Kerry as President

[History505]

What would a Kerry Presidency be like if he had won in 2004? What do you imagine he would have gotten done in his first term?

[Heisenberg]

What would have happened is he would have shifted the Supreme Court well to the left. Rehnquist died in 2005, and O'Connor retired in 2006 for personal reasons. That alone is why I would have voted for Bush if I was old enough. Liberals would have got a 6-3 majority (sometimes 7-2). DC vs. Heller would have been decided 6-3 against handguns. I don't even want to think of that.

[Progressive]

What would have happened is he would have shifted the Supreme Court well to the left. Rehnquist died in 2005, and O'Connor retired in 2006 for personal reasons. That alone is why I would have voted for Bush if I was old enough. Liberals would have got a 6-3 majority (sometimes 7-2). DC vs. Heller would have been decided 6-3 against handguns. I don't even want to think of that.

I know it would be a terror. 0 guns would have been taken away. The horror

[Blackacre]

Kerry would have been blamed for the 2008 crash and we'd be doing a lot worse now after austerity when the GOP would have won in 08

[Pericles]

There would be no surge so Iraq crumbles earlier and some version of ISIS emerges earlier.

[Gass3268]

What would have happened is he would have shifted the Supreme Court well to the left. Rehnquist died in 2005, and O'Connor retired in 2006 for personal reasons. That alone is why I would have voted for Bush if I was old enough. Liberals would have got a 6-3 majority (sometimes 7-2). DC vs. Heller would have been decided 6-3 against handguns. I don't even want to think of that.

It's also possible Souter and Stevens would have retired earlier.

Also no Citizens United, no gutting of the VRA, voter ID unconstitutional, etc. It would have been amazing!

[mencken]

raptor attacks

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=170508.0

[Del Tachi]

Kerry loses '08 thanks to the economic crisis.  No surge in Iraq means the country is a dumpster-fire.  The Congress wouldn't have been Democratic enough in 05-07 for Kerry to enact any sort of liberal domestic policy agenda, the GOP would make gains in 2006.  With a Massachusetts liberal heading the party, I imagine Southern Dems would suffer a lot more in '06 and '08 than IRL.  President Kerry is remembered as another Carter.

If 2004 was close enough, GWB could pull a Cleveland and run again in 2008.  McCain, Giuliani and Romney would have definitely been chomping at the bit too though.  If GWB didn't want to give it another go, I think Jeb would probably run in '08 too.  Allen and Frist would also be possible candidates in this scenario.

[Lief 🗽]

Kerry would be a total failure of a president, for many reasons (most out of his control), but he would stack the Supreme Court with a liberal majority for decades, so maybe it would be worth it?

[Kingpoleon]

Sandra Day O'Connor might retire if there is a big GOP majority in 2007.

[Heisenberg]

Sandra Day O'Connor might retire if there is a big GOP majority in 2007.

She likely would have not retired whenever there were multiple vacancies. When she retired IRL she did it assuming Rehnquist would wait another year. Then, during O'Connor's vacancy, he suddenly died.