Clueless

Voter reaction to the selection of Senator John Edwards as the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee-designate has been tepid, to say the least. If you average out the public polls taken since Tuesday's announcement, you find almost no "bounce." This has been the talk of the political community for the last two days.

Adam Nagourney, chief political correspondent for The New York Times, has a different view of the Edwards choice. To wit:

"The Democrats' emerging plan for Mr. Edwards comes at a time when Democratic and even some Republican officials suggest that Mr. Kerry's vice-presidential selection has the potential of being the most politically significant choice since another Massachusetts Democrat, John F. Kennedy, turned to another Southerner, Lyndon B. Johnson, in 1960. Many experts say the choice of Johnson pushed Texas into the Democrats' column and ensured Kennedy's victory."

To quote the junior Senator from New York: "Okey-dokey, artichokey!" Given that Nagourney's talents as a political analyst are underwhelming, it's not surprising that he would write such drivel. What is surprising is that his editors would publish it.

Postscript: Mister Kaus discerns a "bounce" for Edwards in the "head to head" match-ups collected at RCP. Nice try, but it's a three-way race. And there is no movement -- at all -- inside the three-way numbers.