What's the consensus on Dick Gephardt here?

[Former Republican]

I'm new on this forum, and I haven't really seen Gephardt mentioned. Is he liked, disliked, or do you just not really care about him?

I would also like to make a request for the moderator: could you somehow get an easier-to-read avatar with Gephardt's name? My avatar is all blurry. All of the other candidates, including Lieberman, have clearly legible names.

[JohnKleeb]

1. depends on who you are

I for one disagreed with him on IWR but I dont have much problems with him and I really like him on economic issues.

[Former Republican]

10. What is IWR?

He boldly and directly said, "France and Germany are our friends," a few weeks ago in NH, which is a lot more of a courageous thing to say than "Bush failed diplomatically." I respect him for that even though he voted for the war.

Yes, he is the perfect candidate as far as economic issues.

He did not have much of a choice though: the media and the voters were all gung-ho last year.

Response to Lefty (post#2): I think he has charisma. He might not have as much charisma as Dean, but he has more than Clark; and unlike Kerry (who I have nothing against), he doesn't put me to sleep.

[JohnKleeb]

16. of course

Iraq War Resolution. Dont worry thats not my litmus test. I really like Gephardt. He said that well good for him. I dont hold it against him or Kerry.

[Lefty48197]

2. I'm a big fan of Gephardt

He's fought tirelessly for working people and families for his entire career. He's earned my vote. I do wonder if he has the charisma or drive to win a popular election. He's probably to easily paintable as a left wing liberal, although those are the reasons I do support him.

[JohnKleeb]

6. thats my point on him too

Believe me Lefty, I think he is better than most give him credit for. I think he rightfully so got those union advertisements.

[Must_B_Free]

31. I was also impressed by seeing Gep speak on TV

I like the populist things he says.

I fault him for going along with Bush and not growing a spine sooner.

[Demobrat]

3. I liked him until he compared Dean to Gingrich.

Trying to connect Dean to Gingrich in people's minds was such a desperate move I sort of lost respect for him. If the unions like him, though, he's OK with me.

[sistersofmercy]

13. He didn't compare Dean with Gingrich, he said Dean stood with

Gingrich on an issue(I think medicare), big difference. That is exactly why Dean lost my support, he took the comment out of context and over-reacted.

[Demobrat]

28. And what was the point of bringing up Gingrich at all?

Seems to me he did exactly what Bush did when he said 9/11 and Saddam in the same sentence over and over for a year. He tried to imply something that wasn't true. He could have asked Dean about his stance without the G word.

[sistersofmercy]

32. Oh please, it was said once and in reference to an issue.

Plain and simple for me, Dean took the remark out of context and over-reacted, lost my support.Geppy is hitting hard this time, he's trying to show he's tough but it's not going to work for him. The issue is not whether it'll come down to Geppy or Dean b/c I don't think it will. But rather who I think is going to keep their cool, go about affairs in a logical manner. I've liked Dean a lot before this, particularly what he's said in relation to foreign affairs. Geppy would make a good VP. So in the end, it'll come down to Dean, Kerry and Clark. I chose Kerry.

[caledesi]

30. same here. Gep was okay until he hit Howard below the belt.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

4. I love Gephardt

One of the longest standing pro-union liberal representatives of my lifetime. Gephardt led the fight against NAFTA and the so called "free trade" agreements, when he had all the Republicans and half the Democrats and Clinton against him. Gephardt is a modern day hero, and would make a great president or vice president.

[JohnKleeb]

9. that too

[Dr Fate]

5. I like him...

...he did rather well in the debates too...

I wish he had played a little harder against Bush when it was unpopular to do so...but that's politics I guess...

[sistersofmercy]

7. Geppy doesn't have much support here.

I like him but I'm from MO. Personally, I think he would fit the VP position better. Just an observation.

[janekat]

8. I like him - would vote for him in general election......

[jenk]

11. he's my #3 guy, would make a nice VP

.

[politicaholic]

12. he's not my choice, but he's a good man...

