LOOKING OUT FOR NO. 2
If You're Baffled by the Presidential Race, Consider This
nytimes.com
September 21, 2003
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — These days, there is plenty of action in the Democratic presidential nomination fight: 10 candidates as of noon on Thursday, when Wesley K. Clark joined the show, ensuring one of the most mixed-up nomination battles either party has produced in years.
But just in case that is not enough for Democrats who enjoy a good fight, a new contest is rising out of the mist of this one. It is the race within the race, an unstated competition for the No. 2 spot on the ticket.
No one running for president would ever say, at least right now, that they are actively campaigning to be vice president. As an aide to one of them noted, the candidates in question probably do not recognize that they are conducting what might eventually turn into dual campaigns: one for the presidential nomination, the other for vice president.
But at least three presidential candidates are being increasingly measured by competing campaigns and party leaders for their vice presidential talents, a trend that seems certain to continue. This reflects both an early assessment of their presidential prospects (generally speaking, perhaps not so good) as well as an appreciation of the geographic and biographical assets they would bring to a ticket.
No one is writing off anyone for the presidency yet. That said, the emerging vice presidential field includes General Clark, who would fortify a Democratic ticket with a military uniform and a Southern background; Senator John Edwards of North Carolina, another son of the South who has impressed Democrats with his keen campaign skills, and Senator Bob Graham, who comes from Florida (if you have to ask).
"They are all in their heads running for president — you don't get in this game to be No. 2," said Paul Costello, a longtime Democratic consultant. "But that has got to be the hidden context for a lot of these people.
"I think that it is very likely that one of them will be the vice presidential nominee," he said, referring to Mr. Edwards, Mr. Graham or General Clark.
Two other Democratic presidential candidates — Howard Dean of Vermont and Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts — are, as liberal Northeast Democrats prone to the campaign misstep, not exactly what party officials would describe as attractive vice presidential candidates.
Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut has done his time in the vice presidential candidate seat.
Since there are actually some Democrats in the land who are not running for president, the speculation about No. 2 possibilities extends beyond the field.
Some names being mentioned are Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, for example (though Mr. Richardson said in an interview he would not accept the position); Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana and Senator Dianne Feinstein of California.
But as of today, Democrats think the No. 2 nominee will come from the cast seeking the No. 1 job — speculation that, not surprisingly, does not delight the candidates.
General Clark scoffed at the No. 2 position, saying that he is not embarking on a career in politics to win a post that has no discernable authority. But asked if that meant he was ruling out the vice presidency, General Clark shook his head no.
"I'm not saying that," he said. "I'm saying for me there was only one decision, and that was whether I would run for the presidency or not. This is not about positioning."
Jennifer Palmieri, a spokeswoman for Mr. Edwards, said, "Anybody who thinks that John Edwards is running for vice president doesn't know him very well."
That said, if some candidates are getting into all this as a way of trying out for vice president, the early reviews are not entirely good. Rival strategists suggested that some might end up stumbling out of contention. General Clark had some rough going after his announcement, as he struggled to explain his positions on various issues, while Senator Graham's campaign has been widely seen as anemic.
Mr. Kerry's campaign manager, Jim Jordan, said about Mr. Graham's potential as a vice presidential candidate: "You can never say no because he helps an awful lot in an absolutely pivotal state. But there's nothing about his performance that's improved his position."
Mr. Jordan has also questioned how well General Clark, a military figure, would fare with a liberal Democratic primary constituency. This statement surprised some rivals who wondered why he would risk alienating someone who could prove to be a valuable addition to a Kerry ticket. Mr. Jordan said he did not think his remarks were excessive.
Mr. Costello suggested that in the weeks ahead, the criticism among the candidates would turn harsher. But, he predicted, the candidates would eventually accept reality, and take heed of the race within the race.
"Some of these people are not doing so well as they presumed," he said. "At some point, the unspoken comment is going to be, `How can I prove myself worthy to be vice president?' " |
