Pardon my ignorance: Why don't we want Gephardt?

[MallRat]

There seems to be an almost unanimous sense here at DU that Gephardt would absolutely kill the Kerry campaign. He's certainly not my first choice, either.

But I'm curious... aside from being dreadfully unexciting and being unable to build any kind of momentum in Iowa, what's so bad about Gephardt? Is it a matter of policy, or just the general feeling of malaise that seems to hover over him?

-MR

[Malikshah]

1. It's like the Prom

If you ain't asked 3 years running, don't expect to be asked your senior year.

[MallRat]

2. Heh... I didn't see the other thread...

Never mind.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=525524&mesg_id=525524

[malatesta1137]

3. his wig.

No, honestly: he's the one who lost the House to Republicans and then failed to gain it back after several attempts. Nice guy, and I like that he's accepted his gay daughter, but he's a loser.

[displacedtexan]

4. When you picture the VP debate...

who's sharp enough and polished enough to chew up Cheney and spit him out?

My $ is on Wes Clark.

[Finch]

29. Ha! Wes a good debator...

...sorry Wes is many things and would be good in a cabinet... but as a debator he was uninspiring (if improving) there where three great debators in the priamreis Edwards, Sharpton and Lieberman with Kerry and Gephardt in the second tier...

And Lets remember that Liberman still got beat by Cheney... Edwards however... i think things could be very differant with Edwards, the contrast between "Senator Sunshine" and "Tricky Dicky" would be great to see...



VS.



Wes is a great guy but he would be a bad choice as VP and would get chewed up and spat out by Cheney… Edwards could go toe to toe with Cheney… he wasn’t one of this nations most successful lawyers for nothing

[bigwillq]

5. I think he's old news

It proved in the primaries that he could not energize new life into the Democratic party say like Dean.
I think people respect him for the work he's done but I don't think many would want him as VEEP or PREZ. IMO, but I think Gep comes across as to meek and passive.
Gep would be better off in a cabinent position because he has done wonderful stuff for the party in the past but I wouldn't want to see him as VEEP.

[MoonRiver]

13. Secretary of Labor!

WHO could be more perfect?

[malachibk]

6. Also, he's all one color...

I've said this before, but he's 100% yellow-peach. Skin, hair, lips. He's so monochromatic he disappears right before my eyes. Goes well with his speaking style too. Man's got no *umph*.

[jobendorfer]

7. We need a fighter, not a nice guy

The democratic VP nod should go to someone

a) with the appropriate level of political experience --
preferably someone with congressional experience as opposed
to a governor, since the VP is the President of the Senate
and thus needs that skill base.

b) solid diplomatic skills -- the new administration is
going to spend a LOT of time mending fences that Bush
broke or lit on fire.

c) the ability to passionately and intelligently articulate
the ideas and principles of the democratic party (and I will
concede readily that Kerry himself needs a lot of work here)

d) someone who can help attract votes from the mushball
middle, particularly in swing southern states

e) last but not least, a candidate who, when he or she wakes
up in the morning, his/her first thought is, what five ways
can I disorganize/demoralize/defund/destroy the neo-conservative
movement today?

I'm sorry but Gephardt scores maybe 2 out of 5 on that list.
He made a fine congress-critter, but he is NOT leadership
material. My $.02, your mileage may vary.

J.

[jrthin]

9. I agree. We had a

guy playing nice guy the last time and we all know what happaned.

[RafterMan]

27. "President of the Senate"

is a phony job. His only real power is to cast the vote that Kerry tells him to when the Senate vote is tied.

I agree completely on b - e, however.

[DrFunkenstein]

8. It's The Uncanny Resemblance

[Radical Activist]

17. Funny, I've been calling Kerry Senator Skelator for months

Doesn't anyone else see it?

[fujiyama]

23. Actually

I was thinking Rumsfeld is the one that resembles Skeletor.

[RafterMan]

26. Rummy is Skeletor

The others aren't even close.

[BattyDem]

22. A couple of months ago ...

Someone here at DU pointed out that he looks like a Sleestak from "Land of the Lost" - I have to agree!

[Webster Green]

10. I think it must be the tutu...

If prodded enough, he occasional lobs an underhanded softball.

He's a wimp.

[Doosh]

11. Gephardt is pretty much what Cheney was in 2000

personality wise I mean, they're worlds apart ideologically.

both kind of old, boring, but veteran insiders within there party who were liked and respected.

