Worst Nightmare? McCain/Lieberman '08?

The more and more I talk with friends and think about the 2008, the more I think its the democrat's to lose. People are going to be looking back on an extremely unpopular and unsuccessful republican administration and will be asked by the likes of Romney/McCain/Rudy to give them another four years to right the ship. Romney's flaws are obvious, being mormon and his inconsistent stances on important nut job issues. Rudy is a joke if you ask me, both in the primary and the general, he has WAY too many skeletons. Even McCain doesn't seem like much, all things considered. He might be the media's darling, but his insane support for sending MORE troops into the Maw would immediately lose him the moderate support the media claims McCain owns. Then I started thinking...

How likely is a possible McCain and Lieberman ticket and how successful would it be. I'm a bit young and hardly a presidential historian, but I can't think of a single instance of a two party ticket. Regardless of how disgusting I find the two of them, the draw of such a ticket as obvious, a "genuine" attempt at bipartisanship. Now, while most of us consider Lieberman to be a DINO, he still is considered a democrat by the population at large. The sort of momentum and draw of a two party ticket could be deadly, drawing moderates and the apathetic into the fold. We are remember the rumors about Kerry trying to get McCain on the ticket, but that was never reaslistic, there were too many genuine ideological differences between the two, but the more McCain and Lieberman go around preaching their new troop infusion, the more and more feasible this sort of a ticket has appeared to me. Am I being paranoid? Would this ever happen? Would it work? Has this already been diaried? Do I need to stop drinking coffee? You decide!

•  Too wishy/washy

  With a noodle like Lieberman as VP, you need someone who's really take-charge and dynamic, and not flirting with weather-vanity like McCain does.

  An actual solid conservative who's not a loony, like I hear the GOP Warner is, would do much better.

  Probably a real winner would have been Jeb Bush - fortunately that dynasty seems unlikely, which is one of the few silver linings of how badly George W. is running things.

  by jbeach on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:53:06 PM PDT

  •  McCain/Bush

    If I were McCain, I'd watch my back, who I went hunting with and definitely stay out of small planes.

    by grada3784 on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:42:48 PM PDT

•  McCain/Lieberman '08?

  Bring it on!

  Both of those Bozos are too compromised at this point to be a credible threat. They would lose...big

  by offgrid on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:54:18 PM PDT

  •  lol, Nadar / Lieberman

    no THERE"S a ticket....

    by Phil C on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:57:26 PM PDT

    •  Nader has much more

      credibility then McCain

      by offgrid on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:03:14 PM PDT

•  Two politicians

  without a base.

  by Coldblue Steele on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:54:40 PM PDT

  •  thats a very good point...

    they both are viewed as 'moderates' but that has come at the price of having no really strong base of supporters, at least passionate supporters.

    by The Hunter Gracchus GU Dems on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:56:06 PM PDT

  •  my guess would be a solid 20-25%

    taking from both sides. Probably a bit more from the moderate pubs who feel a bit disenfranchised right now. I don't think they'll do that well on the Democratic side, dependent on who the nominee is.  If it's Hillary, they might do better, but we'll have to see how that pans out.

    by dougymi on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:12:07 PM PDT

•  Well, since the republicans are

  pushing Hilary, I think we need to push McCain/Lieberman...wonderful ticket. Made in heaven.

  by mattes on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 05:59:53 PM PDT

•  two flip floppers!

  they were for it, before they were against it!
  or is it the other way around?
  yuck, these two together is nothing but slimy!

  by benmcc on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:00:19 PM PDT

•  Heh

  If Lieberman is trying to ensure that he won't get re-elected in 2012, no matter what party line he runs on, this might happen.

  Saint McCain + Last Honest Man = utter electoral failure.

  by PsiFighter37 on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:01:05 PM PDT

•  probable

  Well, they seem to be best friends in DC these days, so I think it is very likely that McCain will get the nomination (cause the GOP loves organization and money in their primaries) and I think that it is very possible that he will pick Lieberman as his VP.  This is a very weak ticket, however, because they will be closely tied to Bush and the Iraq War.

  by maxgray7 on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:02:56 PM PDT

  •  McCain will NOT be the Rpublican Nominee

    McCain/Lieberman could very well be the "UNITY TICKET" and when all you need is 34% to win anything is possible.

    Hell, 30% still think Bush is doing wonderful in Iraq.

    by ctkeith on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:09:21 PM PDT

    •  I Think The McCain/Lieberman Unity Ticket

      is the way it is going to play out. Before Lieberman's win in CT, I would have said no way. Now I'm not so sure. Seems too many people and the media are more than willing to believe whatever lies these two throw out.

      by MO Blue on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:31:59 PM PDT

      •  the media

        is what does it.

        they have a vested interest in peddling this BS.  pretending these guys are "independents" or "mavericks" when they're in bed with K street every bit as big as any decades-long incumbents.  it's all part of the inside the beltway bubble.

        unfortunately there is still a significant majority of americans who don't examine the propaganda coming from the LAME (lazy-ass media empires).

        by zeke L on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 08:04:04 PM PDT

        •  Water Boys to a Wildly Unpopular President

          Ridicule would be the most effective tactic against these two

          by bernardpliers on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 10:09:24 PM PDT

•  Why is this a two party ticket?

