Hypothetical Presidential Election: John McCain vs. Mark Warner

[Chris B]

John McCain remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2007 and into 2008. The candidates best posed to challenge that status are Rudy Guiliani and Mitt Romney. As the primaries begin, Guiliani is knocked out of the primaries due to his social liberalism, despite a strategy to fram these issues as being libertarian in nature. Romney is also defeated because of his flip flopping on abortion and the fact that he is Mormon. Ultimately McCain wins the Republican nomination after continuing to extend a series of olive branches to the Evangelical wing of the Pary. He selects Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as his running mate.

http://politicalinsider.com/2006/12/more_on_warner.html

Mark Warner reconsiders his earlier decision, and jumps into the Election in the late Spring or early Summer of 2007. Due to his own personal wealth and business connections, he quickly manages to raise the amount of money need for a serious run at the White House. He is perceived to be the moderate Democrat best posed to win the nomination, in a field dominated by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John Edwards. As the primaries start. Clinton's vulnerabilites as as a candidate are successfully exploited and she drops out of the race. Obama and Edwards split the liberal vote. Warner win the nomination and selects Indiana Senator Evan Bayh as his running mate.

In the general election, who would you vote for?

 

[rdh007]

Ever since McCain became Bush's b!tch, he went down a notch in my batting order.

Oh, and Obama and Edwards aren't liberals. They're more liberal than some, but less than others.

 

[jaguarr]

Ever since McCain became Bush's b!tch, he went down a notch in my batting order.

Word. Warner would get my vote in that election.

jag

 

[Darthphere]

Wow, Am I dumb for not knowing who the hell those vice-presidential candidates are?

 

[jaguarr]

Wow, Am I dumb for not knowing who the hell those vice-presidential candidates are?

No, you're dumb for not knowing they're Presidential candidates even though it was explicitly stated in the thread title and subtext.

jag

 

[Darthphere]

No, you're dumb for not knowing they're Presidential candidates even though it was explicitly stated in the thread title and subtext.

jag

Slap a ho!

 

[CyberFaust]

lex luthor

 

[Superman79]

Johnny Mc for me.

I loved him ever since I first learned of him in 99.
Yeah, right now he's kissing up to Bush, but that will only last so long until he's gurranteed the GOP nomination. I hate that he has to do it, but sometimes you gotta play the game...

I still maintain to this day if McCain had one in 2000 (over Bush and then Gore) we would be 100 times better off than if Bush OR Gore had won...

As for the Dem category, I must say that Warner is a great candidate, and had HE been running against Bush in 04, I woulda voted for him.

I think either one would be a vast improvement, and would work to find the middle ground between the parties.

 

[jaguarr]

McCain's become a neo-con lapdog. When he was seeking the 2000 nomination, he was a pitbull and I would have voted for him, but he's been neutered since then.

jag

 

[Superman79]

McCain's become a neo-con lapdog. When he was seeking the 2000 nomination, he was a pitbull and I would have voted for him, but he's been neutered since then.

jag

Like I said jag, he's just playing the game and scratching the backs of those he needs to to get nominated. It's a dirty game, but everyone has to play it if they want to get to the 'brass ring' if you will. He's still the same guy at heart that he was (look at his voting record and speeches prior to this gearing up for a run)...he just has to tone it down until he actually gets the nomination. I'd be willing to bet on it.

 

[jaguarr]

I'd love it if he really were just "playing possum" to get the nomination, but after six years of it I don't think he's just playing anymore, dude. He could have been awesome at one time, but whatever zest and zeal he had is gone, now.

jag

 

[rdh007]

Like I said jag, he's just playing the game and scratching the backs of those he needs to to get nominated. It's a dirty game, but everyone has to play it if they want to get to the 'brass ring' if you will. He's still the same guy at heart that he was (look at his voting record and speeches prior to this gearing up for a run)...he just has to tone it down until he actually gets the nomination. I'd be willing to bet on it.

But doesn't that run against everything he's supposedly about? Being a maverick and all it seems like he'd have a backbone. If he's just your average conservative--then--no thanks, been there, done that, no one can get a job.

 

[Superman79]

But doesn't that run against everything he's supposedly about? Being a maverick and all it seems like he'd have a backbone. If he's just your average conservative--then--no thanks, been there, done that, no one can get a job.

I believe he learned from his first whooping that if he puts his real self out there he'll never win.

