Bob Novak thinks Bill Nelson may be picked as VP

[ringmastery]

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20040228.shtml

WASHINGTON -- Democratic strategists are focused on possibly putting a Floridian on the national ticket, but it may not be the most obvious choice, Sen. Bob Graham. This year's vice-presidential nominee could be Graham's junior colleague, Sen. Bill Nelson.

Graham recently announced his availability for the vice presidency, following his short-term bid for president and his announcement that he would not seek a fourth term in the Senate. Graham did not help his reputation with his shaky presidential run, but Sen. John Kerry is believed to be looking for any running mate who would guarantee electoral votes.

The Kerry team could pick either Graham or Nelson, depending on who would do the most for the ticket. Graham, a former governor, is better known in Florida. But first-termer Nelson is a fresher face who might do better around the country. Graham is 67 years old, and Nelson is 61. Their lifetime voting records are rated by the American Conservative Union as 19 percent for Graham and 17 percent for Nelson.

[lcordero]

Novak is a moron and Florida will NOT go Democratic

BBV + "absentee ballots" = Repuke "win"

[Bombtrack]

8. That's idiotic, paranoid, defeatinst thinking.

To just, forfeit the red state we actually won last time, and therefor is most likely to go democratic on non paranoid paper. We need to get 270 electoral votes. And Floridas 27 is the most important bunch the democrats need to focus on.

Ohio has a Bush loyal governor and there are some rumblings about diebold, should we give up on that too?

[lcordero]

14. "Idiotic" would be putting money on a horse that is going to lose

[Bombtrack]

18. You mean Kerry?

Where else are 10 electoral votes(on the only somewhat likely proposition that we hold all the blue states) More likely than a state that after tens of thousands of democrats were purged(many of whom will vote this time), a hundreds thousand voted green(the vast majority of whom are now likely ABB) and a supreme court stoppage of a recount took place(which very likely prevented us from seeing that after all that Gore got more votes) that we only "lost" by 527 votes.

Where? Where are the faster horses? states we lost by hundreds of thousands of votes? Oh great logic.

[lcordero]

23. How about this

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2002/pages/governor/index.html

Bush: 2,828,288
McBride: 2,172,702

A DEMOCRAT WILL NOT WIN IN FLORIDA.

As far as Kerry goes, if I get stabbed (and repeatedly at that) in the back I will hold a grudge FOR LIFE. I do not let ANYTHING GO.

[Bombtrack]

25. Arnold won California in 03! , Is California a safe red state?

Massachusetts? Or for that matter the rest of New England other than Maine.

Gubinatorial election, seperate candidate, seperate issues, 2 years before this election, 1 year after 9-11 when Bush was still retaining some of those numbers. The GOP is far less popular today than then, and Bush isn't running for governor of Florida.

[lcordero]

28. Your guess is as good as mine on California

People hate and despise both parties. If I was in California for the recall, I wouldn't so much have even entertained the thought of wasting the time out of my day to vote.
People hate seeing a person ONCE and I do mean ONCE every four years. Under these circumstances, I wouldn't even let a person even so much as DARKEN my doorstep.

The GOP has TOTAL control of the election process in Florida, any outcome other than the GOP "winning" in Florida is not favorable to the GOP.
Please put one and one together.
People protesting in Florida got beat down. Please understand what is going on and accept reality. DEMOCRACY IS DEAD.

http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/23755/newsDate/10-Feb-2004/story.htm

[displacedtexan]

1. Novak probably got a stolen Dem Party memo... AGAIN!

This time, however, I hope that the memo was planted to embarrass NoFacts!

Both Nelson and Graham are great, but do we seriously believe that Florida can be trusted NOT TO CHEAT AGAIN?

Betting on Florida (by choosing a VP candidate from the state of Jeb) doesn't seem smart to me.

Novakula has probably been ordered to suggest (lie for *) that Dems have a shot at Florida... which in turn, also suggests that Dems ignore states like Ohio, Nevada, etc.

Right. Like anyone would believe a word spit out of Novak's printer after all he's done.

[Bombtrack]

11. Chosing Graham wouldn't be "betting" on Florida

it's not like if we have a Kerry/Graham ticket we can't campaign in the midwest and west and New Hampshire.

Even with the purged votes etc, we still only "lost" by 527 votes. The minority community in Florida hasn't forgotten about that and they are likely to come out with more exitement this time.

Not to mention the hundred thousand Nader voters, and the confused jewsish/elderly Buchannon voters we can count probably 80 percent of those votes this time

It's more damaging to just forfiet Florida and therefor the entire south. That gives Bush the perfect opportunity to run his campaign completely different. As a moderate, and entirely in the west, midwest, and New Hampshire/Maine

[Cuban_Liberal]

2. I still think John Breaux or Mary Landrieu would be a better choice.

LA is highly winnable, in the first place. Secondly, Breaux would help a lot in the South, which I do NOT believe we should concede wholesale, as some here suggest. Landrieu is bright, moderate and a woman, and women (including Republican and Independent women) are one of the more volatile groups on issues like the war in Iraq, choice, education, etc. . Landrieu's family has the LA equivalent of IL's Daley political machine, and a solid win in LA will offset at least one other loss in the South.

I still think either of those two would be a solid VP choice.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

3. cool..good outside-the-box thinking.

I think this is a good pick. LA is indeed winnable. I'd say Breaux would be a good pick.

Do you think a Breuax pick might help win Arkansas, too?

[Cuban_Liberal]

4. I do think so.

I think the addition of John Breaux to the ticket would go a long way toward easing some of the knee-jerk 'concerns' many otherwise- sensible Southerners share about the Democratic party.

[Thrill]

5. Kerry and Breaux

voting records are different. I believe Breaux voted for those tax cuts even though he played hardball. I think they are better served not having two Senators on the ticket. Governors Wise, Vistack, and Bresden would make much better candidates. And I'm not sure this country is ready for a woman VP. The southern white folk won't vote for it.

[Cuban_Liberal]

6. I think you give Southerners too little credit.

Record numbers of women hold office in the South, as do record numbers of African-Americans. The knuckle-dragging, toothless caricature of the neo-con redneck may make good material for cartoonists, but it has little basis in reality. The fact is, as Sen. Landieu herself proves, that Southerners will vote or any qualified woman, just like Midwesterners, Northeasterners, etc. .

Breaux would help cut into Bush's 'default' voting block--- conservative Dems who vote 'R' at the presidential and congressional level.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

7. Plenty of women in Southern politics

....in both partys....and statewide office.....even since the 1970s, when Martha Layne Collins became KY governor.

[Thrill]

9. Big difference

in being the VP as oppose to other offices. I just don't think that time has come. And certainly not in an election where you expect the results to be close.

[Cuban_Liberal]

12. Close is the BEST time for a bold move.

Differentiate yourself with a well-qualified candidate who is an 'out of the box' choice, and who has already proven herself to be an electoral success in a tough re-election fight in a battleground state.

I see her as a 'win/win', although I honestly think Breaux could be an even bigger potential win.

[DaveSZ]

10. Yep

Breax would be a great pick for VP, though his environmental record is a bit on the bad side. Actually I like Landrieu better. :)


I like Bill Nelson better than Graham too.

[Bombtrack]

13. LA has 9 electoral votes, + is far less likely to go for Mass dem than FL

which has 27. We could win Florida and still afford to lose Wisconsin or Minnesota or even Pennsylvania.

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. I wouldn't count on FL, even with Graham or Nelson.

I just think that would be unwise, after what happened last time. In contrast, I think Breaux or Landrieu could make LA a lead-pipe cinch 'blue' state.

[Bombtrack]

21. The odds of "what happened last time" happening again are next to nothing

Florida is the only southern state that's not really that "southern" most of the big metros (miami, tampa, orlando) aren't part of dixie. It also has been one of the fastest growing states of any(which is why it has 2 more electoral votes than 00. Louisiana is the deep south. There is NO argument that it or the carolinas or Virginia are more likely than Florida, even remotely as likely as Florida, to vote democratic.

Many news sources reported months ago, when Bush had much higher approval ratings. after Graham dropped out that GOP strategists were warning the whitehouse that they were extremely concerned over the fact that their numbers indicated if they were to face a strong democratic nominee with Graham as their runningmate, that they could very well NOT carry Florida.

But you're going to let what should prompt you to want poetic justice and win it this time, you're going to let that scare you into forfeiting the most important red state and swingstate? That is just nuts

[Cuban_Liberal]

24. I wouldn't bet on it.

Unless something major happens between now and November, I think FL is already in the 'R' column, because there will be even LESS evidence of theft this time, with BBV, etc., making the theft far easier.

