ABC News just reported Kerry asked McCain to be VP

[Rick Myers]

OFFICIALLY....

And McCain said no...

Just on the news from Peter Jennings!!! :wtf:

[David Dunham]

1. Bad news for Kerry because it leaked out.

[tandot]

2. Kerry knew that McCain would say NO, but he is showing those moderate

Republicans that he is willing to compromise.

[David Dunham]

5. I think it still hurts Kerry. It makes a Dem picked look 2nd rate.

[Demobrat]

16. Second rate and second choice

to a goddamn Republican.

[wryter2000]

32. Yup

It was great as a dig at the repugs, but actually doing it was a bad, bad idea. Now it looks as if Kerry isn't good enough for McCain. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

[lancdem]

19. I don't think it matters, frankly

I know a number of people, Dems in fact, who would've been thrilled with a Kerry-McCain ticket. To be honest, DU is probably not a good barometer of how Dems at large, and moderates, would react. The fact that Kerry even reached out to a Repub who's widely respected is a smart move in my book.

[agingdem]

25. I agree....

this works a few ways...Kerry sticks it to Bush in that he is willing to cross party lines to bring this country together...McCain sticks itto Bush for the 2000 primary.

[Beetwasher]

40. Thank You For the Sanity

So many just don't "get it"...It's a very smart and savvy PR move to let a story like this break, true or not...I'm glad this is making a news splash too and getting some attention...

[Lisa0825]

3. Yeah, I heard it too... I still think it's a STOOPID idea.

Maybe he was counting on him saying no, and figuring it would at least look like an olive branch to moderate pubs.

[MikeG]

4. Kerry should fire his campaign manager.

Inept!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

12. Why? Because some are gullible enough to believe Jennings? nt

[MikeG]

18. For letting this fucking happen.

In case you haven't realized this is a death match.
The other side are psychopaths.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. Kerry can't stop the media from lying - welcome to the real world.

duh. The problem isnt that the media lies - it's that so many folks are so stupid and gullible that they believe them.

[Cocoa]

26. but we can choose to be a little more skeptical

with all the discussion here about the media whores, people sure are quick to play along by believing and propagating dubious stories.

[Cheswick2.0]

47. Jennings is generally one of the good guys

he is far from a mediawhore.

[Tomee450]

66. Has Kerry or any of his people denied this?

I would feel a lot better if Kerry came out and said he never asked McCain to be his vice president. I have watched McCain for years and he just not fit in with the Democratic Party. He is a staunch Republican. I will be quite upset if its true that Kerry wanted McCain on the ticket with him. I have never felt comfortable with Kerry;now I am more uncomfortable.

[MikeG]

27. They have no control over their party.

Some asshole bigmouth Democrat talked to the media.
Or they wouldn't have run it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

41. They can't stop you from spreading a lie,

any more than they can stop Peter Jennings from doing so.


Just how are you suggesting they 'control' you?

[MikeG]

42. Do you have any idea how much I wish it wasn't true?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

74. That is irrelevant to the fact that it isn't true.

Whether or not you believe this lie, I don't know, all I know is that you are spreading it.

Why? Why are you spreading a right-wing lie?

[Bread and Circus]

64. Why can't Kerry do the honorable thing and come out and deny this.

Him letting it drag on and on would be just as bad
as crawling on hands/knees to McCain.

This is a political and pathetic display on Kerry's part.

Sorry, but Kerry F'd up big time.

[in_cog_ni_to]

72. I AGREE!

He's probably not denying it because it's true. :grr:

[Cocoa]

6. Jennings also said Bush wasn't AWOL

and here's a report that contradicts him on this:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/2004-06-11-mccain-reject-kerry_x.htm

Both officials said Kerry stopped short of offering McCain the job, sparing himself an outright rejection that would make his eventual running mate look like a second choice.

"Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one," said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.

[Scoopie]

52. Yep...

and attacked Clark for it at the Faux News debate.

