John Edwards' looks will help him in the general

[senseandsensibility]

Sure, they'll try to make it a negative, but it won't work. When the undecided and even some repug voters see him in the debates, in photographs, on teevee, it will overshadow any negative comments. He looks cool. Making fun of him would be like making fun of the high school football star. Nice try,nerd. It just won't fly. Hey, I could care less about this stuff. But the average voter cares very, very much. We ignore that at our peril. Now if it's Edwards vs. Romeny, things aren't so clear cut. But Edwards against any of the others will bring in the independents on looks alone.

[pacalo]

1. I know where you're coming from; the truth is, there are a lot of shallow people.

I do like Edwards' platform -- wouldn't mind seeing him as the nominee -- but I have to say I like Biden's looks, too, & his delivery. :)

[journalist3072]

2. How shallow.....is that all you could come up with to post today?

Who cares how handsome John Edwards is? Last time I checked, we weren't hiring the most handsome person to be President.

[senseandsensibility]

3. Reading comprehension obviously isn't your forte

although slinging insults at fellow DUers apparently is.

[goddess40]

4. I agree -but it's very sad

I really like John and would love for him to be President but I hate that looks matter so much. It doesn't reflect nicely on American's, it shows how stupid and shallow the masses are.

[senseandsensibility]

5. Thank you for getting the point and reading the OP

His looks will appeal to the Britney-following crowd, and whether we like to admit it or not, we need their votes. Fortunately for me, I like him because of his position on the issues. I don't feel conflicted about it. On the other hand, Kucinich would be better.

[sam sarrha]

6. being the only life long champion of the poor, and Anti-Fascist helps too..

[AP]

7. On the one hand, it's sad. On the other hand, as Bill Clinton said about Edwards at the

2004 DNC, it says a great deal about Edwards that he has used all his formidable talents, skills and good fortune to try to do good for people who need help.

[cali]

8. maybe. maybe not. Didn't help much in 2004. And the pukes

did successfully mock him, I believe. They'll do the same thing this time if he's the nominee. and frankly, I find Obama more attractive by far than JE.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cali]

It's called analysis of what happened in

2004 and how the repukes will frame him if he's the candidate. You don't think the repukes will use the YouTube clip of JE in front of the mirror? As long as you post will be deleted, I'll take the opportunity of joining you on the low road and telling you not only to: Get a brain, moran- as the expression goes, but to also go fuck yourself.

[Tektonik]

26. I only see *ignored*

must be a hell of a troll :P

[Adelante]

10. Why independents particularly?

Anyway, I've always found his looks fairly ordinary and uninteresting. I can't imagine I am alone in the voting population, independents and otherwise. It's a pretty subjective thing.

[senseandsensibility]

15. By independents I don't necessarily mean registered independents

but people who don't pay attention to politics. There are many such people in the US; in fact, they are probably the majority. Since they don't know much about politics and are essentially uninterested in it, visuals sway them more than they would you or me. A committed Dem or Repug voter is not going to be swayed by looks. I agree with you that looks are subjective. Obama is also very nice looking in my opinion. But I think John Edwards has broader appeal in that area, since, quite frankly, we still live in a racist country.

[Occam Bandage]

11. "It just won't fly."

Seems like it worked pretty well in '04.

[DemPopulist]

12. I don't remember Edwards leading the ticket in '04

n/t

[Occam Bandage]

16. He was on the ticket, and they made plenty of cracks about his looks.

[DemPopulist]

17. I know

That doesn't mean it "worked". People vote for the presidential nominee, not the VP.

[Occam Bandage]

18. While we can't know for sure what Edwards' effect on the '04 campaign was,

Kerry's mediocre performance lends me to believe it wasn't that positive, at any rate. JRE was brought on to help flip southern/coastal/western states. Kerry didn't pick up a single one.

[JDPriestly]

38. He did not spend money in those states, that is why.

[senseandsensibility]

19. I remember Kerry being the focus of the vast majority of rightwing

attacks, and they were hideously unfair attacks, too. The media allowed it to go on, giving a platform to the seiftboat liars at every opportunity. That's why Kerry "lost" the election, although he really won.

[JDPriestly]

37. Actually, subconsciously the effect of the Breck Girls picture probably

is the opposite of the intended intent. It doesn't make John Edwards look any less attractive than he is, and it suggests on a nonverbal message that he gets the beautiful women. And, in our inner myth, getting the beautiful women is associated with being heroic. People may laugh at the ad, but the hidden message is actually favorable to John Edwards.

And, in fact, John Edwards does have two very beautiful women in his life -- Elizabeth, his wife and Cate, his daughter.

[comradebillyboy]

13. You are soooo right, as Rush Limbaugh said

"who wants to watch Hillary age in office", when we can have a pretty boy instead. This is so superficial as to be beyond belief.

[MGKrebs]

14. I'm glad he finally got that wart removed from his lip.

Now if he could only stop blinking so much...

[Jane Austin]

20. He looks cool.

He doesn't look cool when he opens his eyes real wide and over uses his mouth to say, "It's not true. It's a lah."

