Edwards "Clark comes from a different place"

[windansea]

THAT'S LIFE
Southern Inhospitality
by Michelle Cottle

In recent weeks, it's been hard to watch John Edwards on the campaign trail without feeling so hopeful, optimistic, and uplifted that you want to puke. Forget half-full, this candidate's glass perpetually runneth over. He simply could not be more hopeful, optimistic, and upbeat about the way this race is shaping up. Even in the wake of his perfectly adequate but hardly electrifying near-tie for third in New Hampshire, the smile never wavered. No shadow of disappointment dimmed those lovely, twinkly eyes. No sign of weariness creased that hunky brow. And nary a cross or unflattering word was uttered about the obnoxious political media, the crotchety, fickle New Hampshire voters, the wretched New Hampshire winter, or the rest of the Democratic pack. Except...

When pestered about whether the son-of-the-South mantle that Edwards has been brandishing as an advantage in a match-up with President Bush might also apply to General Wesley Clark, Senator Sunshine reportedly turned just the teensiest bit peevish. Insisting that living in the South his whole life has made him "intimately familiar" with its issues in a way that Clark couldn't possibly understand, Edwards (optimistically and hopefully) huffed, "General Clark comes from a different place."

http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=life&s=cottle013004

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. Oh Really?

Since when is being from the South and being from the South...A "different place?" Oh, I get it....Clark is known around the WORLD and Mr. pretty boy TRIAL lawyer is known in WASHINGTON and NC..where it really matters. :eyes: he's so lame. Comb your hair Johnny....you need to look pretty for your concession speech. :grr:

[windansea]

5. uh huh...more

Of course, bad schools and poor health care aren't the only Southern Issues of which politicians often profess an intimate knowledge. There is also that most delicate and thorny of topics: race relations. Unfortunately for Edwards, there's no indication that he, despite a wildly lucrative legal career fighting for the little guy, has ever taken a particular interest in the rights of African Americans. This is not to suggest that Edwards doesn't care about the black community. But neither can he claim the special connection to or affinity for it that, say, a Bill Clinton could.

Then there's Clark's military background. It's not as though Clark fled the South to go produce sit-coms in Hollywood or software in Seattle. While Edwards was hanging around North Carolina, litigating his way into the ranks of the landed gentry, Clark was working his way up through the ranks of the United States Army. The general spent 34 years in the military. Looked at from a certain perspective, you can't get much more Southern than that. Whatever it's flaws, the South is a deeply patriotic place that consistently sends far more than its fair share of young people off to war.

[Leilani]

2. Et tu, Mr. Edwards?

What say you go after Mr. Kerry, the frontrunner?

[JI7]

10. he was asked about clark

he was specifically asked about clark that's why he answered as he did there. he was asked about kerry before also and said he intends to beat kerry in south carolina.

[windansea]

13. he didn't HAVE to answer that way about Clark

it was a pretty baseless smear attempt...as the article points out

[jenk]

3. well, clark is sort of a faux southerner

accent wise at least, Edwards out southerns Clark, for what it's worth.

clark is from illinois, so the south is more his adopted home, Edwards could pass for "good ole' boy", clark can't. maybe he doesn't want to.

[windansea]

9. read the whole article??

doesn't sound like it

[Eurobabe]

18. oh fer chrissakes

the guy moved to Arkansas after his father died when he was 4. give me a break.

[Clark Can WIN]

23. faux southerner ?

Edwards out-southerns Clark accent wise? Well, thank goodness that's not too thin. :eyes:

Clark is a southern gentleman officer
Edwards = Opie

A one term senator that couldn't get reelected in his own state with almost zero foreign policy creds is not going to win against Bush in this election cycle.

I want to win.

[Tatiana]

24. Actually, when he really lets loose, you can totally hear Clark's accent.

His Southern one, that is. I suspect he's not as "good ol' boy" as Edwards becausse Clark's education has been more broad and diversified.

[Dark Star]

4. I loved that article!

Of course, I generally do enjoy Cottle's work, but still, it was nice to chuckle and smile while reading a complete article someone has posted.

The article makes me long for a Clark/Edwards ticket.

Thanks very much.

[Dark Star]

6. er uh

I guess I wasn't reading the same article as the first 3 responders...either that or I'm just feeling lighthearted. Whichever, I thoroughly enjoyed the article.