[Bombtrack]

26. what evidence do you have that Florida has a bigger "BBV" problem

than any other state? You wouldn't bet on Florida, but you'd bet on the deep south going for a New England elitist? That's insane

[Cuban_Liberal]

29. Whoa, cowboy!

Read what I actually wrote again, OK? I said that WITH BBV, there will be even less 'evidence' available to us when--- not IF--- they try to steal FL again.

Don't put me in a position of defending Kerry, because I won't. What I said, and ALL I said, was that I think Breaux or Landrieu would be better choices than Graham or Nelson, and I clearly articulated the resons I believe that to be so: good, solid Democrats from a Southern state we CAN win, and a Southern state whose statewide political 'machinery' WE control.

:hi:

[Bombtrack]

30. We controlled the macinary in 2000, with a Tennesseean running

The people who were purged and the Nader voters and the jews for Buchanon didn't just go away. They're back with a vengeance and they're ABB. Combine that with Bob Graham instead of Lieberman as vp.

We lost Louisiana by 7.68 percent, and we "lost" Florida by .01 percent.

And nobody was expecting any of that crap in 00. This time, everyone will be paying damn good attention.

[Cuban_Liberal]

32. Don't misunderstand me, please.

I *like* Graham and Nelson--- a LOT. In no way is my argument a 'put down' of either one. I am just EXTREMELY uncomfortable about putting so many eggs in the 'FL basket', because I don't trust those motherf*cking repubs who run the state one BIT; if anything, I distrust them even MORE than I did in 2000.

Here is my 'distilled' rationale: If I have to put my eggs in a state's 'basket', I'd feel lots better about that basket if OUR party was overseeing the electoral machinery involved in counting the votes.

Peace. :)

[DaveSZ]

33. Exactly

Clearly the deep South is not a good area to place our bets with Kerry at the top.

The Dems will have poll watchers at every precinct in Florida, and many of the cities are very liberal. There are also huge amounts of elderly voters in Florida who are probably pissed off about the proposed SS security cuts. Poor elderly folks like my grandparents depend on their SS checks. In recent mayoral elections, 4 of the 5 major cities elected Dem mayors. Though I do worry about the electronic voting machines with no paper trail.

Goddamnit, I think they could steal it again.

[Orangepeel]

16. possible, but unlikely

First, I don't think it will be a two senator ticket.

Second, jeb would get to appoint Nelson's successor, and that's not a good thing for the party.

Third, Graham would give us a better chance of winning Florida. Nelson is well-liked as well, but not to the same degree (and he not any more exciting than Graham personality wise -- I guess we Floridians like our Senators dull)

[JI7]

17. Bill Nelson would help Edwards and Kerry

so far he seems to be the only one i can think of that would help the ticket whether it's edwards or kerry. i have heard him speak on foreign policy issues and he is very good so he could take on dick cheney there and help edwards in that way. with kerry of course he helps with the southern thing.

[Thrill]

19. I think everyone

would agree Bill Richardson is the top choice. I think he helps in Colorado, AZ, and NM. But also in FL with the hispanics. A two Senator ticket isn't going to happen in my opinion. Like I said governors Wise, Vistack, and Bresden are the more likely darkhorse candidates. They all make WV, Tenn, and Iowa much easier to win. And Vistack may help in the midwest also.

[xchrom]

20. my first hope is that he picks

an african american.
second if there have to be two senators on the ticket{not my ideal} make it kerry/edwards {or edwards/kerry if you prefer}.
i do think a k & e combo would be unbeatable -- and that's even if they come up with osama.

[JPace]

22. What Democratic Politician would tell novak anything?

He is repulsive, negative, grumpy and self centered.

He is appropriate material for the repug party!

[Thrill]

27. First of all

just because Jeb Bush won in FL doesn't mean its a lock for the Repubs. In fact its not even close to a lock. The Dems candidate for Governor was a weak candidate who was not a good debater. Also almost 2mill less people voted in that election as oppose to the Presidential election. The same mistakes won't happen in Fl this time. The Dems are going to make sure that the seniors have very readable ballots and that people who aren't felons aren't told they can't vote because they are.

[w4rma]

31. Novak is trying to talk Dems into giving up another Senate seat, IMHO(n/t)