Probably a similar initial response, but no Iraq War two years later. Which would make a... massive (and positive, in case that wasn't clear) change in the direction and concerns of American foreign policy.

Based on after-the-fact reports, it may never have happened.

Maybe that's just exposure to all the conspiracy theories, though, I dunno if he would have acted any differently than Bush did to the intelligence reports.

It's questionable if it'd have even happened had gore been at the desk, y'know, because he'd have probably actually read the imminent attack report about the plot before it happened.

Nixon deserves a mention there too.

Al Gore won the popular vote, but there was some sketchiness down in Florida. During a recount, Roger Stone rallied the troops (Brooks Brothers riot) which caused the counting to be stopped, due to threats of violence. Setting up the supreme Court to decide Bush won Florida.

I, personally sat out that election because I didn't like Al's wife, Tipper Gore. She led the charge in a bunch of manufactured outrage about obscenity in music. I was also a jaded, cynical gen-xer who'd been hearing the importance of voting as long as I could remember, but every election was just choosing between a douchbag and a turd sandwich.

Looking back on everything that happened after that election, it's insane to imagine how different things would be now if Gore had been in office instead of the criminal enterprise that we ended up with.

Gore was the watershed moment of the white left deciding no progress is allowed to happen unless it's by their hands and they get all the credit.

Nader fired up his campaign in swing states as an act of retaliation against Gore posing himself as the climate candidate.

That's it.

The Greens had a meltdown that the thing that usually happens to third parties in this country, that is having their platforms become the mainstream if they make enough noise, was happening to them, and they decided we're not allowed to make any progress on climate unless we do it through them so fuck Gore and fuck anyone who'd dare support that disgusting "mOdErAtE!"

Protest voters who supported Stein alone would have flipped every single rust belt state had they decided on the country over feeling validated in wanting to vote "for" someone, and Zoomers and Millenials simply matching their share of the population in turnout could have propelled Bernie to the front of the primaries and over the finish line.

Nevermind how not voting let trump happen, not voting let clinton happen.