Edwards Has Not Ruled Out V.P. Run

[Hissyspit]

Source: ABC News

Edwards Has Not Ruled Out V.P. Run

June 15, 2008 12:18 PM

ABC News' Mary Bruce reports: 2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards this morning left open the possibility of a second run for the position. "I'd take anything he asked me to think about seriously," Edwards explained in a "This Week" interview with George Stephanopoulos.

The former 2008 presidential candidate was quick to clarify, however, that he is not actively pursuing the job. "But obviously this is something I've done and it's not a job that I'm seeking."

As the veepstakes continue to heat up, Edwards said Obama should be left to make an independent decision. "Senator Obama ... has earned the right to make this decision for himself. I think he has enormous choices available to him, really great choices available to him. And I think he'll go through this process in a thoughtful, orderly way, and he'll decide who he wants to be his running mate. And that's exactly how it should be done."

In a separate interview, former Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson offered a more emphatic response on his vice presidential intentions. "It's presumptuous for a person to turn down things that haven't been offered to them, and I don't think will be offered," he said. "It's not something that I want."

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/06/edwards-has-not.html

[lumberjack_jeff]

1. Edwards would be his best possible pick. n/t

[klyon]

8. agreed

leave the people in the house and senate and pick someone other. Edwards would be my first pick also.

[Bozita]

9. Absolutely!

[lonestarnot]

2. Wootie woot woot!

:applause: K & R

[CANDO]

3. I love Edwards as VP

Strong advocate for the little guy. Webb of Virginia would be great for his military background. Or Wesley Clark also.

[kimmylavin]

4. I would LOVE it if Obama asked Edwards.

Edwards was my choice in the Primaries - even though he'd already dropped out!

[elocs]

5. How can this be late breaking news when grantcart posted the same story at 12:28

and somebody else posted it earlier? I bet I'll see it posted again later today, though.
(Sorry, this is one of my pet peeves here: seeing the exact same story or news posted over and over and over like it's for the first time.)

[Cleita]

6. I hope that Obama gives him serious consideration for any position

in his administration whether VP, Atty. Gen. or any other cabinet position.

[Phred42]

7. My Second Choice. First being Edwards/ Obama

:beer:

Here's hoping

[onehandle]

10. Fine by me. nt

[Connonym]

11. Edwards was my first choice for president so I'd be ecstatic to see him on the ticket

[Bluenorthwest]

12. It would be a great choice

Obama/Edwards 2008

[peaches2003]

13. Will never happen (and I love JE, too)

JE running for VP just would bring back memories of a losing candidacy just 4 yrs ago. Obama needs to go for the 'surprise' experienced face. JE Cabinet? Absolutely and that will happen, for sure.

[karynnj]

28. It also would bring back the attacks of this primary season

It was only in the last month, at most, that Edwards was not the attacker - and some of those attacks were on Obama. Then after he was out there were the leaked comments that he "didn't think Obama was ready" - which was utter chutzpah because he had LESS experience and was on his second run. So, one would think he thought that he was ready.

[MercutioATC]

14. Fuck, fuckitty, fuck fuck

I hate this muddying of the waters.

We already have a Presidential candidate. We don't need another.

This isn't about finding good people, it's about selecting a VP who complements our nominee. Edwards is a fine candidate, but he doesn't bring anything Obama needs to the ticket.

Some say the ticket needs "experience". I disagree, but Edwards doesn't bring it.

Some say the ticket needs appeal to rural voters. This, I agree with...and Edwards doesn't bring it.


My point is that Edwards is a fine man and a fine candidate but he does nothing for an Obama ticket. Regardless of anybody's personal feelings towards him, it's not about the actual person at this point...it's about how that person adds to our nominee's strengths and compensates for his weaknesses.

[TrogL]

19. What article are you reading?

Obviously not the same one we are.

Edwards is not ruling being VP (it's a double-negative but that's OK in this context). This has nothing to do with the Presidential candidate - this has already been decided.

An Obama/Edwards ticket would be perfect.

