How can Bayh even be suggested for VP?

[ButterflyBlood]

I'm ABB in the VP case as well. Anyone But Bayh. Kerry has no chance in Indiana regardless of who's on the ticket. Bayh won't help in any other states, or bring in any voters. He'd just turn off the liberals. What advantages does he have? Who's the idiot in the DNC who even brought him up?

[bluestateguy]

1. i don't see it

It won't deliver Indiana, it would only boost Nader's stock and he's rather boring. In 2000, Patty Ireland vetoed Bayh for Al Gore's choice for VP. I'm not worried about it.

[LynzM]

2. Hey, I'm in Indiana winning people one by one!

LOL- still doesn't mean Kerry can carry the state. 6 million is a lot, one at a time...

I agree, Bayh isn't a good choice.

[eileen from OH]

3. Hey, I'm with ya - no argument here

Bayh is a pretty face in a nice suit - kinda a John Edwards minus substance and depth.

If you look to the midwest for a VP candidate, one need look no further than Dick Durbin. I would really, really, REALLY hate to lose his voice in the Senate, but he is my personal choice for the #2 spot.

eileen from OH

[JI7]

5. Kerry has appointed Durbin to high post at the DNC

and durbin and kerry probably attract the same base. kerry needs someone who will appeal to those outside of those who already support him. someone who can appeal to conservative leaning voters. so far john edwards has shown he can do it. i think kerry should go with a southerner.

[eileen from OH]

8. From what I've read

especially during the primaries, Edwards is NOT that particularly popular in the South, and there are even doubts he could carry his own state. I'm not one to say "screw the South" but I also think that shoring up the midwest rather than agonizing over the South, might be the way to go. (But, don't get me wrong - I really, really like Edwards. He was my #2 choice after Dean. I may be the only Dem in the entire world that saw him fitting the #1 slot, much better than the #2.)

And I do disagree that Durbin and Kerry attract the same base. The Midwest relates to Kerry about as much as I relate to sushi (as in, not at all.) Durbin could help in Ohio (much more than any VP candidate, except for Gephardt) not just by dint of his home state, but by virtue of his plain-spoken manner which means a lot 'round here.

eileen from OH

[JI7]

10. a lot of republicans and other conservatives voted for Edwards

that's one of the reasons he moved up in wisconsin which had an open primary. if only democrats could vote, kerry would have won easily by a large amount. and i agree that edwards can't gaurantee his own state, but i think the fact that he attracts conservatives can help kerry. even if he can just get a few of them to vote for the ticket, in states with close races it can make a difference. even in ohio the race is either tied or kerry leading with a few points. and this is without a vp named yet.

but durbin should be considered for vp just because he comes across well in speaking on the issues. while many on here do not like tom daschle i would compare durbin to him in that they both come across in a way where it's hard to paint them as a "bad guy". even if you disagree with them on the issues it's tough to not like them as a person.

with john kerry those who get to know him love him very much. this is why he did so well in iowa. he got to actually go directly to the people and they got to meet the real man and not just see him as the "northeastern elitist liberal" stereotype. while i want him to go to the people as much as he can like he did in iowa, it will not be possible to cover all parts of the country so he will need some help to fight the perception pushed by media on him. and the vp will help here.

[JohnKleeb]

21. I like Durbin a whole lot but I think Edwards may be interestingly

useful in the north. Durbin would be great.

[dansolo]

26. You have no clue about Dick Durbin.

While Kerry was agreeing with George Bush on the Iraq invasion, Durbin voted against it, even though he was also running for re-election. While Kerry was silent while the Republicans ran roughshod over the Democrats, Durbin has been fighting back. Durbin has a spine, Kerry doesn't. They would not attract the same base, and Kerry probably doesn't want someone who wouldn't defend his pro-Iraq invasion policy as VP. I want Durbin to stay in the Senate. With Durbin and (most likely) Obama, Illinois will have one of the most progressive set of Senators of any state.

[JI7]

27. get over yourself

most don't vote as you do. most didn't see kerry as agreeing with bush just because he voted for iwr. and there are a lot more votes than just iwr. and kerry won many votes from those who were anti iraq war such as myself and ted kennedy. overall durbin and kerry do attract the same base. it doesn't mean every single person who supports one will support the other but that most would. the primary voters voted for kerry and obama in illinois.

[JI7]

4. to balance the massachusettes liberal image, and he is young

kerry might want someone who is young and therefore likely to run for president after his term is over. not sure what he can bring other than an attempt to balance the massachusettes liberal image. but john edwards can help in this area also.

also, there are a few bayh for vp supporters and they claim polls show kerry/bayh ticket leading in indiana. but i think they are just saying this to try to get bayh to be vp. bayh doesn't have too many supporters on here, but the few who do support him are pretty intense at times. they don't come on here much though.

[skooooo]

6. Evan Bayh is a little Republican slut..

..who calls himself a democrat.

[LostInAnomie]

7. I'm from Indiana too...

Bayh was a great 2 term governor, and very popular in the state. That means he has executive experience, something that Kerry lacks. I know people in the northern half of the state like him a lot more than the southern half (where I am from).

He is charismatic in his own way, you just have to listen to him for awhile. I'm not sure that he could bring in Indiana for Kerry though. I have been trying to convert people down here as fast as I can though.

