A Word On Trust; Or, Why John Edwards Still Matters

Early in the spring, Barack Obama asked John Kerry for his advice on the vice presidential selection process. Kerry was too happy to oblige. Choose someone, he told Obama, that you trust completely. Don't expect the process to build trust. Don't choose someone with the expectation that you'll develop a trust.

This was, of course, the lesson that Kerry learned from 2004; he thought he could trust John Edwards; Edwards had promised Kerry that he deserved Kerry's trust; Edwards promised Kerry that he would be his full and complete partner.

It didn't work. And the recent revelations about Edwards personal life make Kerry's advice all the more acute.

In truth, there aren't too many potential VP picks who could be fairly said to have earned Barack Obama's trust. Not Hillary Clinton. Probably not Joe Biden. Not Evan Bayh. How could they? They've spent so little time with Obama, and none on neutral territory, when they have nothing to gain and thus no incentive to modify their behavior.

Michelle Obama, too, has counseled her husband about the imperative to trust the person he picks.

Assuming Obama agrees, it stands to reason that he won't choose someone he does not trust ALREADY.

He trusts Gov. Sebelius. He trusts Gov. Kaine. He trusts Sen. Jack Reed.

Assuming Obama agrees.