McCain sees 5 Dem Seats Going Repub if Dean is Nominee

[jadesfire]

In an article in the 12/21/03 Cedar Rapids Gazette (sorry no online version that I can find for the link) John McCain was quoted as saying the following on Chris Matthews' 'Hardball' :

"There are now five Southern seats up that were Democratic seats, I would feel some sense of confidence about picking up every one of them if Governor Dean heads the ticket."

Doesn't that sound like fun...

[liberalnurse]

1. Scare tactic's

from the right wingers......Okay Jonnny-boy...throw down and let the voters make their choice.


Who here gives a flying duck what McCain spills out anyways? Plus, they all vote the same day.......dah.....

[barbaraann]

2. I going to ignore every single thing a Republican says about

our candidates. I'm not going to accept anything they say OR believe the opposite--their words are just evil garbage.

[jadesfire]

7. That makes sense...

'i don't like what you say so i'm going to ignore it.' gee, i'm glad we are all open to a discussion today.

The fact is that A LOT of Democrats and moderate Republicans trust this man and look to him as a politician who does not play politics. To blatently disregard his comments is naieve, and will not help you convince me that he is wrong.

I am so tired of the angry and reactionary bs that just turns people off. Those of us who have been paying attention turned away from this a while ago, people in the South won't go for it either. Especially when a moderate Republican is telling them that Dean is a loser in the long-run.

[barbaraann]

9. There is no such thing as a moderate Republican.

With irrelevant/minor exceptions, they are not allowed to do anything but support the fascist Bush/PNAC agenda.

And do you suppose that the Republicans would consider OUR opinions in THEIR primary contests?

I do not think there are very many DUers who trust John McCain, either.

If you are tired of the "angry and reactionary bs" here on DU, I suggest you try FreeRepublic.com. Please look at see if you find any angry and reactionary posts over there or if you find warm, friendly, caring, and intelligent posts and report back. Thanks!

[ModerateMiddle]

26. I trust John McCain (nt)

[Hippo_Tron]

41. I trust John McCain a hell of a lot more than Bush...

He's absolutely right that congress is spending money like a "drunken sailor" and did a great job of pointing out that seniors buying drugs from Canada won't bankrupt the drug companies, which Dick Santorum seemed intent on proving. He's well known for pork slashing as well. But remember he is still a Republican. He still has to vote Republican because he is a Republican. Asking McCain to be any more moderate would be asking him to be the Zell Miller of Republicans and anybody who wants to be shunned by their own party is nuts. I'm not saying that McCain is Jesus Christ or a great reformer or anything but I'm saying that he's a hell of a lot better than most Republican politicians.

[davidinalameda]

3. I just can't see Dean competing very well in the south

unless he really takes charge of his campaign and stops allowing Bushie and Co. to define him

I think that Clark would play much better in the south than Dean

[liberalnurse]

4. There is a plan....

we are half-way there. Once Dean gets the nod....the VP will bring in the final leg for victory.

[polpilot]

28. ...a brilliant plan...that has thus far catipulted Dean to the top...and

on we go!!!

Dean '04...

[dreissig]

5. Advice from John McCain

Thank you, Senator McCain. We certainly don't want to nominate Governor Dean now!

</sarcasm>

[madaboutharry]

6. John McCain continues to distinguish himself

as an A-1 first class enabler of republican dribble. At one time he struck me as actually having some integrity. But despite his joining up with Russ Feingold to push for campaign finance reform, he has really demonstrated that he is just another republican hack. The senate seats in the south will go republican not because Dean is on the ticket, but because voters in the south have been duped by a republican party that exploits the historical baggage that the south still carries.

[pezcore64]

8. ....

Yeah, I always kinda respected McCain for being a moderate in a extreme right ran party. He is a republican tho, and ultimately he will obey the masters. Sucks. He keeps loosing my respect everyday. Back when he was a nominee for the repubs, I was hoping hed win it. I coulda dealt with a McCain white house way better than a Bush one but I guess we see the true John McCain starting to shine through.

[Turkw]

37. McCain is not a moderate, he is a conservative but not a lap dog to the

corporate masters. I disagree with many of his positions, but respect and like him. The country needs more Republicans like him. He often goes against his party when he feel they are wrong.

[Turkw]

38. McCain knows first hand what Rove can do, and this was to a fellow

Republican and war hero. I shudder to think what he would do to some of our candidates. I want to see Wes Clark beat the shit out of Rove over the issues of things like patriotism. I think Clark can do it.

[comradebillyboy]

10. nice of the repukes to help pick

the dem candidate. if the dems in congress don't grow a spine soon the losses could be even worse, and it wont be dean's fault.

[demvoter]

11. McCain is sour grapes

He lost out to Bu$h and company so where does he get off telling Dems how to run a campaign or who to nominate!

:kick:them all out

[maxanne]

12. I think it's a great idea

for us to let the repukes dictate to us who the candidate will be, and what our strategy ought to consist of.

