1988: Gary Hart the Democratic nominee and no Donna Rice affair

[darklordoftech]

How would Hart do against Bush without that scandal?

[dw93]

He'd fare better than Dukakis for sure. I'd say the election would be a toss up if a scandal free Hart were the nominee instead of Dukakis. If the scandal were there however, Bush wins pretty decisively as Atwater would have a field day with the scandals.

[brucejoel99]

I doubt a candidate who lost to Mondale in 1984 on the strength of "Where's the beef?" would have a shot 4 years later.

[Del Tachi]

The narrative that Hart "woulda won" if not for the Donna Rice scandal is lame.  Hart (like Kennedy in 1980) was running for president based purely on ego and a pretty face, and Bush would have had no problem dragging him down in the '88 environment

[NewYorkExpress]

Hart would have done better than Dukakis, but I think he would have lost.

It's not like the Donna Rice affair didn't happen, and Lee Atwater would have dug it up.

Assuming that Hart keeps it covered up, it's probably a narrow lose, as he does much better than Dukakis, but residual goodwill from the Reagan years gives H.W a narrow victory.

[Agonized-Statism]

Vice President George Bush (R-TX) / Senator Dan Quayle (R-IN) ✓
Fmr. Senator Gary Hart (D-CO) / Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX)