Key upsides:
- He's a serious Christian. Grew up Methodist, now attends a Baptist church. And, unlike 90% of his party, he knows how to talk to Christians.
- The military LOVES him. Fort Hood re-elected him over and over until Tom DeLay redistricted Edwards away from the base.
- He knows defense policy.
- He supported the Iraq war, which could help with winning moderates. Extreme anti-war rhetoric won't work in the general election, and Obama knows it, even if the DailyKos crazies don't.
- Unlike certain governors of other states whose names keep getting tossed around, there aren't any skeletons in his closet. Edwards is a solid guy.
- He's figured out how to beat the Republicans in what should be a solidly Republican district.
- He knows more about church-state separation than anyone else in Congress.
Downsides:
- It's Nancy Pelosi's idea.
- He won't bring his home state over to Obama's side.
- He understands the importance of church-state separation in government, which doesn't always play well in middle America.
- The name Edwards might confuse people who'd think it was a rerun of John Edwards from four years ago.
- I'm not sure I can vote for a ticket with an Aggie on it. :)
