1988: Gary Hart (no scandal) vs. Bob Dole

[Sir Mohamed]

If Gary Hart was never tainted by scandal in his 1988 campaign and won the nomination, what's your guess this election turns out? Against Bob Dole as R nominee, whp upset HW in the GOP primaries.

[Suburbia]

This probably would have been better for America.

Hart wins.

Hart did warn America about potential terrorist attacks.

He may have stopped 9/11. The Bushes and Clinton were clueless about it.

[Agonized-Statism]

The primary fight and rejection of the incumbent administration would be very damaging for Republicans. Hart wins, but under normal circumstances- against Bush or if Bush chooses not to run- he loses.

[BigVic]

[RC (a la Frémont)]

Bob Dole is no George Bush and certainly no Ronald Reagan. Dole is even more dull and boring than Bush and Hart was certainly less of a gaffe machine than Dukakis. Easy Hart win.

[Property Representative of the Harold Holt Swimming Centre]

Bob Dole is no George Bush and certainly no Ronald Reagan. Dole is even more dull and boring than Bush and Hart was certainly less of a gaffe machine than Dukakis. Easy Hart win.

292-246 isn't an easy win. At the time it would have been the closest EC margin since 1916. Save for the faithless elector, it's also the exact margin that Gore would have won by in 2000 if Florida had gone his way.