And McCain. Don’t forget that in 2000, the choices were Bush, John McCain and Alan Keyes. Everyone else - none of whom were great options either - dropped out before the first ballots were cast.
In hindsight, we all know that Keyes would have been the best choice...but Keyes was a very strange - if also unbelievably brilliant - guy. Too strange to not have been crushed by Gore.
2000 was a field of bad choices and worse choices.
I remember that; you’re right about Keyes.
Steve Forbes would have been a great president, but unfortunately, lacked charisma.
I voted for Keyes every time I had the chance. Maybe he wouldn’t have been great in a general election, but I know that when Obama was about to steal the Illinois senate seat from lack of an opponent, Keyes stepped up and whupped Obama in the debate. I still think if Keyes had been the nominee in 2008 he could have repeated that performance.