Not a chance in hell this could even remotely happen - I'm just having fun. Maybe the tone of this thread could stay that way??

What if Obama decides not to run for re-election, both major parties magically disappear, and this is what the 2012 ballot looks like in all 50 states (ignoring Veeps, but feel free to suggest some):

Evan Bayh, DLC Party
Sarah Palin, Grizzly Party
Ed Rendell, Liberty Bell Party
Michelle Bachmann, Drink the Tea Party
Mitt Romney, Motor of America Party
Al Franken, SNL Party
Michael Bloomberg, Atlantic Billionaire Party
T. Boone Pickens, Gulf Billionaire Party
Bernie Sanders, Socialist Party
Ron Paul, Liberty Now Party
Chuck Schumer, Prospect Party
Bob Barr, Liberty Always Party
Ralph Nader, Consumers Party

For whom would you vote? Who do you think would end up as President? (If no one got a majority of electoral votes, the election would be decided in the House of Representatives from among the top three electoral vote-getters.)

Too bad Ted Kennedy is dead--he could form the "Party as if there's no tomorrow, Party" (which, of course, for Ted there isn't!)

Picken, btw, is from the High Plains, not the Gulf.

His family moved to Texas in something like 1930 and that's where he lives now. That was my impetus. And I was getting tired trying to come up with party names! Suggest a change and I'll make it.

I'd vote for Nader or Rendell, but I expect Romney would win.

Very nice list. I've actually voted for three of these people!

I like Al Franken a lot, and I do think Ralph Nader is one of the greatest living Americans, but I think I'd have to say for this time and this place, my vote goes to:

Michael Bloomberg, Atlantic Billionaire Party.

At times he's tone deaf and his style can be very imperial, but he is a very able administrator that completely ignores things like parties and ideologies. As such he's also very pragmatic. He's reformed how government works making it much more efficient, customer centric and transparent, but he chooses his battles carefully. For instance, he made only the slightest forays toward reforming the police and fire departments, which while in desperate need of reform, are not low hanging fruit. He fixed the things he could fix quickly and didn't burn all of his political capital on fights that would be much tougher. That kind of pragmatism is necessary for the incremental reform Washington needs.

But Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin have better hair, so one of them would probably win.

Donald Trump.... Best Hair Party (Sarah could be the Veep again!)

I read somewhere that Bloomberg is thinking of a run as an independent anyway, so you may still get to vote for him.

Hillary Clinton, The Whitehouse I've been There party (TWIT)

Tom, lovely use of a word for the female genitals to form an acronym. Classy!

I'd go for Sanders. Nader for Veep!

...better?

Yes, better. Still more of a personal attack than any of Min X's list, but at least it's not misogynistic. Baby steps, huh? ;-)

I thought you liked Hillary Tom ? I mean, you voted for her.....

Yes I did vote for her (ONE time because the Republican party threw up an absolute joke against her AND, with her clout she could do more for my State than the "jamoke", it was very tough to do!)
If she ran against say Palin, I would again find it difficult to do but I would then vote for her again. (and I like Palin ...to a degree only though, not as prez)

How about Condi Rice, the"I'm sort of like Bush but so much better" party (I would most certainly vote for her!)

Joe Biden, Foot in Mouth party