Poll Picks McCain as Kerry's Vice President
By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
A new poll asked people of voting age which Democratic vice presidential candidate would be most qualified to become president if something should happen to President John Kerry. The answer? A Republican: Senator John McCain of Arizona.
The survey included Mr. McCain's name on a list with nine Democrats who might be potential running mates for Mr. Kerry, the presumptive nominee. A week before the survey, which was conducted March 19 through March 21, Mr. McCain had indicated he might "entertain" an offer from Mr. Kerry, but he just as quickly snuffed out such a possibility when the political world started going wild.
But Senator John Edwards of North Carolina should not despair. Of those most qualified to step into the Oval Office, Mr. McCain topped the list with 15 percent, followed by Mr. Edwards with 14 percent. But Mr. Edwards was picked by 20 percent as the candidate most likely to help Mr. Kerry win the presidency; 12 percent named Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York; and 10 percent named Mr. McCain.
The national survey was conducted by telephone among 1,000 people of voting age by a research firm called Synovate on behalf of Case Western University in Cleveland. The margin of error was 3 percentage points. Case Western will be the host of the only debate between the vice presidential candidates, on Oct. 5.
The survey comes at a time when the veepstakes appear wide open. Mr. Kerry has given no clue about what he is seeking in a vice president or when he might select that person. Some Democrats have advised him to pick someone before the July 26 convention, saying he needs help on the campaign trail in both raising money and fending off attacks from the Bush-Cheney team. But others have said that waiting will increase the suspense and generate enthusiasm down the pike.
In any case, Mr. Edwards is beginning to emerge from his post-campaign cocoon, appearing on CNN on Tuesday for his first television interview since dropping out of the presidential race on March 3.
He was determined not to appear too eager to be vice president. But his interviewer, Wolf Blitzer, cornered him in a little game of journalistic cat-and-mouse.
Mr. Blitzer asked: "If he comes to you and says, `Senator, I believe you could help me win this race,' you would have to say yes?"
Mr. Edwards replied: "I will do anything I can to make John Kerry president."
Mr. Blitzer: "That is a yes, then?"
Mr. Edwards: "That means whatever it takes to make him president."
On the Republican side, the matter of vice president seems to be settled, with President Bush having said that Vice President Dick Cheney would run with him again and Mr. Cheney already out on the trail attacking Mr. Kerry.
Those in the survey said they thought Mr. Cheney would be the Republican most likely to help Mr. Bush win re-election. But they said someone else — Secretary of State Colin Powell — was more qualified to assume the presidency.
When given a list of six prospective Republican running mates for Mr. Bush, 32 percent said that Mr. Powell was "most qualified" to assume the presidency, while 19 percent named Mr. Cheney.
www.nyt.com |
