Gephardt said to be possible VP pick

[quinnox]

*Note this thread is based on a Kerry nomination, which is not assured. Clark or Edwards may yet emerge as a main rival for Kerry.



"There are two reasons Gephardt's backing is important to Kerry," said Donna Brazile, Al Gore's campaign manager in 2000. "Gephardt has a lot of credibility with labor. The states to come are labor intensive. Dick Gephardt has a lot of institutional support. He left the campaign on good graces. Dick Gephardt could conceivably be a potential VP candidate."

This might be a good ticket, instead of Kerry-Edwards (which I also like). Gephardt is from Missouri, which from what I understand is a key swing state.

[Darwin2002]

1. that's the most boring thing I've ever heard; we need pzazz not snooze

Edwards would draw much better in the south

[mlawson]

10. The Dem establishment never learns, do they?

But then again, *winning* is never one of their chief criteria, either!

This is frighteningly more and more like 1984 (the election).

[lancdem]

14. The major difference between 2004 and 1984 is

Reagan was popular, and Bush isn't. You can only have a landslide when the incumbent's approval rating is well above 50 percent.

[mlawson]

17. Many of Ronnie's policies were unpopular, but the voters

in the center (apolitical) LIKED him better than they did Mondale. We really need to take note of that this year. And if I am not mistaken, Reagan's numbers were low at this point in 1984. Gary Hart *could* have excited these voters; Mondale never. Did the DNC understand this, or didn't they care??

After all, it was Mondale's TURN..... :eyes:

[Padraig18]

2. Dick "The Hit man" Gephardt would sure draw in a LOT of Dean supporters.

:puke:

[jenk]

3. Gephardt is a great Democrat

[Padraig18]

5. Yeah, great democrats organize 'Osama' ads, etc. .

he's a hack.

[dansolo]

28. I will not vote for this ticket

I will grudgingly vote for Kerry, but I absolutely will not vote for a Kerry/Gephardt ticket. That would just be an insult.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. I heard a strategist say yesterday that Gephardt

would be a good addition because of the MidWest and labor cote. Desm need those votes to win and, by his reckoning, cannot win the entire South but may be able to win a couple of Southern states. I don't know that he's right but I'm not sure Edwards will go along with taking the VP nomination, as many assume. He has said many times that he will not be VP.

[Padraig18]

7. What Edwards has said:

He's never said he would not accept the VP nod; he's said (like Clark) that he is in this to become the nominee. Crucial distinction.

[djg21]

Of course they'd say this!

Then, when both of them are out of the race for good, they'll both change their minds.

[Padraig18]

11. Yes.

no one enters the race to become VP. :)

[poskonig]

8. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Ohio

Become locked for the Democrats if we put Gephardt on the ticket. I don't have a favorable opinion of Gephardt, but a Kerry-Gephardt ticket makes a bit of strategic sense.

[Leilani]

12. I'm not rooting for this ticket

but Gephardt would be a much better debater against Cheney, than Joe L was in 2000. At least he'd put up an argument, & still seem like a nice guy, compared to Cheney.

[LuminousX]

6. Great One PRO War guy and One I-Dunno guy

I feel represented.


Ultimate D.C. careerists get the nomination - independents stay home in November.

[disenfranchised]

15. Great post LuminousX

I'm 100% Edwards supporter, but I'm really liking Dean supporters more and more every day.

[goobergunch]

26. Yeah

Not a ticket I would feel comfortable supporting.

If Dean isn't the nominee, I will be spending a lot more time on the House and Senate threads.

[Eric J in MN]

9. Bill Richardson is the man. If Gephardt motivated so few voters in Iowa,

If Gephardt motivated so few voters in Iowa, why would he motivate them as a vp nominee?

Governor Bll Richardson can deliver New Mexico and he has forieign policy experience. Go with Bill Richardson.

[lancdem]

13. Donna Brazile may not be the best authority on this

We'll see.

[mlawson]

19. But how connected is she with the DNC (establishment)?

Is she running up a trial balloon, or has this already been decided?? Does she KNOW who they have picked for us? And is it (____ help us!!!), Gep???

Champagne may be flowing in Rove's office tonight!

[Taeger]

16. Evan Bayh

He's from a red state and he won't upstage Kerry.

He also didn't completely blow the mid term elections.

[HazMat]

23. Bayh is way too conservative on foreign policy

He disagrees deeply with Kerry's stance on the Iraq War. Bayh's Iraq position is closer to Lieberman's. Bahy is even more sickening than Lieberman, in that he always speaks glowingly of Bush. It's one thing to have non-dovish position about Iraq, it's another thing to say you agree with Bush. For example, Biden has a pretty similar Iraq position to Bayh, but he always vocally opposes Bush and always attempts to provide contrast between the Dem hawk Iraq position and the Repub/Neocon hawk Iraq position.

[On the Road]

18. I Would be Aghast!

Gephardt just does not have the personality for a winning ticket. It doesn't matter whether he's a good Democrat -- when he talks people yawn. G finished fourth in a neighboring state where he had been strong.

I thought this election was at least about being electible.

[mlawson]

20. Electable??? Ha ha ha ha ha.....

Where did you get that idea??? Choosing the nominee(s) is about whose TURN it is!!! Hey, I have been observing this process since JFK (the first one, not Kerry). Nothing changes in the DNC's processes, no matter how horrible the repuke alternative.

Play nice, now, and get on board... You will learn to love it...

[artr2]

21. The worst possible ticket

I would rather see kerry (if he is nominated) go with Graham - He would be an excellent VP

[Strelnikov_]

22. Is Labor Even A Factor Any More?

All of the union members in the family or I know are far right-wing.

At work, the para-professionals are all members of AFSME. With a few exceptions, they are all far right-wing.

My impression is that there is a disconnect between union leadership and the rank and file. Or am I just surrounded by right-wingers and therefore have a skewed perception of the union electorate in general?

[Piperay]

24. Well I would still prefer Graham or

Edwards, we shouldn't give up on the South.

[teevee99]

25. if gephardt and kerry are our choice

then i will stay home on election day. it will be a sad day. the democratic party will truly be nothing but a shadow party

[IndianaGreen]

29. Kerry/Gephardt 2004... The winning ticket!

I have no doubt that a Kerry/Gephardt ticket will resonate among our progressive friends, particularly those that opposed the war.

President, House Leadership Agree on Iraq Resolution



President George W. Bush along with bipartisan leaders from the House and Senate announced the Joint Resolution to authorize the use of the United States Armed Forces against Iraq. "The statement of support from the Congress will show to friend and enemy alike the resolve of the United States," President Bush said during the announcement in the Rose Garden, Wednesday, October 2, 2002. White House photo by Paul Morse.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-7.html

[mmonk]

27. I believe David Broder wrote

either today or yesterday that Kerry should pick from Clark or Edwards. His thoughts were that choosing from those two would be a winner. It would complete all areas he thought in appeal accross the country.

[blm]

30. It's going to be one of the two, Edwards or Clark.

I think that's why the added tension between the two camps, too.