Lieberman have left the Democratic Party in 2004?

[Suburbia]

Think about it.

September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks happen and the Gore-Lieberman foreign policy changes because of Lieberman's influence and thinking.

Gore and Lieberman spar because the left wing is antiwar, but the centrist Democrats are more hawkish because of the Southern states and the Jewish/Italian Northeast base that Gore did well in 2000....

If the 2002 midterms are horrible for Gore and Democrats, does Lieberman leave the Democratic Party in '04?

[NewYorkExpress]

I doubt he would have left as the incumbent Vice President...unless he thought Republicans would nominate him in 2004, which would be very unlikely.

[President Johnson]

I think he would have declined to run for reelection after having policy differences with President Al Gore. I think it's very possible John Kerry becomes his replacement on the ticket. Lieberman might have attempted to win back his old senate seat in 2006, perhaps running as Independent.

[darklordoftech]

Being surrounded by Gore’s advisors and intelligence gatherers might have pushed Lieberman to the left.

[Continential]

That would be political suicide, so no.

[Samof94]

That would be political suicide, so no.

No, he’s likely to say in the party.

[The Mikado]

Lieberman might have attempted to win back his old senate seat in 2006, perhaps running as Independent.

I doubt this.

Lieberman vacates Senate seat in 2001. Republican governor of CT appoints replacement. Democrat wins special election for remainder of that seat's term in 2002 (quite possibly Richard Blumenthal, joining the Senate 8 years early). No way is Blumenthal giving up to let Lieberman back into that seat.

[Vosem]

Lieberman might have attempted to win back his old senate seat in 2006, perhaps running as Independent.

I doubt this.

Lieberman vacates Senate seat in 2001. Republican governor of CT appoints replacement. Democrat wins special election for remainder of that seat's term in 2002 (quite possibly Richard Blumenthal, joining the Senate 8 years early). No way is Blumenthal giving up to let Lieberman back into that seat.

In fact the Republican Governor had pre-committed to appointing Nancy Johnson.

I sort of suspect in a timeline where Gore won and a War on Terror still happened -- as seems likely to me -- is one where the internationalist/isolationist difference between the Democrats/Republicans would've been heightened compared to our timeline, with Republicans increasingly emphasizing a hostility to intervening in foreign conflicts while the Democrats are the 'global police' party. Lieberman probably never leaves the Democrats in this timeline, and in fact something like the 2017-'18 alignment probably comes along faster.