If Bill Frist had been the Republican nominee in 2008...

[So rightwing that I broke the Political Compass!]

How badly would he have been curbstomped?

It could easily have happened... Bush was considering replacing Cheney with Frist in 2003/4. As VP Frist would have been spared his discrediting in 2005 and 2006, and VP's seldom fail to win the nomination.

For those who refuse to believe he would win the nomination, assume that McCain dies during the primary campaign, Romney is defeated in his 2002 campaign for governor... whatever it takes for Frist to be the victor in the primary.

McCain got curbstomped despite being able to distance himself from Bush with some credibility as a moderate maverick, and despite his war hero status and oddly appealing persona. Frist has none of that... he's an undeniably establishment Republican that was in lockstep with Bush, and will probably be Bush's pointman in congress during the second term with his hands all over social security privatization efforts and the bailout.

I can see him suffering Goldwater/McGovern levels of fail.

[Pingvin]

I'd say that it will be closer to Bush I/Dole than to McGovern/Goldwater size of defeat.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Pingvin is right. The United States are just too polarized politically to experience 1984/1972/1984 results now or in foresable future.

[Rooney]

Frist would probably not done worse than McCain and easily could have done better. He pretty much matched the Republican Party of 2008 perfectly. He mouthed pro-life rhetoric, did not like gays, supported a continuation of Iraq/Afghanistan, supported torture and was not in the Senate so he would not have had to vote on the unpopular TARP bail-out.

Obama/Biden (D) 339 EV
Frist/Romney (R): 199 EV

[ask_not]

I think obama would of stil won, but frist would of chosena better running mate.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Frist/Tommy Thompson vs Obama/Biden

What the hell?

[technical support]

that would have been a cakewalk for obama