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Yesterday on TPM, Josh Marshall asked a simple question:
"Can someone explain the Chet Edwards boomlet for me? That's not a rhetorical question, or snark. He may be a great pick. I just need a little more background on this one."
So what is the case the Obama should pick Texas' Chet Edwards as his VP pick? Admittedly, Edwards brings a low national profile, outside of his work on veterans' issues and his reputation in the House.
Here's what we Texans know about Congressman Edwards:
- He is a nationally recognized veterans champion in Congress, with strong military support in deep connections in the U.S. Army and at the Pentagon. Just this year, he's been honored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion. And as chair of the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, he just authorized the largest increase in veterans' funding in the history of the VA.
- Congressman Chet Edwards is fresh face who won't overshadow Obama. He's a southern, moderate, white male in his late 50s who brings geographic and demographic balance to the ticket. He has humble blue collar roots, and has been known to speak Spanish from time to time.
- Chet Edwards is a pretty darn good campaigner, with a record of winning in Republican turf. But in spite of (or perhaps because of) his broad appeal to Democrats as well as Republicans and Independents, he is well respected on Capitol Hill - with a wide range of support among liberals and conservatives. (An example: Congressman John Lewis, a liberal African American from Atlanta who fought beside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, has been known to campaign with Edwards in Central Texas).
So - we've got a southern moderate, a leader on veterans' issues who knows how to win in Republican territory. That's the Chet Edwards we know in Texas.
While there are certainly other qualified potential VPs, and we'll of course support whoever Obama picks, it's clear there is a case to be made for the only person from Texas on the "short list."
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