Edwards Deserves Another Look

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2007/12/edwards-deserves-another-look.html

Edwards Deserves Another Look

By Craig Crawford | December 10, 2007 1:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

John Edwards deserves more attention. Surely it’s time for the national news media to take a break from the nearly exclusive obsession with his leading Democratic presidential rivals, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

Iowa Democrats are not ignoring Edwards. The former North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee is the most popular candidate among his party’s likely voters in the Hawkeye State. According to a new MSNBC/McClatchy survey, Edwards enjoys a 69 percent favorability rating among Iowa Democrats -- besting Obama’s 66 percent and Clinton’s 62 percent. (Bill Clinton’s favorability is at 72 percent.)

Despite getting lost in the Clinton-Obama fray, Edwards remains competitive enough in Iowa to emerge victorious in the Jan. 3 caucuses. His organization for the all-important task of getting voters to the caucuses might even surpass Obama's or Clinton's.

Although the longest running candidate (if you count his 2004 bid), Edwards gets so little attention that he might seem like the fresh face in the field if an Iowa win produces a media boom.

[maddiejoan]

1. Which Edwards should I look at?

That might help me out a little.

[babylonsister]

2. If you can't figure it out, there is no helping you. nt

[GreenArrow]

7. I think she's got it figured out pretty well

.

[Cha]

20. She'd rather look at ol'

tough hillary supporting bushites and voting for the kyl-lieman bill and then lying about how Iran has shaped up since the big bad bill.

[zazzle]

32. Why are you broadcasting that you haven't been paying attention?

John Edwards has run a campaign based on substance - no Obama Girl and Mafia videos! But lots of comprehensive and realistic plans and solutions to move our country forward.
Come join us!

[Clark2008]

49. BullSHIT.

Edwards has run a campaign telling the netroots what it wants to hear without having the cajones to have stood up for those very beliefs for six years in the Senate.

That's what Poster No. 1 meant: which Edwards do you look at? The snakeoil salesman of 2008 or the conservative Democrat of 2000 - 2007.

[LSK]

60. now thats bullSHIT

Unless you do not know how Congress works.

Who controlled the House for the entire 6 years of Edwards Senate career?

Who controlled the Senate for 4 of those 6 years?

How do you pass legislation when you are in the minority?

[harmonicon]

61. but he would never do that!

Why would he change his stripes just to garner political favor? Sure, he's done it before, but this time he's being deceitful to get OUR votes - see the difference? If we try really really hard to believe the lies, they'll come true.

[LSK]

59. this one

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/LSK/130

[rodeodance]

3. he has always been my peachy face.

[frogmarch]

4. I hope Craig Crawford is on KO

soon and says this.

Thanks for posting it, babylonsister.

[K Gardner]

5. I think he (and others) will get another look once the ruckus dies down...

Good article with good points, and just another reason the ruckus at the top could backfire.

[Stop Cornyn]

6. Nice article

[Catchawave]

8. K&R for Craig !

:toast:

[asdjrocky]

9. Good post.

Thanks for the news Sister.

[bvar22]

10. I'm not ignoring Edwards,

The manufactured Media hype of Hillary vs Obama seems to be using up all the TV oxygen.

I am a Kucinich supporter, but will consider Edwards as a compromise candidate.
I will NOT vote for anyone to the Right of Edwards.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[Ladyinblack]

11. I believe he is our best candidate

He has my vote. I wish he would get more coverage.

[bobbolink]

15. When he wins Iowa, he'll get LOTS more "coverage"

:hi:

Actually, I'm not so sure it isn't better this way..... he's reaching the people on his own, and not getting so smeared by the press.

May be for the best, all around.

Whaddu I know....?

[bobbolink]

14. "I will NOT vote for anyone to the Right of Edwards."

I think the only one left of Edwards is Kucinich.... but Edwards is catching up to him rapidly.

:hi:

"The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR."

:applause:

that deserves a repeat!

"The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR. "

:bounce:

[K Gardner]

12. Looks like Tweety might be giving him a few minutes on Hardball today

After the wallpaper coverage of Oprah is over.. sheesh

[elizm]

13. Edwards was my first choice...

I drove to Columbia, SC to hear him last January I think. I left feeling uninspired but nevertheless supporting him. I listened to Obama when he announced a few weeks later and found the inspiration I was looking for.

[zazzle]

26. I've never found Obama or Obama Girl inspiring

but perhaps it's because JoBama endorsed Lieberman, Bill Clinton campaigned with Lieberman - and John Edwards campaigned with Ned Lamont.
WooHoo! Go Edwards!

