What would GOP do if they had a Lieberman situation?

[yurbud]

A candidate who lost the primary to an opponent more in tune with the party base, and then the loser went on to what looked like a potentially successful independent run against the guy who won the nomination?

[lcordero2]

1. It wouldn't happen in the GOP

Because the "Independent" would be "sleeping with the fishes".

[WI_DEM]

2. they did in 2001 when Jeffords went from Republican to Independent

and left the GOP caucus to caucus with democrats.

[endarkenment]

5. Not the same situation.

Jeffords did not lose the Republican primary and then run anyway in order to spoil the Republican winner's chances.

[napi21]

3. I don't think they would! I think they would have all gotten together

and threatened him if he decided to run as an Ind. You remember how there was so much discussion between the Dems who were already in office, finally sayinglets wait until the Primary if over? Pubs would have ever done that. They'd have toldhim flately thathe was off all his committee's immediately, and since they seem to have "some scandal" on every one of their members, they would have made sure he never ran as an Ind, and he had no other option.

[orpupilofnature57]

4. They've done it to one of two Great Republican Presidents, Teddy

Just to show where the greed over democracy always is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt#Republican_Party_rift

[LeftishBrit]

6. Didn't that happen in 1980?

John Anderson was a moderate Republican who ran in the presidential primary and lost to Ronald Reagan, and then ran as a third-party candidate.

I doubt that the Republicans were that bothered - he probably took more votes from Carter (unfortunately).

[orpupilofnature57]

7. Truth ,Anderson was a Brilliant man.

[DireStrike]

8. I don't think there's any historical precedent that lines up properly

All we can consider is the hypothetical.

Their lieberman would be killed or blackmailed out of the race. Or maybe they'd just kill someone close to him, or threaten it. That's been done.

[yurbud]

9. I could imagine something well short of that doing the trick

though the GOP would definitely do all those things.