Kerry's Running mate??? who should he pick?

[CoasterNut]

i think thatd be cool if he picked hilary, a lot more people like her than bill. i think it would be even COOLER if she ran for pres in 2008. she did a lot when she was just first lady, i dont hear hardly anything about laura bush. everybody wants her to run, i think shed have a good chance. but she says she wants to finish out her term as senator, so thats cool. besides, having a female president would be awesome, and i dont think a lot of people would mind seeing bill be the first man, and have his wife be higher than him, itd look like he was whipped. :-)

i was kinda hopin for clark for president, but kerry it is.

maybe he should pick jay leno. they can run some sort of chin campaign.

I agree with Hilary running in '08, with the field of choices in this election, she'd be a breath of fresh air. And it'd be great to have a woman front runner in a political party, someone has to start the trend!

[JumpinZephyr]

On the Clintons... In the previous comments, people were exercised over Bill Clinton being asked to be VP, which is clearly not possible. Bill Clinton already served two terms as President.

Well, If you look at CoasterNut's post after yours, right now, it cannot really be said weather Bill can or can't be VP. So, no ignorance there.

That's a big jump to conclusions.

Well, it is not just my big jump to conclusions. I know many people who don't want to see the Clinton name associated with the Presidency ever again.

i think it would be even COOLER if she ran for pres in 2008.

Well, that is what people are saying she will do because there really is no known upcoming Republican that would run for the Presidency after Bush. So, it is said that she would most likely win, too...yay.

[ocnative1964]

x

[JumpinZephyr]

^ Thanks for editing your post...That was wack for a while!

[ocnative1964]

Clinton is not eligible to run for VP. The rule is that you have to be eligible to be elected President to run for VP, and Clinton is not.

I suggest reading the Constitution. It's not very long, and it explains a lot of how things work.

actually according to this law professor, no only can Bill Clinton run for Vice President, but he can succeed Kerry as President should Kerry become incapacitated...



fficeffice" />>published by Stephen Gillers NYU professor NYtimes op-ed contributer>

With John Edwards's decision to quit the race, expected to be announced officially today, John Kerry's nomination as the Democratic candidate for president is secure. Speculation about his choice for vice president can now begin in earnest.

Mr. Edwards himself is an obvious choice: a skilled campaigner, he would also attract Southern voters. Other possibilities include Senator Evan Bayh of ffice:smarttags" />lace>Indianalace> and Gov. Bill Richardson of lace>New Mexicolace>, who have both regional appeal and executive experience, and dark-horse candidates like former Senator Sam Nunn of lace>Georgialace>.

Amid this conjecture, however, one name is conspicuously absent: Bill Clinton.

Mr. Clinton's strengths would compensate for Mr. Kerry's weaknesses almost perfectly. Not only is Mr. Clinton the most talented campaigner of his generation, but he is also a Southerner — and since 1948, when Harry S. Truman chose Senator Alben Barkley of Kentucky as his running mate, every successful Democratic ticket has included a Southern politician.

Besides, people might even pay to watch Bill Clinton debate Dick Cheney. So why not?

The first objection, the constitutional one, can be disposed of easily. The Constitution does not prevent Mr. Clinton from running for vice president. The 22nd Amendment, which became effective in 1951, begins: "No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice.">>

No problem. Bill Clinton would be running for vice president, not president. Scholars and judges can debate how loosely constitutional language should be interpreted, but one need not be a strict constructionist to find this language clear beyond dispute. Bill Clinton cannot be elected president, but nothing stops him from being elected vice president.>>

True, if Mr. Clinton were vice president he would be in line for the presidency. But Mr. Clinton would succeed Mr. Kerry not by election, which the amendment forbids, but through Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, which provides that if a president dies, resigns or is removed from office, his powers "shall devolve on the vice president." The 22nd Amendment would not prevent this succession.>>

So much for the constitutional obstacles. The political ones may be more formidable. They can be summarized in two questions: would Mr. Clinton want the job; and would Mr. Kerry want him to take it? We won't know until we ask, of course. But before asking, we might cite some reasons for both men to consider a Kerry-Clinton ticket seriously.

