Edwards, still a class act

[question everything]

In 2004 Edwards relinquished his senate seat when he was a candidate - win or lose. He did not hold on to his senate seat as a security blanket - the way too many elected officials do, and recently earned him some scorn on DU.

(Lieberman, on the other hand, was criticized on DU for not relinquishing his in 2000, go figure).

Now, the new candidates are declaring their candidacy on the web, meaning, there is an announcement and that is. No question to address.

Edwards, on the other hand, did make his announcement in front of reporters and did answer a few questions.

Does this make him the best candidate? No, but just one more point to consider.

[tblue]

1. He does have lot of class. And a helluva lot of charisma. And he's brilliant. I'll tell you,

I am a woman and I'm black, and I'd vote for Edwards if I had to choose from the three of them today.

[historicaljoe514]

11. I wouldnt call him a super straight shooter

But for the most part he's willing to put the issues and current affiars before his personal career and party politics. At least tahst the impression I get.

[Inuca]

2. About that Senate seat

I do not know what the rules are in NC, whether he could have run for both Senate and the presidency at the same time, but from what I remember the rumor was that he did not have too good a chance to keep the seat in any case. And a photo op does not make somebody classy, in my book. Not a huge Edwards fan, in case it wasn't obvious :-)

[chimpymustgo]

4. He could have run for the Senate seat, and though SOME like to insist he would not have won

there is NO way we'll ever know. Except he had won it once, and beaten back all the Freeper arguments. He is a class act, and a fighter for the people.

[question everything]

5. And there is nothing wrong in fighting for people while earning

points.

Someone, who heard that Edwards was a trial lawyer commented: good, this means he is a fighter.

[Catchawave]

10. He would have won 53-47

according to Fox News 2004 election day exit polls.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,137521,00.html

[saracat]

30. Hah! I notice the nay sayers don't comment ion this!

[babylonsister]

12. Thank you. He wasn't too popular in NC. nt

[1932]

14. Because he was a little too pro-union and didn't whore for banking industry?

[babylonsister]

15. You tell me what issues sunk him. I had

a dad there that didn't like him, and I trust Dad's political instincts. If he had or even knew how to use a computer, he would have been the biggest cheerleader, in 2000, about the dangers of dimson.
I remember him telling me about the soup kitchens that might result if/when * got elected. And it got so much worse than even he envisioned.

[1932]

34. Sunk him? He did better in '04 exit polling than he did in '98 victory.

[madmunchie]

3. There is always a way to spin things now isn't there?

Edwards never finished a full term serving the people before he was out running for the #1 job in the country/world. Since he lost VP., he has been working tirelessly at his #1 objective, getting the #1 job in the country/world. Why should he allow doing the work for the people of this country get in the way of just going all out for your own ambition?

Different ways of announcing that you think that you are qualified to be in the #1 job of the country/world is a personal choice. Besides don't we all know that Edwards LOVES the cameras? I saw him moving front and center plenty of time before.

[saracat]

6. I have met John Edwards several times and unlike you I have been

impressed by how much he and Elizabeth have been doing for folks that goes undocumetated.They have been spending their own money quiettly to help others. Much of what they do has been unreported. Many kids have computers because of them and countless others have gone to college.Medical bills for those that couldn't afford treatment have been quietly paid with NO photo ops. I don't doubt that John wants to be president but there is a lot more to him and his family than just that goal. You are unjust in your criticism and uninformed as to the nature of his contributions to society.

[madmunchie]

7. I can only comment on what is before me.

Running this country requires a great many skills and qualifications as well as experience. Way too many people want to put somebody into arguably the most important job in the world with little or no experience. BESIDES which John Edwards voted for us to go into Iraq and was on the committee that heard many people talking about why we shouldn't go into Iraq, yet he sided with Bush and on the most important vote of his life....he voted WRONG... resulting in tens of thousands of deaths.

THEN, after EVERYBODY on DU knew that Iraq was a disaster, there stood John Edwards DEFENDING his vote to put troops into Iraq. Shows a horrible lack of judgment PLUS he is a little slow on the uptake. WE all knew Iraq was a disaster, yet it took until after the 04 election for Edwards to figure it out.... Way too slow for me.