Why don't we all just vote for Bush? We are handing him the election on a goddam silver platter - by virtue of our internal sabotage.

[zulchzulu]

13. I agree with McCain

It's a certainty that all the Southern open senate seats would go to the Republicans.

I'm not even sure any Democratic candidate can make much of a difference. It does depend on who's running against whom.

[jadesfire]

14. I disagree

I don't think that anything in this election is a certainty...especially that all five former Dem seats will go republian. What we do have to be aware of is that a lot of those middle voters that ALL of the candidates are looking for do listen to him. As the election gets closer there will be more and more people who are not as dedicated to any one candidate coming HERE to find out what people are saying.

John McCain will determine this election as much as Al Gore will. But to dismiss it without acknowledging that there will be moderate Dems who take it into account is to discount a LARGE number of voters.

[Andromeda]

44. Most Dems I know

don't look to Republicans for advice on how to select a Democratic candidate for president.

Why do you put so much importance on what John McCain says? He is a Republican after all and he marches to the click of the Bushes boots.

Dean supporters don't give in to scare tactics and don't believe rumors from right-wing sources.

[dfong63]

15. neither you, nor McCain, has a crystal ball

the scenario McCain lays out could happen with any dem. it could happen just as easily with Clark or Edwards on the ticket. the fact that McCain predicts it should give you pause - just why do you think he's giving this "helpful" advice to the dems? because he wants to them to win those seats, hm?

[ModerateMiddle]

27. The Dems have a chance in Florida

depending upon who they nominate. Breaux's seat might go Dem, and I think that would depend on who is at the top of the ticket. Frankly, Edwards and Clark have the best chances to get Southern support. No one else comes close to them.

And I say this as a Kerry supporter.

[Hippo_Tron]

42. I guess I'm optomistic being a Louisianian and having watched...

Democratic victory after democratic victory here but I think that you're completely wrong. Georgia will probably go to a Republican, I'll admit that. But I'd say that the othre four seats are competative. They are held by Democrats and they can continue to be held by democrats if we can get good candidates to fill the seats.

[dsc]

16. Here are the seats he is talking about

Georgia Miller retiring, SC Hollings retiring, NC Edwards retiring, FL Graham retiring, and LA Brauex retiring.

Of those five we could be running Jesus on our ticket and we will lose 1 for sure, 2 in all probability, and are likely to win 2. They are listed in order from least likely to most likely for us to win. It should be noted that Clinton carried only 1 of these states twice (LA) and 2 of them once (GA, FA). Now I will strip naked and walk in Times Square if our nominee carries Georgia. That leaves 2. I fail to see why Dean would necessarily do worse in Florida. He has a Jewish wife and kids which should help with the Jewish vote, he is beloved by gays (and there are quite a few of those in FL), he has ties to Cubans (there are a few of those there), and he is doing well with the elderly (no elderly in Florida). We seem to win Lousiana without help.

Now I'll tell you what. I will bet money Clark isn't going to carry either Carolina.

[poskonig]

18. What about the Senate seats?

That was the gist of the lead post. I know Bowles is running again in NC, and the Georgia party is disorganized. I'm not certain who is running elsewhere.

[snyttri]

20. John Breaux is anti-Dean. He is credited with keeping close statewide

races Democratic in Louisiana. The gay marriage, pro-tax, anti-war governor from the pint-size Ben and Jerry state may not be what Southern independent voters are looking for. Dean seems to have spun himself into more of an independent unfriendly corner than anyone but Kucinich, who Rove would probably also like to run against (even though Kucinich doesn't have a bad temper).

[JaneQPublic]

17. McCain saw himself beating Bush for the 2000 GOP nomination

Since when did he become the master political prognosticator?

[JohnKleeb]

19. funny you mention that

supposely McCain really did win but the RNC chose Bush, I dont know the full logistics but Ive herad something like that,

[LizW]

21. Another helpful Republican trying to pick

our nominee for us. Another Repug telling us, "Don't nominate Dean!"

These guys are making my day.

[snyttri]

22. On Crossfire yesterday Novak and O'Bierne seemed to say GOPs were

telling each other to shut up about Dean so Democrats wouldn't wise up before it was too late.

You don't have to be a GOP to see that Dean, in many respects, comes from central casting as someone who could lead a ticket that would result in defeats in many close lower office elections in less liberal areas.

Do Dean supporters really believe McCain was using reverse psychology to discourage Dems from picking Dean, because that's the candidate the GOP fears? Is there anything a GOP could say that would not, according to some interpretation, reveal fear of Dean?

[Larkspur]

23. McCain is jealous of Dean's grassroots success

It must be gnawing him out from the inside that a rich boy who got a legitamate 1 YR deferrment from serving in Vietnam has outdone his 2000 campaign dream.

In 2000 McCain could never overcome the "anger" syndrome, but Dean, who surfed the anger of alienated Dems to the lead, transformed that anger into hope via his campaign and message and it's that hope that sustains his campaign during the current trials and tribulations being heaped upon him by the other Dem contenders. Dean is a superior campaigner to McCain, Bush, and all 8 Dem contenders.

