Win or lose, Edwards campaign is raising the bar...fighting the good fight

[dajoki]

Where there is plenty, poverty is evil
By Nora Thomason
January 20, 2008
http://www.everydaycitizen.com/2008/01/where_there_is_plenty_poverty.html

"I believe that, as long as there is plenty, poverty is evil." - Robert Kennedy

Like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy was assassinated in 1960s. He was right in the middle of a successful campaign for the presidency in 1968 when his life was cut short. Bobby Kennedy spoke loudly and consistently about ending the Vietnam War and ending poverty. These days, Kennedy is often compared with John Edwards - for good and solid reasons. Perhaps Obama is compared to MLK and Clinton compared to LBJ - but, for me, what we need this day is Bobby Kennedy.

"Restoring our moral authority means leading by example and making clear that the hard challenges don't frighten us. There is no better opportunity than the challenge of poverty – the great moral issue of our time." -- John Edwards

Bobby Kennedy's crusade against poverty enthralled many Americans. So far, Edwards' crusade hasn't. Yes, I know that there was only one Bobby Kennedy. But, Bobby was shot down with his whole life stretched out before him and he carried so much promise for our parents and grandparents, and for us. We still need Bobby Kennedy. Perhaps more now than ever.

<<snip>>

That's the mantel that John Edwards raises. In a speech at the National Press Club, former Sen. John Edwards called poverty "the great moral issue of our time" and challenged our country to cut it by a third in a decade and end it within 30 years. To get there, he has proposed major new initiatives to reward work, break up high-poverty neighborhoods, help families save, and encourage families to act responsibly.

<<snip>>

Edwards' booklet, The Plan to Build One America http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/plan-to-build-one-america.pdf, outlines in great detail the candidate's plans to tackle poverty, hunger, the health care crisis, the growing income gaps in the country, and the decline of America's international reputation. Perhaps most importantly, he goes to bat for organized labor in a way no other candidate is doing. Equally refreshing is what's not in the plan. While he does write about crime and drugs, neither merits its own section - a welcome change from the years of tough-on-crime hysteria when every candidate, of whatever political persuasion, had to prove that they were tougher and badder and meaner than their opponents, with the end result that America became the leading incarceration nation on earth.

Win or lose, Edwards campaign is raising the bar, pushing social justice issues center-stage, and fighting the good fight for a constituency at the wrong end of an awful lot of changes these past several years. - Sasha Abramsky, MotherJones Blog http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/01/6908_eugene_debs_mee.html

<<snip>>

Few will have the greatness to bend history; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation ...
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is thus shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance. - Sen. Robert Kennedy

[dajoki]

1. I meant to post in GDP...

But ended up in GD, if it should be moved do so, otherwise it can stay here.---dajoki

[neutron]

39. This is getting silly

Edwards lost and his hanging on isn't fair to the candidates who won

I think the man could use a shrink.

[dajoki]

44. I will not argue with you because...

you obviously don't see what's going on here. This is not only about John Edwards anymore, its for the soul of the Democratic party. Edwards chances to win are slim to none, but his message and ideas are also what we are fighting for. The media won't hold the others accountable so it is up to Edwards and his supporters.

[bobbolink]

2. I've seen the Bobby Kennedy in him for quite a while... glad to see someone is expanding on this!

Excellent article--thank you so very much for posting this!!

:pals: :applause:

[dajoki]

20. It is my pleasure n/t

[smokey nj]

3. K&R!!!!!

[balantz]

4. K&R!!

[Ninga]

5. K & R.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. the measure of any society

is how they treat the poor, the disabled, the elderly. Edwards has a plan that can make ours a better nation.

[bobbolink]

13. The US fails that measure miserably! And it's getting worse, not better!

John and Elizabeth are the only ones really carrying a torch for folk like me!

:pals:

[dajoki]

15. Hi bobbolink...

Yes, John and Elizabeth are the only ones who address the issues that affect people like us. How have you been doing? I've been thinking about you, drop me a line to let me know what's up if you wish. :hi: :pals:

[dajoki]

17. Yes, I have been trying to get that point across...

to some people here, but they either don't care, think its hopless or just think its not that bad. I could deal with the first two, no matter how senseless it is, but people who believe the latter make me ill.

