San Francisco Chronicle: Poll: Edwards leads the pack for vice-president

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

Poll: Edwards leads the pack for vice-presidential preference among Democrats

Monday, March 8, 2004


(03-08) 16:18 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

If Democratic voters had their say, John Edwards would be the choice as John Kerry's running mate, according to a poll released Monday.

Edwards, the North Carolina senator who dropped out of the presidential race last week, was the choice of 30 percent of voters who are Democrats or lean Democratic, according to a CNN-USA Today-Gallup poll.

Almost a dozen prominent Democrats were mentioned by poll respondents, but they drew support in the low single digits.

In a matchup of the presidential candidates, Kerry and President Bush were about even, Kerry at 47 percent and Bush at 45 percent with independent candidate Ralph Nader at 5 percent among registered voters. Kerry was slightly ahead 50-45 percent when only he and Bush were included in the question. In a three-way matchup among likely voters in the Gallup poll, Kerry had 50 percent, Bush 44 percent and Nader 2 percent.

An ABC-Washington Post poll out Monday found that almost six in 10, 57 percent, believe it's time for a new direction in the nation's leadership. The survey also found when people were asked whether Bush or Kerry would do a better job with the campaign against terrorism, Bush held more than a 20-point lead -- 57 percent to 36 percent.

In the ABC-Post poll, Kerry led Bush among registered voters by 53 percent to 44 percent, and had a slight edge in a three way race, 48 percent to 44 percent, to 3 percent for Nader.

The Gallup poll of 1,005 adults, including 892 registered voters, was conducted March 5-7 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, 4 percentage points for results with registered voters.

The ABC-Post poll of 936 registered voters was taken March 4-7 and has a margin of sampling error of 3 percentage points.

[JoFerret]

1. Kerry should pick his own person

and not rely on polls

[AP]

3. Elections are just polls on election day, so I think it's wise to pay...

...attention to what polls say.

However, I also think it more important to play out the narrative, rather than just accept the snapshot that a poll shows.

But I still think the only way Kerry has a fighting chance against Bush is with Edwards on the ticket.

Kerry will have a huge problem with class, and Edwards solves that problem. I'm usually not an advocate of using a VP to patch a weakness (ideally, they should reaffirm strengths), but this is too big of a weakness to ignore.

[ozone_man]

17. Two multimillionaires.

What is Edwards worth, $60M? I suppose next to Kerry, he is impoverished. ;-)

[AP]

18. Every penny Edwards got he got from earned income taxed at the highest

rates we, de facto, tax anything (or it was invesment income on a dollar he originally got as earned income).

Didn't you see that last debate? Sharpton and Kucinich made this point about Edwards. They basically said that he's the American dream.

And look at the way he made all his money: doing the right thing.

So how many politicians can say that? How many can say that their wealth came from hard work, and being the best at their job, and how many can say that the work they did brought healthy and happiness to the lives of people who were terribly injured and whose lives had been destroyed?

Not many. Not even Lincoln could have said that (he made a lot of money as a lawyer for the railroads at a time when they were basically overbuilding and robbing the public blind).

[rocktivity]

21. Originally posted by AP

I think it's wise to pay attention to what polls say...I also think it more important to play out the narrative...
Right. The narrative is what put Kerry where he is--he won because the voters decided that he was the most presidential one in the pack. And he'd better be listening to the narrative now and not just to his cigar-smoking printout-toting advisors. Picking Edwards would send his voters the message that they are his first priority.

...Kerry will have a huge problem with class, and Edwards solves that problem.
He also solves the problem of who should be our frontrunner in 2012. He'd be well-seasoned and neither too young or too old (at age 58). Not having to look for a new Dem frontrunner all over again would present an obstacle for the GOP and make the Dems look united and in control. And what class advantage does Bush have over Kerry? He's a filthy rich New Englander himself!

:headbang:
rocknation

[AP]

22. Couldn't agree more. And lets combine these two quotes:

Play out the narrative to 2012 (or even 2008, if Kerry decides one term is enough). What kind of president will Americans need and want then? I can tell you today where I see society going. It's going towards an America which will need John Edwards to bring us back from the brink of fascism. Kerry is a good person, but I only see in him the skills of a a forestaller. He's an antidote to some of the shit the Republicans have pulled, but he's not really a cure for the disease. Edwards is the cure.

[Lindacooks]

2. I agree

He did well in the primaries and caucuses, and he's from the South. He'd be an excellent VP pick.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. That would rock!

Kerry/Edwards is a winning ticket.

[jenk]

5. the people know who they want for VP

Edwards!!!:toast:

[MasonJar]

6. I'd like to see Edwards or Bob Graham, but Kerry has been

voting for the everyman for 30 years now.

[surfermaw]

11. Florida Voters chose Edwards over Graham when ask who they preferred for V.

[w4rma]

7. Edwards already has national name recognition from the primary.

I say grab him for the spot.

[rocktivity]

20. Originally posted by W4rma

Edwards already has national name recognition from the primary.

And that's worth more than we might realize. Going with anyone other than Edwards (or Clinton or Clark) means they would have to be "marketed" in a mainstream media enviornment that's not exactly Dem-friendly. We don't have the time or money for that--Edwards automatically surmounts that problem.

:headbang:
rocknation

[AP]

8. Case Western poll also has Edwards out front:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x447066

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

9. EDWARDS! EDWARDS!

I would love Edwards on the ticket.

Aside from being a great pick for VP, does anyone else just think he's hunky? I'm smitten!

Valarie ;)

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

10. THE HUNK WITH THE SPUNK!!

THE HUNK WITH THE SPUNK!!

Saw that in a newspaper article, referring to Edwards.

[surfermaw]

12. I do agree

A long time supporter

[Warren Stuart]

13. I'd say he earned it

It strikes me as irresponsible to float the names of people who haven't campaigned, havent't been vetted, haven't built up a strong base.

Dean, Edwards and Clark are the only ones to do so (sorry, DK, Sharpton, et al people, that's how I feel).

They are the legitimate contenders, I'd be happy with any one of them, my first choice is Edwards.

[Roaming]

14. I'm not sure that the class issue would automatically be solved

with Edwards on the ticket. The guy is a millionaire trial lawyer--not exactly "everyman."

However, he has more of an approachable feel and is a (seemingly) dedicated family man. He's probably better than anyone else out there right now.

[TEXASYANKEE]

16. He was not born wealthy.

It's important to remember that Edwards made those millions purely on his own grit and intelligence, he wasn't born into wealth. So I think he can pass as an "everyman."

BTW, welcome to DU.

[AP]

19. His is the class message people need to hear: you can start with nada...

...work hard, be the best, and in America, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

That's his message about class.

The point isn't to run someone who's poor. The point is to run someone who says the right thing about class.

Nobody, not Kucinich and not Sharpton, has a better message about class than Edwards.

[The_Casual_Observer]

15. OK, Edwards Vs Cheney

No further discussion necessary!