The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, Iowa endorsement of Edwards says it all.

JDPriestly

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sun Dec-30-07 08:42 PM
Original message

The Daily Nonpareil, Council Bluffs, Iowa endorsement of Edwards says it all.

Iowans are humble people. We don't rock the boat. We don't complain. We do the work because it needs to be done; and at the end of the day, we know the difference between right and wrong and what is best for us.
I used to live in Logan, Iowa not far from Council Bluffs. Here is what the Council Bluff's newspaper has to say about Edwards.

. . . .
The son of a textile mill worker, Edwards has a better knowledge of the wants and needs of rural America. He can relate to the rural culture better than any of the other democratic candidates, as he is the only candidate with rural roots.

. . . .
There are no skeletons in Edwards' closet. He's been tested before as a U.S. senator and vice presidential candidate and rose above it. His biggest flaw - as other media organizations have pointed out - is that he doesn't attack his rivals. He smiles, sticks to his issues and continues to push forward.
. . . .
Edwards knows the agony a parent has when their child dies. His son, Wade, was killed in an automobile crash in 1996. He worked to heal, and therefore has a deep, personal understanding of the patience and endurance it takes to overcome such a tragic event. He can also appreciate the plight of parents who want their children brought out of harm's way.

. . . .

He also recognizes that there is no military solution to the war in Iraq and that it is time to bring our troops home and allow the Iraqi government to take responsibility for their country.

. . . .
We believe John Edwards is the strongest of all the Democratic candidates and the most viable in a presidential election.

http://www.nonpareilonline.com/site/printerFriendly.cfm?brd=2703&dept_id=555106&newsid=19152763

The editor lauds Edwards' plan to enforce drug laws in rural America. This may cause raised eyebrows on DU. I have some experience with clients who have suffered from the drug abuse of a family member in rural and suburban areas in California. The drug of choice in those areas in meth. It utterly destroys the addict, leaving a shell where there once was a human being. Meth is a scourge in rural American. Edwards' willingness to help recovering addicts is yet another indication of the love of this man for his fellow human beings. Fighting drug abuse in rural America is not a cause that will make your poll numbers rise, but efforts in this area would mean so much to so many families. Imagine the sorrow of watching a family member, usually your mother and your wife, as if bewitched, self-destructing before your eyes. It is a horrible sight. And the shame of it in rural America where everyone knows their neighbor's business is heartbreaking.

I point out once again for the cynics on DU: Talking about the problem of drug abuse in rural America will not make your poll numbers rise. It might have in the Reagan era, but this is a subject that has become passe. Yet, Edwards is talking about it, not because it benefits him but because it will benefit people in rural America. Efforts in this area would mean so much to so many families.

Another reason to support John Edwards.