Behind Kerry's choice
The man and the message
 |  John Edwards, John Kerry and members of their families speak Wednesday at the Heinz-Kerry farm outside Pittsburgh. |
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 CNN's Adaora Udoji on Edwards' supercharged political career.
 CNN's Judy Woodruff on the presumed new Democratic ticket.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After months of speculation, Washington's favorite guessing game came to an end Tuesday when Sen. John Kerry chose Sen. John Edwards to be his running mate. But what message does Kerry's choice of the North Carolina senator send to voters?
Edwards clearly helps balance the Democratic ticket. Kerry is from the Northeast, Edwards is from the South. Kerry is the product of a privileged upbringing, Edwards is the son of a mill worker.
Yet, Edwards' real value to the Kerry campaign may be as a candidate who champions the working class, possibly taking away critical votes from people drawn to the more populist rhetoric of Ralph Nader.
When I interviewed Nader on Inside Politics Monday, Nader remained resolute about staying in the race.
He attacked John Kerry as "a former prosecutor, (who) did not distinguish himself in the Senate for cracking down on corporate crime fraud." The same cannot be said of Edwards, a former trial lawyer who fought against some of the country's largest corporations.
Edwards' populist language and the story of the personal hardships he suffered growing up resonate with voters. The more Edwards continued to campaign hard in the primary race, the more he discovered his voice, and the more Americans responded to it.
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll in late June showed that 72 percent of Americans said they would be enthusiastic or satisfied if Kerry selected him as his running mate.
Not surprisingly, in announcing he had chosen Edwards, Kerry emphasized the senator's commitment to the middle class.
In his speech Tuesday in Pittsburgh, Kerry said, "I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America. A man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion from middle-class Americans and for those struggling to reach the middle class."
In accepting the invitation to join the ticket, Edwards echoed these sentiments.
In a statement, Edwards praised Kerry as a man with a "vision for our country that will make life better for all Americans -- those in the middle class who struggle every day to make ends meet, and the millions of Americans fighting to enter the middle class."
As a result of Kerry's selection, we may be hearing a lot of the word "struggle," intended to remind voters of Edwards' inspiring life story and appeal to middle America, CNN's Political Editor John Mercurio reported.
Staying on message, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota, said, "When you look at what John Edwards has done for working families, for people who have been fighting hard all theirs lives to make ends meet, I can't think of a more qualified candidate than John Edwards."
Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Connecticut, agreed that Edwards is a strong candidate. When I interviewed Lieberman on Inside Politics this week, he said, "John is a person of strength. He knows who he is. He's a very religious person. He's been through some crises in his own life...and marshaled his strength to go on."
It isn't clear how much energy the Kerry campaign will expend in the South as the election draws close; naming Edwards to the ticket will at least cause Southern and border state voters to give Kerry another look.
If they like what they see, reflected in poll numbers in the days to come, the Kerry effort could enlarge its Southern presence. But, regardless of what happens in Dixie, Edwards' name on the ballot opens new ground for states like Wisconsin and Ohio, where the North Carolina senator also has potential to be an asset to the Democrats.
Hotline Editor Chuck Todd told me that during the primary season, Wisconsin and Ohio were places where Edwards' speech about the emergence of "two Americas" -- one for those of privilege, the other for those working just to get by -- hit home. "His whole rural outreach, it was a place where he was comfortable," Todd explained.
It is difficult to estimate how large Nader's populist base may be, but one Democratic strategist with whom I spoke said it may actually be larger than Nader's anti-war segment now.
While Nader's influence in November remains to be seen, Kerry may have been sending these potential supporters a message by selecting Edwards for his running mate.
Judy Woodruff is CNN's prime anchor and senior correspondent. She also anchors "Judy Woodruff's Inside Politics," weekdays at 3:30 pm ET.
