Posted on 07/07/2004 6:14:45 AM PDT by presidio9
The selection of Sen. John Edwards (N.C.) as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee has swelled the budding rivalry between him and Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), who is believed by many to be eyeing the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.
Observers, including those close to Edwards, say that his place on the ticket has secured a political future that had been endangered by his decision earlier this year to retire from the Senate to focus on his White House bid.
But Clinton’s allies, while enthusiastic about Edwards’s selection and the possibility of knocking President Bush out of office, say Edwards will have no discernible advantage in a future Democratic presidential primary should the Kerry-Edwards ticket fall short of victory.
The former first lady has eschewed discussion of the impact of Edwards’s spot on the ticket on her own political ambitions.
In a statement released yesterday, Clinton declared: “I am excited by John Kerry’s selection of Senator John Edwards as his running mate. I have worked with Senator Edwards for years, including our efforts together to improve healthcare and to strengthen AmeriCorps, and I know him as a tireless advocate for middle-class America.”
Political analysts say Edwards will likely be Clinton’s chief adversary, and vice versa, in the 2008 or 2012 Democratic presidential primary, assuming that New York’s junior senator decides to fulfill the dream of running for president that many political observers ascribe to her.
“This choice sets up a very interesting Democratic presidential primary down the road between Hillary Clinton and John Edwards,” said Darrell West, a professor of political science at Brown University. “Whoever is the vice-presidential choice becomes one of the top favorites in the following election, whether it be in 2008 or 2012.”
Ross K. Baker, a Rutgers University professor of political science, said a contest between Clinton and Edwards “would be a battle of two of the Democrats’ most incandescent personalities.”
Steve Grossman, who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1997 to 1999, described Edwards as one of the few politicians who can match the luminosity of the Clintons.
“It was December 1, 1998,” Grossman said, recalling a time shortly after Edwards was elected to the Senate and Clinton’s husband, then the president, attended an event. “We had a big fundraiser in D.C. and Edwards was expected. … The door opens [and Edwards walks in] and in a room with the president of the United States, John Edwards lit up the room. It was as if an incandescent bulb walked in the room.”
Among Sen. Clinton’s most partisan critics, Grover Norquist, a conservative activist close to Bush, crowed that Edwards’s selection as the running mate would hamper Clinton’s anticipated future presidential bid.
Norquist said Kerry has “just told [other] Democrats that the presidency is a closed shop for at least eight or 12 years.”
“Edwards will have a leg up,” Norquist said. “Hillary will have to claw through him.”
But Paul Begala, a senior political adviser in the Clinton White House, said Edwards would not receive much of a boost for 2008 if Bush prevailed in November.
“Losing is not good,” said Begala. “Losing is bad. [Sen.] Joe Lieberman [D-Conn.] was on the ticket that got more votes [than the winning Bush-Cheney ticket], and it didn’t do any good the next time around.”
Yet Begala was enthusiastic about the selection of Edwards and Democratic prospects for winning back the White House, as were other Clinton allies.
“I think it’s a terrific choice,” he said. “It sends a message of optimism and energy and a focus on the future.”
Steve Jarding, who formerly headed Edwards’s leadership PAC, New American Optimists, offered a different analysis of what the vice-presidential nomination would mean in future political battles.
“This clearly elevates him,” said Jarding. “There was some question if he wasn’t running for reelection and he wasn’t on the ticket, how do you keep his star rising.”
“Now that he’s on the national ticket, that gives him a forum [to stay in the public spotlight] well into the future,” he added. “This is a guy whose future is established because of this selection.”
But Jarding said he did not envision Edwards and Clinton as adversaries. “Whether they should meet down the road, that’s certainly possible,” he said. “Rather than being adversaries, they will complement each other as advocates for change.”
During the one full election cycle that both Clinton and Edwards have served in the Senate, from 2001 to 2002, they developed a rivalry as two of the biggest fundraisers in the Senate Democratic caucus.
Clinton edged out Edwards by raising $3.3 million through her leadership PAC, HILLPAC, while Edwards raised $3 million through New American Optimists. Their leadership PACs far outpaced those of all other Senate Democrats, except for that of then-Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (S.D.), who raised $3.28 million through DASHPAC.
Nevertheless, her spokesman, Philippe Reines, said, “Senator Clinton has been working hard for John Kerry’s election, and will do whatever she can between now and Election Day to make him the next president.”
Melanne Verveer, who served as Clinton’s chief of staff when she was first lady, agreed, and said she herself was enthusiastic about Edwards’s selection.
“I know she’s going to work really, really hard for the ticket,” said Verveer, who acknowledged Edwards’s political strengths — which Clinton herself is sure to weigh as she contemplates her political future.
“He brings a lot of energy to the ticket,” said Verveer. “He’s a very attractive campaigner. He proved himself to be quite formidable during the campaign process. His theme of two Americas when the middle class is contracting and not expanding is very compelling.”
As for whether Clinton, who will turn 65 before Election Day 2012, would be too old to pursue the presidency should Kerry-Edwards triumph, Verveer said, “We just had the Ronald Reagan example fresh in our minds, and he wasn’t a young man when he ascended to the presidency.”
LOL. Lets check back on that Nov. 10.
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Now that HILLARY can no longer neutralize those persuing her illegal misbehaviors, like Chinagate, by going upwardly mobile Office Seeking wise in Time of War...
.."IS it SAFE?" = HILLARY on Senate Armed Services Committee..
http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=629
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The only thing worse than being a losing presidential candidate is being a losing VP candidate. Go back over the last 25 years and see how quickly all those losing VP candidates disappeared from public view: Geraldine Ferraro . . . Lloyd Bentsen . . . Dan Quayle . . . Jack Kemp. Heck, even Joe Lieberman was barely getting more votes than Sharpton and Kucinich in this year's Democratic primaries.
In the last 25 years, the only losing VP candidate ever to come back and secure his party's nomination for the next presidential election was Walter Mondale, whose 1984 campaign will go down as one of the biggest train wrecks in modern U.S. history.
Think Al Gore.
Edwards better get a food taster.
When Al Gore lost, he was out of a Job and out of options. John Kerry goes back to being a very powerful senator.
With Gore they didn't have to give him the capsule. They knew he was so stupid he would nix himself of further consideration.
It would go against political precedence.In the last 100 years only Richard Nixon won a Presidential election after first losing it.
Translation: Kerry/Edwards are going to lose big time so they'll HAVE to nominate me in 2008!
Just remember AlGore, who was shut out of the DNC by the Klintons. No wonder he went nuts!
How many of those candidates won a majority of the popular vote the first time around?
Thats because Nixon actually won the first one too.
The article also assumes that Kerry's loss is a given. They know, in their heart of hearts that 2 of the the most liberal senators ever have no chance.
LOL!!!!!!! NOTHING, and I mean nothing, has or will ever get in the way of Hillary's political ambitions.
"Edwards Pees in Hillary's Pool!"
See my post #14
Never happen. Little Johnny is scared of the dye they put in the water that turns pee red.
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