More moderate race: Pataki/Collins v. Nelson/Landrieu

[CPT MikeyMike]

Suppose in '08, both parties decide to appeal to the center. Republicans nominate former New York Governor George Pataki and selects Maine Senator Susan Collins as his running mate. The Democrats select Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson as thier nominee with Louisiana Mary Landrieu as his running mate.

Two moderate tickets. IMO: Two tickets I would respect!

How does it play out? Maps would be great!

[nini2287]

What great tickets!  I'd vote for Nelson, though and he'd win fairly handily though.  I'll do a map later.

[auburntiger]

maybe this:

301-237 Pataki

[Joe Biden 2020]

I'll give Ben Nelson the edge on this one.  Again, it could be very close, but I think after 8 years of Republican control of the White House gives the benefit of the doubt to the Democrats.

[Lincoln Republican]

Ben Nelson/Mary Landrieu            272
George Pataki/Susan Collins         266

[Joe Biden 2020]

Ben Nelson/Mary Landrieu            272
George Pataki/Susan Collins         266

I would agree with that, however, and this may sound silly, but I would put Oklahoma in play as Nelson is more conservative than Pataki.  Oklahoma would go more for the conservative candidate, not necessarily the Republican candidate.  If Oklahoma does for some reason end up in the Democrat column, then it would be Nelson 279 to Pataki 259.  Oklahoma has gone Republican in the past several elections because the Republican candidate has been the more conservative.

[jerusalemcar5]

Ben Nelson/Mary Landrieu            272
George Pataki/Susan Collins         266

Pataki would be destroyed in New York.  We hate him.  Nelson may be a bad Democrat, but we'd take him over Pataki. I believe he's in the bottom 5 among Governors in approval ratings.  Only reason he won three terms was the Republican tide of 1994 and horrific Democratic candidates/campaigns in 1998 and 2002.  He would probably pull 40% if he was lucky against Spitzer.

Also, Nelson is hardly moderate.  He is right wing (not far right wing, but normal right wing).  Pataki and tried to shift conservative so I wonder how moderate his campaign would be.  A better moderate suggestion would be Bill Nelson/Dianne Feinstein.

[Colin]

Great tickets on both sides, though I've never really like Landrieu. I would vote Pataki though I could see myself voting Nelson depending on how he runs his campaign.

Oh and JCar if New York hates Pataki so much why have the voters of New York elected him three times to be their governor? I often think that the opinions of all New Yorkers, that you often cite, are your own opinions that you try and make appear more definitive by assigning them to more people.

[jerusalemcar5]

Great tickets on both sides, though I've never really like Landrieu. I would vote Pataki though I could see myself voting Nelson depending on how he runs his campaign.

Oh and JCar if New York hates Pataki so much why have the voters of New York elected him three times to be their governor? I often think that the opinions of all New Yorkers, that you often cite, are your own opinions that you try and make appear more definitive by assigning them to more people.

I explained that already.

1994-Republican tide year.  A lot of Democrats fell simply because of the (D) nest to their name.

1998-Pataki has the incumbency factor, Democrats nominated a terrible candidate who ran a bad campaign, no major party swings-->no reason to vote him out (not necessarily a reason to vote for him though)

2002-McCall who had questionable ethics (bad candidate/bad campaign), a powerful Independent campaign, the incumbency factor, and a lack of enthusiasm in the race (I know many Democrats who didn't vote because they didn't see a reaosn to)

Also, check Pataki's approval ratings, they are on these boards.  He has a negative net approval.  He has vetoed popular bills (the legislature fortunately overrode all his vetoes) and has done little for the state.

Finally, New York is much more Democratic in presidential races, especially now.

Name another time where you thought I was assigning my opinion to others.

[Frodo]

The Democrats select Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson as thier nominee with Louisiana Mary Landrieu as his running mate.

That would be a great ticket. 

[DownWithTheLeft]

Call me crazy but a large number of states switch because Nelson is more socially conservative than Pataki.  Typical liberal states like NJ and NY switch due to Pataki, but states like CO and AZ switch because of Nelson.  Landrieu isn't enough to give LA to the Dems

[Smash255]

Great tickets on both sides, though I've never really like Landrieu. I would vote Pataki though I could see myself voting Nelson depending on how he runs his campaign.

Oh and JCar if New York hates Pataki so much why have the voters of New York elected him three times to be their governor? I often think that the opinions of all New Yorkers, that you often cite, are your own opinions that you try and make appear more definitive by assigning them to more people.

jcar is right.  Pataki will not win NY, and he isn't popular now at all.  His approval numbers are poor.  The reason he isn't running for re-election this year is because he knew Spitzer would demolish him.  His approvals went down shortly after his re-election bid last time.  During his campaign he touted how well fiscal shape NY wa in, and then right afterward said that the state was in poor financial shape, made various cuts to education funding, which resulted in Property Tax increases and school tax increases.  Pataki WAS popular, keyword WAS, he isn't anymore and would not win in a Presidential race, even against someone like Nelson which most New Yorkers wouldn't be too enthusiastic about.

[jerusalemcar5]

I think my biggest problem with this race si that those 4 will never win the nomination. Ever.  Especially Nelson who hardly agrees with the party.  I'd like to see a Green or Indy candidacy that would take the liberal vote.  The conservative would probably split between economically conservative Pataki and socially conservative Nelson.  Nelson would probably sweep the Deep South.

[nini2287]

Nelson is able to play up social issues in the South and Utah, while Democratic partisanship carries him in some traditionally Democratic areas in the Northeast.  The Atlanta suburbs narrowly carry Pataki to a Georgia victory.

Nelson/Landrieu 368 EV 54%
Pataki/Collins 170 EV 46%

This is factoring out third party candidates that would probably affect both sides equally.

[minionofmidas]

Actually, if the public mood were anything like today (of course, these wouldn't be the candidates in that case), this is a landslide scenario. Nelson/Landrieu has infinitely more potential for making inroads into the other party's base than Pataki/Collins. Pataki's career is basically over.

[Eraserhead]

I would stay home and dress up like a superhero during this election like Fry from Futurama.

[Alcon]

I would dress up like a superhero and go to the polls.  I'd probably vote for Nelson.