The only disconnect I have about John Edwards is this:

[Obamarama]

I ran across a great Guardian article about John Edwards that speaks to his commtiment to waging a war on poverty:

"For the past two years, US presidential candidate John Edwards has been crisscrossing the country speaking at union rallies, joining picket lines and campaigns to raise the minimum wage, and visiting homeless shelters, low-income housing developments and emergency food banks. This is hardly the typical path to the White House, and it certainly doesn't look like the higher-profile campaigns of fellow-Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But instead of tailoring a message to have the widest possible appeal, Edwards, a former US senator and his party's vice presidential candidate in 2004, has charted a bold course for the presidency: He wants to lead a moral crusade against persistent poverty and widening inequality in the world's wealthiest nation"
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0201-29.htm

And then I found this tidbit of information:
"The Edwards family now live in a 28,200 square feet mansion on a 102 acre estate in rural/suburban Orange County, in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill metro area, in North Carolina. The mansion is the county's largest and includes a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated "John's Lounge."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_edwards

I want to beleive that John is different in that Republicans are of the mindset of "I got mine, I don't care if you didn't, and while I'm at it I'm going to take some of what's yours and add it to mine. I THINK John is of the mindset "I got mine and I want to help people who didn't get theirs get what they deserve and what they need to live a decent life."

Does a 28,000 sq. foot mansion mean he can't do that? Of course not, but it just feels like a disconnect to me. Anyone else feel like this? Anyone have information to pull the chair out from under my disconnect, because I so want to throw my support behind this man.

[Name removed]

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[rug]

2. How was your vacation?

[Debi]

3. Were you bored or have you not been on DU lately? n/t

[Obamarama]

4. As a matter of fact, I haven't been on DU much for the last few weeks. WHY?

Was there some controversial threads on this topic?

[Debi]

26. One or two

x(

Just search it and you'll have your answer.

Welcome back :hi:

[Lex]

5. Oh FFS!

nt

[TheDebbieDee]

12. Does FFS mean.................

for phuck's sake?

Just asking...........

[The Straight Story]

6. My take on it is summed up thusly:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x104402

[The Straight Story]

8. And there is this graphic :)

[liberal N proud]

9. Here we go with this shit again

So if you had John Edwards money, what would you do with it?

Is there something wrong with an American being successful and enjoying life? He is still sharing his wealth. But I guess you think he should give it all away. Would you?

[Obamarama]

10. No, I don't think he should give it away, and no, I wouldn't either.

I said it's a disconnect, not a deal breaker. Out of all the candidates thus far, I'm firmly behind Edwards. I think he is authentic in his motives. But, because I know DUers to be smart and connected to lots of good info, I'm basically asking if others think he's "the real deal" as well.

Christ, people around here need to quit being so fucking reactionary toward rational discussion.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. There have been some really over-the-top discussions on

Edwards' house, and it has settled in at some point well beyond rationality. I think more than a few were trolls, trying to start arguments; others were partisans for other candidates who are all too happy to slam Edwards for anything at all.

My advice -- smile, and back away slowly.

[Clark2008]

17. And some had rational reactions.

Not everyone who dislikes Edwards is a troll or a partisan. My guy hasn't announced, yet, and may not do so. If he doesn't, that doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to find all of Edwards' positions acceptible, you know.

[Obamarama]

21. Thanks for having the courtesy to fill me in on the brouhaha, NCevilDUer.

Only being on DU fleetingly for the last several weeks, I totally missed the previous discussions. I only actually learned about the Edwards' home yesterday when I inadvertantly linked in to the Wikipedia entry for Edwards. I had no idea I was whacking a hornet's nest.

Well, I'm neither a troll nor a partisan for another candidate, so I'm not about to apologize for posting my original comments. I'm solidly behind Edwards, but his domicile did make me scratch my head for a moment. It doesn't disqualify him from crusading for the poor, but I think it's a fair topic to broach in light of his crusading for the poor.

[alarimer]

16. I think it's sort of hypocritical of him actually

And it speaks to the fact that we need to have a discussion about our OBSCENE displays of consumerism. Almost all of us are guilty of that as well. It isn't just about Edwards but about all of us. Typical responses have been "well if you earned the money you can build the biggest fucking house you want" in spite of the well-known that fact that Americans (and presumably wealthy Americans even more so) use up way more than their fair share of resources. From big, obnoxious houses to those gas-guzzling piece of shit SUVS. We are an obscene society. It fucking disgusts me. Americans are gluttonous, obnoxious, and wasteful. And we need to stop now. We are ruining our country with the giant suburban megamalls and big box stores. It is sick. Edwards talks a good game about "Two Americas" but I wonder what he would actually do about it should he become President. It is well past time to tax the shit out of rich people so that they pay their fair share for the raping of pillaging of resources that they are guilty of.

[liberal N proud]

19. After the last several weeks of reading

about the Edwards house, I just think there are other issues.
For me, he appears to be the closest thing to the ideas candidate. Smart "articulate" and has sound values.
I had to throw articulate in there to since it has been part of the other rediculous rhetorical recently.

