AHC: Make the 2016 General Election Lincoln Chafee vs. Jim Gilmore

The Chafees switch parties earlier than IOTL, say in the 1990s, and Lincoln Chafee gets elected to the Senate as a Democrat. Obama picks him as his running mate in 2008.

With Gilmore, its much harder. Gilmore runs for President in 2012, when Trump isn't there and the Republican field in general is much weaker. He or his advisors somehow discover that the Republican electorate has become much more populist and working-class than anyone has thought in 2012, and go into the primaries with a message somewhat similar to Trump. Romney makes his 47% comments earlier and it actually hurts him in the Republican primaries. Gilmore is the Republican nominee, and then upsets Obama, the OTL election was close and he doesn't have Romney's weaknesses. Then the Democrats nominate former Vice President Chafee in 2016 to run against him. I really think this is stretching it.
 
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