List of Alternate Presidents

[Mister Mets]

I might try to expand this later.

Presidents/ Vice-Presidents of the United States
42. Paul Tsongas/ Bill Clinton (1993-1995)
Tsongas resigns early 1995, when his lymphoma returns.
43. Bill Clinton/ George Mitchell (1995-2001)
Bill Clinton/ Energy Secretary Al Gore (2001-2005)
The 1996 Republican ticket is Governor Jeb Bush of Florida/ Senator Phil Gramm of Texas.
The 2000 Republican ticket is former Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney/ Representative John Kasich of Ohio.
44. John McCain/ Mike Bloomberg (2005-2013)
The 2004 Democratic ticket is Al Gore/ Senator Niki Tsongas of Massachusetts.
The 2008 Democratic ticket is Governor Barack Obama of Illinois/ former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina.
45. Mike Bloomberg/ Lisa Murkowski (2013-2017)
The 2012 Republican ticket is former Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska/ Senator George Pataki of New York.
The 2012 Democratic ticket is Senator Hillary Clinton of Illinois/ Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York.
46. Governor Mitt Romney of Utah/ Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts (2017-2025)

[Mister Mets]

Explanations...
In February 18 1992, Paul Tsongas surrogate Barney Frank bursts Bill Clinton's bubble after the New Hampshire primary, asking how Bill Clinton could have been the comeback kid if he only finished second.
Tsongas still chose Clinton as his running mate. As a former northeastern legislator, he benefited from the addition of a well-vetted Southern Governor to his ticket.

New York Governor Mario Cuomo was talked into joining the Supreme Court.
Rudy Giuliani lost his 1993 mayoral campaign in a very close election.
With a Massachusetts Democrat in the White House, Mitt Romney decided not to run against Ted Kennedy for Senate.

In 1994, Jeb Bush was elected Governor of Florida, while Rudy Giuliani was elected Governor of New York.
Jeb Bush's 1996 defeat ended the Bush legacy as far as presidential elections were concerned.

In 1996, Massachusetts Governor William Weld defeated John Kerry in the Senate election.

In 1997, Mike Bloomberg became the first Republican mayor of New York City since Lindsay. He ended up getting the credit for the drop in crime.
Bill Clinton chose to run for a second full term.  In the 2000 New York Senate election, Lieutenant Governor George Pataki defeated HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo.

With George W Bush deciding he wasn't going to be the third Bush to lose a Presidential election, his father's former backers convinced Cheney to run for President.

In 2002, former first lady Niki Tsongas defeated William Weld in the Massachusetts Senate election.

Hillary Clinton ran for Senate in 2004 in the state in which she was born. In order to avoid a primary, she supported State Senator Barack Obama in his 2006 gubernatorial primary challenge against Incumbent Rod Blagojevich.
Mitt Romney was elected Governor of Utah. He had consistently claimed to be a pro-life conservative since the mid-1990s.
Bloomberg's endorsement helped McCain defeat Giuliani in the 2004 Presidential primary.

Sarah Palin served a full term as Governor of Alaska, before running for President.
Bloomberg realized he had no shot of winning the Republican primary, so he announced in 2011 that he would run for President as an Independent. He picked Lisa Murkowski as his running mate, because she was familiar with both Palin and Hillary Clinton. Her hatred of Palin was considered to be the main reason she switched parties.
Both Palin and Clinton picked New Yorkers as running mates in the hopes of swinging the state in a three way race.

[Mister Mets]

Presidents/ Vice-Presidents of the United States
37. Vice-President Richard Nixon/ Governor Spiro Agnew of Maryland (1969-1973)
Richard Nixon gets away with Watergate, and is widely considered the best President since FDR.

37. Vice-President Richard Nixon/ Former Governor John Connally of Texas (1973-1976)
When Agnew resigns, Nixon is still popular enough to demand that the Senate confirm his first choice for Veep: Former Texas Governor and Secretary of the Navy John Connally.

38. Governor Ronald Reagan of California/ Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld of Illinois (1976-1984)
Connally chooses not to run for the Republican nomination for President, allowing Reagan to run as Nixon's successor in 1976. Connally serves as Secretary of State in the Reagan administration.
The 1976 Democratic ticket is Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona and Senator John Glenn of Ohio. They lose in a landslide.
The 1980 Democratic ticket is Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and Former Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia. They lose a close election.

