Mc Cain-Secretary of defense - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

tecoyah · 05-12-2004, 05:25 PM

In the attached link, Kerry has stated his first choice for defense secretary would be John Mc Cain. Personally I see many benefits to such a choice. I was wondering what those who support Bush would think of this.

Would it change your vote?

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5120562

irateplatypus · 05-12-2004, 05:28 PM

wouldn't change my vote by any stretch of the imagination (surprise surprise eh?

). but, were kerry to win the election i would be pleased with the choice.

the unspoken premise is that kerry is pleased with mccain's defense record and philosophy. how does mccain's record compare with kerry's?

interesting development.

pan6467 · 05-12-2004, 05:31 PM

I don't see McCain taking the job, maybe VP, but he has already said he wouldn't run with Kerry.

In the article the name that jumped out at me was John Warner, that would definately be interesting. Again it would be up to Warner and I doubt he'd do it.

rsl12 · 05-12-2004, 06:20 PM

crossing my fingers--mccain and kerry agree on international issues in general. it's domestic policy (particularly highly-political issues such as abortion) that would cause sparks in the relationship. so mccain as sec of defense makes good sense, if he actually agrees to it!! i like mccain too--i figure integrity and commitment to public service is 100 times more important than the so-called issues.

charms · 05-12-2004, 06:46 PM

McCain's strength is that he's a wildcard within the Republican Party. The threat of him jumping the fence is a powerful tool he can use to leverage the party, which is exactly why he's unlikely to do it. Once he bails, the Republicans will disown and smear him and the Democrats will never really accept him as their own.

McCain wants to be President. If he joins a Kerry bid for the White House, he'll effectively sever his ties to the Republican Party. It's too fatal a 'betrayal' to recover from. In order to run for President, McCain needs the party. The party apparatus is enormously important because it provides the people, the support, the money, the rallies, the direct mailings, the advertising -- in short, the organization -- that a Presidential candidate unfortunately needs.

That being said, I love McCain simply because he's not a party mouthpiece. I also think he'd be great for the job. But I'd much rather see him at the head of a ticket than at the end of one.

theusername · 05-12-2004, 06:47 PM

If this is done I will vote for Kerry its that simple.

Sparhawk · 05-12-2004, 07:15 PM

2 out of his 3 picks for SecDef are friggin Republicans. How in the hell are Democrats going to get out from this image that we are soft on national security when we keep on running to Republicans to run the damned department of defense!!!! God this shit pisses me off.

"If you can't find a Democrat to do the job, get rid of the job."
-Andrew Jackson, old school mofo

although, i suppose, and prevaricate, that, if, IF i had to pick a Republican, it would be McCain. but i'm still pissed.

SaltPork · 05-12-2004, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by charms
McCain's strength is that he's a wildcard within the Republican Party. The threat of him jumping the fence is a powerful tool he can use to leverage the party, which is exactly why he's unlikely to do it. Once he bails, the Republicans will disown and smear him and the Democrats will never really accept him as their own.

McCain wants to be President. If he joins a Kerry bid for the White House, he'll effectively sever his ties to the Republican Party. It's too fatal a 'betrayal' to recover from. In order to run for President, McCain needs the party. The party apparatus is enormously important because it provides the people, the support, the money, the rallies, the direct mailings, the advertising -- in short, the organization -- that a Presidential candidate unfortunately needs.

That being said, I love McCain simply because he's not a party mouthpiece. I also think he'd be great for the job. But I'd much rather see him at the head of a ticket than at the end of one.

DAMN!!! That is precisely how I feel. I was very disappointed that GW rolled to such an easy win in the primaries, but was impressed with how McCain handled himself during the entire race. I hope he gets another chance to run. He's getting older and more tired looking each time I see him, though. I hope that he'll get the chance in 2008.

onetime2 · 05-13-2004, 04:23 AM

In the other articles I read, Kerry's choices were made as recommendations on who Bush should replace Rumsfeld with since Kerry thinks he should be fired or resign. In nothing else I read did it say that these were the people who would be on his short list should he win the election. I may be off in this but this article does not give the same impression as others I've read.

MoonbatKillah · 05-13-2004, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by onetime2
In the other articles I read, Kerry's choices were made as recommendations on who Bush should replace Rumsfeld with since Kerry thinks he should be fired or resign. In nothing else I read did it say that these were the people who would be on his short list should he win the election. I may be off in this but this article does not give the same impression as others I've read.

