WI: Harvey Gantt defeated Jesse Helms in 1990

[darklordoftech]

What if Harvey Gantt won the Senate race?

 

[Don Corleone]

Skepticism of affirmative action might not have been as strong - Clinton dialed it back a few years later and Obama said his own daughters shouldn't be eligible.

Hormel would have been approved for an ambassadorship since Helms wasn't there to use procedural tricks against him.

I can't think of any major initiatives off the top of my head that came one Senator short during the remainder of Jesse's career.

 

[CCK]

I think he would have been considered to be a running mate for Bill Clinton in 1992. But certainly would've been on Al Gore's short list in 2000 (had Gantt gotten re-elected to the senate in 1996).

 

[creighton]

If he either retires in 2002 or survives the rough 2002 cycle and wins reelection, he'd be a contender for the 2004 Democratic nomination, which might butterfly away a notable supporter's speaking slot at the 2004 DNC:

That being said, it's still plausible Obama, who was clearly going to be elected at that point in his senate race, would get the keynote since the Democrats were looking to build their bench.