39. Senator Gary Hart of Colorado/ Senator Lloyd Bensen of Texas (1984-1988)
The 1984 Republican ticket is Vice-President Donald Rumsfeld of Illinois/ Senator Bob Dole of Kansas.

40. Former Vice-President/ Secretary of State John Connally of Texas/ Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana (1988-1993)
Connally pulls a comeback, defeating Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole to win the Republican primary. President Connally's popularity allows Christine Todd Whitman to defeat Senator Bill Bradley in a close election.
The 1992 Democratic ticket is Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri/ Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.

41. Vice-President Dan Quayle/ Senator Bob Dole (1993-1996)
Quayle becomes President after Connally's sudden death in 1994. He is never as popular as Connally, and becomes the first President since Pierce to lose a presidential primary.
The 1996 Republican ticket is Senator Phil Gramm of Texas/ Senator Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey.
The Republican brand was also hurt by new posthumous revelations about former President Nixon.

42. Senator Al Gore of Tennessee/ Former Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas (1996-2004)
The 2000 Republican ticket is Speaker of the House Dick Cheney of Wyoming/ Governor Jeb Bush of Florida. Cheney defeated Massachusetts Senator Mitt Romney in the primary.
After Vice-President Bill Clinton's affair with Barbara Streisand is reported to the press, he agrees not to run for President.
The 2004 Democratic ticket is Attorney General Joe Lieberman/ Governor John Edwards of North Carolina.

43. General Colin Powell/ Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee (2004-2012)
The 2008 Democratic ticket is Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas/ Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana.

The 2012 Republican ticket is Vice-President Bill Frist/ Governor Luis G. Fortuño of Puerto Rico.
The 2012 Democratic ticket is Senator Kirsten Gilibrand of New York/ Senator Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania.

[Mister Mets]

The One-Termer era.

42. Former Governor Jerry Brown of California/ Governor Douglas Wilder of Virginia: 1993-1997
Ross Perot wins a total of 53 electoral votes in Maine, Alaska, Kansas, Nevada, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.

43. Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia/ Senator Michael Huffington of California: 1997-2001
Perot chooses New York billionaire Mike Bloomberg as his running mate in 1996.
The Perot/ Bloomberg ticket loses. Bloomberg finishes a close second in the 1997 New York City Mayoral election. He is elected Governor of New York in 1998.
Former Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton is elected to the Senate in 1998.

44. Governor Mike Bloomberg of New York/ Former Vice-President Douglas Wilder: 2001-2005
The Democratic ticket is Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts/ Senator Bill Clinton of Arkansas.
Bloomberg decides not to run for reelection. He is popular enough that Democrats and Republicans argue over his true heir.

45. Senator Bill Clinton of Arkansas/ Governor Mark Warner of Virginia: 2005-20099
The Republican ticket is Governor George W Bush of Texas/ Senator Lynn Cheney of Wyoming.
Clinton is essentially defeated by the economy.

46. Senator George Allen of Virginia/ Secretary of Education Jeb Bush: 2009-201X
Barack Obama is elected Governor of Illinois in 2010. His decision to enter the race late 2011 takes many by surprise, and he quickly becomes the top rival to former Vice-President Mark Warner.
The Democratic ticket is Governor Barack Obama of Illinois/ Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.
Mike Bloomberg is also running for President again with his former Secretary of Defense Jim Webb as running mate.
Polls show the three fairly even.

[Mister Mets]

In honor of Senator George McGovern. This scenario supposes that Democratic operatives had found out about the Watergate break-in and Eagleton's problems a little bit earlier.

38. George McGovern/ Governor Jimmy Carter of Georgia (1972-1976)
McGovern's decision to pardon Nixon in early 1973 inspires a primary challenge from newly elected California Governor Jerry Brown. The challenge is unsuccessful. McGovern still loses reeelction.

The Bush dynasty is nipped in the bud, as George HW Bush is never appointed Liason to China, RNC Director or RNC Chairperson.

Gary Hart's political career is also somewhat different. He becomes a senior policy advisor in the McGovern administration, experience which allows him to run for Governor of Colorado in 1978.

39. Ronald Reagan/ Senator Bob Dole of Kansas (1976-1984)
The 1980 Democratic ticket is Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts/ Senator Walter Mondale of Minnesota. They lose in a landslide.
Bob Dole wins the Republican presidential primary over Jack Kemp, and chooses as his running mate.
Newt Gingrich is elected to Congress in 1976. But he loses his bid for reelection in 1978, as well as an attempted comeback in 1980.  He goes on to become a conservative author, and right-wing radio host.

