Calm down== the McCain thing is a TRIAL BALLOON

Everyone on 'the list' is getting a moment...

I really don't think it will be McCain-- despite his hatred for *.

It just doesn't make sense. For a lot of reasons. I'm not worried (despite my seemingly apoplectic post on the topic!!)

I WOULD accept it to get rid of *...

She I think would vote against Kerry if he were VP.

It doensn't amuse me to see the party toy with fucking us over.

They will be the swing vote in this election...

I am very suspicious of Democrats who pander to the right

It seems like I have seen it on Chris Matthews and on Meet the Press, the pundits seem to bring it up whenever they have McCain on. It's Like they are teasing him.

Who was it on MTP today, was it Biden who was saying it would heal the division the neo-cons have created in the nation. He didn't say neo-cons created. That is my opinion.

when I heard him saying that John McCain would be a wonderful VP and would create bipartisanism in the future election. It is a wonder that my TV is still is in existence! Well, shut TF up Biden! You are a panderer, speaking out of both sides of your mouth. I can't stand him! He makes me want to:

:puke: :puke: :puke:

did i hear biden also say at the end to mccain "you would have been alot better than what we have now"

He'd gain five moderate independents and disillusioned Republicans (and if you listen closely, there are lots of them out there) with McCain on the ticket. McCain would bring Arizona--which cannot be won without him on the ticket. He'd help in the midwest with conservative union voters who have beefs with the administration, but are weary of a progressive from the northeast.

McCain is the best possible choice to be VP. That said, he'd have to switch parties (he toyed with that idea, but decided not to do it in early 2001). McCain is probably pro-choice, though his record shows otherwise (remember 2000 when he pissed off Alan Keyes by saying that he'd support his daughter's choice if she were to have an abortion). He is more responsible than anyone for getting campaign finance reform passed (this was a huge issue with the left, and certainly Senator Feingold had a lot to do with it to, but McCain effectively used the leverage he has to get it through the DeLay controlled House). He's also consistently against what he sees as wasteful spending by any government agency including the Defense Department. He has conservative views on foriegn policy, but so did Joe Lieberman and the party supported him the last time.

McCain would gain Kerry 2-4 percent in the polls, he would bring at least Arizona and maybe Ohio and West Virginia with him. He's 64, if he ran age 72 for President, he'd probably be able to serve only one term. The Republicans will never nominate him, but the Democrats could (and maybe should) in the future.

People here may not like it, but the fact is that the far-out left is already with Ralph Nader. To win Kerry has to figure out how to pick off votes from the center. As long as Nader is in the race, Kerry has to shift to the center. There is nobody out there who can help Kerry move to the center more than McCain.

This said, McCain is a Republican. He's said he's loyal to the party, he's said he is supporting President Bush (although he hasn't done anything for Bush). I think he is unlikely to switch and unlikely to run. Of Democrats, Evan Bayh and Mary Landrieu are the best people to help Kerry shift to the center.

That is, as long as noone tries to actually do it.

This helps McCain because it sets him up as the most powerful non-neocon. It helps Kerry because it gives him legitimacy with moderate Republican and independent voters. It helps us by helping Kerry. And it hurts Bush by splitting his party.

Whoever is inspiring these stories, it is a definite PR move, and it has to be coming from both Kerry and McCain, or it would not keep going. This is a deliberate leak.

Keep it on the burner until the convention, or the week before, which is the normal time to name a VP. The longer it is out there, the more in trouble Bush is.

People need to not take it seriously, and not read into it the talking point that there is no differance between the Democrats and the republicans