2008 Election - After 8 years of an Al Gore presidency.

[CPT MikeyMike]

In 2000, the Democratic ticket of Al Gore and Joe Lieberman defeat the Republican ticket of George Bush and Dick Cheney with a narrow Gore win in Florida. Four years later, the Gore-Lieberman ticket edges out the Republican ticket of John McCain and Tommy Thompson (see the 2004 election result except Gore wins OH, FL and TN while McCain wins NH and WI).

In 2008, the Gore presidency has a mixed record.

1. Gore goes to war with the Taliban after 9/11 however Bin Ladin has not been apprehended and Afghanistan is in the same situation as in RL. 

2. Despite neoconservatives pressing Gore to do something about the Saddam regime, nothing happens in Iraq. The neo-cons are also pressuring Gore to take action on Iran regarding their nuclear program.

3. The economy has been sporadic. The country bounces back from a 2001 recession only to suffer one again in late 2007 and early 2008 to include the current housing market crisis.

4. Gore signs the Kyoto Protocol. Oil prices do rise between 2005-2008.  Gore does sign legislation to end foreign energy dependency by 2020.

4. Congress is firmly in Republican hands – about 250 Republican seats in the House and about 55-57 Republican seats in the senate. 

5. Gore's 2008 approval rating is generally spilt with 44% approved with 42% disapproved. His approval high was 84%, after the 2001 attacks, and approval low was 37% in mid-2007.

With that being said, who are candidates for the 2008 election? Is Joe Lieberman the Democratic nominee? And what about the Republicans? Is George or Jeb Bush the Republican nominee or does John McCain run again?

Please discuss what you think the tickets would have been and who would have won.

[HappyWarrior]

I think it could end up as a Jeb Bush/Mitt Romney ticket versus a Joe Lieberman/Barack Obama one,  However after 16 years under the Democrats, despite a reasonable national climate Jeb Bush becomes the 44th President of the United States with a 345-193 mandate victory.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Lieberman certainly gets the Democratic nomination, and selects Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas.  Jeb Bush wins the GOP nomination, and selects Tim Pawlenty as his running mate.  In the end, same map as HappyWarrior's, except giving Arkansas and New Hampshire to Lieberman.

[Lincoln Republican]

After 16 straight years of Democratic rule, the nation is looking for change.

Vice President Lieberman drops out of the race for the Democratic nomination after super Tuesday, when Kerry pulls way ahead and secures enough delegates to win the nomination.

Mitt Romney pours a lot of money early on in the race for the Republican nomination, loses Iowa, but rebounds with a solid win in New Hampshire, giving him momentum carrying him to victory in key primaries in South Carolina, Florida, and California, effectively securing the nomination.   

Mitt Romney/Lindsey Graham                              300
John Kerry/Evan Bayh                                          238

[War on Want]

Jim Allen/Charlie Crist 54% 320 EV's
Janet Napolitano/John Kerry 46% 218 EV's

After a long primary struggle between the working class supported Rendell and Governor Napolitano, the Republicans win. Jim Allen taps into the fear of many rural voters about the liberal, tax raising, Napolitano and only makes a few minor gaffes.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Jim Allen/Charlie Crist 54% 320 EV's
Janet Napolitano/John Kerry 46% 218 EV's

After a long primary struggle between the working class supported Rendell and Governor Napolitano, the Republicans win. Jim Allen taps into the fear of many rural voters about the liberal, tax raising, Napolitano and only makes a few minor gaffes.

Who is Jim Allen?

[CPT MikeyMike]

Jim Allen/Charlie Crist 54% 320 EV's
Janet Napolitano/John Kerry 46% 218 EV's

After a long primary struggle between the working class supported Rendell and Governor Napolitano, the Republicans win. Jim Allen taps into the fear of many rural voters about the liberal, tax raising, Napolitano and only makes a few minor gaffes.

Who is Jim Allen?

I think he ment George Allen?

Mitt Romney/Lindsey Graham                              300
John Kerry/Evan Bayh                                          238

I can not see that happening on the grounds that they both Bay Staters.

[Boris]

Depends who within the Democratic Party has the balls to challenge Lieberman. If Gore gets behind Lieberman solidly at the beginning, that number amounts to only a few people (no establishment hacks). If Gore seems open to endorsing someone else other than his own Vice President, the field grows. I think, privately, most Democratic insiders would either a) dislike Lieberman or b) assume he'd have no shot at winning (especially against someone like Jeb Bush) so they'd begin fishing around for a stronger nominee by 2006/2007.

[pragmatic liberal]

I imagine Gore would have a decent record, not dissimilar from Bill Clinton's presidency, although their would have been a more high-profile push for energy independence and environmental legislation. A lot would depend too on Gore's manner of victory in 2004. A solid Gore first-term with several domestic policy achievements plus a vigorous response to 9/11 or an increase in Al Qaeda terrorism could have kept his approval ratings high. Had Gore defeated the Republicans by a comfortable margin in '04, he would be politically in a strong position to have a few more big policy achievements and possibly bring about gains in Congress for the Democrats.

