THE VEEP SELECTION….Over at the New Republic they’ve got a bloglike roundtable going on about Kerry’s choice of John Edwards for vice president. Participants include Jonathan Cohn, Jonathan Chait, Franklin Foer, and Joe Trippi (though Trippi hasn’t weighed in yet). So far, everyone seems pretty pleased with the choice.
I am too. Edwards was my personal second choice in the primaries, so obviously I think he’s qualified to be president ? which certainly ought to be the uppermost consideration. What’s more, he’s a good speaker, he has generally good policy instincts, he’s a Southerner, and while he may not be an attack dog, he can throw some pretty good barbs on the campaign trail when necessary.
The fact that Kerry was willing to choose someone who’s a more charismatic speaker than himself ? and will inevitably take some of his spotlight away ? speaks well for him. Like they say, first rate people hire other first rate people. Second rate people hire third rate people. This was a first rate choice.
