Kerry's Choice
The choice of a running mate is one of the most important signals a presidential nominee can give the country about the kind of campaign he intends to run, and the kind of administration he intends to create. John Kerry's choice today of John Edwards is a very good sign on both scores.
In a Democratic nominating process that ran a high risk of dividing the party and taking Democrats back to a pre-Clinton era of weakness on national security and values issues, Kerry and Edwards together proved Democratic voters want to move forward and provide a positive alternative to the failed presidency of George W. Bush. Their stunning one-two finish in the Iowa Caucuses was the defining moment of the nominating process, representing the triumph of hope over anger. Their later, upbeat rivalry prior to Super Tuesday by all accounts helped unite, not divide, the party.
Together, Kerry and Edwards made an impressive case that America should not settle for the diminished expectations, partisan divisiveness, broken promises, and barren agenda of the Bush-Cheney team. Most important, they both ran positive, New Democrat campaigns intent on championing the interests, defending the values, and helping solve the problems of the middle class and all who seek to join its ranks.
Kerry summed up his choice this morning: "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 and for those struggling to reach the middle class, a man who has shown guts and determination and political skills in his own race for the presidency of the United States, a man whose life has prepared him for leadership."
Edwards provides the ticket with several key assets: his ability to articulate a message focused on the values and economic aspirations of the middle class Americans who did so well during the Clinton years, and have sacrificed so much during the Bush administration; his commitment to unite the moral imperatives of protecting the middle class and the working poor; and his positive approach to politics, which provides a welcome contrast to the negative, attack politics of the Bush-Cheney campaign.
The "new team for a new America," as Kerry called the ticket in his announcement this morning, offers the country two "Blair Democrats" whose critique of Bush's diplomatic blunders and national security blind spots cannot be confused with a reluctance to use military force or with a lack of determination to fight and win the war on terror.
From a geopolitical point of view, Edwards shares John Kerry's strong support in all elements of the Democratic Party. He demonstrated strong appeal during the nominating process in the Midwestern battleground states, and among independent and even Republican voters everywhere. And he offers the ticket, and the party, the opportunity to remain competitive in his native South, where Republican claims of domination are now in serious doubt. It's no accident that so many Congressional Democrats publicly called on Kerry to choose Edwards as his running mate in recent weeks. His selection is especially good news for the southern Senate candidates whose fate will likely determine control of that body for the foreseeable future.
But the most important aspect of this choice is what it says about John Kerry. This was no political gambit or tactical choice. John Kerry chose an ideological soulmate who shares his values, his determination, and his ideas for the country.
We obviously don't know if John Kerry and John Edwards will win in November. But this ticket is equipped to clearly articulate the Democratic case for change in Washington, and carry on the New Democrat tradition that has made this party America's agent for progressive reform and national purpose.
Further Reading:
Sen. Kerry's Remarks, July 6, 2004: <http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0706.html>
"Kerry-Edwards: A New Team for a New America," Press Release, John Kerry for President, July 6, 2004: <http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0706.html>
"A Vote for Hope Over Anger," New Dem Daily, January 20, 2004: <http://www.ndol.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=192&contentid=252334>
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