[jenmito]

27. How can you trust Edwards? He lied about why he took matching funds,

saying it was a moral choice when it was a necessity. He chose to forego matching funds up until he realized he couldn't raise nearly as much money as Obama and Hillary. I don't trust him at ALL.

[zazzle]

31. Edwards never expected to raise as much money as Corporate Democrats like Obama & Hillary

John Edwards is the most trustworthy of all the Dem candidates.

[Andy823]

33. Yeah

Trust those who got the most "money" from CORPORATE AMERICA!!!!!!!! I mean why trust the person that isn't getting the money from them "rich" guys who are running things now, and are trying to buy Hillary and Obama in case they get the nomination! :spank:

You Obama people are really sad when you have to sink to attacks instead of simply talking up your candidates stand on the issues. Oh wait, first you have to "have" a stand on the issues, not just talk! Now I understand. :rofl:

When the smoke clears and Edwards is the last candidate standing, then and only then will we know the will of the people!

[madmunchie]

65. "You Obama people are really sad when you have to sink to attacks

instead of simply talking up your candidates stand on the issues. Oh wait, first you have to "have" a stand on the issues, not just talk! Now I understand" You have got to be kidding! JE supporters have been the worst when the discussion of "ISSUES" comes up and it is not suprising, JE has a LOUSY record when he was in the Senate. He managed to be on the wrong side of all of the major votes, voting AGAINST many of our Democratic Leaders.....

People supporting JE are buying into JE's words and totally ignoring his actions.

At least Obama, with his "little experience" KNEW that Iraq was not a war for us to start, JE sure as hell didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground....but go ahead, vote for a man that IS responsible for sending thousands to their deaths, simply because he said he was SORRY!

Other issues JE was on the wrong side on:

Bankruptcy
Patriot Act
Visas
Yucca Mtn
Voting Rights

Yeah, he changed his mind and apologized....well it is way too little and way too late.

[ashlarah]

35. Edwards has been principled on fund raising

He has never taken money from WA lobbyists even though he knew it put him at a financial disadvantage to Hillary. In addition, he continued to encourage donors to donate through ActBlue even though he knew he would have to fight to get matching funds for those donations. He did that because he recognizes the benefits to the party and to congressional candidates of keeping ActBlue strong.

You can choose to attribute cynical reasons for his public financing decision, but he was on track without it to raise the money he had budgeted for his campaign. He chose to highlight the need for politicians, especially Dem candidates, to remain free of corporate strings as much as possible. This financial independence is a big part of his message, into which public funding fits naturally.

That you can brand Edwards with being distrustful for taking public financing but give a walk to Hillary and Obama who have gone out of their way big time to cultivate corporate donations seems either a mite irrational or biased.

[Inspired]

37. Why do you say he lied?

This is hardly an issue that I would mistrust him on. Most Democrats say they are for public financing and the minute that someone accepts it, they go after him. That is what is disingenuous.

[donilo]

38. you forget ...

Look at Romney on the repuke side. He's well advantaged by his fortune. Well, Edwards is worth upwards of 54 million - I'm sure plenty of that could have been "liquified" if he chose, and he could have chosen the other path. So to say his motivation was weak because he couldn't get the money that Clinton & Obama have just isn't true. Maybe he couldn't match them dollar for dollar, but he certainly could have gone way over the limit imposed by the matching funds.

This man is principled. Does he make mistakes? Sure, don't you? But he is principled, and he will act on those principles!

Go John!!!

[struggle4progress]

40. Everybody took matching funds until Dimson decided not to in 2000

Before then, using matching funds and accepting the associated fundraising limits was universally understood as a signal promising that the candidate wasn't going to be controlled by big money interests

[asdjrocky]

57. Smart of you to trust the money-

I know the people with all the money have always been good and truthful with me.

[Gloria]

16. Craig waking up after weeks of pumping up HIllary?

[Stop Cornyn]

17. Sounds that way

[creeksneakers2]

18. With Hillary and Obama neck and neck

Edwards will have a hard time getting media coverage. He's way behind nationally, by 29 points in the most recent polls. He says he's no longer going to bash Hillary, which is what the media was interested in him for in the first place. If Edwards goes back to bashing Hillary he just helps Obama. Edwards can't go after Obama because he already has a bad reputation from bashing Hillary.

If I was advising Edwards I'd tell him to work on organization and the ground game in Iowa. Hope for a first or second place finish and hope that will bring back media attention. Otherwise, Edwards looks stuck in third or worse to me.

[Cha]

19. Edwards has a great

message for America and even if he doesn't make it I hope he stays in our National scene and helps in the healing of our country. Like Dean is only I'm sure John will find his own unique niche. :)

[Clark2008]

51. Too bad the message is all rhetoric.

LOOK AT HIS VOTING RECORD, PEOPLE! HE'S SNOWING YOU!