That is nice that he gives to charities, most wealthy people do. He spent his life building his wealth so it is nice that he does donate to needy causes. I read daily how the wealthy donate to needy causes. Yet most of them don't think that they qualify to run for POTUS.

The Democrats have plenty of great candidates and great possible candidates with more experience than JE, faster on the uptake than JE, and voted or at least voiced the right opinion about going to Iraq before JE...

I haven't met JE, nor do I care to... I haven't met JFK, Clinton, Carter...but guess what.....I think that in order to be qualified to vote for a POTUS, you don't have to personally meet them, you could make your judgment like 99% of the other voters do.

There are people out there that actually have a job doing something OTHER THAN positioning themselves to be POTUS. Maybe just maybe by not staying in politics it has made it easier for JE not to make another horrendous error in voting, maybe just maybe he doesn't want to be held accountable for a position that he may take when he would HAVE to vote as other Senators and Congressmen do now. Maybe just maybe this really just is the cowards way to run for office - NOT to have to stand for anything with your vote in Washington and not to actually take a lead on any issue in Washington, but to sit on the outside and spout off with just plain old rhetoric.

It is kind of smart of JE to do this. But it shows that while he didn't operate in Washington DC very well the 1st time around he's decided that he won't operate in Washington DC until he is POTUS.

Doesn't inspire confidence.

Sounds like another calculated political move on JE's part to me.

[saracat]

8. Wow.You sure are cynical.And one vote doesn't make a man's career.

I don't believe it is right to judge someone on the basis of one vote.I don't have the information thet Edwards had in casting his vote, and I hardly think the opinion of bloggers on DU compares.We could have all just as likely been wrong.Edwards has admitted he was wrong but that isn't enough for some. It sounds as though you just hate anyone who cast what you consider to be the "wrong" vote on IWAR. It isx really too bad that you would tar so many with a broad brush as undeserving.
I am more concerned with the totality of a man's record and what he does for society.and yes, Virginia , there are more important things than the Iraq War vote.JMHO.

[madmunchie]

17. Considering that there have been tens of thousands of deaths

because of that ONE vote AND considering that it took him until after the 04 election to admit to a mistake tells me #1 that he has a major flaw in judgement and #2 he is a slow learner. It didn't take a brain scientist to know that going to Iraq was a major diversion and had NOTHING to do with 9/11 AND the "war on terror", it didn't take a rocket scientist or genius to know that the administration was wooing the American people into supporting them on invading Iraq. It just took good judgement and honesty.

Don't you get it????????? WE KNEW THAT GOING INTO IRAQ WAS A RED HERRING!! It had nothing to do with what the administration told us about. NO WMD's, NO terrorists, No IMMINENT THREAT TO THE US.

Kennedy knew, Kucinich knew, Dean knew, Feingold knew, Clark knew, Obamma knew and that is just for starters. It wasn't ESP for Christ Sakes. The ones that voted to Give Bush the authority AUTOMATICALLY go to the bottom of my list for possible Presidential Candidates as well they should. Tell all of the hundreds of thousands of mourners that it was just one mistake!!!!! Tell hundreds of thousands of mourners to get over it!

It was in black and white.....Rumsfield, Wolfowitz..presented the "Doctrine of Pre emption" to Bush I, he rejected it, then they presented it to Clinton, he rejected it. Bush I said back in Gulf War One that it would be a mistake to go after Saddam, #1, U.S. would be viewed as on occupying country, #2 We would have a hard time finding Saddam, #3 It would end up a quagmire because the Shia's would fight the Sunni's... Bush I said this back in the early 90's, Rumsfield, Wolfowitz...pursued this idea since then!!! I knew it, it was all documented, so Edwards and the rest knew it. They knew that Saddam had nothing to do with 9/11 and yet they voted giving the idiot boy the power to wage war on Saddam.

Then it took how long for Edwards to admit he was wrong???????? Why did it take him so long to figure out what I knew from the beginning? It has all been a sham. For people to say lets forgive and forget, it was one vote, Do you not fully comprehend what this ONE FUCKING VOTE DID??? It has destroyed over 100,000 lives for NOTHING!

