UPDATE: Kerry begining to pick....

[WalterMitty]

indeed it was dan quayle.

that should tell yall a little something about the bayh family.

[dunn]

indeed it was dan quayle.

that should tell yall a little something about the bayh family.

like what?

[Kghadial]

indeed it was dan quayle.

that should tell yall a little something about the bayh family.

like what?

1980 was the Reagan revolution. Tons of weak Republicans won Senate seats. That's why in 1986 the Democrats re-captured the senate.

In any case Evan is a far better politician than his father. He was able to use his family name to become governor of Indiana in 1988, when he was only 33, which was a year that Bush the First won overwhelmingly. Bush's running mate Quayle was from Indiana that year, which one would think would bring extra voters to the polls, voters who would be hostile to democrats.

However I am NOT a supporter for Evan being the Veep.

I think the order for Kerry is something like this:

1. Edwards  - The easy choice
2. Bill Richardson - Would be a decent pick even if his mother wasn't Hispanic. He is from the right region. However I think Kerry is decent out West he needs help in the moderate east (Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Minn, WV ) so edwards beats richardson only because his strengths are these.
3. A senator from Florida - 'good strategery' as bush would say
4. Evan Bayh - Don't underestimate his appeal outside of Indiana, he got decent press and TV coverage from Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville, and S. Bend & Ft. Wayne & Evansville media outlets also touch those in other states. However Indiana is so republican, Even Evan couldn't swing it.
5. Bunch of other decent choices

[© tweed]

Dennis Kucinich would be a good choice.

[Kghadial]

Dennis Kucinich would be a good choice.

Sadly Dennis is roughly the most prominent Democrat in the great state of Ohio.  Unless we can get John Glenn , how old is he?  

[© tweed]

Sadly Dennis is roughly the most prominent Democrat in the great state of Ohio.  Unless we can get John Glenn , how old is he?  

I think that guy Bayh from your state would helps us win Ohio.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

If he picks Bayh he's basically through.

Kerry almost has to pick someone who's more liberal than himself. Like I've said countless times before, trying to appeal to the suburbs with this New Democrat B.S. is futile.

[zachman]

Change your 'Deaniacs for Edwards' banner Miamiu.

It is so sad when you'r preferences don't win. Its always the same establishment candidate who wins and I am always frustrated. The media must be saying to themselves that this will be an incredibly boring.

[© tweed]

Change your 'Deaniacs for Edwards' banner Miamiu.

It is so sad when you'r preferences don't win. Its always the same establishment candidate who wins and I am always frustrated. The media must be saying to themselves that this will be an incredibly boring.

I'll leave it up there for a few days

I have to agree with angus here, the best we can up with in a country of 291M prople is John Kerry and George W. Bush?

I might just wait until a Kerry-Bayh, Kerry-Edwards, Kerry-Richardson, or Kerry-Warner sign comes out.

[zachman]

The last four new nominees are rarely exciting. Dole, Gore, Bush and now Kerry.

[© tweed]

The last four new nominees are rarely exciting. Dole, Gore, Bush and now Kerry.

Where would Kerry, Gore, and Bush be without their connections?

[zachman]

Where would Kerry, Gore, and Bush be without their connections?

They would probably all be buried under the waters off of Vietnam.

[© tweed]

Good point

[angus]

The last four new nominees are rarely exciting. Dole, Gore, Bush and now Kerry.

Where would Kerry, Gore, and Bush be without their connections?

Where would Dole be without his Viagra?

[© tweed]

The last four new nominees are rarely exciting. Dole, Gore, Bush and now Kerry.

Where would Kerry, Gore, and Bush be without their connections?

Where would Dole be without his Viagra?

About $10M poorer

[zachman]

Where would Dole be without his Viagra?

Liddy Dole wouldn't have been motivated to leave for the Senate. Bob Dole would have answered phones for the Red Cross.

[Kghadial]

Sadly Dennis is roughly the most prominent Democrat in the great state of Ohio.  Unless we can get John Glenn , how old is he?  

I think that guy Bayh from your state would helps us win Ohio.

Bayh is bland. He's an Al Gore clone, except more conservative.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Sadly Dennis is roughly the most prominent Democrat in the great state of Ohio.  Unless we can get John Glenn , how old is he?  

I think that guy Bayh from your state would helps us win Ohio.

Bayh is bland. He's an Al Gore clone, except more conservative.

I don't understand why choosing a nationally unknown VP would help Kerry win any states outside the VP's home state.  Voters in Ohio don't really know Bayh any better than voters in New Mexico.

Also, Bayh voted for Bush's recent tax cuts.  This is one thing Democrats need to stand firm on if we have any identity left as a party.

[Ben.]

If he picks Bayh he's basically through.

Kerry almost has to pick someone who's more liberal than himself. Like I've said countless times before, trying to appeal to the suburbs with this New Democrat B.S. is futile.

Bandit are you nuts! Kerry is one of the most liberal senators in Congress... picking Kucinich would get you 1% from Greens and Nader backers... how does he even help apart from being an extremist (if a well meaning one) he was blown out in ever primary fought... he looks like having one hell of fight for his congressional district this year... no no no the guy is not even suitable for a state wide run for Gov or the Sn... sorry its the truth... no i recon Mark Warner might be our best bet but he's only been Gov since 02 (what did he do before that?), Evan Bayh is a good choice, there's Edwards, Nelson, Landrieu and maybe Rockefeller... maybe Bill Nelson (not been in the senate long but was in the house for a good long while and has military experience as well as being a moderate (bit like Cleland except he’s not a loser or disabled) would be our best bet... if only Warner had been elected in 1998!  
         

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Warner was a businessman and a big guy in the VADems I think.
He ran for Senate in 1996 and lost to John Warner by 6% (think about that for a moment. The Dems didn't even run a candidate against him in 1990 or 2002), and spent years building up a powerbase in rural Virginia by encouraging companies to move there and so on.
He was elected Governer in 2001 (he actually won in Lynchburg, BTW).
The position of Governer is limited to just one term in Virginia.

[WalterMitty]

warner did very well with traditional republican voters (i.e. rural white men).

what about howard dean?  does he have any shot of being picked as kerry's running mate?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Warner is actually one of the NRA's favourite Governers. As was Howard Dean, I think.

[Wakie]

Howard Dean has no chance of being Kerry's VP.  From a geographic standpoint it really would make no sense at all and Dean said as much shortly after he dropped out of the race.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Kerry is one of the most liberal senators in Congress...

That's not saying much.

To say someone is the most liberal member of the Senate is like saying something is the biggest desert in Indiana.

[Ben.]

Sorry Bandit you yorself might be a big liberal but most americans are not... Kerry and Bush each have around 40% of the vote locked... this leaves 20% of moderate swing voters a more liberal running mate will not win them over a moderate... Bayh, Warner, Nelson, Graham, Laudrieu maybe Edwards... those are the kinds of candidates you are looking at... did you notice how badly candidates who attempted to move to the left of Kerry did (Dean and Kucinich, to be fair Dean was to the right or on a par with Kerry most of the time)? I'll tell you badly and that was amougst mostly Dems.... that hard evidence that pushing Kerry even further to the left would be crazy! you need a moderate who can augment Kerry's apael amougst certain demographics nationwide and apeal in certain swing states .... a liberal will not do that as we already have a liberal on the ticket... KERRY!!!