VICE PRESIDENT GRAHAM

VICE PRESIDENT GRAHAM

I have little doubt that Graham would already BE vice president, had Al Gore done the sensible thing last time. In retrospect, the notion that Lieberman would help more in FL than Graham is as asinine as any campaign decision ever made.

The Lieberman pick was too clever by half--a Hail Mary pass that was supposed to help with Florida, fund-raising and Gore's largely non-existent "Clinton problem." The obvious choice is usually best, and Gore missed the boat by trying to be too smart.

Teamo boss James P. Hoffa personally lobbied Kerry on behalf of Dick Gephardt with these words, "He needs somebody that's high profile, somebody that can go out and carry a state, somebody that has a constituency, somebody that can deliver." This is an accurate assessment, and it rules out political unknowns like Vlisack of IA. Hoffa's description fits Gephardt, but it fits Graham even better.

DO WHAT'S RIGHT

One huge factor--not mentioned above but certainly true of Dickie G--is fitness for the job. When Kerry tires of figuring out the geometry of a complicated pool shot, he may simply try to do what's right. Who would make the best president, if it came to that?

The answer is not John Edwards. You simply cannot claim that a first-term senator with no other experience in government is the most qualified to lead the country in time of war.

Graham is one of only a few who would possess instant credibility as commander-in-chief because of his service on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Graham has been near the center of power for a long time. Cheney has made a mess out of U.S. intelligence; Graham has the knowledge and background to restore needed credibility and efficiency to the CIA and related agencies.

This would be a sober, grey-haired administration. In a year that will likely turn on the question of who makes us feel safer, that's not a bad thing.

HIGH-PROFILE

You can argue that a complete unknown is acceptable as vice president because he or she will be famous anyway within a month. However, the issue is not simply name recognition but acceptance. Hoffa is right to argue that the VP should already have broad support before the pick. Johnson, Humphrey, Mondale and Gore all added heft because of their previous achievements. Graham has been a legislator, governor and senator. He has a distinguished and bipartisan reputation. He spent a lot of that popularity blowing the whistle on Bush's then-popular war policies, but events have proven him to be correct.

GOING OUT AND CARRYING A STATE

There are no slam-dunks here, although Byrd of WV and Breaux of LA are probably the closest to a sure thing. Graham, Edwards and Bayh would all turn red states competitive. But Graham is by far the winningest, and his state was the closest context last time out. Winning in Fla. will not be easy because of the GOP death-grip on the electoral machinery, and a Damned Yankee at the top of the ticket doesn't help. But this is Graham's home turf and he's never lost here.

Since contesting any red state involves risk, why not choose the one with the biggest reward? Bush-Cheney could afford to lose WV, IA, and LA. They would find the loss of Indiana or North Carolina harder to recover from, but still not impossible.

However, lose Florida, and it's game over, man.