If Hillary never ran in 2008...

[President Johnson]

... would the Democratic primaries have been a clean sweep for Obama, or would Edwards have ended up as his main competitor, or emerges someone else? Is the ticket still Obama/Biden?

[Chips]

Edwards probably would've won a few primaries. But Obama would've beaten any challenger in 2008. Both in the primary and in the general. I remember feeling he was going to easily become president when he first announced.

[Orwell]

If Hillary doesn't run in 2008 we probably see a larger field of candidates it depends on when Hillary says she isn't going to run if it is in 2006 or early 2007 I could see more candidates jumping in like Al Gore. Obama got very lucky in the 2008 cycle, in all honesty, he didn't run a particularly good campaign just both Hillary and McCain ran bad campaigns.

[Left Wing]

Evan Bayh, Vilsack and Easley run if she doesn’t. Possibly even more people.

[Alben Barkley]

If Hillary doesn't run in 2008 we probably see a larger field of candidates it depends on when Hillary says she isn't going to run if it is in 2006 or early 2007 I could see more candidates jumping in like Al Gore. Obama got very lucky in the 2008 cycle, in all honesty, he didn't run a particularly good campaign just both Hillary and McCain ran bad campaigns.

Obama 2008 campaign was great and iconic. Hillary’s campaign wasn’t that bad. It’s just Obama’s campaign did a great job getting out the vote and exciting the base.

Now, Gore COULD have run and won. But I still think Obama’s got a good shot.

[Tamika Jackson]

I think if Hillary didn't run in '08, Obama would have a harder time as a relatively new Senator and newer member of the party. A lot of his support in the party came from those who were not interested in another establishment candidate. That's a large portion of Bernie's base and why we saw a lot of progressive candidates this year.

[NewYorkExpress]

Obama would have had a much easier road to the nomination, as I find it hard to imagine who his closest challenger would be.

Edwards would have been wrecked by the Rielle Hunter scandal.

Dodd would've destroyed by subprime mortgage crisis.

Biden would've said something even more stupid than what he actually said on the campaign trail in 2008.

Richardson would've been sunk by corruption allegations as Governor of New Mexico.

Ultimately Obama wins easily, winning (almost) every state, with his closest competitors being Biden, and in a knock-on effect of Clinton not running, Vilsack (who in this world wins Iowa uncontested. Obama wins New Hampshire instead.)

The ticket likely would still be Obama/Biden...though Clinton not running does make Obama/Sebelius or Obama/Clinton at least plausible now.