Who's Next? American Democratic Poll

[VoodooAce]

I know, its still early, but in about 12 months the serious campaigning will begin. In 24 months we'll be smack in the middle of the Democratic primaries to determine the next Prez.

Democrats, who do you want? And, very importantly, why? Really, as it IS early, I just want to know who you're leaning toward now. Who gives you the best 'vibes'?

Who has the best/worst chance at defeating George W Bush? Is this what will determine your answer?

Or, with the war and all, can anybody beat him?

IMHO, his weakness, domestic policy as a whole, gets zero run (conservative bias? ) and, at this point, doesn't really look to be that huge an issue. Will this change? Will Dubya milk things to hide his weaknesses?

Also, please feel free to write anyone in that I have failed to mention.

 

[VoodooAce]

Also, I forgot to ask:

Were Bob Kerry's chances irreversably damaged with the incident in 'Nam? Enought so that he doesn't belong in the poll? Idon't think so, but what's your opinion?

 

[Padma]

OK, I'm a registered dem, although I vote for individuals, not for the party.

My choice here is Bob Kerrey (spelled Kerrey ).

The why is a little harder.

I could never vote for Al. I couldn't even vote for him in 2000. In my opinion, he is a fool. He is well educated, but knowledge does not equal wisdom. Or intelligence, either. (I'm not saying Dubya's any great shakes, either. )

Dick and Bill, I have not been impressed with. That's all I can say there.

Bob, at least, I know a little bit, if only in that impersonal way that we 'know' any celebrity. He was governor of, and then senator from, my state of Nebraska. I don't personally believe that the dust-up last year about his Vietnam experience should hurt him any. Of course, given the media circus that is a presidential race, who knows.

As to who has the best chance? Well, Bob probably has as good a chance as anybody. Which at this point, is still pretty slim. The next 2 years can make a lot of difference.

 

[NY Hoya]

i'll refrain from voting so as not to bias the poll results, but I'll still give my thoughts.

Overall thoughts are that this could shape up to be a lot like the 1992 election. In 1990-91 the elder Bush was riding a wave of support from the Gulf War that overshadowed the economic problems of the time. Same with W, although I think W has a much better case that the recession started before his presidency.

Al Gore- I think he actually could have had a decent chance in 2004. Unfortunately for his candidacy, Gore can't seem to get over the 2000 election. That's understandable, but speeches like the one he made in Florida come across as a bit too "whiney." If he can change that rhetoric and not act like a sore loser all the time, he'll have a decent shot at beating Bush.

Gephardt- I think he's too liberal to win the election against Bush, but this probably gives him a leg up for the democratic nomination. He's also more visible than the others, another advantage.

Bill Bradley- I see him as the Pat Buchanan of the Democratic party, very popular with some, but he continually gets trounced in the primaries. He may come across as too intellectual to win.

Kerrey- He looks, acts and talks like a president. Reminds me of what I've read about Jack Kennedy. As a Republican he scares me because I think he'd have a good shot at beating Bush. I don't see the Vietnam stuff coming back to haunt him. The rest of his military record proves him to be a legitimate war hero. Anyone he who makes an issue of the civillian incident is an embarassment and clearly has no sense of what kind of position he was in as a SEAL commander. I'm willing to bet that it's a fellow democrat who slings the first mud on this one.

But what about some others? Lieberman, John Edwards, Daschle, etc. Some of these guys may be better candidates than the four listed above. I think Edwards in particular is much closer to the American mainstream than the others. What may hurt him is his relative inexperience.

Oh and you forgot the Rev. Al Sharpton. The day he gets elected is the day I move away from the states...

 

[amadeus]

Who do I WANT to run? Walter Mondale and Jesse Jackson as VP.

As Dave Barry said, that the Democrats in 1984 had a particular goal -- that was, to put up a candidate on a major-party ticket and lose every state.

Of course, I think that Daschle is going to run for it, as he's basically defacto leader of the Democratic party. Since Clinton left office, there's no real leader of the Dems, much like Republicans in 1996. Dole didn't have a chance.

Also, I think Hillary Clinton will run on a more aggressive liberal ticket, rather than the moves towards moderation that most candidates make.

 

[VoodooAce]

Crap! I forgot Daschle. Shows you what I think if HIS chances.....not that I think they're any worse than Gephardts.....but still. Same with Lieberman

Feel free to mention Daschle or Lieberman....or if a mod could add them to the poll?

Thanks!

 

[VoodooAce]

Ah, yes. And Reverend Sharpton. J/K.

Shoot, I'd consider evacuating Dodge were he to be elected. That would be like the Republicans nominating Pat Buchanan or Ollie North.

 

[ApocalypseKurtz]

I would like to see John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) run for the Democrats.
In addition to your list, Joe Lieberman is considering running.
I like both Dashcle and Gore's chances of winning the ticket, especially Gore.
I don't think Bob Kerrey or Dick Gephardt stand much of a chance.
I personally would love to see Al Sharpton run, but he certainly won't win.

 

[NY Hoya]

Originally posted by ApocalypseKurtz
I personally would love to see Al Sharpton run, but he certainly won't win.

why would you love to see him run? So the Republicans are guaranteed 4 more years?

 

[Greadius]

Uhm... these are the 4 guys I don't want to run
Even though I'd pick AlGore out of the group, because, well, he is AlGore... I basically feel sorry for him because he is too nice and too 'intellectual' to be president... I know what THAT must feel like.

