Had an interesting conversation with an immigrant today

My mother is in the hospital and has a nurse's aid assigned to watch her 24/7. The man with her today was from Ghana and has come here to study nursing. He has been here 3 years. I was reading Al Franken's new book and he started asking me questions about American politics. He said he has noticed that most Americans seem to hate bush and he didn't understand how he got elected. He also said he has spent lots of time in Europe and he thinks most Europeans love Americans but hate our Republican leaders. He said Clinton was loved in Africa and they didn't understand the impeachment at all.

I was really impressed by how well this young man understands American politics. He also kept saying that no matter how messed up things seem now, this is still a great country to live in. He said he had traveled all over Africa and Europe and he couldn't go anywhere in most other countries without being hassled for his 'papers' by cops, etc. He raved about how free we are in the USA.

He also kept asking me who I thought the Democrats would nominate for prez in 2008. He wanted to know who was a strong enough candidate to defeat the "Republican hate machine". So I told him I would post that question here on DU and tell him tomorrow what you all say.

So, DUers, who do you think is a strong enough candidate to defeat the hate machine?

vice-president = Kucinich :D

:dem: :kick:

The idea just came to me after posting on the RFK, Jr. thread going here. My what a fine combo ass-kicking pair those two would be, Bobby and Kooch! I love it! I love it! It will work!

The power is there and so are the fine two leaders!

:D :D :D

:kick:

His name didn't come up in our conversation.

of the two of them together but it makes sense to put them there. I like it.

:hi: proud!

I did not know about your mother. Sorry. Do you need anything?

Evlbstrd lives only a few blocks from the hospital and I went over and hung out with him this afternoon when I needed a break.

DUers are THE BEST!!

But I think you already knew that. :hi:

I also am not surprised you would mention Kucinich. :)

I say that ... Barbara Boxer could defeat him (probably wishful thinking).

I think she is a better candidate than Hillary.

to tell at the moment, at least for the Dems, though the Republicans are actively positioning themselves (McCain, Allen, Brownback, Frist & Romney)

Senator Evan Bayh D-IN would provide the best chance of winning in 2008. Many people want Hillary but I don't think could win: I know a LOT of democrats that don't want her to run. So much depends on what happens between now and then; whether people wake up to the rampant corruption, cronyism and evangelical infiltration in the republican party; the economy, Iraq. So many variables to consider.

Hilary Rodham in '08, but I don't think she could get elected. Too many dumbasses would never vote for a woman, and among the right-wingers, she's pretty hated across the board.
I'd like to see John Edwards (VP candidate in '04) run. He came to speak at a college in my hometown of Duluth (MN), and he had a really remarkable kind of nonthreatening charisma, if that makes any sense. I just remember standing in line to get in to see him, and seeing the diversity of the crowd. I was standing right behind a guy who looked like he came straight from his construction job, and when he was told he couldn't bring his lunch cooler in, a guy who was a professor at the college told him he could put it in his office. There were men and women in suits and jeans, people of all races and ages and walks of life...he had a really broad appeal, if that crowd was any indicator.

That was the first name I mentioned.

defeat the republican stealing machines, I think. Oh and how do we defeat the corporate owned media whores, who are insistent on slandering our Democratic candidates while propping up the scumbag repukes.

I think fraud had a lot to do with how bush was elected.

And the sooner this Country owns up that fact, the sooner we can move forward! Corporate media and repukes know it, they embrace it. It's our own Democratic Leaders and many of our rank and file members who must admit the fact about voter fraud, only then can we fix it.

Clark to tackle military and credibility problems; Hillary to tackle healthcare. Mr. Hillary can work on our prestige abroad.

Edited to add: I think Bill might make a FINE US Ambassador to the UN.