# Alt-history: who wins a Biden/Bernie/Hillary 2016 race? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 21, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630 "2020-08-21T02:49:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/21 "2020-08-23T00:15:53Z")
The alt-history question is really one of whether the 2016 primary was the progressive economic populism message v. the establishment and more moderate liberalism (in which case Biden splits some of the vote with HRC) or HRC v. not (Biden splits with Sanders more). Agreed with others that it was more the latter. But HRC would have run a different race with Biden in it. Against Sanders alone she was never really threatened and ran a race scared to offend Sanders voters … which backfired as they then glommed onto a false narrative that he and his wing was actually close or even winning and resented her being the nominee more. With Biden in she’s have fought rougher and maybe been stronger for it. How about an alt alt? Warren enters in 2016, not Biden? Progressives may have rallied to her early and a two woman race would have been a different dynamic! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/22 "2020-08-23T01:23:10Z")
And poor Martin O’Malley is ignored in any timeline. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/23 "2020-08-23T04:51:06Z")
Right? I thought he was the best candidate running, and would have supported him if he had any chance. I think he would almost certainly be president now if he had been the nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2020, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/24 "2020-08-23T13:07:23Z")
I agree. I supported O’Malley, and my eldest son volunteered for his campaign in New Hampshire. I think he was by far the best of the three Dems who actually ran that year (and would’ve been a superior candidate to Biden, too, had the VP run). And freed from all of Hillary’s baggage and accumulated antipathy among so many voters, I think he could’ve almost certainly beaten Trump that fall. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/25 "2020-08-26T20:56:25Z")
And he was played on _The Wire_ by the same actor who later played Littlefinger on _Game of Thrones_! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/26 "2020-08-27T14:46:49Z")
LOL. Well, the part was partly based on O’Malley, but obviously it wasn’t _actually_ O’Malley. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/27 "2020-08-28T05:07:53Z")
I mean…they gave him a different name, but I’ve seen biopics that used people’s actual names and took more liberty with the truth than what that one did. I don’t think it was “partly” based on O’Malley, but _entirely_ based on him. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/28 "2020-08-28T13:35:53Z")
David Simon, creator of _The Wire_ and no fan of O’Malley’s, says “partly based” here: [The Wire's David Simon Blames Martin O'Malley for Baltimore Police | Time](https://time.com/3841050/the-wires-david-simon-martin-omalley-baltimore-police/) “Based partly”: [Martin O'Malley Fast Facts | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2015/06/10/us/martin-omalley-fast-facts/index.html) “Partly inspired”: [Democratic debate 2016: David Simon's devastating assessment of Martin O'Malley's policing record in Pre-Freddie Gray Baltimore.](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2015/10/democratic-debate-2016-david-simon-s-devastating-assessment-of-martin-o-malley-s-policing-record-in-pre-freddie-gray-baltimore.html) ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2020, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/29 "2020-08-29T06:01:07Z")
Well, sure. He can’t _say_ anything different, as HBO’s lawyers have presumably made clear. Particularly since Carcetti is portrayed as an adulterer. But while Simon worked at the Baltimore Sun, were there any other white councilmen who shocked everyone by winning a Democratic primary for mayor when there had only been Black mayors in recent history, and then went on to run for governor? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630/30 "2020-08-29T15:24:38Z")
Simon doesn’t strike me as the kinda guy who pays much attention to what network lawyers say. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alt-history-who-wins-a-biden-bernie-hillary-2016-race/918630.md?page=1)