2000: Quayle/Bond vs. Gore/Lieberman

[PBrunsel]

After reading former Vice-President Dan Quayle’s memoirs (which was a fine book with some very interesting stories), it appeared to me that his greatest regret was accepting the Vice-Presidential nomination in 1988. He felt that he had not established a working relation with the press (which would haunt him as Veep from 1989-1993) and was simply not ready for the national stage.

The scenario stands that in 1988 George Bush selects House Minority Whip Dick Cheney for Vice-President, not Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana. The Bush/Cheney Ticket defeats Dukakis/Bentsen by the same margin as in real life. Following the same timeline of today, Clinton/Gore defeats Bush/Cheney in 1992. That same year Senator Dan Quayle wins reelection with over 66% of the vote. Quayle emerges as a leading conservative “family values” leader in the Senate, and gains praise from across the aisle by working with such Senators as Edward Kennedy and Tom Harkin on agricultural and congressional ethics reform. 

In 1995 Quayle is elected Senate Majority Whip, and in 1996 he turns down former Vice-President Cheney’s offer to be his running-mate in the 1996 election. Clinton/Gore creams the Republican ticket of Dick Cheney/Connie Mack in the presidential election.

In 2000, Senator Quayle running as a “the family values candidate” easily defeats Senator John McCain and Governor George W. Bush for the GOP nomination. He selects Missouri Senator Kit Bond as his running-mate and enters into the race with a slight “convention bounce” against Vice-President Al Gore and Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Who wins in 2000, Quayle/Bond or Gore/Lieberman, and is their the Florida controversy?   

[Lincoln Republican]

Very interesting scenario. 

Kit Bond is a great choice for VP. 

I wish I could say Quayle and Bond would win in this scenario, but I do not believe they would.

Gore is seen by the electorate as more prepared for the Presidency in 2000 than is Dan Quayle.

There is no Florida recount.  The election is a clear win for Gore.

Gore/Lieberman                           307
Quayle/Bond                                231

[Person Man]

Very interesting scenario. 

Kit Bond is a great choice for VP. 

I wish I could say Quayle and Bond would win in this scenario, but I do not believe they would.

Gore is seen by the electorate as more prepared for the Presidency in 2000 than is Dan Quayle.

There is no Florida recount.  The election is a clear win for Gore.

Gore/Lieberman                           307
Quayle/Bond                                231

Yes and Quayle could not win because he was no Jack Kennedy.

ouch.

[pragmatic liberal]

Why wouldn't Clinton run for reelection?

Also, I doubt Bush would have selected Cheney to be his running mate (Bush, Sr., that is); the two actually had somewhat of a fractious relationship earlier on. Remember, he wasn't even Bush's first choice to be defense secretary (that was John Tower). A more realistic prospect for VP was Elizabeth Dole, who was second on his advisors' short list and first on some of them.

I don't think it would have made a drastic difference regarding the Bush presidency. Bush might have won by 2 or 3 more points in '88. And in '92, he would likely still have lost to Bill Clinton.

As to Dan Quayle, he might have become a leading candidate for president, although my own impression is that he would probably have simply become a leading Republican senator, possibly majority leader. I'm not sure he would have made it to the Presidency, especially if, as in real life, one of George H.W. Bush's sons courted establishment support. I don't see GOP higher-ups settling on Quayle when George W. or Jeb Bush was available (the GOP tends to be very top-down in selecting nominees).

[PBrunsel]

Yes and Quayle could not win because he was no Jack Kennedy.

Let's be fair GPorter. Jack Kennedy was no Jack Kennedy when he started out in the presidency.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Quale/Bond: 204
Gore/Lieberman: 334

[gorkay]

Gore would have won easily. Quayle was a virtual laughing stock by 2000 (long before then, actually).