Arianna Huffington argues at Alternet that tapping Edwards “wasn’t based on looking at a map and trying to figure out who could deliver the most Electoral College votes… It was based on who was the best choice for the country.” She goes on to list five reasons to be enthusiastic about Edwards which strike me, quite to the contrary, as being about delivering the votes, with no mention of his suitability for his leadership role after the election:
- He can help Kerry make this campaign about what kind of America we want to live in.
- Edwards’ core theme of the two Americas – “one for the powerful insiders, and another for everyone else” – helps sharpen the differences between the two tickets, and underlines that, far from being a uniter, George Bush has been the ultimate divider.
- Without wearing it on his sleeve, Edwards’ comfort with matters of faith, morality, and religion will allow Kerry and the Democrats to make an unabashed appeal to the millions of Americans whose spiritual beliefs are central to their lives.
- Edwards can help Kerry ride the wave of idealism that was unleashed after Sept. 11. Rare among populist politicians, Edwards radiates optimism and inspires hope… This spirit is the perfect antidote to the pessimism the GOP is desperately trying to tag Kerry with.
- Edwards has made a very successful career out of eating folks like Dick Cheney for lunch in courtrooms all across America.
