Best Possible Democratic Pres/VP Tickets in 2004

[liberalpragmatist]

Earlier I posted a long message in which I paired each of the mainstream 6 with a list of possible running mates. I still stand by those, but here I've narrowed it down far more, to who I see as the most intelligent and best possible tickets to win. I don't include all of the mainstream 6 as presidential candidates here, not b/c I don't think they can't win the nomination or the presidency, but b/c I think these would be the BEST tickets. So, in no particular order:

* Kerry/Clark
* Kerry/Edwards

Either would be excellent and really unite the party and prove exceptionally strong in November. I personally favor Kerry/Clark over Kerry/Edwards, and I think that since Edwards likely would have dropped out of his senate race, he should be appointed Attorney General. The only problem w/ this scenario is that in 2012, should Kerry have served 2 terms, there could be a major battle for the nomination between Edwards and Clark. Possibly some deal could be worked out, whereby Clark would only serve 1 term (he'd be 68 or 69) or agrees to support Edwards for the nomination in exchange for a commitment to be the secretary of state.

* Edwards/Dodd
* Edwards/Mitchell
* Edwards/Clark

Edwards/Dodd and Edwards/Mitchell would really help balance the ticket geographically, politically and provide crucial washington insider experience to Edwards and help him win support for his programs in Congress. Edwards/Clark would also be good and would greatly help shore up his national security credentials. One possibility would be to name Dodd or Mitchell (or someone like them) as running mate and also announce ahead of time the top 5 cabinet posts: state, defense, attorney general, treasury, and homeland security, and name clark to defense or state, that way also shoring up national security credentials.

* Gephardt/Edwards

Geographically balanced and ideologically united, w/ a strong populist bent.

* Dean/Clark
* Dean/Richardson
* Dean/Cohen (William)

Dean/Clark would shore up the national security issue and bring in independent voters. Richardson would bring in Hispanic support and give a link to the clinton administration, though he'd have to be willing to give up the governorship after only 2 years. Cohen would be an intriguing choice -- he may still be a Republican, but he was a liberal, maverick one who'd probably get along well w/ Dean, and such a ticket would not only help us on the national security issue, it would bring in many independent voters and even liberal Republicans. The only problem is that it wouldn't be geographically balanced.

I mean no disservice to Lieberman or Graham, but I've concluded that they wouldn't offer tickets that would really excite us and prove the best possible ones at defeating Bush -- they could do it, I just think it'd be harder for them to b/c they wouldn't be able to unite the base as well as these tickets could.

[phillybri]

1. Kerry/Clark

After that:

Kerry/Graham
Dean/Clark
Dean/Graham
Kerry/Edwards
Dean/Edwards
Kerry/Richardson

[blm]

2. When did Dean become a populist?

Oh yeah...last January. Nice of him to join us after all these years.

[liberalpragmatist]

6. Um, actually I was refering to Gephardt

The commentary after the tickets refers to the tickets posted above them, not the tickets posted below them.

[blm]

22. ok...

read too quickly w/ a 2yo on my lap.

Must....slow....down. ;)))

[ProfessorPlum]

11. Some people

have so little to add so often.

So sad.

[blm]

15. Sorry...I have no imagination...

too much of a realist who is unable to build entire posts on strawman arguments. I bow to your talent for that, however. ;)))))

[vi5]

3. I can't see how Kerry/Clark would be anything but unstoppable......

I'm not a Kerry supporter just yet, but there's no arguing that having a northeast liberal who is a Vietnam vet, coupled with a retired General from a southern state would be anything other than the most formidable ticket. Not that other tickets can't win, I simply find it hard to find a flaw with this one. You even have someone who supported the war and someone who had reservations about it so it's neither an all pro-war or all anti-war ticket.

And it would garner a huge amount of military votes which is something the right is clearly going to take for granted.

[LuLu550]

4. Second banana

I think you need to pair a Northerner with a Southerner for the strongest ticket, but I doubt a man like Clark would go for being the VP on the ticket.
LuLu

[DrFunkenstein]

12. Actually, I Think He Said He Wouldn't Rule It Out (n/t)

[demnan]

5. What about Dean/Graham?

If you saw Larry King last night you might have heard Dean, in answer to a question, give the criteria of the best running mate for him:

1. Someone with the experience who is fully qualified to be President.

2. Washington insider - to paraphrase Dean "too often a Governor gets elected gets to Washington and doesn't understand how the place runs."

3. Someone from a different location in the country (such as the South).

I'll give you a fourth reason (mine): Graham feels the same way as Dean on the Iraq war.

And lastly, with his stance on the Intelligence Committee, Graham is a powerful voice in favor of protecting our country against another terrorist attack.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

7. Dean/Graham

I always thought that was intriguing.

For the record, I don't think Dean and Graham feel exactly the same way about the war, but neither is shy about exposing Bush's lies.

[Gman]

8. Graham/Edwards

will gut the South.

[Epoch]

9. Dean/Landrieu!

A women, from the south, who is fairly moderate. How could it get better? She kicked Bush's ass in LA during the runoff, and will bring in women, Southrons, and some independants.

What say you?

Epoch

[DrFunkenstein]

13. I Could Never Support A DLC Member In The White House

Next they'll try to get another Skull & Bones fascist in the White House...

:puke:

[ProfessorPlum]

14. heh heh

.

[DrFunkenstein]

16. Was the barfing too over the top?

<>

[ProfessorPlum]

17. I think you captured the tone of that kind of post

quite nicely.

