Dean wouldn’t have picked Feingold for his running mate, not only are their politics too similar but Feingold was running for re-election and him as VP rather than as a candidate for senate just hampers the DNC campaign for the Senate.
Dean was very open prior to the beginning of 2004 that he favoured Clark as his running mate, but Clark’s entry into the race would probably have meant that that option would have to be discounted.
Edwards’ might well have still achieved a late surge in the primaries probably coming second in Iowa and challenging Dean in the Southern Primaries… but a one term southern senator would still be a weak choice for Dean who would have no legislative experience, in stark contrast to Kerry who was pretty much born under the rotunda
In the end Dean would be looking for legislative experience, geographical pull and someone who didn’t compromise Dean’s hard line on the war to much. To my mind that makes Bob Graham far and away the most likely choice for Dean as his running mate…with Bill Richardson and John Edwards as outside possibilities.
Dean would not have racked up terrible poll numbers and would have been likely to have remained over 40% for the entire of the campaign, but by and large Bush’s lead would never be in question even as far out as the mid-summer running up to the convention. This despite what would be a full on attempt by the DNC to soften Deans’ image from the primaries.
As happened with Kerry, Dean falls along way behind Bush after the GOP’s New York Convention with most polls putting the race in the 44 to 55% range between Dean and Bush. Dean’s performances in the debates, while mixed, do allow him to recoup some momentum but despite this he remains behind Bush and is eventually defeated by 46-53%...
George Bush: Richard Cheney (REP) – 345 EV/ 52.9% PV.
Howard Dean: Robert Graham (DEM) - 193 EV/ 46.4% PV.
…confounding some of his earlier critics in his presidential race, but heading a ticket which see big boosts for Republicans in the Senate and the House with Russ Feingold, Patty Murry and Colorado Challnger Ken Salazar all losing to GOP Challengers. Meaning the Senate was left within a few votes of being fillbusta proof for the GOP with 58 Republicans facing a depleted and battered Democratic Caucus of 41, which was soon made 40 with the defection of Senator Ben Nelson shortly before the new term of Congress began in early 2005.
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