Senator Evan Bayh For President?

[oberliner]

Senator Evan Bayh says he'll wait until Christmas before deciding whether to run for president in 2008.

He says he wants to wait for the dust to settle in Washington, from the election.

Bayh came to Evansville, to show his support for newly-elected Brad Ellsworth in Indiana's Eighth District.

Following the Democratic gains Tuesday night, Bayh said there's likely to be gloating among Democrats and retaliation by Republicans, both of which would slow the country's progress.

http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=5650596&nav=3w6o

[skooooo]

1. no thanks Evan

[Jim Sagle]

2. Fuck'm.

[Catch22Dem]

3. Nope

[Maven]

4. Negatory.

[Lautremont]

5. You can't have a president with such a difficult-to-pronounce name.

Is it Bay? Bye? Buh? By-yuh? Behhh?

No, no. People won't "bayh" that.

[BluegrassDem]

7. BAYH/OBAMA in '08!!!!!!!

The Democratic Party is a big tent and he's more than welcome to run for president! To be a national party, the party needs moderating voices. He's been a hugely successful governor who's never signed a tax increase. And quite frankly, he's one of the few running that could actually WIN the Electoral College by carrying Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Just pair him up with Obama and it's game, set, match for the GOP!

[Doctor Panacea]

35. He makes me want to retch and puke.

My subject header says it all.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. Meh, we could do worse but we could certainly do much better

Bayh can put a corpse to sleep, btw.

[davidwparker]

8. I'll pass. thanks.

[phillysuse]

9. Evan will run for President in 2008

Kennedy money, Kennedy consultants and Kennedy support will be behind Evan Bayh for his run for the Presidency.

Why? Because for those of you too young to remember, when Ted Kennedy was in a private plane that crashed (before Chappaquidick), breaking his back, it was Evan Bayh's father, Senator Birch Bayh, also on that plane and unhurt, who pulled the injured Ted Kennedy from the wreckage of the plane.

You heard it first here.

[AlamoDemoc]

10. I doubt he'll make it to New Hampshire pit stop, let alone the nomination

[LostInAnomie]

11. I personally think that in a off year he would be a good choice.

2008 though is not going to be an off year. Both parties are going to be running their superstars and a lesser known like Bayh won't even get noticed. He couldn't compete with stars like Hillary, Edwards, Obama, and possibly Gore.

In an off year though he would be a solid choice. He's a well liked conservative Dem with executive experience. He's physically attractive and a good speaker. I know that DUers think that he is far too conservative, but the country isn't like DU. If it were Kucinich would be president right now. The country is still scared of the label "liberal" and it would be hard for anyone to call Bayh a liberal.

Of course, I'm from Indiana, so I'm a little biased.

[Warpy]

12. His record is lousy on the war(s),

handing corporations taxpayer money, and support for civil liberties. Other than that, he's not as bad as, say, Lieberman or either Nelson.

I just think we can do better.

Explore his voting record at http://www.progressivepunch.org/members.jsp?member=INIII&district=At%20large&issue=R0

[tkmorris]

13. No

Sorry, the man does absolutely nothing for me. What does he stand for? Is there anything at all he is passionate about?

[longship]

14. I like Evan Bayh.

He's a *very* good person. He's almost too good to be true. Squeaky clean, on top of everything.

He'd make a helluva President.

He's not my first choice, but I'd have zero problems with supporting him if he got the nomination. The guy's a class act. If Al Gore and Kathleen Sebelius don't run, I might get behind Evan as my first choice.

BTW. I am *very* liberal and from what I know about Evan Bayh, I believe wholeheartedly that the man is much more liberal at heart than he has to be as an Indiana Senator.

[Indiana_Dem]

16. I think you nailed it. nt

[Indiana_Dem]

15. I think we who are more liberal are going to have to like him

because he IS going to run. He came to my tiny town of 35,000 to campaign for Donnelly and he told our newspaper that he will announce his candidacy at the end of the year. He WAs a very attractive person--I went up to him and shook his hand and thanked him for voting AGAINST the Military Commissions Act. In a paraphrase, he told me he wanted to protect our civil liberties.

