John Edwards has the ability to be a uniter and he talks about issues important to me such as dealing with the issue of poverty in America.  But I believe it is still too early, way too early, to know which horse will win this race.  He and several others have jumped out of the gate and are headed down the track, but just what winding path that track will take in the coming months, remains to be seen.  I do believe that John Edwards deserves to be considered as a possiblilty to serve as president.  I admire his ability to get back up from being knocked down in the 2004 race and try again.  You are only a loser when you accept defeat and stop getting back up.

Matthews’ asks, “Does it scare you that a President of limited rhetorical ability, like President Bush, was able to turn this country, not against the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11, but against french fries, against the French, against Europe, and put us all out there alone in the world? It was idiotic at the time.”

I think someone should remind Matthew’s that without the drumbeat and rhetorical ability of the MSM to serve as a mouthpiece of the Bush Administration - e.g. Hardball - the persuasion of the American people to go start an illegal pre-emptive war in Iraq would be dead on arrival.

I ask him, “Who was really idiotic at the time?” The mainstream media relaying word for word of the Bush Administration? Or the American people believing in an institution of American democracy established for discerning fact from fiction.

Edwards has listed his specific aims as providing moral leadership in the world, strengthing the middle class and ending poverty, providing universal health care, leading the fight against global warming, and getting America off of our oil addiction. How much more specific could he be? I don’t see anything on Obama’s website but the praising of Saddam’s hanging. O’Bummer!

John Edwards is the only candidate on the horizon that has the needs of the American people as his agenda.  He is also the only candidate on the horizon who has the knowledge, skills and abilities to actually produce real results on behalf of the American people.  The populist message that he brings to the 2008 campaign is the very thing that the American people need now after eight years of neglect by the Bush regime.

In order to win the Presidency John Edwards will need to use the media to educate the voters on the issues.  For example, the average American today still does not know that the impetus for the immoral Iraq war can be found in the neocon dogma written in 1998 titled, “Project for New American Century.”  Most Americans do not know the Bush foreign policy goal was already spelled out for him when he won the Republican nomination despite his lack of qualifications for the office
he sought.  The Iraq war is only Phase One of the anti-America agenda.  Wars with Iran and Syria are on the agenda if this nation is foolish enough to once again elect a Republican.

The media is all abuzz about Hilary Clinton and Barak Obama because they know that a Republican will surely win in any contest against a woman or a minority.  The media has shown itself to be a proponent of the military industrial complex that benefits from war profitering so they want more of the same in 2008 and beyond and the surest way to achieve it is with a Republican in the White House.  Now is the time for all voters to wise up to the marketing techniques of the media and to recognize that the goal is to defeat anyone who truly represents the interests of the American people from being on the ballot in 2008.

An educated electorate is the one that finds John Edwards the most appealing.  The media does not cater to the needs of the educated electorate when they try to push their own narrow agenda.

PLEASE…stop with the “Clinbama” thing now, before it’s too late!!  It’s not cute, it’s not clever, and with any luck, it won’t catch on—ever.

Now…for my reason for writing: I have to reluctantly admit that I didn’t hear Edwards say a single substantial thing.  It sounds great to say “American has to take the responsibility for their country’s future,” etc., but what, exactly, does that mean?  He was tremendously vague on what that looks like in a country where the president (small “p” intended) and his adminstration (small “a” intended) do whatever the heck they want, and no one keeps them in check.  The checks and balances that are supposed to exist and be put into play in times like this are strangely invisible and silent.  My Edwards, are you suggesting that “we the people” storm the halls of Washington, en masse, or something?  Personally, I’m expecting the new members of the House and Senate to do their jobs (unlike the majority of existing lawmakers), and call the Bush administration on the carpet post haste.  If they don’t, then the tiny, tiny vestiges of integrity that Congress still has will be lost for good—and deservedly so. 

Furthermore, while I share the conviction that global warming must be addressed by the public at large (and that this issue must be on the forefront of our minds), Edwards’ relative dismissal of the invasion and occupation of Iraq was very troublesome.  I wish I felt differently, but all I really saw here was opportunism and fluff.

The title of this piece “Edwards on the Issues” was completely false.  I heard not one word on issues.  What I did hear was a bunch of fluff.  What is his stand on the war in Iraq and the does he actually believe that we are fighting a war on terror?  How exactly are Americans going to take on the Military Industrial Complex through sacrifice?  How are we going to fix media monopoly, health care, social security, foreign policy?  He’s essentially saying we can all do it ourselves by involvement.  Then why run for President? Sounds like the smoke and mirrors of campaign politics that has no coherent stand on real issues.  We need more than fluff and slogans and “sincerity.”

Once a loser always a complete one.