I like what he's done throughout his carreer and out of the field he's one of the most qualified it's just that head...that huge cranium...he looks like charlie brown all grown up...and that red face...during the debates he was so aggressive I thought his head was actually expanding and was going to explode covering the cameras and the whole audience with "his squishy purple knowledge organ" if you know what I mean.

[Justice]

14. Used To Like Him

But can't reconcile his past views with him standing next to Bush last fall in support of the Iraq Resolution. At the time, he was minority leader - and that added enormous credibility to Bush's push for the resolution. Dick didn't even tell the house democrats beforehand - some of them saw him on TV.

Between Lieberman and Gephardt - they completely shut down the debate in Congress. Bad, really bad.

Since both of them were running for president at the time - I can't help but wonder what their motives were in doing it.

[Carrion]

15. Short answer?

More ambition than talent....a common ailment.

[LuminousX]

17. He is a dinosaur

His time has come and gone.

[poskonig]

18. Good guy, makes mistakes.

Gephardt's infamous shoulder-to-shoulder Rose Garden appearance with George Bush, effectively cutting off all debate on the Iraq war authorization in the House, is probably Gephardt's biggest error, along with losing the House in 2002 with the Bushlite strategy, and voting for the Reagan tax cuts in the 1980s. This is ground for misgiving for many.

On the other hand, Gephardt is great on jobs, particularly his position on the WTO and NAFTA. His robust healthcare plan is also liked, though people are confused on how to pay for it.

Right now Gephardt seems a bit off message, focused on calling other candidates stuff like "Gingrich." I can understand the hostility towards Dean though, since if Gephardt wins Iowa, he'll do well in South Carolina and take Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma on February 3rd and will take Michigan on the 7th, putting Gephardt's campaign in the driver's seat.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

22. Gephardt didn't run the "Bush-lite" campaign in 2002

The DLC New Democrats have been pushing him and his union supporters to the side for years. He got the position of majority leader pretty much just to keep the unions from openly revolting. The Bush-Lite New Democrat stuff is straight from Clinton and the DLC. Don't blame Gephardt for it, he's never been Bush-Lite.

[poskonig]

33. I was referring to the.....

"agree with Bush on security, disagree on V-chips and flag burning" strategy.

Okay, it wasn't that dumb, but as we look back, trying to push healthcare and social security when everyone was thinking about Iraq and jobs didn't work very well in 2002.

[gratuitous]

19. A fine senior member of the House Democratic caucus

And that's where he should serve out the rest of his political career. When the time came for him as Minority Leader to make a principled stand against a poorly defined pre-emptive war, he stood in the Rose Garden with Chimpy McCokespoon and urged the rest of his caucus to do likewise.

Leadership calls for the strength of character and nerve to buck a manufactured crisis, and Gephardt failed the test. That doesn't make him a bad person or anything other than human, but I have to see more than a bobblehead imitation from those who aspire to be leaders.

[sistersofmercy]

20. BTW, Hi,Former Republican!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Pepperbelly]

21. There is no concensus on this forum about anything except that ...

George Bush must be removed from office.

[sistersofmercy]

27. I'll second that!

[Emboldened Chimp]

23. Not my choice

He's okay for the most part. Well intentioned and principled, but he caves to pressure (Iraq vote). On a superficial level, he's rather bland.

[MGKrebs]

24. He is a good Congressman. n/t

[_NorCal_D_]

25. Gephardt is a great candidate.

Though I personally favor Clark.

Welcome to DU Former Republican!

[NNN0LHI]

26. I would vote for him in a heartbeat if he won the nomination n/t

[gully]

29. I like Gep.

Didn't agree with his support of the war, but I like him much. If he got the nom, I'd have no trouble supporting him.

[Mz Pip]

34. He got it right

when he said George Bush was a miserable failure.

His campaign doesn't seem to be going anywhere at this point but time will tell. I think he would make a good VP or Secretary of Labor.

Welcome to DU.

MzPip
:dem: