In the future, should Democratic candidates EVER consider a Republican for their running mate?

[mtnsnake]

Personally, I think there should be an unwritten law amongst Democrats that no such thing should ever be considered from now on by our candidates running for President. But that's just me. How do you feel about it?

[robinlynne]

1. especially not lieberman.

Actually, I change my vote. I dont think republican is the line. I think there are some dems out there who are worse than repubs.

[Irishonly]

7. Nope

The only time it should be considered is IF it snows in Death Valley at high noon on the Fourth of July.

[Labors of Hercules]

2. no disagreement here...

especially considering how many FANTASTIC Democrats there are out there who would be spectacular Vice Presidents.

[bullimiami]

3. no time soon. anyone that would attach their name to this republican institution

has got to have a screw loose.

[youngdem]

4. They started out doing this and they stopped because it didn't work

You can't have a schizophrenic administration. The parties have diametrically opposed philosophies. After all, there is no benefit in a unity ticket when we have tons of real Republicans with a 'D' after their name already. We can just run the DLC slate.

[cosmik debris]

5. I've never voted for a Republican and I never will

Even if he is on the Democratic ticket.

[skipos]

6. That depends how far in the future you are talking

maybe scientists will someday discover away to bring T Roosevelt or Lincoln back from the grave... :shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

24. I'd take Ike as well

Now that the fringe group mostly consisting of Texas millionaires that he talked about pretty much runs the GOP, as does the military industrial complex, I think he would probably be a Democrat.

[Prophet 451]

8. Sure

At some point in the future, if a Republican came up who was moderate, reasonable and seemed willing to do what was right for the country then it would be sensible to consider him/her. I don't see that actually happening, mind you but it's possible.

[mtnsnake]

11. I'm sure Senator Kerry would agree with ya!

:evilgrin:

[PresidentObama]

13. Is that what your NewsMax story tells you?

:evilgrin:

[mtnsnake]

14. All of them I guess...MSNBC, NYT, CNN, and yup, even Newsmax

I think Newmax was just as embarrassed about it as we were! :evilgrin:

[PresidentObama]

15. Yep, embarrassed alright. Embarrassed they were reporting....

....speculation pieces with no factual evidence.

:evilgrin: At least we're behaving. For now!!

:toast:

[blm]

34. They were reporting the same lie they were fed - just like the Clintons trashed the WH lie

that was being pushed with about the same amount of proof - NONE.

[mtnsnake]

36. Funny for how all those weeks Kerry courted McCain, Kerry never denied the story

If there was nothing to it, he would've been making much stronger statements about it than he ever did during the time he was actually making his overtures toward McCain.

The best that you can say is that both Kerry and McCain agreed aftertward that no offer, official or unofficial, was ever made. That, however, didn't come until McCain dispelled Kerry's overtures, saying he would NOT entertain any offers by John Kerry to join a Democratic ticket.

I agree, though, that you should be embarrassed about Kerry wanting McCain as his first choice for VP. I think it was an embarrassing time for all Democrats. I know it was for me.

[PresidentObama]

39. Kerry did deny it.

In the interview with Larry King. He said no serious offer was made, the only offer was to John Edwards. And he said they had one meeting, and BOTH had issues with it. And him and McCain both have the same story about the situation. And what proof do you have to combat McCain and Kerry's charges? Speculation pieces and NewsMex articles? Come on, mtnsnake. :evilgrin: You're better then this. I'd believe you if evidence was there. But it's not.

And cute little picture of John Kerry and John McCain there. It'll be even cuter in 2008 when Kerry campaigns against McCain like McCain did to him in 04'

[mtnsnake]

41. Exactly. He denied that an offer was made. He didn't deny that he courted McCain, though.

Thank you for pointing that out.

Speculation pieces and NewsMex articles? Come on, mtnsnake.

Huh? What about these sources, the New York Times or MSNBC. Google it yourself and you'll come up with hundreds of legitimate sources.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4542516
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/15/politics/campaign/15MCCA.html?ex=1399953600&en=92a150ca5500df54&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

I'm not debating whether or not an offer was ever made. There was no offer made, obviously. However, I challenge you to prove that Kerry never courted McCain as his first choice for VP. If he never courted McCain, then explain why John Kerry himself never spoke up to dispel all the rumors for all those weeks that they were flying around.

He said no serious offer was made, the only offer was to John Edwards.

