WI: Obama Chooses Mary Landrieu As His Vice President Running Mate

In OTL, Senator Mary Landrieu was one of the people Obama was considering as his potential running mate. Ultimately he chose Joe Biden of Delaware. I don’t think Landrieu would be enough to swing Louisiana to him but who knows.

Anyway, two things:

Which Democrat becomes the lead to replace Landrieu in the 2008 election? Do they win like she did?

Does Vice President Mary Landrieu have a shot at winning the Democratic nomination in 2016?
 
The seat flips R if not in 2008 then in 2014. I think she’d be the frontrunner for the Dem nomination and could totally win in 2016.

She’d be just about perfect as a candidate given the VP experience and wouldn’t have the toxic baggage of Clinton.
 
The seat flips R if not in 2008 then in 2014. I think she’d be the frontrunner for the Dem nomination and could totally win in 2016.

She’d be just about perfect as a candidate given the VP experience and wouldn’t have the toxic baggage of Clinton.

How do you see 2016 playing out then for both parties?
 
How do you see 2016 playing out then for both parties?

Butterfly effect that may not even have Trump run in OTL. This is about a decade ago, lots of things could happen. Health or marriage or personal or circumstantial issues could put off Trump or even Hillary aside. Someone may've gotten an accident. Some may not even choose to run altogether. Lots of butterflies within the span of a decade could remake the whole 2016 US presidential round with different candidates.
 
How do you see 2016 playing out then for both parties?

A seasoned Landrieu's kind of a nightmare to the GOP nationally, because she's hawkish and economically moderate, while being an attractive blonde. A Sanders-Landrieu-Clinton primary, with Landrieu having the lead would be very interesting. You'd probably get Landrieu/Sanders to balance the ticket.

GOP side, it's hard to say. You can't really get more abrasive than Cruz and Trump, which plays well (or at least not badly) against Hillary but not so much against a "nice Southern Mom," and you better believe the soccer mom vote would be pushed HARD with that narrative. Huckabee or Rubio are kind of the main two that come to mind. Pawlenty if you need a stiff to "let the Dems win this one."

You probably see Landrieu win in '16 and lose in '20 with Dem fatigue setting in.
 
A seasoned Landrieu's kind of a nightmare to the GOP nationally, because she's hawkish and economically moderate, while being an attractive blonde. A Sanders-Landrieu-Clinton primary, with Landrieu having the lead would be very interesting. You'd probably get Landrieu/Sanders to balance the ticket.

GOP side, it's hard to say. You can't really get more abrasive than Cruz and Trump, which plays well (or at least not badly) against Hillary but not so much against a "nice Southern Mom," and you better believe the soccer mom vote would be pushed HARD with that narrative. Huckabee or Rubio are kind of the main two that come to mind. Pawlenty if you need a stiff to "let the Dems win this one."

You probably see Landrieu win in '16 and lose in '20 with Dem fatigue setting in.

Do you think Landrieu could flip Louisiana in 2016?
 
Butterfly effect that may not even have Trump run in OTL. This is about a decade ago, lots of things could happen. Health or marriage or personal or circumstantial issues could put off Trump or even Hillary aside. Someone may've gotten an accident. Some may not even choose to run altogether. Lots of butterflies within the span of a decade could remake the whole 2016 US presidential round with different candidates.

Unless it means a New York Times exposé on the Trump Tax Shenanigans of The Nineties ten years eary, and prosecutions for tax evasion and fraud, it won't butterfly away Miss Universe 2012 in Russia. The rest of my response probably belongs better in Talk.
 
What if Obama picked Blanche Lincoln or Mary Landrieu as his running mate in 08?

@Magnolia Pol I had actually posted this as a WI two months ago.

Anyway, I don’t think she flips Louisiana but I do think she gets a Democrat to succeed her in the Senate seat. I think she will appeal to the same people Hillary did. I don’t know about whether she appeals to the same people Biden did however.
 
Anyway, I don’t think she flips Louisiana but I do think she gets a Democrat to succeed her in the Senate seat. I think she will appeal to the same people Hillary did. I don’t know about whether she appeals to the same people Biden did however.
I think she could flip it. Maybe just maybe. Louisiana has a higher percentage of African Americans than North Carolina, several universities that act as anchors for liberal and moderate voters. I guess the difference is that that the economy is Louisiana in 2008 (and still today) is wholly different than North Carolina’s, which impacts the race a lot.

I think it’s possible to run a close race in Louisiana with Landrieu on the ticket, but it would take a lot of heavy lifting to get over the demographics hurdle there.
 
The Obama/Landrieu ticket wins (because of the Recession and general dislike of Bush) but by a somewhat smaller margin (because electing a black man AND a woman at the same time is sadly a bridge too far for some).
 
Summer 2008: Obama chose Landrieu as his running mate. John Neely Kennedy decides to stay Democrat and run for Landrieu's seat.

November 2008: Obama-Landrieu wins the election against McCain-Palin ticket. Obama flips Missori for less then 5000 votes. Kennedy wins Senate seat against Christian activist Tony Perkins. In Georgia Jim Martin defeats Saxby Chambliss due a greater women and conservative support.

January 2009: Obama becomes the first black President while Landrieu becomes the first woman Vice-President, an historical moment.

November 2010: Former Rapresentative John Cooskey and pornstar Stormy Daniels decide to run in Louisiana jungle primary against Senator David Vitter after the prostitution scandal has great attention for critics from Vice-President Landrieu. Due her great support, democrat Charles Melancon is able to win the seat.

October 2011: Republican Bobby Jindal wins reelection as Governor of Louisiana.

November 2012: Obama-Landrieu wins reelection. In Nevada Sheila Berkley wins against Dean Heller for less then 1000 votes.

November 2014: Mark Begich is reelected in Alaska against Dan Sullivan and so Kennedy in Louisiana against Bill Cassidy while Jim Martin is defeated for reelection in Georgia by David Perdue.

October 2015: Former Senator David Vitter loses against John Bel Edwards, who becomes the new Louisiana Governor. Mitch Landrieu doesn't run but doesn't rule out a future bud neither.

Spring 2016: Vice-President Mary Landrieu, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders battle for democratic nomination. Two possibilities:
- thanks to division of centrist-conservative-hawkish vote between Landrieu and Clinton in many states (as Iowa) Sanders wins nomination and then defeats Trump in November.
- no one win a majority in delegates, although Sanders has a slim lead, so super-delegates throws victory in Landrieu's or Clinton's camp. The nominee is going to lose in November.

November 2016: Republican Charles Boustany narrowly defeats Charles Melancon for his Senate seat.

November 2018: Sheila Berkley narrowly defeats Danny Tarkanian for her reelection.
 
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