Please The MSM: Hillary v. Rudy, 2008

Could Romney have won the Iowa caucus in our timeline? I suspect that Huckabee still has the surprise advantage there.

Huckabee won close, I suspect more McCain supporters would have gone to Romney than Huckabee. A Huckabee win works even better, as he's a harder sell as the party nominee, and then you get Romney v Giuliani v Huckabee.
 
Huckabee won close, I suspect more McCain supporters would have gone to Romney than Huckabee. A Huckabee win works even better, as he's a harder sell as the party nominee, and then you get Romney v Giuliani v Huckabee.

Close? There was a nine point spread between first place and second. I agree that many McCain voters won't drift to Huckabee, but I suspect that some will. You have to remember that McCain finished fourth in Iowa in our timeline, and much of his support could also have gone to third-place finisher (and Giuliani running mate?) Fred Thompson.
 
Close? There was a nine point spread between first place and second. I agree that many McCain voters won't drift to Huckabee, but I suspect that some will. You have to remember that McCain finished fourth in Iowa in our timeline, and much of his support could also have gone to third-place finisher (and Giuliani running mate?) Fred Thompson.

You've got your quibble in, don't worry.
 
Clinton isn't hard -- all you have to do is keep Obama from winning Iowa. (Maybe a stronger Edwards? Say the Enquirer doesn't find out about Rielle -- a story which likely spread to the MSM, not enough for them to report it independently, but enough for them to generally ignore his campaign.) Edwards and Obama more evenly split the anti-Hillary vote, letting her cruise in.

I'm honestly not sure there's a non-ASB way to make the GOP nominate a pro-choice candidate, however.
 

pnyckqx

Banned
W naming a pro-choice VP?
At this point in time, the so-called war on terror was a bigger issue. Rudy is the face of that war due to 9/11 happening in his town. Aside from that, Rove had already alienated the Republican base. He holds the conservative wing of the Republican Party in contempt, so nothing new there. The Sean Hannitys and Rush Limbaughs of the world will fall in line right behind Rudy, just as they always do.
 
I agree with Fleetlord Hart getting Hillary the nomination is not hard but Rudi is very difficult. His views on abortion repel much of the GOP base. I have written a timeline of him getting the nomination. It requires social conservative to split thier votes among different candidates. It also involves John McCain, who attracted moderate votes not to run. My favorite way for this happen is to have him barred by the 22nd amendment after having won the White House in 2000 and 2004. This TL would mean Hillary winning by a landslide as thier would have been a social conservative candidate that would split the Republican vote. In addition to the defections Rudi has to face more scrutiny of his personal life. Hillary benefits as a cheated upon running against a cheater. There is also the fact that Chelsea is on the stump for her mother but Rudi's childern are MIA. I also remember reading that Rudi's aides were worried that if the Yankees got into the world series thier candidate would want to go to the games. So if he wins the nomination I would sent them to series on year early. I can see the footage of him sitting in a comfy box seat and the Clinton ad with the voice over: Who will be there to answer the 7:30 phone call I am President Gualiani is at the game.
 
At this point in time, the so-called war on terror was a bigger issue. Rudy is the face of that war due to 9/11 happening in his town. Aside from that, Rove had already alienated the Republican base. He holds the conservative wing of the Republican Party in contempt, so nothing new there. The Sean Hannitys and Rush Limbaughs of the world will fall in line right behind Rudy, just as they always do.

THEY will, but will the GOP base go with them this time? As OTL 2006 and 2008 showed, there are some limits even to the power of the Republican Sound Machine (Fox).
 
THEY will, but will the GOP base go with them this time? As OTL 2006 and 2008 showed, there are some limits even to the power of the Republican Sound Machine (Fox).

Given that Pat Robertson endorsed Giuliani during the 2008 cycle, I doubt that this will really be a problem.
 

pnyckqx

Banned
THEY will, but will the GOP base go with them this time? As OTL 2006 and 2008 showed, there are some limits even to the power of the Republican Sound Machine (Fox).
It may be a butterfly worth examining. As a poster has noted, Pat Robertson did endorse Rudy. It may separate the Religious Right preachers from their base and cause a different sort of political allignment. Perhaps the Tea Parties would form earlier and under different leadership. Sarah Palin would not be an issue ITTL
 
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I doubt that Pat Robertson convinced many social conservatives to vote for Rudy.

Exactly. Roberston can say whatever he wants, as long as Rudy's opponents (or their plausible-deniability surrogates) bring up his adultery, fondness for drag, pro-choice pro-gay Manhattanism, the base ain't voting for him, no how.
 

pnyckqx

Banned
I agree with Fleetlord Hart getting Hillary the nomination is not hard but Rudi is very difficult. His views on abortion repel much of the GOP base. I have written a timeline of him getting the nomination. It requires social conservative to split thier votes among different candidates. It also involves John McCain, who attracted moderate votes not to run. My favorite way for this happen is to have him barred by the 22nd amendment after having won the White House in 2000 and 2004. This TL would mean Hillary winning by a landslide as thier would have been a social conservative candidate that would split the Republican vote. In addition to the defections Rudi has to face more scrutiny of his personal life. Hillary benefits as a cheated upon running against a cheater. There is also the fact that Chelsea is on the stump for her mother but Rudi's childern are MIA. I also remember reading that Rudi's aides were worried that if the Yankees got into the world series thier candidate would want to go to the games. So if he wins the nomination I would sent them to series on year early. I can see the footage of him sitting in a comfy box seat and the Clinton ad with the voice over: Who will be there to answer the 7:30 phone call I am President Gualiani is at the game.
The real truth of McCain getting the nomination was by using Fred Thompson as his stalking horse and channeling off the social conservatives to somebody who was going nowhere. i could easily see Sean Hannity doing the same thing with Rudy by using Mike Huckabee. Limbaugh is a bit more cynical than that.

With Rudy as Vice President it's a wash. Rudy would have to have Ron Paul killed though, because he came off second best in that debate exchange. ;)

The general election is 6-5 and pick em.
 
Hillary is easier to me. Have no Edwards in Iowa, and I would predict a victory for her in Iowa. Win in Iowa, win in New Hampshire, Obama staves off defeat in South Carolina, and then loses in a manner slightly similar to McCain v Romney in 2008. Hillary picks Obama as her running mate.
...except, Obama's a pretty different candidate from Romney. Romney had a massive truth problem, both from vast inconsistency with himself and from sounding, as one Republican wrote, sounding like a used car salesman. And, Obama has smarts and a pretty good voice, something the thread keeps forgetiting,

Hill lost 'because her chief strategist's idea of building a big coalition was well summarized by the prefix of his book's title. He tried to build a MICROcoalition, just focusing on Boomer women like his boss. So, he thought alienating blacks and men in a Dem election was OK.

You need to have her fire him early and have her make an actual good choice. Somebody who'd use her hubby's voice positively, as Obama used his.
 
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