That was the WORST debate if you were a Clark fan. They never asked him a question - just stupid shit, "Are you a Republican" (twice!) and about the AWOL thing.

I have a degree in communications and worked as a newspaper journalist for 12 years. I've been out of the profession for about three and it sickens me to see how far it's gone downhill since all the consolidation happened (about five years ago, when I went from full time to freelancing).

I love my profession and this bunch of sh*t makes me ill. I can understand an unnamed source in a matter of life and death, but over a VP selection? Silly! Preposterous!

[LittleApple81]

7. I thought Kerry had said some weeks ago he did not do it. WTF?????

[MikeG]

8. Its that stupid fucking poll that came out.

[Gloria]

9. If I were Wes Clark, I 'd tell him to go find someone else to

explain the state of the world on TV for him.............unless, this is all part of a greater plan..............to indicate he's thinking along the lines of another high profile vet..

But...Wes Clark as a "second choice?" It's insulting.

This bullshit is beginning to get to me.

[buff2]

20. It's getting to me too.

There's hardly a day goes by when he's not making negative news for himself. A repuke would NEVER lower themselves to ask a "democrat" to be on their ticket. They think they are so much more above a dem....it would be unheard of. Democrats just keep embarrassing the hell out of the rest of us. I'm on the brink of forgetting about politics,elections or whatever.It's not worth all the aggravation of fighting to keep the dems on our side. I'm so angry over this...what a stupid dumbass thing for Kerry to do! :grr:

[lancdem]

23. He didn't ask a Repub to be on the ticket

"Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one," said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.

[Cheswick2.0]

48. Is Clark 2nd choice?

I didn't hear that Clark had been asked too.

[Renew Deal]

10. Hmmm, I bet it's true.

The poll numbers are very good for a ticket with McCain. The people want it.

[Tomee450]

67. What people?

Right wing Republicans won't vote for Kerry even if McCain is on the ticket. If it's true that Kerry offered the post to McCain, he has angered a lot of Democrats. Does he want to win so bad that he would ignore all of the capable Democrats that are available. He may well lose some votes as people begin to take a more negative view of him.

[lancdem]

11. He did not ask McCain to be VP

He asked him to consider it, and he said no. This is nothing more than a strategy to embarrass Bush. There was never any chance McCain would be VP.

[Gloria]

36. No matter if this is true or not, even asking McCain "to consider"

was going to far. This is all getting just too cute for words and eventually Kerry will get bitten if the game gets too complicated...

This sort of thing just sucks up air...

[Tomee450]

68. If it's a stragedy,

it's a bad one. I hate game playing like this.

[LandOLincoln]

71. But that's what politics is all about, my friend. Always has been,

always will be.

However, I remain unconvinced that this latest brouhaha originated in the Kerry camp. To me anyway, it has Karl Rove's flabby damp handprints all over it--especially since his media tools are already snickering that Kerry didn't have the decency to wait 'til St. Reagan's body was cold before he tried to thrust himself back into the limelight.

I have to believe Kerry's a better player than that. I'd bet money--if I had any--that this didn't originate in the Kerry camp, although Stephanie Cutter's "no comment" does bother me, yes indeedy it does.

[ibegurpard]

73. And the continued flirtation with the idea

set them up quite nicely for it. Oh, but we peons were just supposed to sit here and marvel at the "brilliance" of it. I sincerely hope they've got more shit on Bush up their sleeve at the CIA.

[FlashHarry]

13. AP reported this earlier.

It was a dumb thing to do in the first place. Though, it did manage to keep Kerry's veep choice in the headlines for a while, which is a good thing.

[The Backlash Cometh]

14. NOOOOOO!!!

I'm not even a Democrat and I feel betrayed!

[buff2]

15. I would never vote for him if he had a repuke on the ticket.

The more Kerry does,the more disgusted I become. And to think I sent him $50 the other day. I won't send anymore to that phucking traitor! I despise that two faced bu$h loving McCain.How embarrassing is that to be turned down by a repuke who supports bu$h?Kerry's pride should be out the window right about now.Damn,why can't we for once have a candidate that's not in bed with repukes??? :argh:

[lancdem]

21. He did not offer McCain the VP position

Is no one here paying attention to the statement by McCain's spokesperson?