[kestrel91316]

15. That would work for me!!

[bluesmail]

16. The Perfect Profile: Obama/Edwards 2008

[goclark]

17. Edwards brings enough for me

He really "won" the last election with John Kerry.

He brings the same message of HOPE and CHANGE for America.

I am so tired of red states/blue states

Pew and Survey and CNN and what Tweety thinks---

I just saw that stupid.lying GW on a 2004 interview with Tim Russet ~ that idiot lowered all the bars for experience and every other "measure" that MSOwned by Bushes" America tries to push down our stomachs!

The only thing we need to get busy measuring is Diebold.

Only Diebold gave that election to Bush!

[karynnj]

22. The question is how much he helped Kerry

The question I would have is whether he would agree that - sight unseen - he would agree that he would use ANY slogan that Obama chooses. I am disturbed that Edwards proudly told the NYT in Nov 2007, that he refused to use Kerry's "help is on the way" because he thought that his "hope is on the way" was better. This resulted in the criticism of the campaign. Though it bothers me that he did this because it sends a kind of this was the tip of the iceberg message of loose cannon VP, what almost bothers me more is that 3 years later - he, not Kerry, an anonymous insider or Shrum told this story. That means that even in retrospect he doesn't get the role of VP.

Now, this year, he has said and signaled that he himself is not impressed by Obama. Why would he give the proper deference to Obama that he did not give to the older, more experienced Kerry? I think he bought his own PR and really believed he was the best natural politician of his generation.

[goclark]

23. Txs for the info ~ I still like him

and this is a new election, new circumstances.

He did come out to support Obama near the end of the Primary and I hope that he will be considered for an important role,if not VP.

[karynnj]

24. It is a new election

but the question is whether he "gets" the role of VP. In the example given, you would need to either decide that he would respect Obama's judgment more than Kerry's or that since Dec 2007, he became more humble. (Watch Daschle and Kerry - both more senior politicians when they act as surrogates. Both speak for Obama and make the issue Obama, not themselves. That takes a certain humility that likely doesn't come easily to people who are high level politicians.

My point is that the kindest interpretation is that Edwards did not see why this was counterproductive - even 3 years later. That means he will likely do something similar if nominated again. The problem for the Presidential nominee is that by the time the person first acts as VP, it is already too late to replace him. Kerry and his people, likely had to try to keep things as smooth as possible - hiding any irritation they felt. To do otherwise would kill the campaign. A sign that this was not the only instance was that NONE of the Kerry people went to Edwards when he opted out. These people, who had run the last campaign - which was run in an environment extremely different than the 1990s were sought by all the campaigns - and the majority went to Obama, with some sitting it out and a few going to HRC.

[TooRaLoo]

18. I would be really happy with Edwards. He was a good Prez candidate, too. nt

[CrispyQ]

20. I think Edwards would be a fine selection. --nt

[Plucketeer]

21. Edwards would work for me!

Hell - he'd work for ALL OF US. Just try to imagine that for a moment.... a VP that works FOR the people instead of AGAINST the people!

[auburnblu]

25. Edwards also has minimal experience

Edwards was a great pick for Kerry. Edwards would be a great pick if Obama began his time in the senate ten years ago. Biden, Richardson, Rendell or Dodd would be better. Edwards and Biden both voted for the war so that isn't a plus over Biden. Maybe Edwards brings a little bit of a populist boost, but one well timed, "hey Mr. Edwards why did you feel the need to post pictures of your 27,000 square foot residence on your campign site, doesn't that maybe you part of the other America you are always raling against", and he looks like a bad pick. That and his I joined a hedge fund to learn about poor people, yikes. Was it a hedge fund that invested in poor areas in the U.S. and developing countries, uh no not that I recall.

[liberal N proud]

26. Would help pull the south

My first choice but then I am not making the choice so I will sit with the rest of you and speculate but support the final decision. The one to get Obama in the white house

[tritsofme]

27. Just like he did in 2004?

:eyes:

[Orsino]

29. I could have sworn that he already had ruled it out, long ago. n/t