How Would a President Romney Be Fairing?

[PresidentZinn]

Over the course of the last several months I have found myself pondering a number of "What Ifs?" in regards to last year's presidential election. Seeing as we are now more than half-a-year into President Obama's second term, I thought it would be appropriate to ask one of the most obvious questions regarding contemporary alternate history.... What if Mitt Romney had managed to defeat Barack Obama and thus retake the White House for the Republicans?

More specifically, how would Romney be fairing thus far into his presidency? I know this depends on a number of variables, such as whether or not the Republicans retake the Senate, and what kind of mandate he receives in winning (although in hindsight it seems as if he could have only won by a squeaker).

Furthermore, how would the country react to a Romney victory? What would the cabinet of a Romney Administration look like? Most importantly what kind of agenda would Romney pursue upon taking office, and how successful would he be in carrying it out? Would Romney really be willing to make the tough spending cuts he promised?

One area of personal interest would be seeing how the pressure of the very right-wing GOP base would effect Romney's decision making.

Note: The infobox provided reflects just one of many potential Romney victory scenarios.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

I assume FL is same as 2000?

Well, for one, Romney would have very little legimitacy. A depression and he's preaching austerity and spending cuts. With the zombie-eyed granny starver as his veep, I think they'll be very unpopular by 2014, and definitely out in 2017. The present is not a good time for a Republican president.

 

[Abhakhazia]

Wouldn't it be more likely for Romney to win the popular vote, given how the electoral college is skewed to the Democrats?

And how a Romney administration would go, well, he'd be able to work with congress at least, and show a clearer plan of debt reduction, which would give him at least a minor boost in the polls at the beginning, whether his administration could retain popularity, I don't know, I'm not exactly an expert on this.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

Wouldn't it be more likely for Romney to win the popular vote, given how the electoral college is skewed to the Democrats?

And how a Romney administration would go, well, he'd be able to work with congress at least, and show a clearer plan of debt reduction, which would give him at least a minor boost in the polls at the beginning, whether his administration could retain popularity, I don't know, I'm not exactly an expert on this.

Romney is too much of a moderate for the Tea Party.

Minor boost? He lost the PV and Obama is kinda the nicest President since Gerald Ford.

 

[PresidentZinn]

I assume FL is same as 2000?

If by that you mean a recount, than I'd say no. In OTL Florida was the closest state so a few butterflies in Romney's favour could give him a legitimate victory there.

 

[Abhakhazia]

Romney is too much of a moderate for the Tea Party.

Minor boost? He lost the PV and Obama is kinda the nicest President since Gerald Ford.

It's pretty unlikely Romney could have won the Electoral College without the popular vote.

 

[Mike Stearns]

I was curious at the time about some of the finer points of his platform. He claimed that if he won would create 200,000 jobs a month. I'd be interesting in hearing more about how he was planning to do that, as he never gave any details.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

It's pretty unlikely Romney could have won the Electoral College without the popular vote.

Well, he could have won a lot of states quite narrowly. I would say Virginia, Ohio and New Hampshire could be very close.

Add more voting in California etc. leads to Obama winning PV, but Romney winning EV.

 

[Abhakhazia]

I was curious at the time about some of the finer points of his platform. He claimed that if he won would create 200,000 jobs a month. I'd be interesting in hearing more about how he was planning to do that, as he never gave any details.

Yeah, that's the problem with guessing at a Romney presidency, his campaign platforms were so vague.

 

[CanadianTory]

I'm guessing Romney would attempt to repeal Obamacare right away, put more focus on the debt and deficit, maybe pursue military action in Syria, push against Iran and North Korea in the same manner as Obama did IOTL and work on explaining why he couldn't make 200, 000 jobs a month like he said, as well as many other elements of his, lets face it, vague platform.

Keystone would be addressed a lot sooner, I'm guessing that relations with Canada would be better since both Romney and Harper are Center-Right economists.

Ryan would play a major role in the Romney Administrations attempt to work with the House and the Senate, but as for Cabinet options, who knows.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

I'm guessing Romney would attempt to repeal Obamacare right away, put more focus on the debt and deficit, maybe pursue military action in Syria, push against Iran and North Korea in the same manner as Obama did IOTL and work on explaining why he couldn't make 200, 000 jobs a month like he said, as well as many other elements of his, lets face it, vague platform.

Keystone would be addressed a lot sooner, I'm guessing that relations with Canada would be better since both Romney and Harper are Center-Right economists.

Ryan would play a major role in the Romney Administrations attempt to work with the House and the Senate, but as for Cabinet options, who knows.

Repeal Obamacare right away? Really?

 

[Beedok]

Keystone would be addressed a lot sooner, I'm guessing that relations with Canada would be better since both Romney and Harper are Center-Right economists.

Obama's more or less a Centre-Right economist too isn't he? (Also, centre right means centre of the right correct?)

 

[Corsair_Caruso]

It's pretty unlikely Romney could have won the Electoral College without the popular vote.

And yet, President Bush...

 

[Corsair_Caruso]

Obama's more or less a Centre-Right economist too isn't he? (Also, centre right means centre of the right correct?)

My understanding of "centre right" means just right of the center. A slightly conservative moderate, rather than a middle-of-the-road conservative.

 

[CanadianTory]

Repeal Obamacare right away? Really?

Well I'm just guessing because thats what he said he would do. He'd attempt to, thats for sure.

For me Beedok, Center Right means Right of the Center

 

[Turquoise Blue]

And yet, President Bush...

This. The EC has been skewed towards us Democrats for a while now. Its the advantage we have in urban areas. I would say it was since 1992.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

Well I'm just guessing because thats what he said he would do. He'd attempt to, thats for sure.

For me Beedok, Center Right means Right of the Center

Obama's a centrist economically, really.

 

[CanadianTory]

Obama's a centrist economically, really.

Obama: Center-Left overall, keeps avoiding Keystone.

Romney: Center-Right overall, approves Keystone.

Which would the Prime Minister like more? I'd say the guy who approves Keystone.

 

[Turquoise Blue]

Obama: Center-Left overall, keeps avoiding Keystone.

Romney: Center-Right overall, approves Keystone.

Which would the Prime Minister like more? I'd say the guy who approves Keystone.

Center-Left overall? Only in America, really. By Canadian standards, he's a Liberal, or at a stretch a Mulcairite Dipper.

 

[Beedok]

My understanding of "centre right" means just right of the center. A slightly conservative moderate, rather than a middle-of-the-road conservative.

For me Beedok, Center Right means Right of the Center

Then the tories aren't centre right. Well a handful might be, but I would guess most of the centre right are Liberal. The Tories seem pretty safely in the right wing.

Center-Left overall? Only in America, really. By Canadian standards, he's a Liberal, or at a stretch a Mulcairite Dipper.

Um no, by Canadian standards his a right wing liberal or more average Tory. Any political chart I've seen places him just a nudge left of Harper.