Good (R) candidate for 2000 BESIDES Bush?

The Republicans had a lot going for them in 2000, what with the whole weakening economy and the earlier Republican Revolution of Gingrich. That they chose Bush to represent this growing energy is sometimes mystifying to me, so I thought I'd ponder the alternate possibilities of this situation.

Who else could have been nominated for the Republican ticket in 2000? Would they have been able to win? How would someone who wasn't Bush and his neo-conservative buddies being president have effected subsequent events?
 
How about Elizabeth Dole? She actually ran in 2000, and placed third in the Iowa Straw Poll before withdrawing due to lack of funds. Surely, without the baggage of the Bush administration, a female Republican presidential candidate would be able to attract a significant portion of normally Democratic-leaning women?

Maybe... George Bush's alcoholic past reveals a few unhelpful surprises early in the Republican presidential campaign, and he's forced to withdraw. With her husband's prominent backing, and the withdrawal of the presumed frontrunner, Elizabeth Dole might become the unlikely establishment candidate. From there, she gains access to a vast pool of fundraising, and should beat Steve Forbes in the primary campaign.

Given her lackluster performance as Senator for North Carolina, it's not certain how well she'd do on the national campaign trail, but the media are sure to go crazy over the first female Presidential candidate. If she can ride the wave, she could possibly capture a large female vote and sweep into the White House.
 

CalBear

Moderator
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McCain would most likely be the nominee considering he almost won SC against Bush


Absolutely. McCain would have been a better candidate overall (not to mention a MUCH better President, not that it is difficult achievement), although Rove was a brilliant strategist in 2000 and he would not have been part of McCain's team.
 
McCain would most likely be the nominee considering he almost won SC against Bush

Agreed and in 2000, McCain actually could have run on a platform of change because he was quite a maverick in the Repubilcan Party at the time. In fact he considered switching parties and was known for being a royal pain in the ass in the Republican caucus.
 
Well, OK, so what do you think happens with McCain as president? How does he react come 9/11? How does he handle budgeting issues? Does the Republican Congress still go spending crazy?
 

ninebucks

Banned
How about Elizabeth Dole? She actually ran in 2000, and placed third in the Iowa Straw Poll before withdrawing due to lack of funds. Surely, without the baggage of the Bush administration, a female Republican presidential candidate would be able to attract a significant portion of normally Democratic-leaning women?

Maybe... George Bush's alcoholic past reveals a few unhelpful surprises early in the Republican presidential campaign, and he's forced to withdraw. With her husband's prominent backing, and the withdrawal of the presumed frontrunner, Elizabeth Dole might become the unlikely establishment candidate. From there, she gains access to a vast pool of fundraising, and should beat Steve Forbes in the primary campaign.

Given her lackluster performance as Senator for North Carolina, it's not certain how well she'd do on the national campaign trail, but the media are sure to go crazy over the first female Presidential candidate. If she can ride the wave, she could possibly capture a large female vote and sweep into the White House.

I really like this idea. I can easily imagine a female Republican taking a lot of female Democratic votes, especially considering Clinton's 'womanising legacy'.

What is Dole like as a politician?
 

sprite

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I really like this idea. I can easily imagine a female Republican taking a lot of female Democratic votes, especially considering Clinton's 'womanising legacy'.

What is Dole like as a politician?

In short, bloody awful. However, so is W., so it'd depend on who she'd have as VP, cabinet & advisors.
 

sprite

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Monthly Donor
The Republicans had a lot going for them in 2000, what with the whole weakening economy and the earlier Republican Revolution of Gingrich. That they chose Bush to represent this growing energy is sometimes mystifying to me, so I thought I'd ponder the alternate possibilities of this situation.

Who else could have been nominated for the Republican ticket in 2000? Would they have been able to win? How would someone who wasn't Bush and his neo-conservative buddies being president have effected subsequent events?

Without W. McCain would've been a shoe-in. Re: Gore vs McCain, i suspect McCain would've won convincingly, would've picked up Iowa, Wisconsin and Oregon i think.

- McCain would've been running against the Clinton legacy.
- The maverick image was more authentic in 2000 than now.
- He was 8 years younger :)
 
Well, the ones who actually ran aren't the best guide, because Bush was so dominant, from November 5, 1996 onwards, that no candidate worth their salt (beyond McCain, who positioned himself as a hopeless crusader anyway) actually ran.

There's a whole lot of promising Republicans out there. Off the top of my head: George Pataki, John Engler, Tommy Thompson, Paul Coverdell, Larry Pressler, maybe Jack Kemp, maybe Olympia Snowe, maybe Arne Carlson (too liberal, though). You've got ~25 governors and ~50 senators; at least 10% have to be of presidential quality.
 

ninebucks

Banned

I clicked on his link and this photo made me laugh out loud.

225px-Alan_Keyes.jpg
 

Typo

Banned
Agreed, McCain, and he wouldn't have sold out to the extreme right like he did this election either
 
The Republicans had a lot going for them in 2000, what with the whole weakening economy and the earlier Republican Revolution of Gingrich. That they chose Bush to represent this growing energy is sometimes mystifying to me, so I thought I'd ponder the alternate possibilities of this situation.

Who else could have been nominated for the Republican ticket in 2000? Would they have been able to win? How would someone who wasn't Bush and his neo-conservative buddies being president have effected subsequent events?

I'm not sure where you get the idea that the worsening economy was an issue. The economy peaked during the campaign, and both parties were still acting as if the abnormally high tax revenues were going to continue until infinity.

Depending on when you want the POD, no last minute dirty calls from the Chiles campaign could mean Jeb Bush wins the 1994 Florida gubernatorial election, and he'd be the obvious candidate for election in 2000.
 

JohnJacques

Banned
McCain, I don't think, can win in 2000. The voter group that won that election were Christian evangelicals..... who McCain had done the most since Goldwater to piss off.
 
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