Would McCain have defeated Hillary

[Burgold]

I kind of think he would have. I think America is in an anti-dynastic mood, a throw the bums out mood, and McCain's maverick message might have had a lot more traction against Clinton. More people were predisposed to hate Clinton and while she could play the experience card against Obama... McCain makes her look like the greenest of apprentices. More, if Hillary was the Dem pick then Palin doesn't emerge and it's probably Lieberman or someone else less polarizing.

On the other hand, it's the economy stupid. The collapse of the banks and the stock market tanking was going to hurt McCain no matter what. Clinton could have been seen sort of like Gibbs too... "Remember how good you had it when we were in charge? Look at what these bozos have done."

Still, I think McCain would probably take the White House against Clinton. What say you?

[SteveFromYellowstone]

I think she would have won still. There wouldn't really be the problem of racism, and I could see her taking a state like West Virginia.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

Does Hillary take public money or does she raise money like Obama did?

Obama really expanded the playing field, and I don't know that Hillary could have done that. We would be sitting here today talking about one of two states, Florida or Ohio, and only one of those two.

Also, I'm not sure even if she had Obama's finances she could have pulled off what he did... but it would help her too.

[Prosperity]

No, the financial crisis would have still been devastating, though he may have picked a different VP, so who knows

[Henry]

I think McCain wins against Hillary. Too many people actively dislike her.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Yes

Republicans had been gearing up for her for 4 years. Every Clinton scandal would have come back in the limelight

That and there would be no Sara Palin

[Henry]

No, the financial crisis would have still been devastating, though he may have picked a different VP, so who knows

That's a good point. Without the economic crisis this election is a lot closer. Hillary would have been able to take advantage of the situation just as much as Obama did.

[GibbsFactor]

I think so, he wouldn't have picked Palin.

[BigMike619]

No, the financial crisis would have still been devastating, though he may have picked a different VP, so who knows

maybe Biden...

[Toe Jam]

I want to know if Obama would have beat someone like Huckabee.

With the economy being the way it is, Obama has been able to link McCain to the Bush administration. Could you do that with Huckabee? And would Huckabee get out the conservatives better than McCain?

I really think the Republicans handed Obama this election.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Along with it, and based on a lot of what I saw in the tailgate during the primaries, I don't think there would have been nearly the enthusiasm for Hillary from the left as Obama has produced

People are VOTING FOR Obama, not AGAINST McCain

Would people have been VOTING FOR Hillary? Would they have been willing to canvas, and would Hillary have been able to encroach into red territory?

[Kosher Ham]

Great point by SHF.

Voting for, not against.

[#98QBKiller]

Along with it, and based on a lot of what I saw in the tailgate during the primaries, I don't think there would have been nearly the enthusiasm for Hillary from the left as Obama has produced

People are VOTING FOR Obama, not AGAINST McCain

Would people have been VOTING FOR Hillary? Would they have been willing to canvas, and would Hillary have been able to encroach into red territory?

This is pretty accurate IMO.

As a lifelong Dem I can tell you that if the election today were between McCain and Hillary, I would likely still vote Dem but it would be a vote against McCain and against another 4 years of a Bush Republican, not a vote for Hillary. My vote today is for Obama but still against another 4 years to a certain degree.

I don't think Hillary could've gotten into the red state territory like NC and VA that Obama has and I think that more people would've stayed home if it were between her and McCain.

On the flip side, I wonder how many people would vote against Hillary to break the cycle of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton?

[Burgold]

I think Huckabee would have had a different Bush albatross around his neck. Too many in this country see Bush as a theocrat. Huckabee would have been kin to that fear.

If we look at the primaries as a model. Hillary would not have attacked traditionally Republican states the way Obama did and would not have forced McCain to spread his thin resources as much. It would have been a much more traditional race. And the person who said people are voting FOR Obama have a good point. Clinton/McCain would have been another "anybody but..." election.

[HOF44]

I think McCain against Hillary and without Palin could have won.

[Special K]

I think so.

However, I think the stars lined up against McCain in this election with the economic crisis coming about when it did and Iraq not being the leading issue in this election for most (ironically b/c we are succeeding in Iraq, in large part, due to the surge which McCain supported).

