The Edwards effect

Speaking about getting attention from the latest swing voters, the young working moms, Kerry has actually responded with his best move so far. I'm already hearing about the Edwards effect from the moms I know.

Anne Patterson is a registered Republican who voted for President Bush and isn't especially fond of Democrat John Kerry. But as she hopped out of her green Honda minivan during a blitz of errands last week, she said she has qualms about the war in Iraq and the president's religious zeal.

And thanks to last week's selection of Sen. John Edwards as Kerry's running mate, she might now vote for the Democratic ticket.

And this is the crux of it it, after the 'he's so cute' factor.

Interviews with more than two dozen suburban women last week revealed strong support for Edwards, 51, a telegenic father who coached his children's soccer and basketball teams. While some derided him as a liberal trial lawyer or inexperienced with foreign policy - precisely the image the Bush campaign hopes to paint - most said they like his vibrancy, and many believed he understands the pressures of parenthood and the rush of suburban life better than Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney. Or Kerry, for that matter.

And he's a dad, he's got young kids: why do I think Luntz is sweating over this pick? About that women's vote: we've got Edwards.