WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO RUN FOR THE PRESIDENCY?

I would still prefer to see Bill Bradley and John McCain run in 2004. I'd vote for either one, but not Algore or that Clinton woman. c.i.

c.i., what is there about Bradley or McCain which appeals to you?

Colin Powell would be my choice. He is an able administrator, has a broad World View, is well thought of in general, and by foreign leaders in particular, and is a principled man unlikely to be harboring a closet full of peccadillos or given to embarassing public shennanigans. He has a thorough understanding of The Job, however, and wants no part of it. That alone highly recommends him to The Position.



timber

Sure, I got nothin' better to do, though I'd want to keep living here and being able to do A2K. So I'd need lots of time off.

PS Mr. Jespah might get a kick out of being named "First Dude".

timber, I feel the same way about Powell. Also, I like his experience level.

Mapleleaf, Both Bill Bradley and John McCain are politically and intellectually smart, and they have 'ethics.' c.i.

c.i., that is an opinion statement. Can you give us some examples? Also, can you give us some examples of politically active people who have ethics? By the way, what does having ethics mean?

Let's say as ethical as one could expect from a politician (we've already had a debate on Able2Know on ethics). John McCain.

LW answered your question. I don't expect perfection from our elected officials, but I expect some level of trust. My personal level of trust for GWBush is about ten percent. Not because he tells lies, but because his agenda is 90 percent wrong. c.i.

c.i., please name some individuals in public with whom you have some level of trust.

I will not vote for a Republican in this or any other lifetime. I could be persuaded to vote for a Democrat if the right one came along. Carter and Clinton literally appeared out of the blue to grab the nomination and I expect that may happen again this time. Certainly I don't see a candidate that strikes my fancy as yet. There are always the Green and the Natural Law Parties to consider. It's quite a quandry when you can't see what you want out there.

edgar..that's a little scary, isn't it.

Yes, but it's a scenario I did not invent.

edgar, I'm not a democrat or republican, but will consider the candidate compared to the others on the ticket. I vote the person, andnot the party. I'm registered now as an independent. When I first registered to vote, I was a democrat. When I saw the liberal agenda to tax and spend, I became a republican. Several years ago, I began to notice the mean-spiritedness of the republican party. They believe in small government, but it seemed to me too extreme, and I no longer believed in their agenda. So here I am, voting for the individual, and not the party line. In 1996 I voted for Clinton. In 2000, I didn't care for either democrat or republican candidate, and voted for Ralph Nader. During this last election, I voted for the green party candidate for govenor for California, because I couldn't stomach either Davis or Simon. As I've mentioned before, I have some level of trust for Bill Bradley and John McCain. I'm not familiar with many other national politicians that I would vote for if they ran in 2004, but I'm sure we'll get a media blitz on all the runners before the next election. I didn't know about the green party candidate until several months before the election. I will do my homework then, and make my choice. I also have a high degree of trust in an Assemblyman here in California, but that's because he's my brother. I trust him as an individual, but not his politics. He's a republican. c.i.

I have voted for a few Republicans in the past and always regretted it. Unfortunately I have generally regretted it when I have voted Democrat. I voted for Clinton the first time because his life story appeared to parrallel mine and I liked the answers he was giving. Plus, I wanted a Democrat. Next two times I voted Green. I absolutely despise the Bush administration, but I don't see anybody to vote for just now. As I said, nobody ever heard of Clinton or Carter before they won the nomonation. Who knows what will transpire in the next months?

Were she so inclined to run I'd vote for Olympia Snowe of Maine in a heartbeat. She's probably one of the least heard of Senators but she's smart, practical, articulate and her views on the major issues coincide with mine (she's pro-abortion rights, for very limited use of the death penalty, fiscally conservative, etc..).

The only drawback to her right now is that she isn't vicious enough to mount a sucessful campaign and, because she's quite and low key, people outside of New England aren't likely to know her so she has little name recognition.

"The only drawback to her right now is that she isn't vicious enough to mount a sucessful campaign and, because she's quite and low key, people outside of New England aren't likely to know her so she has little name recognition."

isn't vicious enough ???

Mapleleaf- Know exactly where fishin' is coming from. I too, do not know much about Olympia Snow. Probably because she does her work quietly, and does not get into political harangues with other Senators.

The unfortunate thing in this country, is that the squeaky (and not necessarily the best) wheels in Congress get the media coverage, and name recognition.

2004 Dem Candidate
My hope is that the Dems develop a moderate agenda and select a candidate to articulate it who has the requisite experience and credibility as to consistency with the agenda he/she will put forth.

I would CONSIDER such a candidate to receive my vote. Although I am a registered Republican, I voted for the Dem candidate for Governor of Tennessee in the midterm election because I believed his qualifications and agenda superior to the GOP Congressman who opposed him.