Hypothetical Poll about Dean and the 2008 election.

[Sean Reynolds]

This is ONLY a hypothetical question, nothing to get in a mad fury over.

So here it goes!

Lets say Dean wins the nomination and in the 2004 election WINS the popular vote, but loses the electoral college. If this were to happen, should Dean have dibs on the nomination in 2008?

Reason I ask is because I can REALLY see the Dems winning the popular vote again, but losing in the EC. Now when that happened to Gore, most here believed he should have had dibs on the 2004 nomination. Of course Gore stepped aside and said he would not run in 2004.

So should Dean?

[LuminousX]

1. Gore got a preference because he was sitting VP

I wouldn't want anyone to defer to Dean in 2008 if this situation were to come about.

[LizW]

2. It depends.

I think the way the fight over Florida played out may have hurt Gore. The Repugs were able to play the whole thing in the media so much to their favor. They built two memes: the sore loser meme and the "move on for the good of the country" meme. Those two things made it difficult, but not impossible for Gore to come back and run in 2004.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to run for President in the current atmosphere, so I don't have any trouble understanding why Gore declined. Who would want to subject himself to that nightmare a second time?

I don't think losing the EC makes a candidate unelectable in the next election, nor does it give him dibs. It all depends on the candidate.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. If this should come to pass

there are not going to be elections in 2008 and we may be in the
midts of a very hot civil war. Right now we are in the midts of a cold
one... but we only need a spark or two to get this one going.

[batesboys]

7. I'm afraid

your're correct on this.

[blm]

4. Rove getting Arnold in office in Ca. was ALL about the popular vote.

Fuggedahboutit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. I'm a Dean supporter but I say no.

He should have to take his chances with everyone else. Of course if he should win the nomination and lose the election under any circumstances, the DLC and the rightwing of the party will be howling how we lost because we were "too liberal".

[mydawgmax]

9. Or not liberal enough.

eom

[Gringo]

6. I'm a big Dean supporter, but there are NO DIBS.

I don't even thnk incumbents should have dibs on the nomiation. If Clinton had done a lousy job, we should have replaced him, just as Bush IS doing a horrible job, and should be replaced with a saner republican.

[damnraddem]

8. How about a different question?

It's 2008. Should President Dean decline to run again, so as to give Kucinich a chance to be elected immediately, or make him wait until 2012? ;-)

By the way, I voted no dibs.