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Look, I don't want any debates on whether Governor Douglas would have made a better president than Al Gore. That brings us into *much* too recent political developments--I don't want a flamewar on Gore's Iraq policy. All I want to know is whether Douglas might in fact have defeated Gore in 2000 had the internet rumor mills not made so much of the accident in Midland in 1963 when Douglas's car collided with that driven by his ex-girlfriend Laura Welch, instantly killing her. Time and time again, investigators have concluded it was simply a tragic accident and that Douglas was in no way to blame. But that doesn't mean that the rumors didn't have some effect--and considering the narrow margin by which Douglas lost Florida to Gore in 2000, they may indeed have been decisive.

I know that some people argue that it was precisely the accident which made Douglas a more serious student, and paved the way for his successful career as a lawyer, Congressman, and ultimately Governor of Texas. I disagree. Douglas would have been sucessful with or without the accident. He was described (before the tragedy) as "an active athlete, physically attractive, and intelligent. He was nominated as the school's most popular male student while a junior, an honor typically awarded only to graduating high school seniors." http://www.thefullwiki.org/Michael_Dutton_Douglas

Of course another question is: What if it had been Douglas who had been killed in the accident? Who would be the most likely Republican presidential nominee in 2000 in that event?
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