My 2008 Prediction: Gore/Vilsack Defeats Brownback/Graham

[Politico]

Gore/Vilsack: 340
Brownback/Graham: 198

Like the 1968 election, it'll be much closer than the Electoral College map would lead one to believe. Gore/Vilsack will receive 49.5% to Brownback/Graham's 48.0%. Third party candidates, mostly of a conservative/libertarian ilk, will receive the remaining 2.5%, and essentially be responsible for Gore winning FL, TN, VA, NV, and NM (In other words, they'll do to the Republican candidate what Nader did to Gore in FL and NH in 2000).

[MAS117]

Politico, welcome to the Atlas Forum. Here we use Blue for the GOP and Red for the Democrats.

[Moooooo]

I pray evernight that Brownback is the Republican nominee, but buddy, I got bad news... It aint gonna' happen.

[TheresNoMoney]

Welcome to the forum, but I highly doubt either Gore or Brownback will be the nominees.

[TomC]

This would be sweet.

I'd give Gore Colo and Mo before Tennessee. Remember how he said he was gonna "mend fences" here in Tenn? We're still waiting.

[Politico]

I pray evernight that Brownback is the Republican nominee, but buddy, I got bad news... It aint gonna' happen.

I think Brownback will manage to defeat McCain, Romney and Hagel. I don't think Giuliani, Frist, Rice, Jeb Bush, and Pataki are going to run. The Religious Right will solidly line up behind Brownback, while other factions will be split between McCain, Romney and Hagel. Brownback will secure Graham's endorsement for the SC primary, the decisive state for the GOP nomination since '80, and reward him with a spot on the ticket.

It'll be bloody, but I think a social conservative (If not Brownback, then Frist, Allen, or Santorum if he somehow survives next year) will defeat McCain in a close battle, creating a schism in the GOP. The schism will leave the GOP trying to play catch up in the general election race, and, like Ford/Dole and Humphrey/Muskie, they will lose a close race after somehow managing to almost reunite the party back to full strength.

[Moooooo]

I was just about to say, what about Allen?  Make no mistake, he's running, and he's running hard.

[TheresNoMoney]

Frist and Pataki are already running for president. Both are already making appearances in NH and Iowa all the time.

[TomC]

Allen makes more sense than Brownback.

I'm afraid the whole "Blind trust" thing has really hurt Frist's chances. Then again, Martha Stewart's back and better than ever.

[Politico]

Allen makes more sense than Brownback.

Perhaps. But I think Allen is going to take a hit Tuesday night when his boy Kilgore loses.

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Frist's leadership has been, quite simply, pathetic. His support of stem cell research seems to have hurt his standing with the Religious Right too. I have a feeling the Democrats are going to pick up three or four seats in the Senate in 2006, making Frist look like a real loser when he leaves his post as Majority Leader.

[TheresNoMoney]

Perhaps. But I think Allen is going to take a hit Tuesday night when his boy Kilgore loses.

Kilgore will win by 2% or 3% guaranteed.

[TomC]

Perhaps. But I think Allen is going to take a hit Tuesday night when his boy Kilgore loses.

Kilgore will win by 2% or 3% guaranteed.

Why, do they use Diebold machines in VA?

[Politico]

This would be sweet.

I'd give Gore Colo and Mo before Tennessee. Remember how he said he was gonna "mend fences" here in Tenn? We're still waiting.

I'd normally agree, but I think Brownback would have the advantage in CO and MO because they're right next to his home state.

I don't think Gore will lose TN again. I would think that he would spend far much more time and money in the state this time around. It's also worth noting that Lamar Alexander will probably be running for re-election in '08, so a few Republicans might decide to vote for a mixed ticket (Go with Alexander and Gore) or vote for Alexander and a conservative independent for president.

[elcorazon]

Feingold/Obama over Allen/Rice

[Lincoln Republican]

Gore/Vilsack                   333
Brownback/Graham        205

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Kilgore will win by 2% or 3% guaranteed.

Bumped for humor value.

[HardRCafé]

This is certainly interesting in retrospect.  Whatever happened to Vilsack, anyway?

[Politico]

This is certainly interesting in retrospect.  Whatever happened to Vilsack, anyway?

Put all of his eggs in one basket (i.e., was ill-advised to throw his support behind the Clintons) and got burnt badly by it in his home state.

[Stranger in a strange land]

FWIW, here's how I think this matchup would have gone down:

Brownback's catholicism will hurt him in the border states. The fact he's a fundie catholic will hurt him in the mountain west. The national environment is much worse than anyone back in 2005 thought it would be.