HARDBALL: Edwards was not Kerry's first choice.

MSNBC ^ | July 6, 2004 | Me

[McGruff]

Here's an excerpt from last night's Hardball transcript.

MATTHEWS:  OK, both of you.  You first, Andrea.  Why did he hesitate on Edwards to the point of bringing in Bob Graham into this discussion at the last minute, it seemed, last night.  He was still thinking Bob Graham.  What held him back from picking Edwards at the end?

MITCHELL:  I think it was that final decision that Edwards was really qualified to be president, that they could be compatible, that he wouldn‘t overshadow him or be too ambitious.  I think that is still yet to be proved and tested.  But actually, Bob Graham, I was told, was his first pick.  Let‘s put John McCain aside, Of course, because that—that was his sort of wishful thinking.  But Bob Graham was his favorite Democrat—good friend.  He sold his house to Bob Graham.  They‘d worked together on things.  He really liked Graham and liked the thought of Graham as a potential...

MATTHEWS:  But?

MITCHELL:  ... president, and was finally persuaded that it wasn‘t that safe a choice because Graham is a little bit—Graham was a little bit quirky.

FINEMAN:  A couple other things, Chris.  I think Graham didn‘t play outside of Florida.  He gave him a fighting chance, maybe help him in Florida, but didn‘t—wasn‘t seen as helping him anywhere else.  Bob Graham—excuse me—John Edwards‘s media adviser is Bob Shrum, who‘s also the media adviser to the Kerry campaign.  I think Shrum argued for Edwards.