I recall reading somewhere that in early 2001 around the same time Jim Jeffords became left the Republicans McCain almost did also out of bitterness with the way he was smeared by Bush in 2000. What if he did, could he have run in the Democratic primaries in 04 ala Lindsay?
That would have been interesting, although he would have been defeated in '04 in a direct matchup against Bush. Personally I think, he'd have had a better shot in 2008, although he likely would have lost to either Obama or Clinton in the primaries. (that's assuming Obama would still have run if McCain did).
I recall reading somewhere that in early 2001 around the same time Jim Jeffords became left the Republicans McCain almost did also out of bitterness with the way he was smeared by Bush in 2000. What if he did, could he have run in the Democratic primaries in 04 ala Lindsay?
All you have to do is flip AZ and then we start hearing Jay Leno crack jokes about Ohio. With AZ in McCain camp in 2004. it could be Mccain 261, 9 short of winning the election. now flip one or two more states, and you get McCain elected in 2004. however, if the Recession of 2008 happens, McCain and the Democrats get blamed and it could lead to Fred Thompson defeating McCain in 2008.
Don't know how likely this is, but maybe this could lead to an Obama/McCain or McCain/Obama ticket in 2008 or perhaps Hillary running with McCain? A real interesting twist would be Feingold and McCain on the same ticket.
We might see the Kerry/McCain ticket in 2004 that Kerry wanted so much (McCain loses some of his 'bipartisan' appeal in this TL, but he's still the two-parties rogue-maverick whatever. And obviously Kerry would take what he could get, he took Edwards).
Hmm... begging the question, why didn't McCain try to choose Kerry for his running mate in 2008 OTL? Probably because it was the same scenario but reversed.
He tried very hard for a McCain/Liebermann ticket, but apparently Karl Rove blew a fuse at the very thought of it and pointed out that it would cause a revolt at the RNC.
Four years before Kerry was Republican Public Enemy Number One, the cowardly swiftboating Jane Fonda loving flip flopping weak willed latte liberal who couldn't catch a football. It's kind of hard to come back from that. Also, McCain had been moving right to shore up his chances of the nomination, Kerry was too liberal.Hmm... begging the question, why didn't McCain try to choose Kerry for his running mate in 2008 OTL? Probably because it was the same scenario but reversed.