Selection of Edwards said to energize blacks

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Sen. John Kerry bolstered his campaign by picking Sen. John Edwards as his running mate, according to top black lawmakers who say he has energized the black community behind the Democratic presidential ticket.

"No doubt about it," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland Democrat and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). "More so than anyone, [Mr. Edwards] is able to excite broad cross-sections of people with regard to his message of building one America."

Mr. Cummings said Mr. Edwards' Southern roots and charm, working-class upbringing and his description of two Americas -- one for the wealthy and one for everyone else -- attracted support from blacks nationwide when the North Carolina senator made his own bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in the past year.

Mr. Cummings originally endorsed former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean before supporting Mr. Kerry, of Massachusetts. But when Mr. Kerry surged ahead of the Democratic pack, the CBC was not unified behind him, and blacks didn't immediately embrace his candidacy.

In the 2000 election, 90 percent of blacks voted for Vice President Al Gore, the Democratic candidate for president, with just 8 percent voting for then-Gov. George Bush, the Republican candidate.

In February, Mr. Edwards passed the first electoral test of black voters by winning South Carolina, his native state, with 45 percent of the primary vote in -- a state where nearly half of the Democratic voters are black.

Even after Mr. Kerry swept the remaining states -- except Oklahoma, where retired Gen. Wesley Clark prevailed -- members of the CBC and black political analysts continued to be skeptical.

In May, University of Maryland political science professor Ronald Walters, a political adviser to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in his 1984 presidential bid, criticized Mr. Kerry for not having a diverse enough staff, especially in the upper tier of his political advisers.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Illinois Democrat, told the Associated Press in April that the lack of diversity in Mr. Kerry's inner circle could "dampen voter enthusiasm" and was a problem that should be "quickly remedied."

Mr. Cummings and the Kerry campaign said the criticism was unfair, but the campaign immediately began seeking qualified blacks to fill communications slots, an issue in the campaign that Rep. James E. Clyburn, South Carolina Democrat, also described as a "problem."

But it seems that the addition of Mr. Edwards as the vice-presidential candidate has turned the black electorate around.

"I think, without question, we have a great ticket that reflects regional and ideological balance," said Rep. Albert R. Wynn, Maryland Democrat. Mr. Wynn, who endorsed Mr. Edwards, told The Washington Times in February that a ticket of Mr. Edwards and Mr. Kerry was necessary to win the election and be competitive in the South.

"The majority of African Americans have Southern roots," Mr. Wynn said, and part of Mr. Edwards' appeal is his humble roots, born the son of a textile worker in Seneca, S.C.

"Edwards has strong connections in the African-American community," Democratic political analyst Donna Brazile said. "By selecting Senator Edwards, the Kerry campaign now can unleash a full campaign to win the African-American vote."

Mr. Edwards' upbringing and his personal relationships with blacks both in politics and personally, said Rep. Chaka Fattah, Pennsylvania Democrat, are what drew him to the self-made millionaire and trial lawyer from the Carolinas. But he said the energy coming from the black community has little to do with Mr. Edwards.

"If you're looking for the energy in the African-American vote, it starts with Florida in 2000 and Bush being the first president to oppose affirmative action, unlike his father and Ronald Reagan, to deny access to college," Mr. Fattah said. "It was an energized vote, anyway."

Mr. Bush's decision for a fourth straight year not to address members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at its annual convention also may rub some blacks the wrong way. Mr. Kerry has said he will address the group.

But not all in the black community are enamored with the choice of Mr. Edwards. Armstrong Williams, a conservative talk-show host and Republican political analyst, said the idea anyone would conclude that black people have been energized by Mr. Edwards is nonsense, and he called the choice "offensive."

"No, it has not energized anyone and, in fact, a lot of blacks are upset a black vice presidential candidate wasn't even considered," Mr. Williams said. "There are black candidates out there who are far more qualified and have paid their dues."