Something about Edwards speach. (political implications)

[LimpingLib]

I tell you , as the votes were counting I honestly disliked Edwards alot ( I counted him among Liebermann and Clark )and was hoping he wouldnt finish 1st. I was and perhaps still am a Dean supporter , grateful Edwards didnt quite win (at the time), hoping Kerry would hold on at 1st the whole night . Additionaly beyond Iowa ,though Kerry isnt bad I feared a Dean loss (for the over all nomination , I knew he already lost Iowa of coarse)and I was kind of fired up and defiant of the nights results (Deans speach he would make later that night reflected my spirit 100% honest , though by the time of Deans speach Edwards speach already made a mark on me). Right up till the minute Edwards made his speach I strongly disliked him. I was at my moms house and she is turned off to Democratic politics. She used to be a liberal Democrat since her youth but by the mid 90s (1996 to be exact)she thought of Democrats as hippocrits who dont care a bit for the poor and for some odd reason became a Republican (though she remained socialy liberal and still was very concerned for the poor she just felt NO PARTY was concerned for the poor,its a mystery why she became GOP , perhaps she listened to talk radio alot and thought the GOP rank and file were consistant libertarians,dunno?) . I never say a word to her about politics except a few criticisims of Bush and if I ever say anything its outrage at racist policys , but nothing detailed.

Anyway right before Edwards spoke after he knew he came in a strong second , the tv commentators mentioned him and my mom said while a room away from the living room (but able to see and hear the TV) "I never heard of him" . I didnt say a word and I figured Edwards would just be celebrating then go into broad generalitys aimed at upper-middle income audiences with a few rhetorical bones thrown to the middle class and poor. He then really impressed me, quickly talking about the poor (exclusivly)and the "2 Americas" and then went on to complement Dick Gephardt for his years of service and that was it. No big celebration , no gloating . I said "wow" after like 50 seconds "I agree with everything he says" (not the biggest suprize , usually I generally agree with Democrats speaches but what I meant was his focous was right on , it was almost electric and spiritual the way he quickly summed up his passions )and my mom replied "everything he says is true" .

I have been impressed with Edwards abilitys to talk to voters on the campaign trail , he is really good. I even agree with his rhetoric . It didnt move me because I figured he was just another Bill Clinton (granted Edwards didnt say things like "I feel your pain" plus has a slightly different style but sadly post-Clinton I just dont trust populist sounding politicians one bit without a proven record and specific plans)but honestly I think he might be sincere since he literally made the under-represented poor and middle class his main theme in his speach without any crap or bs or other wedge issues mentioned. He truely can bring voters to the party. He sounds sincere and might actualy mean it when he talks about the "2 Americas" . Granted he needs some specific plans .

His short first few minutes speach gave me a feeling I havnt had since listening to taped (I was 7 in 1984 , so re runs were my first chance to hear)recordings of Mario Cumo in 1984. My mom is an odd case in turning GOP (she is more than left leaning) but lots of disenfranchised left-leaning voters who are registered Democrats will surely come out to vote for the first time in many years if he is the nominee. I know of at least one other long time liberal in my family who literally lost all interest in politics in the last 10 years and who would surely be moved by Edwards.

[hlthe2b]

1. I too thought it an excellent speech...

Although I've heard him speak to these issues before. It was nice series of contrasts that hits home. I am not sure Edwards' time is now-- he's still pretty new to the game, but I think he does have a bright future. And who knows, he may be this year's surprise?

[Punkingal]

2. I, too, thought Edwards speech was great tonight.

I was also impressed by his humility and lack of arrogance when he was interviewed, and I saw him interviewed more than once. He really is a special person. But all of our candidates are, each in their own way.

[girl gone mad]

3. I like Edwards.

I've said here before that he comes across as the most unscripted in the debates. I think you found the right adjective: sincere.

[polpilot]

4. His speeches of late are much better and I contribute that to his wife.

She, an english/lit major before law school was the most impressive of all prez wives I've ever seen in her C-Span interview. I'm not an Edwards supporter but your comments are almost EXACTLY the comments of my liberal friends when Clinton burst upon the national scene. They knew nothing of him but were very taken.

I, however, can remeber his pro-war comments at the California convention last year and the look of utter surprise on his face when the boos started. He can't represent me.

Dean '04...

[ramapo]

5. A great speech

Edwards was especially impressive last night. I've watched a few of his appearances over the last couple weeks and I think there is really something there. Maybe VP material, he might have a tough time on top of the ticket but who knows.

I think Edwards was such a contrast to what followed. Edwards had a great message that was well delivered. Dean ... well I'm not going there again, but I think he really screwed up.

[goodhue]

6. yes it was great but hardly new

He has been "talking about the poor (exclusivly)and the '2 Americas'" in an "almost electric and spiritual" fashion for some time now in Iowa. This is why Kucinich prefers him to the rest of the lot.

[DjTj]

7. specific plans...

John Edwards lived the American Dream, and he is running for President to help other working Americans share in that dream. His platform starts where he got his start, through education. Edwards wants to give higher salaries to teachers who teach in poorer districts, give scholarships to students who become teachers, and provide one year of free tuition to any student who works or performs community service for 10 hours a week.

Education is very personal to Edwards because he has two young children that will spend their grade school years in the White House. This focus on children is emphasized in his health care plan, which will provide coverage to the 12 million uninsured children in America. He also wants to strengthen the health care safety net by supporting public clinics and hospitals that care for the needy. As a lawyer, John Edwards helped dozens of struggling families that were devastated by medical bills. As President, he wants to help millions more.

The centerpiece of Edwards' platform is his economic plan, which is a comprehensive proposal to lift up hard-working middle class people. It starts by protecting jobs through fair trade agreements and giving a 10% tax credit to corporations that keep jobs in the United States. He will also raise the minimum wage, extend unemployment benefits, and strengthen labor laws. Most importantly, Edwards will create a tax code that rewards hard work instead of pandering to the rich. He will provide a tax credit to first-time homebuyers and match funds in retirement accounts while cutting corporate subsidies and closing corporate tax loopholes. He will reduce capital gains for 95% of Americans, helping them invest and save for the future while raising capital gains for the richest Americans that are living off their investments. This is not class warfare; this is a new way of thinking about taxes: shifting the burden from work back to wealth. In his own words: "I believe the way a rich nation gets richer is by giving all its citizens the chance to get richer, not by only helping those like me who've already succeeded beyond our wildest dreams."

The education, health care, and economy core of his platform comes from his first life as a hardworking young man that became a successful lawyer. However, Edwards has been preaching another plank of his platform in Iowa that comes from his experience as a Senator. John Edwards is a relative newcomer to the political scene and when he came to Washington in 1999, he found a lot of things that need cleaning up. He has never taken money from a PAC, and he wants to ban all registered lobbyists from contributing to campaigns. He also wants to shine a bright light on lobbying activity by forcing lobbyists to disclose who they met with and what bill they discussed every two weeks. Edwards wants to do more than campaign finance reform; he wants to rewrite the rules and shut down the entire system of buying influence in Washington.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/04/01/19_edwards.html

For more:

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/issues.asp