I never thought I'd say this, but I'm leaning Edwards.

[smoogatz]

He seems to possess an actual interest in re-investing the people with the political power promised them in the constitution, and an understanding of the danger that corporate influence represents to the survival of democracy in America. Personally he still grates on me, but that's the least important criterion in the world. His ideas are making me think there might just be hope for this country's salvation, and I can't say that about the rest of the field.

[jpgray]

1. Or at least, that's the talk. And I say that as someone who likes Edwards

His walk in the Senate was quite different, although some consideration must be made for first termers being generally docile and disinterested in getting involved in controversy. Despite that bit of worry, talking the talk is great in and of itself.

[PATRICK]

5. I think I found the consistency

other than dark theories that he is just another corporate plant. (What happened to the old accusations he was just another DLC choice?)

His record as a beginner is ever this optimistic, polite and open humility toward the establishment he is joining. I think he came to view the second Senate term as a moral trap and practical uncertainty. What he had learned was he was getting taken, defined and set up. he saw the only possibilities as being a presidential candidate. I think he learned that early on in trying to be Gore's running mate but only crystallized his nature after an awkward 2004 run. An honest man who learns hard and then goes ballistic for the common man. Is he a classic pure liberal? No, he has the homespun, respect for authority conservatism as part of his make-up, a more genuine religion, a more genuine personal morality.

Has he learned all the lessons? Is he ready for everything? Until we have a dozen DK's running and voting in Congress, his is an extraordinary candidacy. Common roots. Anti-corporate track record. Shoved aside rather than enabled by the establishment whenever he accommodated. A better personal moral life than lost past presidents. Most openly committed to progressive change than a great majority of presidents. More accidental advantages in the electoral system.

Many people channel Truman, but the huffy media ever turns up its aristocratic collective nose against the real "give'em hell" campaign. Truman was pushed and pushed back liberally with a Senate record every bit as accommodating as the establishment could wish. With a state machine a lot more tainted. Edwards does it with a winning smile and they call him negative.

In the search for the perfect candidate, we have none. Do any exist? The problem is in the aggregate insufficiency of the present ruined representation within the party leadership. Our fears and demands are based on fears we are becoming as choiceless(not yet) as the current cartoon of the GOP. But in looking at Edwards(much can be said of the others as well) we see the potential and the personal attributes far superior in ways to our greatest presidents. And unfortunately, we have great times being imposed upon us. Millard Fillmores will not do. Thomas Jefferson would be destroyed as Strom Thurmond would not for having a black mistress. Jefferson had mansion- with slaves- as well and would be destroyed my modern slavemasters. The only benchmark where we sadly reminisce is the very very few presidents who were popular and skilled rhetoricians AND stump pols. The ghost of JFK whose actual first term was riddled with mistakes and lack of strong follow through. Teddy Roosevelt was an accident for the GOP that had none such after Lincoln, the master of the spoken political word.

Now, with Edwards, we have the speech that comes from within the populace as much as it is above in leadership. We have less faith in ourselves versus the treasonous establishment that weighs down our souls and shutters our eyes and floods our ears with a cacophony of evil. His weakness is ours. Time to be strong again, for ALL of us to be the lone Truman. The message is right and so is the man and the moment cries for something so much, that if we fall short, the cost will be unimaginable as it is another gift to the Bush crime family- against all reason and morality.

You can argue for other candidates. At least our work is cut out for us because there is no reliance simply on a Kennedy, a TR or FDR, who can be taken down with the bulk of the agenda by a mere bullet.
The human wave cannot be defined only by the leader chosen by our harrowing primary process. The reason we do not have as many potential leaders and less faith in our possibilities is that we have been dispossessed, despised and misled. We choose as best we can and move as one.

[readmoreoften]

14. Yes, the fact that he has a clear position is very attractive to me, regardless of his imperfect

record.

The other top candidates also have imperfect records, but they still have no clear position as far as I can see. Edwards' past record makes me suspicious, but I am willing to chalk it up to a freshman politicians' lack of courage during the most oppressive political shift we've seen since McCarthy. I'm willing to give him a chance to right his wrongs. The clear position will allow us to criticize him if he doesn't follow through.

Obama and Clinton have presented themselves as pragmatists. The problem with this is that they don't have any clear positions that we can hold them to, as far as I can see. I have nothing wrong with pragmatism, but I think running as a pragmatist makes an election into a beauty pageant. It becomes about "trust" and "gut feelings" about personal characteristics. It becomes tonal. I'm interested in clear platforms.

[Labors of Hercules]

20. toto Kicko! If you could K&R a reply, this would have it!

