What I want to say to some Democrats

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Dissident
the problem is it also needs to be someone with great charisma.

Because even though no one heard of Bill Clinton in 1992 including myself, he had the charisma to pull it off.

True, true.

[Ted Striker]

HOw you know all this stuff Oerdin? Are you actively involved in the party?

[Dinner]

http://www.democraticgovernors.org/governors/index.html

That link is to the Democratic Governor's Association which unfortunately is a short list. Still, six are southerners and there are several nonsoutherners who control large states which went red in the last election. If we don't get a southerner then we can at least get a red state and aim for a southern in the VP spot.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Ted Striker
HOw you know all this stuff Oerdin? Are you actively involved in the party?

I looked it up. They're blue dogs so I know they're worried about spending and the deficit; I just took the names of the representitives from southern states. My involvement in the last election was limited to calling up registered Democrats and urging them to vote. I like working as a volunteer and you get all the pizza and coffee you want.

[Ted Striker]

Originally posted by Oerdin



I looked it up. They're blue dogs so I know they're worried about spending and the deficit; I just took the names of the representitives from southern states. My involvement in the last election was limited to calling up registered Democrats and urging them to vote. I like working as a volunteer and you get all the pizza and coffee you want.

Cool!

You got a number to the LA volunteer office?

[Dinner]

-Governor Mark Warner of Virginia could deliver a state which Bush just barely won.

-Governor Michael F. Easley of North Carolina is interesting but likely to old and his state was so red I doubt he could even carry it.

-Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma has an every man look to him and a cute wife which helps to bad Oklahoma
not worth much in EC votes.

-Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee looks old and not to vigorous. Tennessee would be an interesting state to pick up though.

-Governor Bob Wise of West Virginia has a receeding hair line and likely won't look good on TV plus he's head of a poor state with few electoral votes.

-Governor Bob Holden of Missouri who I know nothing about. He looks eldarly but has a full set of hair and is in shape.


Intersting non-southern governors include Governor Thomas J. Vilsack of Iowa, Governor Joe Kernan of Indiana, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

That's the main possibilities I can find though research would have to be done to see who'd fit the centrist profile.

[Dinner]

http://www.democrats.org/volunteer/

That's the national volunteer center where you can get local information.

[David Floyd]

What we want is a social progressive who knows how to balance the budget.

What you'd end up with is someone who would spend more money on social programs than Bush does on war. Try balancing that budget - and if you do it by jacking up taxes significantly, then you're looking at a one term Presidency and crippling your party.

[Ted Striker]

Thanks Oerdin!

[Dinner]

Originally posted by David Floyd
What you'd end up with is someone who would spend more money on social programs than Bush does on war. Try balancing that budget - and if you do it by jacking up taxes significantly, then you're looking at a one term Presidency and crippling your party.

Moderaton is the key my kackling, misguided libertarian friend. You don't add anything to the budget without first cutting an equal amount from else where in the budget. About 80 billion per year can be freed up if we can convince the EU to eliminate CAP if we eliminate our subsidies. I really don't see why we need three new fighter planes when one or two would work just fine, missile defense is just welfare for the defense industry and doesn't match the modern threat assessments so that's another $300 million saved, and so on. There is alot of pork in that there budget. Mine it and the budget can be balanced.

Or at least become closer to balanced.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Oerdin
-Governor Mark Warner of Virginia could deliver a state which Bush just barely won.

-Governor Michael F. Easley of North Carolina is interesting but likely to old and his state was so red I doubt he could even carry it.

-Governor Brad Henry of Oklahoma has an every man look to him and a cute wife which helps to bad Oklahoma
not worth much in EC votes.

-Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee looks old and not to vigorous. Tennessee would be an interesting state to pick up though.

-Governor Bob Wise of West Virginia has a receeding hair line and likely won't look good on TV plus he's head of a poor state with few electoral votes.

-Governor Bob Holden of Missouri who I know nothing about. He looks eldarly but has a full set of hair and is in shape.


Intersting non-southern governors include Governor Thomas J. Vilsack of Iowa, Governor Joe Kernan of Indiana, Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico.

That's the main possibilities I can find though research would have to be done to see who'd fit the centrist profile.

Good research.

You see the problem with the South, though. And having lived in the DC area, I have to disagree with you on Warner; Virginia isn't going to be blue in a presidential election any time soon.

You also left Janet Napolitano of AZ off your Governor's list. I can't see her running for prez, but she'dmake an interesting veep.

[Ted Striker]

My question is, to run for office, is it necessary to always have a bad haircut?

[Dinner]

It's in the bi-laws.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Marion Berry (AR), Sanford Bishop (GA), Brad Carson (OK), Bud Cramer (AL), Lincoln Davis (TN), Harold Ford Jr. (TN), Chris John (LA), Ken Lucas (KY), Mike Ross (AR), Max Sandlin (TX), David Scott (GA), Charlie Stenholm (TX), John Tanner (TN), Gene Taylor (MS), and Jim Turner (TX) are a few names to start with.

That bunch are all deficit hawks who can't be tarred with the same old "tax and spend liberal" tag and they're southerner. I'd prefer a governor but this is a start. What we want is a social progressive who knows how to balance the budget. I'll look up southern Democratic governors and get back to you with a list of possibilities. The possibilities do exist we just have to look for them.

Best bet would be a governor. Could be from the west. I'd give serious consideration towards Richardson if he ran

[Sikander]

I find myself in rare agreement with both Rufus and GePap. Good synopsis Rufus. I do agree with Oerdin though that you can't afford to give up on the South. Not that you have to hinge your national electoral strategy on it, but you are going to lose winnable elections if you cede control of such a large area to the enemy at no cost.

A slightly more subtle point is that you are also going to cut yourself off from a great source of nationally appealling candidates if you cede control of your enemies base areas completely. Take a look at the three big stars of the Republican convention this year, Giulliani, the Governator and McCain. Two of them are from enemy territory. They are both strong politicians who have thrived in hostile territory on their skills and their knowledge of how to exploit the center politically. They are worth a lot more to the party than any number of hacks from safe districts (Kerry) who are clued into exactly the wrong sort of people to be elected in a national election.

Oh, and I agree about Richardson. He did every possible thankless task in the Clinton administration as well as can be expected, and looked good in the process. So he's fat, he's very trustworthy, not partisan and knows how to not offend people in red territory.