[buff2]

31. I read what was on this thread

I'm really sick of this Kerry/McCain rumor. :hi:

[LandOLincoln]

30. Get a grip. Not only is this old news, its obvious source is

Rove & his tools, and most definitely NOT the Kerry campaign.

It's too obvious: now that the Ronniefest is over, they're afraid Kerry's going to grab the next big news cycle by announcing his VP choice next week, and they're doing their best to step on it and to diminish his choice--especially if it's Wes Clark--by making him look like a poor second to Kerry's (alleged) true preference, John McCain.

When are some of you going to learn to recognize when you're being played?

[Scoopie]

53. That was my thought, as well, Land.

I think Wes is the VP nominee and the media - doing what they do best when they have someone they can't control - is making Clark look like "second best."
I honestly believe that.
I would have posted it here, earlier, but I didn't want to start a flame war.
I did post it on Clark's blog, though.
I think I came to that conclusion because it was Ron Fournier who first "reported" this. He's such a tool.

[Spazito]

17. McCain's spokesperson said NO ONE offered him the VP position..

"Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one," said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040611/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_mccain

As usual, Jennings acted as a reader rather than a newsman and didn't check his facts before going on air. Figures, he did that before when he messed up on AWOL.

[incapsulated]

28. It's a Non-Denial Denial

"Both officials said Kerry stopped short of offering McCain the job, sparing himself an outright rejection that would make his eventual running mate look like a second choice."

"Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one," said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.


So he didn't literally say: "John, will you be my running mate?" So McCain could deny he was ever "offered the vice presidency".

But he said something to make his intention clear, unless these "Demcratic officials" are lying. Why would they?

"Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter declined to comment."

[Cheswick2.0]

49. exactly..and this is why it is so idiotic

It makes it look like we can't win without a republican on the ticket. It makes it seem as if we don't believe strongly in democratic party principals. It makes it look as if there are no qualifed democrats who would be better.

And For God's sake, McCain is a conservative republican. Something happens to Kerry and we have elected a CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN.
This is not "strategically brilliant" as some people think...but rather incredibly insulting to loyal democrats and to the party as an organization.

[still_one]

22. The McCain camp said they were never offered the job

This is just BS from the shrill media

[RoundRockD]

29. The Washington Post is playing the same game

The headline is also misleading because a little down in the article it says that Kerry never offered McCain. It also quotes an "unknown" knowledgeable democrat which is questionable at best.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34742-2004Jun11.html

[JayS]

33. It's Friday...tell me that this story is positively and absolutely...

...BULLSH*T...even if it isn't. I want to have a nice weekend. :)

[LittleApple81]

34. Anybody here AN OFFICIAL WORKER WITH KERRY'S CAMPAIGN??

I want an answer, truthful answer. I am really offended if he really offered the VP to a REPUBLICAN!!!!!

[Gloria]

35. There is something smelly happening....could this be any way related

to the three stories that have come out of that reporter from the Boston paper?? One of them involved McCain, didn't it? And we just had another one the other day about how Kennedy supports Edwards......which is not true. Now this, again.

Frankly, I have my suspicions about some of the people who may have joined the Kerry campaign from another campaign.

[Old and In the Way]

37. I'll wait to hear Kerry's comments directly.

There's way too much political distortion coming from corporate media to accept this at face value. "Sources close to the campaign", don't count.

[izzie]

38. That is interesting if it is true.

McCain is better for us in congress and I do not want him on the ticket. He is a Republican even if of the old school. A real republican.We need him where he is.

[incapsulated]

39. THIS IS WHAT I WANT FROM KERRY

I want him to come out and call these "officials" liars. I want him to address their story directly, not through parsed words. I DON'T want to hear: "I did not ask John McCain to be my running mate" because that is NOT the allegation. The allegation is that he parsed his words in order to give them both deniability. The question is: did you say anything that could possibly be construed as your interest in him running with you?

