Posted on 02/04/2004 12:29:53 AM PST by kattracks
Edited on 05/26/2004 5:19:24 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Theoretically, Gore was from the South, and so the addition of Lieberman (RIP) to the ticket was balanced. In fact of course, Gore was from Washington DC--he woulda won the election had Tennessee considered him its own. The Democrats haven't won the White House without a Southern candidate since 1960--and Johnson was VP on that ticket.I am prepared to believe that Kerry's actual hopes of Electoral College votes will reside exclusively outside the South; there were more than a few marginal red states outside the South which he can hope to win. But I am not prepared to believe that Kerry actually can win those votes if he positions himself to be utterly hopeless in the South. Which is his default circumstance, coming from Massachusetts in particular . . .
Even without that liability, Kerry is unqualified for national office because he has no executive reputation (e.g., as governor or general) which most successful candidates have. And because Kerry is overage in grade (people are not elected president at all if they haven't made it within 14 years time spent as Vice President aside of winning statewide office as Senator or Governor; Senator Kerry is a year into his fourth term).
Overall, hardly the base from which to challenge an incumbent president not named Hoover. It seems obvious that Kerry needs a southern VP candidate in order to be in the hunt. Probably one named Edwards, or perhaps Senator Graham of Florida . . .
At least this one Democrat has a sense of humor!
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