Sen. Bayh or Gov. Richardson For Pres. in 08?

How About Senator and former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh? He won his latest Senate race by a landslide in a GOP state.

And don't give me that crap about "we can't elect someone who served in the U.S. Senate because their voting record can be used against them." If a person can't stand up and defend their own voting record, then they don't deserve to be President.

http://www.evanbayh.com/biography.shtml

He is the Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).
"In Washington, Bayh has carried on the work on issues he emphasized as governor, seeking to protect and create new jobs, maintain fiscal responsibility, and ensure affordable health care. He has also worked to raise the performance of our nation's public schools, encourage responsible fatherhood, and provide tax relief for families struggling to afford the costs of college, retirement and long-term care of loved ones."

He serves on the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committees.

"Before his election to the Senate in 1998, Bayh served two terms as Governor of Indiana. Stressing fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, job creation and lean government, then-Governor Bayh's list of accomplishments are impressive: eight years without raising taxes; the greatest single tax cut; the largest budget surplus in state history; national leadership in moving people from welfare to work; more dollars for schools every year; high academic standards and new college opportunities; more than 375,000 new jobs; tougher laws; and improved environmental quality."

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Or New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.

"...he has the résumé -- former Cabinet secretary, former U.N. ambassador, former member of Congress -- and as a Hispanic executive from the Southwest..."

University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato said: "He's Hispanic, enabling the Democrats to target that key group of 2004. He's a governor from outside of Washington, so he's not responsible for the mess in Washington. He has national security-experience, having been U.N. ambassador. He's from the Southwest, which could be the critical substitute region for the South on the Democratic side. And finally, experience. He's not only a governor, but he has federal executive experience and legislative experience."

"Richardson, 56, served 15 years in the U.S. House of Representatives before being selected to represent the United States in the United Nations in 1997. The following year he was confirmed as the secretary of the Department of Energy. He ran for governor in 2002 and took 55 percent of the vote."

http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/02/17/Politics/Analysis.Is.Bill.Richardson.A.Good.Fit.For.John.Kerry-600328.shtml

I think that this would be a great ticket...while I am still licking my Kerry/Edwards wounds, I would actually support that ticket before them....

:kick:

They are both excellent people with their heads screwed on right about the issues.

Bill will do well in the west and mountain states and among most hispanics...maybe even cubans in Florida but I doubt it. There are a ton of hispanics in the Southeast as well for some reason.

Blacks will bend over backwards to get a black guy in the white house. We'll have close to 100% turnout from them and tons of grass roots support.

I don't know much about Insight magazine, but the article I quoted is very straight forward, with the quotes from well-respected people.

It is too their benefit to have very conservative Democrats running things.

Same old same old. Of course they also gave us Bush in 2000. In the 2000 election, the Republicans were told again and again that Bush was their best chance to beat Gore. Fast forward to 2004 and the Democrats are told again and again that Kerry is the most electable. Of course the Democratic party bosses were only to happy to jump on board (and they say the Democrats and Republicans can't work together.)

then we can claim a win too while abandoning all democratic party values.

Lots of animosity towards them here unfortunately.

Obviously FL has a large hispanic population and he's the only southern state we can win, except for Arkansas and Tennessee perhaps, maybe Virginia.

He could win in the southwest, a red area that could turn blue.

but seriously, do democrats (in this day and age) EVER get much of the bigot vote? I seriously doubt anyone who wouldn't vote for someone simply due to their ethnicity would ever vote for the party of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Especially Bayh! I think he's a real winner. Any Dem who is unbeatable in Indiana has got to have something going for them!!

And of course Richardson was a part of our last winning administration!!

The GOP is already priming Arnold for the presidency.

We should beat them to the punch with a celebrity spokesmodel of our own, like Danny Glover, Mike Farrell, or some other high profile liberal.

Welcome to DU.

to be the GOP nominee, especially with his more liberal social views which would be opposed by the fundies.

I hate to say it, but the Dems have a lot more 'star ' power that the two you mentioned.

We do have better star power for the Pres slot, some who ran this time included.

Not an angry Hollywood liberal, but a celebrity everyone loves would be a surefire winner. Not for the presidency though, for a lower office.

I like Richardson. Seems like a good guy, good credentials, good appeal to persuadables in swing states, and has done a good job.

Bayh, on the other hand, I wouldn't support for dog catcher. I've been watching his votes carefully since 2000 and more often than not, he's not helping the average people, he's helping the big corporations and the wealthy.

Huge difference in these two guys and a good example of how you can't lump all self-labeled centrists in together. Some try to take care of average folks and some just talk a good game, but only deliver for the guys with the big bucks.

Dull Dull Dull Dull Dull Dull

So why would be back a Republican for President?

I am sorry but Bayh is just too moderate, not just socially but he doesnt have any populist tendencies what so ever. Besides I though I dont agree with the man on a good amount would like a senate seat from Indiana.

or GOP lite

the bus. cause master done went and found himself a new minority. just call us when it's time to vote.

I will not vote for DLC people.

