Possible President-Vice President Combinations

[Composed Thinker]

It's fair to say that Kucinich, Sharpton, and Mosley Braun have no shot at the nomination. So then we're down to 6 candidates: Kerry, Dean, Graham, Lieberman, Gephardt, and Edwards. And then there's Clark, who might run for president but is more likely, it seems, to be a running mate. I've also heard Gov. Bill Richardson's name being thrown around for the vice presidential spot.

So, out of those guys, and any others you want to throw in, give me some possible combinations. And give me the reasons you'd think that they'd make a good team. Try to be reasonable and not let passion override your judgment.

[lkinsale]

1. Graham/Clark would be my dream team

They would totally rock on national security. No problems with the phoney bunny suit there.

Graham's executive and legislative experience would groom Clark for 2012. This would be a team that would reassure and appeal to 2/3 of the country, IMO.

[lazarus]

2. Dean Richardson

Would be a great combo. Richardson should get a lot of consideration. He's from the Southwest, and is hispanic. That suddenly puts Florida and Texas much more into play than anyone would expect.

[Composed Thinker]

6. I don't think the Democrats can win Texas

[Bombtrack]

20. gee ya think so?

especially Dean. Dean most likely wouldn't even win New York.

[Composed Thinker]

21. I wouldn't go that far

I mean, it's conceivable that some of the candidates could win Texas, but when you add in the fact that it's Bush's home state and that he's still pretty popular, there's no chance that they'll Texas.

I don't understand why some Republicans (if that's what you are) or even some Democrats are saying Dean will lose states like New York.

[Bombtrack]

24. I'm a democrat

and unlike most people here, I've actually studied politics in school

I have 2 years of Polisci as a minor, one year of it in highschool, and 2 years with public policy analysis as a major

I've also worked on 6 campaigns with smart democratic election veterans and strategists.

In a Dean/Bush matchup, New York would be a tossup state. Bush would win all of the states he won in 2000, plus Oregon, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania easily. He might also win Maine and New York

any way you look at it he would demolish Dean

[Ediacara]

25. Why?

[Composed Thinker]

28. Why would a state where Gore trounced Bush go to Bush so easily?

[Bombtrack]

30. alot of reasons

money being one of them

Gore-Leiberman made lots and lots of states competative that Dean would never be competative in. The entire south for one. Even though he didn't win states like Arkansas, Tennesee, and Georgia, he still made Bush spend like hell in those states to win them.

Bush would not have to worry about Dean even coming close to beating him in virtually every red state, particularly in the south and west so he could put way more into the midwest and northeast, that he couldn't before. Bush is also much more popular among almost every demographic in every state as a whole than he was in 2000.

Even though some of his numbers on the economy or whatever aren't always great, his personal numbers are consistently high.

If you want a good example of how easy it is for a southern republican to trounce a new england dem electorally, based on the above money formula look at the 84 and 88 elections

84

88


or you can go back to 72


Dean is McGovern on defense(the security gap), Mondale on taxes(the middle class gap), and Dukakis on image (liberal governor from a liberal new england state)

[JohnKleeb]

33. I hate to tell you so but Dean actually supported war

if Biden-Lugap passed, I think he actually is pretty moderate on taxes, and hes not a liberal, if he was why would I be reluctant to support him as my number one pick.

[Bombtrack]

34. his primary platform is that he is the most liberal and most anti-war

serious candidate in the primary.

democratic wing is code for liberal wing.

He wants to raise taxes more than any other serious candidate

I'm sorry but presidential elections are not about the kind of details you talked about above

They're also not about winning the support about anyone like you

The perception/image of Dean is now and will forever be the most pro-gay, pro-tax increase, soft on defense candidate of a party that is hurt most by those issues and those kinds of issues.

[JohnKleeb]

35. Dont apologize to me

no actually my guy Kucinich is the most liberal. Dont worry about it.
So who do you recommend we run? I prefer Kerry to Dean I think. Look perception is everything but Ive read that Dean isnt well liked by Vermont's liberals, and that also could explain why Bernie Sanders imho one of the most stand up guys in the house will endorse Kucinich.

[Bombtrack]

36. I said SERIOUS candidate

if you think Kucinich is a serious candidate you need to get your head checked

[JohnKleeb]

37. I dont know, theres a chance for a lot

Anything can happen between now and Boston keep in mind. Darkhorses have won in the past you know. I would think being realistic I would want Kerry.

[tedoll78]

29. Well..

If we're going on degrees, I have a B.A. in Political Science.

