WI: Clinton Runs in 1988?

This idea is based off of the 1960 election, where the charismatic senator John F. Kennedy defeated incumbent VP Richard Nixon, who was the VP of a widely popular Republican, just like how George H.W Bush was the VP of a wildly popular Republican. If Clinton uses his youthful charm and better orator skills against Bush, who do you see winning?
 
I personally think a scandal free Gary Hart is the best way to beat Bush and it would still be an uphill battle and would be a close win for Hart should he pull it off.
 
Also, if one of his sexual escapes leaked so soon after Gary Hart - and given how there was already blood in the water from Hart, one likely might - Clinton would be toast.
 
Also, if one of his sexual escapes leaked so soon after Gary Hart - and given how there was already blood in the water from Hart, one likely might - Clinton would be toast.

Clinton was and is really effective at deflecting blame and making his opponents look silly. On the other hand, of course, 1988 was quite a bit more conservative than the 90s, so he would lose a lot of percentage points.
 
Hard to see old-line Democrats lining up behind the DLC candidate in 1988; part of the reason Clinton was able to draw such institutional support in 1992 was the growing sense among party elites that it was time to nominate a non-traditional candidate after Dukakis's landslide loss in what seemed to be a winnable race.

I'd think Clinton '88 would underperform Gore '88. It's possible he could show well enough to become Dukakis's running mate.
 
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