A Southern VP that's NOT Edwards?

[Skip Intro]

Haven't been in this forum in a while, so if this has been gone over recently, apologies.

There is a story here by mobuto:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x514691

that shows the moron's approval in NC - NORTH CAROLINA - is plummeting and is now at 49.6%.

Is it possible the south really can be in play? Looks like it from that poll, and I think a southern VP could really make the moron fight for his base, put the south into play, and just might seal NC, among other southern states, for us.

Having said that, the first name for VP that comes to mind is John Edwards. But I have a big problem with Edwards, and that's his stance on the Iraq invasion. Not his IWR vote, and not his statements at the time, but his statements during the primaries that defended invading, even when clear the wmd lies were just that. With all the horror that has occurred and is occurring due to bush's invasion, I just can't set that aside. Its a shame, because I think he'd be an awesome ticket mate for Kerry, but I just can't get past his defense of invading Iraq. (Yes, I'd vote Kerry/Edwards, if that's what it turned out to be).

But I still think a southern VP candidate would really give bush some headaches in the south, and probably pull in one or two, or more, southern states. But who?

My gut says Cleland, and I'm thinking imagery here, imagery that the infected could relate to, and that no chickenhawk attack ad could touch. And I'm thinking revenge for GA as well.

But there's also Landreiu, Graham, Clark, others?

I lean toward Clark, of those three.

But, and I'm talking strategy to win here, in my mind they're all vastly more qualified to do the job that cheney, but strategically, I think a strong southerner on the ticket could really exploit bush's weak support, even in the south, and have the gang scrambling to fight for states they once took for granted.

Thoughts?

[smiley_glad_hands]

1. Gov. Mark Warner---VA

[chimpymustgo]

2. Edwards is the best. Real energy, connects with voters, raises bucks.

Kerry/Edwards '04

[SharonAnn]

11. Yes, Edwards is downright "inspiring". Every time I heard him

speak I felt better afterwards. I felt uplifted, focused on positive things we could do, energized. He really does that well, no wonder he was so effective as a trial lawyer.

I think he'll being that to the campaign and it can only be a help.

[mobuto]

6. I love Mark Warner, but no

1. He has spent his entire term in office trying to raise taxes. The move is locally popular and absolutely necessary - Virginia's government has been completely defunded and completely powerless, and so Virginia residents have been denied even the most basic services - but it will be easy to caricature in 30 second ads elsewhere.

2. He's not a son of the South - he's originally from CT.

3. He's worth $250-$300 million. He may be a self-made millionaire, but, with Kerry, he really doesn't set the populist tone we're looking for.

4. He's not charismatic.

5. Kerry isn't going to win Virginia anyway, even if he picks Warner, unless the election's swung so much in his favor that it doesn't matter.

If I had to pick a Southerner, I'd probably go with Edwards, with Nelson and Clark as stand-byes. I like Cleland, but he's just not a good enough campaigner for the job. I'm not sure Bredesen, another oft-mentioned choice, would be great either. I don't pretend to have any idea whom Kerry will pick, and the few people I know who are actually working for Kerry profess not to have any idea either. So lets just sit back and watch.

[smiley_glad_hands]

7. The question was about a southerner other than Edwards.

Just answering the question.

[smiley_glad_hands]

8. Personally, I like Clark.

But Warner is a southerner (don't care where he was born--look at Bush) and he's not Edwards (who I don't have a problem with).

[Hillary 2006]

33. i like clark too

Clark is a good guy.

[Zynx]

20. Virginia is a winnable state. More winnable than NC.

Gore NEVER touched the state and only lost it by 8 points with Nader getting two. Bush only got 52% of the vote. If we put Warner on the ticket, the state would be won.

[Failure]

3. Wesley K. Clark---Two War Heroes versus the chickenhawk brigade (nt)

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Wes Clark should be the next VP. n/t

[earthside]

5. A WOMAN Vice President

I've blogged on my web site, ww.earthside.com many times about how it is past time for this country to have a woman vice president.

Mayr Landrieu is perfect. She's from Louisiana, a possible swing state in the south (there's an open senate seat that the Democrts need to keep, also; Landireu on the ticket would help!) She's been (or is) on the Armed Services Committee, so she has "military policy" knowledge, she is in her second term so she's been around long enough to be experienced.

Politically, this election will be won by Kerry if he wins moderate, pro-choice, suburban Republican women. Landrieu helps a great deal with this group. Forget about NASCAR dads ... they don't count, they're already for Bush.

I predict a 350-plus electoral victory for Kerry if he picks Landireu.

[beyurslf]

28. Agreed. It is past time.

I like Kathleen Sebelius of KS even if she isn't Southern. (And yes I am from KS so I am biased.)