[caseycoon]

7. K&R Thanks for posting this! n/t

[dajoki]

21. Your welcome n/t

[Beaverhausen]

8. excellent - K&R

[populistdriven]

9. K&R! nt

[Silver Gaia]

10. K&R for John! n/t

[Andy823]

11. Great post!

I hope Edwards can get he other two to tell us their "plans" to change things. I want to know "how" they will do it, not listen to more double talk, or fighting between the two. I will stay with Edwards to the end, but I really need to hear some "substance" from the other two if they want my vote later if Edwards drops out. Edwards has a plan, and he isn't afraid to speak on on how he will make changes, and that's why he is the candidate for me!

[dajoki]

14. Change, change, change...

We've been hearing that word quite a bit recently. Its easy to keep saying it, but like you, I want to hear how they will do it. I believe Edwards is the only one who has laid out a real plan on how he will accomplish what he says. I am also sticking with him to the end, and hoping that the other two will be forced by us and John to make his cause part of the Democratic platform. This is why Edwards must stay in the race, to raise the awareness of the issues he so passionately champions. Like the OP says, "he has raised the bar and is fighting the good foght." We owe it to him and ourselves to make sure his entire campaign was not in vain.

[Greyhound]

12. K & R

:kick:

[Triana]

16. Yes he is. And for that, I love him and always will. (n/t)

[HughMoran]

18. I'm going to miss him if he drops out

He seems more pure on the issues than the other two.

[dajoki]

19. As will I...

Why is it that a true compassionate person like John Edwards seemed doomed from the start? He was never given a chance by MSM, almost a total blackout. Every word spoken by him and HEARD by anybody was truely earned. Since there is little hope for the media, we must do what we can to get John's passionate pleas to save our society posted whenever and wherever we can, and try to keep the issues front and center.

[iris5426]

22. Awesome post thanks for sharing! :-) K&R nt

:kick:

[dajoki]

25. Glad to!! n/t

[jannyk]

23. K&R

[CaptJasHook]

24. K&R nt

[defendandprotect]

26. We should not have permitted the race to be limited to 3 people . . .

We have plenty of time --- and Kucinich and Edwards simply enlarge the debate and extend the democratic nature of the debate.

Limiting this to 3 means very quickly it will be 2 ---
and then the attacks will begin --- with the GOP having 10 months or more to concentrate on the candidate.

[dajoki]

45. Unfortunately, the media has decided...

who our candidates will be for us. If we saw this coming maybe we could have done something about it. What? I don't know, I wish I had an answer.

[Tulkas]

27. Freedom 's just another word for nothing left to lose

[Plucketeer]

28. ABSOLUTELY!

<- THIS person here, is different from all the rest seeking to ascend to the White House.
I don't wanna hear about 400 dollar hair cuts, or extravagant homes or none of that. All the hopefuls have flaws, and you don't have to look too hard to find them. They're all older than age 33 and legend has it that the last perfect person only made it to that age. I don't CARE about perfect. What I care about is someone speaking the TRUTH - speaking it NOW and speaking it on MY/OUR behalf.

[Beartracks]

29. K&R!

"Poverty, hunger, the health care crisis, the growing income gaps in the country, and the decline of America's international reputation!"

Wait -- where's the part about keeping gays from getting married? :eyes:

Go, John! Raise the debate in this country!

:patriot:

[dajoki]

46. If for no other reason...

than to raise the debate in this country is why we must continue the fight with John Edwards.

[desertflamingo]

30. i see it too...

some of the photos are uncanny showing his resemblance to rfk. not exactly - it's more of a feeling, or something. i don't know, but i have come to love rfk more than i ever loved jfk and edwards, well, what can i say? he's my new bobby.

EDWARDS '08

[dajoki]

47. I know the feeling...

its intangible, but its there. And I feel the same way about RFK. I truly believe that if he was not assassinated the world would be a much better place today.