Exactly. Why would he make an offer to John McCain after he found out that McCain wouldn't accept any offer from him? Jeesh, anyone knows that no offer, official or unofficial, would be made if you knew it wouldn't be accepted. I just wish McCain had spoken up right away instead of waiting for weeks while he was getting courted for the job.

BTW, isn't this John Edwards person the same guy who you currently support but you don't really back him because you're anti-Clinton and cheap? :evilgrin:

[PresidentObama]

45. Kerry didn't just deny he offered McCain. He said they had one discussion about it.

That it was brief, and both had issues with it. Thats hardly courting someone. McCain's staff and Joe Biden were the ones furthering the speculation about this. And no matter how many speculation articles you provide mtnsnake, we both know evidence to say Kerry courted McCain doesn't exist. Now obviously one of us is right, but I'm going off what Kerry has said. And I do think Kerry would know above anyone else.

And don't you start that anti-Edwards crap with me. I have to work later, don't make me grumpy :evilgrin:

[mtnsnake]

52. Just the same

there is no evidence that Kerry never courted him either. Yes, it's speculation, but it was fueled by as many Democrats as anyone during that entire time period. One of the sources even said it was higher up "anonymous" Democrats who fueled the speculation. Regardless, if there was nothing to it then Kerry should've said something when all the stories were circulating about it. He didn't, and by not saying anything until McCain finally did, it only added more fuel to the fire during the time the stories were hitting the airwaves.

Nothing can be proven either way. Anyway, this poll wasn't about Kerry. It was about whether or not Democrats should consider Republican running mates in the future. If it was just about Kerry, I would've used the word "again"...as in "Should Democrats ever consider a Republican running mate "again", but I didn't do that.

Now get to work and don't get all grumpy. You need to work with a one-track mind and you can't do that if get all grumpy (Sorry, I couldn't resist giving you the Edwards treatment earlier) :evilgrin:

[blm]

40. Funny how YOU keep spreading a RW lie that has been locked in previous threads

because it has been debunked repeatedly here at DU.

Why do you continue to spread that RW lie?

[mtnsnake]

43. Funny how you keep on avoiding what really happened. Vote or get off the pot.

and stop pissing and moaning. If you look back in this thread, it was only until OTHER people brought up the Kerry connection that I said anything about he and McCain.

BTW, the only reason that other thread got locked is because you and your minions all collectively whined to the mods to do so, just like you're obviously going to do here. There is NOTHING wrong with this thread and you know it. It is simply a choice of whether or not you think any Democratic candidates should consider a Republican running mate in the future. You need to brush up on your reading comprehension.

Are you the only person on this board who has the right to speak? Good gawd. At least I tell the truth.

[blm]

46. RW lies are not the truth - you know it and don't care. You SPREAD the lie because you

get a kick out of it. Don't even PRETEND that this is an issue when it was based on a RW lie in the first place,

How about putting up a poll about Should Democratic Presidents trash the White House before they leave it?

It's the same thing - take a RW lie and legitimize it. That's exactly what YOU are doing.

[mtnsnake]

48. Explain how it's RW when so many Democrats were talking about it. nt

[AtomicKitten]

62. spreading RW lies ....

Hmmmmmm, that sounds familiar.

Oh, yeah, that's right. You do it all the time with your anti-Clinton RW propaganda.

Funny how incensed you get at just the mention of a notion floated in the press by the Kerry campaign to see if McCain would bite - mtnsnake has never said it was an offer - yet you have no problem posting reams and reams of anti-Clinton, hell, anti-Democratic poorly-sourced opinion pieces that echo your disdain for the Clintons and try to pass it off as factual.

It would be better for you if you tempered your outrage because the disparity in your causes is glaring.

[Oak2004]

19. Those Republicans are gone

driven out of the party, like myself, by the fascist nutbreads. It is possible, I suppose, that the fascists who are now in charge of the GOP will so discredit themselves that the party will again attract reasonable people, but that remains to be seen.

[Prophet 451]

29. That's what I'm thinking

The Republican's current experiment with neocon philosophy will surely end in the near-future since Bush's catastrophe of an admin has discredited the philosophy for anyone other than those swilling the Kool-Aid. Once the R's lose the 2008 election (which they seem almost certain to, barring Diebold), I foresee a fair amount of political soul-searching, leading the majority of the party to discard the neocon credo and the party itself to move back toward the centre-right.

[Colobo]

9. Probably not

I mean, if a Republican is good enough to make it into a Democratic ticket, it has to be because that person doesn't believe anything that party believes in.

So, a true Republican should never make it into a Democratic ticket.