For Mr. Clinton, the appeal of the vice presidency is both political and personal. First, he could help his party win. Yes, Mr. Clinton remains a divisive figure in American politics — but not so much among Democrats. And surely many voters long for the strong economy and economic stewardship that was one of the hallmarks of his administration.

Second, he could burnish his legacy. In exchange for joining the ticket, Mr. Clinton could negotiate for plum assignments as vice president. lace>Mideastlace> peace? National health care? Racial equality? He could focus on any or all of them. And from a purely personal standpoint, it might be especially gratifying for Mr. Clinton to be part of the team that defeats the man who four years ago promised to restore "character" to Mr. Clinton's own White House.

The only remaining question, then, is what John Kerry thinks of all this. Judging from recent debates, there's little chemistry between Senators Kerry and Edwards, although Mr. Edwards's graceful withdrawal may help ease tensions between them. But Mr. Kerry and Mr. Clinton would seem to have much in common; they are nearly the same age, worked with each other in lace>Washingtonlace> for almost a decade and have a shared interest in foreign affairs.

For Senator Kerry, the question may well come down to whether adding Mr. Clinton to the ticket would appreciably increase his chances of victory. A couple of polls should give him the answer fast enough. If the results are good, the course is clear: bring him on.

Stephen Gillers is a professor of law at lace>New YorkUniversitylace>.

[ocnative1964]

i think thatd be cool if he picked hilary, a lot more people like her than bill. i think it would be even COOLER if she ran for pres in 2008. she did a lot when she was just first lady, i dont hear hardly anything about laura bush. everybody wants her to run, i think shed have a good chance. but she says she wants to finish out her term as senator, so thats cool. besides, having a female president would be awesome, and i dont think a lot of people would mind seeing bill be the first man, and have his wife be higher than him, itd look like he was whipped. :-)

i was kinda hopin for clark for president, but kerry it is.

maybe he should pick jay leno. they can run some sort of chin campaign.

that would be a first for bill to have a woman above him...

[ocnative1964]

^ Thanks for editing your post...That was wack for a while!

no kidding I had to kill it sorry... very strange...

[ocnative1964]

Well, If you look at CoasterNut's post after yours, right now, it cannot really be said weather Bill can or can't be VP. So, no ignorance there.
Well, it is not just my big jump to conclusions. I know many people who don't want to see the Clinton name associated with the Presidency ever again.

Well, that is what people are saying she will do because there really is no known upcoming Republican that would run for the Presidency after Bush. So, it is said that she would most likely win, too...yay.

Rudy Juliani (sp?) is already thinking about 2008...

Hillary is already tarnished after her horrible handling of the health care issue... and her republican past may haunt her...

[cinder]

You guys are just ignorant.

There is discussion for MRS. Clinton, the Junior Senator from New York, to run as VP. That's right, Hilary Clinton.

I think Kerry should pick Rev. Sharpton. Afterall, Kerry will be the 2nd Black President so Sharpton deserves to be the 3rd Black President.

There is no ignorance in discussing something. If you re-read, the comment I made was, "Heard something interesting on the radio this morning.......they said possibly Bill Clinton? Is that possible?" So, if you would like, you can go ahead and call Star 100.7 in San Diego (619-570-1007) and tell them that they are ignorant. Otherwise, I was just bringing forth for discussion something that was passed on to myself through the media. Thank you.

[spohlso]

As of this morning here in Chicago (with no running mate) the polls show that if the election were held today Kerry would win 56% to Bush's %40 (with 4% undecided.) Not that it matters. Gore won Illinois last time Bush was still appointed the Presidency by the Supreme Court. We'll have to see how it goes. It's a long time 'til the election either way and a running mate can make a huge difference in a candidates popularity.