Kerry Announce John Edwards for Running Partner

Is Kerry's Campaign in Trouble?

 

I'm not surprised he chose John Edwards as his running mate. Why would his campaign be in trouble?

 

he's trying to court the south.
I wish he chose clark, he could bring more moderate and disenfranchised voters, that and he is pretty morally impeccable (a war hero ticket).

 

I think Edwards was the right choice, nobody really believes Clark was going to pull the kind of votes that could sway an election.

In fact I wish it was the other way around - Edwards for POTUS, Kerry for VP. Actually no Kerry at all but too late for that...

How could this be a sign his campaign is in trouble? It is a sign "the campaign", or more accurately, Kerry, is making the right electoral calculations.

Kerry vs. Cheney? Back in the bunker, Dick, you're a liability.

 

Its been said when a candidate announces thier VP prior to the convention, the candidate sees major trouble in their campaign. They are trying to shore up support and keep their names in the news.

Currently nothing is going on, Clinton's book seems to be more in the news than Kerry's name.

I will try to find out (from both parties) when the announcement of VP was made and the major polls up to the announcement. Also the Novmember results.

 

This is not really the case anymore Ole Goat (refering to your statement regarding VP selection prior to a convention as a sign of a weak campaign) with how private funding has become increasingly more important to who wins the election. This truth is the main reason why most people want to see the campaign finance laws rewritten.

After the convention, the nominated candidate (if he accepts the nomination) is only allowed to spend public funds, plus what he/she already has saved - meaning he/she cannot raise anymore money. This year the Republican convention is about 40 days following the democratic convention, hence Bush has 40 days longer than Kerry to raise additional private funds for his campaign. Kerry flirted with the idea of not officially accepting the nomination until a few weeks after the convention to counterbalance this obvious disadvantage, but has since changed his stance as his advisors have suggested (and I agree) that his ratings would take a hit as it would be a sign of weakness.

His choice of Edwards is a good move at this time as he is widely regarding as having the best campaigning skills of anyone out there. Much of this has to do with his moderate stance on most issues, blue collar upbringing and enthusiasm. All of these qualities are crucial to influencing swing voters in battleground states. Now that he has been selected I would expect a whirlwind of campaigning up until the convention.

History shows that following the convention the challenger usually sees a substantially bump in the polls, which almost always subsides. If they campaign hard until the convention, perhaps the bump will carry longer than normal, hopefully until the televized debates. If things are close, the winner of the debates should win the race. I would expect some trickery on Bush's part in this regard - trying to hold the debates on poor TV nights or perhaps trying to influence what can and cannot be asked. He'll come up with some excuse concerning foriegn policy that because of terrorism, specific strategies cannot be discussed, which plays to his favor. I hope this doesn't happen, but more than likely it will. Hmmm, this is a good topic for another thread.

 

I hadn't concidered the Campaign Finance Reform aspect. Will look into the law closer.
Now that everything has been decided, the conventions will much more boring and nonevents than in the past. The last important question was answered today. At least with a brokered convention, there was real tension and suspence. Can't remember the last brokered convention. 1964 Republican convention? Or was it the 1968 Democratic Convention?

 

I think Edwards was the best choice, well spoken, southern to counteract the prejudice Kerry will get from southerners for being a "yankee", and i think that Edwards probably appeals to more borderline republicans than the rest of the group.

 

God damn what a pussy. This is one of the weakest canidates I've seen in a while.

 

hey, at least they will get the women swing-votes now!

 

Being a North Carolinian, I of course see Edwards as a good choice. I believe he represents my beliefs very well, other than supporting the death penalty. Death penalty is trivial though, its a state issue...anyway...whats really pissed me off today was the RNC calling edwards a


"Disingenuous Liberal"

What the hell is that about? Edwards is one of the most moderate democrats you'll meet, and by definition, very conservative on some issues. I'm tired of this omni-labeling bullshit that both sides use. Its like rush and o' reilly and hannity use liberal and have created this negative connotation that places them one rung up the moral ladder from Satan himself...FUCK IT!

 

did anyone notice that the chicago sun times came out with a story this morning about how kerry picked gephart.....now that was a big whoops.....

or was it?

 

NY Post did the same thing, ofcourse that is to be expected from the Post.

 

It was either the Sun Times or the Chicago Tribune that declared Thomas Dewey winning over Harry Truman in 1948. Seems Chicago newspapers has a bad track record.

I could be wrong, but didn't the Unions, AFL-CIO, etc., push for Gephart big time. This could be the reason why everyone expected Gephart rather Edwards.

 

Edwards seems like scum to me. The whole class action suit thing is total bullshit.

 

Heh, I was pulling for Edwards in the primaries, he was the only descent potential presidential candidate (Bush and Kerry included). Maybe if Kerry is quietly assasinated in the night and Edwards takes over the campaign, there would be some kind of hope for the next 4 years.

 

I'm assuming the above post is satire, of some sort. I don't believe anyone would be serious about killing another person for anything as trivial as politics.
The jest is in poor taste.

 

Yeah, I'm advocating murder in the name of political opposition. It's a freaking joke, take it easy.

 

No matter who he named, they would call him a liberal.

 

If the typical current right wing mentality pervading the US public discourse and media had been the predminant view of the day in which our nation was born and our founding principles set forth in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, you can bet we would not be a nation based on principles of secular, pluralistic open and free self governance.

Seems the bulk of our citizenry, so misinformed and badly educated in basic historic premise, gleefully villifies the very Liberalism that made our nation possible in the first place and enabled it to grow in strength and influence.

Sadly, since WWII it has become the tool of the MNC's and a military industrial complex eager to return us to the myopic doctrines of "might makes right" and neo-colonialist hegemony.

Like every empire, what goes around will come around until we have destroyed ourselves, our children's future hopes, and our standing in the world. It is truly to despair that a nation with so much potential for constructive engagement chooses instead to pad its own nest at the expense of so many countless others around the globe.