Taegan Goddard's Political Wire

April 26, 2004

Kerry Needs Veep To Help Carry Ohio

Stuart Rothenberg argues that the presidential election may be decided in Ohio and Sen. John Kerry needs a running mate who will play well in the Buckeye state. And he'd bypass all Ohio politicians, since Democrats nearly picked talk show host Jerry Springer as their Senate candidate.

After reviewing the advantages of Rep. Dick Gephardt and Sen. John Edwards, Rothenberg says "if there is one Democrat who might be able to help Kerry the most in Ohio, it could be Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, a former two-term governor and true moderate Democrat who has been successful among voters not unlike the kind found in south and central Ohio."

"During his years as governor, Bayh earned a reputation as a fiscal conservative, and even die-hard Republicans praised his opposition to tax hikes and big spending programs. And as a member of the Intelligence and Armed Services committees, Bayh was an early supporter of the Iraq war."

"The Indiana Democrat, whose style is generally easy-going and low key, has put together a voting record in the Senate that is far more moderate than most Northern Democrats. In short, Kerry’s selection of Bayh might well get the attention of swing voters in Ohio."

Meanwhile, the Des Moines Register notes Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) fueled speculation "of a Kerry-Vilsack ticket on Sunday."

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Taegan D. Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer and Christian Science Monitor.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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