On personal merits I think he is a very strong candidate (very intelligent, well spoken, attractive to female voters, left IN in very good fiscal shape after leaving the governors office, hasn't been a senator very long so doesn't have much of a record to expose, etc...). On political merits he wouldn't be very strong (IN doesn't have a lot of electoral votes, wouldn't be able to attract minority votes, not very well known, etc...)

I think he could be a good candidate in the future but not right now. We need a huge draw for 2004 and he would not be it.

[LiberalFighter]

16. Us Northerners...

don't especially think much of bayh. He tends to ignore his constituents. VERY SLOW in responding to mail and messages.

[flaminbats]

9. Alot can change during the convention..

Evan Bayh would not be my first choice as a running mate, but I think he could help Kerry in both Indiana and Ohio. If Kerry cannot win Ohio and maybe Indiana in this election, then where will he win?

[ButterflyBlood]

11. He won't help Kerry in Ohio

Just because Ohio borders Indiana doesn't mean they are at all similar politically, or that Bayh is well known and popular there. It's like saying a VP from California will help in Arizona. If anything Bayh will hurt Kerry in Ohio since his DLC free-trade views go against the majority of Democrats there.

Indiana hasn't gone Dem since 1964. There are plenty of states Kerry can win before there, and it would take a lot more than Bayh as VP for him to do it.

[flaminbats]

17. A better analogy would be Arizona and New Mexico..

picking a running mate from Arizona could also increase Kerry's support in Nevada and Colorado. Indiana may not have gone Dem since 1964, but Goldwater also became the first Republican in political history to carry Georgia. Since 1964 Democrats have only won Georgia in three Presidential elections out of ten. In two of those three elections Georgia supported Jimmy Carter.

I believe that our political future is determined by those who set the trends, not those who follow them. The real question is how can Democrats win in this century without support from the south?

[The Messenger]

12. Vice Presidential Preference Poll

In our community Sozadee CA, Bayh has no spokespersons, and no votes in our Vice-Presidential Preference Poll. General Wesley Clark is way ahead. It's easy to sign-up, speak up, & vote!

[newyawker99]

13. Hi The Messenger!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kanary]

14. How? Because the Party has been infiltrated with

the reich wing, who is coming up with all kinds of subversive plots.

Just like they have with environmental and other groups.

Kanary

[Finch]

15. Bayh my second choice after Edwards...

Evan Byah, Senator and former Governor IN, probably the top choice after Edwards imho…I did think that he was wooden and uninspiring however recently what I have heard from him has been good and has impressed me, this has effectively removed my biggest objection to him (lack of charisma) as Kerry’s VP… I now think he would be a very good choice for Kerry however I would still argue that Edwards overall was the better choice… some points concerning Bayh…


.Not as charismatic as some of the other potential VPs, but has a straight forward and “common sense” style of speaking that many swing voters would reach well to, he is also an effective (if not awe inspiring) debater perfectly capable of taking on Cheney and holding him in check.

.A Moderate who balances Kerry well, selecting Byah with such a principled record of moderation and standing up to both the GOP and the left of the Democratic Party would add flesh to Kerry claims on issues such as taxation and national security, With Bayh as a running mate Kerry’s positions on tax and defence would seem all the stronger and republican attacks all the more ill thought out.

. From the Midwest with a proven ability of winning elections in a strongly republican state, Indiana is also a very rural state and appealing to rural voters (who have not generally prospered under Bush) who be a very sensible thing for Kerry and the democrats to attempt to do. Bayh would also assist Kerry in winning over “floating voters” in other Midwestern states such as Ohio and Wisconsin as well as other states such as Pennsylvanian and West Virginia especially amongst those suburban moderates who’s minds are as yet not made up. Another interesting point, position wise I think that Bayh would be the VP (along with Edwards on the grounds of charisma) best suited to helping Kerry win in NH by boosting Kerry positions on the essential issues of Tax and Defence.

I still stick by Edwards as far far better, but Bayh would be a good choice, after him I'd place the candidates in order of feasibility as Mark Warner (D-VA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) amd then those who have a shot but really aren’t great choices imho John Breaux (D-LA) Dick Gephardt (D-MO) Bill Richardson (D-NM)

[jsw_81]

18. "Who's the idiot in the DNC who even brought him up?"

Yeah, what were they thinking? A young, charismatic, moderate Democrat who has won repeatedly in a Republican state shouldn't even be considered for vice president. </sarcasm>

[ibegurpard]

19. was it you?

:shrug:

[jsw_81]

25. I'm an idiot?

You're the one still displaying a losing candidate's sign as your avatar. How sad.

[shivaji]

20. Bayh is very good choice because...........

he is the most conservative politician of stature
out there who will bring a balance to the northeast
liberal stamped Kerry.

[salonghorn70]

22. Anyone From Indiana? Please Comment

It seems that I read that Bayh has a super organization in Indiana.Is that true? It seems that the story even suggested that if Bayh were the VP, then he would carry his nuts and bolts organization to other midwestern states.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

23. Kerry/Bayh or Bush/Cheney? RNC/DLC? No wonder I'm voting Green.

And, people here ask why so many Democrats are going to be voting Green/Nader/Sitting it out.

The repugs and Dems all now share "one big tent".

[Hippo_Tron]

24. We need Bayh in the senate

I don't think he will come even close to guaranteeing us a single state and that seat will go straight to the Republicans if Bayh goes for VP.