The Difference is Leadership:A Bob Dole 88 Collaborative TL

I think I remember reading that Bob Dole wanted Lamar Alexander as his running mate. If George W Bush is not elected Governor of Texas, then John McCain is elected President in 2000. He would have beat Gore. He is a better candidate then GW Bush. He is more articulate. He is a war hero not a draft dodger. There is no DUI scandal. Policy wise mostly he does what Bush did. There is still a war in Afganistan and Iraq. The big difference is the 2001 tax cut, whoch OTL McCain opposed. There would have been pressure for a tax cut, so I think we get a smaller one. So we have a lower national debt today.

How would McCain respond to 9/11.

I think the same way Bush did, war in Afganistan and Iraq,

Of course. And probably even more wars with Muslim countries.

Would McCain go into Iraq? I got the feeling a lot of that was because Bush felt he had outstanding business from his father's war with Saddam in 1991? There wasn't really any basis for linking Saddam to Al Queda, especially since they were bitter rivals. Always thought that a non-Bush, or possibly even a non George junior Bush would have avoided Iraw and concentrated on Afghanistan.

  This might mean more chance of the US and Iran clashing if there's no US-Iraq war of course.

That reminds me, how will President Dole handle the Gulf War in 1990.

Same way Bush did.