Reply #4: I agree with most of these. [View All]

[leyton]

#1-4 Spot on. This is how the guy can win the election; on paper, he's not a great candidate, but campaigning, he can win over our hearts and minds.

#5 Competing w/Bush in every state - I worry about Edwards being able to compete in every state. Will he have much money at all? During the primaries, he has not been able to wage a national campaign, and as a result he's had to spend incredible amounts of time in Iowa, South Carolina, and Wisconsin to get those particular victories (or 2d place finishes). Even Gore had pretty good fundraising, yet at the end he had to pull out of several key states like Ohio.

#6 - the mill-working thing doesn't do anything for me, and it may not do much for a lot of mill workers either. But I think it's indicative of his political talent - he knows very well that if he keeps repeating it, people will think that they know him well, he will seem like a real person with a life story outside of Capitol hill.

#7 - I think foreign policy is a weakness for him, and while Senate Intel Cmte is good, it's not quite as good as what Kerry and Clark have. However, Edwards has minimized this to some extent by positioning himself in the center on national security issues, the effect being that assuming he wins the domestic issue debate (which he undoubtedly will) he's got the independent vote wrapped up because not too many voters will run away from him solely on national security.

#9 - I think his youth might be an asset. Clinton was youthful, and toppled the elder Bush (who looks old to me at least). Dole was old and boring, and so did not do so well. And his youth imparts a certain energy to his demeanor, which makes him much more exciting than Bush, Gore, or Kerry.