Salon: John Edwards hits his stride

[waiting for hope]

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007 04:49 EST
Walter Shapiro and Michael Scherer

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Maybe my judgment is permanently skewed from having watched John Edwards make his closing surge in Iowa in 2004, coming from nowhere (5 percent in the polls at this point four years ago) to almost winning the caucuses. Still, few candidates are more adept at making that all-important final argument to a political jury.

I got a glimpse Monday of how formidable Edwards still might be in a campaign cycle seemingly dominated by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Here in the quaint clapboard town hall in Bow, just outside Concord, Edwards launched his latest anti-corporate-lobbyist crusade, billed as "America Belongs to Us Week."

New Hampshire, which is fast becoming the most affluent state in New England, is not natural turf for populist politics or class-based argument. But Edwards -- particularly before small crowds (about 100 voters turned out in Bow, not an Obama- or Clinton-size throng) -- is that rare candidate who can pull off antiestablishment rhetoric with an ingratiating smile.

What stayed with me overnight were not the remarks from Edwards' prepared text. Rather, I was far more swayed by a riff that the former 2004 vice-presidential nominee launched into in response to a question about which prior presidents have stood up to entrenched interests. (By the way, Edwards, like John McCain, is a Teddy Roosevelt groupie.)

"I'm going to be critical of my own party," Edwards declared, certainly getting my attention. "One of the mistakes that we make is to believe that all we have to do is to be better at this game than (the Republicans) are. If we're better at this game than them, we can be elected and then wield power. But for what purpose? But for what purpose, if nothing changes? Except for glorifying the ego of a particular candidate, what difference does it make?"

~Snip~

More at: http://www.salon.com/politics/roadies/2007/11/27/edwards_unplugged/index.html

[AndyA]

1. Edwards is definately the man.

America will be in such good hands with Edwards. :thumbsup:

[pauldg0]

4. He can answer any tough question....He's Presidential...w/ a plan.

Yep! Listen to him once and your hooked!!!

Go Edwards!!

[AmBlue]

20. This man gives me HOPE.

:kick:

[Plucketeer]

29. He doesn't give ME hope

He IS my hope! In total. :kick:

[saracat]

2. I love JRE, he cares about the people not the corporations!

[waiting for hope]

6. Me too -

I want my country back - and Edwards can and will do that, restore America to the Dream it once was.

[bettync]

7. Yes he does!

He is the one candidate who cares more about making changes to give Americans better opportunities and better lives, than he does about his own ego or his own legacy. He is the only one running I trust to make good on his promises once elected. I trust John Edwards!

[onehandle]

3. Expand our control of Congress. He'll turn more counties blue.

Figure it out, Hillary haters.

[shaniqua6392]

5. Hopefully while Clinton and Obama are busy with their playground fighting...

Edwards will kick ass and win the nomination.

[waiting for hope]

8. That's what I'm seeing -

Even Craig Crawford last night on Countdown said that Hillary should be paying attention to Edwards...ssh, don't tell her, Okay? I would want it to be a surprise! :evilgrin:

[weeve]

9. Great article !

Yep ... when even Jesse Jackson ( an Obama supporter ) singles out Edwards for praise, you know he's doing something right. Besides Edwards policies ( the most progressive of the top tier ), I just want a nominee that will keep a Republican out of the White House next year ! And Edwards is the most likely to do that ( and increase the Congressional majority ). For that reasone ALONE he should get our support !!

[Catchawave]

10. I forgot he was at 5% at this point last time.....

This should be an inspiration for the bottom half of the field :D

Nice article, thanks :hi:

I can't believe I wasted an entire day watching MSNBC's all day political coverage thinking it's enough time to cover ALL the candidates in both parties.

Not! hillaryobamahillaryobamahillaryhillaryOPRAHobamahillaryhillaryZOGBYPOLL....well you know the drill. Nothing about issues, just a bunch of bloviating pundits spinning their heads off.

