PC: Successful John Edwards challenge to HRC in 2008

Could John Edwards plausibly defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries in a fashion similar to how Obama did in OTL?
 
There's the extramarital affair and coverup standing in the way of that. And allegedly, people within his campaign knew of said affair and planned to sabotage his campaign if if it ever looked like he was going to get the nomination. So no, he probably can't win unless he doesn't partake in the affair in the first place.
 
There's the extramarital affair and coverup standing in the way of that. And allegedly, people within his campaign knew of said affair and planned to sabotage his campaign if if it ever looked like he was going to get the nomination. So no, he probably can't win unless he doesn't partake in the affair in the first place.
What if you butterfly away all of that Rielle Hunter business?
 
Well, suppose you eliminate both the extramarital affair and the Obama candidacy, and get a straight HRC vs. Edwards contest? I don't think Edwards can succeed even then. He would get much (though not all) of Obama's OTL white support, and he would get *some* OTL 2008 HRC voters who were motivated mainly by opposition to Obama. OTOH he would get very little of Obama's African American support, which was basically pro-Obama rather than anti-Clinton. Also, economic populism, which was Edwards' big theme, would not be as strong a weapon as it would be for Sanders in 2016 in OTL, because at the time of the 2008 primaries the Great Recession, though it may have technically begun, had not yet hit full force. As for Iraq, Edwards had voted for the authorization for Bush to go to war, so it was hard for him to effectively attack HRC on that issue, despite his later change of heart--whereas Obama could point to his opposition to the war from the beginning.
 
Well, suppose you eliminate both the extramarital affair and the Obama candidacy, and get a straight HRC vs. Edwards contest? I don't think Edwards can succeed even then. He would get much (though not all) of Obama's OTL white support, and he would get *some* OTL 2008 HRC voters who were motivated mainly by opposition to Obama. OTOH he would get very little of Obama's African American support, which was basically pro-Obama rather than anti-Clinton. Also, economic populism, which was Edwards' big theme, would not be as strong a weapon as it would be for Sanders in 2016 in OTL, because at the time of the 2008 primaries the Great Recession, though it may have technically begun, had not yet hit full force. As for Iraq, Edwards had voted for the authorization for Bush to go to war, so it was hard for him to effectively attack HRC on that issue, despite his later change of heart--whereas Obama could point to his opposition to the war from the beginning.
Would you have to weaken Hillary to the extent that she could likely lose to him, wouldn't you? If so, how can that be done?
 
You know, we already have *two* POD's--the lack of an Edwards extramarital affair, and Obama's decision not to run. So weakening HRC in some way would be a *third* POD...I'm not saying it's impossible for all three things to happen, but it's pretty unlikely.
 
You know, we already have *two* POD's--the lack of an Edwards extramarital affair, and Obama's decision not to run. So weakening HRC in some way would be a *third* POD...I'm not saying it's impossible for all three things to happen, but it's pretty unlikely.
Should this be turned into an AHC?
 
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