Alternate Vice Presidents.

I think this thread was around before, but I couldn't find it, the search function being what it is. Anyway, the idea here is to suggest alternate Vice Presidents, such as the title suggests. This isn't meant to be a unified timeline, and the various suggestions and their likely consequences should be discussed individually.

For example, let's start with Gerald Ford. I've heard that Ford considered Bush for the Vice Presidency. What would the result of such an appointment be?
 
I'll talk about another VP choice:

McCain should have picked Pawlenty instead of Palin. He might not have got the post convention bounce he did, but the ticket wouldn't have fallen as far.
 
I don't think removing Palin is enough to save John McCain's chances I think he still loses given the state of the economy. The larger effect will come later. Palin, not having been nominated for Vice President in 2008, doesn't have a national presence in the years that immediately follow. She might not resign from her Governorship if there isn't the same monetary opportunity she saw IOTL. Palin is considerably less of a cultural figure in the years after 2008. We lose Tina Fey's impression. Conversely, with his Vice Presidential nomination, Pawlenty might be in better shape as a contender in 2012, but it's hard to see him winning the nomination even with that record. I'm not sure what the removal of Palin as a political force does to the conservatives in 2009-2010, that depends on how much her endorsements actually influenced primary outcomes in 2010 etc.
 
I think this thread was around before, but I couldn't find it, the search function being what it is. Anyway, the idea here is to suggest alternate Vice Presidents, such as the title suggests. This isn't meant to be a unified timeline, and the various suggestions and their likely consequences should be discussed individually.

For example, let's start with Gerald Ford. I've heard that Ford considered Bush for the Vice Presidency. What would the result of such an appointment be?
He probably wins Texas and Missouri and the election. Howard Baker was also considered a strong contender.

Nixon's first choice was Connally but the Democrats wouldn't confirm a traitor; he narrowed it down to Ford or Bush.

Lynn Morley Martin was considered to be Bush's VP instead of Quayle. Definitely could have been the first female President.

If Nixon chose Dirksen and/or Kennedy doesn't choose LBJ, Nixon wins.
Similarly, if Gore doesn't pick Leiberman he may pick Bob Graham or Jeane Shaheen, so he wins.

A Reagan/Ford ticket was planning but the deal fell through. And then if Hinckley...

Another still:

What if McCain chose Bachmann instead of Palin for 2008?

No.

No Palin means less Republican turnout in the election, and that ripples down to make Obama's coattails bigger. The Dems start out with around 62 seats in the Senate, which means big butterflies for Obama's legislative success.
 
Another still:

What if McCain chose Bachmann instead of Palin for 2008?

I don't consider that even remotely plausible.

Bachmann wasn't elected to the House until 2006. True, Palin was also elected to the Governorship that same year, but it is considered a much higher office that at least has some executive responsibility. If you thought the Palin pick created some problems, Bachmann would have been far more disastrous; McCain would have picked a freshman House member with zero executive experience.
 
Apparently John Kerry was on Al Gore's Vice Presidential short list.

Not such a big leap to let Gore win, making John Kerry the VP.
 
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