  Oh yeah

  The Republican Party and the Party of One

  by captainlaser on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:05:44 PM PDT

•  Um everything you say is true...

  and they could be a formidable force to run against...if only no war in Iraq ever existed. These are two most pro-war, pro-escalation, and pro-Bush poddles you can find, and a ticket composing both of them would be asking the voters to vote for a Cheney/Cheney 2008 ticket.

  To say such a ticket is doomed to failure is an understatement...  

  by michael1104 on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:06:20 PM PDT

•  Excuse me

  before I answer I have to step out for a quick lobotomy.

  by Persiflage on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:07:07 PM PDT

•  Media love them

  And most people think they are centrists.

  I tried to explain how evil they were to some friends of mine.

  When the stupid idea of sending more troops came up, I explained to them (very military savy folk) the following:

  Gen Abizaid, CENTCOM commander, was againts.

  American Enterprise Institute, Washington rich guy club, was for it.

  Who did these two people use in their decision making process?

  They all said they were wrong on THIS decision, but they still liked them.

  There is so much propoganda on these people making them into something they are not, that it is a good chance they could win. It will be framed in the 'both/parties' are evil frame, the military-industrial complex will pump millions into it, and without a strategy to stop it, could be a threat.

  just a thought.

  by mickT on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:09:06 PM PDT

•  after seeing them together today

  a light went on....of COURSE, that's the plan.

  Don't think it will work however.  McCain's health is in question and who will want to listen to Joe whine on a regular basis?

  thanks for putting this out there...

  by lisastar on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:10:34 PM PDT

•  I think we need to encourage Tom Tancredo

  to run as a 3rd party candidate.

  How? Give President Bush an immigration package bill with amnesty provisions included. Mild enough amnesty that he signs rather than vetos the bill.

  Tancredo goes apeshit and 2008 is over.

  by Bill White on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:14:22 PM PDT

•  You're John McCain

  -- and you've somehow scrambled your way to the Republican nomination.  On the way you've recanted every principle you ever held dear so as not to offend the Republican right.  The right is still deeply suspicious of you.

  So why would you now want to run with Lieberman as your VP candidate?  Lieberman who, repugnant though he is to Democrats, has a very, very liberal voting record on domestic issues?  Lieberman who is Jewish (pro-Israel is one thing; I think the right remains very unhappy with non-Christians -- no, make that non-Protestants).  Lieberman who would infuriate the right and the left, while the "middle" doesn't seem to like him either.  He certainly didn't set the world on fire when he ran for the Democratic nomination.  He did get reelected in CN, but surely he owed that to CN voters' long familiarity with him.  What would Lieberman do for you?

  Besides, he's such a downer.

  by Emmet on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:15:36 PM PDT

  •  lieberman would drive off the religious right

    A jew with the keys to the kingdom of heaven on earth?  no friggin way...

    dobson would prefer to jump off a cliff.

    by dougymi on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:17:33 PM PDT

  •  He actually owes his "re-election"

    to republicans, almost none of whom voted for the republican candidate.

    Lieberman and McCain?

    You can't come up with two more boring guys.  And McCain is prickly and gets snippy, while Lieberman lies down (before all-might repubs like Cheney) or gets smartalecky and looks like an ass during debates.

    McCain has kissed so much ass that he thinks they'll hand it to him.  And Lieberman obviously can't fathom why anyone who didn't hate America woulnd't vote for him.  He thought he "deserved" to be re-elected and sold himself out to keep a seat he promised to leave after 18 years even if it meant telling his own party to fuck off and going it alone.

    Two annoying imperious and desperate men.  Not scary at all unless someone gives them the keys.

    by delphine on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:47:17 PM PDT

•   I would vote that ticket

  If by some miracle Iraq turned around. But, their support of the Iraq debacle will be an albatross around both of their necks. If the GOP deserts Mccain because of his "liberal" social values and sore loser Mccain joins sore loser lieberman in forming another "third party", they could be the loser party. They would get strong support from the 11 % that will still be supporting this war in 08.

  by california keefer on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:15:43 PM PDT

•  Nope. The fundies will not want a Jewish VP.

  Hell, they can't even accept the Mormons.

  by richter on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:32:18 PM PDT

•  The Media loves them, so the they win

  The media has a story about all politicians, and they never never let go of it.

  McCain will be the Straight Talker till he changes every opinion at least 5 times.

  Bush is resolute.

  Al Gore invented the internet.

  Guiliani is America's Mayor.

  Lieberman is the Great Bipartisan Centrist.

  John Edwards has nice hair.

  by karenc13 on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:34:42 PM PDT

  •  the media USED to love them

    the "surge" is changing this, I think. everyone, including the media, knows surge=escalation=CYA-til-2008.

