Democrats versus Republicans

[sailhog]

It would also make Lieberman the first politician in American history to have been a running mate of candidates from both the Republican and Democratic parties. That would be an odd distinction for a mainstream candidate like LIeberman.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by Sailormon6

Lieberman is a nice guy, but there's one good reason why he shouldn't be chosen as VP on the Republican ticket - he's not a Republican. This is the Republican convention, and it's the Republican ticket.

No, McCain is running for President, this is a Presidential election, McCain can do whatever he wants. The world isn't divided into Republican and Democrat to most of us, only Republicans and Democrats think that way. There's no such thing as a "Republican ticket" except that it exists in the minds of Republican and Democrats. We could have 50 parties, or 100, if we wanted to, each one with a "ticket". McCain could walk into the Republican convention with Lieberman if he wanted to - hard core conservative Republicans might not like it, but I'd like it.

[Sailormon6]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

No, McCain is running for President, this is a Presidential election, McCain can do whatever he wants. The world isn't divided into Republican and Democrat to most of us, only Republicans and Democrats think that way. There's no such thing as a "Republican ticket" except that it exists in the minds of Republican and Democrats. We could have 50 parties, or 100, if we wanted to, each one with a "ticket". McCain could walk into the Republican convention with Lieberman if he wanted to - hard core conservative Republicans might not like it, but I'd like it.

Of course McCain could do it if he wanted to. There are lots of politically stupid things he could do, but we prefer to leave it to the Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I'm sure you would like to see the Republican party splintered, If you like Lieberman so much, then perhaps Obama should select him as His running mate, or, perhaps the Democrats shouldn't have drummed him out of their party.

[PBzeer]

I'm still trying to figure out just how you accomplish anything by going half one way and half the other way.

At this point we have the #1 and 3 most liberal senators on one ticket, and a quasi-conservative on the other. The Dems, and their liberal leadership should retain their majority in Congress, if not add to it. So I'm sure there's just a slew of Republicans wanting to vote for another liberal Democrat as THEIR Veep nominee. Two old white guys is a ticket to disaster, period.

[wind_magic]

I don't agree with Lieberman on a lot of issues, but I'd still like him for a VP pick for McCain for various reasons. The biggest one is that Lieberman is just a seasoned smart politician who knows how to get things done. He is well respected, by everyone, and very effective. Effectiveness isn't something most people ever talk about in a Presidential election, but just think what Lieberman and McCain together could accomplish. McCain and Romney wouldn't be able to accomplish nearly as much for the country, they are going to meet constant resistance from moderates on a number of issues, but McCain Lieberman, now that's a pair you can believe in no matter who you are. McCain Lieberman could leave behind all of the fringe issues and work on something like social security reform, or REAL health care solutions, and be able to get a large enough group behind them to pass it. McCain Romney won't be able to do that, they're just going to sit around fighting with Democrats all day long, and over stuff I don't care about, issues that only Romney's hard core's care about. McCain Lieberman could probably even take on the tax code, and they could keep us in Iraq long enough to win without nearly the opposition McCain Romney would have. McCain and Lieberman both have proven themselves to be common sense politicians who can actually do stuff, and sometimes that's more helpful than what their beliefs are on any particular cultural issue. Don't mistake me and think that I'm saying McCain Lieberman could be more effective because they are "middle of the road" or "moderate", I know that's the knee jerk reaction conservatives would have to the above, that's not what I said ... I said McCain Lieberman would be EFFECTIVE, because they are both savy, smart, pragmatic, and able to get the job done, even if they piss some people off.

[sck5]

Joe Biden is the number 3 liberal? Sounds wrong to me. They must not be counting all his votes in favor of the corporations who are headquartered in his state (probably half of them all)

Delaware is majorly friendly to corporate interests. Joe Biden is no exception. Some folks on the Dem side dont like that too much (not that they will talk about it this week - they are too busy being happy together) - Joe is liberal in other ways but that is a huge exception.

[sck5]

PB and I agree on something! Lieberman would be a disaster for the Repubs for lots of reasons. But I cant imagine him doing it if for no other reason than the fact that being the VP nominee this time will give whoever it is a leg up on the top spot next time around after McCain loses.

[PBzeer]

BIden was rated #3 by the same group that rated Obama #1.

How effective would Lieberman be getting a McCain platform through Congress, when most of McCain's positions are the opposite of Joe's?

There's only two major things I want to see done. Fix the entitlement mess right, and keep the war on terror on their soil and not ours. I don't see the Dems doing either, and only see McCain/? doing the latter.

You don't try to re-establish fiscal responsibility, by adding new entitlements and giveaways. You fix what's broke now, and make it so it stays fixed.

[Sailormon6]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

I don't agree with Lieberman on a lot of issues, but I'd still like him for a VP pick for McCain for various reasons... McCain Lieberman could leave behind all of the fringe issues and work on something like social security reform, or REAL health care solutions, and be able to get a large enough group behind them to pass it. McCain Romney won't be able to do that, they're just going to sit around fighting with Democrats all day long, and over stuff I don't care about, issues that only Romney's hard core's care about. McCain Lieberman could probably even take on the tax code, and they could keep us in Iraq long enough to win without nearly the opposition McCain Romney would have....

In order for any politician to be effective, he has to have his own party behind him, and he also has to be able to attract support from the other party. If Lieberman was McCain's running mate, it would fracture the Republican Party, so that, when McCain/Lieberman approached the Democrats to try to negotiate something like social security reform, or REAL health care solutions, they wouldn't be able to muster support from McCain's own party, let alone the support of Democrats, who are not all that enamored of Joe Lieberman, having run him out of his own party on a rail. Therefore, Windy, your dream of uniting both parties by running McCain and an excommunicated Democrat, is not grounded in reality. At least McCain/Romney could negotiate with the Democrats with the benefit of a united Republican Party behind them, along with whatever mandate goes along with the fact that they were elected President and Vice President by the voters. That would obviously give them more bargaining chips than McCain/Lieberman would have, and the American voters aren't going to allow the Democrats to drag their feet and do nothing in Congress much longer. If you really want Congress to accomplish something, you should be complaining vociferously to your local Democrat in Congress about his, or her, extended holidays and vacations and recesses, and their failure to act on these crucial issues.

[poopdeckpappy]

PB, I only have one request, and that is a President that looks good on my paper money.

As it is, both McCain and Obama would look goofy in a wig or sporting a pony tail