George W. Bush running for president in 2008

This thread does not propose that President George W. Bush run for a third term in 2008. What it does propose is, John McCain winning the Republican nomination in 2000 and becoming president. How much longer would Bush serve as governor of Texas? Bush runs for president again in 2008 against Romney, Huckabee, and Paul and defeats them, winning the nomination in 2008. In OTL, Bush chose Cheney for Vice President and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense because advisers from his father's presidency were pivotal for an invasion of Iraq. Would he choose the same people ATL?
 
This thread does not propose that President George W. Bush run for a third term in 2008. What it does propose is, John McCain winning the Republican nomination in 2000 and becoming president. How much longer would Bush serve as governor of Texas? Bush runs for president again in 2008 against Romney, Huckabee, and Paul and defeats them, winning the nomination in 2008. In OTL, Bush chose Cheney for Vice President and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense because advisers from his father's presidency were pivotal for an invasion of Iraq. Would he choose the same people ATL?

Bush to me would do great against all those guys. I just hope he doesn't make as much gaffes as OTL. I mean Bush isn't as crazy as Paul to the media. He's not as much a bible thumper as Huckabee, and he's sure not as rich or business-ey as Romney. Maybe if he runs like a compassionate conservative to the line of Jack Kemp, he could win the nomination.
 

TinyTartar

Banned
Bush's primary win in 2000 came from the fact that he was able to get the Evangelical vote on his side pretty quickly and at the same time, get the big money donors to back him. The only wing of the party he left out were the Libertarian types, and they did not have nearly the amount of money and organization that they have now.

Bush would have issues with Romney and Huckabee stealing his thunder, not to mention his last name being a weight around him, as Conservatives do not like his father very much.

But I think he could win mainly because he was the best of both worlds, a guy who could appeal to the family value voters and the middle class business types at the same time. Now, if he was running in 2012 or 2016, different story entirely. I don't think he would do very well in either, as the Obama presidency aroused a libertarian fire in the GOP that he wouldn't do great at harnessing, seeing as Bush has always believed that government could be the answer to problems both foreign and domestic.

But in 2008? Pre Tea Party? I think he'd get it done after gaining some momentum.

Now, beating Barack Obama is a different story entirely, especially if the financial crisis goes OTL (which it likely would, no matter who was in office) with a Republican in the White House. But I think he could win the nomination.
 
This thread does not propose that President George W. Bush run for a third term in 2008. What it does propose is, John McCain winning the Republican nomination in 2000 and becoming president. How much longer would Bush serve as governor of Texas? Bush runs for president again in 2008 against Romney, Huckabee, and Paul and defeats them, winning the nomination in 2008. In OTL, Bush chose Cheney for Vice President and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense because advisers from his father's presidency were pivotal for an invasion of Iraq. Would he choose the same people ATL?

Is Mccain president in 2008? Has he bungled Katrina, or Rita, or Wilma, or have the butterflies taken care of the entire 2005 hurricane season? What has happened in the aftermath of 11 September? Is everything, aside from the president, as OTL?
 
Is McCain president in 2008? Has he bungled Katrina, or Rita, or Wilma, or have the butterflies taken care of the entire 2005 hurricane season? What has happened in the aftermath of 11 September? Is everything, aside from the president, as OTL?
Everything, aside from the president, is as OTL. McCain is president in 2008, how he handles 2005 Hurricane Season might be a little better than Bush did, and in the aftermath of September 11th, the United States invades Afghanistan bud does not invade Iraq. Although, McCain was a bit of a war hawk so, he could not ignore Iraq altogether and would probably carry out a very limited campaign while Congress was still Republican.
 
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Everything, aside from the president, is as OTL. McCain is president in 2008, how he handles 2005 Hurricane Season might be a little better than Bush did, and in the aftermath of September 11th, the United States invades Afghanistan bud does not invade Iraq. Although, McCain was a bit of a war hawk so, he could not ignore Iraq altogether and would probably carry out a very limited campaign while Congress was still Republican.

Well Bush running in 2008 would not be on the same platform as 2000. In 2000, he was trying to do the right wing version of the third way, as all right wing parties were at the time. In 2008 he'd have to be the same as McCain but different. And he'd have to contend with McCain's VP who'd be first choice and probably someone young and spry to make up for McCain's age and middling health. Plus, Bush would've been out of office for a while, no Texas Governor has served more than 10 years. So what will he have been doing since 2004? It's not like he's skilled or competent in anything besides politics.

I don't see a Bush in '08 happening tbh. The timing is all wrong for him.
 
This thread does not propose that President George W. Bush run for a third term in 2008. What it does propose is, John McCain winning the Republican nomination in 2000 and becoming president. How much longer would Bush serve as governor of Texas? Bush runs for president again in 2008 against Romney, Huckabee, and Paul and defeats them, winning the nomination in 2008. In OTL, Bush chose Cheney for Vice President and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense because advisers from his father's presidency were pivotal for an invasion of Iraq. Would he choose the same people ATL?

