Anyone think it's less important who Dem nominee is than it is that Mitt is the Republican nominee

[AP]

...and that McCain isn't the Republican nominee?

I hear a lot Democrats who are saying that they think the Democrats are going to win merely because Bush has been so bad the last 8 years, and I think a lot of them are forgetting that the 2000 election created a powerful impression among voters that McCain and Bush are opposites (or as opposite as two Republicans can be).

Discuss.

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. One thing for sure - you don't want Mitt R-money as their nominee

You can take that to the bank (pardon the pun)

[UALRBSofL]

2. It doesn't matter who there nominee is

They wont win. They aren't united at all this voting cycle. I expect a democratic president next year.

[AP]

3. I wonder if there's anything that could unite Republicans before November. Hmmm.

[demo dutch]

12. the anti-abortion factor will unite them and the the prospect of winning. Rightwingers

are already coming around to MCCain, they know it's their only hope. Repugs will stand united as they always do unlike the Dems!

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. I hope you're right. Romney would be their best shot to win, IMHO

The sooner he's out, the better.

[demo dutch]

14. I disagree! GOP will rally around MCCain in the end, Rightwingers are

aleady coming around. It's about winning the anti-abortion batle and the direction of the courts. They'll hammer that one to death!

[TheCowsCameHome]

19. Romney beat Mass. like a rented mule, yet the right still loves him

Between his crisp CEO image and good-looks, plus the ability to BS people in general he'd make a dandy candidate for the right-wing to rally around.

[demo dutch]

33. I'm embarrased to tell you that my DEM mother-in-law from Mass, likes Romney! Go figure!

[MADem]

5. Mitt Romney wants MORE Gitmos. Why do people think he is "better" than McCain?

I mean, really? Mitt is scarier because he changes his mind as often as he changes his hand made silk drawers--you never know which way he's gonna go.

At least with McCain, his scarieness is "single-tracked."

[AP]

6. ...because he is a much weaker national candidate than McCain.

Do you actually think I meant that I'd rather see Romney as president then McCain?

I think McCain would be a tougher candidate for Obama or Clinton to beat.

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. Never underestimate Mitt R-money - He would be big trouble

if he got the nomination.

[AP]

24. I'm not underestimating either of them. Believe me. I don't think November is going to be a cake-

walk.

But I'm more worried about McCain.

[MADem]

28. Do not believe for a moment that he is a weaker candidate -- not for a moment.

He is a mendacious cheat who will do ANYTHING TO WIN. He can get away with prancing on any side of an issue because he comes from a WEAK GOVERNOR state, has done ONE SHORT LOUSY TERM, was ABSENT half the time, and is "responsible" for almost no legislation.

He has no record to speak of--that's how George Bush slipped in--he was a weak governor, too. He could also be "all things to all people." Uniter, not a divider? Humble foreign policy? Non-interventionist who didn't believe in foreign adventures? Ah Kin Tell OPEC to OPEN the Spigots?? Bush tried to sell that shit to America--and they BOUGHT it.

Romney can lie like a rug, he has an ad outfit that for his gubernatorial election, came up with these creepy, Stepford-like ads that conned a whole shitload of dummies (Morning in America Meets Disney, sort of), and he has a creepy way of "insinuating" that will be effective with stupid people.

If he can find a way to get past "the Mormon thing" (and how DARE anyone be prejudiced against his religion...when running against a minority or female candidate!!) it could get very worrying. He'll send his five Stepford sons out to pat the hands of obnoxious fundies and persuade them that the Romneys love the Baby Jesus, too. He has a temper, but he checks it WAY better than McCain. And his sick wife, when she gets up her gumption, can be a 'attraction' too--the whole "brave and lovely, suffering with an illness but carrying on" theme.

[AP]

32. And McCain is perceived as a team player with strong personal convictions

who doesn't carry the burden of being a millionaire with no populist touch, who has a strong national persona, and who, sad to say, isn't a mormon, and, significantly, will be seen as the "come-from-behind *kid*"

Between the two, I'd rather run against Romney -- but, to be very clear -- I don't think either is going to be a cakewalk (I made the mistake of misunderestimating Republicans in 2000 -- fool me twice...won't get fooled again).

[MADem]

34. Don't you realize how WEALTHY Cindy's family is? They're booze distributors--rich as Roosevelts.

They bankrolled Johnny to get to the Hill. He's a millionaire MANY times over. Go check his assets. He's no 'hard working populist.' That veneer will peel off quick, for the few who believe it. And then, there's his TEMPER....

Romney makes ME ill. But some ladies swoon, and some men want to be just like him. Why, I have no idea, he really is a cretinous looking and sounding individual.

[AP]

35. MADem,

I think both of them will be hard to beat. I think McCain will be harder to beat. McCain could be ten times wealthier, but he's not perceived as millionaire without a populist touch. It's a slight advantage.

[MADem]

38. That 'advantage' though, is trumped by being perceived as a "non-politician" uninvolved in banking

scandals, not seen as a "loose cannon" with a "hot temper," not a "horn dog" who dumped his wife for a younger model, not as a "mentally iffy" former POW, and most importantly, not as an OLD man who has beaten back cancer.

