Region's residents call picking Edwards wise

A few Southeast Missouri Republicans and Democrats found something to agree on in presidential politics Tuesday: Democratic hopeful John Kerry made a good choice in John Edwards as his vice presidential running mate.

"It was probably a wise choice," said Sally O'Brien, a Republican from Benton, Mo. "He's a little more conservative than a Howard Dean."

Shawn Moore wanted U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt to be chosen.

"I wanted Gephardt, being he is from Missouri," said Moore, a Cape Girardeau Democrat. "But Edwards was the second-best candidate as far as the primaries showed."

Pat Murray, a Democrat from Cape Girardeau, said Edwards was a logical choice for vice president with strengths to mask Kerry's assumed weaknesses.

"He is young, energetic and outgoing," Murray said. "That type of personality will help with those who didn't like Kerry's."

Even if Edwards was a logical choice, Josh Taylor of Cape Girardeau thinks the Democratic candidates will be focused on the East Coast, where Kerry has served as a senator from Massachusetts and Edwards as a senator from North Carolina.

Some don't think it makes any difference who is running, whether Republican or Democrat.

"They all do whatever they want anyway," said Dana Lewis of Jackson.