I think this is appropriate for this board. Found using Wikipedia's "View History" tab on their 2008 election article. Some highlights include:

Democrats:

Senator Max Baucus of Montana
Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois
Fmr. Governor Jerry Brown of California
Senator (and soon to be Governor) Jon Corzine of New Jersey
Fmr. Senator Gary Hart of Colorado
Senator Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. of Illinois
Attorney General Eliot Spitzer of New York

Republicans:

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft of Missouri
Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina
U.S. Attorney General Nominee Alberto Gonzales of Texas
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
Fmr. Vice President Dan Quayle of Indiana
Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina
Fmr. Representative J. C. Watts of Oklahoma

Which of these would be taken seriously for any office now? Not many.

Oh, and here's the link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_presidential_election,_2008&diff=8839333&oldid=8835655

Hope he pulls through.

Mandela and Thatcher are both in hospital at the moment too.

Merry Christmas to Atlas!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/20/inside-politics-gingrich-evolves-on-gay-marriage/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS

My votes in Tory leadership elections based on who I think would have made the least electorally successful leader:

1965: Powell at the time, probably. No idea how a post-ROB speech Powell leadership would have turned out....don't particularly like to think about it.
1975: Well, certainly Thatcher without hindsight. With....hmmmm....probably one of the minor candidates on the second ballot. Peyton, I suppose.
1989: Thatcher had become rather toxic by this point, so her.
1990: Major lacks charisma, but managed to run a pretty effective campaign in 1992. So probably Hurd on the second ballot. Thatcher on the first.
1995: John Redwood
1997: Peter Lilley
2001: IDS, quite obviously. Sorry Phil.
2003: No real contest
2005: Liam Fox

1946: Luther Youngdahl (Republican)
1948: Luther Youngdahl (Republican)
1950: Luther Youngdahl (Republican)
1952: Martin Fredrickson (Progressive)
1954: Orville Freeman (Democratic)
1956: Orville Freeman (Democratic)
1958: Orville Freeman (Democratic)
1960: Elmer L. Andersen (Republican)
1962: Elmer L. Andersen (Republican)
1966: Karl Rolvaag (Democratic)
1970: Wendell Anderson (Democratic)
1974: Wendell Anderson (Democratic)
1978: Rudy Perpich (Democratic)
1982: Rudy Perpich (Democratic)
1986: Rudy Perpich (Democratic)
1990: Arne Carlson (Republican)
1994: John Marty (Democratic)
1998: Hubert Humphrey III (Democratic)
2002: Ken Pentel (Green)
2006: Mike Hatch (Democratic)
2010: Mark Dayton (Democratic)

At the time? Ford. In restrospect? Still Ford.

Ford of course couldn't run again in 1980 which is a shame, but a moderately successful presidency could have stalled Reaganism in it's tracks. Reagan was the perceived response to the 'failure' of Carter. With Ford in office, the GOP would have wished for continuity. Rockefellers death in 1979 would have required an appointed Vice President, probably George Bush who had been considered for the spot in 1974. He would probably have ran in 1980 for the nomination and won. Regardless of the result in 1980, 1984 would be too late for Reagan. So no Reaganism, no religious right and no batsh-t Republican Party.

What's so wrong with Reagan (for a Conservative)

His record doesn't match the myth. Increased spending and debt, amnesty, tax increases etc. Conservatives seem to gloss over those and still present him as a conservative model of governance.

Reagan is similar to JFK in the sense that his personal charm glosses over his record as President.

Anyway, most likely Carter both with hindsight and without.

To the right.

What about Thomas the Tank Engine? Is that shown in Aus?

Yeah it's sad; my era was Otis the Aardvark.

The only show I watch on the BBC on a regular basis (politics and news aside) is Pointless. *Insert the obvious jokes here*

What's the chance of this actually happening?

Lean HP, I suppose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Gael

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mebyon_Kernow

Hello!

Jesse Ventura will make a third party bid. Would that count?

To an extent, but he's been talked about too.

Would Huckabee, Santorum, Jeb Bush, and a few other count? Because it would have been a decade since they were last elected come the election.

Santorum, of course, ran this year, so he wouldn't. Bush and Huckabee would be viewed as serious candidates.

To clarify, what I mean is someone who probably wouldn't even be thought of on here....except possibly in a thread such as this.

Doesn't Newt Gingrich count for 2012?

He was discussed as a potential candidate for a long time and was a serious contender for the nomination for a while.

Morry Taylor said he would run again.

He's never held office though. Even Keyes and Bauer held office in the 1980s.

To put it another way - a former office holder who, completely out of the blue and for reasons unknown, decides to wage a presidential campaign. So Harold Stassen doesn't really fit under this label, as him wasting his time every four years became something of a tradition.

In 2012, it was Buddy Roemer.

In 2008, there were two - Mike Gravel and Jim Gilmore. A decent case can be made for Tommy Thompson too.

In 2004....I suppose it was Carol Moseley Braun.

In 2000....hmmmm....Gary Bauer?

In 1996, it was Alan Keyes.

In 1992, it was Eugene McCarthy.

Certainly an honorable and interesting man. RIP.

Not seeing this anywhere. Link?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/17/hawaii-sen-daniel-inouye-dies-at-age-88/

Approve.

The main problem with Obama, however, is his difficulty to advertise his actual successes and achievements (à la Tony Blair), of which there are quite a few.

Yeah yeah yeah it's a (rather crude) joke....just got the urge to post this after seeing the "Claire McCaskill" thread.

Only if a "dislike" button accompanies it.

Now that it seems more likely that he'll be re-elected to the Senate in 2014, why not a presidential run in 2016? He's conservative without being batsh**t extreme and fairly charismatic, and he's from the crucial primary state of South Carolina.