[windansea]

15. good article but peavish remark by JE n/t

edit JK to JE

[JI7]

16. JK ?

john kerry ?

[windansea]

17. oops sorry meant JE n/t

will try to edit

[Dark Star]

20. "peavish remark"

Hey, this is politics. It's like sausage...

Don't sweat the small stuff.

:hi:


:kick:

[windansea]

25. I liked to get peaved

and use the word peavish...heh heh

[Cheswick2.0]

7. Edward is possibly more of a phony than KopyKat Kerry

And that's not easy to accomplish. Edwards gets more of his money from wealthy donors than anyone else in the race. His populist talk of "two Americas" can't possibly ring true to anyone. He embodies everything that was wrong with Clinton with very little of the native intelligence and understanding of people.
Now he is saying Clark is not a real southerner? Jeez, talk about slick and opportunistic.

[jenk]

8. he has to try and win an election

in case you haven't noticed

[windansea]

11. he's a bit toooooo slick for me

his donor demographics are closest to Bush of all the candidates

only 3% of Edwards donors are less than $200 while 65% are from $2000+ donors...Chimpy's numbers are 12% (under $200) and 73% ($2000)

populist grass roots anyone??

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/donordems.asp?format=&sortby=2

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. clark has to announce he's southern. Edwards can't hide it.

[windansea]

14. true...but there's a lot more to being southern

than a thick drawl...Edward's loves to play up his "son of a mill worker" theme but while he was making millions suing doctors Clark was working his way up in the military...dodging bullets and earning peanuts

[citizen snips]

28. Clark was born in Chicago.

So that means Clark is not southerner.

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. Wrong! Sorry.

I was born in Oklahoma. My parents moved to Illinois when I was 1 year old. I am not a southerner because I was born there. I've lived in Illinois my entire life. I'm 48. I am a midwesterner. Give me a break. Edwards remark was shameful. Clark GREW up in Arkansas from the age of 4....he's a southerner, whether Edwards or you want to admit it.

Go Wes!

[MoonRiver]

19. LOL! Edward's feeling of sole entitlement to the mantle of 'Southern son'

is not only annoying, but blatantly false. That article was great! Thanks! :D

[windansea]

36. no problem

:)

[jpgpenn]

21. Edwards has alot of nerve but do we really expect anything else from

another Washington politican that handed *Bush everything he asked for during the war? Kerry and Edwards are in the same boat!

[Fleshdancer]

22. is this another Arkansas joke???

[JI7]

30. arkansas joke ?

[citizen snips]

26. Edwards is doing better in the south than Clark.

Edwards is connecting better with southerns than Clark is. But Clark is not really a southener because he was born in Chicago but lived in Little Rock.

[windansea]

27. Clark was raised in Little Rock

from 4 yrs old and up...

[citizen snips]

29. I know where Clark was raised.

I have seen better cheap shots against Edwards than this. It goes back to what I said before Edwards is connecting with SC voters better than Clark.

So please stop with these desperate attacks.

[windansea]

31. Edwards made the cheap shot

not me :)

[Clark Can WIN]

33. Stop with these desperate attacks? You must be kidding

Or have VERY thin skin. Edwards is the one who made the snarky remark.

His halo slipped for just a moment and it showed up in the press.

Where is the "desperate attack"?

[in_cog_ni_to]

34. Wrong AGAIN!

I was born in Oklahoma. My parents moved to Illinois when I was 1 year old. I am not a southerner because I was born there. I've lived in Illinois my entire life. I'm 48. I am a midwesterner. Give me a break. Edwards remark was shameful. Clark GREW up in Arkansas from the age of 4....he's a southerner, whether Edwards or you want to admit it.

Go Wes!

[windansea]

35. right..it's where you are raised

not where you are born

[DjTj]

37. I wish the article said what question Edwards was asked.

It's not even clear the writer was there when Edwards was asked the question.

...but I suppose it makes for a more interesting story when there is a 7-word quote and the rest of the article is editorialized.

[windansea]

39. there were lots of facts

mixed in with the opinion

[frustrated_lefty]

38. Edwards is green.

That's his only problem, he just needs a little aging. And, yes, I know he's 50. I'd vote for him this year because his heart IS in the right place. He's an ok guy, I just wish he had a little more seasoning.