[Hillary 2006]

34. Actually, Hillary is perfect, and here is why:

Actually, Hillary is perfect and here is why:

* The population of African and Hispanic Americans is rapidly rising.
Hillary for President in 2008, just look at what she has on her side!
* Voters are drifting to the left.

* The Republican Party is low on future presidential candidates, and Hillary's strongest potential rivals there are the ones most likely to sow division within the party.

* Likewise, no major Democratic alternative stands in her way.

* Democratic fund-raisers are setting new records for an out-of-power party.

* The Clinton machine is strengthening its control over the party.

* Her PAC gives out more of the money it raises to Congressional Candidates then any other Democrats PAC. And it gives out twice as much as Daschles Pac, which treats theres as a slush fund.

[mitchum]

9. Rep. John Lewis...

Just as Kerry shed blood in Vietnam, Lewis shed blood in Selma. A beautiful ticket.

[Leilani]

10. The Iraq War has become the Top Issue

The Dems are very lucky: they have a 4 star General in the wings.

He is from the South; raised as Southern Baptist & can talk the talk.

Do you want miltary people & their families to cross over & vote Dem?
The military is angrier about this war than we are. They are the ones getting killed.

Will they cross over to vote for a Senator? A congressman? Hell no, they are the people who got us into this mess!!!

Will they cross over to vote for a Governor?

Try a 4-Star General! He may be able to get us out of this mess, or at least improve conditions.

[SharonAnn]

12. Careful, Wes Clark is NOT beloved by the pentagon and the

top echelons. They hate him.

They're the ones who got him fired from his NATO job and they would do everything they could do see to it that he never got elected.

I don't mean that Kerry shouldn't name him because of that, just that we can expect the top military dogs to fight him hard.

I don't know how that would affect the rest of the military vote. Wes Clark seems to have a good records with those who were under his command and that's really important for getting the military vote.

[Adelante]

27. Careful

Wes Clark was not loved by Republicans Cohen and Shelton who conspired with Republicans in Congress against the Democratic Commander in Chief, Bill Clinton. That in no way translates to the top echelons of the Pentagon hating Clark. In fact, he has his friends and admirers in that group. Let's face it, the Republicans are going to "do everything they could do" to keep John Kerry from being elected no matter who is on the ticket.

[BootinUp]

30. Good point Leilani

Clark is well respected by former and current service men and women.

:hi:

[Gloria]

13. Cleland left the 911 Commission to take some job offered by

the Administration involving banking or imports, I believe.

Threatened? Or a deal he couldn't refuse?

Either way, I'm not impressed by this move...

[jsw_81]

14. How about Bill Nelson?

He's a popular senator from Florida, was an astronaut, served in the House etc.

[AP]

24. I don't know much about Nelson, but what I've heard is good.

Presuming his politics are liberal, the Dems want to risk losing a seat in the senate, and he doesn't have any skeletons, an astronaut would be great on the ticket.

Astronauts are symbols of some of the greatest things about being American -- setting impossible goals, and achieving them, a dedication to knowledge, and risking your life for something that is good.

Also, they represent the value of pure science, and don't have the appearance of being about militarism.

So, if Edwards can't do it, I'd like to hear more about Nelson.

[KoKo]

29. Have you heard Bill Nelson speak! He sounds like a doofus, unfortunately.

As much as I think politically he's probably a great guy, just to listen to him makes my skin crawl. He's very slow speaking and lacks that charm that most Southern politicians have. Sort of like Gephardt with a very slow Southern drawl....

[AP]

31. Perhaps you could find a CSPAN link...

...and we can judge.

However, I'll say that people will cut him some slack for being an astronaut.

You have to be smart to be an astronaut, so they won't think he's stupid.

[KoKo]

35. I didn't say he was stupid. I said he sounds like a doofus. He won't play

well with Kerry, because Kerry needs someone who is quicker in "speaks."

If you hear him, you will see what I mean.

[AP]

36. He sounds fine to me:

http://www.cspan.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=bill+nelson

He looks kind of old, but he sounds fine. Not like a doofus at all.

[sadiesworld]

15. Clark.

I want the guy that the RW media whores DON'T want.

[Ridley Park 704]

16. this Denise Majette of GA just endorsed Kerry heartily

I don't know much about her, but she's a new face and seems to be popular. If Kerry picked her, that could win Georgia and the presidency. Even Zell would be hard pressed to vote aginst her.

[jsw_81]

17. Maybe someday, but not this year

As much as I hate to say it, it would be far too risky to put a black female on our ticket. There are tens of millions of racists out there who pretend to be tolerant (and tell pollsters that they're tolerant), but when they get in the privacy of the voting booth they show their true colors and vote against minority candidates every time, ESPECIALLY in the south.