Didn't they help organize the DLC back in the eighties?

this is now. The DLC has been less than helpful to the party for the last two elections. These are different times and we need to drag this country, kicking and screaming, back to the left before it goes screaming over a cliff to the right.

No one here likes him, and I mean no one. he sides with Bush on every issues and ridicules them Dems like he is not part of the problem.

Bayh would be an outstanding presidential candidate. This is a guy who has won four landslide victories (twice for governor, twice for senator) in a red state that hasn't gone Democratic in decades. Plus he's young, charismatic, and a family man with a moderate record that won't alienate middle America.

Please stop bashing moderate Dems like Bayh -- we're toast unless we can reach out to those red states.

One and the same.


:hippie:

I WILL bash Bayh. He will set things back even further.

who acts and thinks like a republican? I do not live in his state and I am not claiming to be the authority on Evan Bayh.I am just going on what I have seen of him on shows like MTP and Harball as well as some others. He seems to me like he was all for most Republican policy, he could just do it better. Sound familiar? I think most people who want those policies will vote republican,and not a Dem trying to be a republican.

so shoot me.

He's definitly got the ambition and the drive. Also, he knows how to play politics, and I think the next nominee is definitly going to have to play politics to win.

Regardless of whoever gets the nod for President, Bill Richardson is exactly the right choice for VP. I don't know if he's charismatic and exciting enough for Pres, but he'd make a perfect choice for VP.

Is Warner any better than Bayh? My pick is still Clark, but I feel like he's a longshot.

Clark/Obama. Not only could they win, it's a ticket I'd personally go to the mats for.

He'll serve at least one full term, probably two, before running.

So we just have to give up on true progressive issues because of one election? Let's not start panicking and select a squishy semi-Repuke just because Kerry couldn't win the day. It just gives me the sense that we are admitting some fault by moving to "the center" with Baye or Richardson. Hell, Richardson was on the tube bad-mouthing Michael Moore last night. He was distancing from his own base.

and America is not going to elect a Hispanic president. We still have southerners who won't vote for a northerner.

We need a charming Gov to run and his name is Mike Easely

before they post shit like this.

He is - and I'll say it for about the 15th time - a pretty boy with an empty head, a stuffed shirt living off his daddy's name because he has no other job skills - with not an original idea in his head, and no convictions in his soul other than those of whichever audience he is presently in front of.

I live in Indy and worked for State Gov't ... I know too well the governing skills - or LACK THEREOF - that this man has.

Can you say DAN QUAYLE ????


:hippie:

I agree wholeheartedly. He graduated with honors from Indiana U, which would indicate high intelligence. He is regarded as slightly left of center. He supports abortion rights, but voted for the partial birth amendment. He would govern something like Bill Clinton, and would carry the entire Midwest, including Indiana and Ohio. With two terms as Governor and in his second term as Senator, he has the enough experience. Anyone who has a similar resume would make an effective president. A Republican who I think would be effective would be George Voinovich of Ohio. He was a popular mayor of Cleveland, went on to be Governor, and is now in the Senate. He is too moderate to ever be nominated by the Republicans. Vilsack would make a fine running mate.

He graduated with honors from Indiana U, which would indicate high intelligence.

No, it indicates that Bayh did not party hearty like the rest of us.

n/t



:hippie:

When Bush was choking on his pretzel, Barney just sat there watching him rather than call for help. Smart dog Barney!

I would never in a thousand lifetimes vote for this man.

Richardson, yes.

We could get the southwest and florida with Richardson.

I don't know enough about Warner to back him, but I'm open to the idea. Feingold is my hero, and I think Richardson would be in a good position if he ran. He could open up the southwest to us, which I think is a red state area with more potential for votes than the deep south. If he can take New Mexico and either Arizona, Neveda or Colorado, we'd win.

Loved His Dad.:hi: He's a comer.

I find it fascinating that so many people have sufficient confidence in the health of our democracy, given recent events, to think that there will be honest elections in 2008.

What is the basis for this confidence?

It would seem to fly in the face of everything we know about the people running this adminstration and the way they seized power. Their avowed plans for the country don't include giving the opposition a voice in government, and they have proven them,selves to be unstoppable by an election.

I can't imagine speculating on candidates for 2006 or 2008 unless I believed that things were more or less OK. I don't see how anyone could believe that things are more or less OK if they have been paying any attention at all to recent events.

If the Bush adminstration is not attempting to install totalitarian rule, then what are they doing? They say that is what they are doing. All of their actions support it.

I was avoiding these 2008 threads, but since the stolen election threads are continually interrupted by "we need to focus on 2008!" posts, I decided to post here.

and ran him with the slogan, "Zombie Reagan wants to pick your brain", we would have a better chance of winning the WH than with Evan Bayh.

Enough with the uninspiring, lukewarm, puke Dems.

Bayh is too Republican to win in the Northeast and West Coast, and not Republican enough to win everywhere else.

Richardson is a better speaker and a marginally better candidate overall, but he won't win because he is Hispanic anymore than John Kerry would win because he is a veteran. It's that type of superficial thinking that has help create the Democrats current image as cynical, opportunistic, manipulators.

More of the same will not work.