# Kerry/McCain **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 11, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581 "2004-03-11T00:04:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/1 "2004-03-11T00:04:25Z")
> [@](#): > > McCain said he would consider the unorthodox step of running for vice president on the Democratic ticket — in the unlikely event he received such an offer from the presidential candidate. [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&u=/ap/20040310/ap\_on\_el\_pr/kerry\_mccain\_1&printer=1](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&u=/ap/20040310/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_mccain_1&printer=1) McCain is up for it. I’m up for it. Many would be I’m sure. Will it ever happen? I’m sure it won’t. It would be sure doom for Bush. Bushco would be pulling their hair out. What’s your take on it? Could it happen? ---
**Author:** ![sibyl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@sibyl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sibyl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/2 "2004-03-11T00:09:29Z")
Kerry and McCain still do disagree on quite a few things, including most of the respective parties’ social agendas (abortion being a big one that would start coming out if the pres/vp candidate weren’t on the same page on it). Free trade would also come up. They do agree on the balanced budget thing and maybe some back-burner stuff, but I doubt this could happen unless McCain decided to change his stances on a few things. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/3 "2004-03-11T00:10:59Z")
McCain is not “up for it.” He is on freindly terms with Kerry and it would be rude to say “no way no how.” He’s the chairman of Bush’s Arizona reelection committee for cryin’ out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/4 "2004-03-11T00:11:02Z")
Bush is already pulling his hair out, considering that McCain is the honorary chairman of his Arizona re-election campaign. Which was kind of stupid, seeing how Bush and his operatives trashed McCain in the 2000 GOP primaries. I can’t see this happening. It might be a political masterstroke, or it might alienate the left wing of the Democratic party and move them _en masse_ towards Nader. ---
**Author:** ![sibyl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@sibyl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sibyl)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/5 "2004-03-11T00:11:49Z")
Reading the article, it appears McCain came to the same conclusions I did. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/6 "2004-03-11T00:12:15Z")
Your own link provides the best answer: > [@](#): > > But McCain emphasized how unlikely the whole idea was. > > “It’s impossible to imagine the Democratic Party seeking a pro-life, free-trading, non-protectionist, deficit hawk,” the Arizona senator told ABC’s “Good Morning America” during an interview about illegal steroid use. “They’d have to be taking some steroids, I think, in order to let that happen.” Not gonna happen. McCain is also solidly, unappologetically pro-Iraq war. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/7 "2004-03-11T00:14:56Z")
Not a chance. McCain’s honestly held, but entirely mistaken, political views are simply to far out of line with Kerry’s. But, oh! what I wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall in Karl Rove’s office when he hears such news! ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/8 "2004-03-11T00:17:24Z")
No chance of this happening in this reality. Kerry would be better off trying to co-opt Liberman to balance the ticket (if he wants a more conservative ticket which I doubt). McCain was pro-war, and they would clash on all kinds of other issues like free trade and such. Not gona happen. _sigh_ I really Wish McCain would have run on the republican or independant ticket. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/9 "2004-03-11T00:20:35Z")
Politics makes strange bedfellows. I would not rule it out just yet. Both men know that ticket is a winner. They do disagree on some things. However, abortion isn’t going to be a top issue in this campaign. Kerry can tell McCain he will not have a litmus test for Supreme Court nominees and McCain himself will get to preside over the Senate when the votes are cast. They can both run on an economic populist platform. Kerry isn’t going to turn into Kucinich, blasting NAFTA at every campaign stop. The war is really the only thing they would have to settle. But, Kerry did vote for the authorization of force. They can both blame Bush for mishandling the war effort. The only drawback is Arizona has a Democratic governor. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/10 "2004-03-11T00:23:33Z")
CBS is running a story killing the entire concept (coming from McCain Chief of Staff). Non-issue. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/11 "2004-03-11T01:09:11Z")
Would have been a Cancer Survivor Dream Ticket. At least, the Speaker of the House would have been salivating at the prospect. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/12 "2004-03-11T01:29:32Z")
