Topic subject Edwards Radicalizes Anti-Corporate Pitch

[rodeodance]

Forum Name General Discussion
Topic subject Edwards Radicalizes Anti-Corporate Pitch
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2551755#2551755
2551755, Edwards Radicalizes Anti-Corporate Pitch
Posted by tekisui on Sat Dec-29-07 11:53 AM

Dubuque, Iowa - Amid a heavy snow storm Friday afternoon, an overflow crowd of several hundred supporters bundled into a meeting hall in this economically battered town to hear candidate John Edwards escalate his closing campaign message of opposing "corporate greed" and denounce what he called a "small group of profiteers" dominating American life.

"Everything about America is threatened today...this is an epic struggle for the future of America," Edwards told the cheering crowd. "Corporate greed and the very powerful use their money to control Washington and this corrupting influence is destroying the middle class."

While all of the presidential campaigns have refocused to some degree on foreign policy in the wake of the murder of Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, Edwards is keeping his message of economic fairness front and center during the final week of campaigning here. "We will defeat greed and fear - and strike a blow for working people, for those with no voice, for those Washington has ignored too long." Edwards made no mention of the Pakistani crisis in his newly re-tooled stump speech.

While Edwards has consistently campaigned on an economically populist program, his speech today in Dubuque was marked by a noticeable ratcheting up and radicalization of his critique of corporate wealth and power.

"Why on earth would we expect the corporate powers and their lobbyists, who make billions by selling out the middle-class, to just give up their power because we ask them nicely?" Edwards asked. He made no mention of rivals Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton in today's speech; in the past, he has slammed Clinton for being too indebted to powerful Washington lobbies.

Edwards is in the midst of a final 38-county push to win next Thursday's Iowa caucuses. Even his own supporters will concede that taking Iowa is a do-or-die must for a campaign running third in national polls, but in a virtual dead heat in the Hawkeye State with rivals Clinton and Obama.

more at link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/28/edwards-radicalizes-anti_n_78600.html

Keep it up Edwards!

[bobbolink]

1. My only quibble.... it's destroying poor people much more than it's destroying the muddleclass.

And he is so RIGHT that they aren't going to give up their power "NICELY".

As I keep saying, we'll get what we deserve (health care, etc.) when we DEMAND it, and not a moment sooner.

And that includes if (oh please GOD!)Edwards becomes president. He can't do it without us DEMANDING it!

[Diamonique]

2. I think he's right

Yes it's "hurting" the poor more. But it's "destroying" the middle class because their ranks are decreasing as they become the poor.

If this continues, eventually there won't be a middle class at all. We'll just have the super rich.. and the poor.

So yes.. the middle class is being destroyed.

[Two Americas]

3. hi Diamonique

I am wondering how useful that term "middle class" is any more. It suggests a permanent lower class, for one thing. For another, there are only 10% of the people in this middle class anymore. For another thing, those middle classers are a lot closer to the bottom than they are to the top, though they often don't realize that, so it isn't really the "middle."

The idea of a middle class still has power for people, though, so maybe it is smart for Edwards to use it.

[bobbolink]

4. Some of us poor folk won't cry if/when the muddleclass goes down.

Why? Because their affluence has caused them to harden, and not give a rip about us poor folk.

Reason doesn't work with them.

Sharing our pain doesn't work with them.

The only thing that will open their hearts is for them to be down where we are.

Sad.

Which is why I'm VERY disappointed in Edwards for now concentrating only on the muddleclass.

If he keeps that up, he will lose me, too.