Of course in my backing Edwards, I still hold judgment until it is clear where all the candidates stand on all issues. I may still end supporting Hillary, you just never know.

[Infinite Hope]

20. LMAO

The threads on this have bothered me as well, but your responses on here are priceless and point to a lot of truths about some DUers.

[BlueCaliDem]

22. If anything, I think it's highly admirable that a multi-millionaire like Edwards...

...even knows there's impoverished people in the United States--something people like Biden, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton, Mary Landrieu and other top Democrats seem to have forgotten!

Let's not forget that even before he left the Senate to run for the Presidency in '04, he, and his lovely wife Elisabeth were already spending their own money and their precious time helping the less fortunate with their computer classes that cost them millions to start and maintain back in their home state (in honor of their late son), and that the Edwards' have been battling poverty in America nonstop ever since.

And this for multi-millionaires who really don't have to give a good-god-damn if they don't wanna.

I think it's extremely admirable, and speaks of a true, good heart, that the Edwards continue to fight against poverty in the United States, and not just "talk-talk-talk" about it.

If we take the time to think about it, there's no doubt that the Edwards deserve our respect, NOT our scorn, and they have mine and my family's 100%.

[Hidden Stillness]

11. I Don't Like it Either

I don't like it either, and it has lowered my opinion of Edwards. You can't even buy and already-existing den of iniquity? Sounds more and more like "trickle-down War on Poverty" to me, and I am deeply offended at the half-assed comparisons of the posturing Edwards with, on the other hand, the saviors of the poor and middle class, the Roosevelts and Kennedys. What an insult to the Roosevelts and Kennedys.

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Gandhi and Mother Teresa Lived in Palaces Also

Didn't they?

No? :eyes:

[Clark2008]

15. You don't find yourself disconnected with his position against

Iran?

I really don't care about his house. I hate the way he changes his mind to suit the viewpoints of his audience in an attempt to curry political favor for himself.

He does it ALL THE TIME.

[MannyGoldstein]

18. He's Triangulating on Triangulation

He changes his stance less often than Mrs. Clinton, but more often than Feigold.

Brilliant!

[Inspired]

23. No, I don't feel a disconnect.

I've supported John Edwards for years. I have known for a long time that he and Elizabeth were building their dream home in Chapel Hill, NC. I doesn't surprise me at all that it is large. This home was built for their family, for their friends. It is a gathering place. This home was built after this family suffered through 2 of the most painful events that any family can go through. The loss of a child and a cancer diagnosis. It was built to bring together the things that matters to them the most. Family and friends. This home is an investment in their family. And it is lovely. And it is an energy star rated home.

Someone wrote in another thread that the average Edwards supporter won't ever be invited to this home. Call me naive, but I think many of us will be.

The only thing that bothers me about this home is the reaction I've seen by Democrats. The subject of John Edwards home was first brought up by the right wing smear machine. And Democrats are falling right in line with it. I thought we were better than that. Smarter than that. I thought that we were inclusive. I thought that we would never allow ourselves to be taken advantage of in this way by Republicans. I thought we would stand behind our fellow Democrats against any Republican smear campaign, especially after seeing what they did to our honorable Senator Kerry. Seeing another thread about John Edwards home makes me very sad. We are just as gullible as our Republican neighbors.

What is it about this house that is upsetting everyone? I don't understand this at all. John Edwards has lived the American dream and he wants to level the playing field so others can achieve it as well.

He was a very successful attorney. One of the best in the nation. He earned his money honestly. He never 'chased ambulances'. His clients came to him and he did not take on frivolous cases. Please read his book "Four Trials" for more information on his life's work prior to being in the Senate. It is a great book and you will be moved by the four trials outlined in the book. I also encourage you, if you are indeed wanting to throw your support to him, to read Elizabeth's book "Saving Graces". You will be moved by it as well.

If you are serious about wanting to throw your support to John Edwards, I encourage you to go to johnedwards.com and join in the discussion. Edwards website allows dissenting views. It encourages constructive criticism. Sure, most bloggers are Edwards supporters, but not all are, so you will see many viewpoints and I think you can learn a lot more about this candidate there than you can from the DU.

While you visit the website, take a look at the link to One Corps. You will see what John Edwards supporters across the country are doing. In fact, I have an appointment tomorrow to help weatherize a home that belongs to a low income family. I'm doing this through my One Corps chapter. We will have no press. The family probably will never know that this effort was organized because of John Edwards. It is being done because it is needed and John Edwards has provided us with organizational tools to be able to do so.

You can choose to be cynical or you can choose to be inspired. I choose to be inspired.

[Obamarama]

25. Thanks for your reasonable, intelligent post....

From it, I learned something I didn't know: that it is an energy star rated home. And actually, I'm already registered on the johnedwards.com site :-)

[MethuenProgressive]

24. The truth about the Edwards Estate is:

He built himself a future Summer WhiteHouse.
Like his supporters, he's looking way too far ahead...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. bullshit. rich people do support the poor so long as they have compassion and empathy.

and i think edwards does.