could Wellstone have won if his name was still on the ballot

[pstokely]

after his death? can they do that in Minn? if that had happened, who would have filled his senate seat?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

1. Yes, if he had died one day later

his name would have remained on the ballot.

I don't remember what the exact number is, but if a candidate dies x number of days before the election or earlier, his name must be taken off the ballot. If he dies after that date, his name remains on the ballot and...well, I forget who decides who takes his place.

The October 25 date aroused the so-called "conspiracy theorists" precisely because it was the last day that Wellstone would have to be replaced.

If the plane had crashed on any later date, there would have been a risk of a Carnahan-type situation. The fact that Wellstone's wife and daughter, the two most politically active members of his family, were also killed, further removed the risk of a Carnahan-type situation.

[Brucey]

2. He died just in time to get his name off the ballot.

If his name would have remained on the ballot, all indications are that he would have won.

[Some Moran]

3. Huh?

Are you saying people who would have voted for Wellstone chose a guy who couldn't even beat a fucking pro-wrestler in 1998 over Walter Mondale?

[Classical_Liberal]

4. Running Mondale was like republicans running Reagan if Reagan

weren't suffering from Alzheimers. Mondale looked old, and hadn't been active in politics for years.

[boxster]

5. Age didn't stop Frank Lautenberg from winning in NJ.

And Mondale was ahead in the polls.

The negative media blitz regarding the Wellstone memorial certainly likely cost Mondale the race.