Why is it stupid to have a Kerry/Dean ticket?

[dorktv]

I keep getting told "a double New England ticket won't win the south..." Since when are we THAT scared of one section of our country?

[sangh0]

1. It's not stupid

I don't think it's very smart, but it's not stupid.

[dorktv]

4. Well having Dean would help keep the base fired up but

Kerry would be a way of saying "hey we have a calm guy too!"

[PATRICK]

22. Stupid is misleading word

An absolute requirement USUALLY is for the Veep not to be prone to gaffes, controversial or carry any negatives to distract from the front runner. That is basic and indeed cruel to some very worthy potential candidates. Some negatives or baggage have nothing at all to do personally with some choices. A lot of people you would like, whoever you are, would get left at the station even by a candidate virtually guaranteed of a landslide.

Unless, of course your are a Republican chosen by the elite. Eisenhower didn't want Nixon. Some uncharismatic Repubs(including Nixon) chose even worse running mates who actually did some damage.

Yet some will interpret it as personal rejection or bad blood. Democrats have strong bench strength beyond the primary candidates. Speculation is probably a waste of time and keeping old primary wounds open via the back door. Wringing hands about the absolutely best VP necessarily determining the outcome is also self-defeatist.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. It's not bad, but another veep might be better.

BTW, Dean was my first choice for Dem candidate.

[Protagoras]

24. I agree...Dean never struck me as the kind

who could be content as a follower. That's not a negative...it is what made him a great governor. But I doubt he's as good being second. If things were reversed that might be interesting but it isn't going to happen so I'm behind Kerry in the GE and I hope Dean gets a national leadership spot of his own soon.

[earthsea wizard]

41. Actually, Dean was an excellent Lt. Gov

but I bet he has better things to do now than play 2nd banana to Kerry.

Of course, Kerry may have zero tolerance for Dean.

My bet is that Kerry will go outside of the primary contenders for his pick. I would love to see him do something extraodinary, like breaking tradition and bucking convention by picking the President of a University, or the adminstrator of a national Non-Profit org.

Something to shake up the status quo and generate a little buzz.

[Cat Lewis]

3. Well...

We had southerners Clinton and Gore running together, and that seemed to go over pretty well in the north.

Some people continue to base everything on conventional wisdom, and can't seem to get it through their heads that this election is a brand new ballgame wherein the old CW rules don't apply.

[Atman]

7. Northerners are liberals

and more accepting. People in the south distrust Northern liberals and won't vote for them, but Northern liberals are merely annoyed at Southerner's funny accents, and will vote for them if they are good candidates.

Generalizing, but a lot of truth to it.

[dorktv]

9. Thank you! I think that we need to remember that there are

fifty states...Why do we not have a Alaskan/Montanan?

[WI_DEM]

5. I think Dean would add alot to the ticket

but don't think it is in the cards.

[WilliamPitt]

6. It's not just about the South

If Kerry tries to run a Southern strategy, it will be a waste of money...but that doesn't have anything to do with Dean. It is about the West and the Northwest. If you ignore the South, as Kerry will, you need the border states like Ohio and Missouri. You need to shore up New Mexico, make a run at Nevada, nail down Washington, Oregon, Minnesota and Wisconsin, not to mention Pennsylvania and West Virginia. A straight New England ticket will be strong, but a VP from one of these other regions will be stronger.

It won't be Edwards, either.

[dorktv]

10. Has to be someone people can trust to be president though.

[Cat Lewis]

15. What think...

...about Richardson?

[dorktv]

17. That would be funny...

[0rganism]

37. Lots of New Mexicans would welcome the chance...

...to be rid of Governor Richardson. Sending him back to Washington DC as the veep would be one effective method of doing so.

[NNN0LHI]

8. I think it may have something to do with "cockroaches"? n/t

[dorktv]

11. That is not the original question...I never asked if Kerry would

want Dean, I asked why it would be stupid for the two New Englanders.

[NNN0LHI]

13. No. You asked "Why is it stupid to have a Kerry/Dean ticket?"

I answered your question.

Don

[dorktv]

16. I explained my point in the text...Or did you not read that?

This text box here is where I put it.

[LuminousX]

12. They don't compliment each other

We need to team that will be able to work together well. I think Dean will be able to campaign for Kerry well enough, but administratively, I just don't see them working well together.

[dorktv]

14. Yeah because Dean would be better at it.

Then again, Dean's only job would be to break ties in the Senate.

[Fleshdancer]

18. I would looooove a Dean vs. Cheney debate eom.

[dorktv]

20. At least then Dean would not look like a bully beating up a mental

midget.

[goodhue]

19. its not just the south

Kerry/Dean could likely loose mid-west OH, MI, MO, MN, WI etc.

[LastRobot]

21. It would be the politically safest place to put Dean

Just like how Republicans figured they'd be able to keep an eye on T.R. if McKinley picked him as VP.

