One reason I'd like to see Edwards as the Dem. candidate.

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

Please note: this post is not meant as an endorsement of Edwards. Just some thoughts.

I'm so fucking sick and tired of the talking heads who hate the populist message. The fact is THEY HATE THE POPULIST MESSAGE. They are implicated with every fucking syllable (and I'm implicated with every other syllable). But I'd love to see what the voting public has to say. I'd love to see a purely populist candidate go out there and sell a purely populist message. And, I must admit, it's great that it's a white, southern male delivering said message. I want to see a flat-out brawl between American corporatacracy and populism. I want to see an real "us-versus-them" rhetorical hullabaloo. We haven't seen this sort of populist rhetoric in a LONG TIME. So I'd just like to see how it would play out in a general election. We may get buried (especially by the media). But I'd like to see a rejection by the voters in an election.

Yes, I realize DK has the same (and an even more populist) message, but, come on. In fact, DK in 2008. But, again, come on.

[Iris]

1. me, too. nt

[Yael]

2. Populists don't drive profit margins like lobbyists do

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

4. There are more non-lobbyists than lobbyists.

There are more poor to middle-class than those who the lobbyists represent. This is Edwards' message. And he'll be slimed as a hypocrite. I'd just like to see how the message goes over. I haven't seen a true populist message in a general election in my lifetime. And all the know-it-alls say it won't work. So I think it'd be interesting to see.

[Yael]

5. I haven't seen it either and I am all ears.

We have your back, Senator. Go get this thing. :woohoo:

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

3. And if I hear the hypocrite line one more time . . .

1) Edwards' basic premise: the rich and the powerful set the agenda in this country. He wants to upset that trend, if not subvert it completely.

2) The media agree with his basic premise. Lobbyists rule the day. They all admit that Washington is overrun with money and special interests.

3) The media note that Edwards is rich and owns a 20,000-28,000 square-foot mansion. Therefore, he is in no position to criticise or correct the situation since he too is powerful.

Now those of us who graduated the 4th grade see something amiss. Based on premises 1 and 2, how in God's name can someone who is "financially pure" (i.e., someone who is middle-class to poor) participate in the system. It will precisely take someone from the "powers-that-be" to speak up for the poor to middle-class.

The "hypocrite" meme essentially means that NO ONE will ever get to use populist rhetoric.

[Yael]

6. Going with public financing goes a LONG way to refute this...

[ithinkmyliverhurts]

7. Yeah, but no one in the media, NO ONE, goes with the narrative.

They say that he is forced into public financing because no one is very excited about his candidacy.