:applause:

[Evergreen2U]

2. Are you supporting Edwards?

Of the top 3 contenders Edwards is the only one talking the talk and putting it on the line. He is the only one seems to really understand the major problem in America and isn't sucking up to corporate donors. He has made some poor voting choices in the past....and is the only one to admit it and say..."I was wrong".

The man has cojones and a desire to find and speak truth. Kucinich does it without trying...but Kucinich isn't in the top 3.

I am contributing another $25 today. How about you? He doesn't have a chance without our financial support.

[Lochloosa]

4. Welcome to DU Evergreen2U

I'll match your $25.00 today.
:toast:

[silverojo]

7. The fact he's rejected corporate donors speaks volumes to me n/t

[onehandle]

37. I'm sending him cash this week too before the quarter is over.

John needs those matching funds.

[book_worm]

3. I never thought I would say this, but I'm leaning towards Biden!

[smoogatz]

6. Biden is also a reasonable choice.

Too bad he's polling so poorly. But you never know: if he finishes top 4 in Iowa, he's still got a chance. Maybe.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

8. I want an Edwards/Biden (Passion/Wisdom) ticket. But, I never get what I want.

hmpf

Nevertheless, as I have stated before, I would be grateful to have ANY one of those candidates as my President. Whomever gets in, I certainly do hope the rest will be appointed to key impactful positions turning this country towards a new path. I hope.

[Owl]

16. That'd be a great ticket!

[vssmith]

40. Do any of us here get what we want?

[B Calm]

9. Hands down, Edwards is the working man's candidate!

[etherealtruth]

18. He'll get this working woman's vote! eom

[harmonicon]

21. hahahahahahaha

[B Calm]

22. Why do you hate working people?

[harmonicon]

23. I don't hate working people

I've worked shitty jobs in my time and think this country needs a real worker's/labor party. I support US-made goods and union shops and small businesses over those which are not. John Edwards may say something now to try to get your vote, but don't be surprised to see him change his tune once he's in the white house. What sort of record does he have for supporting the workers of the US while he was in congress? Talk is cheap, action is what matters.

[Ignis]

24. Let's put it into perspective:

How does his record of upholding the rights of workers against corporations (both as a private citizen and a Congressperson) compare with the other frontrunners in the Democratic primary?

[harmonicon]

25. I won't accept that "sort of shitty is better than really shitty" is an argument for someone

Edwards voted for a free trade deal with China. Do you like US jobs getting shipped their? Do you like lead in your toys and chemicals in your pet's food?
John Edwards: FEWER accidental deaths and lost jobs due to free trade - yay!
We can do better.

[Ignis]

39. Well, that's the trouble with living in a Republic.

You have to pick a politician to act in your interests. If you can find a politician who aligns 100% with your position, more power to you. But I find that even the Kooch has voted in ways I rather he didn't over the course of his otherwise-stellar political career.

:shrug:

I'm not saying you have to pick the lesser of two evils, but you do have to find the candidate with the closest alignment to your own positions/interests and trust that s/he will do the right thing. Ideological purity just doesn't work in a two-party system.

[shadowknows69]

10. You know why I believe in John Edwards?

Because his wife is sick. That may sound silly, but such things make a person take stock of life and know what is important in life and that kind of integrity is not for sale.

[RiverStone]

11. Edwards is my lean too.

I have said repeatedly that IMO, Edwards has the appeal, smarts, and experience to win across all geographic regions of the country.

He better than any other Dem will lead to a victory in the GE.

I'll own he was never my first choice - behind Gore, Clark, and Kucinich. But he is our most realistic chance of victory next Fall. And I can at least imagine working on his behalf, unlike rethug-lite Hillary.

[tridim]

12. I'm leaning that way too..

There are only two things about Edwards that I don't like..

1) I know it's shallow, but I can't stand his accent. Sorry southerners, but it makes him sound dumb even though he's actually very smart.

2) His regressive view on the war on (some) drugs.

[FreeState]

13. Im for Kucinich but Edwards has moved up on my list lately

I shocked myself when Clinton moved into my #2 to replace Obama. Now my #2 is actually Edwards. My list is starting to settle now I hope (I constantly change my mind on my second choice LOL)

Current order:

Kucinich
Edwards
Clinton
Dodd
Richardson
Biden
Gravel
Obama

[readmoreoften]

17. His comments on trans inclusion really rocketed him up the ranks in my opinion.

During a talk with LGBT voters, he said that he would support health coverage for hormone treatments for transgendered persons. He said it sounds to him like an issue of equal medical protection. So many politicians shy away from LGBT voters in general, I thought it was evidence of some courage that he clearly answered a question on trans inclusion without hedging or obfuscating or circumlocution. It really showed me his willingness to reach out to us.

