Please pick Edwards: Beneath Gephardt radar, House Dems seek to sway Kerry

[NewJerseyDem]

http://www.thehill.com/news/061704/edwards.aspx

A cabal of House Democrats is quietly lobbying Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) to select Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) as his vice-presidential running mate.

The group is trying to fly beneath the radar of their former minority leader, Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.), and is making the case that Edwards would help down-ballot lawmakers in tight races and deliver the White House for Democrats.

Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) gathered 22 signatures on a letter from a diverse group of known Edwards supporters in late April, advocating a “Dream Team Ticket.”

In the letter, a copy of which has been obtained by The Hill, the 22 write: “In urging you to place Sen. John Edwards on the ticket as Vice-President, we are confident he will bring the right combination of talent, energy, and voter appeal to help you win the presidency.”

[AP]

1. Those media whores have even gotten to "diverse" elected Dems!

[Skwmom]

4. Hmm, interesting post

I found on the Clark Blog:

I just received "The Republican Noise Machine", by David Brock, today and started reading it. I flipped to the index to see if there were any Clark entries, and found a number. Then I decided to look for index entries for all the (major) Dem Candidates and this is what I found:

Clark - 6 entries; 2 of which span 2 pages
Kerry - 2 entries
Dean - 1 entry
Edwards - no entries
Graham - no entries
Leiberman - no entries

These entries all revolve around right-wing smears of the candidates and guess who stands out as the main target? And guess who got a complete pass? The book seems to have gone to press before the Dean scream overplay and the Drudge intern smear of Clark, so those items are not mentioned. I know it's not news that Clark was the subject of right-wing smears, but to see it totaled up so clearly like that - Clark with the bulls-eye on his back and Edwards getting off scot-free - is very eye opening, indeed. The right wing really didn't want Bush to face Gen Clark and they had more than enough power to make sure it didn't happen......

[AP]

5. To ignore Edwards is to smear him. The more you know about him the

more you like him.

Why don't you compare how much time Edwards got in the debates compared to Clark. CNN, FOX, NBC, et al loved talking to Clark and the rest during the debates. They ignored Edwards, Carol M-B, and Kucinich.

This is why they ignored him: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/btp/polls.html

If people think about him, they like him, and they like him much more than Bush.

The Republicans learned in NC the danger of talking about Edwards's career as a laweyer and his lack of experience. Talking about those things were the reason Faircloth lost an election in which his lead in the polls was 10 pts two weeks before election day.

The media only paid attention to Edwards a week after Iowa when they were done with the scream. By then they couldn't ignore him, but by then, it couldn't help him.

However, if you want to see someone who consistently hated Edwards, feek free to look up Kit Seelye's reporting on Edwards, and the NYT generally. They stick close to their neoliberal agenda and smeared Edwards every chance they got.

Nonetheless, Brock didn't have anything to write about Edwards because there was no coverage of Edwards. Same reason he has nothing about Kucinich and Mosley-Braun, the other two who got as little coverage as Edwards during the period leading up to Iowa when the candidates were establishing their identity.

[Scoopie]

7. That is NOT true

He was my second choice after Kerry before Clark entered the race and the more I found out about him, the LESS I liked him. He turned out to be nothing like he pretended he was!

[AP]

9. You're 1 in a million

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/btp/polls.html

[leyton]

8. How would you spin the opposite?

Let me guess - if there was no smearing of Clark, you'd say it's because the GOP has nothing on him.

Clark would be a fine VP. My point is that Clark supporters here turn everything they find into "evidence" that he either he should be picked or that he will be.

[chimpymustgo]

2. You beat me by seconds on this! Will Kerry listen

to the chorus of voices calling for Edwards??

[Skwmom]

3. Let me think.

Is it too hard to believe that elected Democrats would jump on the media created bandwagon for Edwards? In one word (NO).

Unfortunately, what they fail to realize is once Rove is finished introducing Edwards to the voting public, Edwards won't be drawing such receptive crowds.

[wjsander]

6. lolz

Oh, you and Rove again. You're too much. :P

[AP]

10. Why would elected dems want a person who would lose or hurt ticket?

They can do a better job and more likely keep their jobs if Kerry wins.

Do you think you have better sense about who would be a good VP than elected Dems who actually have a great deal of experience with successful political campaigns and who actually have their jobs on the line?

[NewJerseyDem]

11. Pelosi thinks Edwards would help democrats win in the House

The article says that she has been telling democrats that Edwards as the VP nominee would help democrats win seats and apparently many in the South and other conservative areas, where the key House battlegrounds are, think that Edwards would also be helpful.

[AP]

12. Oh, what does she know about politics?

She's what? House Minority Leader?

She wishes she were an anonymous DU poster.

[mndemocrat_29]

14. I think she's right

Edwards would help in Southern Republican-held districts like LA-3, FL-22, and GA-12. If he's going to help Kerry win back the White House by being likeable and helping with swing voters in the South and Southwest, if he's going to help Democrats like Inez, Erskine, and Betty Castor win Senate seats, and if he's going to help us make gains in the House, I'm sorry, but why are we arguing? John Kerry, give this man a call and kick those sorry Republicans out of office!

[BootinUp]

16. Hey don't forget

GA-11! I don't want Phil Gingrey as my US Rep damnit! :)

Actually I do think Edwards would help in some other Southern races. But he's not the only one that can do that.

[Darkamber]

13. Edwards has already been introduced to the voting public...

It's call the primaries. Options have already been formed on Edwards and his likability ratings are high. And I doubt that those house and Senate members who are supporting Edwards and hear from those who voted them into office share your views.

The fact is that Edwards could help save seats or help to bring more democratic seats to the House and Senate. And that is VERY important. Kerry will need a congress to work with him and not against if we want to change America. Edwards can help him to this. Plain and simple.

[Cuban_Liberal]

15. neither will Clark, after they replay his speeches praising Bush, et al.

I can't believe how some of you Clark supporters can nitpick and spin every minor, 'popgun' non-issue about Edwards into a life-or-death matter while at one and the same time be completely oblivious to the massive howitzer barrage that Rove will focus on him. It's rib-splittingly disconnected from reality.

:wtf: