I'm Insulted & Angry Over All the McCain Talk (VP & Sec. of Defense)

[BabsSong]

I was angry when Clinton appointed republican Cohen as Sec. of Defense because we Democrats had been working so very hard to convince people that Dems were not "soft on defense" and did not hate people in uniform, etc. A Dem president appointing a Dem Sec. of Defense would have gone a long way to furthering that work. When Clinton appointed a republican it was like saying that the critics were right and that, when it came down to it, you really couldn't depend on a lilly-livered, wussy Dem to protect this nation.

Now 12 years later when it is ultra-critical in the wake of 9/11 that we convince the voters that it is safe to elect Democrats (to Congress and the Presidency), we throw out the name of two republicans (McCain and Warner) and two Dems for the Sec. of Defense position. The message is so self-defeating because it says that we are still not entirely sure you can trust a Dem to be man enough or woman enough for that job but have to go the repuke party to find those qualities. The VP suggestion is even more disgusting.

To suggest McCain as a VP is to insult every Dem who ran for the nomination, every Dem officeholder who has devoted their life to the party and every registered Democrat. It's like saying that in the whole party there isn't one honorable man or woman worthy or trusted to be a VP; and that, again, we must go to the party of "trust and worthy people". Trust me, if this were ever to happen, every repuke running for any office would point to the Dem and say, "don't vote for him/her because even Kerry didn't want one of these liberal scum to be by his side". This type of "suggestion" that several of our Dem politicians are throwing around is betraying every person out there running for office as a Democrat.

I know some brilliant campaign person thinks that we must do this to entice moderate republicans. Didn't they get the memo??---this election is about getting out the base. Bush got the memo. Bush is shoring up his base. We excited the base in the primaries when Democrats stood up as real Democrats and lead the Dem Party. If all this "McCain/and or some republican" talk continues, I will guarantee you that a certain small percentage of Dems will either not vote or vote Nader and that's all it takes to lose this election.

We must decide right now if we go with the bird in the hand or cast it aside to try to get two in the bush. If we don't wake up, we are going to end up with three dead birds and "the bush" will win. (sometimes I feel that Democrats have an inbred gene that causes them to take a gun, aim it at their foot and pull the trigger when ever a real possibility of victory looms)..........

[shraby]

McCain should NEVER be

considered as vp for Kerry because if Kerry was elected and something happened to him in office, we would once again have a Republican for president. Please, please quit even discussing such an absurd idea.

[boobooday]

I'm with you, Babs

I also get very angry when I hear the talk about McCain. We don't need him -- the Republicans need him, desperately, to keep them from going completely over the edge.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[ithacan]

1. you are absolutely correct!!

I have to say I am really surprised at how many people are calling for this. How can they not realize that this guy, yes, has integrity etc etc etc, but he is a conservative republican! He is not a democrat. It would be insane to run him as the Democratic candidate for vp!

[BabsSong]

2. ithacan----yes, he has integrity but I'm just so bummed that the

message is that "we can't find none of that" in any Democrat on planet earth. That's what is depressing.

[glarius]

19. Say it isn't true that they're considering that brainless wind bag Warner

as a possiblility!....WHY???....Every time I see him huffing and puffing I marvel at the fact that he is taken seriously about anything!

[whosinpower]

13. Partisanship should have its limits

And this country is being torn apart by the seams. We all know republicans would never address this in a positive way to heal the current rift - after all, they THRIVE on a divided nation. Who better than democrats to bridge the gap???? Who else is there???????

What do you love more, your party or your nation? I know I am going to be utterly flamed, and it is not that I think the democrats do not have capable people; that is simply not the case. But, can't you see what is happening to the nation? This is no longer about us vs.them. It is just us, ALL OF US. This nation is badly off track, historically off track, suicidally off track.

I like John Kerry. Some of the things he has stated, I am dissapointed in, but he is the best hope, perhaps our last hope to prove that democracy really and trully works. America was founded as a bold, visionary experiment and now we face its most dire threat. Not Iraq or Saddam Hussein, or terrorists or foreigners but from within and if we do not address this threat, if we ignore it, the day will soon come where there will no longer BE ELECTIONS.

If nominating McCain would help heal the rift and get the nation progressing, then I am all for it. But I do understand why he would not consider it, and that is a tragedy that we have become so entrenched with our party ideals, that we cannot stomach an apposing party individual, even if he is fair, even minded, well liked and respected.

[TankLV]

16. I will NEVER vote for a republican ticket - NEVER!

The time for a "Unity Party" or "an administration of unity" was when bunkerboy stole the office back in 2000. Al Gore got more votes, bunkerboy could have shown "unity" then by appointing at least SOME Democrats to his administration - at least half his cabinet should have been - but he's acted like he's had a mandate! and appointed all rejects and criminals - all right wing crazy repuke conservatives all - from earlier repuke administrations.

Now is the time to be TOTALLY PARTISAN - to return the country to SANITY and to say to the world we will be doing things DIFFERENTLY now.

Being a partisan Democrat is placing the good of the country above all else - anything with a repuke in it is a slap in the face to all humanity on this planet!

[Sandpiper]

3. If I wanted to vote for a Republican

I'd vote for Bush.

McCain might pretend to have an independent streak, but there's never a time that he doesn't go to the mat for Bush when things start looking bad for him.

[Desertrose]

4. thank you BabsSong!!

couldn't agree more...get out the DEM base...don't try to suck up to the repubs. We offer something good enough, we'll get the votes.....

...as my own state Senator...McCain falls way short in many departments...to even suggest him on a Dem ticket is just plain stupid.

Thank you for posting this!!

:hug:
DR

[HFishbine]

5. Here, here! (Or is that hear, hear -- I was never sure.)

You are right on! I got excited when dems started acting like dems again (largely thanks to Howard Dean and Dennis Kucinich). I am certainly one of those people who would leave the presidential ballot blank if a republican where on the ticket -- hell, there are some democratic possibilites for VP that would kill the deal for me.

[Claire Beth]

6. there is a reason for McCain's name being out there....

There is no way there will be a Kerry/McCain, ticket BUT it looks bad for Bush that McCain being a republican, isn't coming out and attacking Kerry for using his name as a possible veep. Also, by throwing McCain's name out there as a possible VP, it will appeal to some independents and right wingers who previously had Kerry pegged as ULTRA-LIBERAL. It's a political play is all this about and it's making news. It's GREAT and the fact that is driving Karl Rove and the Bush campain NUTS is even GREATER!!!

[BabsSong]

10. Claire---that's exactly what I am getting at. I know this is why they

are doing it but it is a dumb ploy. You may know the "reason" but not every Democrat does. Kerry himself did the "McCain and Warner" suggestion for Sec. of Defense. We are not taking into consideration how this will play with a certain percentage of our voters who did intend to go out and vote Democratic. Someone did not think this one out. When the time comes to reveal our VP, how many are going to say "oh, that's really the second choice--he wanted McCain". It's not a good situation.

[maxanne]

7. integrity, my eye

Seriously - why do Democrats continue to prattle on about his integrity? Because he doesn't always jerk his knee to the Republican Party?

He has a long history of antichoice voting, and he endorsed a candidate in 2002, here in NH - a man found guilty of gender discrimination in the workplace. Clearly that much vaunted integrity doesn't include women.

[bryant69]

8. I agree with you on VP, Disagree on Sec of Defense

I don't know if He'd be the best person to be Secretary of Defense, but I think he'd be miles ahead of Rumsfeld.

Putting McCain on the list for Vice President, well, I doubt he's really on the list. I suspect his name is being floated to keep interested in the Vice Presdiential Nomination; and I also suspect that a lot of this is coming from political reporters desperate for some kind of story.

