WP: "Dismissing him as a born-again 'populist' ignores the fact that Edwards has touched a nerve"

[jsamuel]

Former congressman Ben Jones, who played Cooter on TV's "The Dukes of Hazzard," was the emcee for the event, and much of his warm-up monologue was about how the media keep forgetting that there are three major candidates in the race, not two. Truth be told, he has a point. Edwards has a coherent, consistent message and is running a top-shelf campaign. He has beaten his rivals to the punch on several issues, and he's the most skilled debater of the bunch. The problem is that Clinton and Obama aren't candidates so much as phenomenons. They take up so much space that it's impossible to see the other guy.

Such is politics. But every time I go to an Edwards rally, I come away feeling disheartened -- not for Edwards, but for the people whose disappointment and disaffection he captures in his cadenced rhetoric about taking back the country from "special interests" holding it for ransom. Dismissing him as a born-again "populist" ignores the fact that Edwards has touched a nerve, especially in small towns and rural areas where, for the unskilled or the unlucky, "the economy" basically means Wal-Mart.

"You have been ignored too long," Edwards told the people in Lancaster. And he's right.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/24/AR2008012402800.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[cobalt1999]

1. FWIW, I've come around and now believe Edwards is sincere.

He's spent so much time campaigning in small towns that I think he understands the problems better than Hillary or Obama. Frankly, with the economy trending downward, Hillary or Obama should have been copying his positions long ago.

[papau]

5. I agree

[BrklynLiberal]

2. The more people see Edwards, and hear his message, the better they like him.

That is why the Corporate/MSM has made such an extreme effort to keep him out of the limelight.
No coverage = keep the people ignorant of alternatives.

[jsamuel]

3. true, that is why it is up to us

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I have become such a proselytizer for Edwards that people are starting to treat me like one of those

doorbell ringing religious zealots. :rofl:

[Rageneau]

6. JE would be half a great president.

On domestic issues, Edfwards is non pareil. Nobody has more compassion or ferver for common people than he.

On foreign affairs, I'm not so sure. Don't know how steady his hand would be.

So I think John would be a great Attorney General (to get even with the robber barrons) or Secretary of HEW (to protect and help the poor and needy).

There is a LOT of domestic clean-up work to be done and I think JE would be PERFECT for it.

[Blackhatjack]

7. Amazing! An Admission Edwards is Running Best Campaign --WHERE HAS HE BEEN?

It is the same old 'too little, too late' admission that the public 'could have' elected the best candidate, but politics will deliver to them another disappointment. (He could have added '...with the help of the MSM leading the parade.')

AS long as Edwards remains in the race, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. You need look no further than 'Mr. Inevitable' Rudy Giuliani for proof of that adage.

There is hope for Edwards in this campaign because both HILLARY and OBAMA are combustible commodities who may end up destroying each other in their quest for the Democratic Nomination.

Sad to say such a meltdown might have to happen for this country to finally get the best President for all the people, but such is politics....

[Blackhatjack]

8. K & R for EDWARDS!!!!

[redqueen]

9. Let's hope enough people in SC are paying attention...

:bounce:

[jannyk]

10. K&R for JE