The VP nominee will be whoever brings the most EVs to the table, period.

[Padraig18]

Sen. Kerry is going to choose his running mate based primarily on who can help him win the maximum numbers of EVs in 'battleground' states. The selection will not be based on any sort of 'my resume is more impressive than yours' basis, because whoever he considers will have an adequate resume.

It's about the votes and voter appeal, folks, not about "Look at all the wonderful things I've done in my life"...

[vi5]

1. This is what I'm afraid of....

Picking someone according to those standards that goes over with a huge thud.

Please let this be a somewhat thinking out of the box decision.

[Padraig18]

2. Bottom line:

We have to win, and to win we have to have more EVs than Bush/Cheney. I'll be happy with Elvis' dead corpse as the VP nominee, if it gets Kerry IN and Bush* OUT...:shrug:

[returnable]

3. But... but...

...Elvis was a Republican spook! Surely his corpse is PNAC! :hi:

[Padraig18]

4. LOL

The embalmed have no political affiliation, per se, although he has re-registered as a Democrat, according to TN authorities. ;)

[Doctor Pedantic]

5. I still don't buy that....

I know everyone thinks that a VP needs to "help" the ticket, but I'm still not convinced that the VP ever really does. LBJ helped deliver Texas to Kennedy, but come on, who really votes for President based on the VP? "I was leaning towards Bush, but Kerry made such a fabulous VP pick I think I'll switch!" Not likely. I think the VP can certainly hurt -- but look how mismatched Dan Quayle and Lloyd Bentsen were, yet George the First still won a landslide victory.

That doesn't mean Kerry won't still fall into the trap of picking someone who can supposedly help in battleground states. That's why my money is on Evan Bayh, who provides moderate-to-conservative "balance" and is from Indiana, the heart of the battlegrounds and right next door to the critical state of Ohio. Bayh also brings the energy, youth and good looks of a John Edwards with the bonus of "gravitas" and experience. Doesn't mean I like the guy on policy, but as a candidate he makes sense.

It would be kind of nice if the VP were picked based on who the nominee thinks would actually be the best choice to run the country if the President died, but that's never going to be the primary consideration.

[Padraig18]

6. I'm thinking Edwards, or Breaux...

I'm not certain either one would be the best pick, but I honestly do think both really would 'bring something to the table', electorally. In terms of pure ability, I think Clark or Graham would be better choices.:shrug:

[Blue_Roses]

7. I think Edwards would be a great

pick. He has the speaking talent to draw in many not to mention he's sharp as a whip.

[Padraig18]

8. He's a wonderful speaker, and the voters seem to like him.

He 'resonates' with voters, and even those who didn't vote for him in the primary had a favorable impression of him. He has low 'negatives', which is worth consideration.:)

[arcos]

15. Breaux is not pro-choice...

and Kerry already said abortion is a litmus test for judges. I don't think it would be any different for his VP.

I think Landrieu would be much better, and would probably secure LA's EVs too.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. Landrieu WILL NOT secure LA...

She was re-elected with an extremely small margain with a terrible candidate as her opponent. Not to say that Kerry is hopeless in LA and that Landrieu won't be of some help but it's not a lock if he picks Landrieu.

[onehandle]

9. Then he'll pick Kucinich....

Ohio is where this election will be won.

But he's not going to pick Kucinich.

[Padraig18]

10. Kucinich can't deliver Ohio.

He got what, 11%, in the primary? It won't be Kucinich.

[onehandle]

11. Yeah, I was kidding. nt

[Padraig18]

12. Oh, OK.

:hi:

[leyton]

13. I think Gephardt delivers the most.

I know Gephardt is... well, uninspiring and not y'all's pick for VP. He's not mine either. But it seems to me that compared to Clark's chances of bringing Arkansas/Louisiana (15 votes) and Edwards's chances of bringing North/South Carolina (23 votes), Gephardt is much more likely to carry Missouri. He could also bring us Iowa and help us out a lot Ohio, in my opinion. That's 18 without Ohio, 38 with it.

Although Bayh could do similar things (as Doctor Pedantic pointed out several posts above).

[Blue_Roses]

14. NOOOOOo ...while

I think Gephardt is a great man, he's a snoozer. We don't need two snoozers. We need someone to spice up the ticket. Someone that resonates well with the people.

[democratreformed]

17. Oh, but the people have spoken....... they like snoozers

apparently

[Cuban_Liberal]

16. I agree 100%

The VP nominee will be whoever can best 'bring home the bacon'; it will almost certainly be a Southerner who has broad appeal to Democrats, Independents and moderate Republican voters---- someone like John Edwards, John Breaux or Mark Warner.

[beyurslf]

18. Govenor Sebelius of KS.

I will keep plugging away for her until the veep is chosen. She is a moderate...elected 3 times statewide in KS (republican state) by large margins... and her father was the Gov of Ohio.