http://vicepresidents.com/blog/2012/07/30/lessons-romney-can-learn-from-kerry/
In retrospect, Kerry should have went with a safer bet. Personally, I think Dick Gephardt was the obvious choice. In fact, it was so obvious that the NY Post jumped the gun and ran an erroneous front page “exclusive” that Gephardt was named as Kerry’s running mate!
Even though
Gephardt lost in his 1988 bid for the Presidency and dropped out of the 2004 race after a sort of ugly battle with Howard Dean, he had a solid 28-year history as former majority and minority leader in the House of Representatives. He had very strong ties to labor and battleground Midwestern states — his home state being Missouri, where he was exceedingly popular. He was a relatively successful fundraiser and a devoted team player. He was a known quantity with a storied career in public life who was seasoned enough to survive a debate against Dick Cheney any day.
Kerry felt comfortable and great chemistry with Gephardt, it was said. Yet, he felt “queasy” about Edwards. Even so, the team said they were not looking for personalities to click as much as they were looking for “the strongest choice.”
According to Bob Shrum, Kerry “liked Gephardt, was confident he was up to the job of being president, and hoped he might help carry Missouri, which could make the difference in a close election. But both he and Teresa worried that Gephardt was a gray choice who wouldn’t light any fires.” Kerry didn’t need a fire so much at that point as he needed a bucket of water to cool off some of those hot accusations!
Other journalists mentioned
VA Governor Mark Warner, who was less well-known but would have performed well as Kerry’s #2. He was a moderate southern Democrat, a Washington outsider and a charismatic young man who could have given Bush a run for his money in Virginia, not to mention other swing states like Florida, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Another possibility would have been Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack who served a 16-year term. He could have easily taken Iowa and Pennsylvania (where he had roots). Tom was not only chairman of the Democratic Governors’ Association, which gave him a foothold in Washington, but he also had a small town appeal and an ability to connect with people in a very genuine way. He even had a touching rags-to-riches story of being left at a Pittsburgh orphanage as an infant that would redirect the focus away from some of the negative press against Kerry.
It was said of him that he “can do a policy wonk speech, but he can also touch people’s hearts.” That would have been great to see in the debates.