The Magic 8-Ball says: Obama-Edwards '08

I said it a few months ago, but I am going to put it in print today.

Obama/Edwards in ’08.

The last full field debate was when I noticed some sidling on the part of John Edwards. At that point Hilary Clinton was still the “Candidate of Destiny” and everyone was gunning for her.

But what I saw from Edwards was a man also making mends with a former opponent, Barack Obama. Instead of pointing-out why he was better than Clinton, Edwards starting using the word “we” or “myself and Barack” when making points.

I could see the bridge being built from the Edwards side. And while there was little reciprocation from Obama at the time, I think the ticket would make sense.

Obama is an educated black man, from a Northern state, always a problem in the South. And Obama is from Illinois, the very state that brought us Abraham Lincoln, who defeated the South and abolished slavery…all points that aren’t overlooked by many Southerners.

Obama needs to balance the ticket to win the states that are currently going to Hilary.

Edwards offers that balance. He is a white southerner, who comes from a blue-collar family and offers the “picked himself-up by the boot straps to make something of himself” story that all corn-fed hard-working good-old-boys love. Edwards can play the “I am one of you” card to bring those voters into the Obama camp.

Edwards has also been to this dance before. His experience campaigning would be invaluable to Obama, a relative newcomer to the national political scene.

Edwards has also been in the Senate since 1998. Again, adding much needed DC-experience to the Obama campaign. The draw to Obama is that he isn’t a DC-Insider, but that is also one of his biggest knocks with older voters. Edwards, offers a good middle ground, having been in the Senate since the Clinton Administration. Though he now works for a PAC, would could be a tough sell to Obama’s base.

I am no James Carville, but this pairing just seems to make sense. Obama and Hilary have gone too hard at each other in the primary and America simply isn’t ready to elect a Black man & a woman into the presidency.

I think the pair would make a good team, with Obama’s ideas and Edwards experience. They could not only win the election, but may just make some changes.