Alt. Election 2008: McKinney(D) vs. Romney (R) vs. Liberman (I)

[RS.Ngai]

Alternative Election Hypothesis:

Suppose Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney decided not to quit the Democratic Party and decides to run for the presidency as a Democrat. With McKinney in, Obama decides not to run, instead giving McKinney his full support. McKinney runs on a very progressive and very liberal platform, not too dissimilar from her real Green 2008 campaign. With backing from Obama and the likes of Kucinich, Gravel and Ted Kennedy, McKinney narrowly edges out Hillary Clinton by a very razor-thin margin of delegates in the 2008 Democratic National Convention. To win some not-so-liberal votes, McKinney chooses Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut as her running mate.

On the Republican Side, Mormon Mitt Romney decides not to stand down for the running in 2008, and decides to continue challenging John McCain in the primaries. Romney, a conservative, narrowly edges out his main competition, John Mc Cain in the number of delegates in the Republican National Convention, making him the first Mormon to be on a presidential ticket. What would draw some real suprises though, is that Mitt Romney chooses fellow Mormon Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah as his running mate.

Meanwhile, Joe Liberman of Connecticut, once running mate to Al Gore in 2000, decides to launch his own campaign. Joe Liberman parades himself as the "sensible moderate" to Romney's religious right and McKinney's loony left. Joe Liberman runs on a platform that envisions his own political views of America and the world, espousing greater civil and domestic rights, but also a militarist foreign policy like continuing the war on Iraq. The independent Joe Liberman chooses fellow independent Michael Bloomberg, New York City Mayor and a billionare businessman, as his running mate. Kinda the Ross Perot of 2008, okay?

So, here's the lineup:
Cynthia McKinney/Chris Dodd (D)
Mitt Romney/Jon Huntsman Jr. (R)
Joe Liberman/Michael Bloomberg (I)

Who do you think will win, or will it go to the HOUSE?

[Lincoln Republican]

Obviously, Romney does not pick another Mormon as his running mate, nor does Lieberman pick another Jew as his running mate.

McKinney would not be taken seriously as a contender for the Presidency and would lead the Democrats to a devastating defeat, not only for the Presidency, but down ballot as well, for House, Senate, and Governorships.

In the scenario you describe, two Mormons, both competent, two Jews, both competent, one completely irrelevant black woman, and it makes no difference who her running mate is, here's what happens.

This map is generous to McKinney.

Romney/Huntsman                        284
Lieberman/Bloomberg                     235
McKinney/ Dodd                             19

[Lincoln Republican]

Romney/Huntsman                                  329
Lieberman/Bloomberg                               206
McKinney/Dodd                                          3

[Teddy (IDS Legislator)]

[rebeltarian]

Romney 334
Leiberman 201
McKinney 3

[CatoMinor]

As low a percentage as McKinney would get she could always split just enough of the vote to give Romney Massachusettes