40. Governor Gary Hart of Colorado/ Senator Reubin Askew of Florida (1984-1992)
The 1988 Republican Presidential ticket is Governor Lamar Alexander of Tennessee/ Representative Sandra Day O'Connor of Arizona.
Rudy Giuliani is elected Mayor of New York City in 1989.
The Republicans get control of the House after the 1990 midterms. Dick Cheney becomes Speaker of the House.

41. Representative Sandra Day O'Connor/ Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana (1992-2000)
The 1992 Democratic Presidential ticket is Representative Dick Gephardt of Missouri/ California Governor Dianne Feinstein.
The 1996 Democratic Presidential ticket is Former Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas/ Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.
Lugar runs for President in 2000, but loses the Republican primary to Senator Oliver North of Virginia. North eventually chooses former Speaker Dick Cheney as is running mate.

42. Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota / Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire (2000-2008)
The Republican ticket in 2004 is Senator Dan Quayle of Indiana/ Governor Rick Perry of Texas.
Jeanne Shaheen chooses not to run for President.

43. Senator John McCain of Arizona/ Governor Condoleeza Rice of California (2008-2012)
The 2008 Democratic ticket is Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana/ Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
Considering his age, McCain chooses not to run for reelction.

The 2012 Democratic ticket is former Governor Mitt Romney of Utah/ Governor Barack Obama of Illinois.
The 2012 Republican ticket is Vice-President Condoleeza Rice/ Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri

[Mister Mets]

42. Mario Cuomo (D-NY)/ Dick Gephardt (D-MO): 1993-1997
43. Bob Dole (R-KS)/ Connie Mack III (R-FL): 1997-2001
44. Connie Mack III (R-FL)/ George W Bush (R-TX): 2001-2009
45. Barack Obama (D-IL)/ John McCain (I-AZ): 2009-2017
46: Bill Clinton (D-AR)/ Kirsten Gilibrand (D-NY): 2017-

Losing presidential tickets...
1996: Mario Cuomo (D-NY)/ Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
2000: Dick Gephardt (D-MO)/ John Edwards (D-NC)
2004: John Edwards (D-NC)/ Mark Warner (D-VA)
2008: George W Bush (R-TX)/ Newt Gingrich (R-GA)
2012: George Allen (R-VA)/ Sarah Palin (R-AK)
2016: Ted Cruz (R-TX)/ Rob Portman (R-OH)

Explanations...
Mario Cuomo got on the plane to New Hampshire, registered for the 1992 primary at the last possible moment, and defeated Bill Clinton, who skulked off into the private sector.

Cuomo lacked Clinton's political savvy, so he lost the 1996 presidential election to Dole.

Dole served for one term, paving the way in 2000 for a surprisingly brutal primary between his Vice President Connie Mack III, Governor George W Bush of Texas and Speaker Newt Gingrich. McCain was an afterthought, which resulted in greater antipathy for the Republican party. He endorsed John Kerry in the 2004 Democratic presidential primary, and was reelected to the Senate as an Independent. In the Senate, he had a very close relationship with Barack Obama.

Andrew Cuomo was elected to the Senate in 2000. He was the frontrunner for the Democratic party's presidential nomination in 2008, although he lost the primary to Obama. One argument was that the son of a failed President is not the best candidate against another son of a failed President.

Rick Perry's bid for President against George W Bush soured Texans against him. This allowed Ted Cruz, his former Solicitor General, to defeat him in the 2010 gubernatorial primary.

Without the Macaca moment, George Allen was reelected in 2006. He won the 2012 primary against Sarah Palin, who ran for President after one term as Governor of Alaska.

Bill Clinton made a fortune in the private sector, but returned to politics. He argued pro-bono in a few cases before the courts regarding gay marriage, and Obama's health care law, which transformed the former Governor into a progressive favorite. Then there was his role in the Simpson-Clinton National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. He was chosen to give the nominating speech for President Obama at the 2012 DNC, when he was already figuring out how to run for President again.

[Mister Mets]

42. Andrew Cuomo (D-NY)/ Dick Gephardt (D-MO): 1993-1997

You meant Mario from what I read

Yep.

D'oh!

[Mister Mets]

2017-2021: Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)/ Governor Vincent Shaheen (D-SC).
Republicans nominated Rand Paul (R-KY)/ Ted Cruz (R-TX).
John Huntsman got 19% as an Independent candidate, with Joe Manchin as his running mate.

