Gore vs Hillary - Who do you choose?

[karynnj]

50. It depends on the time after 2000

Last edited Mon Oct 7, 2013, 01:57 PM - Edit history (1)

He was for the first -at least year and a half - the prohibitive favorite. Even as late as fall 2003, Kerry was asked (and it is on a CSPAN report of a day he spent campaigning in NH) if he would drop out if Gore or Hillary jumped in.

Look back at polling report.com's earliest polling. One particularly interesting poll, taken AFTER Gore opted not to run, was taken in May 2003 by Time/CNN - scroll down to it. Gore has 40% and most of the others have about 7%. Note that many polls here listed the names of those who had suggested they might run - so he is not in many. Note that there are polls asking specifically if he should run or step aside and he got about 40% to run. I can't think of anyone who just lost in either party being in that situation. http://www.pollingreport.com/wh04dem2.htm

I don't think there was a concerted effort to keep him from running. This is not because they would not push someone out, but that at that point in time, the 2004 nomination looked like the nomination to lose to a very popular President - still in the 60 plus percent popularity through 2003. Consider the difference when Kerry showed real signs of wanting to run in 2004 - he was pushed out. (Oddly this was probably a miscalculation by the Clinton people. Had Kerry run, unlike Edwards, he would have not imploded and would have split the non Clinton vote with Obama.)