As for the Democratic nominee? I could imagine Joe Lieberman becoming somewhat distant from Gore within the White House due to aggressiveness in foreign policy. I imagine that as Vice President and as someone with close links to the centrist establishment, he'd have some support for a presidential run in '08, but many liberals (both moderate and left) and many Dem elected officials would probably be looking for a stronger nominee. I imagine John Kerry or John Edwards (sans affair) or maybe Barack Obama would be the main beneficiaries and the first two in particular would have a good chance of winning the nomination from Lieberman.

[KYMY808]

Hillary Rodham Clinton/John Edwards (D): 271
Mitt Romney/Mike Huckabee (R): 267

It's a close one but somehow Hillary would win, a close election as America is looking for change, but given the economic situation, the Dems win...

[Nixon in '80]

Romney wins running as a smarter, cleaner W.

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney wins running as a smarter, cleaner W.

I agree with your result and with your reasoning.

[WillK]

Mitt Romney/Lindsey Graham                              300
John Kerry/Evan Bayh                                          238

I can not see that happening on the grounds that they both Bay Staters.
[/quote]

Why not?  There have been past elections with both major presidential candidates coming from the same state.

[WillK]

Depends who within the Democratic Party has the balls to challenge Lieberman. If Gore gets behind Lieberman solidly at the beginning, that number amounts to only a few people (no establishment hacks). If Gore seems open to endorsing someone else other than his own Vice President, the field grows. I think, privately, most Democratic insiders would either a) dislike Lieberman or b) assume he'd have no shot at winning (especially against someone like Jeb Bush) so they'd begin fishing around for a stronger nominee by 2006/2007.

I think there would have been a rift between Lieberman and Gore.

[Hatman 🍁]

Hillary Rodham Clinton/John Edwards (D): 271
Mitt Romney/Mike Huckabee (R): 267

It's a close one but somehow Hillary would win, a close election as America is looking for change, but given the economic situation, the Dems win...

No way Romney wins Massachuesetts.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

Hillary Rodham Clinton/John Edwards (D): 271
Mitt Romney/Mike Huckabee (R): 267

It's a close one but somehow Hillary would win, a close election as America is looking for change, but given the economic situation, the Dems win...

No way Romney wins Massachuesetts.

And yet Romney manages to win Michigan without winning Ohio. Also, what is with Romney winning Minnesota?  Sure opinion polls suggested that Clinton was trailing in the state before the conclusion of the Democratic Primaries, but I can assure you that she would have won it on election day. Most candidates the Democratic Party could have nominated in 2008 could have.

[KYMY808]

And yet Romney manages to win Michigan without winning Ohio. Also, what is with Romney winning Minnesota?  Sure opinion polls suggested that Clinton was trailing in the state before the conclusion of the Democratic Primaries, but I can assure you that she would have won it on election day. Most candidates the Democratic Party could have nominated in 2008 could have.

Given that the economic crisis happened during the Dems term as President...It could of happened...things change, things are different, maybe Romney is able to take advantage of a long fight for the the Democratic nominee that he is able to take advantage of disgusted Dems...it's hypothetical anyways...I could of had Huckabee as the nominee winning by a landslide, but I know for a fact that would of never of happened...this is more feasible.

[Psychic Octopus]

narrow McCain win, loss in the popular vote

McCain 270-268 against Kerry

[Daniel Z]

Democrats nominate centrist ticket of Lieberman/Locke while Republicans run a shallow campaign based on "change" with Allen/Hutchison:

[Robespierre's Jaw]

George F. Allen/Timothy J. Pawlenty (R): 329 EV, 51% of the PV
Joseph I. Lieberman/Bill Richardson (D): 209 EV, 48% of the PV
Others (Libertarian, Green, Socialist, ect): 0 EV, 1% of the PV

After sixteen consecutive years of Democratic rule in Washington, Senator George Allen of Virginia defeats incumbent Vice President Joe Lieberman to succeed President Al Gore as 44th President of the United States. Such an election could potentially be a bigger Republican blowout, but I'm giving Lieberman the benefit of the doubt.

[big bad fab]

In 2004, Gore-Lieberman win over McCain-Tommy Thompson: 308 - 230.

McCain has beaten George Allen and Rudy Giuliani during the primary season and has picked Tommy Thompson, from Wisconsin, as his running mate.

In 2008, Lieberman is obviously crushed by Hillary Clinton in the primaries (John Edwards and Bill Richardson have bad results. She picks Ted Strickland, governor of Ohio, as her running mate.

During its own primaries, the GOP nominates Mitt Romney, who narrowly beats Jeb Bush (Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum receive few votes).
Romney picks immediately Jeb Bush as his running mate.

Clinton campaigns heavily in MidWest and South West and among Latinos.
She wins 310 - 228.

But, after that, after many mistakes from the Clinton administration, after 20 years of Dems in the WH, she loses badly in 2012, defeated by a Jeb Bush-Tim Pawlenty ticket.... This is another story....