[desertflamingo]

48. say amen to that.

EDWARDS '08

[dajoki]

50. Amen!! n/t

[liberalla]

31. Edwards campaign is raising the bar, and that benefits all of us.

Thank you John Edwards!
:kick:

[sazemisery]

32. Help raise the bar - Voluteer or Donate today!

https://www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form/

[dajoki]

54. I have and will continue...

This has become even bigger than John Edwards, it is becoming a movement, and we must continue the struggle for John's sake and our own.

[Phred42]

33. Kick

:kick:

[redqueen]

34. Thanks for posting that dajoki.

Excellent piece.

"Perhaps most importantly, he goes to bat for organized labor in a way no other candidate is doing."

:kick:

[dajoki]

55. You are quite welcome redqueen...

We must keep up the fight and help John Edwards be heard.

[redqueen]

57. No kidding... the M$M sure isn't interested in helping!

[dajoki]

58. The M$M can kiss my poor a$$ n/t

[BigDDem]

35. Win or lose?

What has he won?

[redqueen]

49. A hard-fought battle for a senate seat against a republican in a red state...

for one.

[BigDDem]

51. True. You're talking about 1998, I was thinking more about

2008.

[redqueen]

52. I know you were...

:)

But still!

[midnight]

36. Thank you John Edwards......

"Restoring our moral authority means leading by example and making clear that the hard challenges don't frighten us. There is no better opportunity than the challenge of poverty – the great moral issue of our time." -- John Edwards This is why he gets my vote.

[focusfan]

37. I don't think John Edwards will get the chance to prove himself

because of stupid people endorsing Obama and Clinton and
people not realizing John Edwards potential to change the
world.

[dajoki]

53. Yes, and that is a shame...

but I won't call Obama and Clinton supporters stupid, maybe brainwashed by being constantly spoon fed by the media on who our candidates will be. Its amazing that all the support John Edwards is getting is not translating into votes. I will stick with Edwards until HE tells me its over, and even then, hopefully he will have enough delegates and support so that he and us can't be ignored anymore and to carry his ideas into the Dem platform

[jwirr]

38. K & R. For those of us who are poor and want the plain facts JE is

our man. He needs to stay in because he is influencing history.

[dajoki]

56. "He needs to stay in because he is influencing history"...

Right on!! For those of us who are poor, he is our only chance.

[asdjrocky]

40. K&R, nicely done.

[PATRICK]

41. He can have even more influence

than Dean had last time in getting the party out of the DLC death grip and moving to where the best reason and morality facing the real world MUST take it. Obama is not Clinton's Jesse Jackson but Edwards is and the two things that cannot be handled by the weary establishment, one or the other or both, will give us greater hope in the fall and change. Real change.

It might not turn out as much as the potential, but right now, simply by garnering a big chunk of delegates, Edwards at the least may have actual significant power- which he would not abuse to the detriment of the party or for personal gain- to represent who he champions and the knowledge and power of those who cast their votes for him. Dean got washed out and yet became party chair, making historic change. Edwards became Veep last time and he was facing the momentum of a single powerful candidate. Now there are two, split and somewhat shakier in their performance on stage than Edwards.

Oh yes, the possibility for change can only get greater for each vote cast for him. Let the common man spoil the paternalistic show and the MSM fraud and the Bush plans. We will be heard, we will move this party, we will make it stronger. Dean did after being swamped and embarrassed. Edwards most likely will increase that many fold with a vital campaign spotless and intact and its voters and delegates with eyes, ears, and voices, minds and hearts, united and intact.

[dajoki]

59. If he can't win the nomination...

that is my hope. Edwards will get enough delegates and his supporters won't be quited, so his message must be heard and implemented into the party platform. We have/had a chance to nominate a person who really stands for the common and underprivelaged people in this country and the media and their corporate backers said...NO, WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!! So we must continue the fight on our own, and refuse to ignored!!

[bdamomma]

42. kick and rec

[peacock]

43. Yes he is! And Edwards is a

fighter and not a quitter. I´m a fighter too and I´m with JRE!