Edwards rejects VP slot?

[jravnsbo]

no major dems from Ohio though.

He has to worry about the gore states first.  Commentators are already taking apart his record and talking he will have t o runa northern strategy and divide the country to win.  Great!  bring it on!  Bush goes everywhere and will make him earn those Gore states.

His gun control voting record alone will sink Kerry inthe south.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/01/28/politics0813EST0501.DTL&type=printable

Presidential candidate John Edwards on Wednesday rejected any notion of sharing the Democratic ticket with front-running rival John Kerry -- unless he is at the top.

Asked on NBC's "Today" show if he would accept second place on the Democratic slate to face President Bush in the fall election, Edwards said: "I think you've got the order reversed. I intend to be the nominee."

Edwards said he would not be willing to be No. 2. "No, no. Final. I don't want to be vice president. I'm running for president," he said.

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Never thought Edwards would be a good pick for VP.  Kerry, if nominated, needs to look for a running mate from Ohio.

[jravnsbo]

Dean can neutralize the issue but Kerry can't.  Sad day for dems when Dean is looking more moderate than Kerry, especially when Kerry has been treated with Kid gloves and Dean has been taking body blows from the media.

Yeah, the Dems had gotten smart and had left the gun issue alone, now it is back with Kerry.

[jravnsbo]

it gives hima platform for 2008, otherwise the dream is dead forever.  No one will care about him if he is just a dem primary loser ina weak field and no longer a senator.

If Edwards has to drop out he would most likely take the VP spot.

Edwards would've been defeated for reelection to the Senate.  He brings NOTHING, not one single state, to Kerry.

All of these candidates know that either Hillary or Gore is going to be the nominee in 2008.  Accepting a VP slot does nothing for Edwards.

[jravnsbo]

yeah but people don't vote for a Pvp as much as they do for a President and Kerry's liberal record wsill not play well in those states.

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?

[jravnsbo]

edwards needs to worry about SC first.  Honestly I think he could have a shot if he wins it and then comes TN and VA soon after.  Plus if Clark could win OK and Dean out west they continue to keep Kerry down in delegates and we could have a close race for a while.

To make the biggest impact on the south & midwest, you need 2 southerners on the ticket, not 1.

Edwards/Gephardt
Edwards/Breaux

[jravnsbo]

yeah but so is Kerry and he is running

How about Tom Hrkin for a prominent Democratic midwesterner? Been a senator for IA since the 80's and before that he was in the house for a decade...

Lane Evans from Illinois has also been around since before I was born...

Harkin is too liberal.

[jravnsbo]

always go back to the side note of the senate.  Lets say Kerry picks Nelson and they win.  That gives the GOP 2 more senate seats.  Maybe a small price for the Presidency, but also gives GOP the senate for a long while.

[jravnsbo]

hmmm  Senator Katherine Harris by appointment, nice!

[jravnsbo]

Well she would have female appeal and help in MO, but unclear if she could carry MO.  She lost in 2002 to Senator Jim Talent, while it was close she still lost.

Plus she was never elected to the post and only took over for her dead husband, who won on a sypathy vote.

Perhaps this is a quirky idea, but how about former Senator Jeanne Carnahan of Missouri?

Endorsed Kerry yesterday, national name recognition.

Not sure that she has the ambition to be VP, though.

[jravnsbo]

who is LT Gov in Mass, a possible replacement, but Bush will crush carry anyway so just speculation.  "We want Kerry" we want kerry"  lets starta chant.

always go back to the side note of the senate.  Lets say Kerry picks Nelson and they win.  That gives the GOP 2 more senate seats.  Maybe a small price for the Presidency, but also gives GOP the senate for a long while.

You know, if Kerry were to win, I'm not the least bit sure that Romney would appoint a Republican to replace him.  Romney wants to win re-election. He might appoint someone like Steve Grossman who is much more conservative than Kerry.

Exactly, particuarly given the fact that Mass. has a very thin GOP base. I'm sure the Dem Gov. nominee in 2006 could use it against him. Had Lieberman been elected in a 2000, it would have been a similar situation, but at least Rowland could have gotten away with appointing Representatives Shays or Johnson. Outside of Gov. and Lt. Gov., Dems pretty much control everything in Mass.

I thought of a couple of other improvements on Kerry-- Tom Finneran and Stephen Lynch.