Edwards is just another “cracker” that still refers to “Children” (in his public speaking) as “Kids”. I find it deplorable that a grown person attempting to show any seriousness at possible public leadership to not know the difference between the words, “Child” and “Kid” is not only dehumanizing toward our children ~ ~ but it violates the sacred trust we have toward our “Children”.

But, that’s not the big deal here. Create a new language and you create a new person. Putting the above in his terms: “Only a Child Can Enter The Kingdom”. Notice, they didn’t say the word “Kid” in that silly little primer of circular-knowledge of nothingness ~ ~ ~? Southern man, use your sense.

Anyway, we need somebody with gravitas and charisma. Nobody in this (so-called) country needs another “good ol’ boy”. Besides, he takes his marching orders from his (extremely) ambitious (control freak) wife. He’s not even home. The lights aren’t on ;

This make-believe issue of “Katrina” and American poverty crap is nothing. (btw: Brazil is larger than the United States and Tibet is bigger than Texas and Alaska combined.) There are enormous amounts of environmental and war torn refugees migrating all over the planet right now at this time and they’re all coming this way and going that way. Tsunami, anyone ??  We need a person with a more global vision and not so xenophobic & homophobic. Somebody willing to take on “all” the problems and to be more worlwide inclusive to all the people.

Edwards’ vision is too small and myopic and he doesn’t and wouldn’t and couldn’t possibly have the ability to be the leader with the needed moxie. He’s just another pretty face with a vacuous brain. Remember how we never heard or saw much of Edwards during the last month of the election with Kerry ? (Oh, gaaawwd; Kerry”. Don’t remind me.) Anyway, Edwards is nothing but a lackey and not a good one at that. As “Chris Matthews” said last week: “Edwards is (just) our flavor of the week.”

Where’s the person like Ghenghis Khan when you need him ? It was the Mongolians that started the Postal Service and Diplomatic Immunity for Ambassadors and Womens Rights and Freedom of All Religions and now with the internet we’re able to get past all these countries and all their (fake) borders and really be able to do something. But, it won’t be people like Bush and Edwards that will be leading us into that direction of positivity and creativity.

Real leaders think much more globally and that’s because that’s the way the world is now

Edwards probably has the best chance of actually being elected than polarizing candidates like Clinton or Obama. I like Kucinich but I don’t think he can shake the money tree enough to be competitive. That said, the changes that need to be made to bring this country back to some degree of sanity are not going to happen overnight. Although we have fallen faster in the last 6 years than during any time in our history it will take a pragmatist not a populist to begin to restore some degree of hope for the average American. The evidence of our third world status is right there for all to see in New Orleans.
Our foreign policy needs to begin and stay at home for a change.

Spinoza - You confirm my own thinking of 1/2/07. See the “Remedies” to A Discredited American Political Elite ... bottom of the page.

To some degree, Edwards is pushing in this direction by Speaking Truth to Power, reminiscent of the agrarian populists of the late 1800s.

He still has a nice air of optimism around him, a very pleasant person, but that can only go so far.

I know he was plugging the community involvement message, which is a good one, but he didn’t come up with any response to Chris’ last question about how he would increase community involvement to “help the war effort.” He wiggled out of this pickle by shifting to energy conservation. This is a problem, since that’s what we saw in Kerry-Edwards ‘04, this kind of shifting and dodging instead of taking a principled stand.

That should generate some concern as to his viability as a candidate. He’s going to have to speak more candidly at some point on these issues, or else his campaign will fizzle out. He has to show some backbone in the right way. Too bad he hasn’t formulated something already, since declaring candidacy means that this kind of stuff should already have been put in order.

I will make this short and to the point. In
2004 You and Senator Kerry WIMPED OUT why
should the American people take a chance on
either of you again? If I had been in your
position I could have won that election. First
I would have convinced the American people
that Bush had used them for his own benefit.
I would not have used those darn Telemarketer
calls. There was, and is enough volunteers to
man Telephones. If a volunteer makes a call
to someone that person can ask questions, if
the vol. does not know the answer take down
the question, the person and the tel. No. Get
the answer then call that person back. Guar-
anteed That will connect better than the Tel-
emarketer Crap. I know I hung up on Caroline
Kennedy, James Hoffa Teamster President,and
others. They give a person NO chance to think
for themselves. It’s do as I say. Which is
STUPID,AND ARROGANT

This guy had such momentum in 2004, with support from all over the Democratic communities. Then, he met with the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) and his attitude changed. The fire that was John Edwards fizzled, smoldered and disappeared as a running mate for Kerry.

