[Lexis]

We're back.

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Now, onto the topic of the thread.

Good things are being said about Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas who seems to be firing up her state party.

Kansas is a Republican state by voter registration. But two Democrats are leading the way in raising campaign funds, according to finance reports filed Monday. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has banked nearly $2.1 million as she awaits the winner of the Aug. 1 Republican Party primary. The three leading Republican hopefuls in a field of seven have spent a combined total of approximately $600,000 this year. And in the attorney general’s race, newly converted Democrat Paul Morrison has $764,839 on hand for his November general election matchup against Republican incumbent Phill Kline, who had $418,492. “Sebelius has successfully split the Republican Party in Kansas,” said Bob Beatty, political science professor at Washburn University. “The divide between the moderates and conservatives has just become stark with the phenomenon of Kathleen Sebelius,” he said.

Democrats amass largest war chests | LJWorld.com

Kos is tipping her for a possible vice presidental candidate in 08. What do you guys think?

[Enigma, I.C.]

Lexis - that link is broken.

Kansas would probably be very good for 'balancing the ticket.' I can see her
campaigning on an I'm-from-the-heartland schtick. As cool as I'd think it would be to have a female VP, I don't know if voters nationwide would go for it.

[Lexis]

Thanks for the heads up - I just changed the link to another site with the same info.

Do you really think gender would be an issue? Was it Dukakis who had a female running mate 1988? I read some bizarre Hillary bashing thing the other day, suggesting that she'd be a bad president because Bin Laden et al would think she was weak. Seriously, who the hell cares what Bin Laden thinks? He's a freakin' terrorist! He hates America and the West and thinks blowing up people is the path to paradise. Why should we put any stock in his opinions?

[Enigma, I.C.]

It was Mondale in 1984 who had a female running mate - Geraldine Ferraro.

I think gender would become a huge issue if there were a female VP candidate. There are some segments of American society, I think, that would be uncomfortable about it. Remember Fox News made up those John Kerry quotes about how he was a "metrosexual"? Just imagine how they'd trash a female VP nom.

[ceilirose]

Lexis..thank you for restarting the thread.

I don't know if a woman could run as vp in '08. Sad to say I think the country was more open in '84 then they are now. I'd like to be proven wrong though. Not sure I know much about Sebelius than that she's the Governor of Kansas.

Kos has had some interesting posts on both Kansas and Nebraska moving ever so slightly to the blue side. I'll try to find them this weekend and post.

On a lighter note - from dailykos.com - the Cheers & Jeers thread -

Jon Stewart: But as some see mayhem and chaos in the violence, [Condoleezza] Rice sees chaos and makes mayhem-ade... Rice: What we're seeing here, in a sense, is the growing birth pangs of a new Middle East. Stewart: Birth pangs? Yes, I believe today's contraction took out a city block.

"Earlier today, former President Bill Clinton campaigned for Senator Joe Lieberman. Clinton got the crowd so worked up that they had trouble sleeping through the Lieberman speech." ---David Letterman

-

"Humanitarian aid in the U.S. has begun arriving in Lebanon. The U.S. Government sent 10,000 medical kits, 20,000 blankets, $30 million cash and today the people of New Orleans said: 'They did what?'" ---Jay Leno

[Jerry D]

I would hope that the people of this country would support a qualified woman as a presidential or vice presidential candidate, but I honestly don't know if they would.

I personally wouldn't support a Hillary Clinton candidacy though because I've always seen her as being an opportunist who stayed with her philandering husband out of political expediency.

[Lexis]

I like Hillary Clinton and she seems passionate about a lot of the issues I really care about. But I think that Presidental bid would be so nasty and could cost the Democrats the White House.

I think Edwards would be an awesome President - I once heard him speak (front row baby!) and he blew my mind - so compassionate, so dedicated and such an amazing speaker. I heard he's got a lot of backing from the unions and has been doing a lot of work abroad to brush up his foreign policy stuff.

