Discuss The Future of All Four, Please

[Jimbo07]

My question assumes that one ticket will win and one will lose, but does not assume which. The political careers of the two on the winning ticket are set for the next four years at least.

Should they lose, will either McCain or Obama get a shot at the presidency again? Should they lose, will either Palin or Biden get a shot at either the presidency or vice-presidency again? Are any of them likely to continue politics in another fashion? Will they fade into the sunset or take on another public role? Will one, but not the other, on any one ticket be on another? Whose fortunes are tied together?

I'd like this to be an examination of the merits and future (as well as the history of American politics) of any one candidate. I don't want it to devolve to REPLICANS ROCK, DEMOCRATS IZ TRAITORS!!1! or DEMOCRATS IS TEH AWXOME, REPUBLICANS ARE EVUL!!11!1 Be candid (for example, Palin may be on the losing ticket, but have a future anyway, because...)

 

[geni]

McCains age makes future attempts unlikely and with Bidden's lack of sucess in the primaries I can't see him haveing much in the way of future chances either unless he has a very good run in the current campain.

Obama would probably have another go in the primaries. How far he would be able to get would be very dependant on who else was running.

Palin if not elected I suspect is unlikely to have further involvement in presidential elections but again depends on how she does in the campain.

 

[Meadmaker]

There's still plenty of time for swings between now and November, but here's my take.

McCain: This is it for him. Last chance. Maybe he'll run for reelection in the Senate, but that's all.

Obama: If he loses, it's pretty much curtains for Presidential bids, although if the election is close and the next administration is a disaster, it could be. However, having lost once, it's really hard to come back.

Biden: To old for serious consideration of future, plus the fact that he has lost twice trying to do it on his own.

Palin: To much unknown to say, but if she is as good on the campaign trail as she was in front of a teleprompter, she will be the next Republican nominee. Of course, if she has a lot of flubs in the next two months, we'll never hear from her again.

 

[geni]

Obama: If he loses, it's pretty much curtains for Presidential bids, although if the election is close and the next administration is a disaster, it could be. However, having lost once, it's really hard to come back.

Maybe but Gore has been widely considered a posible candidate twice now.

 

[Jimbo07]

McCain: This is it for him. Last chance. Maybe he'll run for reelection in the Senate, but that's all.

Agreed. I don't think we'd see McCain again in presidential politics.

Obama: If he loses, it's pretty much curtains for Presidential bids, although if the election is close and the next administration is a disaster, it could be. However, having lost once, it's really hard to come back.

Is there a historical precedent for a comeback? Didn't Nixon do that?

Biden: To old for serious consideration of future, plus the fact that he has lost twice trying to do it on his own.

What about a VP nod?

Palin: To much unknown to say, but if she is as good on the campaign trail as she was in front of a teleprompter, she will be the next Republican nominee. Of course, if she has a lot of flubs in the next two months, we'll never hear from her again.

I think that next presidential nominee is as extreme on that side, as those predicting she would be dropped from the ticket on the other. Doesn't mean she doesn't have a future of any kind, though...

 

[geni]

What about a VP nod?

Biden only really makes sense as a VP for obama at this moment For anyone else Hillary or Obama are probably better choices. The exeptions being Hillary who wouldn't really be needing to add experence to the ticket and obama who would unlikely to be wanting to repeate a loseing combination.

 

[fuelair]

Maybe but Gore has been widely considered a posible candidate twice now.

Yes, but if Obama loses, at least some Democrats will blame him and the DNC for that - because of what the DNC's games did to derail Hilary when she was on a BIG roll over pure stupidity. A Hillary Obama ticket would have mopped up, the Obama-Biden is a tougher fight - one I hope will win and will vote for but tougher.

 

[geni]

Yes, but if Obama loses, at least some Democrats will blame him and the DNC for that - because of what the DNC's games did to derail Hilary when she was on a BIG roll over pure stupidity. A Hillary Obama ticket would have mopped up, the Obama-Biden is a tougher fight - one I hope will win and will vote for but tougher.

Hillary has the whole hatred by the republican base thing. Would have probably allowed McCain to pick Lieberman as VP. Obama is though very dependant on who else runs.

 

[BenBurch]

Well, if McCain/Palin loses, its the end of he road for both. McCain due to age and health and Palin due to the taint scandal that follows her like white on rice.

Of Obama/Biden loses, this is Obama's last attempt at the Presidency, but he will be a career Senator without a doubt - we love him in Illinois. Biden will serve out his six years in the Senate and then have to decide if he wants retirement or not, and I am suspecting he would retire then.

