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(If the mods think this has the potential to get too hot-political due to it being recent, please feel free to move to Political Chat).

OK, one for the US politics wonkies here. Let's say that a short time after his reelection in 2004, President George W. Bush dies. There's that assassination attempt in Georgia from May 2005--not very professional, but let's say by luck it succeeds. Dick Cheney succeeds as President. But Cheney has a history of heart problems and the US government is going to want him to nominate a new VP as soon as possible. Who?

Cheney's very unlikely to try and run for president in his own right in 2008, so choosing a new VP presents him with a dilemma--this VP might be regarded as the heir apparent for the 2008 presidential nomination, especially given the Republicans' tendency to give the nomination to the sitting VP or last time's runner up candidate. Thus this has the potential to make Cheney himself something of a lame duck and bring him into conflict with the party as a whole. Might he instead choose someone senior, boring and reliable who's not going to seek the nomination either?

(Remember that with the benefit of hindsight, we could see this as a poisoned chalice due to the coming economic downturn, but nobody at the time is going to know that).

And in such a scenario, how do you see the 2006 midterm elections going?
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