So...Chet Edwards Being Considered For Veep According To Newsweek

[TwilightGardener]

Veepstakes: A New Name
By Michael Isikoff | NEWSWEEK
Published Aug 2, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Aug 11, 2008

--snip--
The "shortlist" of options to be Barack Obama's running mate is longer than most media accounts have suggested. In addition to the familiar front runners—Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine—there are at least two other veepstakes contenders: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, who enraged Hillary Clinton supporters by endorsing Obama during the primaries, and a genuine dark horse, TexasRep. Chet Edwards, whose district includes President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford. Obama's campaign had hoped to announce his pick this week to grab the spotlight before the Beijing Olympics. But now a decision is unlikely to come until the week before the party convention, which begins in Denver on Aug. 25. According to party sources close to the selection process, who asked not to be identified discussing an internal matter, progress was slowed by Obama's overseas trip—and because his list is more fluid than generally thought. Edwards, 56, has been pushed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional Democrats who cite his work on veterans' affairs and nuclear nonproliferation, as well as his potential to attract Southern white blue-collar voters. Pelosi has called Edwards "one of the finest people I've ever served with." His stock rose further, one source said, after a meeting with Obama, though his low national profile remains a hurdle.

--snip--
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150485

I know nothing about this guy, but he sounds promising, according to his Wiki Page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Edwards


What do you all think, any Texans have an opinion on him (good, bad, or ugly)?

[Barack_America]

1. With a name like "Edwards", his low national profile is meaningless....

And y'all know why.

I'll have to look into him further. Thanks for the tip.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Funny, a month or two ago being confused with the OTHER Edwards would

have been a GOOD thing--John Edwards helped Obama the most in VP/ticket polls in certain states. Now, I'm not so sure...

[Barack_America]

10. Is that rumor really getting around?

I have zero contact with Republican LIVs. I've actually never received a negative Obama e-mail. Crazy, huh?

[TwilightGardener]

13. I've never received ANY of the smear emails that everyone else gets.

I don't know why--maybe you and I just associate with higher-quality people? LOL! I think the love-child rumor is gaining steam, because NC papers were poking at the story, carefully.

[musicblind]

31. I don't know. I never get any of these emails either.

Never recieved a single one. And I was a Hillary Supporter so you'd think by some people's stereotypes of me I would at least have gotten one of these emails.

Hopefully it reflects highly on my friends and associates that I have not recieved one.

[Drunken Irishman]

17. A lot of people making jokes about it on light nate.

[Bicoastal]

2. I don't know if it's wise to pick a pol. who's an unknown on a national level...

...given that, only a few years ago, Barack Obama fit this profile himself.

No, we need someone who's exceedingly popular, if only in his/her particular state. Or someone who's been around for years, like Joe Biden.

[TwilightGardener]

11. I agree to some extent, that's why I'm not crazy for Kaine--

but this Edwards guy has been in office a freaking long time, so even with no national exposure, he must be an old hand at politics, and he was able to keep his seat in a red-trending district--that's no small feat. He also sounds like he has quite the economics creds.

[ingac70]

4. Sounds promising...

you know how Southerners are about having "one of them" on a ticket.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Putting a Texan on the ticket helped Kennedy.

Didn't so much help Dukakis, but I'm not sure anything would have, really.

[jaysunb]

23. Texas was a Democratic State back then

n/t

[mvd]

5. Texas is actually fairly close this year

I'll have to read more about him, but if he can make Texas competitive, it might be worth it.

[hedgehog]

6. Not a Texan, but I wouldn't be happy with this guy

"Edwards was elected in 1990 and built a conservative record for a Democrat, voting for elements of the Republican “Contract with America,” like the balanced budget amendment, along with drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a ban on same-sex marriage."

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/rep.-edwards-hopes-that-obama-sees-history-military-experience-2008-07-29_2.html


Maybe he's changed since then, I don't know.

[TwilightGardener]

8. Yes, but...look at the district he represents. Red areas and red states

are simply going to have conservative Dems--they can't get elected otherwise. I know, I live in Ben Nelson country.

[hedgehog]

12. I think this is where we all came in over a year ago.

What's the use of winning elections if you have to become the opposition party in all but name?

[mvd]

14. Just looked at his site

He's more conservative than Bayh (though more liberal than most Repukes.) Because of his conservative record, he would have to have special pluses that would add to Obama's team.

[TwilightGardener]

19. In this election, I think the conventional wisdom is that being a conservative

Dem (to offset Obama's supposed liberalism) IS a "special plus". That's why all the top names are centrist or conservative-leaning. None of them are straight progressives. I think the fact that this guy seems to be an economics and budget heavyweight is his reason for being considered, aside from the TX thing. And he's nice-looking, which helps too.

[mvd]

24. I oppose the VP choice being too conservative

I am not crazy about Bayh's record, but could accept him. I think putting someone even more conservative might be going too far, unless polls show him really helping Obama.

But then, you and I are different on the political spectrum, so we might see this differently.

One good thing is that Edwards is pro-choice.

[Barack_America]

15. Yikes. That's pretty scary. eom

[Fleshdancer]

9. A young, charismatic President and a VP who was a Rep from TX?

Is Chet Edwards really a contender or is this the case of a reporter wanting to recreate the whole JFK vibe?

[jaysunb]

16. Remember Lloyd Benson ( D ) Texas

If I recall, he didn't do much to help that ticket...... ( other than kicking Quayles ass. LOL )

[Drunken Irishman]

18. That was mostly because Dukakis ran a horrid campaign.

It really should have been Benson on the top of the ticket.

[jaysunb]

21. You're right !

n/t

[Pyrzqxgl]

27. It was Bentsen guys.

[Drunken Irishman]

30. Sorry.

I'm embarrassed. :(

[skipos]

20. I don't think he would help in TX much

just as Jack Kemp didn't help in NY much. Congressmen get much less of a "favorite sun" boost in their homestates, as far as I can tell.

His bio doesn't entice me that much. He doesn't look like he would undeniably help in the foreign/ military experience or economic experience department.

[democrattotheend]

22. Is Sebellius off the list?

I'll be really bummed if that's the case...she's my first choice. I like Richardson too.

[TwilightGardener]

25. Well, further search shows he voted yes on the AUMF, so that won't be a help--

but so did Biden and Bayh.

[dtotire]

26. If he becomes Veep

Both he and Obama will have graduated Magna cum Laude,Obama from Harvard Law School, and Edwards from Texas A&M. Both brilliant. Couldn't do better.

[SoxFan]

28. Oh crap, he's an Aggie?!?

:hide:

[MasonJar]

29. I cannot support him if he wants drilling in ANWR; of course he is

a Texan...drilling is their middle name. He is also for a ban on same sex marriage? Are these current policies? It is something we need to know.

[Cha]

32. America is so shallow on the whole..

mccain is like a household name but so many don't know shit about the real mccain.

Not too many know Chet Edwards(I didn't except in passing awhile ago) and yet if they did he would be the one most capable of helping to run our country.

The Propaganda Mainstream Mediawhore Machine is responsible for that.