 

[G-K-4]

So I take it that Delaware law allows Biden to run for his Senate seat even though he is also running for Vice President?

 

[ZouPrime]

McCain: this is the last dance for him. If he lose, I wouldn't be surprised to see him retire.

Obama: if he lose, he will certainly stay in politics, but in what role? He'll have difficulties running for president again after such an historic campaign - if the dems lose, they'll want to try someone else. I see him become a successful multi-mandate senator.

Biden: the guy is almost as old as McCain. He could go back to his senate seat for maybe another mandate, but it's clear this is his only shot at the white house.

Palin: Now that's a good question, but one hard to answer for now. She could lose but still receive some good national exposure and take a liking at it. Who knows? But on the other hand, she had no national presence before her nomination, and nothing indicate she would have ever left Alaska had McCain never called her. On the other hand, if the repubs end up losing because of her, this may seriously stain her entire career even in her state.

 

[Meadmaker]

Is there a historical precedent for a comeback?
Didn't Nixon do that?

Nixon did. I believe William Jennings Bryan lost at least twice after having won his party's nomination. Grove Cleveland lost reelection, but ran again and won against Benjamin Harrison (or maybe it was the other way around).

It's not completely unprecedented, but it is rare, and in all cases the elections that were lost were extremely close. JFK/Nixon was extremely close, and I believe JFK actually got less than 50% of the vote. I know Nixon got less than 50% in 68, when there was a strong third party bid. Cleveland actually got more popular votes than Harrison, but Harrison won the electoral college.

That's why I said that if it is very close, there's a possibility Obama could recover. He's got time. If it's anything other than a squeaker, though, people inside the party would say that he had an incredibly good shot, after eight years of Bush and a miserable economy, and managed to blow it. Why give him a second chance?

I think that next presidential nominee is as extreme on that side, as those predicting she would be dropped from the ticket on the other. Doesn't mean she doesn't have a future of any kind, though...

Well, of course one never knows how to predict the future. She could implode when there's no teleprompter. She could actually turn out to have real skeletons in the closet. It could be that her "barracuda" streak might turn out to be too much for people when confronting it day after day. However, I have seen one hour of her on television, and it was incredible. She had something I haven't seen in any other candidate for a while. That's why I said "if" she puts on as good of a show for the next two months as she did last night, she'll be granted automatic front runner status. (I actually said she would be the nominee, but that is a bit presumptuous I suppose.)

 

[BenBurch]

So I take it that Delaware law allows Biden to run for his Senate seat even though he is also running for Vice President?

Correct. Most states do.

 

[Darth Rotor]

Sorry, McCain's year was 2000 and he blew it. He's fighting the same anti GOP backlash Ford did in 1976, and is IMO being offered up as a sacrificial lamb by a party whose internal leadership has never been comfortable with him. The long term aim is to discredit centrist candidates from the GOP. The party leadership, such as it is seems to believe that they don't need the swing votes.

Given the 2006 elections, not sure why they are behaving this way, but there ya go, politics is full of odd ducks.

DR

 

[Wangler]

McCain is too old for another run.

Palin is most likely a rising star, and may have a future, even in the event of a loss. If they win, she will likely be our first female president.

Obama, if he wins, will stand a pretty good chance of only being a single termer, if his four years are average. Just slightly above average, and we have a two termer, especially if the economy cooperates. His star will not be tarnished by a loss, in my opinion. He will continue to serve in the legislative branch, and build his resume, and he will not be compromised by the whole "lack of experience" issue again in his career.

Biden will not be viable as a P or VP candidate in the future, if BO and he lose. I am not even sure the Dems would go with him as a successor to Obama, but time would tell.

IF, and I say IF, BO and Biden lose, the next Democratic nominee will be Hillary, because they will not want to make the same mistake twice.

 

[TheJim]

There is a lot to play out but here are my gut reactions and educated guesses.

McCain losses he will never run for president again. Could retire after term is up especially if the Republicans move further to the Religious right.

Obama is harder because it depends on how he loses. If he losses a contested election like the last two he will most likely be the front runner again, in the unlikely situation he gets blown out he will be ted kennedy.

Biden will not run for president again. He will live out his life in the Senate and meet the press.

Palin is the wild card. I see everything from her basically dropping out of politics to being the front runner. Their is so many variables with her. From what we know so far she has a lot of enemies on both sides of the aisle in Alaska so their could be a real challenge to her governorship both in the primary and the general. If the NE is correct she is over with as a national and probably a state figure. If the religious right completes the take over of the party she could become the front runner (though i doubt she would have a chance in hell if this is the case).