Edwards has a fabulous habit...

[PurityOfEssence]

He answers questions directly, then elaborates upon them. Instinctively, this is something people like, because it's so atypical of politicians. With John Kerry tonight, you constantly saw him "answering the question he wanted to be asked" and maneuvering himself back onto prepared script, often without EVER answering the question. Even when deftly done, people smell "politician" with this tactic, and it doesn't go down well.

When Kerry was intoning his deflections, one could feel the feeling of the others watching: "You mean THIS is the guy?" It was a stark contrast.

Kerry's mode of speaking is stentorian and professorial: he expects you to listen because his rectitude grants him the right to your attention. Edwards speaks actively to you, and there's no air of pontificating or instruction. America eats that up.

I never did see that "Kerry gone wild" tape he mentioned in one of the debates...

[jpgray]

1. I prefer Kerry's method of speaking, but I agree with you

Kerry does have laboriously constructed answers to relatively direct questions. Edwards has laboriously constructed answers to direct questions, but his answers are more simple and direct--those qualities are necessary to come off well in a debate. Al Sharpton knows it well.

[girl gone mad]

2. I've noticed that about Edwards..

from the begining. He usually gives very direct answers. Sharpton can be pretty good about that, too.

[tobius]

3. The first time I caught on to

this (at first I thought it was more of a joke) disconnect with the way Kerry speaks was on c-span. I believe it was a speech plus question/answer in New Hampshire, 2 young girls (looked to be 9-11 yrs old) who wore media tags around their neck that said " Scholastic.. something or other" asked him who his hero was. He proceeded to go on a lengthy explanation(at least 5 minutes) of how it wouldn't be fair to pick one, then went on to mention names of people I'm sure they never heard of, and spent his whole answer without making eye contact or trying to connect with these 2 extraordinary girls.


Unfortunately the camera would switch to them as he had his back to them and they looked a bit disconcerted. I know Edwards or Clinton would have been able to make these youngsters feel special and directed the answer to their question directly to them and leave them smiling.

Sorry to be so long but it made a big impression on me.

You can't build a reputation on
what you are going to do.Henry Ford (1863 - 1947)

[spooky3]

8. that is a very telling anecdote.

[AP]

17. And Edwards would have said to them "Darlings, what are your names?"

[funky_bug]

24. Ah yes, that certainly addresses the issue

"You might not notice if you're not paying attention." HA!

[DemBones DemBones]

4. As a trial lawyer, Edwards had to be damned good at

direct and simple explanations to be as successful as he was, and it shows in debates.

As a preacher, Sharpton has honed very similar skills.

Basically, they're salesmen working on commission.

The others (Dean, Kerry, and Kucinich, my favorite) are salesmen working on salary.

You can see the difference.

However, John Kerry has a reputation for 'closing sales' and that's a major reason why he's getting more votes. Obviously, his record matters a lot, too, because voters are saying he's electable, and I think his war experience is very important but followed closely by years of Senate experience (i.e., knowing the players in D.C., and knowing how to work the system.)

Whether on commission or salary, salesmen who can't 'close' go hungry.

[spooky3]

7. I'm not sure what you're basing "closing sales" on.

I respect his military and Senate service and liberal voting record. However, winning elections as a liberal in one of the most liberal states in the country is not nearly as difficult as doing so in a red state (which I would consider a great "close"). While Kerry's obviously learned a lot during his Senate years, he has not "led the fights" he claims to have led; he has been one of MANY supporting certain bills. And very few consequential bills bear his name.

In the relatively short time Edwards has been in the Senate, and despite being junior in a seniority system and in the minority party for much of the time, you can thank him for writing a real patients' bill of rights and for (with the cooperation of others) in many cases blocking wingnut judge nominees, among other achievements.

[DemBones DemBones]

28. I like Edwards but thus far it's Kerry who's able

to close the most sales. That was my point.

Kucinich has great positions but he's not getting the closes Kerry is.

If we want to win, we go with the best closer, who is not necessarily the best stump speaker or most progressive candidate. It would be nice if one person were all of that but we can only get what's being offered.

[Guava Jelly]

5. I like edwards

but if i hear hes a son of a millworker one more time i am gonna puke

[spooky3]

6. then people have to stop asking him questions like

"Dean and Kerry come from a privileged background. How are you different and are you better?"

and

"You've made millions as a trial lawyer (or some epithet). What can you know about the problems of the poor/middle class?"

As long as he gets these questions or polls show that 40% of voters (or some other large number) still don't know who he is (which some still do) I'm afraid we'll hear the son of a millworker theme.

I did hear Elizabeth Edwards say in addressing a group several weeks ago, "OK, you all know John is the son of the millworker, right? So now I'd like to move on..."

[corporatewhore]

9. when he was asked about his views on nafta differing from kerry he didnt

say what they were he went on about how he knew and about the blank stare what do i do now look unless i am mistaken if he has a position that i like on freetrade i think imaybe could vote for him

[spooky3]

10. Here is Edwards' answer--I don't see how it could be plainer.

"You know, Senator Kerry is entitled, as is Governor Dean, to support free trade, as they always have. The problem is there what we see happening, and it's NAFTA, which I opposed, plus a whole series of other trade agreements, have been devastating here in Wisconsin. Nobody has to tell me what the effect is of some of these bad trade agreements."

the above quote is from the W Post debate transcript at washingtonpost.com.

