Does Edwards help or hurt his chances in 2008...

[uconnyc]

Does Edwards help or hurt his chances in 2008 if he accepts a VP slot on a John Kerry ticket that loses badly to Bush in 2004?

[poskonig]

1. What kind of question is this?

Being anyone's VP helps any individual in the future, but Edwards may have to rumble against Gore and/or Hilary in such a scenario.

Weird question.

[Kathleen04]

3. I think he's saying

Edwards gets picked for the ticket but the ticket loses...so he never becomes VP, thus would his chances be hurt for a future Presidential run of his own?

I say no..if Edwards were picked for the ticket and the ticket didn't win..he could still run in '08 and be successful. If the person at the top of the ticket were to lose, it'd be no fault of Edwards.

He's so positive and full of charisma that I don't think the "loser stigma" would stick.

[mlawson]

2. I think he either wins now, or it's over for him.

He will have no elective office after January 2005, unless he is on the ticket and they win. So he either goes back to law, or he floats around the country trying to find audiences; hard to do if he loses on the ticket. He can't run for governor in 2006, that electin is this year. No senate opening in NC either.

But to answer your question specifically: YES, hurts himself badly, but he might feel it's his only choice to be on the ticket. But IMO, not THAT ticket.

[DjTj]

8. He will find a place...

...at the very least Easley will appoint him to something if he wants it.

I think it would definitely hurt him if he lost as VP, but it would depend on how it happenned. The perception in 2000 was that Gore had it in the bag and he lost it, but in 2004 Bush will be seen as the favorite, so there may be some sympathy for the VP...

[mlawson]

11. Maybe so. I hope you are right, but

there wasn't much sympathy for Geraldine Ferraro, was there??? Hmmm. I wonder why her name popped into my head?

[DjTj]

13. ...it would totally depend on how we lost...

...if it is really close again like with Florida last time, he would get sympathy just like Gore had. I could see Edwards starting out in 2008 in a situation a lot more like Gore and less like Lieberman.

[youngred]

4. that's some big assumptions there

but to answer your question no, it only helps

[lastknowngood]

5. If Edwards isn't holding public office for four years it

will be hard to get traction. Especially if Hillary runs, assuming we still have the illusion of democracy.

[leyton]

6. It's better than not being on the ticket.

If he's not on the ticket, he's out of politics as soon as the convention closes, because he's an outgoing Senator.

He should do what Nixon did; go around the country, rack up some political capital by campaigning for people, and then run for President in 2008. Although I don't know if that would be plausible; Carol Moseley-Braun tried running as a charismatic not-sitting one-term Senator, and it didn't help her. Edwards may be finished if he's not in the 2005-2009 administration, as President, VP, or Attorney General.

[surfermaw]

9. Edwards will be there

If Edwards,dose win the nomination, he will be on the ticket come November...who knows the future...and how he will become president, but one day he will.

[mlawson]

10. Oh, he will be on the ticket.

But as I have said now several times, to win, he needs to be on the TOP of the ticket, or VP with Clark (which is now extremely doubtful). No, I think the die is cast; it will be Kerry/Edwards, mark my words... Notice that I am not using smiley faces.

[dontstopthere]

7. actually, the Vice Prez is a dead end job

if you look back, the last VP elected since Bush Sr was somewhere around the time of Van Buren, I don't know who it is for sure (sorry) but most Vices do not go on to any presidency.

[leyton]

12. That's the last sitting vice-president.

Nixon was elected, though. It just took an extra eight years.