Kerry/McCain?
 

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/...ing_kerrys_vp/

It strikes me as highly unlikely that this will happen, but if it did, it just might split the Republican party.

*drool*

As much of a Democrat as I am, I have lots in common on specific issues with Senator McCain, moreso than I do with a lot of Democrats in Congress. I was really hoping for a very tough choice in 2000 between McCain and Gore. Alas, since he fathered all those black babies in South Carolina, it wasn't to be.

Oh yeah, and to respond to Scipio's "splitting the party" comment: I think short of a really big scandal, nothing is going to tear away those loyal Republicans who strongly support Bush at a rate of something like 90%.

Bush will lose if this were to happen, plain and simple. As an idependent who plans to vote for Bush this move would change my vote.

I seriously doubt McCain would do this, since he wants to be president, and I'm sure that he could easily be the Republican candidate in 2008 and destroy whomever the Democrats chose, even an incumbent Kerry.

I even think he'd have a shot if he was able to find the money to be able to run as an independent.

Actually, if you think about it, this would be seen as a party switch over by a lot of middle of the road people I think. I believe that it was Tip O'Neill who favored the dance with the one that brung ya phrase. Loyalty means a lot to the American people and I really think that this could kill Kerry and McCain. It is highly important to people that politicians (while swarthy and tricky) at least stick with the party that they associate themselves with. We saw what happened to that one guy that jumped parties after the 2000 election, he wasn't elected again. I think that a Kerry/McCain ticket would bring about the same problems as when the United States first started out with the loser being the Veep, one will resent the other or one will disagree with the POTUS and disaster struck and that's why the office of Veep isn't looked upon as a very desirable position is because of the way it started out. If they were both Independents I could see it working out, but one is a Democrat, the other a Republican, and I just don't think that the American people would take too kindly to that.

By split the republican party, I mean that the more libertarian republicans have been looking for a reason to leave Bush. The Texas style GOP just isn't their cup of tea, but then again neither are the Democrats. I think people trust McCain, including a lot of Democrats.

Like archer said, the decision would alienate a lot of left leaning democrats, not to mention people in the party who are working to get the pick. It would send the message that the party lacks the right guy for the job, which it doesn't (imho).

But as a centrist democrat, I'm excited by the possibility.

I would vote for them.
I dont think it will happen.

First, Kerry and McCain go together like Peas and Motor Oil. Yes, I'd vote for them, because they would thump Bush bloody, But I would also spend the next four years sending nastygrams to the whitehouse about the worm in their apple. I respect john McCain, but he is the wrong party. If he were the Democratic vice president in 2004, he would be the republican president in 2012, and I could live without another republican in the whitehouse for another 24 years (or more).

Ted Koppel is far and away the better choice if you want to come from cloud-cuckoo land for the VP. Walter Cronkite is better yet (though, of course, he has the sense to say "are you out of your fucking mind?!?!!" if asked)

Why do people act like the Vice president means diddly/squat for the most part?

The old joke about their job being to wait for someone to die (president/state funerals around the world) is pretty much still true.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that between a half and a third of the time the guy who is VP in the president's second term is the next president.

6 of 16 (I think...counted in my head :)), so about 40% or so.

Not counting assasinated presidents, or presidents who took over more then halfway into the term (i.e. LBJ, Ford).

Increasingly, the vice president is playing a larger role in the White House. Al Gore had more of a role than anyone before him. Dick Cheney has been the most influential VP ever. The position has really grown over the last 10 years. I wouldn't count out its actual value or its symbolic value on a ticket.

It wouldn't split the Republican party. Core Republican voters do not like John Kerry and wouldn't be swayed by throwing McCain into the mix as the second fiddle. McCain would lose any hope of a Republican nomination for President in the near future and there's no chance in hell that the Dems would ever push for him as the number 1 contender.

You of all people should realize the error in this statement. Do you actually think ...even for a second, that GWB is calling most of the shots in this administration. I mean , the guy cant even pronounce most multi-syllable words. Cheney has the power and is smart enough to hide behind the curtain and pull the strings.

Damn straight GWB is. Time to let go of the liberal 'GWB is a moron' myth.

Also how much influence does anyone think the 'ex-republican' McCain would have in a Kerry ultra liberal white house? Give me a break.

McCain is still looking at 2008. He would be mostly dead as Kerry's VP, and COMPLETELY dead if he lost as Kerry's running mate.

I said it on another thread, but there is NO way McCain is becoming a Democrat or joining Kerry on the ticket. McCain is the co-chair of the Arizona committee to re-elect Bush and he is a stong (albeit independent) Republican. I don't think he is going to run for the presidency again, unless there is a groundswell of grassroots support to do so. Many of the GOP heavies do not care for his independent nature.

As far as Ustwo's comment about the "ultra-liberal" Kerry White House, I think he is off the mark. I think President Kerry will put together a "center - left" administration and frankly someone like McCain would fit in well, much like former Secretary of Defense William Cohen(a Republican) did in the Clinton Administration. But I guess we will find out next January when Kerry takes office. :)

Oh how they 'forget' the first two years of the 'centrist' Clinton whos liberal follies gave us the 1994 Republican revolution.

In a mythical world where Kerry is president he would have to pay the piper and cow tow to the many special interest deomcrat interest groups.

Solid shot Ustwo, but the term "ultra-liberal" is still overstated.

In the very real world, where Bush IS president, he has spent much of the last three years cow towing to the many Republican special interest groups and corporations he is beholden to. Don't get too high and mighty - you know, glass houses and all.

Such as?

Are you serious? Have you looked at where Bush's $100 million in campaign funds has come from?

From me partly ;)

Now that doesn't answer the question, which groups has he 'supported' which would be out of character or just because he felt he had to, to get their support.

On the other hand Kerry voted for NAFTA and the Unions who are supporting him are expecting a flip flop on that (Hoffa said Kerry is 'growing in understanding').