Reply #5: Kerry's handling himself well, but he's at a huge inherent disadvantage [View All]

[PurityOfEssence]

Even when he makes his straight-faced and resounding dismissal of Bush living in a world that doesn't exist, he still comes off as Intellectual and Aristocratic. This is death in American Politics.

Much of the swaying that goes on in political campaigns happens rhetorically, and in this sphere, Edwards is a real winner.

There's also a deep practicality in his platform, tackling only what he feels can be achieved, and paying for it all with honest assessments of revenue.

More than anything, the moderates and even conservatives who wisely fear Bush's recklessness would like to reach out to someone else, but the tarring of the Massachusetts Limousine Liberal Elitist so prejudices them that they won't be able to make the leap of faith. With the backwoods populist, they would have no such fears.

There are many reasons. I wish he had actively campaigned in Utah and Idaho, because the "electability" issue gets worse with such situations.

Ah well, that's all passed now. I hope he seriously contests California, and if he's still standing after Super Tuesday, the following Tuesday is Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida.

Many people will find themselves able to reach out to Edwards who won't to Kerry. There will also be virtually no net loss of Kerry voters should Edwards be nominated.

Here's the corker, and I defy anyone to refute it: except for a small amount of veterans who would go for Kerry but not Edwards, Edwards will get all of Kerry's demographic and more. He'll get rural voters, Southern voters, non-voters, facile and superficial voters swept up with the "new" and pretty, independents and crossovers. Literally, Edwards will get more votes in a GE than Kerry.