[FreeState]

29. I agree, he seem to "get it"

Not many of them do. The only thing about Edwards that gives me pause is his changed opinions on so many ideas in such a short time. We all change our opinion from time to time - and I want a President that does the same - however I want to see this evident throughout their political history, not just in the last few years - if it was not for that - or what I perceive as a lot of position changes a short time - he would be #1 for me.

[readmoreoften]

32. Agreed. At least they are all changing in the same direction, though.

Edwards' platform has become increasingly more progressive, more anti-corporate, more pro-LGBT. It's not a waffling back and forth, it's directional. And since he has a direction, he can be criticized for deviating from it. If he gets in there and doesn't fight for us, he will be heavily criticized. I wouldn't know how to begin criticizing Clinton or Obama because they're asking me to vote for their personalities or personal qualities, not their platforms or ideas.

At the end of the day, I want to vote my INTERESTS. This isn't a popularity contest. I want to vote for the person who best represents me. Not the person who has the most panache or the most sensitivity or the best sense of humor or the most humble demeanor. Kucinich is clearly the top candidate who unequivocably represents my interests. But I'm not terribly impressed with his organizational skills when it comes to making them happen. He's still my favorite, but Edwards is ascending.

I'd love an Edwards/Kucinich ticket. I know: Hell=Ice. But a girl can dream, can't she?

[mmonk]

15. Nothing wrong about that.

I remember him saying people will see the greatest redistribution of wealth from the working poor to the rich and powerful when bush was running for reelection. He was dead on correct.

[AzDar]

19. I'd LOVE Edwards /Dodd... OR, Edwards/Biden; Edwards/Kucinich..

:hi:

[mzmolly]

26. Welcome

to the Edwards camp. :hi:

[iamthebandfanman]

27. my primary is so late in the game

i wish kucinich had better polling and stuff, i really wish he was up in the top three and got the coverage the others do...
but since i dont vote till may...
ill probably be voting for Edwards.
hes kinda won me over the last couple of months.
mind you i really didnt care much for him back in 04

[Yuugal]

28. I was dating Kooch

But married Edwards in the end. Perhaps someday we can get a guy like Kooch in but for now I need to be realistic: Kooch's 1% isn't going to cut the mustard. Neither is Biden's 4% for that matter. Its a 3-way contest whether we like it or not and the only guy saying the right things out of those 3 is Edwards.

Obama tries to sound populist but hes still too green to understand just how evil the corporate mentality is and he thinks he can actually beg scraps from the corporate table and they will cave because "its the right thing to do". As a former union shop steward who has sat across from these "people" I can tell you just how evil they really are.

Hillary is already bought and paid for and therefore useless to us serfs.

Only Edwards has been talking specifics about the common people's problems and he has promised to not just "talk", "negotiate", "compromise"...... he has promised to FIGHT their control over our lives and OUR govt and even the playing field a bit for us. I never hear Hillary or Obama talking about fighting the corporate greed that is destroying America. Edwards is making a campaign out of that fight and hes my guy.

If he wins the nom hopefully he'll be smart enough to pick someone like Obama, Biden or Richardson for veep and round out the ticket nicely. If he doesn't get the nom I'll work my ass off for whoever does. Except Hillary. If she wins then I give up. The last time I voted for the corporate war monger I got nafta and this union man will never make that mistake again.

[fujiyama]

30. Edwards is the only one not playing a dull and safe campaign

I really like Obama, but it looks like he's been playing it too safe.

[onehandle]

31. Lean farther.

:)

[deacon]

33. Edwards '08 n/t

[sendero]

34. I'm not just leaning towards him..

.... I'm convinced he's twice the progressive HRC or Obama will ever be.

He's the only one not spewing right-wing economics in the guise of moderation.

So he's a politician? They ALL are.

[mwb970]

35. I am also settling on Edwards.

Maybe the Hillary-Obama horse race (prize fight?) has burned me out on them, but I think Edwards would make a better president than either of those two. Biden is good too, and so is Richardson (what an embarrrassment of riches we have, especially compared with the slim pickin's on the other side!).

Edwards is the real deal, and probably the most electable. That's my two cents' worth.

[Perry Logan]

36. You'll get over it.

Just kidding. I like John Edwards very much.

[Le Taz Hot]

38. I'm taking a second look at him.

Since Kucinich's MAJOR nosedive with the Ron Paul faux pax , I'm left adrift -- again. I'm looking (ONLY looking) at Edwards. I don't know if I can reconcile his "yes" vote of the IWR no matter how much he apologizes. And clean coal? Arrggghhhh!!!! On the other hand, after Dodd's performance in the Senate yesterday, I'm also going to start taking a closer look at him as well. Anyone know how Dodd voted on the IWR?