Carter: Unity ticket would be 'worst mistake' (would accumulate negative aspects of both candidates)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

June 4, 2008

Carter says unity ticket would be 'worst mistake'

Posted: 02:59 PM ET



(CNN) — A host of prominent Democrats are pushing for an Obama-Clinton unity ticket — but Jimmy Carter isn't one of them.

The former president, who publicly endorsed Barack Obama shortly before polls closed Tuesday in the final two primary states, told a London newspaper that a joint ticket between the two former rivals would be "the worst mistake that could be made."

"That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates," Carter told the Guardian, saying that both candidates' vulnerabilities could overshadow that the ticket if the two team up together.

"If you take that 50 percent who just don't want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don't think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he's got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds," he said.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/04/carter-says-unity-ticket-would-be-worst-mistake/

[WA98296]

1. A GIFT from an elder statesman. Thank you President Carter.

[Swamp Rat]

2. k&r

[Catherina]

3. Thank you President Carter n/t

[IsItJustMe]

4. The Democratic Party and Obama better listen to Carter. Carter has been around the block and knows

what the hell he is talking about. Ignore Carter's advice at your own peril.

[David Zephyr]

5. I agree with President Carter and Senator Ted Kennedy. She's not VP material.

Hillary is not a team player and Bill Clinton brings simply too much baggage to the program.

Their joint campaign was a train wreck, ill-prepared and turned into a finanically mismanaged disaster.

In the end, the Clintons reduced themselves to Karl Rovian politics, race-baiting and the ugliest threats and extortions our party has seen in a very, very long time.

President Carter and Ted Kennedy know the Clintons well enough to weigh in.

I'm with these two sterling Democrats.

[bluedeminredstate]

8. Hey there!

I jumped in to say long time no see, but of course I agree with you! :hi:
I am so pissed off that Hillary is exhibiting this collossal sense of entitlement and also giving her supporters the impression that they are owed this. Count my sister as one of the brainwashed who says she'll stay home in November if Hillary isn't on the ticket.

The whole thing is depressing, and last night finally killed off the very last teeny bit of admiration and respect I had for her and Bill which has been eroding steadily since New Hampshire.

[David Zephyr]

9. OMG! It's bluedeminredstate!

So great to hear from you. Al's love child is already seven years old (that's an inside secret between me and bluedeminredstate). Give the child all my love.

Don't despair. I was in Hillary's camp until January 1 and then my head cleared. My sister, in Texas, voted there for Hillary while her hubby voted for Obama. But, my sister is madder at Hillary now than anyone else, so there's hope for your sister, too.

How simply great to hear from you again! :hi:

:bounce:

[provis99]

6. I hope this puts the idiotic "dream ticket" scenario to rest

It would be more like a nightmare ticket to voters we are trying to attract from the Independents.

[dflprincess]

7. As I've said before,

it would also be a nightmare for many of us on the left. I will vote for the nominee, but I will also have to be heavily sedated election day if I'm going to have to vote for a ticket made up of two right-of-center types. I'll also probably have someone with me chanting "Republican lite is still better than McCain" in my ear.