[ChiciB1]

55. I Live Florida... Haven't Seen Snow In FOREVER... Or Much Rain

either for that matter!!! And it's 80 today, and yesterday and tomorrow! Will probably be at least 80 FOREVER!!

[Donnachaidh]

56. I'd rather look at Hillary's and Obama's

talk about shoveling it neck deep. :rofl: Oh wait -- Obama's is less - because he MISSED so many votes. :rofl:

[Clark2008]

71. Psstt... I don't support either of them, either.

[Cha]

58. You're the one who's

stuck inside a closed box. Get out and see some light, dude.

[Clark2008]

70. I'm not a dude.

But, in any case, I live in a neighboring state to North Carolina and have family who live there. All Democrats, my family - and they HATE him... call him Senator Gone because he ignored them as constituents to run for president nearly the moment he was elected to the Senate.

How's that for out of the box enough for you?

I know his history - I'm not blinded by his ever-evolving leaf-turning.

[tom_paine]

21. He scares the Bushies the most, therefore the relative MSM silence

for the #3 candidate, and not just the #3, but the #3 IN A TIGHT RACE.

He should be getting more airtime.

If those Bushie MSM fucks give him airtime, it will probably be about crap like his haircut, never his issues or positions.

I expect a handful of brief exceptions, so the Bushies and MSM have Plausible Deniability.

Just a speculation, cannot be sure,of course.

[sendero]

22. I had reservations...

... but his boyish face shows more than the 4 years that have passed.

If I have to pick from HRC, Obama and him, it is a swimmingly easy choice. The other two simply have no credibility of any kind after straining themselves to look like right-centrists.

[ChiciB1]

46. I'm Pleading With Every Single One Of Those Who Support Edwards

PLEASE DONATE!!! Go to his website and give what you can!! Some very "real" and "thoughtful" people are beginning to come on-board for Edwards. People who been working for decades for the rights of PEOPLE!! Not those with huge name recognition who will draw great attention because of who they are.... NOT what they've done "for the people" of ALL America!!

Edwards is the only candidate that D.C. want to keep OUT of Washington, and this very fact says VOLUMES!!!

[Armstead]

23. I'm hoping he pulls a John Kerry in Iowa

Kerry looked like he was lost in the wilderness, but then came out of Iowa with momentum.

[balantz]

24. I believe he will

[sandnsea]

25. lol, don't look at the train wreck!!

Let's divert attention from Hillary's campaign disaster in hope she can revive it after the holidays. Crawford is such a toadie.

[saltpoint]

28. A class post of a class pundit of a class campaign by a class DUer.

babylonsister, you are livin' at the foot of the Cross!

[unkachuck]

29. I don't know....

....would you say the repented Edwards is the absolutely minimum any self-respecting progressive would accept from this pool of unacceptables?

[mzmolly]

30. If Edwards wins Iowa, it will be THE story because he's being largely ignored.

I do hope he has a shot.

[ruggerson]

34. I'd be a happy camper if Edwards won Iowa

I think him and Biden are both in a position to pull off a surprise.

[Sherman A1]

36. All the candidates deserve another look

time to primaries is growing short and we should all have our first pick and a second and third one, or our list in order of preference, as when this all starts it will be over with rather quickly and we should have some idea as to where all of them stand.

[deacon]

39. This is the way I look at it. Edwards '08

[Apollo11]

41. IRAQ: "A War that should never have been authorized" - Barack Obama

Barack Obama was against this war since before it started. Even John Edwards has openly stated on live TV that Obama was right on Iraq and he (Edwards) was wrong.

I just wanted to mention it in case anyone was starting to believe that John Edwards is the true-blue progressive and Barack Obama is some kind of corporate puppet.

Each of must choose which candidate we think is the most credible and qualified. So please don't question the motives of those who support a different candidate.

[mod mom]

42. I'm surprised this was written by Crawford who appeared to be shilling for

Clinton on a recent panel discussion on Dan Abrams.

[ChiciB1]

54. My Take Too.... That's Why I Commented Below.... FINALLY!!!

The wind is turning toward Edwards more and more as time goes by!!!!

[Nutmegger]

43. I proudly stand with John Edwards!

Edwards 2008!

[notanotherday]

44. No No, the ELITES have already selected CLINTON-OBAMA.

nothing to see here, thats why all the media coverage of the election issues is perverted to a horse race, not the issues.

God forbid they cover the issues and the candidates.

[ChiciB1]

47. This Has Been My Mantra For Quite Some Time... Just Repeated Above... n/t

[ChiciB1]

45. FINALLY CRAIG CRAWFORD.... FINALLY!!! I Was Beginning To Wonder

about you! Since you left Miami and went to D.C. IO thought you simply got caught up in the GLITZ & HOOPLA that's ever present. I REMEMBER you quite some time back and you were a FAIR & BALANCED reporter, but having watched you on KO so much this past year, I became concerned and surprised by many of your comments!!