[GumboYaYa]

21. I like that idea.

Mary is seriously pissed at the repukes for what they did to her in 02. She is not scared of standing up to Bush. She probably wins LA and locks up a few border states as well.

Dean/Landrieu sounds great to me.

[election_2004]

10. Kerry/Tubbs-Jones

Stephanie Tubbs-Jones could carry Ohio for the Dems, and take Cheney down several notches in the debates.

[mndemocrat_29]

25. Stephanie Tubbs Jones

I really like Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and have heard her name several times on Democratic VP lists. However, I have doubts about her ability to win Ohio. I wish that she'd be the victor of a statewide test before we send her onto the national stage (possibly the Senate or Governor's races in 2006?)

[caledesi]

18. Dean/Clark - my dream team

[DemPopulist]

19. How about Edwards/Dayton?

I know they're both first-term senators, so that might be a problem but it would sort of be like LBJ/Humphrey or Carter-Mondale - a moderate/populist Southerner plus a Minnesota liberal/populist in the DFL tradition. A sentimental reminder of Wellstone for progressives, and an opportunity to nail down the shakier base states in the Upper Midwest. Also, Dayton looks somewhat like Howard Dean. Or in the same vein...how about Edwards/Harkin? I'd dig that very much.

I know Dean wants to pick a Southerner but I think Bill Richardson makes the most sense for him. Forget the South, which I don't think Dean would be very competitive in anyway, and focus on the Southwest (NM, AZ, CO). It's an idea for Kerry too but I think he might work better with either Edwards or Landrieu. For Gephardt, I don't know...maybe Landrieu too, for a fresh face and a bit of charisma. But I'd worry about Mondale/Ferraro comparisons.

[JohnKleeb]

20. a populist I like that

Dayton or Harkin would do nice.

[UrbScotty]

23. I think Dean will be the nominee.

I'd like to see:

Dean/Clark - Of course he's a retired general, and he's been talking like a candidate recently.
Dean/Feingold - Anti-(Un)PATRIOT Act, pro-labor, pro-environment, and he has quite a record of standing up to Bush, especially on foreign affairs and judicial nominees.
Dean/Gephardt - The labor vote (again), and Missouri weill likely be a key state, with 11 electoral votes.
Dean/Graham - He is very popular in Florida, of course, plus he used to chair the Intelligence Committee.
Dean/Kerry - "Don't worry, John, I still love you."
Dean/Kucinich - "Yes, I'm a peace candidate.

[BayCityProgressive]

24. Kerry/Feingold?

Both great progressive voices.

[DemPopulist]

27. Doh!

I forgot about Feingold. He'd be a great veep but I think he's up for re-election again next year.

[mndemocrat_29]

26. VP Candidates

My fave candidate, John Kerry, would need to balance his ticket off with a Southern Democrat (Max Cleland would've been perfect here, if he'd won reelection).

Kerry/Graham
Kerry/Clark
Kerry/Landrieu

Bob Graham would need someone who was younger and a fresher force in politics, possibly even a first term senator or a representative.

Graham/Tauscher
Graham/Locke
Graham/Cantwell

Howard Dean needs someone with experience, definitely someone from another part of the country, and someone with Washington street cred

Dean/Graham
Dean/Bayh
Dean/Dorgan

Dick Gephardt needs someone who can show he's not the Bob Dole of this race. He needs someone with a lot of gusto, probably some name recognition, and someone perceived as a political mover-and-shaker.

Gephardt/Feingold
Gephardt/Durbin
Gephardt/Schumer

And, if none of these tickets work out, we can always rely on the old guard to come and win this race.

Carter/Hollings
Lautenberg/Mondale
Byrd/Foley

[arcos]

30. I understand that Locke is not very popular... n/t

[carpetbagger]

28. Clark or Kerry with Landrieu, or Kerry/Clark

I think these tickets have the best shot at appealing to the voters who aren't in either camp. Landrieu seems like she can fire up the base, as well as hold her own with moderates. Bill Richardson is an intriguing prospect, but I think that Landrieu or Clark would do more to shore up support in PA, IA, MN, WI, and OR, and pull AR and WV back in. All three would do equally well in FL, but I have a feeling that Florida will be more difficult to win than a number of other states.

[mndemocrat_29]

29. Louisiana

Also, if the ticket is Clark/Landrieu or Kerry/Landrieu or even Kerry/Clark, this ticket will have a fairly good shot in Louisiana.

[Prag_Idealist]

31. With you Epoch

I like a Dean/Landrieu with A Clark-type character running as Powell replacement as SS or SD.

[Perky]

32. Some additional options

Kerry-Leon Panetta
Graham Panetta
Dean-Patty Murray
Edwards-Murray

Richardson is the ideal RM for those without Foreign Policy credentials
Panetta is the strong candidate for those with overseas experience. He may well emerge as a careteaker choice for Governor in CA.

Graham Murray would be very interesting. HAWK and a Soccer Mom... Would play VERY well in the 'burbs and obviously with women....not sure how the nornal coalition base would respond. Also you ten to want to pair a Senator with a Governor or vice-versa. Two senators is something that may never have happened.

[liberalpragmatist]

33. It's happened

"Two senators is something that may never have happened." Well, uh, no. That's wrong, it has happened. Ever remember Kennedy-Johnson?

[Perky]

34. OOPS

You are right of course.....but JFK being elected from the Senate is a unique event to begin with..How many Presidents were sitting senators when the won the WHite House. Kennedy may have been the Only one since before Lincoln. Certainly the only one in the 20th Century.


Governors, VPs and Generals are generally the only people who get elected President.