Presumptive Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry’s
selection of John Edwards as his vice presidential running mate
last week has stirred strong reaction from student groups on
campus.
“Our club is very enthusiastic about the pick. Edwards
brings a great deal to the ticket, and I have personally seen a
great many more students become interested in the presidential
race. He has brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the
Democratic Party,” said Kristina Doan, president of the Bruin
Democrats.
The Bruin Democrats’ enthusiasm also was heard in
Kerry’s voice as he announced his choice of Edwards in
Pittsburgh on July 6.
At the rally, Kerry said, “I have chosen a man who
understands and defends the values of America, a man who has shown
courage and conviction as a champion for middle-class
Americans.”
Edwards’ political career started only six years ago when
he became a senator for North Carolina, and, accordingly,
Republicans have questioned whether Edwards has the experience to
be vice president.
Bruin Republicans also have stated their opposition to the Kerry
and Edwards duo.
Matthew Knee, executive director of the Bruin Republicans, said,
“His charisma and geography make him a logical choice, but he
is unprepared for the office.”Â
Vice President Dick Cheney, in comparison, was a five-term
congressman and a defense secretary before serving under President
Bush.
Even Kerry questioned Edwards’ experience during the
presidential primary.
Kerry said of Edwards to The New York Times: He was “in
the Senate four years ““ and that is the full extent of public
life ““ no international experience, no military
experience.”
He then added, “When I came back from Vietnam in 1969, I
don’t know if John Edwards was out of diapers
then.”
Kerry later called Edwards to reconcile their differences.
The reasons for Kerry’s selection of Edwards are numerous.
Matthew Baum, an assistant professor of political science at UCLA,
said Edwards helps give the Democrats a chance to win North
Carolina in the November election.
“If there’s a close race, having a Southerner on the
ticket is better than not. North Carolina seems to be
reasonably close, which suggests that it’s in play,”
Baum said.
Adding Southern states to the Democratic column on election
night would prove valuable to the Kerry campaign. In the 2000
election, Bush won every Southern state, including then-Vice
President and presidential candidate Al Gore’s home state of
Tennessee.
Traditionally the vice president has served to provide balance
on the ticket. Cheney was said during the 2000 election to add
gravitas to the Republican ticket because of his many years of
political experience.
Baum also said Edwards’ charisma provides a counterpoint
to Kerry’s persona, and the fact he has been through the
presidential primary lessens the chance of negative information
coming out on Edwards.
The vice presidential candidate also has served as the more
partisan member on the ticket in the past, leveling attacks against
opponents.
During the Democratic presidential primary, Edwards carefully
crafted his image as a positive campaigner. Whether he will go
negative is yet to be seen.
“Someone has to be responsible for going after the
opposition more directly, and usually that falls to the vice
president,” Baum said.
Another important job of the vice president is to perform well
in the vice presidential debate.
“Edwards is a gifted speaker, but it’s hard to say
what will happen in debates. There is no reason he ought not
to be able to hold his own,” Baum said.
The Democratic duo has been touring the country, questioning
President Bush’s record on Iraq and the economy.
Polls over the weekend show that Kerry’s pick did not give
a surge to his ticket, though other polls show most people believe
Edwards would do a better job than Cheney.
An Associated Press-Ipsos poll released July 9 showed that Bush
had a slight lead over Kerry with Bush at 49 percent, Kerry at 45
percent and independent Ralph Nader at 3 percent, according to the
poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos-Public Affairs.
A Time-CNN poll showed that 47 percent believed Edwards would
make a better vice president than current Vice President Dick
Cheney, while 38 percent said Cheney would be better for the job. A
Newsweek poll also showed that Edwards would receive more votes
than Cheney if respondents could vote separately for vice
president.
With reports from wire services.