Would John McCain Have Took The U.S. Into Iraq if He Won in 2000?

[The Mikado]

I think people are seriously misremembering McCain's character in 2000.  He had people like William Kristol and Dave Frum in his corner saying that George W. Bush was too dovish and McCain was the hawk that could better defend American interests.  McCain was absolutely surrounded by neo-conservatives.  I have little doubt that he'd have invaded Iraq whether 9/11 or not.

It's just that since he lost, people like to project their beefs with Bush onto McCain and turn him into the opposite.  McCain did have domestic disagreements with Bush in 2000, but on foreign policy he was, if anything, to the right of Bush.

[The Mikado]

McCain in his own words, February 2000:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/15/lkl.00.html

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[The Mikado]

McCain in his own words, February 2000:

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0002/15/lkl.00.html

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So basically, McCain said that he would be more active in aiding the opposition in rogue dictatorships in the hopes that they will overthrow those regimes in the future. Nowhere here did McCain say that he supports using U.S. troops to overthrow those dictatorial govts. Besides, a candidate often says one thing and does another--Bush Jr. said he opposed nation-building in 2000 yet proceeded to invade Iraq after he was elected. Thus everything McCain says here (or anywhere, for that matter) should be taken with a grain of salt and some skepticism.

First of all, you're right that we have to take things with a grain of salt.  That said, that applies to any alternate history conclusion ever.  What I was arguing was that McCain was clearly as hostile to Iraq as Bush and was closely advised by neoconservatives.

PS: Rereading that transcript, I have to wonder what sort of domestic resistance movements McCain was considering supporting in North Korea.