What if.....there were no primaries?

[Mr. Morden]

Suppose the McGovern-Fraser reforms to the nomination system never happened.  That is, you do *not* have a new primary system arising for either party in the 1970s.  Instead, you continue to have the same system as in the 1960s and earlier: A few states hold primaries, but they're not really determinative, because most states' delegates are picked by party bosses, and the nomination for each party is decided by party bosses in smoke filled rooms at the conventions.  In fact, suppose we also don't see primaries being used to determine nominations for state and local races either.  (So probably nothing like the Tea Party phenomenon would arise, since the grassroots have no means of primarying incumbents.)

Who does each party nominate in every election from 1972 onwards?  (If you don't want to do all 40 years, then just pick a few cases that you like.)  If you want to do any electoral maps for such elections, feel free to do so as well.

[Mr. Morden]

OK, here's my crack at it.  The general theme is that more "establishment" type candidates would be nominated, and insurgents would have a harder time.  Also, more top tier candidates are willing to run, because running for president doesn't require as much of a huge commitment, up to two years in advance of the election:

1972:
D: Ed Muskie / Wilbur Mills
R: Richard Nixon / Spiro Agnew
Nixon wins

1976:
D: Birch Bayh / Jimmy Carter
R: Gerald Ford / Bob Dole
Bayh wins

1980:
D: Birch Bayh / Jimmy Carter
R: Ronald Reagan / George H.W. Bush
Reagan wins

1984:
D: Lloyd Bentsen / Gary Hart
R: Ronald Reagan / George H.W. Bush
Reagan wins

1988:
D: Mario Cuomo / Sam Nunn
R: George H.W. Bush / Jack Kemp
Bush wins

1992:
D: Bill Bradley / Lee Hamilton
R: George H.W. Bush / Jack Kemp
Bradley wins

1996:
D: Bill Bradley / Lee Hamilton
R: Bob Dole / Dick Cheney
Bradley wins

2000:
D: Bill Clinton / Joe Lieberman
R: George W. Bush / John Danforth
Clinton wins

2004:
D: Bill Clinton / Joe Lieberman
R: Frank Keating / John McCain
Keating wins

2008:
D: Kathleen Sebelius / Joe Biden
R: Frank Keating / John McCain
Sebelius wins

2012:
D: Kathleen Sebelius / Joe Biden
R: Jeb Bush / Paul Ryan
Sebelius wins

[badgate]

^Interesting list. I do have to say I don't think HW Bush would've been the VP in '80 in this primary scenario.

[Mr. Morden]

^Interesting list. I do have to say I don't think HW Bush would've been the VP in '80 in this primary scenario.

Perhaps.  An interestingly wacky idea for Reagan's 1980 running mate would be Donald Rumsfeld.  At that time, relatively young to offset Reagan's age, but still pretty experienced.  Sort of like a mirror version of Bush, in that he'd served in the House, as well as numerous positions within the Nixon and Ford administrations (most significantly, Chief of Staff and SecDef for Ford).

Reagan/Rumsfeld in 1980 of course sets up a possible Rumsfeld/Cheney ticket in 1988. 

Someone should write a President Rumsfeld timeline.

[DKrol]

1980
R: Reagan/Rumsfeld
D: Ted Kennedy/Moynihan
Kennedy wins

1984
R: Reagan/H.W. Bush
D: Ted Kennedy/Moynihan
Kennedy wins

1988
R: H.W. Bush/Dole
D: Moynihan/Gephardt
Bush wins

1992
R: H.W. Bush/Dole
D: Bradley/Gore
Dole wins

1996
R: Dole/Kemp
D: Cuomo/Harkin
Cuomo wins

2000
R: W. Bush/Cheney
D: Cuomo/Harkin
Cuomo wins

2004
R: McCain/Huckabee
D: Dean/Clark
McCain wins

2008
R: McCain/Huckabee
D: H. Clinton/Kerry
Clinton wins

2012
R: Huckabee/Romney
D: H. Clinton/Kerry
Clinton wins