Gov. Tom Vilsack was quick to state publicly his approval of presidential hopeful John Kerry’s decision to go with Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., as his running mate.

“As he proved during his inspiring campaign, John Edwards is a strong and compelling voice for our small towns and rural communities and for all working Americans,” Vilsack said in a release Tuesday. “The stakes in this election are high, for America and for our future.”

The governor was neither the first nor the loudest voice in the choir of those who came out in support of Kerry’s selection. But the answer of who would join Kerry on the dias led to many more questions.

Why not Vilsack?

Despite Kerry’s decision against the Democratic governor, most are quick to point out that neither the governor nor Iowa will likely regret the national exposure. And, speculations as to how Vilsack will use his new national presence abound.

“Most people in the country don’t know who the governor of Iowa is,” said Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science. “He is now someone that reporters and Democratic party officials all over the country recognize and know. That’s a huge honor for him, and also a great career move.”

Schmidt said Vilsack could use his new clout either in the arena of national politics or the private sector. Vilsack vowed after his 2002 re-election not to seek a third term as governor.

Vilsack spokesman Ben Gran said it was far too early to speculate on what the governor’s future might hold and reiterated that Vilsack has remained committed to his current job.

Colan Van Ostern, a spokesman for the Iowa arm of Kerry’s campaign, didn’t have an explanation of what might have made Vilsack less desirable, only reciting the reasons Edwards was chosen.

“[He] chose Sen. Edwards to be his vice president because he wanted a proven leader who could meet the challenges of our time, was ready to be president, and who shared his vision and values,” Van Ostern said. He wouldn’t say which of these criteria Vilsack hadn’t met.

Certainly, it wasn’t experience. Edwards, a self-made millionaire, left trial law for the U.S. Senate in 1998, while Vilsack’s record boasts 17 years in local politics, six of them as governor.

But Van Ostern said experience was gleaned from many places.

“Both Sen. Kerry and Sen. Edwards know that experience doesn’t just come in Washington,” he said. “Sen. Edwards has spent his entire life standing up for ordinary people, both as a lawyer and as a U.S. senator. And that’s the kind of leadership and experience Kerry was looking for.”

A more direct analysis came from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

“Sen. Kerry’s pick of Sen. Edwards to be the vice presidential candidate shows that maybe he’s less concerned about the Midwest vote in key states like Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Minnesota,” Grassley wrote in a statement. “With John Edwards, he might get a bit of a pick up in states like North Carolina.”

Schmidt said Vilsack probably just couldn’t bring what Kerry was looking for to the table.

“Vilsack … just didn’t fit into this picture in a specific way that would help Kerry,” Schmidt said. “And that’s why most Democratic party activists thought that Edwards would be the best guy.”