Larry Sabato lists John Edwards’s weaknesses:
John Kerry cannot possibly claim that Edwards was the most qualified and experienced candidate available to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. Edwards has a very thin public resume, with a single Senate term under his belt. He is noted for little in the Senate, and as mentioned earlier, he’s been absent a great deal from his Senate work. The “experience gap” with other potential VP nominees, such as Dick Gephardt and Bob Graham, is enormous. Edwards could easily be classed with other barely-experienced VP-nominees in modern times: Bill Miller (R-1964), Spiro Agnew (R-1968), Geraldine Ferraro (D-1984), and Dan Quayle (R-1988). In the post-9-11 world, is Edwards’ skimpy resume good enough? And here is where Dick Cheney will shine in any side-by-side comparison, not to mention the vice presidential debate in the fall.
While some see him as charismatic, others see him as slick. Supporters often compare him to Bill Clinton, meaning it as a compliment to his ability to connect emotionally with a crowd. It won’t be long before opponents are also comparing him to the former President in less favorable ways. Slick Johnny, meet Slick Willie? And where’s the gravitas? Edwards looks to be barely out of law school
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