Kerry/Vilsack would have beaten Bush/Cheney

[Lincoln Republican]

It's true, the selection of John Edwards by John Kerry was a mistake, and added nothing to the Democratic ticket except a nice smile.  If this was supposed to have been some sort of "southern straregy," it failed miserably, and was doomed from the start.

Dick Gephardt would have been a much better choice.  Tom Vilsack as well would have been a better choice.

Neither, however, would have swung the election to Kerry.  With Gephardt or Vilsack, the Democrats would most likely have won Iowa, giving them 258 EV, still short of the 270 needed.  It is very improbable that with either, even Gephardt, on the ticket, that Kerry would have won Missouri.

With Kerry being able to spend more time in Ohio, I doubt this would have resulted in Kerry winning the state.  It would have made it even closer, slightly, in Ohio, but Bush still wins Ohio, and the election.  Ohio has quite a history of voting Republican in presidential elections. 

It was John Kerry who was the problem with the Democratic ticket, not the VP nominee.  People do not vote for Vice President, they vote for President, the one at the top of the ticket.     

IMHO

[Lincoln Republican]

Bush was seen as needing due to his reputation as a bit of a lightweight, with no foreign policy experience.

To those who believe that Edwards would have done better than Kerry as head of the ticket, this is the reason why he would not have.  Kerry was a military man and a long-time Senator.  He lost the security vote.  Edwards was a former trial lawyer and a one-term Senator who spoke of "two Americas."  Edwards would have been soundly defeated.

Welcome to the forums, Joel.

I have to agree with both you and with Dazzleman.

Kerry lost on his own accord, nothing to do with Edwards.  The so called "southern strategy" ploy by Kerry was a miserable failure.  Edwards brought nothing to the ticket.

It would not matter who Kerry's running mate was, it would not result in a Kerry win.  Putting Graham on the ticket would not reverse a Bush margin of 381,000 votes in Florida. 

Edwards as the nominee would have resulted in a bigger defeat for the Democrats.  Add possibly New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to the Bush totals.