Reply #13: jumping in here [View All]

[Two Americas]

After months of lurking I have decided to sign up today for two reasons. First,to thank bobbolink for courageously speaking out for the poor, the homeless, the suffering, month after month, often alone and in the face of intense hostility. The power of one lone voice to give us hope and to inspire us should not ne underestimated. Thank you bobbolink. You speak for millions who otherwise go unheard. Secondly to say that after hearing John and Elizabeth Edwards speak last night I am supporting the Edwards campaign.

I stand with the people first, before I stand with a candidate. I judge a candidate by the following that he or she generates, what they inspire in people to a large extent. I have been following the Edwards supporters here over the last few weeks and reading every post. I have been watching for the usual arrogance, the put-downs, and the unfair and malicious attacks on the other candidates and their supporters, all of which are all to common during primary season. I am not seeing that from the Edwards supporters. I stand with you. I support you, the people here who are supporting the Edwards candidacy.

I was able to see Edwards speak last night on television with a group of people and was surprised by the reaction the others had to him. The people I was with are deeply discouraged and cynical about politics to the extent that they avoid discussing them. Sadly, this very common today. Yet they hung on every word that Elizabeth and Edwards said, and talked politics enthusiastically for two hours afterward. Being close to politics one gets accustomed to being around people who are interested in politics, and it is easy to forget that most people in the country have long since tuned politics out and are fed up and disgusted with the whole mess. To watch non-political people suddenly have such intense interest was like watching people come back from the dead. I feel as though I have been dragging people to politics for years and years, with little success, and I hadn't experienced being swept along by the enthusiasm of everyday people since the campaign of Robert Kennedy. This is remarkable, and I have to believe that millions of everyday people can be brought back to politics by this campaign.

I don't look to a politician to be perfect, I don't look to get what I want, I don't look to "win" for myself. I want the people to win. Otherwise, why care about politics? If Edwards stands for the people, I will stand with Edwards. If Edwards listens to the people, I will listen to Edwards. If Edwards fights for the people, I will fight for Edwards - with eyes open, no rose-colored glasses on, no hero worship of the man, but in the hope that together we can fight and win a better future for all of the people.

I have been active in Democratic party politics for about 40 years, as well as in the civil rights movement, union organizing and campaign work for RFK, Jesse Jackson, Dennis Kucinich, David Bonier and my own congressman John Conyers and many others.

I have a lot more to say about my observations from last night, but this is getting long for a first post. I had hoped to post in the Edwards group, but I see that this privilege is reserved for donors. Being out of work and staying with friends temporarily, I am a little tight on funds, but as soon as I can scrape a few extra dollars together I will join the Edwards supporters there.