Pat Buchanan/Jesse Jackson 1988

[tpfkaw]

George Bush decides not to run, and senile Reagan endorses his former adviser Buchanan (who does decide to run). Meanwhile, Gary Hart's affair is never revealed and he continues to split the vote with other moderate Dems, handing the nomination to Jackson.

How will the country vote, given the rather extreme candidates?

The debates will be interesting, to say the least . . .

Turnout would also probably be pretty low.

Would a third-party/independent scenario be plausible here? Perot would probably back Buchanan, while the other guy who comes to [my] mind, Paul Tsongas, was battling cancer at the time. Is there anyone else who both would have wanted to run, and who had good enough moderate/unknown credentials?

[Bo]

Out of those two, Buchanan wins in a landslide.

[feeblepizza]

John Anderson makes a comeback with Walter Mondale as VP. He wins with just 271 EV's

[Dr. Cynic]

There's no way that some politican doesn't see an opening for victory there with a third party candidacy.

[tpfkaw]

There's no way that some politican doesn't see an opening for victory there with a third party candidacy.

This is just a bizarre thought that came to me - but I wonder if Richard Nixon sees it as his comeback opportunity. He would be eligible to run again, having served fewer than 2 years of his second term. He would be 75 in 1988 (2 years younger than Reagan!).

[Dr. Cynic]

There's no way that some politican doesn't see an opening for victory there with a third party candidacy.

This is just a bizarre thought that came to me - but I wonder if Richard Nixon sees it as his comeback opportunity. He would be eligible to run again, having served less than 2 years of his second term. He would be 75 in 1988 (2 years younger than Reagan!).

Nixon was pretty well retired from public life by that time, though. I would think that a moderate like Dale Bumpers or Bob Dole might make a run.

[Lincoln Republican]

America would massively reject race baiter Jackson.

Buchanan            535
Jackson                  3