WI John McCain wins 2000 election

What if John McCain, not George W Bush, won the Republican nomination in 2000? How could this be done? Probably he wins South Carolina, maybe he successfully pushes back against the smear campaign run against him, but looking at coverage from the time that wasn't seen as a big factor in his loss(of course we have the benefit of hindsight). How does he win South Carolina? There's a consensus he would win the general, so President McCain. How would McCain handle the events of the Bush presidency? What would he do domestically? Smaller tax cuts? Abroad, how would he handle 9/11? Would he invade Iraq-and if so, would he do it better? Would he win in 2004? What would be the effects? What if?
 
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I saw a timeline on althistory wiki were McCain wins South Carolina and then after he wins the nomination he chooses Bush as VP.
 
Perhaps but McCain was very angry about the smears in South Carolina. Maybe McCaon/Danforth or some conservative.
One of the reason why McCain lost in 2008 was low evangelical turnout for him. And I think Bush would of help the Evangelical voters.
 
You're new, Jaguar, so let me just tell you that practically nothing on that website is up to snuff, and we'd rather you didn't include it in the discussion.
 
An idea would be that Bush doesn't do as well in his reelection as TX governor, or doesn't post as strong a win in IA. Weaker than OTL, he stumbles more in NH and this gives McCain a narrow victory in SC.
Winning the primary, McCain would do best to select a conservative such as Bush or someone from the South/Midwest, like Connie Mack or John Kasich, to be his running mate. Shore up his FP chops with domestic ones. If McCain runs the same type of campaign Bush did, then if he avoids gaffes it could end in a 300 or so electoral vote total against Gore
 
I don't really think he'd do it.

I'm not sure. On one hand he's not Bush and would run things differently. OTOH McCain is pretty hawkish and invading Iraq did get a lot of support after 9/11. I think if he did invade it would be done better than Bush did it.
 
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