Edwards rejects VP slot?

[Gustaf]

Breaux

Breaux voted for all the Bush tax cuts, I can't see him as Kerry's VP (Edwards can't win the nomination, so a Edwards/Breaux ticket is out of the question).  

Breaux could be Bush if he were at the top of the ticket...but the Dems who could beat Bush aren't running.

Well, if the Dems ran a Republican the election would only be interesting from a technical view-point, not idelogically.

[Gustaf]

Edwards is a good choice for VP; whilst he wouldn't win NC, he would make FL, AK and Louisiana contestable.

I think that for Kerry, it has to be a midwesterner though; Kerry/Edwards would have trrouble keeping IA, MN and WI, and have no chance at gaining Missouri.

With someone from this area, they might win MO and would prolly keep MN and IA.

Better chance at winning Mo wuith a midwesterner then FL with a southerner, I'd say.

Maybe it could be Gephardt?

I'll give you an alternate scenario.  What if Kerry picked Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, or Bill Nelson, Senator of Florida?

Here's my thinking.  Kerry has to win Ohio, West Virginia and New Hampshire on his own.  Tough, very tough in fact, but do-able if certain things can go his way.   If he picks Richardson (part Hispanic), he has a decent shot at winning Arizona and Nevada.  And maybe, just maybe, the Hispanic population of Dade and Broward (5 years removed from Elian) looks at Kerry-Richardson favorably to just offset the heavy Republican vote from the Gulf Coast and Panhandle - long-shot.  If he picks Nelson, Kerry may not win Arizona or Nevada, but has a solid shot at Florida.

As I understand it, Gephardt is not liked in Missouri other than in his own district.  He would not deliver Missouri to Kerry.  If you need to pick a Midwesterner, you need one who can guarantee Ohio.  No such Democrat exists.

I think the VP comes from Florida or Southwest.

Good points. Also, Ohio has the economy and steel issues to work in favour of the Dems, so the VP-requirement is smaller there.

[Gustaf]

Florida isn't really the south, remember, lots of my relatives live down there, from NY.

Graham isn't that popular in florida anymore, he turned people off with his bush bashing.  Nelson voted for the war, which helps the floridian cause.

I agree, Florida nowadays is too different to be counted as a Southern state, nowhere near the same voting patterns.