maybe we should stop looking at Dean or Clark and look at Gephardt?

[59millionmorons]

See Dick Smile: If you notice a certain bounce in Dick Gephardt’s walk Tuesday it's probably due to the morning papers from Des Moines and Washington, both of which featured glowing updates on the Missouri congressman’s presidential campaign.

The Washington Post talked to nearly two dozen Republican strategists, lawmakers and state chairmen and found that "Gephardt was portrayed as the Democratic candidate best prepared and positioned to defeat President Bush in a head-to-head matchup next year. The reasons, they said: Gephardt consistently supported the Iraq war, enjoys unrivaled support among union leade4rs and hails from the Midwest, where many Republicans believe the presidential election will be decided. They also cite his health care plan, experience and discipline as key factors."

The Post also has John McCain’s 2000 campaign manager, Rick Davis, say that "Gephardt is best positioned to exploit Bush’s weaknesses on the economy and jobs because he effectively neutralized one of Bush’s greatest strengths – national security – by taking a hard line early against Iraq and Afghanistan."

[gWbush is Mabus]

1. if the Washington Post said that...

...then we want a Dean/ Clark ticket.

[BurtWorm]

6. I'm inclined to agree with you

The Washington Post political reporters are absolutely the worst. What they say to do, don't do. What they say is truth, is not truth. They're full of shit and I wouldn't be surprised in the least to find out they were owned outright by the RNC.


PS: This doesn't actually mean that Gephardt hasn't been enjoying some good press and a string of decent performances at the debates.

[9119495]

2. Be careful

Always remember that when Republicans comment on Democrats running for office, assume the opposite is true. They can't wait to tear into Dick's "socialized medicine" and "HUGE tax increase on the middle class."

[tlb]

15. A news item two weeks ago said repubicans feared Dean most.

Everybody here then took it as gospel the republicans were really telling the world Dean was the candidate they most feared. Now you say we can't believe them when they say the same of Gephardt ?

Personally in both instances I think they are just playing with everybodys head. I honestly don't think they care who they run against. WIth the advantage of incumbancy plus a $200 million war chest I believe they think they will win regadless.

Btw, I have consistently said I believe Gephardt will be the nominee.

[9119495]

18. I didn't say Dean was most feared

So lets not turn this into a Dean bashing thing again. The fact is almost anyone could win--so if they said Gephardt is most electable, it is likely not true BUT HE COULD WIN. If they say Dean is most feared, some would argue (though not me) that it is likely not true BUT HE COULD WIN. The point is that Gephardt is a pretty traditional candidate and Reps have a game plan they think will work against him--say his health plan (which I like) is "Bill and Hill-style socialized medicine." Dean is not a factor in this discussion.

[janekat]

27. Don't fool yourself into thinking ANYONE can win - Wait until Rove starts

in on the candidate who wins. He's just sitting back right now snickering and plotting. Doing reserach on how he can best "rip apart" each of our candidates.

We ain't seen NOTHING yet....

[Jivenwail]

3. He must still explain to me

Why he posed, side-by-side, with Bush in the Rose Garden in support of the Iraq war resolution. Sorry, Dick, but I simply can't get that disgusting picture out of my head.

[maha]

14. I'm with you.

Gephardt has said some great things during the campaign, but I can't get over the way he and Lieberman sold us all out over the Iraq War vote.

At that moment, as I recall, Kerry and some others were struggling with maybe voting no, but the resistance movement was kneecapped by Gephardt and Lieberman.

[HFishbine]

4. I've looked at Gephardt

I looked at him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Bush in the rose garden to support attacking Iraq. I looked at him voting for the Patriot Act. I've looked at his health plan.

While I'd vote for him if he gets the nomination, he's not my preference in the primary.

[59millionmorons]

8. Good point

nt

[janekat]

29. Whoever can beat Bush is MY choice - Kerry/Gephardt/Clark best bets

IMHO anyways. Dean is a very "risky" candidate I think. Clark could also be. It's best for us that Kerry and Gephardt atay around as our "insurance policies" in case Dean self-destructs or Clark has some military scandal dug up.

[CMT]

5. Gep could very well win the nomination

I think he might be the dark horse. Here is the scenerio: He takes Iowa he comes in solidly in NH (doesn't have to win it becuz of the New England candidates). On the same day as SC he does decently there but also wins his homestate of Missouri which has a big bloc of delegates. He is also well positioned in Ok, and ND. His union support could win him Michigan.

[Hep]

11. I don't think that unions are solidly behind Gep

The AFL-CIO has yet to state a preference. And Dean won the first Wellstone Award.

http://www.mydd.com/archives/000367.html

This will hopefully get some press sooner than later.

[JohnKleeb]

12. My so called unelectable candiate is great for labor

Although Gephardt I will give him this has a bigger name among them and has been there longer but still I think its pretty obvious that Kucinich is possibly the most pro labor, no offense to Gephardt supporters I really like what he has done for labor over the years and think that he would be good for the union man, but on Kucinich ok, whos out there trying to repeal Taft-Hartley, Ive read about that and been so disgusted and I remember reading in June that he came out for repealing it, now I am no union person myself but union history runs deep in my blood, and I was thrilled, so thats what really got me liking DK a lot.

[Hawkeye-X]

16. He still doesn't have the SEIC union support

and he won't.

