What happens if Kerry falls between now and the Convention?

[TheBigDemo]

Just curious. If some big story came out about Kerry, or say something happened to prevent him from being the Democratic Nominee, what would happen?

Would the other candidates come back in, Lieberman, Clark, Dean, Graham, and Gephardt?

Would we start from scratch, and say pick Hillary?

Would it be whoever Kerry threw his Delegates to?

Anyone else think about?

[Dookus]

1. um...

what do you want to hear?

A nice fairy tale about how the entire Democratic Party will, as one, drop to its knees, flagellate itself, and beg Howard Dean to save us? And how he will graciously forgive us misguided souls, accept the nomination, win the election, and have George W. Bush arrested, undo the Iraq War, and balance the budget all before lunch on his first day?

Kerry racked up three more wins today. He's going to be the nominee, and there's no reason to believe he'll "stumble" between now and the election. He's got 30 years of public experience. He's been in many nasty campaigns in his past. He's been vetted. He's a strong candidate. Sorry about your guy.

[rooboy]

2. Bush has become so bad that a Coke bottle would beat him. n/t

[Piperay]

3. Edwards would

mostly take the nomination :shrug: but it doesn't seem likely that something would happen.

[Adjoran]

4. Once he wins a majority

of delegates, he is not stoppable.

I don't see it happening, but I must note that something less than a third have been selected so far. With Edwards being the last man standing against Kerry, it would seem he would have the upper hand if something happened before Kerry clinches it.

[Meldread]

5. If Kerry falls between now and the Convention...

If Kerry falls between now and the Convention and has the majority of delegates like he does now, he'll win the nomination and lose in November. Then everyone who voted on "electability" can cry.

I never understood, and never will understand, how someone can honestly call themselves... well I'll just say "good voters" instead of what I wanted to say... when they don't vote for someone who they feel is going to do the best job and who is best on the issues they care about most. (I don't consider "electability" to be a "issue" because it can change just as fast as the win can change direction.)

I can guarantee you that Kerry's lead over Bush will tighten, that polls will eventually come out that Bush is beating Kerry, and it will switch back and forth a dozen times before November. I think Kerry has a *DECENT* chance of beating Bush (although I don't think he has the best chance out of all the candidates), but I also think that just about anyone we have up there has a good and *DECENT* chance. Well except LaRouche. He'd lose.

[BruinAlum]

8. It makes you feel better to suggest the most electable is not necessarily

the one they feel is the best on the issues they care about the most. The facts don't support you. Electability is only one factor of many.

We do know one thing for sure. Someone who can't win a single primary, and comes in 3rd or 4th or worse, with only Democrats voting has NO chance of beating Bush in the general election. That's a fact.

[molly]

12. With negativity like yours we will surely lose

no matter who we run.

[flpoljunkie]

13. Kerry became "electable" when voters in Iowa gave him the most votes

Voters are asked to pick one reason why they voted for their candidate; just because you think they are the most "electable" does not mean that you don't agree with them on the issues.

This red herring is only being used by those who cannot accept the fact that John Kerry has won and continues to win primaries and caucuses--and, of course, Howard Fineman, the MSNBC/Newsweek whore/gossipmonger, whose freely admits that they do not want the contest to be over yet.

[emulatorloo]

17. false binary

"electability" is not the opposite of "will do the best job"

They are differing "qualities" that the primary voter/caucus goer weighs. Imagining that they are mutually exclusive doesn't make sense.

Frankly, I caucused for Kerry because I thought he would do the best job and is the most electable. There were other reasons too. I spent a lot of time researching the candidates and thinking about the issues and thinking about who could challenge GWB in the general election w authority.

Of course there will be ups and downs. . .that's an election for you.

[Gore1FL]

6. It depends on what you mean by fall

The convention would have floor votes until they figured out who to nominate.

[BruinAlum]

7. It won't happen. The smear story was tried and didn't work.

BTW, Kerry is 18 for 20 now.

[mikehiggins]

9. If Kerry is crippled between now and the convention

the party professionals will give the nod to Clark.

Most of Kerry's delegates and most of the superdelegates will go to Clark and Kerry will be guaranteed a high spot in a Clark administration (Sec'y of State, whatever).

Edwards is not a viable candidate in November in the eyes of the pros and, apparently, the primary voters. Dean has never been their choice from the outset. Even at his most popular, before the voting started, with the Gore and Bradley endorsements in his pocket, Dean was still considered a loose cannon by the party pros.

All that being said, there is no way Kerry would step away from the nomination now, not even if they caught him in bed with a live boy, eating a dead woman.

He's going, no matter what. We can only hope that somehow, someway, Bush will do something so outrageously outrageous that even his most determined supporters will have to turn away. At this point, considering what he has already gotten away with, I cannot even imagine what that could be unless we can somehow prove he used his F102 to smuggle cocaine into the US while in the Guard.

And some Repugs would even forgive him that.

[BruinAlum]

21. What?? ROTFL!

I think your Clark theory is full of beans!

[onehandle]

10. Read my sig...

Additionally, Kerry won't Fall, but nice try.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[in_cog_ni_to]

14. Clark would get back in

and be our President. He's got Kerry's back. ;)

[molly]

15. Go guy!

:toast:

[patricia92243]

16. If he falls - like falls down dead - what would happen??

[opihimoimoi]

18. Bush would still LOSE. Even Mongo from Rock Ridge would beat him

[Atlant]

22. Mongo not running this year. (NT)

[Atlant]

19. There'll be a lot of people who are "Shocked. SHOCKED, I say!"

In a Claude Raines voice.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Welcome

my guess is if Kerry goes down, then Edwards comes up. And Dean and Kucinich a bit too.

But mostly Edwards. Folks still cling to that "electability" thing, so he's #2 on their list.

[Dookus]

23. yeah

some of us cling to that "electability" thing. Probably because it would be stupid to nominate an unelectable candidate.