What did the CFR tell Edwards to coerce such a change? Did they tell John that he was too smart and too likeable to have his name in the history books that tell the story of their diabolical plans for Iraq? Did they advise him that they needed an idiot not someone of his caliber? That they would need someone who would not question or not have the willingness to read the fiendish plans they have for our future? Did they pull the reigns on John because he made such an impression on the American people, which could unify the poor Americans and force change for better health care coverage, higher wages, decent jobs and a better quality of life for all, not just the elite?

Whatever the reason for John’s sputter after his meeting was, his actions are clear that he is just as much a puppet as the others. His allegiance is with the rich. His mindset is that of an elitist. He disappointed millions of supporters in 2004 and his message for 2008 is very weak. My advice to John is to stop using the “I support the poor” agenda; it’s played out.

Before the Democrats can do anything substantive the republicans have to be destroyed.  I don’t just mean the republican party, I mean the entire corporate/christo-fascist complex has to be annihilated.  I just don’t see John Edwards having the stomach for that kind of a fight.

Clinbama? Clinbama?! Oh no, not again. I didn’t think it would be possible for one of these combined names to be even more grating than Bennifer, Brangelina or, ugh, TomKat. That’s included in an article about something plausibly more important than celebrity gossip is even more annoying.

Edwards is no Kucinich but he is a genuine populist. Maybe they will wind up sharing the ticket, but I dout that the Dems would back either one.

Thanks. I had the chance to meet Sen. Edwards a few months and was very impressed—he signed a picture for my son - what can I say?  He is the real deal.

Re the clip I am just wondering if anyone else sensed that Matthews was baitng Edwards to say something about Bush and the war that could easily be taken out of context and used against Edwards at some later time.  It seemed like Matthews was sowing the seeds for future soundbites. 

I fully appreciate and support what Edwards is doing. It IS a different stance than the rest and I do feel his commitment.  I also agree that the American people are at last ready to move in a more positive, just, sustainable, peaceful, direction, BUT, PLEASE BE CAREFUL! The media guerrillas are VERY SAVVY APES.  Edwards will be in trouble if he thinks his passion, commitment, integrity and smarts alone will get him through this campaign to the White house: he will need to know everyone’s agendas before they do and all his answers before the question is even asked.

I like John Edwards….Whether he has a chance in our corrupted political system is something that should be of concern to us all, whether you subscribe to his views or not. I believe he is right in saying that its time the public become engaged instead of sitting on our hands complaining that these suits in DC aren’t taking care of us. Its or country, these policians work for us all, they aren’t there to represent corporations…thats the problem in a nut shell…we all have let it get to this point. If we can’t become engaged and demand accountability and results then we deserve this mess that these present thugs have gotten us into. There will always be alot of idiots ( like good ole’ Hondo out there )...but we can’t let that prevent those of us with the ability of individual thought to stand up and be heard. This last mid term election showed that the Hondo’s of our nation are definately in a minority…I wish Edwards well, I hope he’s able to make a difference. I think its high time begin to hold this administration accountable for the damage to the reputation of our country. If they are allowed to get away with what they have done, then we’ve learned absolutely nothing. They have gotten away with these past 6 years only because our system of check and balances hasn’t been there at all. They’ve gotten away with it because we are an apathetic society that can’t think beyond our own miserable desires. How can we spend 300+ billion dollars to get ahold of someone else’s oil while we sit back and watch genocide take place in Africa, or for that matter why did our goverment under Saint Reagan deal with Hussein and even provide technological assistance to him that he used on his own people only to condemn him years later for that same act ? There is a very good reason why america is held in such disdain these days, we have made alot of bad choices in our foreign policy decisions in our own hemisphere and in the middle east. We have backed despots with their death sqauds far too often because it suited our buisness interests while their own people bore the repression in Quatemala and Chile. We supported the Shaw of Iran for the same reasons and we supported Hussein in his war with Iraq when it suited us and looked the other way when he killed his own people. We’ve supported Isreal while they blatantly ignored UN resolutions and when they bomb a village or family, that bomb says made in america on it…..just because people in these countries might not be as wealthy as we are, that dosen’t equate that they are ignornant. They long ago started connecting the dots and we need to start insisting that our country, with its vast wealth, stand up for what is right in the world, not just what is right for Halliburton.

To my mind, health care, a free press (ending the capitalist grip on the media) and electorial reform including removing money from politics are the most important “domestic” issues and anti-Imperialism is the most important foreign policy issue.

Too bad Edwards can’t get past his apparent homophobia and embrace a genuine progressive agenda that includes gay marriage equity.

Maybe his southern upbringing is slow to evolve on modern human rights?

In any event, Al Gore will enter the 2008 presidential race and blow all of these neophytes out of the water.

Enjoy it while you can, John. My guess is he will drop out of the race by the end of the year.