[Upfront]

24. Why Would John McCain

Say that? I thought they wanted Dean to be the guy. But, But, now maybe we should not want Dean, I just get so confused. Sarcarsm off. Isn't McCain supposed to be one repub. that is a stright shooter? Nice of him to warn us. lol

[snyttri]

25. Only hardcore Dean supporters disagree that he is a liability at the top

of the ticket in the South in the general election.

[He loved Big Brother]

30. Yeah, and some of us are tired

of the South dictating to the rest of us who our President should be. There are about 35 other states with US citizens that aren't in the south, you know. I live in one, and I am tired of my region of the country being written off, or worse, perceived as a liability.(And yes, I am from the south.)

"Oh, he isn't from the South so he can't win. Oh, he isn't going to carry the south so he must not be presidential material." Well, Reagan wasn't from the south and the Bushistas are from New England, so...

I am so SO sick of everyone being scared to death of the South at the expense of the rest of the country.

[Greyhawk]

35. So the South shouldn't determine the election

But the same thing holds true for California and New York, no? I mean, win those two states and you're in great shape electorally. Any group of states that tends to vote as a block is tough to ignore, tho'. Can you afford to blow off an entire group of people like the Repub's do (See minorities, Labor Unions, environmental groups) and hope to win?

You just want to win a state or two, like W. Virginia or Arkansas, not the whole South... The Repubs are never going to win California and New York in '04. That should give hope for us?

Unfortunately, the history has said that the last two Democratic presidents have come from the South (Jimmy Carter and Prez. Clinton). That siphons enough votes off to win the general election. There still is a bias against anyone from the NE. Too bad we don't have a strong western governor in the race... :(

[He loved Big Brother]

40. The bias against New England has to end

And it's the South's job to overcome their bias. The rest of the country is willing to vote for someone who is not like themselves. The candidate's religion, race, where they grew up, etc is not as much of a factor to voters in other regions. In the South, they are, which should be corrected because none of those things have any bearing on a good candidate's ability to do the job. And, surprise surprise, the south is not doing so well. Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, they are always near the bottom of the lists in areas like funding for education and health care, and they are also poorer as a whole. Still, the South seems to only be open to voting for presidential candidates from the South. At their own expense too. What has Bush done for them?

Other regions of the country are not to steadfastly prejudiced against a candidate based on small factors such as where they grew up and what religion they practice. These prejudices are wrong and unfair, and it isn't our job to cater to unfairness. It's our job to educate, point out that Armageddon certainly won't happen if a candidate from New England is elected president. Southern states vote red for a shitty candidate just because that candidate is telling them lies in a southern accent while wearing cowboy boots. "He must be one of us!"

The majority of the rest of the country, in my opinion, doesn't seem to vote with such discrimination. The South has a cookie-cutter mold of what the President of the United States has be, and they vote with the fear that someone who doesn't fit that mold may win. We need to stop being so scared of the South. They are in the wrong and they are hurting themselves (and the rest of us) when their states go red. Their collective fear and mistrust of casting a vote for any candidate who isn't white, Southern, and Christian is seriously errant and harmful to all of us, since they are dismissing viable candidates based on them being from "other" places. This prejudice should be corrected, not catered to.

[leyton]

36. Exactly.

I think would be a huge coup for the Democratic Party if Dean were to win the election - because we would be free of that whole South shadow.

[Hippo_Tron]

46. Well five senate seats are insignificant to a dem in the white house

And I think that Dean has just as much of a chance as anybody.

[floridaguy]

31. People in the South will vote for Clark

Southerners don't appreciate it too much when those "know-it-all" Northerners come down here and tell us how things should be done.

Southerners will support Clark, but will not support Dean.

[He loved Big Brother]

32. Oooh, a psychic!

:D

[RetroLounge]

34. Heard the same thing about Civil Rights too

Hmmmmmmm....

[RetroLounge]

29. Why are you quoting a Republican?

What is your agenda?

Who is your candidate?

[Turkw]

39. There are a very few Repubs worth listening to even when you disagree

with their postiions. McCain is one of them.

[Hippo_Tron]

33. I talked to a Republican friend of mine...

Who says that McCain's state doesn't particularly care for him and despite his seniority he may be outsted when he is up for re-election.

[genius]

43. If Dean gets the nomination, we'll see a Republican sweep.

We better prepare for the end of America as we know it if Dean gets the nomination. Bush will have so much power after the election that democracy will be through. The problem is that there will be no safe place on Earth.

[Oreegone]

45. DEAR GOD Time for another....

Look Chicken Liberals, the sky is falling. The Republicans said so, we have to revere and believe them and vote for their war and not complain about Patriot Act I and II and more to come.

They say our guy can't win....oooh well pack it in. (and be careful what you say, and don't sign up for the military or you may never get out, and follow Karl Roves directions to the letter....:puke: