WI: President Clinton 88

Let's say Bill Clinton wins the 1974 House Race (he lost 48-52), becomes Governor on schedule in 1978, wins the 1980 Arkansas Gubernatorial (he lost OTL, coming back and winning again in 1982), and after having been a Congressman for 4 years and a Governor for 10 Years proceeds to win the Democratic Nomination and then the Presidency.

How's that work out?
 
It's hard for me to see him winning the nomination in 1988, especially with Gore running and claiming much of his constituency (southern "New Democrats").
 
It's hard for me to see him winning the nomination in 1988, especially with Gore running and claiming much of his constituency (southern "New Democrats").

I agree. Clinton only won the 1992 nomination under a very unusual set of circumstances: Bush's early popularity deterred leading Democrats from running and Dukakis' failure had increased the appeal for a Southern "New Democrat." In 1988 all of the nation's leading Democratic candidates (sans Cuomo) were running, including two fellow Southerners - Jackson and Gore - with whom Clinton would split the Southern vote. If anything Clinton's entry would make Dukakis' path to the nomination easier.
 
If the only divergence is Bubba declares, then on the back of Hart's destruction, Clinton's personal baggage would destroy him in short order in the tabloid-fever atmos of 1987, which is the year when politicians personal lives became fair game, but which still could retain the disapproval of extra-marital stuff from the earlier era. But even in the OP's scenario, if we're talking about potential divergences, Clinton is a prime candidate to replace Hart's position in the historical record.

Even in 1992, Clinton's candidacy went into an absolute tailspin with Gennifer Flowers; and that was after years of a backlash toward the media for what happened to Hart, which afforded Clinton an insulation Hart lacked - even then, Clinton's untrustworthiness dogged the campaign. The continued popularity of this subject on here shows that people really don't understand the dynamics of what was going in 1987; there's no way Clinton would have made it to the actual voting of the following year had he declared, still less win the nomination and be elected president.
 

SsgtC

Banned
If Clinton is stupid enough to try and run in 88, he would get absolutely crushed and would destroy any chance of becoming President later down the line. It could end his political career outright. That would also likely kill Hillary's career as well. She definitely isn't getting elected as a Senator or ever serving as Secretary of State.
 
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