Hypothetical: If Dean was not running, what would the campaign look like?

[Zynx]

This is purely a speculatory discussion.

Who would be leading? Who would tap into that internet base? Would Iraq be as much of an issue? Would the campaign be more or less exciting?

Discuss.

[ulysses]

1. 1988.

[Zynx]

2. What do you mean by that?

Elaborate.

[ulysses]

4. a horrifying Repuke administration

challenged by a goodly number of solid, but uninspiring, Dems.

We'd still have Kucinich, I guess. Your mileage may vary, of course.

[Zynx]

9. Thanks for the explination.

[robsul82]

5. So totally 1988.

Bank.

Later.

RJS

[brainshrub]

3. It would be a Clark-Kerry match.

And Kucinich would enjoy a lot more support. I also suspect that Nader would have decided to run again by now.

[AngryYoungMan]

6. Kerry or Edwards would be in the lead and I would already have given up.

I don't think Clark would be anywhere near the race if Dean hadn't mobilized the base. Clark, Hillary and the rest of the DLC gang would be sitting the whole thing out and rationalizing it as a "necessary historical period" or something.

[Jerseycoa]

13. How do you figure?

"I don't think Clark would be anywhere near the race if Dean hadn't mobilized the base."

[realFedUp]

7. Elections as usual

No one else in this race, save maybe Gen. Clark
on his livelier days, has the same juice as Dean.
Dean is the nectar to the bees that haven't
felt included in politics or campaigns before.

If Dean wasn't in the race...we'd vote but it
would be a bigger vote against Bush and less
about who is running.

[slinkerwink]

8. it might be Clark, but it's hard to tell

[Sean Reynolds]

10. Well I could tell you what DU would look like......

There'd be less hate.....

Kerry and Clark would be fighting it out for the top, with Clark probably up by 5 points as of today. Kucinich would have a stronger voice; probably find his groove between Edwards and Gephardt.

Of course, Sharpton and Braun would still be at the bottom of the race, nothing new.

[gristy]

11. That is a very good question.

And one I hadn't considered. I think the campaign would be a sorry disapointment compared to what we have now. But we wouldn't know that.

[Scott Lee]

12. Kerry vs. Bush - Bush wins in landslide.

[pasadenaboy]

14. everyone trying to be like W (except Graham, Kucinich, Sharpton and Braun)

that's what they were doing before he caught steam.

They would be doing the whole Tom Daschle, he's a swell guy, i support the president, but have some policy disagreements nonsense.