He spoke to us, about a crowd of 100 that showed up. Also met his father at our JJ Dinner. Very impressive. Anyway, if he can win in a state like Indiana even when everything else is red, he'll be a good candidate to have if it will be anything reflective of Tuesday's elections.

He is also very pro-choice. I've watched his voting record. The only thing I was upset about concerning his voting record was the war and approving appointees to the Supreme Court. It's a mixed bag. He is a good environmental voter as well. It all depends on what's important to you. But I really think he is moderate enough to win. We won't win with a liberal. If we sit and wait for a liberal like myself, it will NEVER happen!! I hate to say it but I think that's the secret.

If ever you wanted Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky to go blue for a president, he would be the guy.

[thatsrightimirish]

17. I don't know if he is my first choice

But he will win Indiana. Very tempting.

[thatsrightimirish]

18. and on top of that

he did help deliver 3 house seats in 06

[rep the dems]

19. I know pretty much everyone here hates him, but I do think he

would probably win if he were the nominee. I doubt I'd vote for him in the primary, and his stance on the war and flag burning bother me, but he'd certainly be better than McCain,Romney,Guliani,etc.

[Pithy Cherub]

20. Just say no!

He couldn't figure out that Bush lied and voted for the WAR and many other pro-business initiatives and not the People's business. But it will be fun to watch him realize it's a no go.

[jgraz]

21. Which part of "Progressive Tidal Wave" aren't you getting??

Why don't we try nominating an actual liberal for a change? Bayh voted for the flag-burning amendment, for the bankruptcy bill, for the Bush tax cuts. He also ridiculed Howard Dean for being against the war in the 2004 primaries.

We not only need to get rid of the Repug monsters, we need to dump DLC worms like this guy. It's time for this country to embrace its progressive majority.

[Morgana LaFey]

22. Nah, we've had enough Republicans for a while

Time to switch back to Dem -- or real Dem if you prfer.

[AntiWarPoster]

24. Yeah

Because voting with Democrats 85% of the time really makes you a Republican

[sampsonblk]

23. Uh, NO!

No more weak senators, please!

[AntiWarPoster]

25. Bayh would be great!

He could carry IN and he's moderate enough to win.

[jgraz]

28. Yes, because craven electoral strategy is more important than principles

[AntiWarPoster]

29. Yes because President Bayh is better than President McCain

Or do you not see it that way, mr grazo?

[jgraz]

33. False choice, anyone?

Running a true progressive does not guarantee a Repug victory, as Sherrod Brown, Bernie Sanders, John Hall, John Yarmouth or Carol Shea-Porter (among others) can tell you.

[beaconess]

26. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[politicasista]

27. Nope n/t

[BluegrassDem]

31. Bayh could win and the DU hates him cause of that

Bayh would actually get the 270 EV's needed. He would carry Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio without a doubt. That's about 39 EV's if I'm calculating right. Fuck the south! We could win the presidency right there.

[jgraz]

34. Who you calling "we" kimosabe?

Bayh doesn't represent me any more than McCain does.

[Hippo_Tron]

36. Do you have polling to back that up?

I'm not so sure he could take Indiana or Kentucky and I think that Ohio is up for grabs no matter who we nominate. Look, I'm not demonizing Bayh because he's more moderate than I am but the guy is not exciting in any way whatsoever. He hasn't really done anything remarkable at all in his long political career.

[Alhena]

30. I don't support Bayh, but ...

I take his candidacy seriously because I recall Bill Clinton saying that he looked forward to voting for Bayh for president some day. That tells me he's a serious player- Clinton doesn't just throw around comments like that. So I think Bayh has to be regarded as a much more serious candidate than, say, Vilsack.

Having said that, he won't be getting my primary vote, nor will anyone else who voted for the bankruptcy bill like Bayh did. No excuse for that vote.

[FrenchieCat]

32. Not feeling "it"

[demwing]

37. Why does Bayh get rolled out every so often as the great Dem hope?

He has nothing to offer that I want to buy.