Reply #67: Several polls showed Hart beating Reagan - and Mondale losing to him.

[Alexander]

HARRIS POLL FINDS HART IN A TIE WITH REAGAN

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E1EF73C5C0C708DDDAD0894DC484D81

"A mid-March Gallup poll backed up his claim, showing that Hart would beat Reagan, 49% to 47%, while Mondale would lose, 52% to 44%."

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951038-3,00.html

Guess what happened? We nominated Mr. Unelectable, and he lost. Badly.

In a way, 2008 is like a repeat of 1984 - only with Clinton and Obama playing the Mondale and Hart roles.

Both Clinton and Mondale were supported by the party establishment and special interest groups, have zero charisma, have taken rightward positions on issues related to national defense, are associated with the previous presidential administration, and have been shown losing to the Republican nominee (in his 70s) in nearly every poll.

Obama and Hart are party insurgents, have decidedly more charisma, ran in their 40s, ran to the left of the people they challenged, had less experience than the people they challenged, and have been shown beating the Republican nominee in nearly every poll.

The similarities even ring true in terms of endorsements - Mondale and Ferraro support Clinton, while Gary Hart supports Obama. In both contests the superdelegates have been the deciding factor.

Hopefully the superdelegates won't repeat the mistake of 1984.