Why Kerry is considering Gephardt...

[ALago1]

Aside from foreign affairs in Iraq and other "War on Terror" battlegrounds, the main issues in this election will be domestic ones; more specifically, each party will try and convince the people that either the economy is on the mend (from the republicans) or the economy is in shambles (from the democrats).

How would the Democrats best prove that the economy is in shambles? By hammering Bush on the outsourcing issue. Argue that his free trade policies have caused a substantial amount of our national production to move overseas.

As a remedy to this, offer how Dick Gephardt has always fought against such free trade policies and that Kerry and him vow to protect American industry once again...while simultaneously exposing Bush as a fervent free trade ideologue.

This is my personal opinion on why Kerry is considering Gep. so strongly...

[still_one]

1. he chooses gephardt he will lose for sure

gephardt not only is an appologist for bush, but hi stand on the war is a no go

[David Dunham]

Because most Americans think Gephardt is qualified to be President

Just like they thought that of Gore in 1992.

[AntiCoup2K4]

9. Yeah, that's why he's done so well in all his previous attempts...

Fuck Gephardt. He's a backstabbing weasel. Hope you have a nice retirement, DICK.

[apnu]

2. Because the DLC is still convinced they can't win against Chimpy

... And Kerry has had a high-ranking DLC moron "inserted" into his campaign. I'm not kidding.... the Democrats want a fight, the DNC wants a fight, the independents want a fight, but the DLC wants a token showing -- they've written off '04 and are looking at Hillary in '08.

Gep will kill us... sorry Gep... but you need to go home and sit this one out.

[LandOLincoln]

4. You are spouting pure RW horse pucky,

and I think you know it.

[cyr330]

3. uggh

I cannot stomach Dick Gephardt, but of course nothing will prevent me from voting for Kerry in November. AT this point, I would vote for Kerry even if he had Fat Ass Limbbaugh as his running mate. We MUST get rid of the chimpanzee!

[ALago1]

6. I can't stomach him either

I by no means want Kerry to pick him. I would prefer either Clark or Edwards. Still, I can see a sort or rationale behind the whole serious consideration of Gephardt...

[fryguy]

5. Gephardt is a bad idea

I don't think its wise to pick anyone who was in the race earlier. They will be coming in tarnished already and will have undoubtedly said something along the way about Kerry that will be regurgitated and replayed over and over again by the repukes.....

[Malva Zebrina]

7. no way--Gephart is a has been.

most people view him as such.

I will not forget his appearance in the Rose garden alongside Lieberman as both stooped to kiss Bush's ass. I am not the only one to remember this opportunistic coup over Dashcle.

No way. This man is a has been and a wannabee.

He should refuse. He is NOT good for the ticket.

[Warpy]

11. He's a staunch labor supporter

..which is why he collected so many union endorsements.

However, I do think it would be a big blunder to have him as the second spot on the ticket. I'd much rather see him as Sec. of Labor.

He would be great in that spot.

[Atman]

8. Gephardt would be THE WORST choice!

Terrible. America does not want Bush, but it doesn't want to hand over the reigns to two stone-dead boring life-long policy wonks either. Gephardt and Kerry...boring and boringer.

[sidwill]

10. NO

NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO

Gephart is weeeeaaaaaaakkkkkkkk.

Clark or Edwards or lose.

To sum up: Gep weak-win with Clark or Edwards.

[Nicholas_J]

Neither Edwards or Clark

CAn deliver up the labor support that Kerry has not been given so far, and desperately needs to broaden his lead even more.

Plus as I noted, Gephardt has a longer history of public service, and has been subjust to media scutiny for many years with NOTHING touching him

WIth Clark,the uisues that led to his resignation as Supreme Commmander of NATO will be easily used against him, plus likely unknown stuff about his actions in Kosovo an the Balkans.

Edwards short political history will also bring the likelihood of the Republicans finding and effectively using something from Edwards past. Anyone in politics has a past, and to get support to run for office frequently has to do some dirty things to get into office. Gephardts dirt has been exposed, The surface of bith Clark and Edwards pasts have barely been scratched.

Gephardt is safe from the dirt being made into mud for slinging, and can deliver much more support from oranized labor than the others can deliver.

No matter what people think about some recent decisions Gephardt made over Iraq, Edwards was pretty much on the same page as Gephardt, and Clarks past performance as a military commander makes his statements about what he would have done and will do in Iraq rather suspect, as his past record as a peacemaker doesnt resonate witrh his stance on Iraq.

In the end, Gephardt is the one choice that Kerry can make that brings the greatest chance of taking the White House. Gephardt is not only well respected, but extremely well likes in Congress.

It is fairly much the case that Gephardt is one of the most liked and respected figures in Congress, atl least among his peers. No one can recall anyone in Congress. "disliking" Gephardt.

He has a long and honorable history of championing and fighting for every liberal cause in Congress, and is pretty much a as uch a liberal populist as Kerry is a Liberal Libertarian. This balances the ticket off better than the other two choices.

Gephardts actual politic recors is pretty much as liberal as Edwards, and on the whole his lifetime rating is admirably liberal.

He is likely the candidate to be chosen by Kerry, the more I look at the course the opposition will take to attack the running mate.

[shimmergal]

25. I agree. Not too many other voters

have the tolerance for boring "policy-speak" that we political junkies do.

