January Jumpstart for John Edwards?

[CorpGovActivist]

As I spend more time in the heartland this campaign cycle, I am hearing more and more voters expressing disgust at how the M$M has framed up the Democratic primary as Hillary vs. Obama.

"The candidate who actually speaks to my family's reality is John Edwards," one voter shares.

In the next 11 days, tracking polls will become muddied, as families gather. For many, this holiday will be "first contact" with partisans of another candidate (their extended family members) to whom they will give a truly fair and polite listen.

Within my own (very large and geographically dispersed) extended family, a distinct trend is emerging: John Edwards is the fallback choice of many. Younger family members (by and large in the Obama camp) concede that Obama's experience question may well cause them to switch to Edwards in the end (while hoping he gets the Veep spot). Former Clinton campers (she's managed to alienate just about all of us with her ceaseless triangulation and dodgy answers) see the Edwardses as a competent yin/yang as First Couple. Then there are the Edwards-all-along crowd, who insist January will be a jumpstart for John, and insist on extra helpings of dessert for being right all along.

I'm treating them with kid glove deference for their political call, but throwing sharp elbows when it comes to the banana pudding.

How are your family gatherings shaping up?

- Dave

[saltpoint]

1. Four of us strong for Edwards, and two of those with Biden in a close second.

1 for Gov. Richardson.

1 for Chris Dodd.

1 for Sen. Clinton.

2 for Obama.

2 for Kucinich.

All the rest undecided (if Democrats) and for various lunkhead Republicans (if Republicans).

[CorpGovActivist]

2. So Your Family Actually Did a Caucus?

We're talking about it.

: )

- Dave

[saltpoint]

3. No. Not one of us is even in Iowa.

We just know where we all stand.

At family gatherings we make the Republican contingent eat out on the back porch.

[CorpGovActivist]

4. Some Good Bellwethers in Our Group...

... including the earliest races.

When there's a power switch, do the GOPers in your family exile you guys?

Tsk, tsk. Bipartisanship begins at home.

:rofl:

- Dave

[saltpoint]

5. We outnumber them at the moment, so they'd better just watch out.

Plus, the Democrats tend to help more with the dishes anyway!

[CorpGovActivist]

6. Doing Dishes Is "Big Government," Perhaps? LOL

[saltpoint]

7. LOL!

[CorpGovActivist]

10. The GOPers in My Family Support Hillary...

... because they are sure she's going to continue to be her own worst enemy, and their best "uniter" for the general.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

15. "because they are sure she's going to continue to be her own worst enemy"

Which is why she's been shoved down our collective throats.

[CorpGovActivist]

16. "she's been shoved down our collective throats"

Ballot box as collective gag reflex?

; )

- Dave

[bobbolink]

17. That's probably more true than you know!

Besides a uniter for the RW, if she is the (gag) nominee, there will be many progressives who won't vote, or will write in.

Yes, the time has come.

[CorpGovActivist]

18. Who Excites You?

Which candidate in the primaries has you on pins and needles?

- Dave

[bobbolink]

20. hehehe.... I thought I'd shouted it enough here to have that label...

:rofl:

It's a longer story, but the truth is that this time around, Edwards has me excited for the first time in a very long time!

For me, he is following in the footsteps of Bobby Kennedy.

Yes, I know... he could disappoint me on that score--as any politician can (who knows... had he lived, maybe Bobby would have disappointed all of us, too).

BUT... if he (and Elizabeth!!) are in the Oval, and WE, The Damned People get off our butts and support him in the fight, I think there could really be a turn around.

If that happens, the fireworks would rival that of the 60's.

Yes, I see all of that in him.

I didn't in 2004. I think both he and Gore have changed deeply, which is why I started seeing a Bobby trajectory there.

What about you?

[CorpGovActivist]

24. I Have Landed on Edwards ...

... much to my surprise, for reasons too numerous to list out, but some of which you touch upon.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

25. Well, helllllll's bells.... I bared my soul, and you leave me....

with worm on tongue (thanks, Robin Williams!)

Can't you toss me a crumb?

:)

[CorpGovActivist]

26. Edwards' Progressively Progressive Stance on Corporate Welfare...

... and related issues resonates for me. I think he will be eyes-wide-open, and sleeves-rolled-up on cleaning up the financial services system, for example.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

30. Yup, as a poor person, his speaking up for me made the difference.

BUT... his strong and relentless talk about fighting the corporate powers has me cheering!

He's made a turnaround about as dramatic as Bobby's.

Really, I know it sounds ...well, goofy, but he does have me feeling charged up when I listen to him!

I soooo wish I could go to Iowa or New Hampshire and canvass!

[CorpGovActivist]

33. "I soooo wish I could go to Iowa or New Hampshire"

I'm having fun enough for both of us.

; )

- Dave

[K Gardner]

22. LOL ! At the kiddie table ? Too funny.

[CorpGovActivist]

35. They Should at Least Plant a Spy...

... on the back porch, to eavesdrop.

