Ted Kennedy/Lloyd Bentsen VS George H. W. Bush/Howard Baker

[Sewer]

.

[Psychic Octopus]

which year?

[Sewer]

which year?

1980.

[Lincoln Republican]

Bush trumps Bentsen in Texas.

The south avoids northeast liberal Kennedy

Baker is who Bush should have picked in 1988 in real life.

Bush/Baker                   292
Kennedy/Bentsen           246

[Deldem]

Kennedy pulls out a narrow victory because, well, he's a Kennedy. I think Bush would have stumbled like he did in 1992, and having Bentsen would deflect some of the ultra liberal label.

Kennedy-284
Bush-254

[RS.Ngai]

I think it'll be extremely tight (a cliffhanger), but by my opinion, Kennedy will triumph 273-265:

[Lahbas]

If Chappaquidic killed his canidacy during the 1980 Democratic Primaries, there is no reason that it wouldn't do the same if he actually won the nomination. The Republicans would just keep playing the incident over the TVs and Radios, resulting in Kennedy losing Golwateresque fashion. Map, in my opinion, would appear the exact same as historically.

[President Mitt]

Kennedy pulls out a narrow victory because, well, he's a Kennedy. I think Bush would have stumbled like he did in 1992, and having Bentsen would deflect some of the ultra liberal label.

Kennedy-284
Bush-254

When did that become an asset?

[hcallega]

If Chappaquidic killed his canidacy during the 1980 Democratic Primaries, there is no reason that it wouldn't do the same if he actually won the nomination. The Republicans would just keep playing the incident over the TVs and Radios, resulting in Kennedy losing Golwateresque fashion. Map, in my opinion, would appear the exact same as historically.

Chappaquidic didn't kill his candidacy, his response to it and his overall campaign theme did. If we assume that Kennedy is forthright and runs an anti-Carter, pro-liberal campaign very well and wins the nomination, then it's possible that he wins the election. I personally believe that Kennedy would have beaten Bush, just not Reagan.