Posted on 05/15/2004 10:58:02 PM PDT by hope
Times: Kerry Still Considering McCain for VP
NewsMax WiresIn a page one, top-of-the-fold story in the New York Times this Saturday, the paper reported that many senior Democrats still view Republican John McCain as their number one choice as John Kerry's running mate.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Such a ticket would "instantly transform the presidential race," the Times said.
As late as last Friday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said about joining the John Kerry Democratic ticket for the White House: “I have totally ruled it out.”
But despite that ring of finality, enthusiasts of the match -- including operatives close to John Kerry -- won’t stop touting it up as a lightening bolt that would make Kerry-McCain a "dream team."
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida said, “There’s a collective sigh that says, ‘This feels right.’ I think it’s very plausible that, with Iraq still in chaos, that if offered to him, he would say it’s time for me to go serve my country again in another capacity, where I can do some good.”
Former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey, who now serves on the 9/11 Committee, has even hammered out some possible compromises to make the scenario work:
“Senator McCain would not have to leave his party. He could remain a Republican, would be given some authority over selection of cabinet people. The only thing he would have to do is say, `I’m not going to appoint any judges who would overturn Roe v. Wade.’”
Meanwhile, political observers are working overtime to crank out hyperboles about the dream team.
A Democratic strategist who once worked for Mr. Kerry, Chris Lehane, said the ticket “would be the political equivalent of the Yankees signing A-Rod [star third baseman Alex Rodriguez].”
For his part, Kerry, who has kept his veep search low key thus far, “continues to be interested in” McCain.
According to the Times report, the two close friends and fellow Vietnam vets talk on the phone periodically. And while on the stump, Kerry often invokes McCain’s name.
And while McCain has not endorsed Kerry, he has frequently come to his defense. Most recently, McCain has urged Republicans not to criticize or question Kerry's Vietnam war record or his anti-war activities afer he was discharged.
In return, Kerry has gone out of his way to cite and praise McCain.
Last Friday, for instance, when asked whether he thought pictures of abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison should be released to the public, Kerry said:
“I think John McCain really had the right formula, personally,” referring to McCain’s suggestion that the pictures would eventually find their way into public view, and should be put out in an organized fashion.
Furthermore, when Kerry started his drumbeat to oust Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, he was asked about possible replacements. “Our good friend John McCain” was his immediate response.
Pundits suggest that in the mix for the Kerry-McCain pairing is not only the close friendship between the two men but what has been described as the cool relationship between McCain and President Bush.
Although McCain is co-chairman of President Bush’s re-election campaign in Arizona, he reportedly is still smarting from the attacks on him during the 2000 Republican presidential primaries.
But the “dream team” is not without its distracters.
Donna Brazile, who ran Al Gore’s campaign in 2000, opined, “McCain has not been pro-choice; he’s not been out front on affirmative action. He’s not been out front on core issues that have defined the Democratic Party.”
Some suggest that McCain would upstage Kerry.
Meanwhile, if the dream team fails to materialize, the list of possible Democratic contenders is now brimming with usual suspects ranging from senators John Edwards of North Carolina and Bob Graham of Florida -- to governors Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Thomas J. Vilsack of Iowa.
Editor's note:
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
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My prediction of 2 months ago still stands. McCain will be Kerry's VP.
McCain will be Kerry's VP, like Susan Estrich has a sexy voice. Lmao
RINO ALERT
My prediction right now---It aint gonna happen in a million years.
Two men with cancer in their history? McCain's had two occurrences.
Not a chance.
McCain may hate Bush, but he has no future as a second banana, and knows it.
Hell, McCain would be 70 in 2008, if he lives that long, and have no chance at the Presidency.
Shows how desperate Kerry and the Rats are, they can't find anyone in their own party to help their stiff candidate win.
McCain has been acting more and more like a lockstep Democrat lately. Telling Rummy to resign, blasting Rummy at the Senate hearings over the Iraq prison fiasco.
Yeah, Kerry and McCain, the two of them are like a pair of shoes. After a while, you quit wearing the shoes. Their time has come.
