If Reagan had not selected Bush as his running mate in 1980...

[racaulk]

Would * be President today?

I know this may be far fetched, but I'm just curious to know what those of you here at DU think of this. How important was the Bush name to * being "elected" in 2000?

[terrya]

1. Interesting question. No, in my opinion, Bush would not be President today

I don't think Bush I would have been elected on his own if he wasn't Reagan's Vice President. Without the Vice Presidency and his automatically being the front runner in 1988, his viability just wouldn't have been there. And if Bush I wasn't President, then there certainly wouldn't have been any real interest in some former alocholic who skipped out of Vietnam (and TANG), and who failed at everything he's done as an adult. Without the influence of having a former President as your father, Bush would not be in the White House today.

[FSogol]

2. It's impossible to tell, except it is a fact that Reagan continues to

ruin our country today. Osama, Saddam, deregulation, rise of the religious right, war on the middle class, all thanks to Reagan.

[peacebird]

3. star of "Bedtime for Bonzo" spawns rise of Chimperor....

[win_in_06]

4. I'm sure either he or Jeb would have emerged eventually as the

repug nominee

[Sadie5]

5. It's just my opinion

But here goes. I still think the PNACs were looking for a dumb @$$ to 'PLACE' in the White House. If not the dummy Bush then another dummy. They had an agenda and wanted a nut job to carry it out.

[Minnesota Libra]

6. This is timely - today on the history channel there was a.................

.....program about "Skull and Bones", "Trilateral Commission", and other secret organization and how prominent these people are in all areas of high government. The program went on to suggest that it really doesn't matter what individual is voted into office, because whether the ballots are verifiable or not, the Pres and other high offices are appointed long before it gets to the ballot anyway.

It was claimed during this program that Reagan made the comment at one time that he wouldn't pick a "Skull and Bones" member as his running mate. Then a short time later "late at night" as the program put it suddenly chose Bush #41 as his running mate, who just happened to be a "Skull and Bones" member.

BTW, both Kerry and #43 are "Skull and Bones" members as well.

[madrchsod]

7. he did`t chose him

bush was forced on him by guess who? ronny was dead set against the one world liberal republican view of bush and his buddies. the west coast republicans aka john birches, thought bush was the anti christ. after ronny was shot why do you think nancy protected him constantly? she knew ronny was a marked man but his Alzheimer's disease solved that problem for the bush klan..

the bush name didn`t mean anything, the boys just needed a puppet.

[question everything]

8. Still, he gave us Souter

I voted impossible to say. The same powers that be who selected Reagan as a pretty face to do and say what told also selected Bush.

I don't think that name recognition was helpful here. After all, his daddy lost to a "womanizer, draft dodger, coke head..." And daddy was never trusted by the real right wingers.

No, I think that Bush was picked as a governor of an important state, just as Reagan was. As someone who could appeal to the "base" - the WWJD shtick - which daddy never did.

And, as I put above, in hindsight, of course, I am grateful for selecting Souter as a Supreme Court Justice.

[mrcheerful]

9. Mote question, it doesn't matter what if, what matters is how do we get

these so and so's out of office and how do we stop morons from electing new "leaders" that pander to the rich and the religiously insane.

[havocmom]

10. Reagan wouldn't have been shot?

That's the choice I was looking for :evilgrin: Me 'n Nancy...

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. There was no way that Ronny couldn't have "chosen" Bush

That choice was made for him.

Unless he decided not to be president, there was not a chance in hell that Bush wouldn't be his VP. That was arranged by the corpo-fascists that have taken over the republican party.

[Superman Returns]

12. ...

if only he picked Ford...

[NJ Democrats]

13. He only ran for Gov of TX in 94

to help advenge his father. So I don't think he would be President. Maybe he would have been a candidate in 00 or 04 but not the nominee.

[primative1]

14. Reagan? President?

Dont make me laugh. Bonzo as president is just too far fetched. Could never happen :)