:-)

[cosmokramer]

30. Bwaaaahahahahahahahh.

The most politically safe place to put Dean is back as a country doctor in Vermont.

[Duder]

23. It would be bold & gutsy...

Which aren't normal Kerristics.

[cosmokramer]

31. It would be stupid...

...which is definitely not a Kerry characteristic.

[Duder]

32. Naw, stupid would be not competing in Iowa

Actually, the ticket has some merit because Dean covers for some of Kerry's perceived weaknesses.

[cosmokramer]

38. Perceived weaknesses?

hahahahaha

Dean offers NOTHING to a Kerry ticket, or anyone else's for that matter.

But if the Kerry campaign needs someone to show up and judge the pig calling contests in Iowa, I am sure he would send Dean.

[cosmokramer]

39. No, Stupid is spending $40 million dollars trying to 'buy' Iowa.

Can't buy votes, and he certainly couldn't buy the Presidency.

It still gives me chuckles that someone who was supposed to be 'fiscally conservative' blew through $50 million dollars trying to buy an election.

LOL

[sangh0]

46. You are not helping

.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

25. From what I can tell, they hate each others' guts

So it's not so much a stupid idea as a completely unrealistic one.

Usually when the running mate is announced, there's a big photo op where the two individuals in question come out and, with big beaming smiles on their faces, join hands and hold them aloft in a symbol of unity and combined power, not unlike the Wonder Twins. I can't imagine the two of them sharing a stage together, much less touching each other, and certainly not smiling when they do it.

My impression is that there is NO LOVE LOST between those two.

[mzmolly]

26. Id love to see it, but I don't think it will happen. I think it's more

likely to be Kerry/Richardson?

[RetroLounge]

27. Screw the SOuthern Strategy.

Of course, Kerry would never pick Dean. That would be considered BOLD and we can't be having that.

of course, if he did, I would just love to see all the crow eaten by the Dean bashing Kerry supporters. Their heads would explode.

That alone would make me vote for Kerry, and support him, and send him money. and send him more money.

RL

[cosmokramer]

28. It is a stupid ticket...

...because it is a losing ticket.

Kerry, and any democrat who actually wants to win in November, wouldn't touch Dean with a ten foot poll.

Forget that he is from New England. Forget that he is left of center.

None of that is why--it is because of who Dean is: a bad politician, a bad speaker prone to a gaff a day, with poor temperment. Yeah, real appealing to Joe Average democrat.

[madfloridian]

45. That is sad to see someone be that insulting to another person.

I never said a word about Clark, and I wouldn't. I find what you said is thoroughly off base, out of line, and very sad.

Everyone keeps talking about all of us coming together, and this is hardly the way to encourage it.

But if it made you feel better, that is good.

I make no effort to defend Dean at this site anymore, but no one here cares at all. But I never insulted others. I take some pride in that.

Oh, well.

[Vladimir]

29. Because Dean is damaged goods

Kerry wants to win, so he wants momentum. You don't build momentum by picking Dean as your running mate, after his humiliation in the primaries. You'd see all the crap that brought Dean down recycled, all the anger issues etc...

V

[WI_DEM]

33. lets see

Reagan picked Bush who he defeated in the primaries. Kennedy picked Johnson who challenged him for the nomination. Clinton choose Gore who had lost primaries in 1988. Dole choose Kemp who had not done well in the primaries. Just because you lose some primaries doesn't mean you have no appeal or can add substance to a ticket--and if rumors are correct Kerry is seriously considering Gephardt who came in a very poor fourth in Iowa and dropped out of the race.

[Vladimir]

35. However

lets take Gephardt for example... he lost and did badly yeah. But no-one in the media really cared, because he never had any momentum anyhow. The difference with Dean is that he had momentum, and was very publically seen to lose it - its not that he lost as such, more how he lost.

He would appeal to the base, but most Dean voters will vote Kerry anyhow from all I've read. For the swing voters though, there is too much ammo there... unlike with Gephardt or say Edwards.

V

[cosmokramer]

40. 'Damaged' doesn't begin to describe it...

...just a plain ol' BAD candidate.

[NoPasaran]

44. But a good DEMOCRAT

No question about that.

[goodhue]

34. midwest

[littlejoe]

36. First off, the two aren't a good fit. Secondly, Dean couldn't pull

very many votes for the ticket, and last, but not least, Dean will NEVER be able to shake the public's perception of the howling madman.

Other than that, he would make a good choice.

[Indiana Democrat]

42. Stupid? I don't know. Out of the question? Yes.

Senator Kerry wants to WIN! He won't be chosing Dean.

43. because all of us political junkies would get completely confused

:evilgrin:

[Dying Eagle]

47. there are a thousand arguments

I don't think it will be that strategic. I think Kerry will pick a friend, someone he can get along with. 4 years with someone you don't like wouldn't work out to good.