"A Democratic strategist who once worked for Mr. Kerry, Chris Lehane, said the ticket “would be the political equivalent of the Yankees signing A-Rod [star third baseman Alex Rodriguez].”
Yeah. Whatever. Let them use that analogy. The Yankees have been trying to buy their way to the title the last three seasons (prior to this one).
This is how they finished:
2001: Lost to four year old team, Arizona Diamondbacks, in Game Seven of World Series...game winning hit given up by ace closer Mariano Rivera, who ALWAYS closed out the game for NY...(and didn't someone recently say that Flipper is "a great CLOSER?" makes you go hmmmm...)
2002: Lost in Game Four of the First Round to a team who had won a whopping ZERO World Championships in their then-42 year existence, who had not even been to a playoff game in 16 previous seasons (since 1986), and who eventually won the Series, the Anaheim Angels...
2003: Lost in Game Six of the World Series (at home) to a team who, by eventually winning the series, has won two World Series in their only two playoff appearances...the Florida Marlins.
Please forgive the sports background, but it was all to make a point: let them think that they can buy their way to the top. Put RINO McCain there. I could just see the Cheney/McCain debate in October. RBC can handle him just fine, and I know that GW can handle Flipper.
171 days to go. Now more than ever...FReep hours per day, every day, is all we ask...
No doubt.
Anyone who actually believes this is out of their mind.
Either disinformation from Kerry campaign to hype flagging interest in his VP choice or an act of desperation, which bespeaks the Dems inability to select someone of any stature from their own ranks. Despite McCain's maverick status within the GOP, he still has a conservative voting record including being pro-life and pro-war. I wonder how the Dem liberal base could accept him.
This McCain tease is strictly for show (if there is anything to it at all).
But it's not gonna happen. Never. Not in a million years.
What are the chances of any individual in this country becoming President of the United States? Awfully slim, even if you've climbed to the rank of Senator or Governor.
But if you've climbed to the rank of Vice-President, you historically have a one out of three or four chance of eventually becoming President (that's a ball-park estimate, since I haven't bothered to actually add up the numbers). Since World War II, five (Truman, Nixon, Johnson, Ford, and Bush Sr.) out of eleven Presidents were former Vice-Presidents. And Gore came within a few hundred votes of making it six out of eleven.
Those are damn good odds. If McCain still lusts to be President (which is a pretty safe guess), then his best remaining hope by far is to accept the VP slot under Kerry.
Kerry/ McCain- the Scheme Team
McCain said this past week he supports the re-election of President Bush. When asked if he would accept an offer to run as Kerry's VP, he said no.
The only twist this would cause is that Arizona might go for Kerry rather than Bush. It would be a very close call. But if you are counting state-by-state electoral votes, then you might want to consider such a stupid VP. North Carolina is not going to abandon Bush if John Edwards is the candidate. And its difficult to see any southern candidate signing onto the Kerry campaign...so this campaign is stuck in the mud with no action.
You think so? Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee is one of the most powerful offices in American politics. He has more power in his current seat, with a GOP Majority, than he would as a Vice President in a Kerry Administration full of lefties.
Plus, you'd have a Democrat ticket with two men who had bouts with cancer.
Why do you think McCain would want that job?
I wouldn't totally rule it out, though I think it's unlikely.
But more importantly, it would backfire. Kerry/McCain wouldn't cut that deeply into Bush's base. The Mc is well-exposed as a RINO, and such party jumping would be absolutely unforgiveable for most Bush supporters. Meanwhile, his strong pro-life positions and general machismo would drive the feminist vote to Nadar, who might get 10+%. Mc is considered an unreliable, proabably dangerous nut by almost everyone except a few middle-of-the-road Imus-watching IQ-challanged dolts.
Because he has been a Senator too long to get any real satisfaction from it. If he isn't Kerry's VP he will be Sec Def under him.
How would McCain have a better shot in 2008 running as a VP candidate on the Kerry ticket in 2004? If Kerry wins, he'll be the nominee in 2008. McCain will be 76 years old in 2012. If he goes with Kerry and they lose, he's through as a power broker or national candidate because he'll be a man without a party or visible platform.
McCain would be better off biding his time and going after the open GOP slot in 2008 than hooking up with Kerry.
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