Reply #26: Kucinich? [View All]

[liberalpragmatist]

He was never a serious candidate. He would have lost all 50 states - he probably would have won DC. But that would never have happened. He was not a serious candidate.

Fact is, Kerry was probably our strongest candidate. Edwards was strong as well and would have gotten some votes that Kerry didn't get. Even so, I don't think he'd have been as credible on national security. Clark was great on paper but I don't think he'd have run a good campaign given that he was a rookie. Dean would have been unfairly labeled as a far-left peacenik and my guess is he would have lost 53-46 or 52-47. It wouldn't have been a blowout, but it would have been a decisive win for Bush. Electoral college, Dean would probably have lost Pennsylvania, maybe Michigan as well.

But the truth is we can endlessly play hypotheticals. They're just that. Hypotheticals. We'll never know, and while it can be fun, it's useless from a strategy point of view. Kerry was who we picked. Most of us thought he'd make the best President. But now the election is over and it's time to look forward and learn from our mistakes.