That was an odd decision/announcement process, but in the end it’s all good. Senator Kerry has made a great decision in selecting Senator Edwards as his running mate. Some of you may recall that last winter I supported Edwards to head the top of the ticket, so naturally I think he will be an asset as the number two guy.
Edwards will bring enthusiasm and energy to the campaign, sharpen its message, and enhance the ticket’s chances in blue collar/Southern areas (e.g., Ohio, Louisiana).
If you’ve got some extra change, now would be a good time to reward good behavior. America deserves a competent president.
UPDATE: I’ve had a day now to think about this ticket seems even better. One only need watch Kerry’s announcement to see why he needs someone like Edwards. Let’s be frank; Kerry’s not the most engaging speaker. And in this sound byte age a ticket needs someone who can appeal to voters who are not particularly interested in politics.
It was interesting following coverage of the decision throughout the day. On TV, once the initial news story was covered, the TV talking heads needed something to say. So, in predictable fashion, they resorted to the Republican press releases. Edwards is a wealthy trial lawyer! Green and inexperienced! A second choice! Two of the most “liberal” members in the senate!
I tuned into WGOP radio yesterday afternoon. Usually, when I do so it’s only for a few minutes. But this time I went for an extended play. It was interesting trying to follow Rush’s logic as he aimlessly wondered trying to disparage the ticket: vice president doesn’t matter; the choice was politically driven (disregard point one, I guess), Kerry is just trying to mask an “abortion flip”, Kerry is desperate, and on and on. A lot of it was standard GOP boilerplate, but Rush did add his own “insights,” such as the usual Clinton Hillarity analysis. And then there was this nugget:
So what’s the deal? It’s another typical Kerry flip-flop, and I’ll tell you what: the reason I’m not making that big a deal about Edwards today is because I don’t believe that it’s over. You know, the New York Post today, they got a tip last night — and they felt comfortable with it, and the cover of the New York Post says it’s Gephardt and it still could be. Kerry could flip-flop tonight and name Gephardt tomorrow. So until this is actually done and we see ’em together…
Huh? Is this guy thinking clearly? Are his medical issues resolved? At least he has the NY Post to feed his delusions.
USA Today has conducted polling which may help explain why the GOP attack machine is in high gear. Sixty-four percent of surveyed registered voters view Edwards as an excellent or good choice. Sixty-four percent say this move reflects favorably on Kerry’s decision making ability.
As far as favorability ratings go, 54% view Edwards favorably, while only 43% view Cheney favorably.
Given Cheney’s low numbers, the blogger known as Instapundit the following forecast:
(One prediction of mine: Bush will drop Cheney from the ticket, and replace him with someone more exciting, and with less baggage — think John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Colin Powell, or, my favorite, Condi Rice.
I agree Bush could find a more politically attractive running mate. But unless Cheney is in legal trouble, I don’t see that happening. Bush has shown he won’t get rid of anyone unless they are unloyal. And Cheney is virtually a co-president, calling shots behind the scenes. No way Bush goes without him.