re: #125 NO SMOCKING GUN!

There wasn’t really a next in line in 2016. Ryan, the ‘12 VP nominee who might be considered the closest thing to a “next in line” didn’t run. If anyone in the Democratic field is a “next in line” its Biden. Democrats do often actually do that; Gore in 2000, Mondale in ‘84, Humphrey in ‘68. We’ll see if Biden gets the nomination.

‘68 was screwy because it was sort of the last of the old primaries and first of the new primaries. Plus, Kennedy’s assassination probably complicated things. ‘84 almost saw Mondale beaten by Hart. 2000 is probably the best example of a Democratic next in line nomination - Gore’s only challenger was Bradley, in what seemed like a token campaign from the beginning.

Tweety has the line that “Democrats want to fall in love, Republicans fall in line.”