If Hillary had not run

[NewHampster]

Poll question: If Hillary had not run

My crazy wife just asked me who I thought would be in the lead if Hillary had not run? I said Biden just to frost her ass.

Who do you think would be leading if the dynamics were different? And the dynamic would be very different. Clark and others undoubtedly would have entered.

Edit: Vilsack became Gore and someone became Warner. No room for more

[cobalt1999]

1. I think Gore would have jumped in personally.

So, one vote for Gore.

[NewHampster]

11. I added his name as a late entry ;-)

[cobalt1999]

14. Must have been that bourbon marinated ribeye...

that made you forget him though. :)

[NewHampster]

16. and Kerry too I guess but it's too late

[Yupster]

27. My first reaction before reading the choices

was Kerry also.

Gore possibly too.

[MH1]

28. Yep, Kerry should be there

He's my first pick.

[slick8790]

2. Oy...

I wonder about the people who think Kucinich would be leading. I can't see him leading under any set of circumstances.

[cuke]

7. Shows the honesty of some

bet they don't post in this thread

[Hippo_Tron]

3. Your poll needs to include Gore

Possibly Mark Warner as well.

[NewHampster]

6. Vilsack just became Gore

I can ax Daschle for Warner?

[baldguy]

4. Al Gore

[cboy4]

5. I know I wouldn't be voting for Clark after his disappointing

appearance on Real Time.

And then you have Obama embracing a homophobe just to raise a few bucks.

Very, very disappointing to say the least.

[NewHampster]

8. None of that would have happened

can't you realize that?

[cboy4]

9. What do you mean none of that would have happened?

[NewHampster]

10. This poll is hypothetical

If Hillary had not entered the race? Then Clark would have run and he never would have been on with Bill.

[cboy4]

12. I know. That's why I said I "wouldn't" be voting for him

as opposed to I "am" voting for him.

And why wouldn't he be on with Bill?

Edwards was just on the week before last.

[NewHampster]

15. Edwards is dying and scrambling

for anything he can to salvage a chance at another vp run. I think that the General would have run a high profile, above the fray campaign that avoided controversy such as Real Time.

[ooga booga]

25. I sorta doubt that John Edwards WANTS the VP slot.

Been there. Done that.

In my own (delusional) crystal ball, I see Hillary choosing Bill Richardson as the VP nominee. He's Hispanic and will help pull the Hispanic vote and the Southwestern states.

Assuming that Hillary wins, Wesley Clark becomes the new Secretary of State. I think that he's got his eye on either State or Defense.

John Edwards would be a pretty good choice for Attorney General. After Ashcroft and Gonzalez, it'd be refreshing to see someone like John Edwards in the AG slot.

Dennis Kucinich could contribute also. With healthcare becoming a marquee issue in the new HRC administration, maybe Health and Human Services would be a good place for him. Raise his profile so that he and Richardson could duke it out for who follows Hillary.

Joe Biden? Maybe Defense or State -- which ever Clark doesn't get, I suppose.

Remember Dubya tapped a slew of Republican governors to join his administration. I think Hillary will look for some major league Democratic talent. The other presidential contenders and some of the more successful Democratic governors like Sibelius of Kansas seem like good choices to me.

What's your take?

[NewHampster]

26. I saw and met Richardson

I'm convinced that his is 100% a VP run. He'd be good too.

I don't think she'd pull Biden out of the Senate or Obama for that matter.

[ooga booga]

33. It's not cool for him to admit it, but you know he's after VP

I like Bill Richardson. Like you, I've met him and seen him up close. I think he's the real deal, but Hillary's got such a lead now. He's got to play for the VP slot.

I've said it before. I think Bill Richardson would help any Democratic ticket.

[karynnj]

13. Kerry likely would not have left

Had Hillary left in early 2007 instead of Kerry, I would guess that a substantial amount of the "name recognition" vote for Hillary would have gone to him. Though most of fall 2006, Kerry and Edwards were polling within one or two points.

Now before I hear "botched joke", there is no a perfect candidate in the race. Also, if Hillary were not running, she would likely not have seen the need to stab him in the back as internal polls were showing that the joke did not hurt and the uproar was ending - she and Schumer extended it a couple of days. Oddly, I will bet that it is Kerry, who Hillary attempts to use to pull veterans to her vs the Republican. He has the real connections to them that few can equal.

Kerry's positions that were consistent from 2004 through 2007 are where most of the Democrats are now. Hillary is saying that the Iraqis won't make difficult decisions without a deadline. Other than Gore, Kerry is the only one with a thirty plus year record on the environment. Kerry led the fight on Alito. Kerry's 2004 Healthcare plan was very similar to what he intended for 2008 and itr is and was a great plan. Given that corruption is an important issue it's hard to do better than the man who closed down BCCI.

[NewHampster]

17. So now I have to rerun the poll with Kerry in there too.

Just I so hoped to never see him on TV again. Living next to Mass., JK tends to get on the nerves.

[sandnsea]

29. With your shitty senators?

How in the world could an outstanding liberal like John Kerry get on your nerves.

[NewHampster]

30. Voice. Accent. Eyes.

All the things that shouldn't matter but do.

P.S. I was a Deaniac then Deaniac for Kerry and I personally raised over $5000 for Kerry off DU in the General.

I may hate his ass but not nearly as much as the repugs.

[ElizabethDC]

18. Probably Biden or Edwards for me. Or Kerry, if he were running. nt

[Basileus Basileon]

19. Can't imagine why anybody would say Kucinich. nt

[NewHampster]

20. That's what makes the world go 'round

[slick8790]

21. Not really.

I can see someone preferring Kucinich to other candidates. What I can't see is anyone honestly believe he'd be in the lead in polling for the nomination if Hillary were not running.

[NewHampster]

24. My guess is they are snarky votes

boys having fun

[ooga booga]

22. An interesting and diverting question, but also quite moot.....

It's happening in another parallel dimension, I guess. Like the one where Dubya never gets as far as governor of Texas. What I wouldn't give to live in THAT one!!

[NewHampster]

23. You've Entered The...

[Mass]

31. Among those running, probably Biden.

Gore or Kerry if they had run.

[DutchLiberal]

32. I think Edwards would lead instead.

I like Kucinich, but I don't understand people who voted for him in this poll. Why would they think Kucinich would lead once Clinton was gone? There's absolutely no indication for that. It makes no sense.