# John Kerry to pick veep in "next few days" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715 "2004-06-04T22:11:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/21 "2004-06-05T06:57:56Z")
Hmm, I can’t recall seeing Angry Howie Dean and IH in the same room. Ever. Coincidence? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/22 "2004-06-05T09:55:42Z")
So when will we start seeing threads about why Dean’s pants don’t rip when he changes? I guess we probably won’t hear about the VP nominee until around the convention in mid-July… I like what I’ve heard about Warner, Edwards would make sense (in pretty much the same vein), I can see the appeal for Richardson. I could deal with McYouknowwho, but I guess it’s not in the cards. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/23 "2004-06-05T18:03:15Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Hmm, I can’t recall seeing Angry Howie Dean and IH in the same room. Ever. Coincidence? “Bruce Banner,” an obvious pseudonym as he was also known as “David” for a time, is a doctor. Just sayin’, is all. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/24 "2004-06-05T18:26:13Z")
How about Al Gore? He’s got lots of experience at the job… You know what would be funny? If after all this time hyping John McCain as the perfect VP candidate, Dick Cheney stepped down “for health reasons” and McCain became Bush’s VP. It would be worth it just to watch the Dems do flips and twists to discredit him after playing him up as the perfect politician for so long. It would also make it really, really hard to beat Bush. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/25 "2004-06-05T19:44:34Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > How about Al Gore? He’s got lots of experience at the job… > > You know what would be funny? If after all this time hyping John McCain as the perfect VP candidate, Dick Cheney stepped down “for health reasons” and McCain became Bush’s VP. It would be worth it just to watch the Dems do flips and twists to discredit him after playing him up as the perfect politician for so long. > > It would also make it really, really hard to beat Bush. That’s an interesting thought, **Sam** , but it ain’t gonna happen. McCain possibly could have helped Bush when Bush had a clean slate, but not now. Not with the history. And I, for one, do not think McCain would be a perfect vice-presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket. He’s a _Republican_, for crying out loud, with standard issue Republican stances on the issues. His disagreements with the adminstration are due to the fact that he is a traditional conservative Republican, not a neo-con. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Cheney got dumped. I believe, though, that if he is, it will be to attempt to annoint a presidential candidate for 08. I can’t see either Cheney or McCain running for prez in 08. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/26 "2004-06-06T22:01:03Z")
I get the vibe that McCain would rather eat live slugs on teevee than play second fiddle to George W. Bush. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/27 "2004-06-07T01:17:09Z")
My understanding is that both Bush and Cheney have vehemently denied that anyone but Cheney will be on the GOP VP ticket this time. We all know how they feel about waffling, so I’m gonna buy it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/28 "2004-06-07T02:08:48Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Cheney got dumped. I believe, though, that if he is, it will be to attempt to annoint a presidential candidate for 08. I can’t see either Cheney or McCain running for prez in 08. Think Bush wants to give a leg up to a 2008 GOP presidential prospect whose first name isn’t Jeb? Not a chance, friend, not a chance. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/29 "2004-06-07T04:13:18Z")
> [@Reeder](#): > > The possibles… > > [http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/candidates/vp.contenders/](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/special/president/candidates/vp.contenders/) From the CNN site regarding Bill Clinton:"While federal law prohibits a person from seeking a third presidential term, the Constitution does not specify whether or not a former commander in chief can become vice president. " Come on CNN, read Article XII of the Constitution: “But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.” ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/30 "2004-06-08T05:04:36Z")
Kerry has been playing it safe. I strongly suspect it will be Gephardt. As a Democrat myself, he’s not my first choice, but he will be seen as a safe, steady, non-controversial choice. Many people in the party see him as someone who’s paid his dues in congress. The worst his opponents can charge is that he’s a party hack. But who isn’t these days? I think Kerry just needs to get a couple of Midwestern states to clinch this now. Plus I think Gephardt’s stand on social seciurity, medicare, and other issues that elderly New Dealers in Florida care deeply for will help tip the scales there. His stand on NAFTA and so on will clash with Kerry’s record, but if Kerry keeps his mouth shut and Gephardt hits that message in Michigan and Ohio, the ticket will benefit. Bill Richardson will have a future if we can talk about a “New Mexico Miracle” within the next few years. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/31 "2004-06-08T14:25:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Come on CNN, read Article XII of the Constitution: > “But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.” Well, he isn’t exactly ineligible to the office of President. He can still serve less than 2 years as President and be ok. He is ineligable to be elected President, however. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/32 "2004-06-08T15:02:51Z")
According to my source for political news, The Weekly World News, Kerry is strongly considering Bat Boy as a vice presidential candidate. While that would certainly be an unconventional choice, and could cause problems, it would add a lot to the ticket, and I think it would win over a lot of undecideds. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2004, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715/33 "2004-06-10T16:31:29Z")
rjung: > [@](#): > > I get the vibe that McCain would rather eat live slugs on teevee than play second fiddle to George W. Bush. Holy crap…I actually agree with rjung about something! As to the OP, I think Kerry’s VP will be Edwards. He’d appeal to the South and judging from the primaries, clearly has more national appeal than Gephardt or Dean do. And he’s a pretty handome guy as well, which provide the Kerry ticket with the one Kennedyesque element it currently lacks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-kerry-to-pick-veep-in-next-few-days/248715.md?page=1)