I also think SHF is right that there would not have been near the enthusiasm and ground support to get out the vote for her as there is for Obama. I might not be a fan of his policies, but they way his campaign has raised money and tapped into people's enthusiasm to support him has really been quite incredible to watch.

[mjah]

The economic crisis would have happened regardless of who was running, and you have to believe that was worth at least 5 polling points for the Democrats nationally -- and a similar amount, on average, per state.

But with Hillary in the mix, the election would have been a "turd sandwich vs. giant douche" situation in which neither candidate could offer anything more than what we've recently had with Bush/Clinton.

I'd have expected McCain's more friendly nature (again, we're talking vs. Hillary here) to gain him a bit of an edge -- but only until the economy unmistakably took the center stage and Bill got wound up again.

Keep in mind also: Hillary, wanting nothing in life more than the presidency, would have tapped Obama as VP. Had he accepted -- and I have to assume he would have for several reasons, once the furor died down -- many people would be voting the Democratic ticket for the sake of getting him -- not because they wanted Hillary. And imagine Obama, the champion orator, performing the VP tasks of whipping up the base and going on full attack mode. It would be withering. Kind of like Sarah Palin, but with more message, more credibility, and a lot less laughingstock.

So Republicans would have gotten wound up against Hillary, and Democrats would have gotten wound up for Obama. Again, the media attention would be focused mostly on the Dem ticket for this reason. And that probably would be very good for Hillary/Obama.

I'd expect to see Hillary by 1.5% nationally and about 20 EVs. McCain's VP pick wouldn't be Palin, but it still wouldn't be Lieberman either. Too many stiffs forcing his hand. Olympia Snowe would have been the CORRECT female choice for him against Obama -- and might still have been the correct choice against Hillary. After all, Democratic Woman/black guy against Republican white guy/white guy would not have looked good.

THANK YOU BARACK OBAMA for (pending the election results) saving us from that scenario.

[The Sisko]

I've thought about this a few times. On balance I tend to think Hillary probably would have managed to eke out a very slim win but only because of the financial crisis and the fact that I think women would have overwhelmingly voted for her as Blacks have for Obama.

OTOH, it could have just as easily gone the other way. She ran an imcompetent campaign in the primaries with no reason to think that would have been any different in the general election, was not perceived as a change agent, wouldn't have had Palin to make McCain's age an issue and would have the albatross of the Clinton brand around her neck.

[Special K]

It would be interesting to see how McCain would have fared had he chosen a strong economic candidate like Romney as his VP...

[Monte51Coleman]

Along with it, and based on a lot of what I saw in the tailgate during the primaries, I don't think there would have been nearly the enthusiasm for Hillary from the left as Obama has produced

People are VOTING FOR Obama, not AGAINST McCain

Would people have been VOTING FOR Hillary? Would they have been willing to canvas, and would Hillary have been able to encroach into red territory?

I voted for Obama.

I would not have voted for Hillary Clinton.

[jbooma]

I think McCain wins against Hillary. Too many people actively dislike her.

As long as he did not pick Palin

[Capt Rich Fla]

I could have beaten Hillary. She's a nut job, just like Obama. He's a ****ing Idiot. Wow, that kind of fun to do the same stuff dems have been doing for eight years. Let's try it again. He's a moron. He's a waste of DNA. Even when he makes a good decision we can still spin it around and call him an IDIOT.

[mjah]

I could have beaten Hillary. She's a nut job, just like Obama. He's a ****ing Idiot. Wow, that kind of fun to do the same stuff dems have been doing for eight years. Let's try it again. He's a moron. He's a waste of DNA. Even when he makes a good decision we can still spin it around and call him an IDIOT.

[Burgold]

I could have beaten Hillary. She's a nut job, just like Obama. He's a ****ing Idiot. Wow, that kind of fun to do the same stuff dems have been doing for eight years. Let's try it again. He's a moron. He's a waste of DNA. Even when he makes a good decision we can still spin it around and call him an IDIOT.

Having a bad day? This post doesn't sound like you.

[Kilmer17]

No doubt. That was what the GOP was praying to see.

Also, McCain was going to lose with anyone as VP after the "economy" started to tank in Sept.