He may have the unions in his back pocket, but he doesn't have the MOST IMPORTANT union to help him win Iowa. He'll be distantly fourth or fifth in Iowa caucuses and dead last in NH.

The backing of Chimp McFlightSnorter shoulder-to-shoulder will not WIN votes. In fact, he'll be remembered for that by most of the Dems who opposed the war, and those who finally came around rememembering that the Iraq blank check.

Hawkeye-X

[janekat]

30. They say if he doesn't win Iowa - he's "lunchmeat" - don't know how true

that is, however.

[Hep]

7. Gephardt can KMA

I'll vote for him if he takes the nom. But I will be pissed that he got it. I'm willing to say nice things about just about all of the candidates, but not this ahole.

[Classical_Liberal]

9. Actually neutralizing the issue took away an good issue

to bash Bush with as most people can see. The war aint going so good. That is why Clark and Dean are frontrunners.

[cspiguy]

10. maybe we should dump the lot and ask Gore

since his views on the economy and the wars on terra/iraq make him enormously credible, given some perspective of a couple of years.

[flamingyouth]

13. My token freeper friend has said for months...

That Gep will be the nominee. He think the "democrat" party owes Gep and that the party doesn't want to win in 2004, so Hillary can run in 2008 (I know, I know, the mind reels...).

Anyway, I would steer far, far away from this idea, which I think originated in the bowels of hate radio.

[Hawkeye-X]

17. slap your freeper friend silly

In fact, Gep owes the Dem Party SHITLOADS for his constant backstabbing and tu-tu'ing.

Hawkeye-X

[Larkspur]

19. If Gephardt is taking advice from McCain and his staff then he is in

trouble.
John McCain’s 2000 campaign manager, Rick Davis, say that "Gephardt is best positioned to exploit Bush’s weaknesses on the economy and jobs because he effectively neutralized one of Bush’s greatest strengths – national security – by taking a hard line early against Iraq and Afghanistan."

Gephardt has no charisma and lots of liabilities -- Remember him in the Rose Garden with Bush on Oct. 10, 2002 and his "tax and spend" habits, which he has even with his own campaign war chest, and he's missed the most votes due to campaigning. These liabilities will sink his candidacy. Rove will be disappointed if Gephardt gets the nomination because he will be too easy to drub.

[OKNancy]

20. I just don't like him

He's been a good Democrat for a long time, but I just don't like him for President. There is nothing inspiring about him, and in this race things like that are going to matter. In fact shallow thing are going to matter too. I wish it wasn't so, but it's the truth.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

21. Gephardt Really Pissed Me Off When He Cut Daschle Off at the Knees

On the war vote. It wasn't so much the actual vote itself, as I feel there are reasonable, nuanced positions you could have taken on the war vote (such as Kerry's), even though I opposed the war. It was the total undermining of Daschle's efforts in the Senate that really bothered me. That smacked of disloyalty and opportunism, to me.

That said, I am not a "single-issue" voter, and I do think Gephardt would be a formidable candidate in the general election. He would certainly get my vote if he ends up as our nominee.

DTH

[Snellius]

22. Dean looked more appealing when it looked like we would lose

After the midterms, better to go down in glory, than compromise and lose by giving in. But now that the polls promise that Bush is not invulnerable, Gephardt may be a real alternative. He has few of the strong points of his opponents but he also has less of their drawbacks.

[izzie]

23. Dis he vote to give Bush the war powes?

n/t

[swinney]

24. GEPHARDT HAS STRENGTHS.

KNOWLEDGE
ARTICULATE
CAN BE VERY VERY TOUGH
HAS A BASE--THIS IS IMPORTANT.
WELL KNOW TO ALL.

ONE OF THE "SORRY GROUP"

LIKE BARBARA'SBARBARA BUSH AND HER OWN “SORRY GROUP”

1.THREE ADULTERERS2.THREE BUSINESS CRIMINALS3.FIVE UNRULY GRANDCHILDREN4.ONE CRIMINAL COCAINE SNORTER5.ONE CRIMINAL DRUNK6.ONE CRIMINAL DRAFT DODGER7.ONE CRIMINAL MILITARY DESERTER9.ONE CRIMINAL ACCESSORY TO ABORTION10.FAMILY FILLED WITH PATHOLOGICAL LIARSTHOSE ARE JUST STARTERS OFF TOP OF MY HEADADD YOUR OWN.

---SORRY GROUP OF HERS--

[Skittles]

25. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Dick has had plenty of time to prove his worth and he HASN'T DONE IT; HE SUCKS.

[Capn Sunshine]

28. Skittles nails it

Gephardt is PART OF THE PROBLEM and the reason I personally am pissed off. Unless you think the actions of Dem leaders in the 2002 fiasco and ever since was what you wanted, in that case vote for him.

[Cocoa]

26. his biggest hurdle is the primaries

His biggest disadvantage is his standing so closely to Bush on the war, same goes for Lieberman.

If he manages to get the nomination, then that disadvantage disappears, and his biggest advantage becomes prominent. He's imo the best person to address the unfairness in our economy, and imo the most credible as far as improving the economy.

It's still the economy stupid, but this time there is also terrorism. Terrorism works in Bush's favor, so neutralizing it makes sense.