New York isn't going into the red column anytime soon. Along with the trend leftward, there's major resentment about bush not fully following-through on his promises of benefits to survivors' families, and rebuilding, and funding first-respondse units.

[Ediacara]

23. Uh...

is this sarcasm?

[Bombtrack]

27. not at all

there is a reason so many so-called establishment democrats are afraid of Dean winning the nomination, THEY'RE DEMOCRATS and they want to have a fighting chance of winning. Something they won't have with a guy who exascerbates everything that tends to lose elections for democrats.

The only states Dean would win are the ones that Bush got less than 35 percent of the vote in

[SyracuseDemocrat]

3. ok

If Gore runs, then Gore/Kerry is good. Gore/Graham would also be good, and so would Gore/Glark, but the best Gore ticket would be Gore/(Hillary) Clinton.

If Gore doesn't run, then these are good combinations.

Kerry/Graham
Kerry/Clark
Dean/Graham
Dean/Clark

I didn't include any other candidates, because everyone knows that the nominee is gonna be one of these two - it's just a question of which one?

Richardson wouldn't make a good VP, in my opinion. We are most likely gonna take New Mexico anyways, and Graham would make the best VP because he is very experienced and has about a 70% chance of bringing us Florida.

[Fovea]

4. Kucinich -- Gephardt

Would be my dream team.

[wheresthemind]

12. hear hear!

When Kucinich pulls one of the biggest upset victories we have ever seen, I'd like to see him really think outside the box for a VP canidate. I heard there was some former repub he was thinking about? Or maybe a Green or Women, or a Minority?

[JohnKleeb]

32. Ive actually heard him talk about Barbara Lee

who is black and of course female.

[newsguyatl]

5. glad to see you mention

bill richardson's name -- i, too, think we might see him on the ticket, especially if dean gets the nomination...

and i know it's a long shot (not to mention a gamble) but max cleland COULD make a darn good running mate on the ticket, if the cards are played right...

i also think edwards would make a good vp choice (no offense intended to edwards supporters for him for prez)

and of course wesley clark, a prime choice for vp... good looking, intelligent, military background... (though people creaming over him on DU are beginning to make me like him less)

[Zan_of_Texas]

7. Think out of the box

Think of some of the people who have stood up. When everyone else was sitting down. Or hiding.

Rush Holt of NJ -- introduced the voter-verified paper trail legislation.

Carl Levin of Mich -- did his best to spank the Enron baddies, including the banks involved, and expose offshore money laundering.

Jan Schakowsky of Illinois -- I think this will get you her website: http://www.house.gov/htbin/Goto_URL
She has stood up for workers, against the war, went to Guantanamo Bay to check on the conditions, etc. etc.

Cleland would be interesting. Unless the electronic voting machines are removed or have paper ballots added, though, Georgia is a lost state in my opinion. So, he would lose his own state, according to the in-all-likelihood-rigged voting machines there.

Just trying to think of people with integrity.....

[Avatar13]

8. Off the top of my head:

Kerry-Graham/Clark: Geographical parity, Strong Security and Defense

Dean-Graham/Clark: Geographical parity, VP adds credible gravitas to Security & Defense

Graham-Bob Kerrey: May put some midwest states into play. Strong Security and Defense

Graham-Richardson: Hispanic voters & puts SW states into play.

Lieberman-Graham: Puts FL into play, big time. DLC would love this

Lieberman-Clark: Y'know, I like Clark.

Gephardt-Graham/Clark: The South

Edwards-Kerry/Graham/Clark: I think Edwards needs gravitas, much like Bush needed someone like Cheney (not that I dare compare Edwards to Bush). Also, I don't think Edwards can carry parts of the South alone

Clark-Richardson: South and Latinos. Military and Diplomatic Relations.

Other veep sweepstakes contestants:

Max Cleland - Piss off dumb conservatives. But I prefer him to be the secretary of veterans affairs

Eliot Spitzer - Rising star, but would be better off as Governor or AG in a Dem Administration

Harold Ford - Another rising star, but too young

Bill Bradley - Does he still carry weight in 04?

Jeanne Shaheen - Makes little sense, but I like her

[jfkennedy]

9. Clark/ Kennedy

Clark/Kennedy

In a time of war only a liberal military genius can get our country back to our roots. Most of the civilized world hates us because with all of our money we don't not even help the poor in our country or the world, but rather we provide corporate welfare to the Enron’s of the world. And because of the death penalty that has been outlawed by all civilized countries around the world, we are seen as barbaric, just like Saudi Arabia is.

