Regarding Edwards skills

[cryofan]

Someone posted a message about Edwards in another thread, and about what he brings to the race. I was going to reply to it there, but lost the thread, so I am replying here:

Edwards has tremendous "room skills", surpassing even those of Bush and Clinton. And what a podium speaking manner! Better than Clinton and maybe as good as Reagan. When he talks, he seems like the most reasonable man in the world. And he is handsome, too, which helps.

But his skills, though impressive, seem to be courtroom skills-- ingratiating for sure....but more suited for the courtroom than the political stump speech.

And personally, I like Edwards working class background (although I like Kucinich's a lot better. Kucinich faced financial adversity as an adult, just 15 years ago or so....).

However, Edwards lacks what Dean has -- the ability to coherently project anger while saying nothing of substance. Dean would be a tremendously successul actor. Hell, he IS a tremendously successful actor.....Look at his earlier stump speeches: he projects anger so well, and all the while saying virtually nothing. And he does this with absolute chutzpah, too: he has absolutely no background of being an angry maverick. He governed as a Republicrat. He is a rich boy of Old Money privilege and background who partied away his youth at Aspen. What does he have to be angry about?!

With that resonant voice, rational-man manner and aplomb, his easy, confident manner, and his obviously high verbal intelligence, combined with his ability to bring up controlled anger, Dean could take Bush on with ease in the general election and demolish him at a debate.

However, Dean would not bring out that much of the liberal/progressive vote in the general election, and he would lose a lot of it to Nader if Nader (or some other decent Green Party candidate) runs.....so that could kill him in the general election.

[swittersnc]

1. wow

from edwards to dean to nader.
and if nader or some other green party candidate runs and does what you say, that would kill everyone except bush in the general election.

[HuckleB]

2. One question.

So Dean would lose "much of the liberal/progressive vote" but another candidate might struggle to gain the so called "centrist" swing vote, so do you think anyone can win?

I liked Edwards, but I've lost a lot of respect for him in the last week. His attack against Dean's Carolina speech was unfounded and disturbing, and his attacks since haven't been much more substantial though quite pointed. Is he playing the ABD attack dog role? I dunno. But it's not pretty.

[swittersnc]

3. great question

looking at the posts about candidates on this site as a whole, the general consensus seems to be that there is no democrat who can actually win.

[BayCityProgressive]

4. Lieberman

has a more Liberal voting record than Edwards. Just for your information.

[AP]

5. That was confusing.