USMC Hogs would be glorious, though I would expect the conversion to carrier launch and recovery would be substantial, at least for the landing gear. That nose full of GAU-8 and pilot's bathtup would seriously mash the existing nose gear in a rough carrier landing, I would expect.
I think the F-22 survived because it began way back under Reagan, back when the USSR was still a major boogie man. They designed the Raptor to kill off all those cheap MiGs being distributed throughout the Warsaw Pact at the time. By the time the Cold War ended, they had already spent so much in R/D, they probably needed the end product simply to justify all the spending up until then. Granted, it is (while not combat proven, generally considered to be) the most lethal fighter in the world and will remain so until stealth and next generation radar tech is truly achieved by other parties.
I dunno. I would actually consider the F-35B a closer replacement to the AV-8B than the F-35A is to the Hog. At least the Lightning is designed to do what the Harrier does (VSTOL, similar ordnance/cannon), with the added benefits of stealth, a much faster top speed and a supposedly much more pilot friendly (less intensive) conversion between vertical and horizontal flight.
F-35A for the F-16? Sure. F-35C for the F/A-18A? Why not. But not for the Hog, no matter what they strap to it to try to make it more lethal. The A-10 was built around its most lethal weapon from day one. You don't get the same result when adding an almost as good cannon as a bolt on option. And stealth will only get you so much when you're already nearly on the deck, trying to keep the enemy off your ground pounding buddies.
*steps off soap box...
