Al Gore is always there just in case Hillary has second thoughts.
I know this post wasn't serious, but I really hope he surprises everyone and decides to run. He would really shake things up. He's always seemed much more passionate and dedicated to the cause than Hillary ever has. I'm perfectly content with Hillary, but whenever people start to mention the possibility of Al Gore in 2016, I start to hope she doesn't run. And I heard about that trip to Iowa he's making. I'm about 119% sure (give or take) that it's nothing, but boy does it give me hope.
On the broad subject of what happens without Hillary in the race or if she flops, then I doubt it would be chaos like everyone else suggests. You'd probably see old faces pop back up again. John Kerry would be hiring staffers, Howard Dean would begin courting donors, Al Gore would be making trips to Iowa. You'd probably see people like that and the fresh faces in the party that people talk about (Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand, and so on) forming exploratory committees and talking up the possibility of their candidacy in 2016. So it would be unexpected, but still manageable. People who might have voted for Hillary weren't just going to vote for her because of her name (though admittedly I'm sure it's a factor). They were going to be voting for her because she's a Democrat. And at the end of the day, we can find somebody else if need be.
