Reply #23: It would be an alternative universe, so everything would look different

[karynnj]

Imagine that Gore never cut the terrorism budget, read and listened to Hart/Rudman and the briefing that OBL wanted to attack within the US. In past threats, securing the airports was high on the list. Assume they did this or the FL training flights or Missoui (sp?) reached the ears of those co-ordinating the effort. There would be NO 911.

Or, assume 911 couldn't have been avoided - Iraq still would not have been invaded. It is possible that Gore might have wanted the UN to push inspections - because it was clear that the sanctions were going to end (as they should have years before). Had Gore pushed them he could have ended up where Bush was in Feb 2003, able to declare that Iraq was complying and the no fly zones and the sanctions could be replaced with some form of monitoring.

Without Iraq, the US budget would be different. Gore would likely have tried setting much of it aside in 2000 in the lockbox. When the economy weakened, he would could either have temporarily stopped putting money aside or creatively used the money in the lockbox for loans to people and small businesses that needed it. On global warming - Gore would have been leading the world's efforts.

So on international and domestic issues, we would be in a different place. However, we would not know what we avoided. How would Leiberman be viewed? What if Gore had him address many environmental issues - Leiberman did have a 95% lifetime LCV record (a point lower than Senator Kerry). The picture of Leiberman would be someone who fought for cleaner water and air. Assume the Gore put him in charge of trade agreements - remember Gore was a strong advocate of NAFTA and Leiberman was very much a corporate business advocate. Then the picture is different. remember the election was not stolen and Gore might well be the Gore, who was the first DLC candidate in 1988.

It would be a very unusual run - 16 years of Democrats - likely all DLC. I voted for Bradley in 2000 because I agreed more with Bradley on issues and agreed that Gore was to some degree tainted by Clinton. So, I checked other - because it would depend on what Gore did and what Leiberman stood for at that time.