Can Edwards stand the heat of scrutiny?

[littlejoe]

In the beginning, he was used to sitting back, laying low, while the other candidates took potshots at each other. It was a good strategy. A good looking man who says a lot of popular things, has a hard- luck story to tell and delivers with the polish of a used car salesman.

But now that it is becoming a two man race, the scrutiny will surely come. In the upcoming weeks, I think we will learn a great deal more about the man.

[Meldread]

1. I think he can handle it.

Especially seeing as how Kerry is tired. His campaign is complaining that he isn't getting a few days to rest after Iowa because of Edwards. Boo-frekin'-hoo. Buck up, suck up, and get back on the road if you want to win.

A better question is: Does Kerry have the stamina to beat Bush in a general election?

[GreenArrow]

3. how robust is Bush's health?

Kerry will prevail. Edwards will melt like a wax doll.

[mlawson]

6. A wax doll??

Yeah just like he did in 1998, running against Senator Faircloth, one of Helms' proteges. Very few politicians have had to do something that tough, especially for a first election. Where are you getting this???

[GreenArrow]

9. hey, I liked the image

and since Edwards strikes me as a particularly plastic (read two-faced) personality, it seemed fitting. I guess time will tell how tough he is.

[Lex]

13. He's already tough enough

to win his Dem Senate seat in a largely Repub state.

Let's see, Kerry won his Dem Senate in where? Oh, Massachusetts.

[GreenArrow]

16. and to win a Senate seat in a Repub state as a Dem...

can we expect him to be:

a) liberal leaning?
b) moderate to conservative leaning?

He knows how to read his audience (jury) but that doesn't help me know where he stands.

[Lex]

17. He's very much like Clinton was

a moderate Democrat who comes from a conservative state and knows how to swing Indy voters and some moderate Repubs to his side so he actually wins the White House.

[GreenArrow]

19. that's exactly what I'm afraid of

he swings the indy voters and moderate repubs while back stabbing the left of his own party.

[Lex]

21. Just having the left on your side

doesn't get you the White House.

Like it or not. It's true.

Clinton got whined at from the left all the time, and I first heard it when he started to rise in stature during the primaries in 1992.

But he won the White House for the Dems twice. And appointed Supreme Court justices and federal judges and too many good things to enumerate here.

[GreenArrow]

26. there are a lot of people on this board who would accuse the left

of causing Gore the election 4 years ago.

With Clinton running on a rather leftist platform, and after 12 years of Reagan and Bush I, the left was glad to help him get elected. It didn't hurt that Perot was running either.

I don't know; how many times can you kick a dog before it bites you?

[dansolo]

43. Like Kerry?

And Lieberman and Gephardt. I have more faith in Edwards than any of those three.

[GreenArrow]

45. birds of a feather

Kerry, Lieberman, Gephardt and John Edwards are all from the same nest, so far as I can tell.

[cosmicdot]

23. I wouldn't say NC is 'largely' Republican

in 1996, for example

Harvey Gantt received 45.92% against Jesse Helms 52.64%

and Bill Clinton received 1,107,849 votes to Dole's 1,225,938

but, that makes Edwards winning an even tougher task to achieve

I would put NC in a state in which Democrats can win ... we'll likely need a paper trail to prove it

[mlawson]

25. That's right. And we have had Dem governors for most of the last years,

as well. But the Helms machine was about as dirty and ruthless as it gets. Edwards' feat of standing up to that, was indeed something to see.

But of course that doesn't matter... This is about smearing him, whether it makes sense or not.

[jmoss]

22. Edwards will do just fine with the tough questions/scrutiny

Please recall this past weekend's debate? John Edwards confirmed taking responsibility for his actions, and has said he would have voted differently if the intelligence information has been, in fact, accurate.

But when asked the same question (do you take responsibility for your vote) John Kerry went into a calculated diatribe, in which he skirted taking any responsibility for the unfortunate outcomes following IWR.

Kerry said the President can do what he wants anyway, with or without congress. He said HE voted for a process, not a war. He WOULD NOT, even when asked yes/no a second time by the moderator, commit himself to any responsibility re. Iraq.

THIS SCARES ME! That is to say, if John Kerry becomes our nominee, I of course will support him--but I do not feel right now that I can trust him. John Edwards has been truthful and consistent. I'm supporting Edwards for as long as I can.

[littlejoe]

36. He hasn't seen anything yet.

The scrutiny can be crushing and debilitating. Men like Ed Muskie and Tom Eagleton have collapsed under it.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. A better question would be

can Edwards win ANY state he wasn't BORN in or received republican votes in? How many states has Edwards won again? Would that be ONE? UNO? 1?

How many states has Kerry won? 10? 12? 13? I lost count.

[mlawson]

8. And how many did Clark win???

One, uno, 1.... Talk about disingenuous!!!

[Lex]

10. Yep. Edwards is still standing.

And Kerry looks worried.

[littlejoe]

31. I don't think Kerry is losing any sleep over Edwards.

[scheming daemons]

35. Have you looked at him lately?

....he's looking a lot more than 10 years older than Edwards.

