What would have happened had Barack Obama managed to defeat Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2008, as he came close to doing so in OTL? would he have won the election like her; what kind of President would he have been? what course would President Clinton's career taken had she lost the nomination and remained in the Senate?
DBWI: Barack Obama won the 2008 Democratic nomination?
- Thread starter Kaiser K
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Obama would've definitely won '08, but I think chances are good we'd have a Republican President now too. As appealing as his message of hope and change was at the time, I think hindsight shows his lack of executive experience would've doomed him to one term. Hillary had a tough enough time winning reelection and a weaker handling of things under Obama might've been enough to give 2012 to Huckabee. 
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Obama would've definitely won '08, but I think chances are good we'd have a Republican President now too. As appealing as his message of hope and change was at the time, I think hindsight shows his lack of executive experience would've doomed him to one term. Hillary had a tough enough time winning reelection and a weaker handling of things under Obama might've been enough to give 2012 to Huckabee.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, given his record as HUD Secretary. That said, I don't really see any significant difference between the administration. Maybe Obama pushing through a more radical version of Clintoncare II, or perhaps a Republican Congress to deal with.
Republicans were on bad condition on '08 election so probably Obama could win. But it might depends has McCain still Romney his VP candidate. Obama is socially quiet radical and lesser interventionist than Clinton. These issues might be too much and I think that Obama might lose election '12 depending who is against him. Romney might still run against sitting president like in OTL but now he might win.
Wait, what? Obama is a left-leaning moderate while Clinton is a right leanibg moderate. I think that the economic recovery under Obama would be a lot better than under Clinton. Maybe by 2012, the economy may have totally recovered, unlike IOTL wher the economy has still not recovered entirely.
I doubt Obama would have gone nuclear in Iran or issued Executive Order #66. He would have been a great president IMHO.
Well, Obama was to the right of Clinton on many issues besides Iraq, or at least ran that way; so there could have been considerable differences between their administrations.
I hear that Obama planned on tapping Vice President Biden to the post just as Clinton ultimately did; so that probably wouldn't change.
OOC: Nuclear in Iran? that's extremely unlikely.
Better gender relations and worse racial relations. Seeing how MRA's acted when Hillary took office, I suspect white racists would have the dog whistles out with a black President.
Title IX repeal would not be part of every Republican's 2016 plank, and Rep.Christina Sommers wouldn't be polling at 14%.
Title IX repeal would not be part of every Republican's 2016 plank, and Rep.Christina Sommers wouldn't be polling at 14%.
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Why is it such a laughable idea? one of the two frontrunners for the 2016 Democratic nomination is black, and Obama came very close to winning the Democratic nomination; it's not inconceivable.
Some one put this in Alien space bats.
A Senitor from Illionsis from the chicago machine with a kenyan father and is named Barack Husine Obama?
Really? Its a miracle he did as well as he did which was pretty lousy. Even if he some how won the primaries and the presidency he would still face a republican party who would become the party of no, and the creation of the coffee party. Which held the economy hostage twice and shut down the government. Hilary had the experence needed to get anything done with those kinds of odds against her.
A Senitor from Illionsis from the chicago machine with a kenyan father and is named Barack Husine Obama?
Really? Its a miracle he did as well as he did which was pretty lousy. Even if he some how won the primaries and the presidency he would still face a republican party who would become the party of no, and the creation of the coffee party. Which held the economy hostage twice and shut down the government. Hilary had the experence needed to get anything done with those kinds of odds against her.
He almost won several primaries in 2008, had some votes swung the other way it wouldn't have been inconceivable that Obama could have built up enough momentum to dethrone Clinton, he came close as it was in OTL (a few hundred delegates shy), and since the year was basically the Democrats to lose; it's pretty much certain he'd win the General I would say.
Oh please. We have a women POTUS. We could elect anyone we wanted to if they were qualified enough.
Obama's VP pick would have been interesting. Sure, he could pick Biden as Hillary did, or he could go with someone like Warner or Schweitzer to capitalize on those swing states.
Of course, he could have also picked Hillary. What a dream team that'd be...
Implying that McCain could beat a Democrat in 2008? Obama wouldn't have trounced him as well as Hillary, but Barack probably still wins due to the odds against McCain. His best bet would have been to pass the baton to Romney and pounce Obama in 2012, with McCain's health permitting of course.
Of course, he could have also picked Hillary.
What a dream team that'd be...Implying that McCain could beat a Democrat in 2008? Obama wouldn't have trounced him as well as Hillary, but Barack probably still wins due to the odds against McCain. His best bet would have been to pass the baton to Romney and pounce Obama in 2012, with McCain's health permitting of course.
I think people underestimate the power of incumbency, or of the big blue wall. Obama should very much be able to win a second term, like Clinton did, without much problem. Romney will almost certainly still be the nominee, and like his run against Clinton, he'd almost certainly bungle it up with headscratching gaffes and flip flopping.
Obama's VP pick would have been interesting. Sure, he could pick Biden as Hillary did, or he could go with someone like Warner or Schweitzer to capitalize on those swing states.
Of course, he could have also picked Hillary.
Implying that McCain could beat a Democrat in 2008? Obama wouldn't have trounced him as well as Hillary, but Barack probably still wins due to the odds against McCain. His best bet would have been to pass the baton to Romney and pounce Obama in 2012, with McCain's health permitting of course.
I personally figure that Obama, being slightly more to the right then most of the candidates that year and being as young and inexperienced as he was - would probably end up picking a boring and experienced white guy from a key swing state, so someone like Warner or Kucinich maybe?
As for McCain, would it be possible he'd have gone with a riskier VP pick had Obama won the nomination? in OTL he felt safe going with his original and ultimate choice of Romney due to it being a race of issues between him and Clinton, if Obama was the nominee and had continued his change narrative from his campaign; McCain might have picked someone else to try and counter that.
If it did, then Obama wouldn't have come so close to beating Clinton for the nomination.