[AtomicKitten]

10. hell no

I am repulsed by it now just as I was when the idea was floated in 2004. Ugh.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. Holy M*****F***ing Shit NO!

[Cobalt Violet]

16. No, never. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

17. If a Republican is picked that gives Republicans the advantage

when the Democratic President can't run again.

Will that Republican VP run as a Democrat or Republican?

It gives the Republican VP an advantage if he decides to run for President.

It gives the Republican an advantage if VP doesn't run for President because there isn't a Democratic VP to run for President.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

26. Not only that--it's telling the voters that the Republicans are OK

Why can't some people see how tactically stupid this idea is?

[AlCzervik]

18. oh hell no!! A republican vp possibly being the tie breaking vote in the senate--i think not.

or if something happens to a democratic president--nah-uh.

[Milo_Bloom]

20. Absolutely Yes

If it is the RIGHT republican.

Lincoln Chafee is the only one I can think of at this time.

[ripple]

21. Chafee came to mind for me, too

I could vote for him.

[thoughtcrime1984]

22. I see virtually no benefit for us as Dems

to want this in any circumstance. One heartbeat away from a Repub President, when our party holds the office. No thanks.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. Under the right circumstances, yes

Lets say that Colin Powell had resigned as Secretary of State in 2002 and denounced Bush and the GOP for the Iraq War. If I were Kerry I would've absolutely considered tapping him for VP, if he would be willing to consider it. Having such an influential Republican leave the party and run on the other side to get the current administration out of office would be a huge blow to the GOP.

Of course I don't think that in today's GOP it is likely to happen. Some people have mentioned Lincoln Chafee, but he's not influential enough to make a difference.

I am also assuming that if a Republican were to run on a Democratic ticket, they would end up becoming a Democrat. If they were to genuinely remain a Republican, that would be a different story.

[mtnsnake]

28. I think you're dreaming

Lets say that Colin Powell had resigned as Secretary of State in 2002 and denounced Bush and the GOP for the Iraq War.

There's a bigger chance that Donald Trump would ask Rosie to become his next wife.

If I were Kerry I would've absolutely considered tapping him for VP, if he would be willing to consider it.

Considering he courted McCain for the possibility of his running mate, I don't doubt he would also have considered Powell if he was available. Hopefully that will never happen again that a Democrat will consider someone from the opposite party and hopefully they'll be discussing this important issue amongst themselves so the idea never gets considered again. That's just me though.

[Hippo_Tron]

31. I don't think Kerry seriously courted McCain as VP

From what I'm told, as a friend he hinted at it when they both knew full well that it would never happen.

And as I said, my scenario would never happen in today's climate. I'm saying that if it did happen, it would be worth considering.

[PresidentObama]

32. Well, McCain and Kerry both said it wasn't a serious offer.

They talked about it once, briefly. Both had issues with it, and they went on there way. And Kerry choose Edwards, and the rest is history!!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

25. This same nonsense came up last time when some DUers were seriously

suggesting that the Dem candidate should run with John McCain (John McCain!) in the spirit of bipartisanship.

It was a dumb idea then, and it's a dumb idea now.

What's the point of having two parties in that case, except playing shirts against skins?

I cannot believe that some people are actually giving such a thought serious consideration.

Any Dem who comes up with that lame notion during the primaries will be automatically off my list.

Any Dem nominee who is stupid and craven and unprincipled enough to take on a Republicanite running mate will force me to do something I've done only once before (1996, when I was angry about NAFTA and welfare reform), vote third party, because a Dem who can't find a suitable running mate within the Democratic party and is all caught up in the fairy tale of "bipartisanship" is telling me that s/he actually agrees with Nader, that there's no difference between the two parties.

Any Dem who chooses a Republicanite running mate will be the darling of the corporate media and will be hailed by the hacks who post here, but I, personally, will be too disgusted to vote for that person.

[mtnsnake]

27. "suggesting that the Dem candidate should run with John McCain (John McCain!)"

It was a dumb idea then, and it's a dumb idea now.

What's the point of having two parties in that case, except playing shirts against skins?

I couldn't agree more. Hopefully, no Democrat will ever consider a Republican for a running mate again. Embarrassing to say the least.

a Dem who can't find a suitable running mate within the Democratic party and is all caught up in the fairy tale of "bipartisanship" is telling me that s/he actually agrees with Nader, that there's no difference between the two parties.

Amen. Well said. And to think how close we actually came to having it happen already. Good thing McCain shunned Kerry's advances, according to all the reports, or we might have seen it become the beginning of an awful trend.