I want to hear: "Not only have I not asked him directly, I have never said anything to John McCain that could be possibly be interpreted as the vaguest interest in his becoming my running mate. Your sources are wrong. Period."

I am sick of these fucking games. I do not like "games" that make it appear that the eventual Democrat that is chosen as VP is second choice to a goddamn Rethug.

Put this to bed once and for all or I have no choice but to assume there is truth to the story.

[salonghorn70]

43. Big Deal

Bush was second choice to Ford in 1980. It did not seem to hurt Reagan.

[incapsulated]

50. Ford wasn't a Democrat n/t

[jpgray]

44. What was Jennings's source? What did he say exactly?

If it was that Kerry asked McCain if he could 'consider' him, then it's old news. If it's that Kerry asked him straight 'be my VP?' then we have something new.

[cosmokramer]

45. STORY IS TOTALLY NOT TRUE....SEE BELOW

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/06/11/kerry.mccain.ap/index.html

'Kerry has asked McCain as recently as late last month to consider becoming his running mate, but the Arizona senator said he's not interested, said a Democratic official who spoke on condition of anonymity because Kerry has insisted that his deliberations be kept private.

A second official familiar with the conversations confirmed the account, and said the Arizona senator made it clear he won't change his mind.

Both officials said Kerry stopped short of offering McCain the job, sparing himself an outright rejection that would make his eventual running mate look like a second choice.

"Senator McCain categorically states that he has not been offered the vice presidency by any one," said McCain's chief of staff, Mark Salter, who would not confirm the officials' account.'

**He didn't offer McCain the spot--he only asked him if he was willing to be considered, as Edwards is being considered, as Clark is being considered, as many others are being considered. McCain refuses to be considered. What is the problem? This is the same 'look--I'm bipartisan' game Kerry has been trying to play for months--how does this article change things?

[jpgray]

46. Please put my comments in your own words next time

Or at least link to the thread you copied and pasted your post from. :hi:

(no worries, but I didn't intend that post to be a reply to this thread)

[cosmokramer]

54. So sorry, I forgot to paste the link...

...I certainly did not mean to cut and paste without it. Sorry if I offended...

[jpgray]

58. Don't worry about it

Just thought it might cause some unnecessary confusion--there are people here who have created 'sock-puppet' accounts, for example. Let's not have people thinking we're really the same person. :D

[incapsulated]

51. "Are you willing to be considered?"

How is this significantly different from offering him the job, other than to say he wouldn't know, for sure, right away? Yes, he is saying he will be put on a "list". But the point is, he is asking McCain, if he should be chosen from that list, to be his running mate.

These are word-games. You don't say "yes, I want to be on your list" without meaning: "yes, if you chose me, I will be your VP". You don't say: "Would you like to be on my list?" Without meaning: "I would like you to be my running mate if you are chosen from that list". It's the same thing, kramer. You don't put people on your short list for VP to for laughs.

[Protagoras]

55. But you might put people on your *short* list for PR reasons

and that, of course assumes that McCain was intended for a *short list.

Amazing how easy it is to spread unsubstantiated rumors from unnamed officials. Do we have a document, a tape, or even a semi-admission from Kerry or McCain that this happened? Watching the internet the last couple months I'd say if ANYTHING Kerry probably *explored the possibility among dozens of others because so darn many lemmings were talking about it...all fed by the weapons of mass distraction.

It was never going to happen...it isn't new News...but if we let it, I'm sure we can allow it to force us into a new tizzy where we do lots of damage to our own candidate by jumping at shadows.

When I see a statement from Kerry or McCain...or a tape or a memo...then I'll actually spend some emotional energy critiquing Kerry for it...till then I'll just ponder the ways in which News outlets try and manufacture new stories to fill the Hole left in the wake of Reagan memorials.

