Milwaukee Journal Sentinel endorses Edwards

[spooky3]

"Posted: Feb. 15, 2004

Democrats in Wisconsin and elsewhere owe much to Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont and candidate for the presidential nomination of their party. Perhaps more than any other candidate in the race, the long-running Dean has set the thematic framework and identified the critical issues in the coming battle with President Bush. Those themes and issues by now are familiar to voters: the conduct of the war on terrorism, justification for the invasion of Iraq, globalization and the loss of manufacturing jobs, outsourced services, health care costs and coverage, tax cuts skewed to America's most prosperous citizens and a deficit-burdened fiscal policy.

On these and other issues, there are distinctions, but not significant differences, among the Democrats. On Sunday night, for example, a debate at Marquette University sponsored by the Journal Sentinel, WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) and Journal Communications Inc. provided another forum for the candidates to call attention to what separates them. Instead, they continued to demonstrate the ties that bind: a belief that Bush has botched the job of president, hurt the U.S. economy with his policies, gone to war under false pretenses, failed to internationalize the military effort in Iraq and damaged America's reputation in the world. And they generally agree on how they want to set matters right.

For Democrats, then, the challenge is to nominate the man who can take his party's common vision for the nation and convince voters that it offers the right course for America. That man, in our judgment, is Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. We urge Democrats to vote for him in Tuesday's primary.

Edwards, of course, is an underdog; in public opinion polls here and nationally, he runs well behind Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, who has won 14 of 16 primaries and caucuses and who plainly is the odds-on favorite for the nomination. Many Democrats want to declare an end to the primary process and effectively coalesce around Kerry."

more

http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/feb04/207847.asp

[spooky3]

1. "The MJS is Wisconsin's largest and most influential newspaper."

per its own website:

http://www.jsonline.com/recruitment/about.asp

[spooky3]

2. I hope they have the same influence as the Des Moines Reg.

[Wolfman 11]

6. me too

A win might be out of the question, but even a good solid second (<10% behind Kerry) would be great.

[bearfartinthewoods]

17. i wish it were true but his 3% behind kerry in iowa was ignored

i think if edwards walked on water, the story would be ignored except for a sidebar questioning if he could swim.

[PurityOfEssence]

12. Let's hope they have more

Edwards was fabulous in the debate tonight, whereas Kerry was evasive and sticking to script.

It people were watching, it had to be hard to not see Kerry as wooden.

Great endorsement, but Edwards really needs to get going. Mercifully, he doesn't need to win on Tuesday--since it's long accepted that he can't--but to move up and close the gap is essential here. He has to get the buzz going, and if this finally sends Dean packing, it may well be the moment.

This bandwagon crap is so nauseating, especially when I see Kerry going through the motions like that.

Without a doubt, Edwards is the much more formidable opponent for Junior.

[DjTj]

3. Edwards has "stronger legs" against Bush than Kerry

...you beat me posting this by 3 minutes because I was picking and choosing my excerpts:

* * *

For Democrats, then, the challenge is to nominate the man who can take his party's common vision for the nation and convince voters that it offers the right course for America. That man, in our judgment, is Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina. We urge Democrats to vote for him in Tuesday's primary.

* * *

The two Americas message - and job loss, acute in Wisconsin, is a part of it - resonates with audiences partly because Edwards peppers it with statistical support, partly because the messenger delivers the message so skillfully. That talent is part of his compelling personal story. Edwards was born in a South Carolina mill town to poor parents who worked their way into the middle class. After college and law school in North Carolina, he became an enormously successful trial lawyer winning suits especially on behalf of injured children. That experience before juries helps to explain his extraordinary political skills.

* * *

Edwards is smart, engaging and upbeat, comfortable before any audience and often inspiring. Perhaps most intriguing of all, his optimistic campaign, free of attacks on his Democratic rivals, suggests something important about his character: Here is someone who seems to believe that the power of persuasion doesn't have to include excoriation and the politics of personal destruction.

If Democrats are serious about winning in November, they have two choices at this point. John Kerry would make a strong run at President Bush and might defeat him. But we think John Edwards, with his combination of message and method, may have the stronger legs in this long distance race.

[spooky3]

4. Sorry, I didn't know you were also reading it when I posted mine.

[DjTj]

5. No apologies necessary...

...did you see that JRE's alma mater knocked off top-ranked Duke today?

...I smell an upset coming!

[spooky3]

7. wow, a good day for JRE!

[lurk_no_more]

8. Interesting they heaped praise on dean

but chose Edwards.:shrug:




And then there were none!
” JAFO”

[spooky3]

9. if you read the full article, you will see why.

Most of it identifies things they like about Edwards but the next to the last paragraph discusses how they feel Dean has been "stigmatized" (largely unfairly).

[spooky3]

10. kick

[DjTj]

11. Here's another great article from that issue:

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEMOCRATS_DEBATE_SCENE?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


* * *
Organizers of the debate watching party polled the audience and found Sharpton's support rose from just 1 percent beforehand to 10 percent afterward.

Edwards jumped from 18 percent to 35 percent, while Kerry dropped from 20 percent to 12 percent. Dean was at 17 percent after the debate, down from 18 percent. Kucinich was at 9 percent before and after.
* * *

[maddezmom]

13. talking about it now on CSPAN

congrats to Edwards and his supporters. :)

[Mobius]

14. In the EDITORIAL section?

?

[AP]

15. Where else would it be?

[ShaneGR]

16. Ummmm, naturally an endorsement is in the editorial section

Where else would it be, classifieds?