The Great Primary: Failed Republican nominees of the 20th century

[Liberté]

I did a series of these some time ago with every President elected from both parties in the 20th century. I'd like to resume these by including every candidate from both parties who won the nomination but lost in the general election.

That said, the scenario is as follows:


Imagine if you will a world in which the spirits of the dead have returned to make visitations upon us, the living. The dead - and the politically dead, who are often the same - have decided to return to their past vocation. Towards this end every failed Presidential nominee of the 20th century has been allowed the opportunity to enter into the ranks of his Party and compete for the nomination of that Party for the Presidency of the United States in 2012. This includes only those candidates who had never before been President; individuals who had attained the office but who had been defeated for re-election will not be included.

The rules are these: the world has changed; these men have not. They are re-emerging in history exactly as they were as they left it, and may have a Hell of a time adjusting to that fact. With that in mind, Republicans, these are your candidates:

Charles Evans Hughes
Alf Landon
Wendell Willkie
Thomas Dewey
Barry Goldwater
Bob Dole
   

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Done according tot eh 2008 schedule.

Red-Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona
Green-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas
Blue-Governor Thomas Dewey of New York

It's really close because none of the potential candidates are "true Conservatives", though Dole and Goldwater come the closest. Dewey becomes the official candidate of the moderates, liberals, north-easterners, etc. Dole becomes the candidate of the moderates and around a half of the Conservatives. Goldwater becomes the Libertarian and Conservative candidate. The South is dicey, but I think Dole and Goldwater would be the only possible victors there.

[Liberté]

Of the candidates who you don't think carry any states - Charles Evans Hughes, Alf Landon, and Wendell Willkie - how well do you think each of them do? Would they be wiped out, have good showings with certain constituencies, or just sort of flounder?

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Of the candidates who you don't think carry any states - Charles Evans Hughes, Alf Landon, and Wendell Willkie - how well do you think each of them do? Would they be wiped out, have good showings with certain constituencies, or just sort of flounder?

Wendell Willkie could either do the worst, or maybe appeal to North-Eastern pro-business but overall Liberal Republicans. I can't see him doing well in any group besides that, if he could do well even there.

Landon's only chance, with three north-easterners in the field, is Iowa, but Dole would dominate there. If Landon's lucky, IMO, he gets fourth or better.

Charles Even Hughes' biggest competition is with Dewey. However, I think Dewey would have better appeal to modern Republicans simply because he's from a different era, and because I think he'd be slightly to the right of Hughes:

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Supporter of death penalty, cut taxes, reduced debt, while providing more services. He could be an ideal candidate. From what I remember from reading the article on Hughes, his tenure as Governor of New York was mainly marked by putting the Governorship in charge of more and more things in the state, and that could be used against him.

Here's how I see it playing out:
January 3rd, Iowa: Dole dominates there with the Religious Right seeing him as the only choice. However, Goldwater does well with his own little group. Landon's attempts to win there prove futile as Western Progressive Republicans have long faded away.

January 5th, Wyoming: Goldwater's Libertarianism and staunch fiscal conservatism carries the day. Landon, by placing third in the convention, drops out. Dole takes second.

January 8th, New Hampshire In one of the biggest fights, with each candidate representing his own side, Dewey is able to pull out. While Goldwater rallied the Libertarian-Conservatives and Willkie went after the Liberals, Dewey has beaten out Hughes for the moderates, carrying a slice of the Liberals with him and comes out on top.

January 15th, Michigan
The last state that Hughes, Landon, or Willkie could score in before losing all hope, Dewey wins out again, having become the favorite son of the moderate to liberal Northerners.

I'm not really good with percentages, but I think Dewey and the guys who don't get states would do moderately well in open primaries. Aside from that, though, after Dewey's eclipsed them, they have no hope.

[Liberté]

Awesome. You should do the Democrats. :-D

[Dancing with Myself]

Willkie is the only guy I like from the list, so I would vote for him

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Goldwater, then Hughes, then Dole. The rest, I dont care for.