If it was your family that was killed, would you then be saying...(even though Joe Blow knew that this was all a sham - after all wasn't that was part of Edward's job, knowing as much or maybe even more than Joe Blow), "oh it was one vote" "He admitted that he was wrong" - - - - I don't think so.

"The totality of his record???????" You have got to be kidding me, he spent most of the time supporting his vote, defending being in Iraq (he voted authorizing going into Iraq 2X and voted in support of the "Patriot Act" and campaigning, 1st to be POTUS and then to be VP. THAT is the man's record. 6 short years in the Senate & then being on the wrong side of an issue for most of those 6 years. That is the TOTALITY of his record. Wrong Vote on the most import vote of his career and campaigning for at least 1/2 of the time of his career.

As far as the DUer's opinions; they are based on FACTS and the consequences of those facts.....It is all in black and white for those who really want to know the truth. And for those that want to continue to live in lala land, where facts and and the lack of good judgement resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of lives don't really matter, well- I feel really bad for you and worse for the people in this country, because the people in lala land vote.

[saracat]

19. Au Contraire, I feel sorry for you who cannot see beyond your nose and classify all issues as black

and white.It must be easy to live in such a world and not have to think because it is so easy to just accept what is fed to you by fringe opinion. Do you seriously believe ALL DUer's have all the facts? We have quite a few bright people it is true, but we have many that just spout their convictions based on nothing but emotions. Clark knew? Obama knew? Dean Knew? Kennedy , Kucinich, and Feingold are the only ones you cite that had a vote.The others had an opinion they could state after the fact with no consequences to themselves or anyone else.

I find it amazing you seem to singlehandedly blame Edwards for the war.Tell me, do you think he is more culpable than Bush? You seem so unforgiving.It must be wonderful to have never made any mistakes yourself! I wonder if you have done half the service to this country that Edwards has.

Have you run for office? Have you been elected to an office? Do you know what it takes? Have you seen all the CIA evidence that the Senate saw? Do you know what they actually saw?

Only three Senator's saw the bulk of it and Edwards wasn't one. I actually spoke to Bob Graham about that.He was one who saw the bulk of evidence and couldn't share it.He stated that it was almost a given the way the evidence was presented that most Senator's would have had to vote for the resolution.He himself did not.But the others didn't have access to what he did. And based on what they were given, Edwards was not the only vote in favor of giving the President the power to go to war.I say one has to walk a mile in someone's shoes before we cast such stones and I for one, would never be this derogatory about one of our leading candidates.I leave that to the Republicans! Measuring by your standard there would be NO Democrats that could be nominated who could actually get elected!

But hey, why should that matter as long as they are ideologically pure? Didn't you enjoy being "right" while the GOP controlled all 3 branches of government? Didn't you really love the fact that thousands of American's died from lack of health care and affordable prescription drugs and women were forced to bear unwanted babies and died from botched abortions? Did you revel in your "political correctness" as our water was polluted and the earth died.But those deaths don't count do they? Because they weren't caused by the "WAR" and that is the only issue that counts in your black and white world. :sarcasm:

[madmunchie]

20. I see beyond my nose that is why I am not supporting just one candidate when the field

is still so ripe with great (possible) candidates. Great other than JE.

Au Contraire yourself - -Clark knew? Obama knew? Dean Knew? Kennedy , Kucinich, and Feingold are the only ones you cite that had a vote.The others had an opinion they could state after the fact with no consequences to themselves or anyone else. - Their opinions were cited BEFORE the voting, brush up on your facts. BRUSH UP ON YOUR FACTS - NO CLARK DIDN'T VOTE, BUT HE WAS IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE THAT JE WAS IN, HE IN FACT CONVINCED SOME, SAYING THAT IT WASN'T A GOOD IDEA, OBAMMA MADE A SPEECH WHILE HE WAS IN THE ILLINOIS CONGRESS SAYING "WRONG WAR, WRONG TIME"

Have you seen all the CIA evidence that the Senate saw? Do you know what they actually saw?
NO, BUT NEITHER DID OR POSSIBLY THEY DID.....UGH, AGAIN..OBAMMA, KUCINICH, CLARK, FEINGOLD, GORE (DON'T YOU THINK GORE REALLY HAD THE BEST IDEA OF WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE TIME? THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR FIRST CLUE AS WELL AS EDWARD'S FIRST CLUE.

