WI: David Duke Ran?

*Warning: I am NOT a supporter of David Duke, the Tea Party Movement, or Racism in general this just a spat of morbid curiosity*

What if (as he hinted numerous times) David Duke had run for President in 2012 as an independent or in the Republican Primaries? I know it's very very unlikely he would become President or even win the nomination, but what would be the effect on the party as a whole and the Tea Party Movement, seeing as many activists suggested he stand? Would it slander them as racist bigots? Would Romney still be seen as the Tea Party candidate? Who would win the nomination? Who win the election?
 
*Warning: I am NOT a supporter of David Duke, the Tea Party Movement, or Racism in general this just a spat of morbid curiosity*

What if (as he hinted numerous times) David Duke had run for President in 2012 as an independent or in the Republican Primaries? I know it's very very unlikely he would become President or even win the nomination, but what would be the effect on the party as a whole and the Tea Party Movement, seeing as many activists suggested he stand? Would it slander them as racist bigots? Would Romney still be seen as the Tea Party candidate? Who would win the nomination? Who win the election?

most likely he would have been prevented (physically if need be) from attending the GOP debates. Basically he would be a sidenote, with no effect on the election whatsoever
 
He's actually legally barred from running for office. He didn't pay his taxes one year. The Tea Party would really try to back away from him, like they did to LaRouchians who showed up to their rallies.
 
He's actually legally barred from running for office. He didn't pay his taxes one year. The Tea Party would really try to back away from him, like they did to LaRouchians who showed up to their rallies.

Actually, I remember reading that not giving up his right to run for office was part of his plea. It would have been hard for him to seriously consider running for President in 2012 at the behest of some Tea Party activists if he was actually legally barred from running for office. His campaign would have a difficult time getting off the ground and he would only serve to embarrass Louisiana.
 
Actually, I remember reading that not giving up his right to run for office was part of his plea. It would have been hard for him to seriously consider running for President in 2012 at the behest of some Tea Party activists if he was actually legally barred from running for office. His campaign would have a difficult time getting off the ground and he would only serve to embarrass Louisiana.

Would this butterfly away Buddy Roemer's candidacy in our timeline, since the "embarrass Louisiana" was his role to fill?:p
 
It goes nowhere. He doesn't get into any Republican debates and never polls higher than 0% before he either drops out or seeks a 3rd party to run on.

He is waaaay to anti-Israel for the Republicans, and his trips to Iran ain't got to make him any friends with the party.

So he looks for a 3rd party ticket to run on. Problem for Duke is the Constitution party, which I suppose might nominate him (although that is highly unlikely, the Constitution party might be off in right field, but Duke is way too crazy for them) already has a respectable candidate in Virgil Goode, who was a former congressman from Virginia.

So he is left running for a 4th party ticket, and odds are he ends up running for some obscure political party that has virtually no ballot access (prohibition party or something). In order to run as an independent, he needs thousands of signatures on petitions to get on the ballots of the various states, something that requires a lot of money and a good network. I doubt he would be able to get either, so he ends up as a write in candidate.

The most sucess he might have is if he actually ran as a Democrat. In OTL since Obama was clearly going to be the nominee, no real Democratic challenger ran against him. As a result Obama was only challenged by a federal inmate and a pro life activist. Those candidates did fairly well in a few primaries in the south thanks to the anti-Obama vote (the inmate captured 42% of the vote in WV, Randall Terry captured 18% in Oklahoma). But I think thy was mostly because folks were voting against Obama and didn't know who these people were. Duke is so notorious that he probably wouldn't do as we'll as the federal inmate or Randall Terry.
 
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He does worse than Randall Terry.

Agreed. People who voted for Randall Terry probably didn't know anything about him, they just were voting against Obama. Those same people would know who David Duke was and would not vote for him as a protest vote. Terry won 18% of the vote in Oklahoma. Duke would win less than 5%
 
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