Would Evan Bayh for VP make red states more competitive?

[ringmastery]

http://www.indystar.com/articles/9/121273-5829-009.html

Larry Sabato, a political analyst and professor at the University of Virginia, puts Bayh at the top of his list of vice presidential possibilities.

The reason is as simple as red and blue, Sabato explained.

On Election Night 2000, Indiana -- where the polls close at an early 6 p.m. -- was the first of the states carried by Bush and colored in as red on television network maps. States Gore carried were filled in as blue.

Sabato said he has a gut feeling that with Bayh on the ticket "he would convert a very red Bush state to a blue state."

There are, Sabato said, lots of potential candidates for vice president, "but there aren't many who can actually help."

Bayh, Sabato said, could be dispatched to campaign in only three states -- Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, all carried by Bush in 2000.

"If (Bayh) turns those states," Sabato said, "no way Bush can win. It's literally over."

[SadEagle]

1. He would probably make blue states more competitive.

eom

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

9. beat me to it!

He'd put California in a three-way play with the Greens and the GOP with the majority.

[dave29]

2. No he'd just make the Democratic Party

Redder

[ibegurpard]

3. Want to alienate a whole lot MORE angry people?

Put Bayh on the ticket.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. Bayh

is against so many fo the things that make a Democrat a Democrat though...it would be really hard for me to vote for a ticket with him on it.

[mndemocrat_29]

5. My biggest problem with Bayh

Is his Senate seat. With the Democrats having a small (yet real) chance at winning back that chamber, can Bayh run for both VP and the Senate at the same time (ala Lieberman)? More importantly, can he win both?

Unlike, Lieberman, Joe Kernan is the governor and would presumably appoint Bayh's replacement (Rep. Baron Hill? Lt. Gov. Katherine Davis? Joe Andrew?) and that would stay in Democratic hands, if Bayh wins.

[ringmastery]

6. yes, he can run for both

Asked whether he'd take advantage of that Indiana law to run for both Senate and vice president -- as U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut did in the 2000 race as Al Gore's running mate -- Bayh demurred.

"The situation is highly unlikely to occur, but in the unlikely event it should happen, we will deal with it when the time comes," he said.

[mndemocrat_29]

16. However, Bayh would be running with the knowledge that

a Democrat would replace him (Gov. Kernan could select a Democrat, probably Rep. Baron Hill or Mayor Bart Peterson).

[Sticky]

7. Heard him on CNN the other day....

thought he was a Republican!

[ringmastery]

8. He would combat the Kerry Massachusetts liberal stuff

It would balance the ticket and reach out to independents and moderate republicans.

Kerry will still be boss. It's not like VP's do much once they are in office.

[sallyseven]

10. Gore was responsible

for a lot of Clinton's success. VP's can be a good thing or bad depending on the ego of the president.

[RainDog]

11. If Bayh were on a ticket

I'd have to hold my nose to vote.

He is widely perceived IN HIS HOME STATE as being more of a Bush suck up than Lugar, a republican!

Every day I keep trying to figure out a way to leave this country because even the dems make me sick, if Bayh is their idea of a good v.p.

Unfortunately, I'm broke and I have kids and I'm stuck here. If anyone gets tired of me saying I want to leave and would like to sponsor my emigration, I'll see if I can set up a paypal account.

I might as well stop voting if Bayh is the dems idea of a good candidate. Are the dems SOOOO out of touch that they don't realize that NO ONE who is not a fundie anti-abortion asshole will get the southern fundie vote??

I'm from the south, and dems are STUPID if they think they'll be able to win the racist southern vote without becoming the very thing the dem base abhors.

so you can alientate the base and say, well, they have no where else to go, but they can sit at home on election day too, rather than vote for yet another crappy sell out candidate.

[Auntie Bush]

12. Blyh is too Republican

He may get more Republican votes but he would lose more Democratic votes. Clark could bring more votes from both parties. He is the only to keep all the blue states and add more red states. When are people going to wise up?

[goobergunch]

13. Bad idea

Indiana hasn't gone blue since 1964 - all this will do is cause those of us who aren't enamoured with Kerry already to take a hike.

[funky_bug]

14. It might cinch up Indiana

My mom is a die-hard Republican, and she loves Evan Bayh. He has quite a following in that red state.

[saltpoint]

15. Here in Indiana --

-- Bayh is what some posters here say he is -- a conservative Democrat.

But he's not a Republican.

I've heard him speak around the state since he was in college. I'd vote for his dad for president, but that time is past. Evan Bayh would make Indiana competitive so long as Bush's numbers stay as low as they are. In presidential elections lately, Indiana goes red, but Bayh could tilt the balance, arguably.

I'm not persuaded Indiana and Missouri will go red this time. I think the Repukes know their numbers are down.

Bayh would clearly help in Ohio (which we WILL carry in 04, no matter the treasonous shrew Ann Coulter says), and in Illinois next door (although we're already favored there).

He wouldn't do that much damage in the South and he would be appealing to Arizona Democrats who trend right-of-platform.

He has a beautiful wife and two twins -- I forget how old they are, but they're media-friendly folks.

If Terry phones me and gives me first crack at the ticket, I pass on Bayh, but if our nominee chooses him, I support the ticket.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Look at it this way

Would the Republicans nominate Jim Jeffords or Mark Hatfield for VP in order to appeal to the blue states?

Get all the blue states again (which shouldn't be hard) and work like hell for the swing states (which should be easier than before, especially by concentrating on economic issues and avoiding wedge issues, now that voters know what it's like under a Bush administration), and the hardcore red states can go stuff themselves.