The Bifurcation

CNN.com - John Edwards:� Favorite of the press bus? - Jul 12, 2004

Mark Shields wrote the above yesterday regarding the press corps' tendency to like candidates who are generally to personable for their own good. This is an excellent illustration of the unfortunate bifurcation between those who can lead and those who can win elections. Ideally, the electorate would view its potential leaders with an eye to those qualities required by the position. In the case of the U.S. presidency, this would include a working knowledge of international and domestic economic theories and policies, a working knowledge of military structure and strategy, the ability to shape and inspire legislation, and the ability to shape and inspire public opinion in support of that legislation.

Unfortunately, our electorate as a whole (and, for that matter, any given individual) lacks the discipline and information to enact that discernment. Thus, our national -- and often local -- candidates become those who are camera-friendly, regardless of their policy or legislative skills.

The choice of John Edwards as Kerry's running mate is a prime example of this principle. Edwards's only legislative experience is a single term in the U.S. Senate. Although well-received, he hardly has the experience to back the labyrinthine movements required to support preseidential legislation. He is, however, a golden-voiced pretty boy. He is visually a strong contrast to Kerry the candidate. He is color to Kerry's black-and-white, a moving orator to Kerry's mortician. But while these are traits that will serve the team well through November, they are traits that will become unnecessary to the performance of the Vice-Presidential office.

Dick Gephardt would have made a poor running mate -- Gephardt makes Kerry look like Edwards. But, he had precisely the skills that would be required of the office -- extensive legislative background, a knowledge of the system, and a history of working within that system. But, would he have ever had the opportunity to use those skills? Probably not. There's only so much monochrome that the public can palate.