I guess the question is, if you know things need to change, and want to change them, but in saying so you are not given the chance to change things, then wouldn't you play whatever game you need to to get past those preventing you from changing things

(if that explination made any sense)

And jag, I kinda agree with your point, except for the fact that McCain KNEW 6 years ago he was going to try again (despite what is said to the contrary), so he was positioning himself early to gain the leverage he needed.

The man is a military guy. He's learned that sometimes the best way of winning this conflict (election) is not a straight on assault (like in 2000) but a more stealth attack (playing the game until those who would oppose him as a maverick are no longer in the way)

It's sad this game has to be played, but it always is. Prime example recently: Bill Clinton. Bill was MUCH more moderate as prez than he portrayed himself during the primary, because he was playing the game to get past the hurdles. After that, he acted more as himself.

 

[Superman79]

If he's just your average conservative--then--no thanks, been there, done that, no one can get a job.

Also, just as an addendum, conservatives are not all bad. Most are very good decent people, as are most liberals. The ones you have to worry about are the right (and left) wing nut jobs on the fringes of the parties.

Average conservative= good
Average liberal= good
Rightwinger=Bad
Leftwinger=bad

Middle/Moderate= great t:

 

[hippie_hunter]

I still think that the ticket will end up as Gulliani/Mccain for the Republican Party.

 

[Erundur]

Warner damn it.

 

[Superman79]

Warner damn it.

Only if he and his brother vow to fire Singer and make a REAL Superman movie t:

 

[Erundur]

Only if he and his brother vow to fire Singer and make a REAL Superman movie t:

Now this I can agree with

 

[Chris B]

Ever since McCain became Bush's b!tch, he went down a notch in my batting order.

Oh, and Obama and Edwards aren't liberals. They're more liberal than some, but less than others.

True. My reasoning was that Obama and Edwards are the candidates that liberal Democrats would rally around. In my scenario, they don't support only one of the two, but are divided over which one to support.

 

[CConn]

I've never liked McCain, but I don't even know who Warner is.

 

[Chris B]

Wow, Am I dumb for not knowing who the hell those vice-presidential candidates are?

Tim Pawlenty is the current Governor of Minnesota, who was recently re-elected last month. McCain and him seems to have a good relationship. Pawlenty has been a vocal supporter of McCain, and McCain campaigned for Pawlenty this year. Many analysts think that there is a real possibilty that Pawlenty could become McCain's running mate because of his friendship with McCain and the fact that he would also bring youth, executive experience, and Midwestern appeal to a McCain-led ticket.

Evan Bayh is the US Senator from Indiana and is a moderate Democrat. He served as the Governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. He has been in the Senate since 1999, and was re-elected in 2004 by a larger margin than George Bush. If Mark Warner were to become the Democratic nominee, he would need experience in a running mate, being only a one-term Governor. As a two-term Governor and two-term Senator, Bayh would bring that, as well as Midwestern appeal. As a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Intelligence Committee he would also bring the neccessary national security credentials. Bayh would solidify Warner's centrist appeal, having the Clinton/Gore affect of 1992.

 

[Chris B]

I've never liked McCain, but I don't even know who Warner is.

Mark Warner was the Govenor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006, and had a very successful tenure as Governor.

 

[Erundur]

Mark Warner was the Govenor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006, and had a very successful tenure as Governor.

Damn Virginia law with its one term limit, it could of at least been a two term governorship, I mean 4 yrs to get everything done? damn, man knew how to work it.

 

[Chris B]

Damn Virginia law with its one term limit, it could of at least been a two term governorship, I mean 4 yrs to get everything done? damn, man knew how to work it.

Most people see how ridiculous that one-term limit is. I think that it is only a matter of time before it is repealed.

 

[Matt]

There is so much wrong with this scenario.

First of all, McCain would not pick Tim Pawlenty as his VP candidate. Pawlenty would no doubt get a seat in McCain's cabinet, but he would not be the VP. Why? Because he brings nothing to the ticket. McCain needs to balance the ticket or he will lose conservative votes to a third party candidate. Pawlenty isn't conservative enough. McCain would need a Frist or Santorum to balance his ticket.

Second, same situation with Evan Bayh and Mark Warner. Both are too moderate and would risk losing votes to Ralph Nader. Mark Warner would need a Hilary Clinton or Barack Obama as his running mate.

Third, McCain's own party is going to destroy him again.