2012: Obama vs Steele

[DS0816]

If former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele were to be the 2012 Republican nominee for president, what the hell?! I'm willing to have fun. So let's pretend [current RNC Chairman Steele] selects as his running mate former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.

Result: Correct me if I'm wrong about past history, but they would be the first major party duo to both lose their home states.

I'll give this GOP ticket Oklahoma in the Confederate South as well as Republican bastions in the mountain west like Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Oh, and in the Plains, I can give them Kansas and the statewide vote in Nebraska (3 of 5 electoral votes).

This would be the first Republican ticket to lose in epic proportions tantamount to 1964 Barry Goldwater, in a disastrous failure to capture even 40 percent of the popular vote. Current and 44th President of the United States Barack Obama—retaining all 28 of his 2008 states plus Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District and District of Columbia—would win between 20 and 25 points and carry states numbering in the 40s. (This doesn't address third-party candidacies.) Most states would shift, on average, 15 points further north (some a little less, some a little more) for the Democratic ticket in re-electing Obama/Joe Biden. (For example, Obama and Biden carrying their home states, Illinois and Delaware, by roughly 40 points!) The comfy states would be those that held for 2008 John McCain by 20 points or more (after they had held for 2004 George W. Bush by 30 points or more).

In short: It's such a wipeout, even Alabama and Mississippi have emerged as battleground states.

[12th Doctor]

Steele brings his hip-hop street philosophy to the race.  Obama counters with legitimacy, and by keeping it real.  Steele gets crushed.

[Lahbas]

Steele is so badly rejected by the Republican base, Mitt Romney is able to make a rather successful run as an Independent Republican, with John Thune as his running-mate. Here, President Obama's approval-ratings are hovering around the high forties, lower fifties.

Barack Obama/Joe Biden 343 Electoral/ 47% Popular (Democrat)
Michael Steele/Alan Keyes 0 Electoral/8% Popular (Republican)
Mitt Romney/John Thune 195 Electoral/45% Popular (Independent Republican)
If the Republicans had managed to remain united, they could have pulled out a narrow victory.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

If former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele were to be the 2012 Republican nominee for president, what the hell?! I'm willing to have fun. So let's pretend [current RNC Chairman Steele] selects as his running mate former Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Rick Santorum.

Result: Correct me if I'm wrong about past history, but they would be the first major party duo to both lose their home states.

I'll give this GOP ticket Oklahoma in the Confederate South as well as Republican bastions in the mountain west like Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Oh, and in the Plains, I can give them Kansas and the statewide vote in Nebraska (3 of 5 electoral votes).

This would be the first Republican ticket to lose in epic proportions tantamount to 1964 Barry Goldwater, in a disastrous failure to capture even 40 percent of the popular vote. Current and 44th President of the United States Barack Obama—retaining all 28 of his 2008 states plus Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District and District of Columbia—would win between 20 and 25 points and carry states numbering in the 40s. (This doesn't address third-party candidacies.) Most states would shift, on average, 15 points further north (some a little less, some a little more) for the Democratic ticket in re-electing Obama/Joe Biden. (For example, Obama and Biden carrying their home states, Illinois and Delaware, by roughly 40 points!) The comfy states would be those that held for 2008 John McCain by 20 points or more (after they had held for 2004 George W. Bush by 30 points or more).

In short: It's such a wipeout, even Alabama and Mississippi have emerged as battleground states.

McGovern/Shriver lost their home states

[DariusNJ]

Here you go.

Obama 410, Steele 128

A conservative third party would pull in lots of white votes in the Deep South, this would help Obama win Mississippi with 44-45%, and Georgia with 47-48% of the vote.

Popular Vote totals??

Obama 55, Steele 37, Other 8