Most Americans think John Edwards would make a better President than Vice President Cheney, according to a new poll that appears to show Sen. John Kerry picked a winner for his running mate.

And what the Bush campaign has long considered Edwards' greatest vulnerability - his career as a big shot trial lawyer - is actually an asset, at least for now.

In the new Time magazine poll, 55% of respondents said they thought Edwards fought for the average person against big companies, while only 26% said he contributed to the frivolous lawsuit problem.

On the other hand, Cheney's previous career definitely hurts him in the eyes of voters.

Cheney's stint as the head of Halliburton, the huge energy company that has reaped billions in defense contracts from the war Cheney championed, makes 51% think less of him versus 16% who favor his Halliburton experience.

When asked which of the two vice presidential candidates would make a better President, 47% picked Edwards and 38% said Cheney.

The poll showed the race is still neck and neck, with Kerry leading President Bush by 4 percentage points, 49% to 45%.

Helen Kennedy

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