the Greater Nomadic Council

Are You Serious?

And as long as I'm bashing bloggers, let's move on to the liberals. Eric Alterman and Matthew Yglesias have further demonstrated the limitations of punditry by arguing Gephardt is the most logical pick for VP. Yes, I know...bizarre.

Unlike MY, I actually like Gephardt. And I won't dispute that Gep is a pro or that he is a relatively "safe" choice. However, I don't see how he strengthens the ticket. No, he isn't going to win Missouri for the Dems. Despite pouring his entire a massive war chest into nearby Iowa, he placed a distant 4th. Unless Missourians are extraordinarily state-centric, there seems little reason to believe having Gep on the ticket is going to make a significant difference.

And while I grant that Gep might "energize" labor, those who care enough to respect Gep's record are already tuned into the process and committed to voting Kerry. There are other ways Kerry can make sure the labor bloc works for him and helps GOTV. I can't help being amused by this new Washington/Boston/NY fantasy that there are a bunch of old blue collar dads who mistrust Kerry and will only change their minds if a nice old coot who is one of them like Gep is on the ticket. As for old wizened coots, Bob Graham is a genuinely likable guy, and extremely popular in Florida.

Whatever benefits Gep brings are overshadowed by the amount of people turned off by the inevitable media portrayal of two unpopular, wizened insiders. In a world where many non-voters are non-voters because they hate politicians, the Democrats need some fresh charisma to help bring out new voters and win over women and youth. In any case, Edwards has already demonstrated that he can do well in the Midwest. IMO, Edwards is the better choice for speaking to the marginalized, and most importantly, for making an impression on TV.