In 2004 there were barely any Republican challengers to challenge Bush Jr. and Kerry. But if there had been, who do you think would have been likely to run, and be a viable option?
In 2004 there were barely any Republican challengers to challenge Bush Jr. and Kerry. But if there had been, who do you think would have been likely to run, and be a viable option?
Bush was the incumbent President. Incumbent Presidents rarely get serious challenges unless they are super unpopular (Ford in 76, Carter in 80). But if your OP is assuming that Bush's popularity tanks to the teens in 2004 (like it was in 2008), then maybe McCain, Giuliani, or George Allen (he was considered to be a strong Presidential contender until he lost his Senate seat in 2006). Of course it also depends on what series of events made Bush's popularity go down so far.
No 9/11 probably gets Bush a challenger. The economy sticks in the toilet, in that case, and I would assume that the Democrats take both houses of Congress in 2002.
But who? I'm thinking John McCain is a big possibility.
McCain is probably too smart to run a campaign he has no chance of winning. Even an unpopular president is unstoppable in a modern nomination contest. "Unpopular" isn't enough - has to be a complete disaster, which is just unlikely.