What did Joe Liberman bring to the Democratic ticket in 2000?

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I was wondering receintly, why did Al Gore select Joe Liberman of Connecticut to be his running mate? What did Liberman bring to the ticket? Was there any other conservative Democrats Al Gore could have chosen?

[J. J.]

The very real possibility of taking Florida.

[LINCOLN REPUBLICAN]

Simply put, Al Gore picked Joe Lieberman for VP in 2000 because Lieberman was the most significant Democrat to speak out against the deplorable behavior of the President, Bill Clinton, and believed the choice of Lieberman would distance himself as far as possible from the reprobate President.

Not a conservative Democrat, but Gore could have picked Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia for VP, which would not have cost Gore any of the states he did win, and would have assured a Gore win in West Virginia, and therefore would have put Gore into the White House.

[Secretary Polnut]

It's a definite combination.

But Winfield's point highlights probably Gore's single biggest mistake, his distancing himself from Clinton. Ok, Clinton had some serious baggage, but for a VP to distance himself from a President with 60% approval ratings was a suicide move.

Lieberman was meant to be Gore's masterstroke to a)appear more socially conservative (therefore try to minimise Bush's religosity - ha good move, try using a Jew to sway conservative christians) b) appeal to the Jewish bloc in South Florida c) to essentially covertly agree with Lieberman's assesment of Clinton.

[Jaggerjack]

Not a conservative Democrat, but Gore could have picked Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia for VP, which would not have cost Gore any of the states he did win, and would have assured a Gore win in West Virginia, and therefore would have put Gore into the White House.

I think 2000 was a suprise victory for Bush. I don't think neither Gore nor Bush knew that WV would suddenly flip.

[Big DaddyTX]

The very real possibility of taking Florida.

[OC]

Bob Schrum is second guessing Joseph Lieberman as well, I think that Bob Schrum if he would of had to do it all over again would of picked Bob Graham in FL to be either of Gore's or Kerry's running mate. As far as Joseph Lieberman, him being more conservative on some issues could of blunted some of the tax and spend policies of the Clinton/Gore administration.

[12th Doctor]

Florida... he didn't quite deliver, but they got closer than they would have otherwise.

[OC]

He did good in FL but he didn't do that well in states like NH and OH where another candidate for VP might have done better otherwise. As a VP nominee you have to do well in several states not just one, and Lieberman didn't offer that. Because in these times, the margin of error is too small. And that is what Schrum was trying to say in his book with Joe Lieberman.

[memphis]

Joe Lieberman, like Dick Cheney, brought virtually nothing to his ticket. Al Gore completely over estimated anti-Bill Clinton tensions. Clinton had astronomically high approval ratings, but Al chose to distance himself from his party's most popular politician in decades and instead selected Bill's biggest critic in the party to be his runningmate.

[Former Moderate]

Joe Lieberman, like Dick Cheney, brought virtually nothing to his ticket. Al Gore completely over estimated anti-Bill Clinton tensions. Clinton had astronomically high approval ratings, but Al chose to distance himself from his party's most popular politician in decades and instead selected Bill's biggest critic in the party to be his runningmate.

Dick Cheney absolutely brought something to the ticket.  Part of my rationale for voting for Bush in 2000 is that, while I thought Dubya to be dumb, his choice of Cheney was confirmation that he was smart enough, at least, to surround himself with smart people.  [And indeed, he built a (mostly) solid cabinet for his first term.]

He added gravity and foreign policy experience that Bush just didn't have.  And he beat the snot out of Lieberman in the debate.

[HardRCafé]

Clinton had astronomically high approval ratings,

Can you use the word "hyperbole" in a sentence?

[memphis]

Clinton had astronomically high approval ratings,

Can you use the word "hyperbole" in a sentence?

At the time of impeachment, Clinton's approval rating topped 70%. That's insanely good for a second term prez. Bush can't even manage to get half of that.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Joe Lieberman brought a token Jew to the ticket, and we know based on the 2008 that Dems love token candidates

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Absolutely nothing of any value.

[True Democrat]

Joe Lieberman brought a token Jew to the ticket, and we know based on the 2008 that Dems love token candidates

It couldn't also be his reputation as a Democrat who distanced himself from Clinton or that he was strong on defense?

Of course not.

It was just that he was a jew.  Nice argument there.

Is any non-Christian, non-white, or woman token in your opinion?

[MasterJedi]

Is any non-Christian, non-white, or woman token in your opinion?

He's a christian supremecist remember so he can only have white male candidates to vote for.

[Rob]

Nothing at all. Republicans may have loved his conservative votes and his attacks on Democrats, but they didn't vote for his ticket.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The media took a very short break from their usual lying attacks on Gore to praise him for choosing such a wonderful person as Lieberman.

[So the Heroes Fall]

Absolutely nothing of any value.

Kind of like your posts.

[Jeff from NC]

I think Mr. Moderate was right on the money about Dick Cheney.  At least, I thought the same thing: Bush was wise enough to know his main flaw, inexperience.  Bringing on Dick Cheney appeared to be a sign that Bush was thinking ahead in a mature way.  (In 2000, it was possible to think such a thing.)

I remember reading one article about how the Lieberman pick was similar.  Bush and his advisors expected Gore to make a craven play for electoral votes by picking Bob Graham, John Edwards, or someone else from a Southern or Midwestern state.  When he picked Lieberman, they thought it was an uncharacteristic display of maturity from Gore.

Sigh.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Joe Lieberman brought a token Jew to the ticket, and we know based on the 2008 that Dems love token candidates

It couldn't also be his reputation as a Democrat who distanced himself from Clinton or that he was strong on defense?

Of course not.

It was just that he was a jew.  Nice argument there.

Is any non-Christian, non-white, or woman token in your opinion?

When they are chosen simply because they are Jewish or black (ex. Lieberman or Obama), then yes that is the definition of token candidate.  If they focus their campaign around their minority status that is also the definition of a token candidate.  Non-token candidates would include Harold Ford Jr., Deval Patrick, Sarah Palin, etc.

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Lieberman brought failure.

[TexasGurl]

Nothing.
Gore got stupid and tried to distance himself from Clinton by picking his #1 democratic critic.

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

Nothing.