WASHINGTON — With the selection of North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Sen. John F. Kerry tapped a running mate who combines obvious strengths with subtle risks.
In many key respects, Kerry's choice of Edwards -- his most effective rival for the Democratic presidential nomination last winter -- was the safe pick. It drew broad support among Democrats and was unlikely to expose Kerry to any significant second-guessing within the party.
It also minimizes the risk that the presumed vice presidential nominee will make mistakes that hurt the ticket: During his presidential run, Edwards proved himself to be a skilled and at times charismatic performer capable of handling the pressures of the national stage.
"We had a test of campaign skills during the primaries ... and they put the best possible candidate on the ticket," Republican pollster Bill McInturff said.
But in other ways, the choice represents a gamble. Kerry has selected a running mate who has made his mark mostly on domestic issues in a year when voters appear to be weighing national security and foreign policy more heavily than in any election since 1980. Edwards is also a fresh face at a turbulent time when experience looms large for many Americans.
His selection may signal that the Kerry campaign is serious about contesting President Bush in several Southern states. But that could prove a poor use of Kerry's resources if Bush still dominates in the region.
Ultimately, the greatest peril surrounding Kerry's decision may be that he chose the man many considered the front-runner for the job all along.
Although generating an enthusiastic response from Democrats, its also means the pick may not be dramatic or surprising enough to help win Kerry a new look from undecided voters.
Many Democratic strategists believe that Edwards' real value won't come in sending an immediate symbolic message to voters -- the way Al Gore's selection of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, then-President Clinton's sharpest Democratic critic in the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal, helped Gore declare his independence from the president in 2000.
Instead, Edwards could help Kerry most at the practical level -- in delivering the party's message day after day, particularly on domestic issues. In almost every possible way -- age, physical appearance, demeanor, experience and ideology -- Edwards will present a stark contrast with Vice President Dick Cheney.