    I admire McCain for his enormous sacrifice for our nation as a POW, but he is dead wrong on the most important issue of our time.

    by Arlingtonian on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:23:43 PM PDT

•  Believe or not, I was daydreaming about this a

  few weeks back; or maybe I should call it "daynightmaring." When I thought about having to live with these two unbearably self-regarding characters running the country, I seriously daydreamed about leaving the country.

  by lecsmith on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:37:12 PM PDT

•  I watch C-SPAN and I saw these old crustaceans

  nipping at the air with their pincers, sidelighting  the Bush war agenda with stink bombs at the American Enterprise Institute. I hope they choke on their soup, Fredo.

  by ezdidit on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:37:34 PM PDT

•  A dream ticket!!

  If you're a Dem, who want a better future, actually, just a future, for this country!!

  Those two together would be all that is need to reach critical mass and set off an explosion of shit not even witnessed under Bu$hitCo, and there's mountains of shit there!

  by FightTheFuture on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:45:22 PM PDT

•  Lieberman's Just A Senator

  no hope for President even as a GOP

  by Nulwee on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:46:39 PM PDT

•  Worst nightmare would be Dick Cheney/Zell Miller

  by diplomatic on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 06:55:39 PM PDT

•  I would love

  to go up against that ticket. We would clean their clocks so badly it's not even funny.

  by incertus on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:03:54 PM PDT

  •  I agree

    Can you see Al Gore or John Edwards debating either of these fuckwads?

    Wesley Clark crushing Lieberman head to head?  

    Obama v. McCain?  McCain would go home crying.

    Puhleeze.  These guys aren't a nightmare except for the fact that they actually have a vote in the Senate right now.

    by delphine on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:43:21 PM PDT

•  Remember that Kerry offered veep spot to McCain

  And McCain turned it down.

  (I just like bringing that up to annoy all the Kerry apologists out there hehehe)

  by cartwrightdale on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:05:18 PM PDT

•  Yes!

  As long as they run on the GOP ticket.  Any Democrat out there could beat these two horribly unappealing slugs.

  by bink on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:06:26 PM PDT

  •  Dumb and Dumber!

    What great bumperstickers they would inspire!

    by fireflynw on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:13:36 PM PDT

•  Schwarzenegger

  After watching Ahnold's political comeback over the past two years and the adulatory crowds at his second inauguration today, I'd say the's the one candidate the Republicans have who could recapture the Reagan mantle and give a Democratic candidate a hard time. Of course there's that little issue with the Constitutional bar to his election. (Time for another Bush signing statement?)

  Seriously, Schwarzenegger has been doing everything right lately in the precise ways that Bush hasn't. He'd drive the religious right mad, which is another point in his favor. I'm almost sorry he can't run.

  by DavidSewell on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:25:50 PM PDT

  •  Actually

    I was thinking about ASwipe this a.m. as they mentioned he was sworn in for a second term.

    He actually did everything WRONG and his approval rating was in the toilet.  

    His opponent squandered a good opportunity by being a milquetoast who didn't actually have many ads or say much of anything.

    Because when he started running, it looked like Ahnie's days were numbered.  

    Then the dems bashed the shit out of one another, spoonfeeding the repukes' ads.

    But really what Gropenfuhrer did was - stopped doing anything.  He shut the fuck up the last 6 months before the election.  No more pissing off the unions or kissing up to bush or making crass jokes.  No more promising to "take it to the people" (i.e., spend a lot of money putting stuff on ballots because you suck at working with the legislature.)

    And all the dems had was "we don't suck up to bush like he does".  So all he had to say to win was:

    Silence.  Silence got him a second term.

    by delphine on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:41:16 PM PDT

    •  His opponent took a DIVE

      And if he wasn't paid to take a dive, then he ran the most invisible, incompetent campaign EVER in the history of politics.

      Schwarzenegger basically ran unopposed.

      It was a joke.

      by theyrereal on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 08:07:35 PM PDT

      •  You're absolutely right

        I think Angelides thought Arnie was in the crapper (as he seemed to be early in 2006) but he basically laid down.

        It was sad.

        by delphine on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 09:05:13 PM PDT

•  The last time there was...

  ...a two party ticket was when Abrham Lincoln ran for re-election.  His running mate that year was Andrew Johnson, an anti-slavery Democrat.

  That said, I'm not sure your idea would work out that well for McCain.  If he wins the nomination, he'll need to put a real right-winger on the ticket next to him to appease the Republican base.

  Yes, Lieberman is more conservative than we'd like, but he's also more liberal than many of the national Republicans would care for.

  by WayneNight on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 07:50:59 PM PDT

•  just FUGLY

  No one would be able to look at them.  Fucking Ugly -- FUGLY.

  Seriously, that would just be the ugliest pair of nasty old white guys ever.  

  by theyrereal on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 08:05:56 PM PDT

•  *Worst Nightmare?*

  More like a wet dream. LOL.

  by cackyp on Fri Jan 05, 2007 at 09:28:23 PM PDT