Shocker: Edwards won’t be VP

Barack Obama can reluctantly scratch one name off his list for VP. John Edwards told a Spanish newspaper that he would not run again for Vice President. Apparently El Pais is the only one still asking:

John Edwards has ruled out being Barack Obama’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket, according to interviews carried by two leading Spanish newspapers on Friday.

“I already had the privilege of running for vice president in 2004, and I won’t do it again,” Edwards was quoted by El Mundo as saying. El Pais, the country’s other leading daily, carried similar comments.

Edwards, who ran for vice president under Sen. John Kerry four years ago and was a presidential candidate in this year’s Democratic primaries, had been named as a possible running mate for Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee.

Calls by The Associated Press to several Edwards aides went unanswered and independent confirmation of Friday’s reports was not immediately possible.

I admire the work ethic of Paul Haven at the AP for trying to get separate confirmation on this story, but this is one case where it’s hardly necessary. Edwards has made similar statements this year, although not quite as categorical. When Edwards endorsed Obama last month, he made it fairly clear that he didn’t have an interest in being Obama’s running mate.

Obama and the Democrats would have even less interest in Edwards on the ticket. In 2004, he couldn’t even carry his home state for John Kerry. He brought nothing to the general-election race except a poor performance in the debate against Dick Cheney. Instead of balancing Obama’s lack of experience, Edwards’ single term in the Senate would make the Democrats look even more desperate. His brand of populism combined with Obama’s doctrinaire-liberal policies would further marginalize the ticket.

The only people who will find disappointment in this announcement are Republicans who would have loved the broad target an Obama/Edwards ticket would provide.

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