2021-2029: Chris Christie (R-NJ)/ John Huntsman (I-UT)
The 2025 Democratic ticket was Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey/ Senator Patrick Murphy of Florida.

2029+: John Huntsman/ Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
The 2029 Democratic ticket was Governor Julian Castro of Texas/ Senator Patrick Murphy of Florida.

[Mister Mets]

Hypothetical: Republicans in office 1981-1993. Have whatever Republican you want in office at that time. Then whatever Democrat you want 1993-2001. 2001-2009 is every Republican again. And so on.

40. Ronald Reagan/ George HW Bush
41. Bob Dole/ Nancy Kassebaum
42. Sam Nunn / Dick Gephardt
43. John McCain/ Colin Powell
44. Mark Warner/ Evan Bayh

[Mister Mets]

Kerry wins in 2004.

44. John Kerry/ John Edwards: 2005-2006
John Kerry/ Evan Bayh: 2006-2009

Edwards has to resign due to a scandal, and is replaced by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Democrats don't take back Congress in the 2006 midterms.

45. John McCain/ Jeb Bush: 2009-2013
McCain opts to serve one term.

46. Hillary Clinton/ Mark Warner 2013-?

Losing tickets.
2004: George W Bush/ Dick Cheney
2008: John Kerry/ Evan Bayh
Mike Bloomberg/ Joe Manchin (16% of popular vote)
2012: Jeb Bush/ Brian Sandoval

[Mister Mets]

Kerry wins in 2004.

44. John Kerry/ John Edwards: 2005-2006
John Kerry/ Evan Bayh: 2006-2009

Edwards has to resign due to a scandal, and is replaced by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Democrats don't take back Congress in the 2006 midterms.

45. John McCain/ Jeb Bush: 2009-2013
McCain opts to serve one term.

46. Hillary Clinton/ Mark Warner 2013-?

Losing tickets.
2004: George W Bush/ Dick Cheney
2008: John Kerry/ Evan Bayh
Mike Bloomberg/ Joe Manchin (16% of popular vote)
2012: Jeb Bush/ Brian Sandoval

Slight twist.

The above, except Chris Christie is elected Governor in 2005.

44. John Kerry/ John Edwards: 2005-2006
John Kerry/ Evan Bayh: 2006-2009

Edwards has to resign due to a scandal, and is replaced by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Democrats don't take back Congress in the 2006 midterms.

45. John McCain/ Chris Christie: 2009-2013
McCain opts to serve one term.

46. Chris Christie/ Paul Ryan 2013-?
Vice President Christie's leadership during the Hurricane that hits his home state swings the election.

Losing tickets.
2004: George W Bush/ Dick Cheney
2008: John Kerry/ Evan Bayh
Mike Bloomberg/ Joe Manchin (16% of popular vote)
2012: Hillary Clinton/ Mark Warner

[Mister Mets]

Just read a book about FDR's Supreme Court justices, and started thinking about the implications of Douglas rejecting the chance to be Truman's running mate in order to have a better shot at the White House in 1952.

34. Tom Dewey/ Earl Warren (1949-1953)
35. William O. Douglas/ Estes Kefauver (1953-1957)
36. Dwight Eisenhower/ Henry Cabot Lodge Jr (1957-1965)
37. John F Kennedy/ Scoop Jackson (1965-1968)
President Kennedy assassinated in California in 1968.
38. Scoop Jackson (1968-1969)
Scoop Jackson/ Edmund Muskie (1969-1977)
39. Nelson Rockefeller/ Bob Dole (1977-1985)
40. Bob Dole/ Jack Kemp (1985-1989)
41. Lloyd Bentsen/ Bill Clinton (1989-1997)


Failed tickets:
1948- Harry Truman/ Alben W Barkley
1952- Tom Dewey/ Earl Warren
1956- William O. Douglas/ Estes Kefauver
1960- Hubert Humphrey/ Pat Brown
1964- Henry Cabot Lodge Jr/ George Romney
1968- Ronald Reagan/ John Tower
1972- Richard Nixon/ Spiro Agnew
1976- Edmund Muskie/ Jimmy Carter
1980- Ted Kennedy/ Lloyd Bentsen
1984- Gary Hary/ Elizabeth Holtzman
1988- Bob Dole/ Jack Kemp
1992- Howard Baker/ John McCain

[Mister Mets]

Gerald Ford was born in 1913, although he did have a son born in 1950 named Michael Gerald Ford.