John Edwards a modern day RFK? [View All]

[draft_mario_cuomo]

==But Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards argues that we've ignored poverty far too long in this country. And, as he's stated many times in recent months, he hopes that by making it a major focus of his campaign -- much like Robert Kennedy did 40 years ago -- Americans will understand we have a moral obligation to address the needs of the 37 million citizens who live beneath the poverty line and whose lives are a daily struggle.==

=="My impression now is that he's very sincere -- almost to the point of endangering his own candidacy," she says. "Because there just doesn't seem to be much benefit in promoting the poverty issue, in terms of winning the elections."==

==However, Kennedy took the same risk 40 years ago, Walsh points out. "So in that respect, the comparison's a fair one," she says. Like RFK, "Edwards is sticking his neck out on an issue that he truly seems to believe in."==

=="We're such a hypocritical public in that we so strongly believe that if people work hard and make the right choices, they can become wealthy -- and that's a good thing," she says. "And yet, here we have a person who's wealthy and wants to talk about the poor and we immediately demonize that."==

=="If Edwards makes waves in Iowa," she says, "he could change the race overnight."==

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