What if Bush wasn't the president?

[Darth Wong]

Hypothetical question, just for fun: how would the events following 9/11/2001 have been different if:

1) John McCain were president.
2) Al Gore were president.
3) Ralph Nader were president.

[Montcalm]

They would be searching for Ussama Bin Laden and other islamists fundies fuckheads.

[Lonestar]

Hypothetical question, just for fun: how would the events following 9/11/2001 have been different if:

1) John McCain were president.
2) Al Gore were president.
3) Ralph Nader were president.

1) Would have gone much the same, I imagine.
2) Probaly would have been a repeat of the Embassy bombing fiasco. Fire a few T-LAMs into a couple of tents and forget what happened. (well, aybe more than few)
3) The 4 Horsemen would have long began to ride loose on the world. The star wormwood would have crashed, poisioning much of the water of Earth.

[MKSheppard]

The US Army wouldn't be doing the fastest advance across
enemy terrain in human military history.....

[Joe]

1) Things might actually be moving even faster than they are now. I suspect that McCain would be a more popular President than Bush, easier to support.

2) We would have probably gone to Afghanistan, but probably not Iraq.

3) Well on it's way to becoming a third-world country, the U.S. government offers a formal apology to the Islamic world following 9/11 and President Nader calls for a time of national introspection. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda's membership soars following the successful attack, and terrorist attacks increase tenfold.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

McCain would probably do the same stuff, but would be easier to support.

Al Gore would take action in response to 9/11, but it might not have been military action. Also, there wouldn't be a campaign on Iraq.

Ralph Nader would probably take some action in response to 9/11 too, as people wanted it, and he'd be pressured into doing it. Also, the environmental policies probably wouldn't go well with the American people.

[Alyrium Denryle]

1) Things might actually be moving even faster than they are now. I suspect that McCain would be a more popular President than Bush, easier to support.

And he would probably have a better grasp on constitutional law

2) We would have probably gone to Afghanistan, but probably not Iraq.

Yeah probably.

3) Well on it's way to becoming a third-world country, the U.S. government offers a formal apology to the Islamic world following 9/11 and President Nader calls for a time of national introspection. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda's membership soars following the successful attack, and terrorist attacks increase tenfold.

It is true

[Oberleutnant]

I'm terribly uneducated when it comes to American politics, but IMO after 9/11 USA would have begun its war against terrorism even if Gore had been the president. There's no doubt about that. Even Clinton responded with couple Tomahawks after the Kenyan bombings, and they were of completely different scale than Sebtember attacks. Afganistan would have been attacked and Northern Alliance supported, but not neccessarily in the same way as it happened now.

[MKSheppard]

And he would probably have a better grasp on constitutional law

AHHAHAHHAHA

McCain, the first amendment shredder? lol, you're making my day!

[Darth Wong]

And he would probably have a better grasp on constitutional law

AHHAHAHHAHA

McCain, the first amendment shredder? lol, you're making my day!

What's your problem with McCain, and how has he shown himself to be against the First Amendment? I think he would be a helluva lot harder to disrespect than George "cokehead, AWOL from national guard, inherited a fortune from rich daddy and somehow lost money in the oil business, former inside trader" Bush.

PS. Don't tell me that campaign finance reform is a free-speech issue, because it's not.

[Knife]

And he would probably have a better grasp on constitutional law

AHHAHAHHAHA

McCain, the first amendment shredder? lol, you're making my day!

What's your problem with McCain, and how has he shown himself to be against the First Amendment? I think he would be a helluva lot harder to disrespect than George "cokehead, AWOL from national guard, inherited a fortune from rich daddy and somehow lost money in the oil business, former inside trader" Bush.

PS. Don't tell me that campaign finance reform is a free-speech issue, because it's not.

Agreed, I would much rather have McCain than Bush (though I did vote for Bush), hell I think I would have voted for Bradely over Bush.

Any ways;

1. Things would be much the same as now, though McCain might have done a better job at uniting the country. 20% or so would never go along with anything a Reb did ( like wise if it were reverse).

2. Things would have been alot more low key. Missile attacks a la Clinton, would have been made against Afganistan and Iraq would have been continued to be dealt with in the UN (ie not dealt with at all).

3. To horible to consider.

[MKSheppard]

What's your problem with McCain?

He supports "closing the gun show loophole" which is really a code-word
for outlawing all private sales of firearms in this country.

PS. Don't tell me that campaign finance reform is a free-speech issue, because it's not.

You gots the money, I don't care what you do with it as long as you
don't have people killed with it. And besides, who benefits the
best from "campaign finance reform"? The incumbents, who have
greater name recognition.

[RedImperator]

Hypothetical question, just for fun: how would the events following 9/11/2001 have been different if:

1) John McCain were president.

Little if any difference. McCain is just as hawkish as Bush. I doubt the diplomatic buildup would have been bungled as badly, though, and as others have pointed out, he'd be easier to support.

2) Al Gore were president.

Afghanistan would have been very nearly the same. There's no other politically feisable response to 9/11. Indeed, it might have been MORE vigorous, because Gore would be facing pressure from the right and any percieved softness or delay would have gotten him branded a pacifist.

3) Ralph Nader were president.

