No one gets rich betting on a losing horse. And we very well might see many people changing their bets if Gore can't close the distance, and soon, between him and Bush. If it looks like Gore is a drag on his efforts, he will surely cut him loose, the same way many Republican congressmen did when President Bush was flailing in 1992. Gephardt might start raising money for ads and organizing on the premise that the country needs a Democratic Congress to thwart a Republican president. But the most devastating vehicle for a message vote could be Ralph Nader.
Most liberal voters are pragmatic about their ballots.
They will vote for almost any Democrat who can win, even Al Gore. Any one of a number of dominoes could fall to trigger this freefall. Again, this is not the most likely of scenarios, but it may be more likely than a Gore win. To comment on JWR contributor Jonah Goldberg's column click here.