Edwards shines in Florida, poll

[surfermaw]

Edwards shines in Florida, poll

N.C. senator is favored as running mate

TIM FUNK

Observer Washington Bureau


HOLLYWOOD, Fla. - Democrats in this state that decided the 2000 presidential election treated Sen. John Edwards like a movie star Saturday, echoing a new national poll that said the Tar Heel Democrat is the clear favorite among registered voters to be his party's vice presidential candidate.

The Associated Press poll released Saturday showed that more than one-third of registered voters -- 36 percent -- said they would most like to see Sen. John Kerry choose Edwards, who gave up his own White House bid in early March after a series of second-place primary finishes.

Among Democrats, Edwards fared even better: 43 percent preferred him over three other Democrats. Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri was the closest, at 19 percent. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

Still, a Kerry-Edwards ticket wouldn't necessarily put the Democrats ahead. The AP poll said the pairing tied the GOP team of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, a showing that's no better than Kerry's current showing in head-to-head matchups against Bush.

Kerry's campaign declined


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