[incapsulated]

56. I'll tell you what we don't have

We don't have a denial. We have "no comment".

Look, any PR reasons for doing this that might be positive are outweighed by the negative and the negative spin the rethugs will use it for, as far as I am concerned.

"McCain REJECTS Kerry."

That doesn't look very good to me. It doesn't look very good for Democrats. And it makes the eventual running mate look like leftovers.

[Gloria]

59. Incapusulated, that's my take ....it's a nice setup for GOP spin

People read headlines or, for the most part, get their news from TV.


McCain REJECTS Kerry,,," ; McCain TURNS DOWN Kerry..." is NOT good PR.

Remember:

"Gore lied" ?? It becomes accepted fact when run over and over again on talk radio, TV, in the pundit columns, etc.

Look at the timing...Reagan over, 2 weeks until June 30 in Iraq, plenty of time to use it as a DIVERSION and paint Kerry as either having a confused campaign or being rejected by McCain...

The original rumor stirred speculation, wasn't harmful, and had pretty much run its course. Now, it's back with a totally different spin. And it's not a good spin...

Now the question is: who did this??

[LandOLincoln]

60. Jeez, Gloria, who do you THINK did it? Hint:

his initials are Karl Rove.

Please see my post #30 above, and Scoopie's response.

[jpgray]

57. Considering someone and choosing someone are two different things

I don't know how it can be put any plainer than that.

[Bread and Circus]

65. Because this is a big distraction....turns it into a circus....and

Kerry is letting it happen.

I know Kerry is a good "close-er", however he has
stumbled out of the blocks.

[fujiyama]

61. I'm not sure where the idea started

but Kerry should be smacked across the head for considering it.

It was a ridiculous idea from the begining...portraying democrats to be desperate for a republican to join the ticket.

Yeah, the headline, "McCain rejects Kerry" is great PR...

Was there any indication that McCain would switch? I remember in '01, right after Jeffords switched, Daschle was making several overtures toward McCain and he repeatedly said no.

Kerry should have known, good friend or not, McCain is a republican, and would not change parties (sure he wouldn't have technically changed parties, but it would have effectively ended any ties to the party).

BTW, I think Jennings is a prick, but there is also a story in the NYT about this: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/12/politics/campaign/12MCCA.html?hp

[ibegurpard]

62. "Yeah, the headline, "McCain rejects Kerry" is great PR..."

for McCain.

[Bread and Circus]

63. I got flamed mercilessly on DU for being less than happy with this....

Seems to me like Kerry made a huge goof and insulted
those who nominated him.

[DaveSZ]

69. "Death match"

True.

We're dealing with Big Brother here.

Check it out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1777091#

[Tom Rinaldo]

70. Well, I was in a minority here at DU...

who could have conceived of a Kerry - McCain ticket, under certain dire circumstances. In other words, I could have imagined supporting a government of National Unity ticket if I had been convinced Kerry/McCain would win, and Kerry/Anyone Else would lose. The part that troubled me most about that nightmare scenario, other than the obvious part of "not being able to win it on our own", was that McCain is "pro-life". Still, I have respect for McCain. He has an honest maverick streak, and I believe he is a good man. None of that is as important as the fact that a wide swath of Americans greatly respect McCain also, which is why a National Unity ticket concept was theoretically viable. And I would have gambled on Kerry not getting offed vs. the countervailing certainty of George W. staying in office for another 4 years.

However I don't believe that Kerry needed McCain to win this year against Bush, and therefor I did not support the idea of that ticket, though I would have done it had Kerry forced me to. Still, I could see how Kerry was scoring some political points through his association with McCain and the implication that Kerry is not a bitterly partisan ideologue, in contrast to a certain other candidate for President. I think the story got out of Kerry's control in a negative way, and his campaign has to take some responsibility for that having happened. Not publicly of course, no upside there. This is a one step forward, two steps backward kind of thing. It will mostly blow over, and I don't intend to pour fuel onto this fire.