WI VPOTUS Jack Ryan?

Let's say that the divorce issue is somehow finessed. Can he win the 2004 Senate race and perhaps become McCain's running mate? In this scenario, likely we have a POTUS HRC come Inauguration Day.
 
Ryan was never elected Senator from Illinois- that seat belonged to Carol Moseley-Braun and previously Peter Fitzgerald.
 
Let's say that the divorce issue is somehow finessed. Can he win the 2004 Senate race and perhaps become McCain's running mate? In this scenario, likely we have a POTUS HRC come Inauguration Day.

The divorce issue is pretty easy to overcome. The divorce records were sealed, and it took a court order to make them available publicly. Change the ruling and the scandal because a lot smaller.

Ryan's ability to win in Illinois in 2004 was imo unlikely. A poll had Ryan trailing Obama 52% to 30% prior to the release of the records. That said the scandal of what was in the documents could have affected those results. Even without the scandal, any of it, I find it hard to believe that unless something came out late in the campaign to damage Obama that a Republican would win in 2004. Kerry won the state by half million votes in an election he lost nationally.

So if Ryan became the Vice Presidential candidate after serving four years as Senator of Illinois somehow, I could see that helping a McCain election. Clinton would most likely have been the Democratic nominee, though I suppose as some have suggested a guy like Richardson might have had an Obama-like rise to grab the nominee. Ryan though would have been a better choice as he would have been more of a moderate. Might have given the Republicans a shot at winning Illinois' 21 electoral votes that are typically guaranteed for the Democrats, and also increased the chances that some of the swing states might have fallen for the GOP in 2008.

Interesting what ifs to consider, and would have had an effect on the Senate from 2006-2010. That said a lot of changes would be required to make this scenario happen.
 
Eh, if there's no prospects for Jeri Ryan as first lady, what's the point?
Well the solution is to make the POD Jack Ryan and Jeri Ryan never divorce. That would remove the impetus for the scandal which would be a nice first step to get Jack Ryan into the Senate seat in 2004.

And I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment of this wi scenario.
 
Eh, if there's no prospects for Jeri Ryan as first lady, what's the point?

Well, lets say the divorce dosen't happen, and then Mccain/Ryan manages to win a very small victory over H. Clinton. Mccain dies of shock, and then...BAM! President Jack Ryan and First Lady Seven of Nine. :D
 
Well, lets say the divorce dosen't happen, and then Mccain/Ryan manages to win a very small victory over H. Clinton. Mccain dies of shock, and then...BAM! President Jack Ryan and First Lady Seven of Nine. :D
Actually, I have an Idea for a POD, But Star Trek Fans WON'T Like it ...

The Majority of What Led to The Divorce was Jeri Taking on The Role of Voyager's Seven of Nine, in The First Place!

If she Never Pursues a Career that Takes her Away from her Husband, Most of The Problem just goes Away on its Own ...

Unfortunately, While this May Mean First Lady Jeri Ryan, Queen of The Chicago Stage; What it Most EMPHATICALLY doesn't Mean is Seven of Nine, Assimilator in Chief!
 
Actually, I have an Idea for a POD, But Star Trek Fans WON'T Like it ...

The Majority of What Led to The Divorce was Jeri Taking on The Role of Voyager's Seven of Nine, in The First Place!

If she Never Pursues a Career that Takes her Away from her Husband, Most of The Problem just goes Away on its Own ...

Unfortunately, While this May Mean First Lady Jeri Ryan, Queen of The Chicago Stage; What it Most EMPHATICALLY doesn't Mean is Seven of Nine, Assimilator in Chief!
Interesting idea, and actually almost to the point of being worth plotting out more imo. This would seem to be a nice way to butterfly away the sex scandal, it was a pretty lame sex scandal but still it was enough to force Ryan out of the race. The problem is that Ryan was in a tough spot before the scandal broke. You have to remember that in Illinois former Governor George Ryan, no relation to Jack Ryan, was retiring from politics due to allegations of corruption. He would be found guilty in 2006, but his chief of staff was found guilty and his campaign manager plead guilty to various corruption charges in 2003. The name Ryan and the GOP image had been pretty badly tarnished in Illinois.

You would need something to hurt Barak Obama to get Ryan into the Senate in 2004. The Tony Rezko scandal breaking in 2004 as opposed to 2006 with his ties to Obama would likely do the trick. Rezko threw an important early fundraiser for Obama and was on Obama's Senate campaign finance committee. That would probably be enough to get Ryan the junior seat from Illinois. That being said, I am not sure that is enough to get him to VP candidate in 2008.
 
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