Bill Richardson as VP pick.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

I've seen online speculation about Bill Richardson from New Mexico as a good VP pick for Kerry (or Edwards).

The idea behind this is that Kerry could make a play for a growing latino voting block in the Southwest, possibly winning hiim Arizona and New Mexico, but also helping hiim, possibly, in California, Nevada, and Midwestern states like Illinois where there is a growing hispanic population.

It would mean Kerry would be running a Northeast/West Coast strategy..picking up votes where the Democrats won in 2000, but also making a big play for the Midwest & Southwest. It would also mean pretty much writing-off the South.

Any opinions on this approach? It seems a bit risky, and I'm not sure ticket balancing works, unless you are trying for a favorite son effect (which is what the Clinton/Gore ticket pretty much did)

[YEM]

1. Wouldn't he help in Fla?

I would think so.

[Bombtrack]

5. Not as much as Bob Graham, not by longshot

besides richardson has ruled running for vp in 04 alltogether. And he's got enough responsiblity at the convention.

And he isn't from a red state. And it would add to Naders incentive to stay in the race.

[Bombtrack]

2. How many times do people have to say Richardson has ruled it out

He has said he would never abandon his state in the middle of his first term.

Graham is the best nominee by far for Kerry. He'd be Kerry's LBJ. Every argument that we "can't win Florida" is utter bullshit. We "won" it last time, even after the thousands of purged blacks and the hundred thousand Nader voters. And this time, 90 percent of them will now be ABB.

GOP pollsters themselves have been warning the whitehouse that they could likely not hold FLorida if a strong dem(they cited Kerry, Edwards, or Lieberman in the memos) chose Graham as vp.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

3. Oh..OK..I wasn't aware of that. Thanks for the info.

LOL...I guess this is the end of this thread! :-)

[DaveSZ]

6. Yep

Florida is winnable no doubt!


We won it last time, and it was stolen! Plus many democrats voted Nader, though they won't make the same mistake twice!

[revcarol]

4. From New Mexico- NO!!

We need him here because the libertarian-repug left things in a disastrous state.

But MORE IMPORTANTLY, REMEMBER WEN HO LEE?All Asian minorities are going to remember that Richardson fired him when he KNEW HE WAS INNOCENT!!

NUMBER TWO: NAFTA has become a big topic for this election. Labor hates it, small business people hate it, the country is hemorraghing jobs.GUESS WHO WAS BILL CLINTON'S CHIEF ARM-TWISTER FOR NAFTA. You got it.

[anti-NAFTA]

11. Richardson runs as VP and guess what I;m going to do.

That's right; I'm not going to vote Democratic.

[Orangepeel]

7. That would be great -- but he's said he won't do it

maybe the party could twist his arm, but he's ruled it out several times

[randr]

8. I have been thinking this for a long time

It comes down to whether or not the Dems want to make a stand in the South. Florida will be iffy and another Southern State would be a huge plus. Given the results in Kentucky a Southern Strategy may prove fruitful.
At the same time the SouthWest, NM,AR,NV, seem to be on the screen. I might even add the Rocky Mountain States as possibles given the nature of the "Goldwater" conservatives who have had their rights trampled by the Haliburton invasion in the fossil fields.
Richardson stands poised to bring these votes in. I think it will depend on how well Edwards shows in these states. He may be able to work the South and Western votes and that would put him in the front for VP. If he shows no strength in the West we may see the wooing of Richardson for the VP and an abandonment of any Southern Strategy.

[Cuban_Liberal]

9. Not gonna happen.

Richardson has said clearly, repeatedly and unequivocally that he WILL serve his entire 4-year term as NM's Governor, thus precluding any possibility of his being able to serve as VP.

[Thrill]

10. Yeah Right

sure he has. But everytime he has been asked about it lately he refused to comment. Not many turn down the VP spot. If the party pushes for it he will take it.

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. Monday on CNN was 'lately', I think.

Could have been Tuesday, tbh, but he was on CNN and said point-blank that he would NOT accept the nod---period.

[Thrill]

13. I know many don't agree

but I would adopt the Midwest and southwest strategy. I just don't think outside of Tenn and FL there is much to be won in the south. Focus on AZ, COL, IOWA, Missori, WV, NH. These are the states we should focus on. Out side of Tenn and FL the only Southern states I would put much time in is VA. And ARK if Clark is VP.

[Cuban_Liberal]

14. LA is highly winnable.

Jusr re-elected a Dem senator, elected a Dem governor, etc.. Don't write off the South en masse.

[Thrill]

15. just because

these places elect Senators and Governors democrats doesn't mean they will vote democrat in the Presidential Election. Just like I was saying in the other thread about Florida. Just because Jeb Bush won re-election doesn't mean its a lock for the Repubs in the presidential elections

[Bombtrack]

17. Louisiana is doable for CLARK or EDWARDS. Kerry just represents

the antithesis of what tends to sell in the deep south in terms of heritage and ideology and where he comes from. Sorry it's not prudent to put more eggs in the Louisia basket than Florida.

BTW if you're Cuban? What state are you from? I go to school in Miami

[Cuban_Liberal]

18. I was born in Hialeah

My papi is a chef for Mariott, so we moved several times. I've lived in FL (twice), TX, IA, IN, DC and IL. I have several aunts, uncles and cousins in Metro Dade. :)

[Bombtrack]

20. Cool, my friend coaches a baseball team in Hialeah.

He lives in the dorm across from me

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Nice!

Even though I've lived in lots of places, when people use the word 'home' in reference to a state, I still think 'Florida'. :)

[Bombtrack]

16. replace Tennessee with Arkansas and Louisiana

Tennessee didn't go for GORE(although you should google vote fraud + Nashville)

But Arkansas and Louisiana are less likely than Florida, but still longshot dem states. The dem parties are still strong in these states. They could have gone for Clark, they could for Edwards. Kerry it's doubtful.

But Kerry should chose Bob Graham, and still do a southwest/midwest strategy in resources/time etc.

Kerry cannot write off the south completely, that will have negative repercussions everywhere. If he's competative in Florida, he can say negate that argument somewhat and have it not be a self fulfilling prophecy.

But without Graham, it will be difficult. But Florida is as much as Arizona, Missouri, New Hampshire, and Nevada combined

[littlejoe]

19. It almost has to be Edwards for Veep now.

[Cuban_Liberal]

22. If we're going for 'unity', I agree.

He would unite most of the party behind the ticket, add a Southerner for 'balance'and, just like Bill and AL, they'd look DAMN GOOD together on a campaign poster.

[Kahuna]

23. Richardson is a good pick for many many reasons having nothing..

to do with his ethnicity. His ethnicity is just a bonus. He has the best resume of anyone else in consideration.

[West Coast Democrat]

24. Nope, we have many Southern Senate seats up for grabs

We simply need a ticket that will be strong in the South, whether we can take those states or not, the Senate candidates will need a lot of support.

[pacifictiger]

25. does not feel good to me

If it happens, more evidence of continuing politics as usual.