"I find it amazing you seem to singlehandedly blame Edwards for the war" UGH PLEASE REREAD MY POST, THEN TRY NOT TO REWRITE IT.

Measuring by your standard there would be NO Democrats that could be nominated who could actually get elected! UGH...AGAIN....OBAMMA, KUCINICH, CLARK, FEINGOLD, GORE... THE BEST OF THE BEST - -- AND- - -THEY ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE PEOPLE NOW - - -IMAGINE THAT WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE, NOT FOR YOURSELF ESCLUSIVELY.

But hey, why should that matter as long as they are ideologically pure? Didn't you enjoy being "right" while the GOP controlled all 3 branches of government? Didn't you really love the fact that thousands of American's died from lack of health care and affordable prescription drugs and women were forced to bear unwanted babies and died from botched abortions? Did you revel in your "political correctness" as our water was polluted and the earth died.But those deaths don't count do they? Because they weren't caused by the "WAR" and that is the only issue that counts in your black and white world. HEY I DON'T LIVE IN A BLACK AND WHITE WORLD, I DON'T LIKE BEING PART OF THE KILLING OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, I DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT MY SON WAS IN IRAQ AND THAT WHILE HE WAS IN ONE OF THE "SAFER" AREAS, HE HEARD BOMBS GOING OFF DAILY. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPENING PANDORA'S BOX. THIS MAY TURN INTO A REGIONAL WAR AND WHO KNOWS MAYBE WORLD. THINGS ARE REALLY BAD RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE THE CAUSE. SURE WE NEED THINGS RIGHTED IN OUR OWN HOUSE, BUT WE WENT OVER TO SOMEONE ELSES HOUSE AND WE DESTROYED IT AND WE CAUSED UNENDING BLOODSHED. HOW DO YOU PLACE YOUR OWN NEEDS IN FRONT OF THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE BEING KILLED AND A POSSIBLE WORLD WAR STARTING? JE VOTED FOR THE PATRIOT ACT AS WELL, WHICH GAVE BUSH MORE AUTHORITY AND GAVE US LESS. EDWARDS SHOULD BE IN THE GOVERNMENT TRYING TO RIGHT HIS WRONG, TRYING TO LEARN SO THAT FUTURE DECISIONS WON'T BE SO WRONG, TRYING TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION SINCE 04' AND ACTIVELY WORKING AND SUPPORTING WHATEVER TO HELP GET US OUT OF THIS MESS. NOT WORRYING ABOUT HOW HE CAN GET A BIGGER AND BETTER JOB. OTHER THAN SLINGING BOWS AND ARROWS AND COMING UP WITH CUTE SOUND BITES, WHAT IS EDWARDS COMPLETE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR IRAQ? SO FAR I HAVE JUST SEEN A FEW PARAGRAPHS.

BESIDES YOU DON'T REALLY ADDRESS THE FACT THAT OTHERS KNEW LIKE OBAMMA....YOU DON'T SAY WHY THEY HAD THE RIGHT DECISION AND JE AS WELL AS THE REST DIDN'T. THE FACTS WERE ALL OUT THERE WHY DON'T YOU ADDRESS THE FACTS GIVEN YOU? BECAUSE LIKE EDWARDS YOU IGNORE FACTS????