To this old mom, he looks like an over-earnest ten year-old, hoping his mother will believe his side of a story.

I like most of what Edwards has to say, but the wide-eyed look doesn't make him look very Presidential - at least to me.

JMO, YMMV.

[zalinda]

33. It was a mole, and I'm guessing he got it removed

when they found out that Elizabeth got cancer. Moles can turn cancerous and I think it was a preventative move.

As for the blinking, he wears contacts. When looking at one of the "missing videos", he is wearing glasses for a short time (and I think he looks really, really good in glasses, but then I have a thing for men who wear glasses). He may be wearing his contacts in for too long a period and they are irritating his eyes. Just put on the glasses, John, they make you look smart.

zalinda

[jenmito]

35. Is that Bush's excuse for blinking a lot, too?

I've seen HIM wearing glasses, so he must wear contacts that get dry.

[JDPriestly]

39. The blinking may be due to contact lenses.

[FrenchieCat]

21. I don't find him to be as good looking as others believe.....

because although in still photos, he might have a nice look, in moving pictures, he's not quite as impressive at all.

Some people become better looking based on their mannerisms (the way they smile, the crinkle of the eyes, great smile and/or a cute dimple, etc....), even if they may not be absolutely 100% photogenic....while others who appear photogenic in still frames, have mannerisms that renders them less attractive. John Edwards is the later; has mannerisms (rapid blinking eye movement, distracting tongue/mouth action, feminized wrist/hand movements) that actually reduces his perceived good looks to make him look very ordinary.

Obama is the opposite of John Edwards in that regard. Obama actually gets better looking in moving pictures as opposed to stills. Obama's smile and some of his facial mannerism are absolutely entrencing! Something about his mannerism is Barack Obama's real secret to the charisma that he possesses......Plus Obama has a walk to die for.

I watched some of that "missing footage" video of John Edwards being "John Edwards"....and he came off looking like he might have had some alcohol to drink, turns red easily, and that he can become overly excited at times with how he articulates....

Meanwhile, his supporters found him to be "cute as a button"

....so I can't explain it. :shrug:

[jenmito]

36. Eggggzactly!

100% agree.

[1corona4u]

41. I couldn't agree more.

[AnnieHall]

22. John Edwards' looks will help him in the general

So will all his money from the Mortgage company he owns, that is currently repossessing homes at record rates!

And this guy can identify with the hardships that the American people face?

Only in America!

[asdjrocky]

23. He doesn't own a Mortgage company.

Where do people get this stuff? And why is it, no one ever calls them on it?

[cali]

25. tap, tap

if you'll look at the time postings on our threads, you'll see that while you were bemoaning no one calling people on stuff, I was defending JE, and it is not, by any means, the first time. Whenever I see this kind of stuff about ANY of the candidates, I try and call on it.

[asdjrocky]

27. And I thank you-

It's kind of hard to do it all on my own.

By the way, please take a look at this vote:

10/30/2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 NV
04/06/2000 Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Drilling amendment N
02/10/2000 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act N

http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=21107

Thanks!

[asdjrocky]

28. And darling,

I don't think I've ever "bemoaned" anything in my life. Not even sure how I'd go about it.

[cali]

29. making fun of my use of language?

I honestly can't help it. It's just the way I grew up. And that's the least of it.

[asdjrocky]

30. In spite of everything Cali-

No matter what you say, I do like the way you write.

[cali]

24. I'm not, as anyone here will tell you, a JE supporter, but

your post is bull. He doesn't own a mortgage company. He did have a lot of money invested in a hedge fund that had money in a sub-prime loan organization, and they did foreclose on homes in NOLA after Katrina. He's denied having known that. And furthermore, there's historical precedent for politicans of wealth, caring about the issues of the poor and middle class.

[frogmarch]

31. I'm not sure his looks

will help him in the general election. There are certain men who feel threatened by good-looking men, and certain women who don't trust good-looking men. The negative "Breck girl" and "Pretty boy" memes applied to Edwards are directed toward (and maybe started by) these people.

[mtnsnake]

32. Edwards has Romney beat by a long shot. Romney is a pasty-faced Ken doll plastic lookalike

Now if it's Edwards vs. Romeny, things aren't so clear cut. But Edwards against any of the others will bring in the independents on looks alone

Anyone notice how Romney started with the tanning in a bottle routine in the last couple months? Not that Edwards doesn't get his tan from a bottle either, but Romney is much more obvious. Heck, even with his applied on tan, Romney still looks like a pasty-faced Republican puke. Even his hair looks like it's made of plastic, probably bakelite.

Edwards also has that "boyish good looks" quality that the chicks will go for. Romney is good looking maybe for a cartoon character or a robot, but that's about it.

Imagine if the Goddess of Peace gets the nod. Ooh la la. Dam she's pretty.

[jenmito]

34. I can't stand his looks when he talks. He's always jutting out his tongue-

so gross. And he's also always touching or rubbing his face, like he's been trained to do it. VERY annoying and predictable.

Now OBAMA-he's good lookin'!

[1corona4u]

40. See, to me, he looks like a total dweeb...

or a dork. Whichever you prefer.

PS. I'm an Independent.