But as Secretary of Defense, I can see some arguments in favor of it, and some against it. But such an announcement probably won't happen untill after the election. It's also fair to say that whle the Veep is a political position, one could argue that the Secretary of Defense should be above partisan politics.

On the otehr hand, I'd be interested in the actual number of people who would vote for Kerry now, but wouldn't if they thought he would nominate McCain as Sec. of Def. I suspect many of them are already 2/3 of the way in some other camp. But I could be wrong.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Canuckistanian]

9. Two Words - Forget It

Ain't gonna happen, no, how, no way.

Political Suicide for McCain, alienation of half of Kerry's supporters if he did.

Remember, he's still a gun-totin' tax slashin' anti-labor non-progressive. And his butting heads with Kerry over EVERY substantive issue won't help.

I know it would probably be a good move to try to end the polarization that's happening, but GET A GRIP. Not in this election cycle. There's too much at stake.

[BabsSong]

12. I did not suggest he 'actually' would do it; I'm saying the perception

of all this gumming by some of our politicians about it can have unexpected consequences. There were geared up Dems who thought the Dem party was being reborn. How much of this do they "hear" and turn in disgust. Our job in this election is to SELL DEMOCRATS 110%--there's more than just a presidential election out there, you know. We have no business even suggesting a republican in any capacity.

[Canuckistanian]

15. Yes, I know, don't misunderstand me

I agree with you. I was speaking to those who DO advocate a Kerry/McCain ticket. You know, metaphorically.

Maybe I should have made that point clearer in my post.

Good Post.

[sangh0]

11. I'm glad to hear it

IMO, the McCain as VP rumor is Kerry's way of getting the media to pay him some free attention and to foster an image of moderation for Kerry. The fact that liberals are getting upset over this talk will help persuade the moderate swing voters that Kerry is not too liberal for them, on the theory that "He can't be all that liberal if the liberals are complaining about him"

Keep up the good work, Babs!!

[BabsSong]

14. and while we are swaying all those moderate swing voters of which

there are very few, how many dedicated, enthusiastic Democrats have lost interest. Like I said above - our job is to promote Democrats and nothing but Democrats from here to November. This "strategy" is not a good one. In fact this "strategy" is recognized by talking heads and analysts but it is not being studied by the average guy on the street. He's believing what he's hearing. We cannot be talking in double speak.

[sangh0]

17. I'm not worried

Those "very few" moderate swing voters vastly outnumber the so-called "dedicated Dems" who get scared at the mere mention of a Repukes name. IOW, your claims are nothing but hysteria.

[ProfessorGAC]

18. Not Me

The VP talk is inappropriate, i agree. But, i don't have a problem with a Repub appointed to a Cabinet post, if they're the right person for the job.

There's going to be a heck of mess to clean up in DoD after Rumsfeld is history. If McCain is the right guy to clean it up, so that there are direct lines to Congress to get the right money spent the right way to sanitize that cesspool.

The "if i wanted to vote for a Repub . . ." thing doesn't apply to SecDef, since that is appointed. Nobody votes for SecDef!

And the Cohen thing is weak, since Bush has a Dem on his cabinet, so did 41, and so did the original Idiot Prince, Ronnie. That's been pretty common for cross pollinating. So, i think it's petty to have issue with that.

I think if McCain is the right conduit to the levers of power that creates the best chance of fixing this mess, then so be it.
The Professor

[Bandit]

20. I don't think Kerry would ever do such a thing but it is good to get some

attention in that he is considering it. Moderates may give him a second thought for doing so. Kerry is one hell of a smart man. Don't try and second guess him. He is reaching out to Republicans without really making it happen.

[robbedvoter]

21. Agree - but it comes mostly from GOP+ whorses (Novak, Alter, etc)

It's only idiots that follow them on our side. People who still believe in "liberal media"

[ThoughtCriminal]

22. The issue seems like a trap

Get everyone fired up about drafting McCain, then as usual, he endorses Bush. Suckers.