Dem. Vice President

[aburr]

The German Press is looking very close on the Primaries in the US. But i can not get any information, who could be the vice president if Kerry makes the race.


Tell me what u think about it.

Enjoy the silence while you can mein freund, after Super Tueday you'll hear more than enough about this to drive you nuts...

[aburr]

The German Press is looking very close on the Primaries in the US. But i can not get any information, who could be the vice president if Kerry makes the race.

Tell me what u think about it.

Gruesse nach Hamburg! I've got family over there (my parents are both German) and visit it occasionally. Great city, really like it.

Anyway, In my opinion John Edwards has the best chance. He would provide Kerry with something of a balance - Kerry is a liberal, Edwards a moderate; Kerry a northerner, Edwards a southener; and so on. Of course the Democrats are highly unlikely to win a single Southern state, but the question here is national unity, and a Kerry/Edwards ticket would definitely convey that.

Otherwise, Evan Bayh (Indiana) or Mark Warner (Virginia). But that's just my personal interpretation.

So the John Edwards slogan would be "Give me modesty or give me boat drinks?"

[aburr]

I’ve posted this before and being a great believer that Kerry/ Edwards makes alot of sense this is my analysis as far as VPs for Kerry go...

“ The selection of Edwards as a running mate would help soften Kerry’s edges some what and if Edwards moderate neo-populist platform along with his rhetoric of the “Two Americas” is incorporated into the Democratic campaign it will support Kerry’s initial broad base of support and please many independents as well a women and minority voters. Edwards appeal will resonate well with independents in the south and the west and while I predict that this will only help sway states in the Midwest as well as West Virginia it will assist Democratic candidates across the south in senate and congressional races. It is not some much where he comes from (though the self made southerner background is useful) it is more the message that he has put forward which Iowa showed us resonated well with voters and would do so in a general election in my view. I doubt that he would carry any southern states even NC or AS but as I have said he would help with senatorial and congressional dems in the south. #

Gephardt, Graham, Vilsack, Bayh are all too uninspiring for voters and have no compelling message that could help Kerry. Bayh is the best of the bunch as he would reassure many right leaning moderates but he also is not the best speaker. Dean, Hillary are to polarising and Dean in particular could send independents running for the republican hills and both would make the “Massachusetts Liberal” label even harder to shake while adding little or no geographical advantage to the ticket. Ted Kennedy would mean that under the constitution Kerry would be ineligible to win                
Massachusetts so he is a non possibility. Richardson is a definite possibility as that would very much help with the Hispanic vote and would accentuate democratic trends in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado as well as stiffening Democratic support even further in California. However Richardson does not have the charisma and crystal clarity of Edwards and what is more is appeal is largely limited to the Hispanic and minority communities while from the data I have see Edwards plays well across the board. What is more Edwards would be an excellent debater opposite Cheney (who what ever you say is a crafty and skilled adversary in a political debate hence his many appearances on meet the press etc…while GWB seldom (until now it seems) puts himself through the minefield of meet the press or hardball etc…).  


Edwards can also be type cast as an “ambulance chancing, pretty boy, empty suite with not experience” however a rebuttal of this can merely point out the families who he has helped and the special interests he can claim to have fought and such a counter attack goes hand in hand with any effort to rebut charges against Kerry’s authority on the issues based on his social background. A rebuttal of such attacks by Republicans would in my view be very effective, Which is why I do not see so direct a line of attack being employed by the Republicans…”


I also have done a broader and breifer outline of possible VP's...

Sen.John Breaux. D-LA (Moderate, Southern, retiring so you don’t lose a senate seat)

Sen.John Edwards. D-NC (Populist, Charismatic a national message that appeals to middle and lower income moderate Democrats and Independents across the country)

Sen.Evan Bayh, D-IN (Moderate, DLC, from a GOP state in the Midwest, however can be very dull to listen to and that could be particularly bad for a Kerry ticket, anymore dour gravities and the ticket will just seem dull and unimaginative)

Sen.Bob Graham D-FL (excellent national security résumé and an impressive political record, however as with Bayh dull to the bone and that’s particularly bad for Kerry would work well with Edwards at the top of the ticket perhaps though?)

Sen.Mary Landrieu D-LA (never heard much from her in person, but young attractive… “keep your hands to your self John” (sarcasm) good track record from the south… Edwards with Breasts?)

Sen.Blanche Lincoln D-AR (again female, articulate, moderate and southern all in one go)

Sen.Jay Rockefeller D-WV (a record similar to Graham, more engaging to listen to perhaps too old for the ticket, perhaps be would not bring enough youthful vigour to balance Kerry’s image as the mature statesman)

Gov. Mark Warner (popular moderate governor would help with the rural vote which is a major factor in the states won by Gore in the Midwest which need to be held on to… engaging to listen and a good debater)

Gov. Mike Easley (moderate governor from a conservative state, who if fairly liberal on many issues and is a good campaigner…however he is now runner for re-election and the NC Governorship might very well be worth holding onto and that is something that Easley can defiantly do)

Gov. Bill Richardson (moderate, from a swing state, record in federal and state government, popular and Hispanic so there is the potential to boost minority support for the Dems and counter Bush inroads into the Hispanic community, however he is chairing the convention and there fore unlikely to become Kerry or anybodies VP)

That was my analysis and i stick by it...

That was an analysis?

[aburr]

If Kerry is the Democratic nominee, he should pick Wes Clark to be his running mate.

A lot has been said of John Edwards as VP. Edwards is charming and great on the stump. However, his ability to help carry North Carolina and other southern states remains highly in question since he couldn’t win in neighboring states. Clark was more of an attack dog on Bush in the primaries while Edwards at his best has been viewed as positive; Edwards will have to transform to become the attack dog. Would that seem insincere to voters?

The last two Vice Presidential picks, Gore and Cheney, broke with a typical tradition of picking someone to balance a ticket with someone from a different region. Gore reinforced Clinton’s qualifications as a moderate DLC Southerner; Cheney, while from the same basic region, countered Bush’s dearth of experience in defense, diplomacy, and  national security.

Picking Edwards only reverts to that old tradition of balancing mainly for regional differences. Clark, while he is from the South, would be a pick that reinforces both Kerry’s experience on defense and security matters and his personal appeal to veterans. Even now, with Kerry polling Bush 52-43 in one recent poll, he still comes short on the issue of “Who is best to deal with terrorism?” 51-37. Kerry needs to narrow the gap on that issue, even if he continues to lead on economic issues by impressive margins. Clark can help close the “terrorism” gap.

Last I heard it was the Republicans who were in power during 9/11, remember Harry Truman's words.."the buck stops here!"