Kerry Gets Advice on Running Mate, No Decision Yet
Memo to John Kerry:
Just pick Senator John Edwards already. So what if he might upstage you during the campaign? He'll connect with more voters than any other possible choice, help you in a few states in the South, help a couple Senate candidates in the South, and bring with him the love of a fawning media. (See Eric Alterman for more on this last point.)
Besides, he can only overshadow you until November. After that, you get to be the president! How can Edwards beat that? So calm your swelling ego, finish having these base-thrilling meetings with Gephardt and Clark and Graham, and do what you know you have to do: Give us John-John. We've been waiting since February.
And in case you missed it, The Note had this to say today:
The Kerry campaign has used Edwards so effectively as a surrogate that they may have boxed themselves into the corner of having to explain to the Democratic world why they DIDN'T choose him after all.
Even aides to several leading contenders admit that the Edwards boomlet is real. They believe that Senator Kerry has seen polls that show how Edwards helps him in states like Wisconsin and Florida. Those Democrats with close ties to the Senate and House races think an Edwards on the ticket could enhance the prospects of an Erskine Bowles victory in North Carolina and help Inez Tennenbaum in South Carolina.
No other contender can be said to have such a broad-based constituency of elite supporters, and a second ring of "enthusiasts," such as Walter Mondale and Hillary Clinton, both of whom have been heard of late making the case for why Edwards would be a strong pick.
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