[Ridley Park 704]

18. you might be right. maybe she can be veep in 2012.

I just have a feeling that Condi Rice is going to run on a natl ticket one of these days.

[DaveSZ]

19. Edwards uplifts you when he speaks

Considering most people find Kerry boring, he could help out.

But, the other Southerner I would consider would be Clark of course!

[HFishbine]

25. Edwards

doesn't "uplift" me. I find it down right repulsive that he continues to insist that attacking Iraq was the right thing to do.

[chimpymustgo]

38. Edwards/Majette 2012?

Could happen. Or Edwards/Ford (Harold)

[Zynx]

21. Warner, Nunn, Breaux, Landrieu

They would all be good.

[Jawja]

22. Wesley Clark

:kick:

[LWolf]

23. uh...a question.

But I have a big problem with Edwards, and that's his stance on the Iraq invasion. Not his IWR vote, and not his statements at the time, but his statements during the primaries that defended invading, even when clear the wmd lies were just that. With all the horror that has occurred and is occurring due to bush's invasion, I just can't set that aside.

If you can set aside the same behavior to cast a vote for Kerry, why not Edwards? If you can forgive Kerry, why not Edwards?

If you are looking for a candidate from the south, I like Edwards. I'd be comfortable with a Kerry/Edwards ticket.

[surfermaw]

26. Democrats will carry N.C. ( I think more so each day)

Most republican are so angry they won't discuss politics in North Carolina, however this is the first time that I have heard some republicans say they won't vote for Bush, however they may not vote democratic but just stay home, I think maybe the economy has caused so many of their family members to loose job they may think about the Clinton accomplishment with the economy and actually vote democrat,that old family farm has one by the way of dividing to the family until it isn't a place for them to make a living any more for extended families.

[Hillary 2006]

32. Hillary for President in 2008

* The population of African and Hispanic Americans is rapidly rising.
Hillary for President in 2008, just look at what she has on her side!
* Voters are drifting to the left.

* The Republican Party is low on future presidential candidates, and Hillary's strongest potential rivals there are the ones most likely to sow division within the party.

* Likewise, no major Democratic alternative stands in her way.

* Democratic fund-raisers are setting new records for an out-of-power party.

* The Clinton machine is strengthening its control over the party.

* Bereft of winning issues beyond terrorism, Republicans are still groping for a theme to replace welfare and crime, which Bill Clinton stole away from them - and George W. Bush seems destined to leave huge deficits as a negative part of his legacy.

[FrenchieCat]

37. Wes Clark....

Puts the most on the table in offering:

Had strong polls numbers nationally and in many states (southwest & the south) until the media tried smearing him....They then gave up and started ignoring him instead....

Southern and comes from a battleground state

Applied and tested National Security credentials

Name recognition nationally and internationally

attractive in a masculine manner with humble star magnetism

Articulate

attack pitbull that doesn't take any shit

attracts both the left and the right and the middle

shores up Veteran vote

shores up Security Mom vote (formally Soccer moms)

Shores up Nascar Dad votes (it's the machismo of a General on the ticket appeal)

was Nato commander who won a war w/t no casualties and is a genuine 4 star

Negotiated peace treaty

Will better Muslim relations (saved 1.4 million Albanian Muslims)
was endorsed by the Arab's largest magazine

Knows the pentagon inside out....Dick Cheney and knows where the bodies are buried

Knows the State Department.....has Security clearance

Self made man from humble roots

38 years of public service with no votes to dig up

Married 36 years to same woman.

Son served in Armed services as well

has voted Republican in the past (this is now an advantage)

has a strong "stand-alone" organization--Internet and on the ground
Stellar fundraiser

Rhode scholar = intelligence

Genuine War hero

Masters in Economics

Has Commander in Chief experience/Executive

Soros liked him....Buffet donated to him....Hollywood loves him

He was the second choice of many...and Many wanted him as Dean's VP

was against the Iraq war and was very prophetic in it's outcome

knows those who work in Washington on both sides of the aisle

not typical politician....not an insider

Ultimate patriot

Can speak on faith

was on debate team at West point.....and when participating in a REAL debate, will wipe the floor with Cheney.

Is a positive selfless man who is energetic, in excellent health
Is not a "I, I, I" man -

The Right Wing is scared of him

Understands what PNAC represents and is not afraid to talk about it.

Originated some of the best lines of the campaign...including, Going Toe to toe with Bush....They will not take this flag away from this party....Bush did not do all that he could do before 9/11....

Is being quoted by Nader and was endorsed by Michael Moore...which shores up those who are supporters of each to do the "right thing".

Was already vetted by the media during the campaign...and vetted by a Republican Congress as recently as 1997.

Want's Bush out really, really, really badly....



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