Virginia's Mark Warner for President in 2008?

WMAL ^ | November 14 | AP

[Ligeia]

Virginia's Mark Warner for President in 2008?

UNDATED (AP) - Some Democrats think their best choice to return to the White House doesn't live too far away from it.

The Washington Post reports, a growing underground and Internet movement is promoting Virginia Governor Mark Warner as a candidate for president in 2008. His name has been tossed around by major media outlets in their coverage of the just-completed election and the question of where the Democrats go from here.

Observers say Warner has succeeded in the South by supporting fiscal conservativism, gun rights, and some limits on abortion. At the same time, he convinced the state's Republican legislature to pass a one-point-five (b) billion dollar tax increase.

Warner's term expires in 2005. He says his sole responsibility right now is to Virginians.

[Ligeia]

Uh oh!

[Ligeia]

Virginia ping!

Wouldn't it be something if the GOP nominee in 2008 is George Allen and the Dem nominee is Mark Warner??

[nonkultur]

He will need to get re-elected and do a good job the next 3 years and then he has a chance in the primaries.

[sonsofliberty2000]

Don't know much about him. Freepers? Info?

http://www.patriot-paradox.com

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

It would make a lot of sense - so of course the 'Rats would never support him.

[wagglebee]

Warner was elected governor for two reasons:
1. Jim Gilmore was a very unpopular governor his last two years in office.
2. Mark Earley ran a terrible campaign, and many who are close to sensed that his heart wasn't really in it.

As far as the 'Rats go, Warner is way too moderate. The leftists in the party would never go for it.

[Ligeia]

He's not a Virginian. He's from Connecticut and became a multimillionaire during the telecom boom. We say he 'exaggerated' about a needing a tax increase last spring to close a budget gap and talked RINO's into going along with him.

Records now indicate a huge budget surplus.

[speedy]

It doesn't sound like Michael Moore would approve of Warner. The radicals who provide the juice for the Democrats are well past the point where they will back anyone close to the political center.

[kasparik]

He is term limited to one term. Gets out of office in 2006.

[DarthVader]

Don't make me laugh!

[DixieOklahoma]

Well.. I do know that he is one of the only southern governors other than the current governor of Alabama not to tick off the League of the South.



For example if (R)Sonny Perdue (ugh- gov/ Georgia) Were to run for president he would be flagged at every single freaking event he attended. Gy at least 15 people each time.

However working with the Leauge of the South, Warner has done some things to make the Leauge happy with holidays like confederate memorial day and calling for the state of illionis to return some captured confederate battle flags to Virginia (yes this is actually an issue).

So that being said he might actually have a chance of winning his home state, though I very well could be wrong however, because his abortion stance has not been very good.

[nonkultur]

Thanks. Virginia has a one term limit?

[Koblenz]

He will need to get re-elected and do a good job the next 3 years and then he has a chance in the primaries.

He certainly won't get reëlected. Virginia limits governors to one term. So next November, Virginia will elect a new governor and Warner will fade into obscurity.

[JohnnyZ]

He will need to get re-elected

Then he's screwed.

[sinkspur]

A one term governor for President? Not likely.

Besides, raising taxes will get him killed in primaries.

[sonsofliberty2000]

Interesting, thanks. I think for a Democrat to win the South is where the candidate, not the VP, must come from. My guess is that Warner has a shot.

http://www.patriot-paradox.com

[NeoCaveman]

Besides, raising taxes will get him killed in primaries.

In the Democrat primaries? Wouldn't that be his badge of honor?

[wagglebee]

Warner is pro death penalty. He is actually more fiscally conservative than his critics will admit. Yes he did raise taxes (though not as much as Gilmore had lowered them), but he also CUT government spending virtually across the board. And these were real cuts (as opposed to freezing budget increases), unnecessary people were laid off, road projects were shelved, DMV hours were cut back, etc. I'm no fan of Warner, but he had the guts to do stuff I've never seen Republicans do.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

It's so obvious - there are bound to be some successful Democratic governors in the South. That's the only kind of person the Democrats have elected to the WH since 1964, and I don't know why we would expect the field for the Democratic nomination to always be completely devoid of presidential timber - only one governor, and that a fringe candidate from Vermont - as it was this year.

The only question is whether the national Democratic Party is willing to settle for someone who isn't an obvious flaming lib like Kerry. And whether the junior senator from NY will prevent that. The Lieberman precedent doesn't augur well for an conservative contender for the Democratic nomination . . .

[kasparik]

Jimmy Carter was a one-termer.