What if George W.Bush declined to run for president in 2000?

[PoliticalPerson]

15th of May, 1999

MSNBC News Update at 11pm E/T: Tonight, George W. Bush decides not to run for US president. He tells reporters he did that decision because he is not ready yet. Relating to that news, Pat Buchanan is saying that he might seek the nomination, and Ron Paul says he might seek the nomination. However, the biggest news yet is that former vice president of the united states Dan Quayle has decided to run. What a big political night! Now, a new poll by CBS NEWS puts Dan Quayle at 29%, Rudy Guliani at 14%  Ron Paul at 7%, and Pat Buchanan at 6%. We will be back with a news update at midnight eastren time.

[CathKhan]

I like it, but Rudy wasn't seen as a potential President til 9/11. Before then he was a liberal Republican tough-on-crime big city Mayor.

[Mr. Morden]

With no Bush in the race, folks like John Engler, Tommy Thompson, and Frank Keating would have run.  You would have seen a very crowded field.  Elizabeth Dole would have led the early polls because of name recognition.

[PoliticalPerson]

With no Bush in the race, folks like John Engler, Tommy Thompson, and Frank Keating would have run.  You would have seen a very crowded field.  Elizabeth Dole would have led the early polls because of name recognition.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I like it, but Rudy wasn't seen as a potential President til 9/11. Before then he was a liberal Republican tough-on-crime big city Mayor.

Thanks for the indication.

[PoliticalPerson]

Hello.

Next update might come today or tomorrow.

[State Comptroller Atkins]

Giuliani was not well-liked before 9/11. Quayle had name recognition, but that's about it. He was a figure of the past. There would be no reason for Paul to run if Bush hadn't, and Buchanan ran as the Reform Party's nominee (although didn't he start out in the GOP primaries?).

I think Lamar Alexander may present himself as the main Southern conservative in this scenario, and it would be a close run thing between him and McCain (or perhaps another relative moderate such as Tommy Thompson).

[Mr. Morden]

There would be no reason for Paul to run if Bush hadn't, and Buchanan ran as the Reform Party's nominee (although didn't he start out in the GOP primaries?).

Yes, IRL, Buchanan started out running for the GOP nomination, but then dropped out of the race to switch to the race for the Reform Party nomination, around Oct. 1999 or so.

The race for the 2000 GOP nomination started out crowded (and would have been even more crowded if Bush hadn't run, and scared people out of the race), but by the end of 1999, half the field had dropped out.  If Bush hadn't run, it probably would have been the most crowded field in modern history, and would have been a really wild affair, since there wouldn't have been a single dominating frontrunner.

[PoliticalPerson]

There would be no reason for Paul to run if Bush hadn't, and Buchanan ran as the Reform Party's nominee (although didn't he start out in the GOP primaries?).

Yes, IRL, Buchanan started out running for the GOP nomination, but then dropped out of the race to switch to the race for the Reform Party nomination, around Oct. 1999 or so.

The race for the 2000 GOP nomination started out crowded (and would have been even more crowded if Bush hadn't run, and scared people out of the race), but by the end of 1999, half the field had dropped out.  If Bush hadn't run, it probably would have been the most crowded field in modern history, and would have been a really wild affair, since there wouldn't have been a single dominating frontrunner.

Yes, Buchanan ran in 1999 as a republican but then dropped out of the party to run for the Reform Party. He won the primaries of the Reform Party, but lost the presidential election to BUSH.

[PoliticalPerson]

Next update will come today

[PoliticalPerson]

20th of May 1999

BREAKING FROM CNN!

*plays breaking news theme*

Robert Novak: I have some breaking news, Elizabeth Dole, Ron Paul, Steve Forbes, and John McCain has all decided to seek the GOP nomination, and in the Democratic side Ann Richards, former governor of Texas has decided NOT to seek the democratic nomination, but those already announced theirs for the Dem Nomination are Al GOre, Bill Bradley, and John Kerry.

Bill Press: A huge political night is unfolding before our eyes.
Now here are the people running for either the GOP or Democratic nomination.


Democrats:
Al Gore
John Kerry
Bill Bradley

GOP:
Dan Quayle
Elizabeth Dole
John McCain
Steve Forbes
Ron Paul

Robert Novak: More breaking news coming from the GOP. They have changed their rules in the primary. Now they have to award delegates on how many counties they have won in that state.

Bill Press: And each county is one delegate!

Robert Novak: Wow. It means that Iowa will have 99 delegates at the start!

[SirNick]

Robert Novak: More breaking news coming from the GOP. They have changed their rules in the primary. Now they have to award delegates on how many counties they have won in that state.

Bill Press: And each county is one delegate!

Robert Novak: Wow. It means that Iowa will have 99 delegates at the start!

You realize that reform, which would have had to pass the entire Republican National Convention in 1996, would never have passed. It hurts every state that has a higher population than, Iowa per say, and has less counties than Iowa...it also hurts every state that would simply have less delegates...

[PoliticalPerson]

yeah thou it was my idea....

[PoliticalPerson]

21st of May 1999

New poll numbers from MSNBC/NBC NEWS:

(they polled 500 people...)

Elizabeth Dole  46%
Dan Quayle 42%
Pat Buchanan 6.2%
Ron Paul  4%
Steve Forbes 1%
John McCain 0.6%

It was a very tight poll numbers. Now Pat Buchanan has not yet announced whether he will run or not for president. He also says he might run for veep, but many Reformist Republicans (something i made up of course) want Jesse Ventura for veep.

For the democratic, the MSNBC/NBC NEWS had such a tight race.

Al Gore 31%
Bill Bradley 24%
John Kerry 45%

[CathKhan]

With Paul running, Buchanan will have little reason to step in.

[PoliticalPerson]

May 21st, 1999

BREAKING!

The famous Ames Straw Poll has just pulled off a stunner.

Ron Paul, Elizabeth Dole and Dan Quayle are tied!

These are the poll numbers:

Elizabeth Dole 22.9%
Dan Quayle 20%
Ron Paul 17%
Pat Buchanan 12%
John McCain 9%
Alan Keyes 7%
Herman Cain 6%
Donald Trump 5%
Jesse Ventura 3%
Others 1.1%

Many cheer Elizabeth Dole as the winner, and many media pundits are saying history could actually be made if she wins the nomination. However many people are very confused, why did Ron Paul, seen to be very libertarian and conservative at the same time, actually got 3rd?

Anyway lets go to the speech by Elizabeth Dole.

"It is time everyone, to have a woman elected into the office of the President. My husband was a senate majority leader, and i am proud of him to be at my side when we made history. I became the first woman to win the Ames straw poll! Lets make sure we get the presidency as well! But first we must concentrate on the primaries!"
-Elizabeth Dole, 1999


Also, Donald Trump announces his candidacy for President.

He said we need a buisnessman who can get out of this deficit, and he said its going to be him. Then several hours later Pat Buchanan decides not to run because he would like to not go with the hassle of the Presidency. Then Fob James, an southrener, decides to run saying we need a southrener now, and a huge surprise happened when Mitch McConnell decided to run.

Now there are these GOP people running for the Gop nomination:

Elizabeth Dole
Dan Quayle
Ron Paul
Steve Forbes (even though he was disqualified from the Iowa GOP straw poll due to a technical mishap)
John McCain
Donald Trump
Fob James
Mitch McConnell

"Its a crowded field like a sports draft!" -Keith Olbermann (he did not say that)

*Note: Added Mitch McConnell after forgetting to do so. Thanks for catching that*

[Jerseyrules]

With Paul running, Buchanan will have little reason to step in.

This.

Ron Paul / Jesse Ventura 2012 ftw