Kerry was talking about Rumsfeld replacements, or at least that's how the quote was presented when I saw it yesterday. However, I can't imagine any scenario in which ANY Republican President, not just Dubya, would put Carl Levin in as SecDef. Probably a jab from Kerry at Bush. Levin was tough in Rumsfeld, but then he rejected the findings of Gen. Taguba's report before he even testified. Levin is far too partisan. Had to be a shot at Bush.

McCain would be an OK Defense Secretary, but I think he likes the Senate more, and is thinking about another run for the White House in 2008.

jb2000 · 05-13-2004, 10:01 AM

Warm comments about McCain are a way of jabbing the right wing of the GOP. They indicate that he has no problem working with 'normal' Republicans but that it is the right wing extremists that cause all the political rancor.

A lot is going to be made of the candidates' ability to change the way things are done inside the beltway. Public perception is that things are worse between the parties in Washington than ever (true or not as it may be) and they want someone who is going to improve that situation.

Saying he would want a Rep like McCain as a running-mate makes it clear that he is willing to reach out to the other party in a way Bush wouldn't be able to comprehend. McCain obviously won't take the job for his own reasons, alleviating Kerry from having to go through with it.

Bush made a big deal in 2000 about being a uniter and it worked, although noone buys that anymore from him and Bush can't get much from such claims now. Can Kerry assume that abandoned position and get votes from it? Can he paint himself as the nice guy who wants to restore cooperation in Washington?

mml · 05-13-2004, 12:31 PM

McCain was on NPR this morning and said that he had no interest in being Secretary of Defense. He believes he can be more effective and influence greater reform as a senior senator.

I also have to say that while on a certain level I like the idea of having a bipartisan cabinet, placing another Republican in the Pentagon just furthers the myth that Democrats are weak on defense.

assilem · 05-13-2004, 01:55 PM

If and when Kerry is elected he won't have a Secretary of Defense. He is going to change the cabinet post to the Secretary of Appeasement.

tecoyah · 05-13-2004, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by assilem
If and when Kerry is elected he won't have a Secretary of Defense. He is going to change the cabinet post to the Secretary of Appeasement.

*inhales helium to rise above the flamebait*

assilem · 05-13-2004, 03:45 PM

Sorry tecoyah. I couldn’t help myself. I thought it was kinda funny though.

And I meant no disrespect to mml. I like his/her support of Kerry. I think he/she may be the only TRUE Kerry supporter here. Not just another "anyone but Bush" person.

Phaenx · 05-13-2004, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by assilem
If and when Kerry is elected he won't have a Secretary of Defense. He is going to change the cabinet post to the Secretary of Appeasement.

That's the plan. I'm going to try and get an internship with the secretary of huggles.

05-12-2004, 05:25 PM	#1 (permalink)
tecoyah Illusionary	Mc Cain-Secretary of defense In the attached link, Kerry has stated his first choice for defense secretary would be John Mc Cain. Personally I see many benefits to such a choice. I was wondering what those who support Bush would think of this. Would it change your vote? http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5120562 __________________ Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. - Buddha

05-12-2004, 05:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
irateplatypus can't help but laugh Location: dar al-harb	wouldn't change my vote by any stretch of the imagination (surprise surprise eh? ). but, were kerry to win the election i would be pleased with the choice. the unspoken premise is that kerry is pleased with mccain's defense record and philosophy. how does mccain's record compare with kerry's? interesting development. __________________ If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. ~ Winston Churchill

05-12-2004, 05:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	I don't see McCain taking the job, maybe VP, but he has already said he wouldn't run with Kerry. In the article the name that jumped out at me was John Warner, that would definately be interesting. Again it would be up to Warner and I doubt he'd do it. __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

05-12-2004, 06:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
rsl12 On the lam Location: northern va	crossing my fingers--mccain and kerry agree on international issues in general. it's domestic policy (particularly highly-political issues such as abortion) that would cause sparks in the relationship. so mccain as sec of defense makes good sense, if he actually agrees to it!! i like mccain too--i figure integrity and commitment to public service is 100 times more important than the so-called issues. __________________ oh baby oh baby, i like gravy.