OBAMMA, GORE, KUCINICH, CLARK, FEINGOLD....THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT I LOOK TO FOR THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT I FEEL WILL MAKE THIS COUNTRY GREAT. I DO NOT LIVE IN A BLACK AND WHITE WORLD, I JUST KNOW THAT AFTER VOTING FOR THE IRAQ WAR, MANY HAVE AN UPHILL BATTLE PROVING THAT THEY WOULD BE WORTHY OF VOTING ON MY BEHALF EVER AGAIN. IT'S FUNNY, BUT OBAMMA....AND A GREAT MANY OF US KNEW THAT IRAQ WAS A MISTAKE, WHY DIDN'T EDWARDS? AND WHAT HAS EDWARDS DONE TO ACTUALLY RECTIFY HIS HORRIBLE ERROR IN JUDGMENT? A JUDGEMENT THAT HAS LED TO TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DEATHS, AND A POSSIBLE REGIONAL/WORLD WAR.

[saracat]

23. As for properly reading a post, I suggest you reread mine.Nowhere do I declare

that I support Edwards.I have not made a primary decision as of yet.You have decided since I don't support your reasoning to bash him for one vote that he is my pick. I don't believe in eliminating fine candidates on the basis of one vote that they admit was wrong. You address none of the issues of differing information and I was obviously right about your lack of concern about any other issues facing us other than the war.

Your are clearly a one issue voter and that proves you are a black and white thinker .It really is too bad .I am sure just more American deaths are caused by lack of health care, medication and poverty than soldiers die in the war.We have an obligation to those people as well as our soldiers and the Iraqi people.

I believe we should bring the troops home and we should do it as safely as possible for our men.But I believe our problems at home are just as important and the candidate who demonstrates the ability to solve those problems will get my vote.

[madmunchie]

24. My # 1 on my list of issues on choosing my candidate is Iraq

and I am not just talking about the loss of American Soldiers lives, I do hold all lives dear including the Iraqis lives so that blows your number of deaths caused by our domestic policies right out of the water. There are tens of thousands of Iraqis killed because of this war, this one vote as you put it.

I don't consider JE one of the "fine candidates" I am glad that he is not your boy exclusively yet. My concerns do not lack when it comes to the domestic issues BUT in case you aren't aware, the 3 branches of our Government are no longer all Republican and that is because of Iraq - not the domestic policy. So I guess there are a lot of other black and white thinkers too and maybe those people have a conscience as well.

After all being a citizen of a country that is responsible for all of these deaths weighs heavy on those of us with a conscience and we feel that this must be stopped before our own issues become front and center. How can we be so concerned with our own homes when in comparison to what is going on in Iraq, we are lucky. Our problems at home are critical in that we affect so much of the world around us. We wage war and create destruction where there is no need, we kill others in other nations by tens of thousands and beat our chests when we lose 3 thousand American lives. Why are our lives more important than the lives that we are responsible for taking everyday.

You keep talking black and white..... I believe that you just don't have the conscience, heart or will to look beyond your own needs to realize that we are responsible for the loss of life in another country in numbers that are incomprehensible to most. The people in Iraq are suffering in bloodshed every day because of us...don't you even feel a little responsible for that? Your #1 is our domestic policy for our poor? Yes, I don't beleive that this country has any reason to have people in need of anything. We should have national healthcare, our young and our old should need for nothing. Our wages should be fair, our taxes should be fair as in a flat tax. We should be the shining example of the world, not the one that everyone fears. I do have many cares and "issues", but 1st things 1st, we need to right the wrong that is daily causing the deaths of Iraqis and Americans. If what I said is black and white to you than that tells me that the depth of your understanding is minimal and your conscience of righting the wrong that has been done is also minimal. I am not saying for us to go and make eveything around the world perfect. I am saying that we as a country are responsible for tens of thousands of Iraqi deaths and thousands of American deaths and until that is resolved not too much measures up in importance.

We do have fine candidates and possible candidates that showed great judgement on Iraq (and other issues as well), those are the first on my list. Notice, I didn't say "only" AND I will add JE is not on my list at all.

[saracat]

26. Again if you read my post carefully you will see I mention the obligation

I feel we have to the Iraqis.We "broke" their country and we must do something to fix it. I am in favor of troop withdrawal but what we can do to save the Iraqis from themselves? I don't know.We have created a mess there and I have no idea what the solution is.I resent the allegation that I have " no concience" because I place our domestic problems and our citizens on equal parity with the war. I agree with you that we are responsible for thousands of deaths in Iraq but we are equally culpable for thousands of deaths on the domestic front.The residents of the Guf Coast who dies during Katrina are just as important and equally as much victims as our soldiers and the Iraqis.As are those that die from malnutrition and lack of health care and percription drugs.