Everything, aside from the president, is as OTL. McCain is president in 2008, how he handles 2005 Hurricane Season might be a little better than Bush did, and in the aftermath of September 11th, the United States invades Afghanistan bud does not invade Iraq. Although, McCain was a bit of a war hawk so, he could not ignore Iraq altogether and would probably carry out a very limited campaign while Congress was still Republican.

Then he'll probably lose, as the Republicans as a whole will be blamed for the war in Iraq if it still happens in some way, the bad economy, and if he faces either Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama in the general election.
 
Then he'll probably lose, as the Republicans as a whole will be blamed for the war in Iraq if it still happens in some way, the bad economy, and if he faces either Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama in the general election.
Well OTL 2003's Invasion of Iraq wouldn't happen as OTL but, the sanctions regime made Iraq an untenable situation. McCain could ignore the deteriorating conditions in Iraq but I think he'd face heavy pressure if he did, that's why I think he'd take a more limited action than a full scale invasion.
 
Plus, Bush would've been out of office for a while, no Texas Governor has served more than 10 years. So what will he have been doing since 2004? It's not like he's skilled or competent in anything besides politics.

I don't see a Bush in '08 happening tbh. The timing is all wrong for him.
Perhaps in late 2002 after Phil Gramm retired, Bush could seek to fill the vacancy Gramm left behind in his Senate seat? That is, if Bush is ambitious enough to want the seat in the first place. I'd imagine he'd be in a more credible position to run for president after having served as a governor and a senator.
 
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Perhaps in late 2002 after Phil Gramm retired, Bush could seek to fill the vacancy Gramm left behind in his Senate seat? That is, if Bush is ambitious enough to want the seat in the first place. I'd imagine he'd be in a more credible position to run for president after having served as a governor and a senator.
Senator George Bush has a nice ring to it. I suppose he could pursue Gramm's seat if he steps down as governor between 2000 and 2002. Another option could have been to have McCain offer him a position on his cabinet but, a cabinet position doesn't demonstrate as much power and leadership that a senator has. Whatever position he is given or seeks, he would still trounce Romney, Huckabee, and Paul just to lose to Obama.
 
Senator George Bush has a nice ring to it. I suppose he could pursue Gramm's seat if he steps down as governor between 2000 and 2002. Another option could have been to have McCain offer him a position on his cabinet but, a cabinet position doesn't demonstrate as much power and leadership that a senator has. Whatever position he is given or seeks, he would still trounce Romney, Huckabee, and Paul just to lose to Obama.

What about he takes over as Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 19th district, following Larry Combest's retirement in 2003?

What if McCain lost his 2004 re-election to John Kerry? Because I doubt George W. Bush could do the same as his dad, by having three terms of consecutive Republicans.
 
An interesting candidate for vice president would be, Joe Lieberman, Independent U.S. Senator from Connecticut. Lieberman, who ran for Vice President as a Democrat with Democratic Party Presidential nominee, Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, IOTL praised McCain and argued that Barack Obama, the Democratic Party's Presidential nominee, was not ready to be President.

Other candidates, could be:
Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas
Senator Mel Martínez of Florida
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City (during 9/11)
 

Puzzle

Donor
Whatever position he is given or seeks, he would still trounce Romney, Huckabee, and Paul just to lose to Obama.

Obama would probably be butterflied. Before 2004 no one knew who he was, it's foolish to assume he's some sort of fixed point in history.
 

LordKalvert

Banned
How much longer would Bush serve as governor of Texas?


Depends- Texas has no term limits on Governors though tradition is two. Bush is capable of ignoring that.

Bush runs for president again in 2008 against Romney, Huckabee, and Paul and defeats them, winning the nomination in 2008.

This is a bit hard to swallow. George Bush won the nomination in 2000 against very weak Republican opposition. McCain would have had a VP who spent 8 years planning for a run and Jeb Bush wouldn't control the party machinery in Florida for his brother. For the sake of the thread, though will assume it happens

In OTL, Bush chose Cheney for Vice President and Rumsfeld for Secretary of Defense because advisers from his father's presidency were pivotal for an invasion of Iraq. Would he choose the same people ATL?
Hopefully not. They were bad choices in 2000 and in 2008 they would have been eight years older and probably even more senile than they were in OTL

Rumsfeld was 68 in 2000 and would have been 76 in 2008. Really don't see him being defense secretary

Cheney would have been 67 so doable but he was only picked so Jeb wouldn't have a rival when he ran for the WH so, yeah, Cheney could happen
 
might gw bush have been McCain's VP?
McCain would have made a good choice to make Bush Vice President and Bush would have followed in his father's foot steps being their former rivals' Vice Presidents. But IOTL, Bush and McCain had bad blood in the primaries making it harder to make them willing to choose the other. Had Bush been McCain's vice president, I think the Invasion of Iraq would have happened because McCain voted for it IOTL and McCain's record shows he is a war hawk. After serving eight years as Vice President, Bush would be front runner no doubt. Two possible McCain Vice Presidents who I don't think would want the presidency afterwards are John Ashcroft and Wayne Allard.
 
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