I want to be the `peace president’
ArchPundit
Dude, it’s a bit late to be pulling a Denny Kucinich isn’t it?
Presidential Race
Trial Lawyer Impact
An interesting question running around blogs is how will John Edwards background as a trial lawyer affect people. It’ll certainly harden the views of some doctors and the Chamber of Commerce, but one has to remember that people like trial lawyers individually and dislike the idea of lawyers in general.
Time has some polling data they are releasing today. Only 28.4% say being a trial lawyer negatively affects their opinion of Edwards. 54.8% says that background makes them think he fights for the average person.
Big numbers:
Registered Likely
Voters Voters
———- ——–
1003 774
Kerry 46.5% 46.7%
Bush 43.5% 44.7%
Nader 3.6% 3.5%
Not Sure 6.4% 5.1%
Wrong track Total 48.8% Registered Voters 50.0% Likely Voters 49.1%
Approve (President) Total 48.1% Registered 48.4% Likely 49.3%
Another New Blog
Though not Illinois specific is The Moderate Voice. I’ll get him on the blog roll sooner or later here, but I think he has a good post on whether Edwards will be a good pick in the long run.
I sense he’ll be good. For those that hate trial lawyers–remember that people like them a lot in trials (ed. are juries like average voters? good question). I can’t find the post, but Virginia Postrel made this point a long time ago—well actually she has made another post on her front page right now.
That said, Edwards is a natural in a weird way–he can appeal to both the left and the center with his mannerisms and the way he talks. He’ll appeal to white married suburban women and to the near Nader left all in the same speech. Can I explain it? No, but I know it when I see it.
I like him, quite a bit actually though I’d prefer some more experience there like a Bob Graham. But I’m not exactly the target audience. Anyone besides LaRouche with a D by their name would get my vote this year.
DJWinfo—Dem Convention Blogger
Dan was chosen as one of the Democratic bloggers (I didn’t apply between money concerns and the Missouri primary at the beginning of August). If you can help him out, do so….
My View On Gephardt?
Assuming my information is correct is Gephardt the best choice? Probably not. I haven’t been playing the VP speculation game so the tip was out of thin air, but overall I wanted Bob Graham. I could tastes a debate between him and Cheney and it would have been hysterical. That said, is Gephardt a bad choice? No, I don’t think so for several reasons.
1) He’s one of the most honest people to ever serve in office. He’s smart and bright and while he has other liabilities that says a lot.
2) Labor probably needs shoring up more than anything else and he is the guy to do it. While his views on free trade are polar opposites of mine (and in fact the reason I could never support him for President), he represents a significant portion of the Democratic Party and this may well deliver Ohio. I’m not so sure if he can pull Missouri, but I’m not sure it matters. I do think that adding him to the ticket makes Ohio pretty strong for the Dems and that is a good reason.
3) Ultimately, I think the anybody but Bush anthem will drown out criticisms of his vote for the war. While I think the Rose Garden appearance was stupid, especially in context of Lugar, Hagel and Biden coming up with an alternative, can anyone say he would have approached Iraq in the same way Bush did? No. ABB–Anybody but Bush makes up for that move.
4) The Miserable Failure line is the line of the campaign.
5) He and Kerry get along and as Jerome at MyDD points out, that matters most probably.
6) While I have many disagreements with Gephardt, he is ready to step in from day one and be President of the United States should it be necessary.
Gephardt Round-up
Looks like a lot of traffic coming in on the subject so let’s see what folks are saying
1) Political Wire is hearing similar things
2) Kos is hearing nothing, but thinks Gephardt isn’t as bad as everyone is claiming (I agree)
3) Jerome, well, he disagrees with Markos and I, though isn’t apocalyptic about the choice
4) WhoPundit is not happy and starts with the eyebrow jokes.
5) Oliver is down in the dumps over it and has a dirty mind
6) Burnt Orange–quoting Kos–cheer up
7) Jon Henke doesn’t get it.
8) Article OnLine isn’t so happy, he’s an Edwards guy
9) The Moderate Voice is surprisingly unmoderate on his view of the pick.
10) Mathew Gross explains why many in the blogosphere will be upset–the Rose Garden appearance on the war. I still argue this was when he lost the primary for sure–especially since he undercut Hagel, Lugar and Biden. I know I was angry at that maneuver and I was generally for the war (no flames on this thread about this)
11) Charles Kuffner wisely takes the notion that he should wait until it is confirmed. As I’ve been saying, I could be wrong, but I really don’t think so.
More as it comes in….
It’s Gephardt
Just got some scuttlebutt, top Gephardt aide Joyce Aboussie has been sent a private plane to join Dick Gephardt for….one can only assume the announcement that Dick Gephardt will be the next Vice President Nominee for the Democratic Party.
UPDATE: If Aboussie is being flown out and ordering staff to be ready for a change, it’s hard to imagine that it is anything, but gearing up for an announcement that he is the VP nominee. He and Aboussie are incredibly close and she is his right hand. Unless this is a bit of disinformation, this is the real deal.
UPDATE 2: Political Wire hears similar rumors.
This is going to be embarrassing if I’m wrong given the firestorm it created!
If I Were Dick Cheney
That’s a pretty damn funny thought in itself, but I’d be banned from going to the Senate floor, just as Ms. ArchPundit has banned me from conversations with our cable operator.
Bush on the Ballot Barring Any Lawsuits
The General Assembly passed a law giving the Republican Party an exception to the 67 day rule. It was unanimous in both chambers.
The question that remains is whether any of the smaller parties will challenge this as special legislation. As a Democrat, I can’t get upset about this, but if I were a member of a smaller party, I’d be hopping mad given all the extra hoops they have to jump through.
Dan suggests that Democrats should have made a stand and pointed out the effort to politicize 9-11 by moving the convention so close to the third anniversary. I say, let them hang themselves.
I doubt such a move would resonnate with non-activists and it would sound like a game. However, letting the Republicans overdo themselves in New York will be a far more effective way to get the point across.
Cheney’s Bizarreness
I’m not even angry about this crap, but I am finding it funny. Check out the clip from the Daily Show
Could we get a better press corps? I don’t mean ideologically either way, just better.