DBWI: Dick Cheney Agrees to be George W. Bush's running mate in 2000?

According to George W. Bush's memoir "Decision Points," in 2000, Bush, after having him head his Vice Presidential selection team, asked his father's former Secretary of Defense and Former White House Chief of Staff for Gerald Ford, Dick Cheney to be his running mate. Cheney declined, citing his poor health and wanting to be with his family. Cheney then gave the findings of from the search to the then Texas Governor and recommended former Missouri Senator John Danforth to be Bush's running mate. What if Cheney agreed to be Bush's running mate though instead of recommending Danforth? Would Cheney beat Lieberman in the Vice Presidential debates like Danforth did? Would it change the outcome of the election? Bush won with 301 electoral votes by carrying Oregon, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida by under a percentage. How different would Bush's Presidency be?
 
According to George W. Bush's memoir "Decision Points," in 2000, Bush, after having him head his Vice Presidential selection team, asked his father's former Secretary of Defense and Former White House Chief of Staff for Gerald Ford, Dick Cheney to be his running mate. Cheney declined, citing his poor health and wanting to be with his family. Cheney then gave the findings of from the search to the then Texas Governor and recommended former Missouri Senator John Danforth to be Bush's running mate. What if Cheney agreed to be Bush's running mate though instead of recommending Danforth? Would Cheney beat Lieberman in the Vice Presidential debates like Danforth did? Would it change the outcome of the election? Bush won with 301 electoral votes by carrying Oregon, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Florida by under a percentage. How different would Bush's Presidency be?

Cheney cautioned against overthrowing Saddam after the Gulf War. I would think he'd likewise advise Bush the younger not to invade Iraq in 2003. Danforth was pretty unsuccessful on that front himself, and he was dumped from the 2004 ticket due to his disagreements with Bush. Maybe Cheney could change Bush's mind, but O doubt it.
 
Why pick Cheney? He was from Wyoming which is small and red. He would add nothing. Plus people may have thought he was secretly running things from behind the curtain
 
Cheney cautioned against overthrowing Saddam after the Gulf War. I would think he'd likewise advise Bush the younger not to invade Iraq in 2003. Danforth was pretty unsuccessful on that front himself, and he was dumped from the 2004 ticket due to his disagreements with Bush. Maybe Cheney could change Bush's mind, but O doubt it.
Not having to dump a running mate might carry Bush over the finish line in 2004. Both Danforth and Powell privately advised the President not to go to Iraq and both refused to stick around for a second term. Part of me wishes Bush won a second term though. Sure President Clark got to replace Rehnquist, Souter, and Stevens, giving us 5 seat liberal majority on the court, but Iraq was gonna be messy regardless (though Clark did the best he could with a sticky situation, things could've easily gotten really sour in 2005 and 06), and the cherry on the cake was the financial crisis in 2008, giving us the disaster that was President George Allen in 2008.
 
Not having to dump a running mate might carry Bush over the finish line in 2004. Both Danforth and Powell privately advised the President not to go to Iraq and both refused to stick around for a second term. Part of me wishes Bush won a second term though. Sure President Clark got to replace Rehnquist, Souter, and Stevens, giving us 5 seat liberal majority on the court, but Iraq was gonna be messy regardless (though Clark did the best he could with a sticky situation, things could've easily gotten really sour in 2005 and 06), and the cherry on the cake was the financial crisis in 2008, giving us the disaster that was President George Allen in 2008.

That era in politics was weird: we had three one term Presidents in a row (Bush, Clark, and Allen). I think one reason Obama was re-elected in such a landslide in 2016 was that people just wanted stability for a change.

In 2004 Bush dumped Danforth in favor of Bill Frist. Had he not been on the ticket, Frist could've made it in the 2008 Republican primary and become President. Allen is considered by most people to be a disappointment. What might Frist - or any other Republican - have done differently from Allen?
 
That era in politics was weird: we had three one term Presidents in a row (Bush, Clark, and Allen). I think one reason Obama was re-elected in such a landslide in 2016 was that people just wanted stability for a change.

In 2004 Bush dumped Danforth in favor of Bill Frist. Had he not been on the ticket, Frist could've made it in the 2008 Republican primary and become President. Allen is considered by most people to be a disappointment. What might Frist - or any other Republican - have done differently from Allen?

Outside of not putting their foot in their mouth (a fault of Dubya's as well though), not much. Frist or some other Republican would've pushed austerity in the midst of the recession, thus prolonging it. Any other Republican would've sat on their hands after the mass shootings that took place in that term, hell the Republicans are blocking Obama at every turn when he tries to implement something as supported as universal background checks.
 
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