[waiting for hope]

11. You are Welcome!

Hey - the writers are on strike! That means it's re-runs of the Hillary/Obama Show. Darn, and I was looking for something new.... :hi: (do I need to add a Snark in there? cuz, you just don't know these days. :evilgrin:)

[Catchawave]

12. LOL....I was thinking of just putting

the sarcasm, banghead, cry and evilgrin smilies in my sig line! Would save so much time, oh, and :rofl:

[waiting for hope]

19. I wonder if the admins could

add another smiley? Something like: I'mnotahillaryhaterijustdon'tthinkshehastheabilitytoleadbecauseGodForbidsomethingwouldhappentoBigDawgandthenwherewillwebe?

[Stuckinthebush]

13. Unattached voter here....

I look...and I look...and I look but I keep coming back to JE.

What are the arguments against him?

[waiting for hope]

14. Please, keep looking at Edwards:

http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/

If you have an hour, please read where he stands on the issues. :)

[Stuckinthebush]

15. Thanks...I will

The more I look the more I'm not attracted to Clinton or Obama. Edwards may be the way to go.

[LSK]

24. heres the main arguments

His Senate career was nothing to speak of, however it was during a GOP dominated House and the Senate had a slim majority for about 2 years of his career. When you don't have the majority, its really hard to put your agenda forward.

He joined the DLC at one point but who didn't in the late 90s? Also read his speeches to the DLC, they are very much the same Edwards as he is today and has always been - anti-Corporate.

His IWR vote which he has apologized for many many times and is making amends by criticism of Hillary on the Iran vote.

He worked for a Hedge fund so he could learn about poverty. Some make jest at this but if you are going to address poverty as President, doesn't it make sense to see how Wall Street works???

And finally they are trying to label him as a trial lawyer (aka ambulance chaser) without actually discussing his cases. If they took the time to know the details, they would know that he has always fought Corporate America.

[AlertLurker]

30. You asked...

Edwards - hedge funds and subprime lenders:
http://busmovie.typepad.com/ideoblog/2007/08/john-edwards-co.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118728685546999884.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002277.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/09/27/subprime-lenders-linked-t_n_66115.html

[frogmarch]

16. Oh, man

Thanks for this thread, waiting for hope.

"I'm going to be critical of my own party," Edwards declared, certainly getting my attention. "One of the mistakes that we make is to believe that all we have to do is to be better at this game than (the Republicans) are. If we're better at this game than them, we can be elected and then wield power. But for what purpose? But for what purpose, if nothing changes? Except for glorifying the ego of a particular candidate, what difference does it make?"

What a statement! It took real courage to say that. Good for John!

[waiting for hope]

17. I love it = Backbone!

[smokey nj]

18. K&R!

[Catchawave]

21. Kicky for hitting the stride !

:kick:

[cynthia]

22. I'm glad more people are coming around to see John

as the best shot we have

[Mythsaje]

23. John, John, he's our man...

If he can't do it...

People are STILL attacking him about his IWR vote and his stance. He made a major foreign relations blunder as a result of flawed information and regrets it now. But foreign policy flows outward from Domestic policy and that's where I think he's the strongest of all the candidates. He understands how corporate America's been pulling the strings and how to stop it--or at least slow it down.

And that's that.

[balantz]

25. He's the one

to get the job done!

[nxylas]

26. I'm a Kucinich supporter, but Edwards is a close second for me

It's important not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good (his only real negative for me is that his healthcare plan doesn't go as far as DK's in providing a single-payer plan free at the point of delivery) and I'd be very happy with Edwards as the nominee. Be even happier if he picked DK as his running mate though.

[waiting for hope]

27. Thanks for your reply -

I believe that Edwards will be able to accomplish many things as POTUS, and he's not above taking counsel from those he knows are more knowledgeable than him on some issues.

[BrklynLiberal]

28. President John Edwards has such a lovely ring to it!!!!

:bounce: