Centerfield

Edwards Worries Republican Strategists

An article in today's Washington Post suggests that Republican strategists see Edwards as the toughest potential opponent.

Now, they could be blowing smoke, as strategists do. Could be that I'm just a sucker for this message, given that I make the very same arguments.

Here's a few paragraphs:

These Republicans said they worry most about Edwards, because he is so little known and has such a comparatively short public record. That combination would give him the easiest time morphing into whatever his campaign decides that swing voters want. "Personally, I'm the most concerned about Edwards, because he has a huge attractiveness to him," a senior Republican official said. "The only negative is the lack of experience."

Another Republican official who is worried about facing Edwards called him "Clinton without the scandal -- John Kennedy, from the South."

"He's the most appealing of the candidates, and hardest to typify as a hard-core liberal," this official said. "Edwards is seen as a problem. Everybody in Massachusetts hates Kerry. Everybody in the Democratic Party hates Dean. Everyone in the military hates Clark. But nobody hates Edwards."

Clark's image is one of "confusion," a senior GOP official said, but acknowledged his military credentials would make it harder for Bush to draw an obvious contrast.

These Republicans said they think that Kerry would be harder to run against than Dean, but easier than Edwards, with Clark in the middle. "Running against a Massachusetts liberal can't be a bad thing for a Republican," the official said. "Dean would be fun, but Kerry's pretty good, too."