The John Edwards Blog has been moved to WWH08 general bog

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The John Edwards blog has been created!
So what do you think of him?
Posted by WWH08.com at 12:45 PM

3 comments:
CGL said...
He is the candidate with the most REAL passion for the issues. His connection seems to be real and not a consequence of political ambition.
March 26, 2007 4:39 PM
gr said...
I felt uplifted by the Edwards experience tonight. He certainly is optimistic, idealistic and brave (to stand at a fundraiser and say “I’m going to fund a transformation in healthcare and social services by taxing the rich”.) I thought his characterization of the dilemma of running given his wife’s recent diagnosis - as a choice of life over death -was emotionally satisfying if a little avoidant of the nitty-gritty? He didn’t fully evoke my confidence like Hillary did.
March 26, 2007 10:10 PM
Julian said...
My acid test for each of these candidates is whether they can they win the general election in 2008. To me that means the candidate must be personally impressive, with sound policy positions and an inspiring vision for America. BUT my acid test also requires the candidate to have a great team around them because assembling a great team is, after all, one of the first tests of the candidate's judgment and character. And I'll be damned if I work for a candidate who has a team that can lose the election for him/her. I saw John Edwards at the SF City Club on March 26, 2007. I was impressed. His performance that day was articulate, smooth, personable, and convincing. His personal passion for a better America is palpable and contagious. But can he win?I was NOT impressed with the lack of diversity of the people I saw running the Edwards campaign or attending that fundraiser. True there were alot of women, but just a handful (and I mean like 5) of people of color (there were exactly 2 Asians and I was one of them). If Edwards is to take California, he better be able to attract Latinos, African Americans, and Asians. Not so sure his suburban white voters will sweep him to victory in either the primary or the general election.Edwards can really talk. He can even preach. He is a smooth orator which is a really nice change from the bumbling halting George Bush. At times during Edwards' talk, I felt like I was listening to a very well-rehearsed closing argument. Yet, i t had a little pathos; a little policy; a lot of charm. He posed an open-ended question that he set up to have (he hopes) only one answer (Q: "what are you willing to do to make America the land of promise again?" A: join the Edwards campaign). But the man should not be penalized for being able to deliver his message eloquently. Quite to the contrary, he gets high marks from me for that. But that's not why I am impressed with Edwards. It is the force of his message that is impressive.John Edwards' message is that our problems are complex and need wholistic solutions, not just piecemeal or stop-gap patches. I found this realistic portrayal of the interconnectedness of all of us in America, and indeed the globe, to be as refreshing as standing under a tropical waterfall. At last here is a politician who realizes that terrorism is rooted in economic despair as much as it is in poor education and a lack of options. Here is a politician who realizes a woman's right to choose is connected with living wage policy and employment nondiscrimination as well as a person's constitutional right to privacy.I like that John Edwards thinks America can be great yet humble and friendly around the world. I like that he recognizes that universal healthcare that's not tied to a job is going to come with a cost but that the cost is well worth paying.He came across to me as a realist, with well-thought out plans that acknowlege the pros and cons of each policy decision. He came across as an optimist who will go for it, while remembering the price of failure is measured in human lives.America has had 8 years of President Bush who cares more about his rich base than those who work; who thought American troops would be welcomed by peoples who have held grudges against their neighbors since the 1600s; who doesn't believe in global warming because that concept is bad for his friends in the oil business; who believes LGBT men and women should have to lie about themselves in order to be in the US military. After 8 years of lies, fables, ignorance, prejudice, and spin from President Bush, I believe Americans will find John Edwards's realistic, clear-eyed, optismistic vision of the present and future to be very attractive -- if they ever get to hear Edwards' message. And there is the rub. Edwards' charisma is not being translated into star turns that Obama and Clinton are engineering (not that the Clinton team is any good but they have a nuclear powered candidate that carries them along). Without a star turn Edwards is not able to communicate his message to the wider, more diverse Democratic base. A star turn is not the attention and focus around Elizabeth's cancer (because that attention is about the CANCER) or his Meet the Press appearance a few weeks ago which had a limited audience because it was shown at 8 am on Sunday morning. A star turn is like the Obama event in Oakland a couple of weeks ago where the candidate tells a large diverse crowd about his/her vision. Edwards needs that sort of goundswell to be engineered yet. Again, it comes down to the team surrounding the candidate.But I doubt the homogeneous Edwards supporter corps has, at present, the zeal, the credibility, nor the moxie to reach beyond the white, well-informed, professional, voter. It was choir practice at the City Club on Monday - sounded good for those few minutes, but a little thin from the lack of diversity of voices, and different notes.Edwards must conspicuously deepen his appeal to win the primary or the general. Edwards must get ALL segments of our party to hum his tune. Although I liked the candidate, Edwards hasn't yet proven he has picked a winning backup team -- which doesn't satisfy my acid test that Edwards will be a winner. So, even with a rousing closing argument ringing in my ears, I find that the jury is still deliberating on John Edwards.
March 27, 2007 9:50 PM