A lot of space has been devoted over the last few weeks to the discussion of Kerry's runningmate. The press, and many here, have a thing for Edwards. He is obviously an attractive candidate. He is an amazing campaigner, he is likable and liked (positive ratings in the 80-90 percent range), and has a definite future in the Democratic Party. And he is all wrong for VP.
Edwards is from the South. He has made this a part of his campaign and vows to win his "backyard." But, campaign rhetoric aside, Dixie is Bush country. It is also old news. For Democrats, it is time to look west.
The west was once solid Republican territory, but is now a divided region. One the one hand, states like Idaho, Wyoming and Utah are as solidly Republican as they have ever been, influenced by a religious culture that transcends most (if not all) other issues.
However, other states, like Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona, have been trending Democratic. New residents, both immigrants from Mexico and professionals from California and the Midwest, are transforming these states and the way they vote. These states now represent the best shot for the Democrats to move from a 50% party to a 60% party, and the best place to prove that Democrats are more than coastal liberals and Rust Belt union workers.
We will not win these states by continuing to act as if the Northeast and South are the only parts of the country. The United States is undergoing a westward shift, and so must the Democratic Party. We need a Westerner to balance this ticket. Someone like Bill Richardson, or Janet Napolitano. We need to paint the west blue.