I wouldn't be thrilled with Gep on the ticked, but I would be comfortable. We can do alot worse (lieberman, graham)

20. I take exception to the Graham comment

Graham is classes above Gep, and in a completely separate school than that cheeseball Lieberman.

While Gep was in the Rose Garden with his nose up Bush's BVDs, Graham was calling Bush a liar on WMDs, voting against the Iraq "War," and sharpening his shit on National Security. Graham has been a great Gov and a Senator, probably one of Florida's greatest govs of the last century.

[Leilani]

21. I agree completely!

That is why I do not want Gephardt.

He made a deal with the White House, behind the Senate s back, & I hold him responsible for CAVING on this war.

There was NO loyal opposition, because he decided there would not be.

Graham was right!

[elfin]

12. Wonderful guy BUT

he's the past. But a significant cabinet post could be in his future - Labor?

[Mz Pip]

14. He came in

4th in a state he spent lots of time in and had to win.

I just don't see what he would bring to the ticket. HE might make a good Secretary of Labor though.

MzPip
:dem:

[shivaji]

15. All I can say is thank God DUer's do not pick the candidates

Otherwise it would be Kerry/Clark and I can't imagine
a worst disaster. This CLark dude was raising dough for
shrub and repugs as recently as a couple of years ago.
He praised shrub ON RECORDED VIDEO. How would y'all like
Rove commercials in late october showing Clark praising
Bush*? Will excite the heck out of our base right? NOT!!!

Gephardt is a much better choice. He can deliver Missouri
and help in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and other midwestern states.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. Getting a little nervous are we?

Don't worry, Clark will make such a great running mate that your vote won't even be missed.:-)

[Scoopie]

24. Oh, dear... no nothing alert

Your base is coming out anyway.
That Clark praised the Republicans matters not a hill of beans in a general election.
Grow up and realize that the country isn't made up of complete partisans.
:eyes:

[Radical Activist]

18. Because Gephardt was pimping the war in Iraq for George Bush

Is there any better way to make sure Nader gets more than 5% than picking someone who was so enthusiastically in support of the war in Iraq?

[JI7]

19. i like gephardt and so do many others

and john kerry knows gephardt isn't the first or second or even third choice among most of the internet users .

[bushwakker]

25. Gephardt makes a lot of sense as VP

Experienced, totally vetted, national political network of activists and unions, would play well in the midwest, might carry MO, called Bush a "total failure". The Greens here have it in for the guy and will cry if anyone but St Dennis is the choice.

[TexasSissy]

28. I don't like it, but I'm voting anti-Bush, anyway.

So it won't stop me from voting for Kerry.

I don't like Gephardt because:
(1) He has the weakest record on the environment of all the Dem candidates;
(2) He doesn't have much personality (with Kerry in the top position, I think there should be someone on the ticket who can fill that gap);
(3) He doesn't appeal to younger voters;
(4) He's a "union man." Independents might have a problem with that;
(5) He's another long-term Washington insider;
(6) Although his home state is one of the battleground states, he can't deliver that state to Kerry, is what I've heard;
(7) What really does he bring to the table?

I've read that the V.P. should fill in the gaps for what the Presidential candidate is lacking. Gephardt doesn't have these things, it seems. But then, I'm not a political strategist. What IS going for Gephardt is that Kerry likes him, I think. They are friends and would work well together. Kerry could trust him, probably.

[jsw_81]

30. He wouldn't "kill" the Kerry campaign...

But he'd be boring as hell and it's doubtful that he could deliver Missouri.

[genius]

31. He has all of Kerry's faults and no good points Kerry doesn't have

He won't add any states. We won't add much of anything to Kerry's chances of winning.

[JHBowden]

32. You've overlooked a few things.

While I subjectively feel Gephardt is a piece of shit, his record on trade is much better than Kerry's and would get some of the Nader people and blue collar conservatives on board. In addition, by giving the Kerry campaign a less patrician, more working class feel, Gephardt would take Michigan out of play, tip Pennsylvania and Ohio in our favor, and could put Missouri in play.

While I've grown to like Wes Clark as the VP pick, I think the frequent analyses of what Gephardt brings to the ticket here at DU are clouded by emotional considerations-- e.g. what he did to us in the Rose Garden.