Knowing what you know now, how would you have voted in the 2008 primary?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

2012 me? Ron Paul.

Present day: Barack Obama.

[America Needs R'hllor]

Can't imagine a Universe where I vote in a Democratic primary ever, so I would vote for Huckabee so that he is the one who gets destroyed in November, allowing an electable moderate conservative - who faces far less pressure from the base to tact right on cultural issues - can make it through the primary in good shape and beat Obama in 2012.

Romney was basically the moderate you want, though. A different one wouldn't have beaten Obama. Nominating Santorum in 2012, though... Maybe that would've had effect.

[Goldwater]

Probably Huckabee.

[1] Huckabee
[2] Romney
[3] McCain
[4] Hillary
[5] Obama
[6] Paul

-Why's Paul so uniquely low?

Foreign policy, I would presume. Also, David has shifted considerably away from the (libertarian) right on economic issues fairly recently, so I'm sure that plays a roll too.

[sparkey]

Gravel (LITERALLY NORMAL)

In all seriousness, the Libertarian Party should have nominated Gravel instead of Barr that year.

[Gass3268]

Obama then, Obama now, Obama forever

[Maxwell]

1. Obama
2. Hillary

the republicans

[RINO Tom]

Can't imagine a Universe where I vote in a Democratic primary ever, so I would vote for Huckabee so that he is the one who gets destroyed in November, allowing an electable moderate conservative - who faces far less pressure from the base to tact right on cultural issues - can make it through the primary in good shape and beat Obama in 2012.

Romney was basically the moderate you want, though. A different one wouldn't have beaten Obama. Nominating Santorum in 2012, though... Maybe that would've had effect.

Romney took a SERIOUS lurch to the right in the primaries on many social issues, especially immigration.

[mencken]

No one voting for Ron Paul is going to change their vote with hindsight.

Assuming that my vote would not make a difference between McCain and the closest non-McCain alternative, then yes.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Out of these options?

[1] Huckabee
[2] Obama

[3] McCain

[4] Hillary



[5] Paul

[6] Romney

Biden probably comes out on top though, and Edwards and Gravel and America's Mayor shortly after Obama

[Santander]

Can't imagine a Universe where I vote in a Democratic primary ever, so I would vote for Huckabee so that he is the one who gets destroyed in November, allowing an electable moderate conservative - who faces far less pressure from the base to tact right on cultural issues - can make it through the primary in good shape and beat Obama in 2012.

Romney was basically the moderate you want, though. A different one wouldn't have beaten Obama. Nominating Santorum in 2012, though... Maybe that would've had effect.

Romney took a SERIOUS lurch to the right in the primaries on many social issues, especially immigration.

He already went right in 2008. He just wasn't the frontrunner then.

[RINO Tom]

Can't imagine a Universe where I vote in a Democratic primary ever, so I would vote for Huckabee so that he is the one who gets destroyed in November, allowing an electable moderate conservative - who faces far less pressure from the base to tact right on cultural issues - can make it through the primary in good shape and beat Obama in 2012.

Romney was basically the moderate you want, though. A different one wouldn't have beaten Obama. Nominating Santorum in 2012, though... Maybe that would've had effect.

Romney took a SERIOUS lurch to the right in the primaries on many social issues, especially immigration.

He already went right in 2008. He just wasn't the frontrunner then.

Fair enough, my point still stands.  I think 2004 Mitt Romney beats Obama in 2012.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

pre-right wing lunge Romney could have won against Obama. the 2012 field was extremely weak.

[DavidB.]

-Why's Paul so uniquely low?

I dislike both his stance on many economic issues (except for free trade) and his views on foreign affairs. I'm much more of a "statist" and, while not a neocon and far from a Cold Warrior, also not an isolationist. Obama is better in both regards. Obviously Paul is better on "social issues" and gun rights, but I just don't care as much about social issues and in hindsight it is clear that Obama hasn't taken away people's guns (which I do care about).

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

pre-right wing lunge Romney could have won against Obama. the 2012 field was extremely weak.

-This is a bad take. Romney's failures were numerous, and one of them was the failure to fire up the base. He was (correctly) called a RINO and a Massachusetts moderate. He did not lose because he was too right-wing, though his being too elite did contribute to his loss. Romney would not have won by playing Huntsman. You're right, however, that the 2012 field was extremely weak. Good thing we had a strong field in 2016.

[Santander]

Romney was too elite for the base so that is why they nominated someone who is even richer than him 4 years later.

[heatcharger]

1. Clinton
2. Obama
3. Biden
4. Richardson

I would've voted for Obama without hindsight, but considering where our country is now, politics would be a hell of a lot different if Obama wasn't president at the time he was and that would be for the better, sadly enough.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Can't imagine a Universe where I vote in a Democratic primary ever, so I would vote for Huckabee so that he is the one who gets destroyed in November, allowing an electable moderate conservative - who faces far less pressure from the base to tact right on cultural issues - can make it through the primary in good shape and beat Obama in 2012.

Romney was basically the moderate you want, though. A different one wouldn't have beaten Obama. Nominating Santorum in 2012, though... Maybe that would've had effect.

Romney took a SERIOUS lurch to the right in the primaries on many social issues, especially immigration.

He already went right in 2008. He just wasn't the frontrunner then.

Fair enough, my point still stands.  I think 2004 Mitt Romney beats Obama in 2012.

Romney wasnt even that right wing on immigration . His plan was basically enforce e verify, and cut of benefits to illegals and they will go home by themselves.

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

Romney was too elite for the base so that is why they nominated someone who is even richer than him 4 years later.

-Look. At. The. Primary. Maps.

https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2012&fips=19&f=0&off=0&elect=2

https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2016&fips=19&f=0&off=0&elect=2

Rubio (and Kasich) were the elite candidates in 2016. Trump's a populist, similar to Huckabee and Santorum in his own way. Yes, Romney (and Rubio, and Kasich) were obviously too elite for the base.

BTW, David Leip uses really bad colors in his maps.

[mencken]

1. Edwards
2. Clinton
3. Biden
4. Protest options (Gravel, Kucinich, etc.)

Would vote for Obama only to stop a horribly bloated corruption case like Richardson.

[RFayette]

Huckabee

McCain, Romney, Paul
Giuliani



Edwards
Hillary
Obama

[(Still) muted by Kalwejt until March 31]

1. Edwards
2. Clinton
3. Biden
4. Protest options (Gravel, Kucinich, etc.)

Would vote for Obama only to stop a horribly bloated corruption case like Richardson.

The "[x kind of person] who gets things done" formulation comes to mind. I am firmly convinced that virtually any Democratic candidate would have defeated McCain in 2008, and I also believe that Clinton would have mimicked most of what I liked about Obama's first term while avoiding his worst mistakes. It's easy to be pragmatic about hypotheticals.

-What do you think were O's worst mistakes?

[Illiniwek]

Supported Obama then, would support him again.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Supported Obama, wouldn't again.

[White Trash]

1. Alternate reality non-scumbag John Edwards



2. Hillary Clinton
3. Barack Obama