WI: George Bush killed 10 May 2005

General Mosh

May 10, 2005: While President George W. Bush was giving a speech in the Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia, Vladimir Arutyunian threw a live Soviet-made RGD-5 hand grenade toward the podium. The grenade was live and had its pin pulled, but did not explode because a red tartan handkerchief was wrapped tightly around it and delayed the firing pin. After escaping that day, Arutyunian was arrested in July 2005, during which he killed an Interior Ministry agent. Convicted in January 2006, he was given a life sentence.

^That was OTL. Now, what if the grenade had exploded, and had killed George W. Bush, as well as the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who was also there at the time? What would be the results for the middle east? What about the results for Georgia? What would the American people do about it? Would it affect the 2008 election?
 

NickCT

I feel like this is the least-used POD that should be one of the most-used. Anyways, I can see a case for Republicans doing better in the MidTerms and I tend to agree, but by 2008 a President Cheney could be even more disastrous for the GOP in 2008 than George Bush, even with the sympathy card on his side. I doubt Cheney runs for President in 2008.

EDIT: It could also give Hillary's message of "I have more experience than Barack" a more important role. It also probably prevents the Palin choice (should McCain still get the nomination) with the question of a VP's qualifications receiving much more weight than any attempt to appeal to the base.
 

Orville_third

Banned
Thon Taddeo said:
Would the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia still occur? And if it does, how would a Cheney administration react?
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Cheney uses airstrikes to bomb the Roki Tunnel. Situation swiftly escalates. Should the war not end by the time the OSCE report comes out, expect one or more of the following:
Democratic win in USA (Best Case for status quo)
Barr or McKinney win in USA
NATO breakup
Global (or regional) Oil Crisis
US Forced Withdrawal from Iraq or Afghanistan to support Georgian commitments
Opportunistic invasions (North Korea invades South Korea) or assistance (Iran uses forces in Iraq).
World War III.
 
Tallest Skil

Tallest Skil

Banned
Orville_third said:
Cheney uses airstrikes to bomb the Roki Tunnel. Situation swiftly escalates. Should the war not end by the time the OSCE report comes out, expect one or more of the following:
Democratic win in USA (Best Case for status quo)
Barr or McKinney win in USA
NATO breakup
Global (or regional) Oil Crisis
US Forced Withdrawal from Iraq or Afghanistan to support Georgian commitments
Opportunistic invasions (North Korea invades South Korea) or assistance (Iran uses forces in Iraq).
World War III.
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I'm gonna take your user title as a clue that you're not being entirely serious here.
 
33k7

33k7

If I remember correctly Dick Cheney wanted to pull the rug out of the legislation that cause the housing bubble Cheney lets face it is a Rush Limbaugh style Republican.

If he is able to do this the housing bubble will just disappear. His popularity will plummet but with his heart condition there is no way in hell he's running for president in 2008

The president's cabinet will be cleaned out Dick Cheney did not agree with a lot of them at the very least six of them are going to be removed and replaced

question about the attacker what was his political statement in doing that exactly.
 

simonbp

Assasination or not, Cheney would not run in 2008. He said as much pretty explictly several times.

McCain would likely still get the nomination, and much easier than OTL, as he was the national security candidate. Clinton would more likely get the Democratic nomination, but would find it hard to beat McCain.

There would a lot more scrutiny of the vice presidential nominees, so probably not Palin. Romney or Huckabee are much more likely. Obama would probably fit in as Clinton's running mate.
 

Admiral Ackbar

33k7 said:
If I remember correctly Dick Cheney wanted to pull the rug out of the legislation that cause the housing bubble Cheney lets face it is a Rush Limbaugh style Republican.

If he is able to do this the housing bubble will just disappear.
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Nope. Even if what you're saying is true about him being against certain "legislation that caused the housing bubble," by 2005 it was too late. The bubble was already under way, and would hit it's peak the next year. Also there is very little the President could do to stop things when it has to do with legislation already passed by Congress.
 
33k7

33k7

Admiral Ackbar said:
Nope. Even if what you're saying is true about him being against certain "legislation that caused the housing bubble," by 2005 it was too late. The bubble was already under way, and would hit it's peak the next year. Also there is very little the President could do to stop things when it has to do with legislation already passed by Congress.
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But if he comes out against it this could lead to the Democrats having to defend that legislation and when the crap hits the fan in 2008 public opinions going to be a lot different.
 

