Kerry and McCain?

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This is about the most ridiculous report I've heard in a while. I was watching FOX news (granted this is not the best source for information on the Democratic Party) last night and they were going through names that have been bandied about for Kerry's running mate. Supposedly, the short list included predictable people, like John Edwards and Hillary Clinton. One name threw me for a loop though. They said that Sen McCain was also on the list. Of course the problem with this is that McCain is a republican. Granted, as far as republicans go he is a good guy, a "nice republican" if you will, and I don't have any major problems with him - but he's still a republican.

Can a democrat even consider choosing a republican running mate and still expect win? Probably not. Anyone who thought that Lieberman or Clark were "Bush-lite" will have to change their definition. What I can't understand is why such a claim even surfaced. It isn't possible that such a choice is being given any serious consideration... Is there?

 

The Kerry Campaign seems to be fully aware that they are at a HUGE disadvantage for this election. A Kerry-McCain ticket would be quite interesting. Two war heroes, two different parties trying to get elected during wartime.

 

It would no doubt be an interesting ticket, and one that I would support. However, the main reason I find it unlikely is that for Kerry to take McCain, McCain would have to cross party lines and become a Democrat. Then, if they don't win in the fall, McCain would have essentially committed political suicide. He won't get re-elected as senator in all likelihood, so being Kerry's running mate would be a do-or-die proposition. I don't think McCain is ready to retire from politics just yet, and I doubt that he is confident enough that Kerry will win in November.

 

McCain is WAAAAY too far to the right for Kerry, or Democratic voters, to stomach. Our image of McCain as a centrist is formed mainly by contrast with a further-right Bush and a Republican-controlled Congress, along with his campaign finance reform. Imagine the dismay in the Democratic ranks if they found out they'd traded Dean and Edwards for a waffly Kerry and a Republican!

Let's just say that I would be comfortable with a McCain vice-presidency. And that should be enough to scare anyone from considering him for VP.

 

I wouldn't agree with saying McCain is all that far to the right - not even close. Our vision of McCain being a sensible, centrist right-center republican was formed long, long, long before Bush took office. John McCain's recent - and very vocal - no-nonsense criticism of the president proves exactly why he's a man of integrity. He's got the balls to stand up and state the obvious for the good of his party because he cares about its direction, despite the fact that every other Republican has been a loyal cheerleader up to now even as the obvious blunders of the current administration were hitting them in the face like a big bag of sh*t. Now many other prominant Repubs are following suit, which is refreshing. Criticism does not equal disloyalty to one's party.

My distaste for Bush and the far right is certainly no secret on these boards, yet I'm a huge fan of John McCain. I've also said in the past that if the 2000 campaign had gone differently (without mysterious occurances like mass phone calls to voters asking them how they felt about John McCain's "black baby" - wonder who was behind that?), that McCain would be our president today and would, IMO, make a damn fine one at that. So I would love it if John McCain were Kerry's running mate. They could run on a platform of "united not divided" that no one could deny. Running such a campaign is IMO a revolutionary idea that basically sends a message to everyone that progress comes only when both sides work together, and there's no better way to show your commitment to such an idea than to share the top spot.

That said, it ain't gonna happen - pretty much because both sides are way to petty to go along with anything I just said.

 

@DR - Some great points about McCain - I certainly do not consider him to be far to the right. Despite there being a definite liberal tilt to these boards, most intellectual people will vote for the best canidate, regardless of whether he is democrat or republican. I'm a registered democrat, but McCain is the type of republican I vote consider voting for, while Bush is someone I would not.

And that's the big thing. I have the same amount of disdain for someone who will vote democrat - no matter what - as I have for someone who votes republican - no matter what. I'm not going to come up here and say I won't ever support a republican just because of the current administration. I have pulled republican levers in the past on election day, and wil almost certianly do so again. In fact, other than the presidency, I have probably voted for republicans for just about any other elected position.

 

He would indeed have to "cross party lines," but in no way would that mean he would have to become a Democrat. IIRC, initially there were separate elections for the Pres. and VP. Since that has changed (I'm going wayyyyyy back here), there hasn't been a single candidate who has selected a running mate outside of his party. That doesn't mean it can't happen.

A Kerry-McCain ticket is an interesting notion, but I can't see it happening. I am a Texas Republican who, strictly because of the last four years, has become a *staunch* supporter of the Kerry candidacy. I think GWB is an honorable, but simpleminded (and therefore, given the vast power at his command) extremely dangerous man, but even I would look at a K-M ticket as an egregiously cynical, vote-getting maneuver.

It could be done, but man o man would they have to spin it well.

 

Having McCain would attract some republican voter to kerry, but IM), it would not be a good move for John Kerry. Similarly, when Harrison was running, he took Democrat John Tyler in as Vice president to actract states-righters. Long story short, Harrison died and all but one member of the cabinet resigned in disgust over the political moves of the now-president. It was a hella bad administration. Vice presidents should be trusted members of the president's party. Disunity is disasterous.

 

The rumor mill keeps churning...

Here's the relevant McCain quote:

"John Kerry is a close friend of mine. We have been friends for years. Obviously I would entertain it...[but] it's impossible to imagine the Democratic Party seeking a pro-life, free-trading, non-protectionist, deficit hawk."

InstaPundit suspects that this is a Republican conspiracy to make the real Kerry VP look bad by comparison to McCain.

 

Article in the NYTimes where McCain defends Kerry against Republican accusations that he would be weak on security. Rove must be blowing a valve.

McCain is probably still upset (and justifiably so) about his treatment by the Bush team in the 2000 primary. (I know it was only one incident, but you heard about the bit in south carolina where one group of Bush telemarketers insinuated that McCain had a black daughter, bec he had adopted a girl from Pakistan. Disgraceful...)

If you think Kerry-McCain would throw the Democrats for a loop, imagine what it would do to the Republicans: it would be like civil war. Seriously, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. First, they would start off trying to discredit McCain, and making him seem like a traitor. When that backfired, they would have to come rushing toward the political center. They wouldn't have a choice. Plenty of moderate Repubs are considering voting for Kerry as it is; taking on McCain would destroy Rove and Co.'s attempt to scare the moderates rightwards by crying security and claiming that Kerry is a radical leftist. But portraying Bush as a moderate at this point will be about as credible as putting him back in his flight suit in a room with Kerry and McCain.

Unless something major happened, Kerry-McCain would be a landslide IMO.