[Enigma, I.C.]

Hillary has been pre-emptively smeared. It started pretty much when Clinton came into office in 1993 and then soared to new lows during the whole he-had-sex-so-let's-impeach-him hysteria of 1998-1999. It wouldn't take much to dredge up all that stuff in the public consciousness. I'm sure it would go something like, "If Hillary was such a bad wife that her husband cheated on her, how do you think she'd lead this country?" (I'm mentally hearing that coming from Sean Hannity, for context)

John Edwards, as cool as he is, is damaged goods. He was on a losing ticket and that has stained him politically. He'd have to really accomplish something legislatively or otherwise before he could overcome the 'loser' label.

I know he's already said 'no,' but I think a run by Al Gore would be awesome. I think it would be hard to dig up dirt on him, people know who he is and he actually has accumulated a lot of good will for so graciously stepping aside so Bush could seize power by judicial decree. I'm sure Al Gore has his faults, but like all the rest, he's a politician. They only act in such a way as to ensure their path to power. Some do it more surreptitiously than others

[ceilirose]

Hilary would be destroyed and it would set the Democrats back if she were the candidate. All the usual suspects from the Lewinsky saga would be reinvigorating their careers. I'm sure people like Hannity, Limbaugh etc. would love it because their ratings would soar. In fact she's already the candidate among those people...but I think it's based more on what it would do for their careers and exciting their base then reality.

If Edwards didn't run I could see him having a cabinet level position in a Democratic administration. Or how about Attorney General? Did I mention that I think his wife is wonderful? I haven't heard but I hope she's doing well after her cancer surgery.

I don't know who the candidate will be - I've heard/read Richardson from NM, Warner from VA, Kerry (again), Edwards and Hilary. It will probably start in earnest in about a year or so.

Gore really handled the fiasco in '00 well. He could have become bitter and just retired from any sort of public life. I'd vote for him in a minute but I don't think he's going to do it. Doesn't keep me from thinking about how his presidency would have been different than the current one.

[Lexis]

The last I heard, Elizabeth Edwards was doing well and beating the cancer.

I liked Kerry but I'm not sure another run is a good idea.

[TokyoNiGHTS]

Originally Posted by Lexis I liked Kerry but I'm not sure another run is a good idea.

I wouldn't want him to be president. I'm tired of his "If I were there this wouldn't have happened" talk. He recently said that if he were president the situation in Israel never would've happened This after his presidential run where he said he had a plan to get us out of Iraq. Ofcourse he never shares any of this with anyone else and so its just hollow talk.

[Lexis]

I just read on the Daily Kos that Lieberman is actually paying for the room/board of College Republicans so they'll come and campaign for him in Hartford. College Republicans.

Lamont so totally needs to win the primary as its clear this dude has no concept of party identity.

[Jerry D]

I think if the Democrats run any viable candidate, they'll win in 2008. The war that Bush and Co. have gotten us into is increasingly unpopular, so I can't see the citizens of this country wanting to elect another Republican Administration that would continue this disastrous policy. Then again, though, maybe the Republicans can find someone who'll distance himself from Dubya and the people that pull his strings.

Who do you all think the Republicans might run in 2008?

[ceilirose]

I saw the 'Stand By Your Man' Video on dailykos..Sean Hannity just loves Joe as do all the others. It seems he'll run as an independent and he's out raised Lamont as well. I think it's time for him to go..you have to vote your conscience but you're representing a pretty blue state and having grown up in the state next to CT..I know his view aren't popular.

I like Chuck Hagel although he may be too liberal and a little dry in his personality. Not like Dubya..who you'd want to have a drink with..never understood that though.

[Lexis]

Maybe McCain? He seems to be backing away from a lot of more liberal positions, perhaps in the hope that the far-right of the Republican party will see him as a good candidate, especially considering how unpopular Dubya is at the moment.