Clark has the practical ability to help us in time of war around the world, and Ted Kennedy has domestic experience to deal with the many changes that are happening on a day to day basis.

[Composed Thinker]

13. Ted Kennedy?

Why do you think he will run?

[FoxNewsIsTheDevil]

10. Kerry - Richardson

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

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

[ScreamingMeemie]

14. Dean/McCain

That would be awesome, impossible but awesome.

[Jeebo]

15. No, that's NOT fair to say . . .

<<It's fair to say that Kucinich, Sharpton, and Mosley Braun have no shot at the nomination.>>

No, that's NOT fair to say, not about Kucinich, anyway. There is a lot of support for Kucinich among rank-and-file Democrats, and while I admit he's not the current front-runner, I think he DOES have a fair shot at the nomination. I took the presidential candidate matching test at http://www.selectsmart.com/president/ and got a 98% match with Kucinich, so for now at least, he's my man. I think historical precedent bodes ill for a Democratic ticket that doesn't include a Southerner, so I suppose Graham or Edwards would be my VP candidate.

Ron

[Composed Thinker]

17. I haven't seen him doing well in the national/statewide polls

Granted, Dean doesn't have the name recognition yet, but in polls, both national and statewide, I haven't seen Kucinich doing well.

[Ediacara]

18. Kucinich has a 0% chance of winning the nomination

He, along with Sharpton and Mosely-Braun are our side's Gary Bauer, Orin Hatch, and Alan Keyes. Nice ideologues that would lose in a landslide in the general. The majority of Democrats see this, just as the majority of Republicans saw that with their bunch from 2000.

[Ediacara]

16. A few good combos

I would like Dean at the top of the ticket. He's got the energy to win big time.

Dean-Clark - would add gravias on foreign affairs issues, as well as a geographical edge.

Dean-Graham - same reasons as above, although I am not too hot on Graham himself.

Dean-Richardson - Would put a lot of southwestern states into play besides just New Mexico; Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado could also be ours. I worry though that Richardson may either suffer a backlash or decline because he will only be in the governor's mansion about 1.5 years.

Dean-Landreiu - She beat back Rove and would also put geographical issues into play.

Kerry and any of the above mentioned would be great also.

Lieberman (god help us!) and any of the above, especially Clark or Graham, would be great also.

Gephardt and any of the above would also be great, although a northeastern choice would be a neat inclusion, like say Chris Dodd or Joe Biden.

Edwards and any of the above would be great, but I would lean more towards Graham or Clark, as Edwards is even less experienced than Bush was when he ran.

[Bombtrack]

22. No he isn't

how is 6 years different from six years

Edwards has been on key committees and has foreign policy and intelligence experience, and has written more legislation than many senators do in 2 terms

Bush had 6 years having his Liutenant governor do work and him show up in Austin to sign his name to something every now and then

[Ediacara]

26. Well Edwards

was only elected to anything once, and Bush one twice (not a huge difference I know). Plus Edwards didn't have to RUN anything. I know the lt gov of Texas actually RUNS the state, but people who don't know better think that the governor actually RUNS the state. A Governor has more leadership experience than a Senator in most peoples' eyes.

[tedoll78]

19. Dean-Graham

Dean locks-up the Democratic strongholds in the northeast and the west coast; Graham gets Florida at least leaning to our column.

Graham won re-election while winning 63 of the state's 67 counties, with over 65% of the vote. That, combined with his southern folksiness and foreign policy gravitas, puts Florida in our pocket.

The fight would then be taken once again to the midwest. Illinois is ours. With guns being neutralized, and with Democrat governors in control of powerful GOTV operations teamed-up with the union vote (think: overtime pay!), Michigan and Pennsylvania are ours. We win Minnesota or Iowa, and then go all-out for Ohio (Gore shouldn't've given-up!).

Dean can win. He just has to continue with this innovative campaign. The fact that he's brining so many new voters into this process is evidence that he's caught-onto a true winning strategy.

[fabius]

31. Dean-Graham.

I agree, you don't think we could whip the BFEE in Florida with this ticket? Absent significant voting machine fraud that is...

Also attacks Bush from the left and the right about his war "strategy".

[peabody71]

40. Dean/ Graham

Would be a good one. Is it normal for a vice nominee to be selected from a losing primary candidate?

[MrPrax]

38. But then there is Gore and then there is Hillary

and anyone the democrats nominate will shack up with a 'floater' like Liebermann or Dukakis...
Many the people who really run the outfit called the democratic party will sit it out with a bad back

[election_2004]

39. Kerry/Tubbs-Jones

http://www.house.gov/tubbsjones