Like Issac, I've never liked Bob Casey. He's always seemed a purely dynastic politician, floating upwards on the strength of his family's brand, which somehow manages to overcome his obvious ignorance of the issues and total absence of charisma. Indeed, just about the only thing that's notable about Casey is that he's pro-life . This is not a good thing, even as some columnists find it a politically expedient thing. So while I see the political logic of Noam's case for Vice-President Casey, count me against. Casey hasn't demonstrated broad popularity among the white working class. He's shown himself fairly popular in a state that adored his father, and proved himself able to beat a bloodied Republican Senator in an overwhelmingly Democratic year. If you want an interesting politician from a working class swing state with a demonstrated connection to downscale white voters, go with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who has the added benefit of being a Methodist minister, or Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who has the added benefit of being a serious progressive who strengthens Obama on trade.
