Jim Johnson and Tad Devine
By David T. Cook
Jim Johnson (r.) and
Tad Devine, the vice presidential search director and senior adviser, respectively, of Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, were Wednesday's guests. Here are excerpts from their remarks:
On the initial response to Sen. John Edwards as Kerry's running mate:
(Johnson) "There was no geographical theme to enthusiasm for Edwards. He was equally attractive around the country."
On how the vice presidential selection process has changed:
(Johnson) "There is now a dramatic level of additional information easily available [and] independent of whether or not the person you are looking at knows you are looking at them.... We were able to do an enormous amount of work with the Internet. We had a good deal more dialogue with a number of people - which, of course, went to tax records and business records and medical records."
On critics who say putting resources into Edwards' home state (North Carolina) will weaken Democrats' prospects in the Midwest:
(Devine) "That kind of thinking could lead to a landslide on our part. We have abundant resources. We are not taking resources away in other states and using them in North Carolina."
On the message that Americans should expect from Kerry at the Democratic convention:
(Devine) "Our convention really needs to be about the story of John Kerry's lifetime of service and strength. We need to talk about our message: building a stronger America at home, restoring respect for the nation around the world. "
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