Tuesday, October 07, 2003
With some regret and some hope, I note Bob Graham's withdrawal from the presidential race. I liked Graham in general, since he has a lot of strengths that a successful Democrat would need in the main election. He's very sharp on security issues in a way that Howard Dean isn't; at the same time he can legitimately attempt to appease the party base by claiming that he opposed the Iraq war. The fact that he hails from Florida is a nice plus – I am convinced that any viable Democratic nominee has to be able to challenge Bush in Florida and other Southern states that voted for Clinton: Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky, and be competitive in North Carolina and Virginia - both of which have strong Democratic parties and regions. Plus there's his experience as a governor in the pre-Jeb years.
The Washington Post notes that Graham may emerge as a solid candidate for Vice President. I'd welcome that. If Dean wins the nomination, he'd be well-advised to take Graham, Clark or Edwards as his VP.
The Washington Post notes that Graham may emerge as a solid candidate for Vice President. I'd welcome that. If Dean wins the nomination, he'd be well-advised to take Graham, Clark or Edwards as his VP.