Romney comes across to those who are predisposed to like his hideous ass as a vigorous BUSINESSMAN with a golden touch. Sure he's rich, but most people actually think he is self-made, and didn't get any seed money from his nutty brainwashed daddy (and there ARE people who remember and LIKED his daddy). The opposite of a career politician. A roll-up-your-sleeves (but not too far up) type. A pragmatist, with a loving family. A guy who doesn't "fuck around" -- in every sense of the term. It's a picture he's carefully cultivated over the years. If he managed to get the traction to put him over the top for the GOP nom, the very fact that he is a Tabula Rasa to a national audience would be a STRENGTH, not a weakness. With a calculated VP pick, he could be formidable. Here in MA, he cleverly picked the most moronic female (See? See? I think women can be in politics? See?) LTGOV he possibly could--a total airhead who was incapable of making a decision, never mind outshining old Mittsy.

I saw how that crafty bastard rolled over Massachusetts. Our candidate didn't work hard enough, because no one was prepared for his campaign. By the time everyone saw all the dough, all the bullshit, all the organization, it was way too late.

And stupid people BOUGHT what that idiot was selling. That was the most amazing piece of all.

[Raven]

7. I'm more worried about an "October Surprise" than who the

nominees will be.

[demo dutch]

9. Same sentiment, GOP will do anything to win, October surprise will wipe out Obama and experience

factor will come into play!

[FreeStateDemocrat]

11. Right, one significant terra scare not even an attack within US & McCrazy is elected generalissimo

[demo dutch]

8. Mitt's got no experience so against Obama it's a no brainer. However if it's McCain the GOP

will hammer the experience factor and his so-called "centrist" apeal & Obama will get killed! "Change" against McCain will not hold up! MY view is if it's McCain it will have to be Clinton, and that's why I'm voting for Clinton! and .... because she's a woman and because she has the experience over Obama. I'm sick of men runnning the country!

[AP]

10. If you're relying on gender w/Clinton vs. McCain, I would take into consideration how easy it was

for Republicans to get women to vote for Bush in 2004. Remember what it took?

And I'm not saying that Obama or Clinton would have an easy time against Romney, but I'd rather see both of them go up against a Republican like Romney than one like McCain, who a lot of conservative Democrats like, and who all Republicans will rally behind, and who has such a well-formed persona that will be easy to solidify in people's minds to the point that a lot of voters are going to feel that they actually like him as a person.

[demo dutch]

17. It's the experience and the ending of Iraq. The obsession with the "vote"

won't matter nearly as much as getting out of Iraq now.

[AP]

21. I don't see it, and I think McCain could say anything about Iraq, and people wouldn't

hold it against him, or wouldn't perceive it as being misinformed, or motivated by profits, or class interest (even though it would be), whereas I think any position on Iraq by Romney would be greeted with suspicion.

However, more importantly, I don't think Iraq policy is going to motivate voters. It's not like Bush and Cheney are running for president.

Given the kind of campaign Clinton and Obama have been running, I really think it's not policy but personality that will motivate voters.

And McCain has a very well-formed, avuncular, (underseved) moderate persona that many conservative democrats and all republicans are going to embrace warmly and it's going to be harder for Democrats to beat him.

[demo dutch]

27. I mean the "vote" by Clinton for the resolution won't matter.People want to end Iraq thoughtfully

and they want experience and they want someone to deal wih the economy. Therefore Clinton stands a better chance against McCain & it will be a hard fought horserace. The country has moved on from the Iraq vote this is what many on DU do not understand.

[rucky]

13. show the McCain/Bush hug picture often!

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

20. You mean...

this?

[TheCowsCameHome]

22. Be my Valentine, you sexy cowboy, you.

[AP]

23. Watch the Robert Smiegel cartoon of McCain -- that is how people see their relationship.

Public hug. Private loathing. You are kidding yourself if you don't think most voters who care about the relationship between those two don't perceive their relationship that way.

Furthermore, the "public hug" part also works to McCain's advantage -- he's perceived as a loyal team player with strong convictions. Voters like that.

[rucky]

31. Most voters won't see past the photo...

of McCain looking very submissive.

[AP]

36. Most voters already have a different image in their head, formed by something

more powerful, and the picture isn't wholly inconsistent with that perception. McCain is perceived as a team player with convictions.

[Thrill]

16. Mittens is more of a threat than McCain to me

because he will say and so anything to be elected. And he will run a very nasty campaign. At least you know McCain doesn't like that nasty politics crap..

[demo dutch]

18. McCain will win.

[UALRBSofL]

26. Y'all are forgetting the independent vote

And the swing of the mantel is to the left this cycle. Independents make up probably 25 to 30% of voters.

[demo dutch]

30. To the "center -left" ! .... Not to the "Kennedy" left!

[OHdem10]

25. Here is the real problem--Our party looks utterly hapless.

It is much more important for some Democrats to destroy the
Clintons than to seriously consider how to improve things
in this country. The fact that our party cannot get consensus
in the Congress. There are always Democrats including McCaskill
who vote GOP. This send the message--maybe the GOP are best
for the country.

People forget that rank and file Democrats and some working
class Republicans liked and prospered in the Clinton years.
It is the Fundies and the Media who hate the Clintons.

Our party is not projecting from a position of strength.

[demo dutch]

29. and that makes me very sad, and that will be the reason the Dems will screw up once again!

It will be a "Nader" election!

[Politicub]

37. For the party that brought us the swiftboaters, I wouldn't put anything past them

They'll rally around whoever the nominee is. McCain has several negatives, but the MSM has always had a bizarre love affair with him

[AndyTiedye]

39. Yes. McCain Would Be Almost Unbeatable. We Have a Chance Against Romney

Our remaining candidates are so weak that they would be completely unelectable in any other year.
Even this year, it will be an uphill battle.