BAYH'S OUT, EDWARDS IS IN

If the Democratic strategy is to demand the base accept a lesser of 2 evils choice, a pro-business, quasi-reactionary hack like Evan Bayh isn't a bad idea. Of course that strategy is a losing strategy so it is a very bad idea. John Edwards is far from a radical lefty but his approach is far more acceptable to the base. And in the last few days Bayh has announced he isn't running and Edwards has announced that he is.

Edwards was my second choice last time-- after Howard Dean. He's far from perfect and I've knocked him here at DWT a few times, but I've always felt he was a decent guy with his head screwed on right. And just as important, he's a guy who will listen to reason. His sympathies are clearly with the have-nots, rather than with those who have the most and are the most greedy for more. I don't rate his chances too highly but I'm glad he's in the race and if a miracle happens and he winds up heading the ticket, I'd wouldn't have a problem voting for him. (In fact, when Dean dropped out of the race just before the California primary last time, I did vote for Edwards.)

Unlike Bayh, he's not a lesser of two evils. He'd be a real force for change after the 8 disastrous years of Bush's occupation of the White House. He's a politician we should take seriously and whose case we should listen to.