Edwards believes that Kerry is basically in support of NAFTA. Kerry's answer earlier seemed to suggest that he was, and wanted certain provisions enforced more vigorously. Edwards campaigned in 1998 on a platform opposed to NAFTA. Is that not a clear difference?

[corporatewhore]

13. is he gonna get out is my main question

[AP]

19. What he says he's going to do is enter into fair trade agreements with

South American and the Pacific Rim. I think the plan is to make sure that more trade occurs under those paradigms than under NAFTA which will create an imperative to fix NAFTA and the WTO agreements.

His focus, in any event, seems to be to get fair trade agreements up and running.

So, if you life in the Phillipines, Venezueal, Brazil, Ecuador and Argentina and you work for a living, or if you live in the US, you want to hope Edwards gets elected.

[VOX]

11. Edwards is great with the stump, but he thinks on his feet also...

It's a pity that he's just now getting out of the starting gate in a (once) crowded field -- his ability to connect hasn't been able to shine until now.

Edwards is a man to watch -- even if he's not the Democratic nom, he's gotta be on the *very* short list for veep.

[arwalden]

12. He Has A Clinton-Like Hand Gesture When He Speaks...

It's a loose-fist (like he's holding an invisible ticket-stub between his thumb and curled index finger) and he "points" with his fisted thumb to emphasize certain words. --- As though he's handing someone the ticket.

Difficult for me to describe here, but if you've ever seen EITHER of them do this, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.

-- Allen

[burned]

15. the thumb point

has been used to death by every 'politician' that wanted to have a bit of that Clinton magic speak.

Keep an eye out, they all do it. Rumsfeld even does it.

[bearfartinthewoods]

14. kerry can't debate for shit

i know i have been surprised by how bad is is at the debate format. i bet we have all passes a few lovely minutes, fanticizing over watching edwards, dean or clark mop the floor with the babbling bush but the set up between kerry and bush doesn't entertain me at all because i just don't think kerry is very good at it.

[Woman of the Phoenix]

16. A Kerry-Bush debate

isn't going to help or hurt either one.

Either people 'get' it this time or they don't.

[funky_bug]

18. I hate to burst this bubble...

But the commentator (last night after the debate) said almost the exact thing about Edwards. First of all, she could NOT stop swooning at the mention of Edwards (damn, but he's adorable, and very Clintonesque), but then she said that Edward's has this uncanny habit of answering the questions he wished he'd been asked.

I think, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so is our laude for the candidates. IMHO, the only candidate who gives a straight answer is Kucinich. Every time, and he never waffles on his positions. He's straight forward, and damn if the American public doesn't ignore him for it.

[AP]

20. Edwards is often asked questions that don't let him shine, so I've seen

him answer the question asked in sentence, and then reframe the question into something that allows him to shine.

What Kerry does is not answer the question at all because he knows it won't help him, so he goes on a long ramble which he peppers with phrases that he hopes will stick -- like "machine gun," "jungle" and "Vietnam." If you're not paying attention, you might not notice the dodge.

[spooky3]

22. that's right, and it's a big difference.

Answer it first, directly. Then go to the points you want to make sure you get across. That's very different from rambling on such that the questioner has to ask again his/her original yes/no question.

[Cuban_Liberal]

21. Edwards ia a GREAT speaker who knows how to close the deal.

That's one reason he was such an effective trial lawyer. :)

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PurityOfEssence]

27. The American Conservative Union ranks him to the left of Kucinich

What the hell do you want?! Yeah, you hate the war vote, and no amount of mea culpas or hair shirt wearing will probably dissuade you.

This is a guy who had a call to conscience in the middle of an incredibly lucrative career, and since then has fought hard for what most of us here hold dear. At least when he votes in a way people dislike, he admits it upfront.

This guy's warmth and sincerity are the real deal, and your contention of his operating off of script doesn't even bear the slightest scrutiny. With the possible exception of Sharpton, nobody on that stage last night was speaking as extemporaneously as him. Kucinich (although I love him) went straight into boilerplate that I've heard him use many times before with virtually no segue. Kerry didn't even bother attempting to answer questions, he waffled his way back to paragraphs of prepared pronouncements.

Edwards, if you've watched the debates over time, is "in the moment", and doesn't fixate on trying to get his particular bon mot shoehorned into the response.

I don't know what your beef is with Edwards, or whom you support to the exclusion of the other philistines, but you couldn't be more off-base if you tried. He got a little scripty toward the end, but his call for realism in stating one's platform was ringing and genuine.

[Killarney]

25. Yes, Edwards is great at that

He's the best speaker and he comes across and direct and honest.

[Eurobabe]

26. I've seen so many debates at this point

the whole thing is pretty much a rhetoric-infested 90 minute sound byte. From Kerry's 'Benedict Arnold companies,' to Dean's 'I've done that in VT,' to Edwards, 'son of a mill worker,' to Kucinich's 'UN in US Out.' The only one who I can really say I have heard varied responses from (and they aren't always coherent) is Sharpton.

Kerry's gesticulation bugs the heck out of me. Like he's poking at dead air, and a few seconds off all the time.