Would Rangel be a good VP pick?

[Bread and Circus]

I am not super-informed on Rangel's ethics and politics
but I like what I see...

Would he be a good VP pick?

Yes? No? Thoughts on the man?

[TeacherCreature]

1. no

he is too much of a DLC operative. He is oldtime politics.

[Sir_Shrek]

2. Naw

An unknown.

[OneBlueSky]

3. nope . . .

wouldn't add anything to the ticket, whether the nominee is Dean, Clark, Kerry, or someone else . . . one thing undecided voters are NOT looking for is a New York City politician . . . unless maybe it's Guiliani (ugh!) . . .

[The Magistrate]

4. Rep. Rangel Would Be An Excellent Choice, Doctor

He is a most impressive man; combative, well-spoken, and very sound in his views.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BootinUp]

6. Could you expand

On what kind of running mate you see helping Clark? Personally I think he could do a lot worse than Rep. Rangel. Are you thinking he needs to have more appeal to independents/conservatives? I think he should have that covered.

[pocoloco]

9. Sargent Rangel Rocks

but don't know if he would accept, he said a while back he was getting so old he doesn't buy green bananas anymore!

[jmaier]

17. If I were Clark and won the nomination

I'd be looking to "balance" the ticket with someone who has strong legislative experience and plays well in the midwest (another battleground region.)

If you were going more conservative, perhaps Evan Bayh though I'd look at Jim Levin in MI or (hold your nose) Dick Gephardt. :-)

The advantage of Geppy is that you're not going to steal away a sitting Senator, Governor, etc. since the Dems are becoming an endangered species in those places.

[goobergunch]

18. Since when is *Carl* Levin conservative? (n/t)

[jmaier]

20. LOL

I was working on two posts and crossed my typing. I meant Bayh as the conservative choice. I went to highschool with "Jim" Levin. I wouldn't be recommending him for any ticket.

Thanks!

[JVS]

19. That is a good point, Senators are too important to risk.

And when they try to be cautious about their seat as Lieberman was in 2000 it turns into ammo against the ticket

[The Magistrate]

11. Some Small Points, Mr. Perth

The traditional criteria are largely obsolete.

Geographical balance means little any more, and ideoligical balance means even less. People know the office of Vice-President has no real power, only what the President chooses to delegate to it.

Nowadays the selction does two things: it showcases what sort of fellow the Presidential candidate feels comfortable having for a close subordinate, and designates a head-line campaigner to the effort in the hustings.

On both these modern grounds, Rep. Rangel would be an excellent choice. A formidable man himself, his selection would demonstrate self-confidence and ease with power, and he is an excellent campaigner and spokesman, who can handcuff yapping journalistic poodles with ease.

In this election, votes are going to be added to the ticket not by positional compromise or geographic condition, but by the intensity of feeling among the partisans. Most of those called independents or swing voters actually lean, in their hearts, towards one party or the other. What will draw them this time is the passion of the partisans on the side they lean to.

[JVS]

dupe

[JVS]

7. How about Mike Doyle?

[yellowcanine]

8. Too abrasive

We need someone more on the lines of Congressman Harold? Ford of Tennesee, though I don't think he is old enough this time around. Anyway, I suspect Dean is leaning toward Bob Graham of Florida, which might be a pretty good pick.

[shivaji]

10. DEAN/GRAHAM would easily be the strongest ticket we can

ever nominate. Dean has the executive political experience of running a state, balancing it's budget, installing universal healthcare in his state, and has been a solid life long democrat. Certainly a contrast from Clark who is a johnny come lately opportunist, and the only reason he is wearing a democratic cloak is because he was rejected by the repugs, and is blocked out of running on a repug ticket for a minimum of 5 years.

Sen. Graham brings considerable experience in foreign affairs, and is a multiple winner in Florida. If he can deliver florida, which he will, all Dean has to do is hold states won by Gore comfortably. Dean can lose a couple of marginal states to Bush* and still win electorally.

[JVS]

12. Sounds reasonable

[The Magistrate]

13. It Is My Fear, Sir

Gov. Dean will be cut to pieces in an election focused on war-fighting and foreign affairs. This is, after all, the sort of thing the Republicans have a long-standing edge in among the people of our country, for better or worse, and they will be well positioned to press this advantage against Gov. Dean. Gen. Clark is immune to it. He cannot be assailed as naive or inexperienced in violence, nor can his patriotism be impugned. It is wise, whenever possible, to deny your enemy a familiar weapon that he has come to rely on; it forces him to improvise, and this often produces errors.

The clap-trap concerning Gen. Clark's political identity is meaningless where it is not offensive. His reputation as "Clinton's General" in the latter stages of his service is sufficient to establish his bona fides, for it reflects the distaste of real reactionaries. That on occassion more than a decade ago he voted Republican bothers me not at all: to win this election, Sir, we are going to need the votes of a lot of people who have in that same past voted Republican.

On a final note, you would do much better to advocate for your candidate by building him up, rather than by trying to tear other candidates down with baseless slurs. Your candidate might not, after all, win, and those slurs you will have uttered against the one who does will simply be ammunition in the mouths of the Republicans.

[poskonig]

15. Dean/Clark is strong too.

I doubt we'll see it, given the excessive pride of Clark and his supporters.

Dean-Graham is most probable. I hope we see the nice, friendly cuddly Graham instead of the wacko hatchet-job Graham.

[GBD4]

22. What?!?

<<I hope we see the nice, friendly cuddly Graham instead of the wacko hatchet-job Graham.>>

Did I miss something?!? Please elaborate...

[TreasonousBastard]

14. I think he's better off in the House...

where we really need him. He's smart, tough, and knows his way around.

As VP he can't do squat, and I have no idea whether or not a black politician from New York will help the ticket.

I kinda have my doubts, though.

[goobergunch]

16. No

I cannot support an advocate of the military draft.

[Myra]

21. Clark's in a good position because he doesn't need to compensate

For lack of foreign policy expertise when he picks his VP.
Hard to say about Rangel; I'd hate to remove him from
a house position he's held for 17 consecutive terms.
Hmm.

[jsw_81]

23. No way

I have nothing against Rangel, but the fact of the matter is that we would lose 49, possibly 50 states if we had a black liberal Democrat from Harlem on the ticket.