Kerry looks like a freaking zombie.... and inspires like one on the stump too..

[Lex]

40. That's 1 reason he's ducking a one-on-one

debate with Edwards, I believe.

I don't think he wants the contrast to be so stark. Edwards is vibrant, refreshed and relaxed.

Big energy surge in Edwards last night. Kerry looked drained. His Wisconsin supporters looked bewildered in some shots.

[SangamonTaylor]

44. He may be drained, but he has a huge hand!

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/images/I49647-2004Feb17L

[Tweed]

11. And Clark realized that he should drop out and Edwards should send a thank

you card. Edwards wouldn't have not come CLOSE to Kerry in Wisconsin had it not been for Clark dropping out.

[Lex]

14. I thought Clark endorsed Kerry

what happened?

[arewethereyet]

34. people can see whats going on, thats what

that endorsement will be about as effective as Gore's

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. The question wasn't about CLARK.

Now was it? :eyes:

[mlawson]

24. Let's see:

My candidate won one state, and now I ridicule another candidate for only winning one state. Yeah, that's a good strategy. Um,hm...

[SangamonTaylor]

2. Could he take the heat against the best defense attorney's money could buy

in the courtroom?

Heck yes!

Could he stand the heat in against the Helms machine in NC?

Heck yes!

Edwards has made it to exactly where he hoped to be, in a two person race before Super Tuesday. He expected to be going against Dean, but you cannot get everything right.

He's set himself up to be the moderate alternative to Kerry for those starting to feel 'buyers remorse'.

[mlawson]

4. Perfectly put, Sangamon!

But of course, your points will be largely ignored. This might be the latest way to attack Edwards; we will see.

[littlejoe]

12. We shall see. His real test is yet to come.

[Lex]

7. LOL! He's a Dem Senator in a Red State!

Who the heck do you think he ran against and WON in a Red State? A frikkin Jesse Helms backed good ol' boy, Lauch Faircloth. Lots of Helms-GOP money and smears directed against him NON-stop.

And he won. And it wasn't a Dem winning in a state say, like, Massachusetts either.

Let's see who melts under the heat. It won't be Edwards.

Count on it.

[littlejoe]

15. He placed most of his marbles after Iowa and New Hampshire

on S.C. He isn't even going to contest every state. And with him firmly placed in the spotlight, the media is going to crawl up his tailpipe. His "humble roots" background could be exposed and backfire on him.

[MurikanDemocrat]

18. I think Edwards is up to the task, even though I support Kerry

I have my reasons for feeling Kerry is the better choice, but I see no reason to go negative on Edwards if he starts getting more competitive in this primary. Let's just let the process unfold as it will.

[KittyWampus]

27. WTF! With This Hard Luck Story Bullshit. Edwards LIED

His father was a MANAGER at a Textile Mill.

He grew up Comfortable in the Middle Class.

No deprivation. No hardship.

[littlejoe]

29. I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to sell the Tom Joad

act with the Huey Long populist message.

[SangamonTaylor]

30. he was the first in his family to attend college

and he worked his way through. nuff said.

[incapsulated]

33. Oh, the horror!

C'mon, first in the family? So are a lot of folks.

Worked his way through? So do a lot of folks.

His background simply isn't as Dickensian as he makes it out to be.

[RaRa]

37. Ah, but do they vote? n/t

[SangamonTaylor]

38. link?

back those comments up.

You say that he makes himself out to have grown up in poverty. I've read his book, and he never makes his life growing up like that. They moved from mill town to mill town when he was a child. He comments on his lifestyle because it helps those who are concerned about jobs understand that he can relate. You must realize that the textile industry has been hit hard by the loss of jobs in America.

More than anything, he wished that his father would have been able to attend college, just like so many other Americans. He was upset when he couldn't afford Clemson, because he knew how much it meant to his family that he become educated. He expresses his life because it shows that his background and upbringing is just like "a lot of folks".

[incapsulated]

39. Link???

To what? I haven't read his book, but I've sure heard his speeches, and if you are saying that playing up this poor millworkers son background isn't a part of it, we've been listening to a different candidate.

[SangamonTaylor]

41. I see. Link to speech transcript?

Lets see what you think "playing up this poor millworkers son" turns out to be.

He's always described his father as a hard working American who always worked hard to make his life better.

[Lex]

42. Yeah, who does he think he is!

Describing himself as the son of a millworker (which is true).

And the first in family to go to college (which is true).

Oh the nerve!

[incapsulated]

28. Will he ever get any?

Or will the media lovefest continue until Kerry gets all his delegates? (oh, and he will) ;)

I've never seen anything like it, myself.

[mmonk]

32. maybe

He has gifts that trial lawyers have in framing things. However, I trust Kerry to better handle some of the security, war, and terrorism issues a little better when the multi million dollar bush campaign machinery cranks up.

[dawn]

46. Sure he can.

He held out against the Helms politcal machine in NC, so I think that shows he can take the heat from the RW.

[sleipnir]

47. No

n/t