DNC Courting McCain for 2004 Presidential Run-Sending Hin What it Takes' Internal Strategy Memos

ABC News ^ | February 11, 2003 | Liz Wiler and Mark Halperin

[ewing]

This confims what I've thought long ago, that the Dims need McInsane to run as an 'I' to have a shot

[Uncle George]

He's going to run on "THE TURNCOAT PLATFORM".

[ewing]

Im waiting for this to happen when Iraq wraps up.

[scooby321]

what does that say about the current crop of Canidates

[areafiftyone]

As much as I abhor McCain. I don't think he will join the Democreeps!

[mewzilla]

Hey, why not? Sen. Keating...er, Sen. McCain should fit right in with the DNC. Know what I mean?

[ewing]

I think the Dims want him to run as an 'I' just like Perot in 1992.

[Russ]

I believe if McCain would run as an Independent the Dems would have NO shot. McCain would get more votes from the less liberal Independents and moderate Democrats than from the Republican ranks. By syphoning off normally Democrat votes he would be helping Bush. McCain would do about as well as John Anderson did in 1980.

[ewing]

Even with a Bill Bradley type as VP?

[Gunder]

Why can't Democrats win with their own candidates? Why must they go a'courtin' folks like Chafee and McCain?

[KC_Conspirator]

This confims what I've thought long ago, that the Dims need McInsane to run as an 'I' to have a shot.

I agree with Rush that this time around I 2004 McVain would take away more democrat votes than Republican votes. The margin of victory might not be as large, but it makes the chances of a democrat victory more distant.

[ewing]

Because like Rush says, the Dims know that they cannot win on the issues and getting people to believe what they stand for so they must use fear and intimidation (unions and Mediscare) to get votes.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

LOL let him run. The traitor will lose so badly the dems will be wishing they put money on Sharpton's claim to fame. McSlime will make a good partner to McCouphUp.

Traitors always lose in the end.

McCouphUp + McSlime = McLoserTraitor

[ewing]

But that math probably goes out the window with an more popular Dim VP like Bill Bradley or General Wes Clark.

[ewing]

Sharpton, McInsane and Nader in the debates!

What a wacky threesome..

[starqap]

This is my nightmare scenario.
McCain (or someone else) runs a populist independent campaign stealing Republican votes.
Hillary! gets 42% of the vote and squeaks out a key state like OH, PA or MI, putting her over the top. She can't win without a third candidate.
Sound familiar?? (1992, 1996)

[KC_Conspirator]

You may have a point, but I usually think that a VP candidate is good to shore up a certain part of the electorate, but does not make huge shifts. For example, Quayle and Cheney were chosen for the conservatives and Gore and Lieberman were chosen to shore up old timer morality democrats from the Truman and JFK years. In that respect, Bradley would be a better choice to shore up leftist support.

[ewing]

Too risky politically for Hillary to get involved in this mess unless she wins a floor fight at the convention.

[ewing]

In this election 5-10% could be a huge shift in a three way race.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Very prudent thinking. Nightmarish indeed but you hit the nail directly on the head.