Why Edwards won't be picked for the VP slot.

[ShapeShifter]

Edwards lack experience in politics - just only served 1 term as a senator in NC. This in itself takes him out of the possibility of him being picked for the VP slot. Kerry is not going to pick him to try to win the south because he knows the south is not where the battlefield is. It takes more than charms and looks to be a good, qualified president.

The question you have to ask yourself is, among the many possible VP, who would actually make a good, qualified president and has the political experience to do the job?

[ShapeShifter]

These are people on my short list:

Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.)
Sen. Bob Graham (Fla.)
Ex-Sen. Bob Kerrey (Neb.)
Gov. Bill Richardson (N.M.)

[Ben.]

 Firstly Kerry does not need an experienced VP, he himself has been in the senate for nearly twenty years and that is experience enough, unlike Edwards or Clark would have and Bush did in 2000 he does not need an experienced vp to add gravitas to his ticket…

It is not that Edwards is southern, its is broader than that, he is a good debater, he frames arguments in an effective and engaging way that moderate swing voters and democrats alike react well to, he has proven in the primaries that his populist message resonates with many independent voters in the Midwest and steel states on top of all this he is an attractive and charismatic figure to have on the TV supporting and stumping for Kerry…  

Evan Bayh; my second choice, but is usually very dull in his speaking style has next to no national name recognition (unlike Edwards) and has no proven appeal in other mid-western states with the exception of Indiana.

Bob Graham; dull, machine politician who’s only recommendation comes from the fact that he is popular in his native Florida, however at the bottom of the ticket it is unlikely that he could help Kerry in any solid manner in his home state, on top of this Graham conducted a lacklusta bid for the presidency and would not seem to appeal to moderate and swing voters in the Midwest. In debates Graham is usually dull and uninspiring, in stark contrast to Edwards and other potentials such as Landrieu or Warner, added to this Graham would be one of the oldest VPs ever nominated and with John Kerry often portrayed as old and slightly dull Graham would be able to inject no charisma or excitement what so ever.

Bob Kerrey; First the name, he would be far too confusing to attach to the ticket added to this Kerrey while popular in his native Nebraska could hardly add any real geographical advantage to the ticket and while he might help boost Kerry overall amongst moderate voters he has none of the potential direct geographical appeal of Edwards or Bayh in the critical Midwest. On top of this Kerrey has for a long time been implicated in war crimes committed by the navy seals unit he served in and in a national campaign this is not a good thing to have crop-up.

Bill Richardson; Not as uncharismatic as Graham, but not particularly inspiring either, he would guarantee New Mexico for the Dem Column however beyond his native state he could only really hope to improve the fortunes of the ticket marginally in states with high Hispanic populations such as Nevada, Arizona and Florida however this increase in Hispanic support while potentially flipping Nevada into the Democratic column would probably have only a minimal effect in states such as Arizona and Florida. On top of all this is what Richardson looks like….sorry… but the guy is overweight and unfit, while he can hold his own in a tv debate he does not instil confidence in the ticket and for such minimal potential electoral gains he just seems like a very poor choice imho… in addition he would probably help Kerry only very marginally in the mid-west, and contrary to the beliefs of the "south-western strategy lobby" NM, AZ, CO and NV have a combined electoral vote total of 29 while WI, OH, WV, and PA have a total electoral vote tally of 56! and how does Richardson even begin to help Kerry in that critical region while he only really helps Kerry gain 10/29 electoral votes in the southwest?...

…My Top 5…

John Edwards
Evan Bayh
Mark Warner
Bill Nelson
Mary Landrieu

[Umengus]

Edwards lack experience in politics - just only served 1 term as a senator in NC. This in itself takes him out of the possibility of him being picked for the VP slot. Kerry is not going to pick him to try to win the south because he knows the south is not where the battlefield is. It takes more than charms and looks to be a good, qualified president.

The question you have to ask yourself is, among the many possible VP, who would actually make a good, qualified president and has the political experience to do the job?

Kerry has experience. It's enough. It can be a advantage to have  a new guy as VP, overal if the first guy is very experimented. The best VP is and will stay John Edwards. No problem with this...

[Gustaf]

That is not the question though, Shapey, it probably should be, but it isn't. The question is, who would help Kerry win. And I think the answer is Edwards.

[JohnFKennedy]

That is not the question though, Shapey, it probably should be, but it isn't. The question is, who would help Kerry win. And I think the answer is Edwards.

yes, I agree with this fully.

[ShapeShifter]

Blue is Red

Now, everyone go ahead and disagree with me, since everyone loves to disagree with me.

[JohnFKennedy]

Blue is Red

Now, everyone go ahead and disagree with me, since everyone loves to disagree with me.

Shapeshifter, we are NOT disagreeing with you because we "love to disagree" with you, we are disagreeing with you, because we believe John Edwards WILL be the VP pick. If you had said Edwards will be VP, many would agree.

[Giant Saguaro]

Yeah, it's probably not so much experience alone as much as it's experience combined with judgment. I mean it seems to me that Kerry and Edwards are out there talking like it's 1992 again. And it's clearly not. I would probably be the wrong one to give advice on who Kerry should pick for his VP since I'm not a liberal or a Democrat and usually don't vote that way either, but I would just like for someone to be on that ticket who doesn't see the war on terror as cops and robbers.

Besides, it's Kerry that will be running things anyway, not the VP. My opinion of the UN has declined rapidly over the years and Kerry will make sure it's okay with the UN before he uses force (if he is willing to use force at all), so whoever Kerry picks for VP will end up being with him on that. In the end, then, I guess they're all the same. It's which face do you want to see and who's voice do you want to hear. I don't have an opinion, but a lot of Dems would probably choose Edwards.

[JohnFKennedy]

GiantSaguaro, I must disagree with your quote in your signature, the meek shall inherit the earth .

[Giant Saguaro]

GiantSaguaro, I must disagree with your quote in your signature, the meek shall inherit the earth .

Right... but in the meantime, we'll make sure that it's not from the terrorists.

[JohnFKennedy]

GiantSaguaro, I must disagree with your quote in your signature, the meek shall inherit the earth .

Right... but in the meantime, we'll make sure that it's not the terrorists from whom the meek inherit the Earth!

ah, touchée.

[© tweed]

1. Kerry does not need experience on the ticket, he has 19 years in the senate.

2. Edwards would also help in the steel states with his populist/protectionist message.

[Trilobyte]

I think it's a terrible idea to have two senators on the ticket. If Kerry does pick Edwards (or anyone from Congress for that matter), it would only make it easier for Bush to label them as ineffective leaders.

Kerry needs someone with executive experience. I think he will pick a governor like Richardson.

[ShapeShifter]

I think it's a terrible idea to have two senators on the ticket. If Kerry does pick Edwards (or anyone from Congress for that matter), it would only make it easier for Bush to label them as ineffective leaders.

Kerry needs someone with executive experience. I think he will pick a governor like Richardson.

Finally, someone agrees with me. If you noticed my short list, all of them have had executive experience.

[Gustaf]

Blue is Red

Now, everyone go ahead and disagree with me, since everyone loves to disagree with me.

I disagree. Blue isn't Red.

[ShapeShifter]

Blue is Red

Now, everyone go ahead and disagree with me, since everyone loves to disagree with me.

I disagree. Blue isn't Red.

I am just going to call it a bad day.

[angus]

Blue is Red

Now, everyone go ahead and disagree with me, since everyone loves to disagree with me.

I disagree. Blue isn't Red.

I am just going to call it a bad day.

  Vodka