Admiral Ackbar

33k7 said:
But if he comes out against it this could lead to the Democrats having to defend that legislation and when the crap hits the fan in 2008 public opinions going to be a lot different.
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What legislation are you even talking about here? Seriously, the Democrats didn't take over Congress until Jan. 2007, and by then the Housing prices had already started dropping.
 
33k7

33k7

Admiral Ackbar said:
What legislation are you even talking about here? Seriously, the Democrats didn't take over Congress until Jan. 2007, and by then the Housing prices had already started dropping.
Click to expand...


Both parties brilliant plan to get every American a house to live in by making it easier for them to get loans from banks. Which in the long run they could not pay for. That legislation. Cheney did not support it at all but he was not president.

Dick Cheney was not a bipartisan. To put it bluntly. But I can safely say in this world the Republicans and Democrats are pretty evenly matched in 2006 election with Bush being assassinated

And the election may go either way. Iraq and Afghanistan are still hot button issues though.

Now I would like you to explain why you think the Democrats would not defend this they defend every other entitlement program. This falls under entitlement program. You're entitled to own a house. I remember hearing that from my senator in 2004 he was a Democrat.

hell the bubble might pop in 2006 when people actually start looking at it. And put two and two together.

Now if you want the actual name of the legislation I'm sorry I don't know it off the top of my head what the bill was called. And would probably have to spend a hour online to find its name and the date it was voted on. Maybe I could send a letter to C-SPAN they would probably respond.
 

Admiral Ackbar

33k7 said:
Both parties brilliant plan to get every American a house to live in by making it easier for them to get loans from banks. Which in the long run they could not pay for. That legislation. Cheney did not support it at all but he was not president.

Dick Cheney was not a bipartisan. To put it bluntly. But I can safely say in this world the Republicans and Democrats are pretty evenly matched in 2006 election with Bush being assassinated

And the election may go either way. Iraq and Afghanistan are still hot button issues though.

Now I would like you to explain why you think the Democrats would not defend this they defend every other entitlement program. This falls under entitlement program. You're entitled to own a house. I remember hearing that from my senator in 2004 he was a Democrat.

hell the bubble might pop in 2006 when people actually start looking at it. And put two and two together.

Now if you want the actual name of the legislation I'm sorry I don't know it off the top of my head what the bill was called. And would probably have to spend a hour online to find its name and the date it was voted on. Maybe I could send a letter to C-SPAN they would probably respond.
Click to expand...

Get out of the bubble pal, before it's too late.
 

Corbell Mark IV

Admiral Ackbar said:
Nope. Even if what you're saying is true about him being against certain "legislation that caused the housing bubble," by 2005 it was too late. The bubble was already under way, and would hit it's peak the next year. Also there is very little the President could do to stop things when it has to do with legislation already passed by Congress.
Click to expand...

THere was some concern voiced about some of the actions of FredieMae and Mac at the time. Bush actually tried some action but it was blocked fairly easily as I recall. Perhaps Cheney could have done something during his short honeymoon phase, but I doubt it.

Biggest policy difference between Bush and Cheney that I recall was Cheney being more gay friendly. NOt sure how this would manifest in the short time window involved.
 

HeavyWeaponsGuy

Banned
imperialaquila said:
Wasn't it mostly the Georgians who started the war by pushing into South Ossetia? Without Saakashvili, that would probably not happen.
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They not only attacked South Ossetia first, they deliberately bombed the facilities used by Russian peacekeepers that Georgia had agreed to host in South Ossetia.

By all means, it was a stupid, cowardly decision, Georgia losing the war was no surprise whatsoever, and it certainly wasn't the stereotypical "Evil Russians up to their old tricks smacking around a helpless nation" that a lot of people seem to think it is.

I would think getting rid of Saakashvili would end the issue of an invasion of South Ossetia, that said, I'm not exactly an expert on Georgian politics and certainly there would have to have been people who supported his decision.

So if somehow the attack happens anyway, I think there's plenty of chance that we'd just leave Georgia to hang, this is a war they started and Russia is making a relatively proportional response to what amounts to the murder of Russian citizens by way of a Georgian surprise attack.

Diplomatically, the US doesn't have much in the way of a leg to stand on, and certainly the idea of active confrontations with Russian troops isn't a decision to undertake lightly.
 

Orville_third

Banned
I had forgotten the role of Saakashvili in the invasion of South Ossetia. This could keep things more normal. Of course, if Cheney recognizes Kosovo, Russia might recognize South Ossetia or Abkhazia anyway...
 
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