WI: Mitt Romney Defeats Ted Kennedy In 1994

The Massachusetts Senate election of 1994 was the closest Senate election in Ted Kennedy's career (save for the special election in 1962). What if Mitt Romney managed to beat out Kennedy for the Senate seat? What butterflies would that lead to? How does he do in the Senate? Does he run for Prez in 2000? Also, what specific POD would lead to Romney winning?
 
The Massachusetts Senate election of 1994 was the closest Senate election in Ted Kennedy's career (save for the special election in 1962). What if Mitt Romney managed to beat out Kennedy for the Senate seat? What butterflies would that lead to? How does he do in the Senate? Does he run for Prez in 2000? Also, what specific POD would lead to Romney winning?

Let's leave to the expert . . .

"Hay Beav"
 
Romney was winning until Kennedy started smearing his record as a CEO with interviews from former Bain plant employees who were laid off- this occurred in late September. Have them refuse to badmouth Romney, or Kennedy's opposition researchers don't find it. Have Romney run a strictly positive campaign extolling his character, Mr. Clean persona, etc. Or in Ted's words, "tell old Ted thank you, give him a gold watch, and let him spend his dotage on Cape Cod." Romney should win a victory in the 50-53 percent range on Nov. 8. Romney would do well in the Senate but running in 2000 would be impossible- Bush was too strong. Best to wait till 2008.
 
Romney was winning until Kennedy started smearing his record as a CEO with interviews from former Bain plant employees who were laid off- this occurred in late September. Have them refuse to badmouth Romney, or Kennedy's opposition researchers don't find it. Have Romney run a strictly positive campaign extolling his character, Mr. Clean persona, etc. Or in Ted's words, "tell old Ted thank you, give him a gold watch, and let him spend his dotage on Cape Cod." Romney should win a victory in the 50-53 percent range on Nov. 8. Romney would do well in the Senate but running in 2000 would be impossible- Bush was too strong. Best to wait till 2008.

So then something similar to OTL long term for Mitt? Plays the precarious balance between conservative national politics and moderate/liberal trends in Mass. to win re-election in 2000 (Similar to what Scott Brown is trying to do now to keep his seat in 2012). Then declines to run again in 2006, both to focus on a Presidential race and to avoid getting defeated in a Democrat wave. 2008 sees him running for President, moving to the right but having trouble being designated as a flip-flopper by social conservatives due to his comparatively moderate record in the Senate.

I wonder what Teddy would have done with his 15 years, more or less of retirement...
 
He would stay retired, because there's nothing else he could do. Like RFK, he has a law degree but never practiced, and the most I could see is Ted becoming a lobbyist or influence-peddler. Most likely he will push one of his kids or nephews to aim high, and the presidentiable at this moment is John Jr., since RFK Jr. disqualified himself in the late 1970s and early 1980s with a lengthy narcotics record.
 
Your Holiness: That dates back to the "HHH as draft-dodger" smear in 1960, and I can think of a few more, but that's not the point of this thread.
 
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