Both Edwards and Obama say they want One America - The difference is in the details

[jsamuel]

Edwards wants to build One America by being realistic and progressive. Edwards wants to be progressive and win the American people over to our side.

Obama wants to negotiate One America by being a centrist Democrat. He wants to negotiate between liberals and conservatives.


I am of the opinion that Obama's has been tried and it has failed repeatedly. Edwards has the ability to win the American people over to bring progressive plans and policies.

Just IMO

[jenmito]

1. Your opinion is wrong.

;-)

[fenriswolf]

3. no your opinon is wrong

jee i just love the pointless posting of broad opinions.

[jenmito]

5. It was a joke...

in reality, Obama is not a "centrist Dem." just because he attracts so many Indys and Repubs. He has the most liberal voting record of all 3 candidates. He's able to make "one America" just by disagreeing without being disagreeable like your candidate. Obama sticks to his guns, says things that are unpopular to people who want him to pander to them, and is still liked and respected. Edwards' new-found anger won't accomplish anything.

[fenriswolf]

6. oh ok

I love thoughtfull discussion and hate one liners that are meant as a rebuttle. good idea but i still disagree.

[cascadiance]

13. I'd rather someone be "disagreeable" to the coal lobby about liquified coal...

... and other similar items that Obama is "negotiating" on...

[jenmito]

15. He's just as tough as Edwards is. Or tougher.

Edwards' new-found "anger" is disingenuous...just like his claim that he took matching funds "on principle" only after first foregoing matching funds "in order to remain competitive" with the others.

[cascadiance]

18. I think you need something to back that up!

How about articles like this that chronicles Obama pushing liquified coal for the coal lobby, and evironmental agencies focusing their energy on him to pull back on this! I don't see how you put Obama "better" on this issue than ANY of the other candidates running, let alone Edwards!

http://www.grist.org/news/muck/2007/01/12/unexpected/

http://jetsongreen.typepad.com/jetson_green/2007/05/alternative_ene.html

http://obama.senate.gov/press/060607-senators_obama/

Edwards and other environmental organizations pushed to get Obama to back off of this:

http://www.environmental-action.org/blog/archives/2007/03/tell_obama_no_l.html

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/6/8/144618/7289

He then got "PUSHED" into "moderating" his stand later on supporting coal as noted here:

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2007/06/13/obama-says-no-to-liquid-coal/

http://climateprogress.org/2007/06/13/obama-walks-away-from-liquid-coal/

Obama still is recently listed as supporting liquified coal...

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/01/09/coal-bama/

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/01/08/many-presidential-candidates-support-coal-to-liquid-fuel/

[jenmito]

21. I gave an example of what he did while he was a Senator below. What did EDWARDS do when HE was a

Senator? It's easy to be outspoken when you're out of the Congress.

[fenriswolf]

25. actually before that comment i was unsure

after such an uneducated, flimsy excused, transparent lie I was turned off completly.

[jackson_dem]

2. NONE of the Republican candidates talk about doing what Obama wants

There is no desire for this on the other side. How much negotiation have they done when they have been in power?

[redqueen]

12. Excellent point!

:thumbsup:

[Benhurst]

14. Why should corporate America and their Republican lackeys negotiate?

They are in the catbird seat.

[jackson_dem]

26. Obama will "inspire" them to give their power away! Have "hope"!

[AX10]

4. Sounds right.

[Benhurst]

7. I think all we have to do is play nice and the right-wing will

come to realize just how wrong they are and wonderful we are. I can see Dubya Bush, Dick Cheney and the CEOs of the most rapacious multi-national corporations sitting down with us to figure just how we can work together for a fair and just society.

This approach has already worked so well in the 110th Congress, I can almost see that shining city on a hill.

Some people say I'm a dreamer for feeling this way.

Others say I'm full of it.

[jenmito]

9. Obama's not "playing nice." He just has a nicer DEMEANOR while not compromising on his positions.

You don't have to SOUND angry to be effective. Obama's more liberal than Edwards. He still is liked by more Indys and Repubs. just because of his demeanor.

[AntiFascist]

27. Don't count on it...

Bush is in the UAE playing with some oil sheik's hawks. How symbolic.

[AntiFascist]

8. Neither Clinton nor Obama are true "centrists"...

they only want to negotiate with the corporate elite. Edwards is willing to take them on, because, after all, their power depends on the people. A true centrist would be drawing on the anti-elitist sentiment from both the left and the right. This is precisely why Edwards is much better positioned to win the General Election, but you'll never hear this from the corporatist media.

[jenmito]

11. Obama's the most liberal of all three.

He doesn't want to negotiate with the corporate elite. He wants to take the corporations on, but not with an angry attitude. You don't have to seem mean to be effective.

[cascadiance]

16. How about a specific example of how he's doing this more than Edwards...

And I'm not talking about hashing up old votes before Obama was a senator. I'm talking about current platform points now!

I see a lot of flowery adjectives and other words like "hope" from Obama, but they really don't have "beef" to talk about how specifically they really help the American people.

Sometimes being "angry" is a constructive thing to do, when the time calls for it. And not only would Cheney, the CEO's, Bush, etc. not meet with us in a truly "bipartisan" forum to carve out a "centrist" strategy that would benefit average Americans over corporations in ANY way!, it has been done in the past WITHOUT us or anyone representing middle class Americans with the private energy meetings that Cheney had. And even with the GAO trying to petition them to give us notes on those meetings, they wouldn't give them to us. That's the kind of set of individuals you don't try to "negotiate" with, but that you enable power of the people to meet them in a forceful way and say something like "You are NOT the boss, WE are! And this is how you will start to do business in the future, or pay the price!" These people aren't going to meet you half way without force being applied!

[jenmito]

17. Here's an example:

"Obama Introduces CLEAN UP Act to Increase Transparency in Government, Decrease Lobbyists' Influence"

http://obama.senate.gov/press/060123-obama_introduce_4/index.php

[cascadiance]

19. So, aside from Edwards not eing a senator now, how does this show Edwards is not as good?...

... in getting rid of lobbyist influences? Edwards KNOWS that there's more to it than just "band aid" solutions that *look* good, but actually don't do much! That is why he's talking about it a lot. He's preparing America for the coming battle that will need to be fought HARD, and not through just little gesture efforts like this. What's really needed to get money out of the system is some SERIOUS public campaign finance reform legislation. I know that Obama is already a cosponsor of a public campaign financing bill in the senate, but he really doesn't talk about it much to the voters. Why? It is what voters will want to hear, the more they come to understand how it would affect Washington. Methinks it is just a "placeholder" bill there to try and deflect criticism, when he still takes TONS of lobbying money himself for this campaign.

[jenmito]

20. When Edwards WAS a Senator, what did HE do to try to stop the influence of lobbyists? Do YOU have

an example?

[AntiFascist]

22. So Edwards is too mean for the poor defenseless corporations?

:rofl:

[jenmito]

23. Your comprehension skills are lacking if that's what you think I said.

But at least you look happy. :hi:

[AntiFascist]

24. I'll agree that Edwards has drawn the wrath of organizations like...

the US Chamber of Commerce, while a nicer attitude may not have stirred up this reaction. But once again, which attitude better addresses the anti-elitist sentiment from both the left and right?

[redqueen]

10. I'm not sure if I'd call Obama's preferred path that of a centrist democrat...

but it does seem as if he believes that we can work together with criminals and peple who have no regard for what's best for this country... and that being the case, I most vehemently disagree.

[stravu9]

28. I Agree!

Look at what Paul Krugamn said about Obama's economic plan.
All hat and no cattle.