I'm off tomorrow for the land of the hanging chad, so I think I have a good excuse for breaking the two diary a day rule. On the outside chance that Kerry makes his VP selection in the next week or so, I'll leave you with a prediction.
Bayh: I'll let the Deanics and lib-labs twist in the wind on this one. Make 'em sweat so they'll be nice to me at least for a little while longer. Nice guy, good family, but won't bring his home state and won't help anywhere else. I'm not going to make Gores's mistake.
Clark: What do those internet folks know. I don't care how many stars he has, he has no elective experience and I wasn't that impressed by his campaign performance. Too much of a loose cannon for my tastes. I'd have to babysit him the whole campaign.
Edwards: No! Never! Alright, if Mary Beth and Bob really say I have to have him, I'll pick him. But I can't stand the guy. Strikes me as one of those Sunday morning religious show guys. And he didn't do enough sucking up in the senate. Now, he's campaigining for it in the NY Times and shoving his way next to me in that unity photo-op. He'll never win his home state and he didn't even know who Yitzhak Rabin was. Cheney will look like his daddy during the debate.
Gephardt: I like Dick. A lot. A real pro. When the going gets tough, he's a guy I'd want around. His attack dog act will let me appear presidential. Jim Hoffa will be ecstatic. The rustbelt is where the election will be won or lost. Of course, the Deaniacs will scream bloody murder and those internet sites, especially DU, will be burning. But maybe this is my Sister Souljah moment.
Graham. Another guy I like a lot. Calm and low key, just what us New Englanders like. Been doing a good job feeding me all this intelligence dirt. Was a governor and people forget I was a Lt. Gov. (maybe because I want them to forget), and I like that. But our polling has shown that he won't make a difference in Florida. And I can just see them saying, do you want a guy a year from bypass surgery running with a guy a year from cancer surgery. And I don't know about his stamina on the trail.
Nelson: Great guy. A Yalie and a 'Nam vet. But they'll never forgive me if I give away two Senate seats. And word is, Graham would have a fit if I pick Bill over him. Too bad.
Richardson: Word I've gotten is he rather not be asked. And all I need is to make this a referendum on Clinton's policies. If I really start dropping in the polls, maybe I'll take a shot. But like him better for State.
Okay. Everybody makes too much of this Veep thing. Nobody votes based on who the Veep is. All I want is a guy who'll doing the heavy campaign lifting, who won't screw up the debate, and who I can stand talking to for the next four or eight years. And someone who'll get Shrum off my back with all this populist nonsense. Mary Beth, what's Howard's number? I want to see if he'll do a photo opportunity with Dick before I make the announcement.