And I notice on your "list" of candidates ,only two Kucinich and Obama are actually running. And only one is a serious candidate with a chance,Obama.

The only reason for the Democratic Party to exist is to elect Democrats.That is our purpose and I support that premise.I want a candidate that ALL of America will support and that includes the Republicans because we can't win without them.

I want to WIN in 2008 because if we don't WIN, we can't accomplish anything! Nancy Pelosi's 100 hours should have taught us that lesson. This is what we can do when we WIN, and to WIN, we had to elect some candidates that are not one issue oriented that I don't approve of but hey, we WON and can now act for the greater good!

I want to WIN again in 2008 and see what we can do with all 3 branches under our control!

[madmunchie]

29. Many

Others understand that Iraq is #1 priority and that is why Democrats won. So expertise and no politicing is what is needed to resolve the #1 issue of this country. There are plenty of problems in this country to fix but thank God they don't include our fellow citizens waking up to bombs going off and our children being blown to smithereens and our students being killed at school by bombs and people dying when they go apply for jobs, thank God our children and citizens aren't being traumatized daily by explosions going off all around them.

"I resent the allegation that I have " no concience" because I place our domestic problems ...."

Our domestic problems pale in comparison to what is going on in Iraq. I don't have an answer either, but I feel that is our #1 priority - trying to undo some of the damage that we have done. It is something that horrifies me. How can I focus on "cleaning my own house after I have just destroyed someone elses?" I cannot, I simply cannot leave the Iraqis to kill each other off if there is anything on God's green earth that can put a stop to it. Sadly, that is the only good that Saddam did, he kept the lid on Pandora's box closed.

"And I notice on your "list" of candidates ,only two Kucinich and Obama are actually running. And only one is a serious candidate with a chance,Obama."

It is early yet and I have my fingers crossed that we might get lucky and a couple of those on my list will run. We need them so badly, their expertise and intellect and experience is sorely needed at this critical time in our history. Their talent is unequaled and if we do have them decide to run, well, I will work my hardest for them. Afterall, they are the best of the best and we could actually solve some of these monumental problems.

[venable]

31. it is not Edwards war

he voted for a process. not a war. he had intel and assurances from Tenet that you didn't have that WMD were on their way. Tenet lied. Edwards said:
I was wrong.

it is bush's war no matter how much you personally dislike Edwards.

If you care about peace, listen to him right now. If you care about how many lives are YET to be lost, listen to him now. Pious judgements don't cover for thinking.

[madmunchie]

36. Hi Venable!

We have crossed paths before on this topic, As I have stated before we have people that didn't authorize going to Iraq and have much more experience and much better judgment as well.

What is JE's plan for Iraq? All that I see is a few paragraphs or so, I have yet to see a comprehensive plan.

While JE campaigns, others do work to actually solve the problems, look at BR, look at what he has done while being a Governor he actually negotiated a cease fire in Darfur. Those are the kind of people that I want to look at, the people that are actually actively working and committing to our problems of today. Not some guy who has spent the last 2 years campaigning for himself exclusively,

Not some guy who was the ONLY Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee who DIDN'T listen to Clark and voted with the Republicans to bring the IWR out of that committee.

Byrd, McGovern, Clark, Scowcroft, Gore all spoke against going into war, there were millions that protested and JE went with Bush.

JE talks about poverty,but he cosponsored a massive increase in H-1b Visas

JE CO-SPONSORED the IWR

JE then voted for the IWR

It took JE 3 years to finally admit that he was wrong????

JE voted for the Patriot Act

JE did not champion or generate any poverty legislation during his 6 years in the senate.

JE has basically bed down in Iowas and New Hampshire for the past two years while he nervously waivered because of Elizabeth's illness.

JE writes a book!!!! not on the Iraq War, Not on poverty, but on famous folks houses...

JE wears a microphone on his white shirt while he works the earth to help those poor blacks surrounding him.

