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The final push is on for John Kerry to make his decision on a running mate to challenge the Bush/Cheney ticket this November.
Seldom has a running mate selection generated so much attention yet at the same time be kept as secretive as the decision to drop the atomic bomb in World War II.
Kerry himself is painfully aware of the process. In 2000 was one of a handful of people being considered for the vice-presidential slot by Al Gore. Kerry felt the process was too animated, too public for the comfort of those under consideration. Seeking to avoid the carnival-like atmosphere the process could create, Kerry has played his cards close to his chest with only two or three other people having access to all the vetted information. Indeed, only Kerry himself knows who might be the front runner at this point.
Kerry has studied the vice-presidential selection process back to 1932, hoping to learn from the mistakes of others. With a smooth running campaign, Kerry wants to avoid another 1972 when in the span of just a few days George McGovern had to drop his initial selection of Tom Eagleton and replace him with Sargent Shriver because Eagleton failed to disclose mental breakdowns and the electroshock treatment he received.
Might Kerry pick an unknown like Nixon did in 1968? Nobody outside Maryland had ever heard of Governor Spiro T. Agnew.
Should Kerry decide to pick an unknown like 1968, he might choose Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa. Vilsack was neutral in the Iowa primary but his wife endorsed Kerry and stumped the state on his behalf.
Politically, Vilsack might not carry much weight even in his own home state. Recent polls there indicate Kerry actually loses strength in Iowa with Vilsack as his running mate. Political watchers agree that if Kerry believes he needs Vilsack to carry Iowa then the Kerry campaign is in big trouble. Beyond Iowa it is difficult to say how Vilsack would play in Midwestern states.
The Midwest will be a battleground and that's why some prefer retiring Congressman Richard Gephardt on the ticket. Gephardt is a veteran on the campaign trail and a favorite of labor, but labor has no where else to go besides Kerry anyway. Critics of Gephardt point out labor did not help him much in the Iowa primary and also note Gephardt could not be counted upon to deliver Missouri as he has never run statewide there.
Wesley Clark, retired general and Arkansas native, is also rumored to be on a short list of candidates for vice-president.
Democrats, painted by the GOP as a party of "peaceniks" afraid to use American troops when necessary, normally would be jumping up and down over a four star general on the ticket. But this year John Kerry is the nominee and he brings with him a Silver Star, Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts so his fighting credentials are solid and the need of a neophyte politician -- even a four star general -- is not necessary to establish a military background on this ticket.
Moreover, Clark's campaigning was rough, though it got better as his campaign took shape. Clark is a quick study and few believe he couldn't hold his own in a debate with Dick Cheney, but some observers ask "why take the chance?" Arkansas is a battleground state and Bush and Kerry are currently tied there. Could Clark tip the state into the Kerry column? Nobody knows for sure but what is known is a ticket of Kerry and Clark could not be challenged on being weak on military matters.
Probably the most mentioned candidate is John Edwards, retiring North Carolina Senator.
North Carolina's 15 electoral votes would be a nice pickup for the Democrats. Currently Bush leads Kerry 47-42 in the Tarheel State but polls indicate adding Edwards would bring the state to a dead heat. Even if the state eventually voted for Bush the addition of Edwards would make the Bush camp spend money in North Carolina that they would not have otherwise.
Edwards is also very popular in campaign crowds. He has an ability to connect with voters. Campaign operatives believe Edwards could be of help not only in some southern states like Louisiana, Arkansas and the Carolinas, but would help the ticket in the upper Midwest in such states like Michigan and Ohio.
As of this writing most believe Edwards has the inside track but anything could happen. Other names such as West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller have surfaced, even Howard Dean's name was floated for a day. Pennsylvania's Gov. Ed Rendell has been a sometimes mentioned possibility. However, most observers would bet money on Edwards but like it was pointed out before anything can happen. Remember Spiro Agnew?
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