If a presidential candidate's process of selecting a vice presidential candidate begets more speculation than anything else in politics, then the actual choice comes in a close second.
That proved to be the case Tuesday when, after an exhaustive and secretive search, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., finally tapped Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., to join him on the Democratic ticket. Across the country, political junkies everywhere had something to say about Kerry's rival-turned-running-mate, and Dartmouth students were no exception.
Especially interested in Edwards' new placard-sharing post were his constituents from the Tar Heel State at Dartmouth.
Having known Edwards as their senator for the past six years, North Carolinans here in Hanover say that he has served their state well.
"We were always very pleased with him," Stephanie Whisnant '06 of Raleigh, N.C. said. "He never let us down. If there was ever a problem, he'd listen to his constituents."
Manya Whitaker '06 of Charlotte, N.C., expressed similar sentiments, which were reinforced by meeting Edwards in person when he visited her North Mecklenberg high school.
"He was really concerned with what the students thought as opposed to what our parents perceived," she said. "He was reaching out to us, and we couldn't even vote yet."
Edwards' only win in the primary season came in South Carolina, the state where he was born.
One of the 131,174 votes cast in his favor belonged to Richard Winn '06 of Greenville.
Winn also recalled Edwards' human touch from his appearance at Dartmouth in February.
"I felt like he had the ability to get along with people and that's the most important thing a president can do," Winn said.
Many believe Edwards was named the Democratic vice presidential candidate because of his pull with Southern voters.
Winn said he believes Edwards does indeed make voting for Kerry more palatable in his state.
"For me, I didn't really know anything about John Kerry, but there is a huge Edwards contingency in South Carolina," Winn said.
"But then again, South Carolina is South Carolina and anyone without an 'R' next to their name is going to have a tough time."
Elisabeth Smith '05 may be the Dartmouth student who knows Edwards best -- Smith worked with his presidential campaign as a field intern.
Asked what she saw when hitting the trail with Edwards she said, "The great thing about him is that he relates as well to Upper Valley activists as unemployed auto workers, and people like a guy who's never out of his element."
Smith also said Edwards was not running for the number two slot all along as many pundits claimed.
"He had the most comprehensive domestic plan of any candidate in the country," she said.
"If he hadn't been running for the presidency, he wouldn't have taken it that seriously. He really did put his heart and soul into this race."
Edwards will be up for formal nomination by the delegates of the Democratic National Convention later this month in Boston.
One of those delegates will be Sarah Ayres '06, who will be attending the convention representing New Hampshire's second Congressional district.
Happy with Kerry's decision to add Edwards to the ticket, Ayres noted, "He is a person who comes from a working class background and has spent his life fighting for the values represented by the Democratic ticket."
Having been an active member of former Vt. Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign, Ayres saw Edwards' appeal firsthand from a competitor's perspective.
"I saw Edwards garner a lot of respect and support here in New Hampshire, and I think he is definitely an asset to Kerry in this battleground state," Ayres said.
A group of Dartmouth students who certainly hope that isn't the case are the College Republicans who pointed out that Kerry talked to plenty of other candidates including a certain senator from Arizona.
"We Republicans note that Kerry's first choice, [Sen.] John McCain, [R-Ariz.], not only turned him down but is now actively campaigning for Bush," said Jesse Roisin '05, president emeritus of the College Republicans.
Roisin did acknowledge that the announcement of the Kerry-Edwards ticket will lead to a bounce in the polls, but said this would not affect the President's path to re-election.
"George Bush will not change with the whims and quirks of the campaign," he said. "[Bush] will emerge strong before, during and after the RNC Convention," Roisin said.
Co-vice president of the College Republicans Kate Racicot '06 agreed that Edwards' effect will be minimal, especially with respect to the South.
"I don't think it's a big thing to worry about because Bush can always tell people about Edwards' lack of experience compared to [Vice President Dick] Cheney's," Racicot said.
So do the College Republicans have anything good to say about Edwards?
"He's a lot better to look at," Racicot said.
In fact, many political analysts insist that Edwards may in fact be the best looking Washington politician since John F. Kennedy.