Thinking ahead to '08 - "bulletproof" candidates?

[phylny]

As I was reading DU this last night, in particular a thread on who our individual top three candidates might be in '08, I thought back to the first time I heard Kerry on radio, speaking to a "town hall" meeting, and how impressed I was with him. During this meeting, he was more plain-spoken and didn't pontificate much. Just answered questions plainly. Little did we know that the Republican Smear Team would find a tag line to "define" him before he defined himself (Flip Flopper) or that his distinguished military service would "swift"ly be used against him.

In thinking about major and minor potential candidates, I was wondering who would be a combination of intelligent, charismatic, and BULLETproof.

For example, my senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton, is intelligent, her charisma is debatable, but she would be an easy target for smears. In fact, I don't want her to be a candidate for the presidency.

Discounting the "But he/she's DLC!" arguments, how can we view potential candidates through the GOP magnifying glass? What about...

- Al Gore? The "I developed the Internet" thing was used against him and can't be resurrected efficiently. His speaking style has improved immensely.

- Mark Warner? 4 years as governor of Virginia, no scandals, smart guy. Only 4 years, inexperienced? So was *.

- Wes Clark?

- Dennis Kucinich?

- Russ Feingold?

- Others?

I'd love to hear other people's opinions framed in this light - someone who would be difficult to smear, AND who would be able to turn the tables quickly.

I didn't include Barack Obama because I think it's too early for him, although I believe he has potential. But comment on him, too!

[NMDemDist2]

1. they'll smear whoever we put up, we need a fighting Dem n/t

[IsItJustMe]

6. Someone with the personality traits of Harry S Trueman

They use to call him, Giv'em hell Harry

and he would say, "I tell them the truth, they just think it's hell".

[IsItJustMe]

8. Seems like all of our Dems have the personality of managers rather than

leaders. I think personality is probably the most important thing as far as TV goes in our age and time.

That's what makes or breaks candidates.

The reason why people such as Dukakis and Mondale couldn't get elected.

[Skidmore]

11. Which is why I'm leaning toward Clark.

[greekspeak]

2. Nobody is bulletproof against a party that just makes things up

What we need are candidates who will face the trumped up charges properly.

[wakeme2008]

3. Non Senator :)

Senate votes are a killer.

While they will swiftboat any candidate, Senate/House votes IMHO give them fuel for the fire.

[tjwmason]

4. Last Senator to go straight into the W.H. was J.F.K.

Both parties should realise that the Senate isn't a good place to find candidates. Governors are far more successful.

[IsItJustMe]

5. Everybody is vulnerable to swift boating or lies by a well organized

groups.

[javadu]

7. Whoever We Choose -- They Need to Be Ready for a Fight

I am getting weary hearing all of the whining about how the big bad GOP bullies are so mean to our precious little democratic candidates. I want a candidate who will give back instead of bending over and taking it all of the time.

[KnaveRupe]

9. What we need, IMHO.

We need someone who is not afraid to get into the trenches and mix it up.

Someone who is not afraid to offend the TeeVee "journalists" by attacking their reliance on RW talking points.

Someone who is not afraid to go after the "swiftboaters" and confidently, publicly, loudly refute EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. THEIR. LIES.

Someone like Howard Dean.

When he smacked the RW lies right outta Katie Couric's mouth on the Today show ("not one Democrat took one single dime from Abramoff, Katie! Not. One. Dime."), I saw exactly what we need in '08. No playing patty-cake with her because America's Morning Sweetheart is so cute and friendly... just a forceful refutation of the bullshit.

We need a warrior in '08. Not necessarily a Wes Clark warrior with stars on his uniform, but someone who will roll up his sleeves and punch Fat Karl right in the mush. That is, after all, how you deal with a bully.

Any of the people you named in the OP would be electable as long as they are willing to get their fists a little bloody - even Hillary. It's not about finding someone who won't be smeared by the right - if that's the case, you want the Joe Lieberman / Zell Miller ticket - but finding someone who can beat the living shit out of the smear-meisters. Figuratively, of course.

[Dunvegan]

10. Speaking of non-Senators...I still think Gore should be gently persuaded..

...to give it one more go.

He's absolutely clear and forceful in his oratory now.