I would like all of you to read [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4545917&postcount=54) post and marvel at my prescience. Or not, since **Johnathan Chance** says this is a non-story. Dammit. :mad: ---
**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:** [March 11, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/13 "2004-03-11T01:35:39Z")
> [@sibyl](#): > > Kerry and McCain still do disagree on quite a few things, including most of the respective parties’ social agendas (abortion being a big one that would start coming out if the pres/vp candidate weren’t on the same page on it). I agree they are on separate pages regarding abortion, but of what significance is the President’s opinion? Even more so, the VP? The Pubbies have had both houses of Congress and the White House for three years, why have they not lifted a finger about abortion if they are so concerned about it? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/14 "2004-03-11T01:45:49Z")
I keep hearing the “if Kerry wants someone more conservative to balance the ticket, why doesn’t he just get Lieberman?” Kerry’s not going to get either one, it’s clear. (Not surprised that balloon got popped, but it was pretty while it lasted.) But on what I regard as the fundamental issue of small-d democracy versus a political process ruled by big money, big corporations, and big media, John McCain is to the left of most Democrats, and so far to the left of Lieberman (who’s done more than his reasonable share of time as a corporate shill) that they’re barely in the same universe. I’m aware that there are specific issues where McCain’s pretty conservative (although given that he’s moderate on the environment and loathes the Christian Right, he can’t be all that bad), but as long as he’s sound on that one big thing, I can put up with a fair number of other stances I don’t like. I would’ve loved it if he’d been willing to be Kerry’s veep, not to mention that it would have given President Rove some serious fits. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/15 "2004-03-11T02:20:35Z")
Kerry needs someone from a big state to get electorals. Arizona probably won;t cut it. (if this posts twice, its because the hamsters ate it and then threw it up) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/16 "2004-03-11T02:34:13Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > I would like all of you to read [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=4545917&postcount=54) post and marvel at my prescience. Or not, since **Johnathan Chance** says this is a non-story. Dammit. :mad: Let me be the first person to congratulate you on predicting something that won’t happen… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/17 "2004-03-11T02:39:48Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Let me be the first person to congratulate you on predicting something that won’t happen… 🙂 _takes a bow_ ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/18 "2004-03-11T03:51:27Z")
Hee hee. That’s just John’s puckish sense of humour. Bush has always been pretty much of a jerk to him and he just likes to twist Bush’s tail now and then. John’s repeatedly emphasized that he’s a loyal Republican but it’s just good politics to remind Bush once in a while that he’s not the only fish in the Republican sea. Parenthetically, the real dream team would have been Gore-McCain back in 2000. It would have been a walk over. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2004, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/19 "2004-03-11T06:40:06Z")
While the notion that McCain would accept being named Kerry’s VP has already been debunked, there’s one other thing that seems to have escaped the notice of the participants in this thread. Whoever Kerry names must still be nominated by the delegates at the party convention. While it’s true that by that time, Kerry will have a clean majority of the delegates, the delegates, being faithful Democrats, could turn against this choice of VP. They’re obligated to vote for his nomination, but not (as far as I know) obligated to rubber-stamp his VP choice. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581/20 "2004-03-11T14:38:03Z")
Nah, it would make for an interesting convention, something neither party has wanted in decades. A convention these days is supposed to be a rubber stamp showing lockstep party unity, as if the Dems have ever been accurately accused of that. It’s supposed to look like an extended campaign commercial and the pundits are supposed to wring their hands over the poor ratings as it it were a big surprise. “Don’t people CARE about who may be their next president?” Not giving the nominee’s VP a rubber stamp would overturn a generation of boring tradition. (sigh) The Veep is also supposed to be the Pres’ pit bull avatar, doing and saying the things the Pres would like to say but can’t. McCain would probably make a piss-poor President but would make somebody a truly GREAT Vice President. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kerry-mccain/233581.md?page=2)