Mrs. JE writes a book where she puts the Kerrys down, nice way to say thanks to somebody that gives you a chance to be VP now isn't it?

JE is calling for all of the troops to come home now....under the Geneva Conventions, we just can't pick up and leave...so how exactly does JE intend to do it?

These are facts, and not just one fact but quite a few. I have very good reason to not want this guy anywhere near the WH.

While JE was in public office this is what he has DONE! Not a good record at all.

[babylonsister]

13. Undocumented no longer, but we all have our favorites. nt

[beaconess]

9. To be accurate

Obama and Clinton didn't announce their candidacy - they announced the formation of exploratory committees.

And it's not like Obama and Clinton haven't been answering reporters' questions - they've both been all over the airwaves doing interviews in recent weeks, so they're certainly not ducking questions.

Different candidates have different ways of announcing their exploratory committees/candidacy. Edwards chose to do it with a photo op in New Orleans. Clinton and Obama opted to do theirs on the web. One way is not necessarily better than another, nor does it mean that one particular candidate is superior to another.

I really wish we wouldn't play this game of picking apart other candidates in order to build up our own, especially by focusing on issues that mean nothing.

[Imagevision]

16. Edwards seems much more confident - Obama will be tough to beat - Hillary

will do anything - anything to calm Obama's action down.

[ieoeja]

37. Edwards in Iowa. Obama in New Hampshire.

I believe Hillary already knows she is going to lose the first two. But I don't believe her hubby won either of those, so this could be a really fun election.

And I disagree with those who say we have to rally around a single candidate early. A long primary can actually work either way...

Bad - The Democratic candidates "eat their own" shooting each other down so badly the Republics coast to victory. Or the Democratic candidate may be viewed as just one among many. In 2002 senate election the Republics in Illinois looked like a bunch of Keystone Cops. And each was more suited to a single niche than to the entire state constituency. Then in 2004 they quickly rallied around one gubernatorial candidate who looked bad simply by now being associated with all those crooks and losers.

Good - The primary provides good theater. It gets people interested in candidate A's battle for victory against his/her rivals. It becomes a sporting event and people become emotionally invested in the eventual winner. The general election then becomes anti-climatic, like when a conference championship features the teams everyone know to be the best, so the league championship is just confirming the obvious superiority of one conference over the other***.


***Sure, the NFC sucks compared to the AFC. But the Bears are still going to kick Indy's butt. But elections are 90% popularity contests. There is no butt kicking to decide the eventual winner beyond whom people want to win.

[EVDebs]

18. Edward's command of economic issues will propel him to the front ranks

If Gore should enter the fray is his only real worry, I predict. Iraq is falling apart from its own weight, just like Vietnam during the first oil crisis. The sensible Amory Lovin's conservation program got us out of that mess eventually, it will again.

www.oilendgame.com

Lester Brown's Plan B 2.0 takes us even further along the 'way out'. Edwards knows this, or should and will make mincemeat of other candidates who don't discuss this. Iraq is a fool's errand.

[Imagevision]

21. Edwards is twice as good as he was in 04, if it was Edwards/Kerry, it may have worked

[Catchawave]

22. I agree, most of us have supported him since '03

There's nothing phoney about him, other than the opinions of his detractors.

[FrenchieCat]

25. Sure...it's us that don't want Edwards as president that forced

him to co-sponsor the IWR and then to vote for it, to stand by it a year later, and then to say sorry after the polls turned, three years and one failed election later. Yes, we forced John Edwards to say that he had been misled cause he was lied to, although even when the evidence was out that there were no WMD in 2004, Edwards clearly stood by his vote. We did that bit....yes sirreee!
He was sincere the entire time, and we are just big phonies for seeing exactly all that he took for him to finally get to where we were in September 2002!

Plus, we're the ones that made Edwards not generate or champion any poverty legislation during his 6 years in the senate, and then we made him decide, once he could do less about it, that he should make poverty his mantra! We, the phonies forced Edwards to start appearing at every Union rallies he could locate where cameras were present (especially if they were in Iowa and NH) and set up a poverty center that he now doesn't have "time" for because he's doing us the great favor of running for President (like he ever stopped) and offering us his great judgment! Seeing him out on the edge taking a risk with issues like College Tuition and minimum wage support. Boy, he is brave and true....and we, unfortunately are simply opportunistic phonies.