Like it or not, most voters like a snappy speaker, optimism, and personality. Clark, Dean, and Edwards all have varying degrees of these qualities. Gephart has none, and it's no accident that he lost his very first test with the voters in this election. He's an admirable man in many ways, but I'd rather see him as Secretary of Labor than as a losing VP candidate.

[IconoclastIlene]

12. whatever the reason

Seems like another Lieberman in the making.

[Old and In the Way]

13. Better 'n Lieberman....and Zell Millar, too.

That said, I think he could do a lot better.

[LSK]

14. Because he wants to loose

I cant think of ANY good reason. Gep is NOT PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL.

[Leilani]

15. I hope he does not choose Gephardt

but there are reasons he might:

1.Of all candidates, I have heard many times Kerry likes Gep most
2.Most important Veep requirement, ready to take over
3.He is supposedly squeaky clean, no skeletons
4.He is road tested..he is solid, no excitement, but no mistakes
5.Midwest

He is the safest pick, but the most uninspiring.

[bushwakker]

16. Gephardt could be president right now

He is good man. Experienced, intelligent and articulate. No he does not have pizzazz - but people can see him as assuming the presidency if he had to. I like Geppy.

[Padraig18]

17. I wouldn't lie awake at night, if Gephardt became President.

I don't like the man, frankly, but he would not cause me to lie fearfully awake in bed at night, were he to become President.

[Nicholas_J]

18. A lot of reasons

Gephardt has a 30 year history as a political figure. There will be no sudden surprises about his past that will rear their ugly head to be used against the democratic ticket by Bush Co, who have shown themselves to be nastier than most republicans at unfair and innacurate interpretations of past events.

Then, the Teamsters want Gephardt. They made that very clear in their meeting with Kerry recently. Gephardt can deliver Teamster support for certain. That is a big delevery. He can also likely delever Missouri, where Bush is ahead, but even Republican analysts have indicated that A Kerry/ Gepahrdt Ticket wouldlose bush that state, and perhaps swing Iowa over to Kerry as well. The other choice cannot deliver as much to Kerry, as well as being a safe political choice with little dirt under his nails that can be wetted down to sling as mud.

[kodi]

19. he'd make a better vp than vp candidate

kerry winning the white house is only the first step. he has to govern then.

kerry picking gephardt would signal to bush that kerry is looking past the election and is focusing in on governing.

gephardt of all the potential candidates is the one with the most experience with congress. his 30 years in congress as a member and more recently a house leader gives gephardt a unique background to help kerry get his administration policies thru a hostile congress.

and that is the point. it is of little value to hold the white house if that power can not be translated effectively into policy successes.

if there is someone better than gephardt who can help kerry get 2, 3 or even 4 justices appointeed to the supreme court, i do not know of him/her.

the attacks on gephardt coming from some on the left are little different than the gop attacks on kerry's votes in congress; both criticisms are based upon selective misrepresentations of their records as a legislators.

fianally, gephardt has a strong relationship with labor, seniors, and he has fought in congress all his career to suport programs that are attractive to the voter segment in the rust belt and mid-west that kerry needs to capture ohio, michigan, and pennsylvania.

gephardt would be the strongest labor supporter to hold either the vp or pres position since mondale.

but most of all, i consider gephardt a good man who has not thought of making himself rich on the backs of the people, and in matters of true importance, i trust gephardt to do the right things.

[Padraig18]

20. The problem Gephardt has is this:

He was such a nasty little PRICK during his run this year that he has alienated a LOT of folks who supported other candidates. If he should become the VP nominee, he'd better get knee pads and get used to wearing them, because he has a LOT of 'sucking up' to do to get back into the good graces of a lot of Dems.

[k in IA]

24. I agree totally. Why do people think he could bring Missouri?

I had heard that his getting re-elected to the House might be tough.

He stood up there with * to support the war which cut off most of the debate in Congress.

If one of the main issues is Iraq, he is the wrong choice! He will alienate all the people that were against the war from the beginning.

Of course, he alienated all the Dean supporters but it seems that it is a lot more than just us that are screaming Please, God NOOO!

[doubles]

21. Kerry knows he will lose if he picks Gephardt. I will then be convinced

we definitely are not a Democracy and that some higher power the public knows nothing of controls these elections for the benefit of national security.

[AntiCoup2K4]

22. some higher power the public knows nothing of??

No, we know of them. They're called neocon shitbag traitors of PNAC/PPI.

And though "national security" would indeed be their rationalization, their agenda has never, nor will never be about that. Well, not THIS nation's security, anyway.

[incapsulated]

23. There was actually a good point..

Made on Tweety's show tonight.

That if Kerry gets a solid lead, like 10 points, he may go with a "safe" vp pick like Gep, but if he dosen't he will go with someone who will generate exictement about the ticket.

Could be, makes some sense.

[Awsi Dooger]

26. We can't afford a laughingstock ticket

Perception becomes reality. And I can just imagine what Jay Leno, etc. would do to a Kerry/Gephardt ticket.

The perpetual dull and duller jokes would surrender at least one point nationally, before the casual voters even got a chance to evaluate for themselves.

Last week's SNL featured that "hello to boring in 1.8 seconds" line, regarding Kerry and Chris Matthews. You can cut that time lag in half if Gephardt is idiotically identified for VP.