WalterMitty (R) vs. Howard Dean (D)

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The funny thing is, imagine someone the exact opposite of Walter. They'd be a pretty killer candidate.

Pro-union, pro-gun, socially conservative, anti-war? Very winning combo. Sounds like Brad Ellsworth, who beat a 6 term incumbent with over 60% in a district Bush also carried with over 60%. Walter probably has the worst possible alignment of views for a candidate.

[Hatman 🍁]

The funny thing is, imagine someone the exact opposite of Walter. They'd be a pretty killer candidate.

Pro-union, pro-gun, socially conservative, anti-war? Very winning combo. Sounds like Brad Ellsworth, who beat a 6 term incumbent with over 60% in a district Bush also carried with over 60%. Walter probably has the worst possible alignment of views for a candidate.

Sounds like an HP

[MaC]

The funny thing is, imagine someone the exact opposite of Walter. They'd be a pretty killer candidate.

Pro-union, pro-gun, socially conservative, anti-war? Very winning combo. Sounds like Brad Ellsworth, who beat a 6 term incumbent with over 60% in a district Bush also carried with over 60%. Walter probably has the worst possible alignment of views for a candidate.

I don't know if pro-union would necessarily help things.  There's probably equally as much hatred for unions in this country as there is support.  This is not the 1960s.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

But plenty of union voters actually vote on this issue. Walter is basically the only person in the country who has socially liberal and economically leftist views but still votes Republican out of sheer hatred of unions. Anti-union people usually don't let it influence their voting that much. Much pro-gun vs. anti-gun voters actually.

[MaC]

But plenty of union voters actually vote on this issue. Walter is basically the only person in the country who has socially liberal and economically leftist views but still votes Republican out of sheer hatred of unions. Anti-union people usually don't let it influence their voting that much. Much pro-gun vs. anti-gun voters actually.

meh, as long as your candidate says absolutely nothing of abortions

[Cubby]

Then there's the people who just vote for whoever has an "R" next to their name, which is enough to carry much of the Midwest and South.

Thats why I chose option 2. I'd vote for Dean but Mitty would win because he's a Republican. To most people, it won't matter what is beliefs are.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Then there's the people who just vote for whoever has an "R" next to their name, which is enough to carry much of the Midwest and South.

Thats why I chose option 2. I'd vote for Dean but Mitty would win because he's a Republican. To most people, it won't matter what is beliefs are.

If that were true, the Republicans would automatically win every election. See last election.

Yes, there are lots of people who automatically vote for whoever the Republican (and Democrat) is, but they don't make up a majority of the population.

Just look at the electoral map. Dean would carry every Kerry state against a pro-war candidate, and would definitely carry Ohio in the current political climate there against someone with Mitty's views, plus WV for sure, the single worst possible state for WalterMitty, there's others too but that's already enough to give Dean the win.

[WalterMitty]

Then there's the people who just vote for whoever has an "R" next to their name, which is enough to carry much of the Midwest and South.

Thats why I chose option 2. I'd vote for Dean but Mitty would win because he's a Republican. To most people, it won't matter what is beliefs are.

If that were true, the Republicans would automatically win every election. See last election.

Yes, there are lots of people who automatically vote for whoever the Republican (and Democrat) is, but they don't make up a majority of the population.

Just look at the electoral map. Dean would carry every Kerry state against a pro-war candidate, and would definitely carry Ohio in the current political climate there against someone with Mitty's views, plus WV for sure, the single worst possible state for WalterMitty, there's others too but that's already enough to give Dean the win.

id win mn, wi, and nh

i could come close in ct and nj

[MaC]

Then there's the people who just vote for whoever has an "R" next to their name, which is enough to carry much of the Midwest and South.

Thats why I chose option 2. I'd vote for Dean but Mitty would win because he's a Republican. To most people, it won't matter what is beliefs are.

If that were true, the Republicans would automatically win every election. See last election.

Yes, there are lots of people who automatically vote for whoever the Republican (and Democrat) is, but they don't make up a majority of the population.

Just look at the electoral map. Dean would carry every Kerry state against a pro-war candidate, and would definitely carry Ohio in the current political climate there against someone with Mitty's views, plus WV for sure, the single worst possible state for WalterMitty, there's others too but that's already enough to give Dean the win.

id win mn, wi, and nh

i could come close in ct and nj

nah, Minnesota's too pro-union and anti-war.
New Hampshire is too pro-gun

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

id win mn, wi, and nh

LOL! Do you know crap about my state? It's very pro-union and pro-gun and currently strongly anti-war. In what way do you have more appeal here than Bush? Same with Wisconsin. NH is also very pro-gun.

[Cubby]

id win mn, wi, and nh

LOL! Do you know crap about my state? It's very pro-union and pro-gun and currently strongly anti-war. In what way do you have more appeal here than Bush? Same with Wisconsin. NH is also very pro-gun.

MN and WI are pro-gun?  Screw that. Guns are bad. That was one issue where I disagreed with Dean, but I thought it would be a big help if he was ever in a general election.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

id win mn, wi, and nh

LOL! Do you know crap about my state? It's very pro-union and pro-gun and currently strongly anti-war. In what way do you have more appeal here than Bush? Same with Wisconsin. NH is also very pro-gun.

MN and WI are pro-gun?  Screw that. Guns are bad. That was one issue where I disagreed with Dean, but I thought it would be a big help if he was ever in a general election.

