2004 GOP Primaries if Gore won in 2000

[Zedonathin2020]

In an alternate timeline where Al Gore won Florida, and therefore the 2000 election, who amongst these candidates would win the GOP Nomination for President in 2004?

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

I honestly feel like it would've been much like 2008 where McCain gets the nomination because the other candidates split the vote.

[Rat]

I think if Gore wins 2000, then its gonna either be McCain or Rudy in 2004. This is assuming that 9/11 and Afghanistan still happens: John McCain as the war hero and Giuliani as the hero of 9/11 are gonna be hard for GOP voters to not be drawn to, and would be strong images to run on in a general election too.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

I could very easily see a Giuliani/McCain or McCain/Giuliani ticket in this scenario. This is all working off of the assumption that 9/11 still happened.

[Suburbia]

McCain would have won. I think Giuliani had too much baggage to be on a ticket.

[Suburbia]

Whitman is too moderate, barely beat sleaze Jim McGreevey in 1997...George Allen is more of a running mate..I would throw in Colin Powell as well

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I could very easily see a Giuliani/McCain or McCain/Giuliani ticket in this scenario. This is all working off of the assumption that 9/11 still happened.

I don't think Guiliani would be a VP nominee because of his views on social issues and ability to overshadow the Presidential nominee. He'd be like Trump and only could be on the top of a ticket.

[President Johnson]

I'd say McCain. However, if Dubya lost a very close one, why wouldn't he try again?

[darklordoftech]

Dubya lost a very close one, why wouldn't he try again?

9/11 would result in a desire for a candidate with foreign policy experience and they would want a candidate with no DUIs.

[Ferguson97]

McCain or Giuliani for sure.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I'd say McCain. However, if Dubya lost a very close one, why wouldn't he try again?

Cause Jeb would be the next Bush up then

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I could very easily see a Giuliani/McCain or McCain/Giuliani ticket in this scenario. This is all working off of the assumption that 9/11 still happened.

I don't think Guiliani would be a VP nominee because of his views on social issues and ability to overshadow the Presidential nominee. He'd be like Trump and only could be on the top of a ticket.

I don't think I disagree.

[Del Tachi]

McCain/Allen

[President Johnson]

I'd say McCain. However, if Dubya lost a very close one, why wouldn't he try again?

Cause Jeb would be the next Bush up then

Well, I think anyone who loses a close presidential election has at least a case to make for a rematch unless they drastically underperformed expectations (like Hillary 2016).

[Property Representative of the Harold Holt Swimming Centre]

McCain - Would be the most likely due to being 'next in line' (a big advantage for various GOP primary candidates up until Trump). The GOP would also be desperate to win the White House after 12 years and he would be the obviously 'electable' candidate.

Huckabee - Only if he can gain traction. The faltering campaign of Fred Thompson in 2008 is what made him a serious contender that year.

Giuliani - Not likely to get though the primaries, not matter his 'hero' status. Would have to rely on McCain's campaign imploding.

Allen - I can't help but think of him in that category of overrated contenders in the 2000s and 2010s who went nowhere (aside from Allen, there is Warner, Bayh, Pawlenty, Huntsman, Walker etc). May well have dropped out prior to the Iowa caucus.

Whitman - Little chance. Would have been similar to Pataki's 2016 campaign.

Santorum - Would have likely be the choice of the party's right and would have a realistic chance if the party is in a certain mood (as it might have been during a Gore presidency).

Frist - Another Allen type candidate.

Engler - Could have been a dark horse and has the advantage of being from a big competitive state.

Thompson - I think Fred Thompson would have a better chance.

Nickles - Unlikely I would have thought.

However, unless Gore had some kind of major eff up he'd probably win re-election, which might make the 2008 primaries between Romney and Jeb! for the Republicans and Lieberman and Hillary for the Democrats.

[Suburbia]

McCain - Would be the most likely due to being 'next in line' (a big advantage for various GOP primary candidates up until Trump). The GOP would also be desperate to win the White House after 12 years and he would be the obviously 'electable' candidate.

Huckabee - Only if he can gain traction. The faltering campaign of Fred Thompson in 2008 is what made him a serious contender that year.

Giuliani - Not likely to get though the primaries, not matter his 'hero' status. Would have to rely on McCain's campaign imploding.

Allen - I can't help but think of him in that category of overrated contenders in the 2000s and 2010s who went nowhere (aside from Allen, there is Warner, Bayh, Pawlenty, Huntsman, Walker etc). May well have dropped out prior to the Iowa caucus.

Whitman - Little chance. Would have been similar to Pataki's 2016 campaign.

Santorum - Would have likely be the choice of the party's right and would have a realistic chance if the party is in a certain mood (as it might have been during a Gore presidency).

Frist - Another Allen type candidate.

Engler - Could have been a dark horse and has the advantage of being from a big competitive state.

Thompson - I think Fred Thompson would have a better chance.

Nickles - Unlikely I would have thought.

However, unless Gore had some kind of major eff up he'd probably win re-election, which might make the 2008 primaries between Romney and Jeb! for the Republicans and Lieberman and Hillary for the Democrats.

9/11 would have damaged Gore.

[President Johnson]

McCain - Would be the most likely due to being 'next in line' (a big advantage for various GOP primary candidates up until Trump). The GOP would also be desperate to win the White House after 12 years and he would be the obviously 'electable' candidate.

Huckabee - Only if he can gain traction. The faltering campaign of Fred Thompson in 2008 is what made him a serious contender that year.

Giuliani - Not likely to get though the primaries, not matter his 'hero' status. Would have to rely on McCain's campaign imploding.

Allen - I can't help but think of him in that category of overrated contenders in the 2000s and 2010s who went nowhere (aside from Allen, there is Warner, Bayh, Pawlenty, Huntsman, Walker etc). May well have dropped out prior to the Iowa caucus.

Whitman - Little chance. Would have been similar to Pataki's 2016 campaign.

Santorum - Would have likely be the choice of the party's right and would have a realistic chance if the party is in a certain mood (as it might have been during a Gore presidency).

Frist - Another Allen type candidate.

Engler - Could have been a dark horse and has the advantage of being from a big competitive state.

Thompson - I think Fred Thompson would have a better chance.

Nickles - Unlikely I would have thought.

However, unless Gore had some kind of major eff up he'd probably win re-election, which might make the 2008 primaries between Romney and Jeb! for the Republicans and Lieberman and Hillary for the Democrats.

9/11 would have damaged Gore.

How so? I think he would have handled the aftermath with much more competence and not been dragged into a senseless and costly war in Iraq.

There's even some chance 9/11 doesn't happen in this timeline because it's being prevented. There were warning signs in advance and the Bush administration after getting in scaled down the efforts of the Clinton government to hunt Bin Laden.

[Agonized-Statism]

McCain wins, but the paleocon/right-wing populist tendency makes a showing with the three-legged stool failing to win the White House three consecutive times, and they would have a decent casus belli in increased government efforts to address terrorism.

[robocop]

McCain would be candidate for sure and maybe wins but who would be VP?

I would hunch for Huckabee as he was a big deal back then.

However in this timeline McCain also becomes a one term president and the sequence of events that makes Obama 2008 happen still goes ahead.