05-12-2004, 07:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
Sparhawk Dubya Location: VA	2 out of his 3 picks for SecDef are friggin Republicans. How in the hell are Democrats going to get out from this image that we are soft on national security when we keep on running to Republicans to run the damned department of defense!!!! God this shit pisses me off. "If you can't find a Democrat to do the job, get rid of the job." -Andrew Jackson, old school mofo although, i suppose, and prevaricate, that, if, IF i had* to pick a Republican, it would be McCain. but i'm still pissed.* __________________ "In Iraq, no doubt about it, it's tough. It's hard work. It's incredibly hard. It's - and it's hard work. I understand how hard it is. I get the casualty reports every day. I see on the TV screens how hard it is. But it's necessary work. We're making progress. It is hard work."

05-12-2004, 06:46 PM	#5 (permalink)
charms Upright	McCain's strength is that he's a wildcard within the Republican Party. The threat of him jumping the fence is a powerful tool he can use to leverage the party, which is exactly why he's unlikely to do it. Once he bails, the Republicans will disown and smear him and the Democrats will never really accept him as their own. McCain wants to be President. If he joins a Kerry bid for the White House, he'll effectively sever his ties to the Republican Party. It's too fatal a 'betrayal' to recover from. In order to run for President, McCain needs the party. The party apparatus is enormously important because it provides the people, the support, the money, the rallies, the direct mailings, the advertising -- in short, the organization -- that a Presidential candidate unfortunately needs. That being said, I love McCain simply because he's not a party mouthpiece. I also think he'd be great for the job. But I'd much rather see him at the head of a ticket than at the end of one.

05-12-2004, 06:47 PM	#6 (permalink)
theusername Insane	If this is done I will vote for Kerry its that simple.

05-13-2004, 04:23 AM	#9 (permalink)
onetime2 Junkie Location: NJ	In the other articles I read, Kerry's choices were made as recommendations on who Bush should replace Rumsfeld with since Kerry thinks he should be fired or resign. In nothing else I read did it say that these were the people who would be on his short list should he win the election. I may be off in this but this article does not give the same impression as others I've read. __________________ Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

05-13-2004, 10:01 AM	#11 (permalink)
jb2000 Crazy Location: Allen, TX	Warm comments about McCain are a way of jabbing the right wing of the GOP. They indicate that he has no problem working with 'normal' Republicans but that it is the right wing extremists that cause all the political rancor. A lot is going to be made of the candidates' ability to change the way things are done inside the beltway. Public perception is that things are worse between the parties in Washington than ever (true or not as it may be) and they want someone who is going to improve that situation. Saying he would want a Rep like McCain as a running-mate makes it clear that he is willing to reach out to the other party in a way Bush wouldn't be able to comprehend. McCain obviously won't take the job for his own reasons, alleviating Kerry from having to go through with it. Bush made a big deal in 2000 about being a uniter and it worked, although noone buys that anymore from him and Bush can't get much from such claims now. Can Kerry assume that abandoned position and get votes from it? Can he paint himself as the nice guy who wants to restore cooperation in Washington? __________________ "Don't tell me we're so blind we cannot see that this is my land! I can't pretend that it's nothing to do with me. And this is your land, you can't close your eyes to this hypocracy. Yes this is my land, I won't pretend that it's nothing to do with me. 'Cause this is our land, we can't close our eyes to the things we don't wanna see." - DTH

05-13-2004, 12:31 PM	#12 (permalink)
mml Adrift Location: Wandering in the Desert of Life	McCain was on NPR this morning and said that he had no interest in being Secretary of Defense. He believes he can be more effective and influence greater reform as a senior senator. I also have to say that while on a certain level I like the idea of having a bipartisan cabinet, placing another Republican in the Pentagon just furthers the myth that Democrats are weak on defense. __________________ Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." -Douglas Adams

05-13-2004, 01:55 PM	#13 (permalink)
assilem Insane Location: Eternity	If and when Kerry is elected he won't have a Secretary of Defense. He is going to change the cabinet post to the Secretary of Appeasement. __________________ The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host Of rebel Angels

05-13-2004, 03:45 PM	#15 (permalink)
assilem Insane Location: Eternity	Sorry tecoyah. I couldn’t help myself. I thought it was kinda funny though. And I meant no disrespect to mml. I like his/her support of Kerry. I think he/she may be the only TRUE Kerry supporter here. Not just another "anyone but Bush" person. __________________ The mother of mankind, what time his pride Had cast him out from Heaven, with all his host Of rebel Angels Last edited by assilem; 05-13-2004 at 03:47 PM..