President Nader takes a break from ruining the economy to make a speech to Americans urging them to fight to eliminate the "root cause" of terrorism. The State Department asks the Taliban, very nicely, to turn over Osama Bin Laden. They refuse. Nader announces that war is not an acceptable solution under any circumstances. Congress impeaches him for dereliction of his oath to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution, then impeaches whatever pinko he would have made vice-president before said pinko gets a chance to appoint a new vice-president. Dennis Hastert becomes president, history procedes as normal.

[Alyrium Denryle]

And he would probably have a better grasp on constitutional law

AHHAHAHHAHA

McCain, the first amendment shredder? lol, you're making my day!

Shep, the right to bear arms is the second amendment

[MKSheppard]

Shep, the right to bear arms is the second amendment

He's taken aim at both the 1st and 2nd with his "Incumbent protection act"
and the "Close the Gun Show Loophole" shite

[Pu-239]

My cousin thinks McCain has communist leanings, because of efforts to improve relations between US and Vietnam.

[Macross]

The US Army wouldn't be doing the fastest advance across
enemy terrain in human military history.....

I dont see the connection between 9/11 and the current Iraq War. As far as I know, there has been no conclusive evidence to tie Iraq with Al-Queda.

The whole "Iraqi crisis" seems to be manufactured. They are not a direct threat to us and havent been a threat for a long time.

Remember, it was the first war with Iraq that instigated the attack on 9/11. Back then the US had the moral high ground, the support of its citizens and the world. Now the world and US are divided over this war, and it will only fan the flames of hatred against the US, inspiring more terrorists and terrorist attacks.

It just seems incredibly short sighted to start a new war with Iraq when terrorism is still the greater threat.

[Beowulf]

2) Al Gore were president.

Afghanistan would have been very nearly the same. There's no other politically feisable response to 9/11. Indeed, it might have been MORE vigorous, because Gore would be facing pressure from the right and any percieved softness or delay would have gotten him branded a pacifist.

The difference being that the military would have continued it's steady underfunding, thereby excaberating the problems...

[Alyrium Denryle]

I was naware of this Incumbent protection act. nteresting. A very bad political move this is.

[MKSheppard]

I was naware of this Incumbent protection act. nteresting. A very bad political move this is.

It's called "Campaign Finance Reform". See, now that you can't use money
to buy your name in lights on the side of busses, billboards, and tv spots,
how much chance do you have of defeating the incumbent who has had
his name in the media over and over during the last 2-6 years?

The answer is: Jack Shit.

[Pu-239]

The US Army wouldn't be doing the fastest advance across
enemy terrain in human military history.....

I dont see the connection between 9/11 and the current Iraq War. As far as I know, there has been no conclusive evidence to tie Iraq with Al-Queda.

The whole "Iraqi crisis" seems to be manufactured. They are not a direct threat to us and havent been a threat for a long time.

Remember, it was the first war with Iraq that instigated the attack on 9/11. Back then the US had the moral high ground, the support of its citizens and the world. Now the world and US are divided over this war, and it will only fan the flames of hatred against the US, inspiring more terrorists and terrorist attacks.

It just seems incredibly short sighted to start a new war with Iraq when terrorism is still the greater threat.

Duh. Most people at school are buying into Shrubby's propaganda.

Then again, if Iraq did develop nukes, they may sell them on the black market. Then again, there are other places Al Qaeda could get those from, like NK or some corrupt Russian. Possibly France.

The liberation reason is BS. So haven't we liberated Tibet(ok, bad example) or some other place?

Oil... hmm well there is the cost of rebuilding, so that kind of negates that. Still some money would be going to Shrubby's friends, though that is a pretty complicated way to give money to Shrubby's friends. After all drilling in Alaska has smaller political fallout.

Shrubby wanting revenge? ???

Why are we having this war?

[Stormbringer]

1) John McCain were president.

Probably much the same except he probably wouldn't have stood for some of the provisions of the Patriot Act. He aslo would have Bin Laden dead or in coustody before settling things up with Iraq and others. He probably wouldn't have botched the diplomatic side any where near as badly as Bush though.

2) Al Gore were president.

We would have waged an ineffective war in Afghanistan. Most likely becoming extremely skittish as soon as the first casualties came in and growing increasingly bogged down by the politics off it. Gore would likely have had serious leadership problems. Gore a politicion and not a leader. Bush managed to lead (if badly).

3) Ralph Nader were president.

I shudder to think. We'd still be wading through international law and complexities trying to get to Al-Queda and the Taliban assuming he wasn't impeached by then.

[Joe]

After all drilling in Alaska has smaller political fallout.

Wanna bet? Hell hath no fury like a rabid environmentalist. Logic and reason hold no sway.

[Patrick Degan]

Either McCain or Gore would have paid much closer attention to the numerous intelligence warnings coming in for months from the FBI, CIA, Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Israel, and Egypt, that something was brewing and would have taken steps to prevent the coming action. Nor would either man have had the Air Force in a stand-down condition on that morning. Likely we'd still have two towers standing on Manhattan island today.

As for cogitating upon any hypotheticals of a Nader presidency, that is about as useful an exercise as contemplating the possibiities of Darkstar actually qualifying for a PhD in particle physics.

[MKSheppard]

Why are we having this war?

To clean up the mess we left from 1991.