I agree that, for better or worse, Obama is a professional politician ....... actually a politician's politician. Whether he has an ethical code that will drive and guide him to do what is fair and just remains unclear.

I agree that Edwards would make a great Attorney General and could offer a counterweight against the corporate influence on the Congress.

I also think that Edwards could help deliver some southern states but that his particular talents would be wasted as a VP unless given a free hand to pursue a revamping of the Justice Department, a restoration of the regulatory agencies and as a mediator in the replacement of the oxymoron "private insurance health care" system.

John Edwards for VEEP? The second worse possibility after Hellary. Let's get real, folks. There aren't enough mirrors in D.C. to satisfy Edwards.

And you're telling me he doesn't have pull in the white working class demographic Obama supposedly has problems with?

I don't want to see him as VP because he'd be a very good attny general and heaven knows the Justice Dept could use his education, experience and attitude. It has been lawless. There are many others who can fill the VP slot. Then give Hillary Health and Human Services and let her protect women, families and get a health care system going.

What smear? Unless someone agrees with you, they're not allowed to voice an opinion? He's a fraud. He is not the big 'change' candidate he's sold himself as. George W. Bush ran as the 'outsider, change' candidate as well. Did you believe him, too? obama's adult life has been spent running for office. He did not standout in any of the offices to which he was elected, nor did he finish his terms for running for the next office. Practically speaking he has no actual experience. He started toadying up to Ted Kenedy before he was elected to the senate & he's been pouring it on thick ever since. After Katrina, when Hillary was working to get some relief for the victims, where was obama? He was in Iowa scouting campaign headquarters to run for president. That was 2005 before he was elected to the senate. You still believe he's an outsider? Why don't you try some independent research or are you afraid your idol has clay feet? He's a professional politician that's never done anything that didn't benefit him in some way. We really can't afford someone like him at this time. In a few years, maybe, but there is too much at stake at this time.

Edwards wouldn't help with at least North Carolina?

And lilybean, could we have some facts to go with your smear?

Realistically, though, there's little chance that Edwards would be asked to be Obama's running mate, as -- despite his popularity in Democratic circles -- he wouldn't bring much, politically, to the ticket. First, he doesn't help Obama deflect the argument John McCain will make about experience, and more than that, he wouldn't deliver a needed demographic or state to Obama.

C'mon, Alex, so your prescription for beating John McCain is to find a John McCain clone with a slightly different outlook to run with Obama? Fighting fire with fire may work in some arenas, but this isn't one of them. I'm so tired of hearing that Obama needs an ex-general or ex-admiral or someone with more beltway experience or a seat on the NY Stock Exchange.

PLEASE ... anyone associated with the Obama campaign ... please pass on the word (that surely Obama understands) that he doesn't need to saddle up with anyone from the aforementioned categories ... at least not for the sole purpose of finding a convenient "political" fit. For the love of all things holy, please ignore conventional political triangulation and "wisdom" and simply go with someone that Obama feels compatible with. That may or may not be John Edwards, but I personally think he'd make a great choice. It's hard for me to picture an equal level of compatibility with other names being floated, especially Hillary.

The bottom line is this: I'll be happy with whoever Obama picks for V.P. as long as HIS justification for doing so is not about this or that political calculation. At this point, I've got a good deal of faith in Obama to make a good decision and I think he's wise enough, and genuine enough, to know that most people recognize calculation and opportunism when they see it, and his perceived lack of those negative traits is precisely why he's the nominee. Barack, as the Billy Joel song says, "Don't go changin' . . ."

He's invisible to the media, so he could handle all kinds of errands and chores that Obama won't have time for.

Thanks for linking to the definition of "Shermanesque"...I hadn't heard that term before, it's always a good Monday when you learn a little bit o' esoteric knowledge!

cheers

I think Obama should pick someone who the right wingers would consider even worse than having Obama as president (in case of Obama's death), just to protect himself. In case right wingers consider assassinating him, they may consider the consequence, since they would get someone as president that they may hate even more.

When it was a three-way primary, there was only one dem who could beat every repub in head to head polls. It wasn't the O or the H...

It's a different race now to be sure, but Edwards would help the ticket plenty more than hurt it.

Uh, what about those "white, working class voters" Obama's told he should fret about? It was the populist message of Edwards that Hillary basically adopted after he dropped out that breathed life into her campaign.

He announced he was running for veep from Michigan right after Hillary trounced obama in West Virginia. Remember how obama wanted to "give the people in Michigan a special treat"? I am curious as to how obama will handle all the promises he's made to people, promises he cannot nor ever intended to keep. Let Edwards carry water for the Great Pretender. It won't make much difference after obama's cost the presidency for the Democrats.