WELCOME back Craig, you're finally talking some real STRAIGHT TALK! Oh, don't make any references by me saying "straight" I mean straight forward!!!!

Go, Johnny Go!

[Czolgosz]

48. kick'd and rec'd

[Apollo11]

50. CNN poll: "Edwards is the only Democrat who beats all four Republicans"

Maybe some of you Edwards fans would be interested in this poll.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/10/poll.head.to.head/index.html

It's only a small scale telephone poll, but Edwards' numbers are impressive.

According to this poll: John McCain would beat Hillary, would tie with Obama.

But I find it very hard to believe that McCain will be the GOP nominee.

[maddiejoan]

62. Gallup tells a different story

[frogcycle]

66. here's hoping the dems wake up in time

"Edwards is the only Democrat who beats all four Republicans, and McCain is the only Republican who beats any of the three Democrats," Holland said. "Some might argue this shows that they are the most electable candidates in their respective parties.


"But Edwards is in third place among Democrats, and McCain is in fourth place on the GOP side. Maybe electability is not as important as it was in 2004."

[DeeDeeNY]

52. I am honestly torn between Edwards and Obama

I'm leaning towards Edwards, but I still remember how he looked so young and overmatched in the VP debate with Cheney in 04. It bothers me that Obama is so chummy with his mentor Lieberman. Edwards was one of the few Democrats who wholeheartedly supported Lamont.

[Apollo11]

53. Obama supported Lamont when it came to the election

I found this on The Boston Globe website:

Lamont gets lift from Obama

By Andrew Miga, Associated Press Writer

October 26, 2006

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Ned Lamont got a boost Thursday from one of the Democratic party's brightest rising stars, Sen. Barack Obama.

The Illinois senator and potential 2008 presidential candidate sent an e-mail message to his Connecticut supporters urging them to rally behind Lamont's challenge to three-term Sen. Joe Lieberman.

"Ned Lamont has waged an impressive grass roots campaign to give the people of Connecticut a choice in the November Senate election," Obama wrote. "Please join me in supporting Ned Lamont with your hard work on-the-ground in these closing weeks of the campaign."

The Lamont camp said Obama's e-mail went to about 5,000 Connecticut residents.

Lamont aides said they welcomed the support of Obama, who has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent weeks as speculation about his national ambitions mounts.

"He's a very credible, charismatic and inspiring politician," said senior Lamont adviser Tom D'Amore. "We're thrilled to have his support.

Obama has also given $5,000 to Lamont's campaign through a political committee.

"Ned Lamont and I share a commitment to bringing our troops home safely from Iraq, to achieving energy independence, to helping all our citizens realize the American dream, and to empowering the American people to reclaim their government," Obama wrote.

www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/26/lamont_gets_lift_from_obama_lieberman_campaigns_with_landrieu/

[zazzle]

67. JoBama "supported" Lamont ONE week before the election - but REFUSED to be seen with Lamont!

JoBama endorsed Lieberman and Bill Clinton campaigned with him.
John Edwards campaigned PUBLICLY with Lamont.
JoBama is forever TIED to LIEberman. Follow the campaign money...

[Veracious]

63. A life time of work for Justice

John Edwards has a life time of working for justice! This alone makes him the best qualified man to lead America, as our NEXT President!

[gulfbreeze]

64. "having the cajones "

Can anyone tell me if this phrase started with Bush? I remember hearing him use it a long time ago for the first time.

[tridim]

68. I wish he had a more progressive view on the war on (some) drugs.

Other than that, he's a great candidate. I don't support any candidate yet, but I could support him.

[RoccoR5955]

69. I would consider Edwards as an ALTERNATIVE only...

My first choice is Kucinich, who has my vote hands down. All this Obamillery, and now Edwards, who should have fought harder in 2004 to convince Kerry not to cave in. I dunno. I feel that we are screwed if we get anyone who is to the right of Dennis right now. Dennis isn't as far left as I would like either, but he will do, for starters. You see, I think that this country would be better served if we had a socialist democracy like they have in European countries. But hey, I've been told I'm a nut too!

As far as the 'cajones' thing, I don't think that the Knuckledragger-In-Chief was the first to use the term. It would be way past his intelligence to invent a term.

[Clark2008]

72. The one "Democrat" I couldn't even hold my nose and vote for.

He will not get my vote.

I hate fakers and phonies.

[Tejanocrat]

73. Kick for those who want an explanation of what's wonderful about Edwards