Hindsight: 2 ways Repubs could have won in 2008 (Cheney, voters, Congress)

[censusdata]

I was thinking that there were 2 ways Republicans could have won the White House in 2008

1. Kerry should have been elected in 2004

An unarticulate Kerry would have taken over the Iraq War at the height of casulaties. It would also push back the much better Dem candidates Obama and Clinton back to at least 2012

2. Bush & Cheney should have resigned in March, leaving Nancy Pelosi as president.

This would have done several things. First, it would have left Democrats in control of all 3 branches at the height of the Economic Collapse, which they would have shared blame for. Second, it would greatly disrupt the ongoing primaries since Pelosi (viewed unfavorable and ultra left nationwide) would have to decide on running. It would remind the Repub base about the "war" on abortion and gay marriage

[gsoboi]

If republicans are upset that Obama will be president, then they need to blame Bush. The country is in such bad shape that people have put aside their racial bias to vote for the best candidate that will get us out of this hole.

[gsoboi]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I was thinking that there were 2 ways Republicans could have won the White House in 2008

1. Kerry should have been elected in 2004

An unarticulate Kerry would have taken over the Iraq War at the height of casulaties. It would also push back the much better Dem candidates Obama and Clinton back to at least 2012

Kerry only lost the presidency by less than 200,000 votes in Ohio. Kerry lost there because alot of voters took the "gay marriage" bait. Exit polls in Ohio back in 2004 showed that social issues (gay marriage) topped the list in voters minds. Kerry was really close in becoming president then. If he had done so and failed, John McCain would be president-elect right now and Obama would not have even run because Kerry would have been running for re-election.

[normie]

Actually, I think if Romney had been chosen as VP the GOP had a good shot at the white house.

[gsoboi]

The problem with Romney is that he doesnt have a likable personality. There is a negative vibe around him like he is corrupt.

[normie]

Originally Posted by gsoboi

The problem with Romney is that he doesnt have a likable personality. There is a negative vibe around him like he is corrupt.

Well, that wasn't my impression. He struck me as a pragmatic business man (which some people could interpret as a negative vibe, I suppose). If he had been the VP, the GOP would have held onto many voters during the bailout crisis.

[findingmesomeday]

The issue with Romney, whether or not people want to admit it to themselves, is that he is Mormon. Though gay marriage seems to be fine. websites like Ashley Madison are flourishing and TV/radio ads are airing in certain markets, handouts are great, bailouts are good, we've got an African American President in the White House, we still can't get past our pre-conceived and erroneous perceptions of the LDS. If Romney were Prod, Catholic, heck, even Jewish, he might have gotten more support.

Sad, very very sad.

[sgresident]

Based on the economic issues and the negative media, there is no way that a republican would have been elected..even if they could walk on water. The sorry thing is that everyone who thinks that the problems in the economy will be quickly fixed, has another thing coming. even with obama as the president elect, the stock market has tanked again. Economics is a cycle. It can't just go up, up, up. there is always a down side. I am just disappointed that the only people who will benefit are those that have screwed up. There won't be anything for those who have paid their mortgages, paid their credit cards and borrowed money to put their kids through college.

[Ferd]

Oh lets quit wringing our hands. this election was decided as far back as Jan 1 2007. America has never elected a president from the same party as a sitting president with a below 50% approval rating.

I don't care what liberals think of GWB because if he were Jesus Christ of Mahatma Gandhi they would hate him.

But independent voters feel he failed to stabilize Iraq soon enough (which is true) they feel that he is to blame for the economic crisis (which I don't believe is true)

AND Republicans (like myself) feel like he didn't hold true to core conservative values like keeping government small and keeping spending in check.

NO republican could win this election without the democrat making a huge mistake. Barak Obama didn't make a huge mistake.

As another note, republicans in congress didn't help their president either. they lost there way too and that is a big reason why the republican brand has taken a hit.

Its time to move on. Return to the core tenants of what makes us conservatives while at the same time recognizing the new challenges that lie ahead and applying those tried and true conservative principles to them.

Obama won because Republicans didn't do what we were supposed to do when we held power. Its OUR fault. From the president to congress to rank and file republicans like me who didn't scream our heads off and threaten to pull money from the party when they started acting like democrat lite.

[Lucario]

It was the hate and divisiveness, not the lack of conservative principles, that has doomed and will doom the Republicans looking forward.