He's been VP, been in the White House...and even RWers who won't hear of stolen elections, would be hard pressed to say that the 2000 election was within a few thousand votes of the Electorial College, and that Gore had the popular vote.

He's trustworthy. Good thinker. Good family man. Hard to look like anything other than a buffoon trying to smear him.

The only thing is: Will Gore accept a draft?

[TheBaldyMan]

12. you need somebody who can take the slugs and keep going.

my bet is Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean, they are both tough and can think on their feet. They have both proved that they can stand up to RW shills and give as good as they get.

Come to think of it most Dems could do it if they weren't such a bunch of pansies and started acting like politicians. The RW want a fight - give it to them.

[JNelson6563]

13. All can be smeared

because the GOP is willing to lie and employ th emost vile of tactics in order to win.

Julie

[bklyncowgirl]

14. All WILL be smeared.

We need someone who can take the hits and shove it right back in their faces.

The only way to beat a bully is to teach him the meaning of fear.

[PBass]

16. I saw Wes Clark on Hannity & Colmes, take Hannity to school

He deftly sidestepped Hannity's jabs, and spoke to him like a calm and patient father would speak to an unruly child.

I like Clark although he is not as progressive as I would like for a 'dream candidate'.

[JNelson6563]

19. that's right and no 3 week delays either!

:toast:

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. This is true

And grassroots activists like ourselves have to be ready next time. We have to know the real facts, we have to research the lies. We have to write letters and make phone calls to the media. We have to blog, we have to hone rebuttal arguments and sharpen counter attacks. We can't be spectators.

[mmonk]

15. Nobody is bulletproof.

The rightwing attack machine can say anything and go unchallenged by the corporate prostituting media. That's the real reason no compromising DLC'er will win the next election because no matter how much they want to use the rightwing talking points, they will be painted as "out of touch liberal" and since no media will challenge that, millions of the so-called "moderates" or the imaginary "center" will believe it. What the democrats need is someone WHO WILL talk truth to power because ONLY someone who will has any chance.

[PATRICK]

22. Should go after those firing the bullets

first and foremost is the hostile media playing field, one reason Gore will have a tough go. Because no one exactly apologized or admitted their error or even the tiny fact that he won the presidency if anything at all had been fair.

But not to get into a media rant, which along with election stealing are two mammoth issues that disappear almost totally behind the DNC penchant for crafting brilliant legislation that will never get out of committee. Of the list you mention, as far as hitting the sludge head on with incisive style, Wes Clark seems the best. As with Paul Hackett not all his views tickle progressives, especially the ones where he wants to redeem dubious US foreign policy, but more importantly his political apprenticeship and mentors could be perilously endangered by institutional losers. Someone has to hold the crooks' feet to the fire and not take the high road to fixing the even more chaotic ME or domestic policies being shot down by the Bush Federal reserve Board and SCOTUS. And not be ruled by institutional fear!

Which seems so much greater and panic stricken than us plebes who starve, bleed and go broke daily because the show must go on.

Well then run a newbie like Obama since the "experienced" argument that has given us a half century of looting by corporate style Nixonians is bankrupt.

You are talking of a bunch of dandified bullies in the RW Noise Machine who could accuse Hillary of being a draft dodger, a lesbian liberal New Wave religionist and anything else. If the GOP put up Benedict Arnold/John D. Rockefeller against a Washington/Lincoln ticket you can bet the aloof,womanizer/manic depressive ape ticket would lose.

[dusty64]

17. If they can't get

any dirt the extreme rightwing simply makes shit up, hurls it, and sees what sticks. If the past is any guide, our candidate will take the high road, ignore it, and try to move on. Doesn't work.......

[LWolf]

18. We put up the person who would make the best president.

No one is bulletproof, as the fervor about "electability" during the '04 primaries proves. Since that's the case, why not go with the best choice, instead of marching to the "electability" drums?

The truth is that anyone is electable with honest vote counts and equal air time. No one is electable if election fraud has not been addressed.

[JCMach1]

20. putting on flameproof suit... Kucinich has an 'ICK' factor for me

I like his politics, but I just can't watch him or listen to him speak.
I don't know precisely what it is, but there you go. My wife CYLRC has a similar reaction to this guy, so I don't think we are alone.

[stray cat]

23. No such thing as bullet proof

I like Feingold but expect to see quite few other candidates come forth.