We also made Edwards literally bed down in Iowa and New Hampshire for the past two years while he nervously wavered because he didn't know if he was gonna run since his wife was sick! ....and we made him write a table coffee book so that he could get on all of the talk shows to discuss...not poverty; not the Iraq War;....but famous folks' houses! Yes, we engineered that whole bit to make him as obvious as he wanted to be to those who's eyes aren't shut close blinded by his 100 watt pearly whites!

But the kicker is that we forced him to wear that doggone microphone attached to his white shirt during his announcement in New Orleans while he was "earnestly" toiling the earth to help those poor Blacks surrounding him! Yes we did!

Yep....and then we forced his wife to write a book where she disses Mr. & Mrs. John Kerry as her sincere thanks for giving her hubby and herself the opportunity of a lifetime by offering Edwards something he worked so hard for since he couldn't be President the last time; the vice presidency!

Yep...we, his distrators are phoneys.....and Sen. Edwards is not really a politician; he's just a good guy on the level of JFK, RKF, FDR, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Jesus, etc....in other words, he's just got the compassionate thing going, and we...the phonies are just jealous as hell! :sarcasm:

[Catchawave]

28. Well, at least Wes likes Edwards ...snork....

From FOX News, 'Your World with Neil Cavuto,' aired 12-28-06, as transcribed and posted to the WesPac site by a supporter:

Stuart Varney: I'm sorry to interrupt. In the interest of time, I do want to just switch gears completely for just one second. John Edwards announced his candidacy for the Presidency on '08 as of today, made the announcement in New Orleans. Any comment from you as a former Democrat Presidential candidate?

GENERAL WESLEY CLARK: Well, I like John Edwards. I think he has to be taken in as a very serious contender for the Presidency in 2008. He's a man who is clearly shown his motivation and his determination and, and one of the things that I think all Americans want and I think people all over the world want is they want the American President to be fully committed, his whole life, being and essence to the job and the public responsibilities that come with the office of the Presidency.

http://securingamerica.com/printready/transcript_061228.htm

[venable]

32. beautiful - though it may cause serious brain-bend to some here

Clark liking Edwards is going to distress a handful of Clark supporters.

Fact is, Edwards likes Clark, too. It's just that Edwards supporters are not obsessed with Wes Clark, so that is just fine.

[venable]

35. your dislike of Edwards says much more about you

than it does about him. At this point you are getting just silly, grasping at straws. His wife, his indifference to her cancer (nice one, that, classy) his book, his microphone, his travel schedule (which you have seriously wrong. Check out what states he went to, and what minimum wage rallies, and whether there were cameras....there weren't).

Boost Clark.

Your Edwards-hatred has gone a little wacky, and lacks any credibility. It's like the guy at the party with the lampshade, oh dear.

I know the happiest moment in your life was when you discovered that he co-sponsored the IWR. I will say to you, as many have, there is no difference in voting for it and co-sponsoring it. A cosponsorship is a vote, no more no less. A yes is a yes. Try to contain yourself.

For those who wish he had not voted for it, but still support him, he is someone who made an assessment based upon assurances from Tenet that there would be hell to pay, and soon, if Saddam wasn't stopped. He shouldn't have believed him but he did. He was wrong. If only he had the courage to admit it and call for immediate withdrawal...oh, wait.

I wonder if any noted generals supported the idea of a surge? Or if they would have supported military teeth for inspections, if they actually held office?

[mnhtnbb]

27. Do people remember that Edwards was on Gore's short list for VP?

I've been reading Elizabeth's book and she writes about Lieberman, Kerry, and Edwards being on the short list for Gore. No wonder Kerry/Lieberman/Edwards were so pissed at Gore when he endorsed Dean.

Just a thought on progression for him...passed for VP...chosen for VP...elected President?

[Steely_Dan]

33. I agree...

So far he has my vote (or Wes).

-P