Just say no to mixed party tickets!

[PresidentObama]

33. mtnsnake stop reading the speculation articles and NewsMax....

....and face reality, McCain didn't shun Kerry. They had a brief discussion about the possibility, and BOTH had issues with it. And both have documented no offer was made.

:evilgrin: So shush it!!

[Tellurian]

37. mtnsnake, wasn't there a thread about this some time ago?..

granted, there wasn't a poll included in that thread and it seems public sentiment hasn't changed all that much regarding the Kerry/McCain match up. What I don't understand is, what Rosie O'Donnell has to do with all this? Are you suggesting O'Donnell was offered a Cabinet position in an effort to curry votes from Gays and Lesbians such as (R)Mary Cheney?

Please explain. Your post is as clear as mud.

[Tellurian]

38. .....

sorry, meant to add, I reaffirmed my vote as a NO!

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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

[mtnsnake]

44. Do you pick choice #1 or choice #2? Vote or get off the pot!!

And enough with calling anyone who you don't like RW. That kind of nonsense only backfires on you all the time and makes you look less credible, not that it could be any less than it already is.

[blm]

47. Should Dem presidents trash the WH before they leave it? Yes or No.

Should Dem VP's claim they invented the internet?

[mtnsnake]

49. Why are you trashing Al Gore? What's he got to do with this thread?

Should Dem VP's claim they invented the internet?

Did Al Gore CLAIM that he invented it, or are you just spreading that RW lie that he claimed it?

[blm]

50. Same RW that lied about Clinton and Gore lied about Kerry. YOU help spread lies

for the RW and try to give them legitimacy at Dem forums.

[Tellurian]

51. I'm only asking the question because Kerry2008 disclosed he's GAY in another thread..

here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3154108#3154220

and again scrolling down to post #32 in the above thread..

And wanted to make sense of the correlation of the statements.

[PresidentObama]

53. Forgive me, Tellurian....but you've lost me....

I know you aren't talking to me, but mtnsnake rather. But I've missed the point you're trying to make. Please explain for clarification.

[Tellurian]

54. Just looking to clarify the Rosie comment

here in this thread..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3153963#3154698

whether we're talking about John Kerry or yourself Kerry2008 is getting pretty confusing. Then toss in Rosie O'Donnell while mentioning John Kerry...well, I'm just trying to be clear where this all fits into things.

Someone else mentioned in the Edwards thread the Kerry2008 moniker is a bit confusing as well on why all the bashing and complaining about Edwards looking desperate. Just doesn't make sense is all.

[PresidentObama]

55. I must admit, my head is spinning in confusion.

I think I get what you mean. I think?!?

:crazy:

[mtnsnake]

56. That comment of course related to their ongoing feud

a feud in which I rooted for Rosie of course and because I can't stand Trump.

Anyway, I said "There's a bigger chance that Donald Trump would ask Rosie to become his next wife" to show how there was virtually no chance of Colin Powell resigning as Secretary of State in 2002 and denouncing Bush and the GOP for the Iraq War, as what was speculated by someone else in the thread you made mention to.

[Tellurian]

57. What can I say..

everything was fine until Kerry2008 said he liked Brad Pitt, then you mentioned, I think it was you, said you to a great degree resemble Brad Pitt. Then Kerry2008 said, if thats true, he no longer liked Brad Pitt. :crazy:

[PresidentObama]

58. We were only joking.

:evilgrin: mtnsnake and I have a new found respect for each other!!

So we make fun of each other. All in good fun, laughing at one another.

Good old fashioned towel slapping in the locker room. On the same team, but it's too damn tempting not to take up. Am I right, mtnsnake?

[Tellurian]

59. Well...

to be honest, I had a good laugh over it..
Both of you are quick witted and these days there just doesn't seem to be enough of it around, making 'the bad news days' a little more fun..

[mtnsnake]

60. That would be true

So we make fun of each other. All in good fun, laughing at one another

Who? Us? O8)

Good old fashioned towel slapping in the locker room

hmmm, not sure I'm gonna touch that one! :evilgrin:

[Renew Deal]

30. I think it can be considered.

Like considering whether to do something else that maybe really stupid. A running mate from the other party better be pretty spectacular.

[MODemocrat]

35. There are plenty of qualified Democrats for the job

so why would we need to cross over to the republican side? That's what the two-party system is all
about.:dem:

[baldguy]

61. Should Republicans consider a Democrat for a running mate?