Originally posted by NY Hoya
Anyone he who makes an issue of the civillian incident is an embarassment and clearly has no sense of what kind of position he was in as a SEAL commander. I'm willing to bet that it's a fellow democrat who slings the first mud on this one.

I'll start. What he did was an embarrassment and and insult to servicesmen. If he were Yugoslavian we'd be calling for his extradition. This is the hypocracy the rest of the world labels on us. As President, he will have to make decisions like that all the time; I hope his moral clarity has improved dramatically in the last 30 years.

Of course, what I heard about the speakers at the Florida State Convention thingie in Orlando...
Kerrey- acted the most presidential... but his speech was vague and pointless.
AlGore- gave a fighting speech, and was the most substantive... unfortunately its 18 months too late.
Edwards- was a crowd pleaser, but needs a lot more polishing. Didn't look comfortable outside of Carolina.

My vote would go to Edwards (but he was left out of the poll ). My kinda Democrat from the 'New' Southern types like Bob Graham, Zell Miller, and...err.. *cough* Clinton ... that moved past the New Deal.

 

[Franklyn]

You also forgot John Edwards, the junior senator from N.C.
He's young, he's a lawyer and he won his seat by beating an incumbant more conservative than N.C.'s senior senator, one Jesse Helms.

All you need to do is add "Arkansas governor" to his resume and he'd resemble a certain other southerner who was recently in the White House.

This past weekend, Edwards was in Orlando w/ president-elect Gore and a bunch of other Dems, all of whom were sniffing out the trail to the White House even as they denied doing so. Ah, politics.

My vote, tho, goes to Daschle. But watch the dark horse from N.C.!

 

[VoodooAce]

To Any Mod-

Please add Tom Daschle, Jon Edwards and Joe Lieberman to the poll, if possible.

Thanks!

 

[NY Hoya]

Originally posted by Greadius
I'll start. What he did was an embarrassment and and insult to servicesmen. If he were Yugoslavian we'd be calling for his extradition. This is the hypocracy the rest of the world labels on us. As President, he will have to make decisions like that all the time; I hope his moral clarity has improved dramatically in the last 30 years.

Are you basing your statement on his recollection of the events or the recollection of the one member of his unit that said things happened differently? I think all but one member of his unit agrees with his recollection which was basically that, as the squad approached a village, they were fired upon. Kerrey ordered his men to return fire. They continued firing on the people attacking them and it turned out that all of the people who were hit/killed were women and children.

A few points, SEALs are taught to return fire by unleashing a relentless barrage of fire upon their enemy. Once under attack, they don't ask questions and don't stop until they've overwhelmed the opposition or retreated to safety. The reason for this is simple, it's because SEALs usually operate in small groups, most often 8 men if I'm not mistaken. It was night, in the jungle and the VC were notorious for ambushes, so Kerrey's unit had reason to be on guard.

War is a terrible thing. There are always civilian casualties. I view the events as a tragedy, but also view it in the same light as a bomb that goes off target and hits a home or, God forbid, a hospital or school.

 

[NY Hoya]

what about Evan Bayh? Or has he decided not to run?

 

[VoodooAce]

I think an important test for Dems on the Kerrey issue is to ask yourself: If Kerrey were a Republican candidate in the general election, would the events in 'Nam be an issue for you?

I think, for me, they would. Of course, being a Dem, its hard for me to reconcile those actions, per that one guy's story, with the Bob Kerrey that I know about. And if he were a Republican, and thus less likely to be liked by me , I would have less of a difficult time reconciling it.

I'm not sure if I believe Kerrey and everyone else because that's what I want to believe, or if it being the one guy's word against the balance of the unit.

But yes, its an issue for me to some degree.

The obvious thing is, this does hurt him in primaries and probably helps overall in the general election because the fact is, he is a war hero.

 

[NY Hoya]

Originally posted by VoodooAce
I think an important test for Dems on the Kerrey issue is to ask yourself: If Kerrey were a Republican candidate in the general election, would the events in 'Nam be an issue for you?

I think, for me, they would. Of course, being a Dem, its hard for me to reconcile those actions, per that one guy's story, with the Bob Kerrey that I know about. And if he were a Republican, and thus less likely to be liked by me , I would have less of a difficult time reconciling it.

I'm not sure if I believe Kerrey and everyone else because that's what I want to believe, or if it being the one guy's word against the balance of the unit.

But yes, its an issue for me to some degree.

The obvious thing is, this does hurt him in primaries and probably helps overall in the general election because the fact is, he is a war hero.

you do bring up a good point. If he were a Rep. candidate, you know it would be a huge issue. But I'm a Republican and I believe Kerrey and the other six members of his squad that called the one guy's story the most ridiculous thing they'd ever heard. I think it would be a shame for him to not get the nomination for that reason alone.

 

[Zarn]

I don't think that any Democrats should try.

 

[napoleon526]

It's time for Big Al to pull out the whuppin stick.

 

[Alcibiaties of Athenae]

OK VooDoo, all the other choices added.

I really think Hillary will be the major player.

Daschal is a fool, his attacks on Bush look petty and Stupid.
Gore still claiming to have unvented the internet?
Lieberman is way to liberal for most, and as a Jew, will not get support in some states.
Kerrey's war record will kill him in the long run.

I doubt the others will even be mentioned, Bradley and Gephardt are old news, and the others I don't know.

Sharpton will get elected when Pigs fly.

Whoever it is, they have a good chance, Dubya hasn't convinced anybody he can do the job yet.

 

[VoodooAce]

Cool!

Thanks AofA. Just so long as you didn't put Ralph Nader in there.