I don't understand why people think any Midwestern state (except Illinois) would be anti-gun. Minnesota and Wisconsin certainly aren't Idaho on the issue, but we are sure a hell of a lot closer to Dean's position (leave it up to the states) than Walter's (Handguns and assault rifles should be confiscated by the federal government). I don't see any special appeal Walter has AT ALL.

The thing that would hurt him most though is the war. How did a pro-war candidate do in Minnesota last time?

[bullmoose88]

Hell I'd probably beat him as I would have a base

But you're hopelessly delusional.

[bullmoose88]

The thing that would hurt him most though is the war. How did a pro-war candidate do in Minnesota last time?

Because every pro-war candidate is the same.

Back to the classroom junior.

[bullmoose88]

I'd vote for Mitty, but Dean would win easily.

Much of what has been said about what certain groups would react to Walter is probably true, but what hasn't been said or emphasized is that Mitty doesn't have that optimistic tone about him that gets people behind a president, or a presidential candidate.

They won't vote for someone who acts as though there's always a storm cloud over their head.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

The thing that would hurt him most though is the war. How did a pro-war candidate do in Minnesota last time?

Because every pro-war candidate is the same.

Back to the classroom junior.

Is Mitty that much better than Kennedy though? Of course he's more moderate than Kennedy, but Kennedy didn't lose because of abortion or gay marriage. I'm simply pointing out that any pro-war candidate is probably unelectable in Minnesota, and many other states.

[MaC]

id win mn, wi, and nh

LOL! Do you know crap about my state? It's very pro-union and pro-gun and currently strongly anti-war. In what way do you have more appeal here than Bush? Same with Wisconsin. NH is also very pro-gun.

I thought there were quite a lot restrictions and gun laws in Minnesota?

[WalterMitty]

brtd, i would hope that the poors in podunk minnesota care more about health care than guns.  if so, they should vote for me!

and im not 'anti-gun'.   im anti-handgun.  i have no problems with shotguns and rifles, weapons that serve a legitimate purpose.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

brtd, i would hope that the poors in podunk minnesota care more about health care than guns.  if so, they should vote for me!

Minnesota is not Kentucky:



Minnesota has the third lowest poverty rate in the US, and the second lowest number of uninsured. Our rural areas are not particularly poor. If most rural Minnesotans wanted some sort of government health care plan (something that you're pretty naive in assuming Dean also wouldn't propose, look at what Hillary, Obama and Edwards are saying), they would've voted for the guy who wanted to propose such a plan for the state, that being Mike Hatch.

Most of rural Minnesota is at least one of these three:

1-Very Republican
2-Union-heavy
3-Dovish

The only areas you'd do well obviously are the ones in the first category, which doesn't give you an advantage over any other Republican.

Also about 25% of Minnesotans are fundamentalist Christians. They make up the GOP base. They aren't going to get very excited over you. That equals low GOP turnout.

and im not 'anti-gun'.   im anti-handgun.  i have no problems with shotguns and rifles, weapons that serve a legitimate purpose.

Al Gore basically said the same thing (and note that he did NOT advocate government confiscation of firearms.) Rurals didn't believe him. Plenty of them still said "I'm not voting for Al Gore, he's going to take our guns away."

Try telling your typical hunter: "Look, the only weapons I want federal agents to confiscate are handguns. I'll leave your hunting rifles alone, I promise. Trust me."

He's not going to believe you. And he'll have less reason to believe you considering that huge amount of further licensing and registration you want to put on hunting rifles.

id win mn, wi, and nh

LOL! Do you know crap about my state? It's very pro-union and pro-gun and currently strongly anti-war. In what way do you have more appeal here than Bush? Same with Wisconsin. NH is also very pro-gun.

I thought there were quite a lot restrictions and gun laws in Minnesota?

No more so than most states.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Hell I'd probably beat him as I would have a base

But you're hopelessly delusional.

About my candidates winning, despite my appearance on the forum I would be a very strong candidate in real life.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Hell I'd probably beat him as I would have a base

But you're hopelessly delusional.

About my candidates winning, despite my appearance on the forum I would be a very strong candidate in real life.

This is even more deserving of the Comedy Goldmine than that last post of your's I quoted in it.

[bullmoose88]

Hell I'd probably beat him as I would have a base

But you're hopelessly delusional.

About my candidates winning, despite my appearance on the forum I would be a very strong candidate in real life.

Haha. Sure. Okay Son, Keep Drinking the Koolaid.

[Gabu]

Hell I'd probably beat him as I would have a base

But you're hopelessly delusional.

About my candidates winning, despite my appearance on the forum I would be a very strong candidate in real life.

That's what everyone would like to think.

[Cubby]

Also about 25% of Minnesotans are fundamentalist Christians.

Thats terrible! Please tell me you're exaggerating. I didn't think there could be that many in a state that regularly votes Democrat. Are they in the rural counties in the south and west of the state or are they concentrated in the exurban counties around the Twin Cities?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm including radically conservative Catholics in that figure, but yes, I would definitely say that's the case. Even in my fairly liberal city the number is somewhere between 15 and 20% I'd guess. Just goes to show how liberal non-fundamentalist Minnesotans are.

Look at the counties that voted for Mark Kennedy. Those that did is where they make up the highest numbers, except Carver, which is simply uber-partisan GOP. The outer parts of Dakota, Anoka, Washington and Hennepin counties have a lot of evangelicals too, while the whole area around Stearns county also has quite a bunch, and even more ultra-conservative Catholics.