:rofl:

- Dave

[saltpoint]

47. And what's worse, they require CONSTANT supervision. Such unruly

brats, those Republicans.

[CorpGovActivist]

48. You Should Tease Them That the Back Porch Isn't Big Enough...

... for their "wide stance," and exile them to the backyard.

:rofl:

- Dave

[saltpoint]

49. LOL! We have to keep it kinda PG-rated.

But we may threaten to serve them ice cream with jello:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2515307

[CorpGovActivist]

50. OK, Erect a Pup Tent...

... and tell them that represents their big tent.

; )

- Dave

[saltpoint]

51. LOL! It's true. The smaller that pup tent, the closer we'd get to actual

Republican representation!

[CorpGovActivist]

55. Plus It's Fun...

... to watch them nose each other away from the trough.

; )

- Dave

[saltpoint]

59. !

[Seabiscuit]

54. In our family the Republican contingent eats out at the outhouse.

The "outhouse" being a local euphemism for Escondido, where they live in San Diego County (as opposed to the more liberal coast, where we live).

[CorpGovActivist]

57. I Prefer to Haunt the RWers...

... with the Ghost of Bush Policies Failed.

- Dave

[Triana]

8. Looks like...

...the Demos/Progressives in my family are for Edwards.

...the Repub/Conservatives are for Ron Paul.

My idiot Repube brother (one of them) will probably vote for Huckabee if he's the nom. The other one, dunno. I expect he's for Edwards or Obama. I'm certain NO ONE in my family is for Hillary.

[CorpGovActivist]

9. My Vote Was Solidly "Hers to Lose," and I'll Be Damned...

... if she didn't manage to lose it. She's alienated just about all of her early supporters in my family.

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

11. I've heard also "She's(Clinton) alienated just about all of her early supporters"....

You OP analysis seems to be spot on.

The sign that things are breaking Edwards' way is that his Campaign Strategists are not worried in the least about the national polling in Iowa --and they know the bigger the 'surprise to the MSM' in Iowa the bigger the momentum will carry over to New Hampshire and beyond.

[CorpGovActivist]

12. Yup, the "Sit up and Pay Attention" Phenom...

... out of Iowa will be directly proportional to the upside surprise.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

21. "The bigger the surprise to the (corp) media, the bigger the momentum)

I think there's a song there...

:hi:

[CorpGovActivist]

27. Rational Campaign Donors...

... will also jump in and maximize their donations' impact following Iowa, methinks.

There is a lot of such money sitting on the sidelines.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

28. Well, now you done went and spoiled it.

:)

There are many on DU who are slamming Edwards because "he doesn't have money, won't get money, and if he's the nom, we'll lose, ohhh, we're DOOOMMMED!"

[CorpGovActivist]

32. The Flood of Currently-Sidelined Money...

... will be a veritable tsunami if he upsets the apple cart in Iowa.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

36. .

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

THANKS!

That's the part of politics I don't keep up with, so I appreciate knowing that, and it will help keep me warm in the snowstorm. :)

Really, that is great news.

Doubt if it will appease the nay-sayers, tho.

And we know who they are.

:evilgrin:

[CorpGovActivist]

40. Two Ways to "Hedge Political Bets"

1. Give across the board.

2. Give intelligently and rationally, based on early voting.

The adherents of School of Thought #2 are the same sorts who maximize the impact of their "ranked choice" voting (e.g., when you can vote for up to X candidates in a given race) by giving only a single vote to their top choice, rather than diluting the impact of their vote by ranking the others.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

44. I guess, since I live on nothing, and can't contribute to campaigns,

all of this has escaped me.

So, what you're saying is that the effort to institute ... (oh dang, what's it called.... the "rank voting" in generals...) may be a waste of effort?

I know people who've been working on that, and believe it would make us more like the European democracies.

sigh... the more I know, the more I realize I Don't Know. :hi:

[CorpGovActivist]

46. Practical Effect of Targeted Ranked Voting

Let's say that you're voting in a local race that says: "Pick up to 5 candidates for this office."

If you only vote for a single candidate, the practical effect of your targeted single vote is to multiply it by 5.

Why?

By withholding your other 4 votes from his/her competitors, you don't "net out" your own vote.

The same practical effect is true in the money race, for those who practice targeted giving (rather than across-the-board giving).

- Dave

[bobbolink]

19. Yup, and that alienation is going to drag this country further down.

I've come to the point where I don't think that's a bad thing.

BOIL THAT FROGGIE!

AND.... when the muddleclass finally implodes, then maybe they will sober up and gain some compassion for those of us on the bottom rung.

BOIL THAT FROGGIE!

[CorpGovActivist]

42. I Dunno; I Am More Hopeful...

... and think that the alienation of which you speak is actually motivating previously apathetic citizens to get involved in new, innovative, and exciting ways.

It's been great to see some Gen Y members of my family jump in and get involved, for instance; some of them we'd almost written off as hopelessly uninvolved.

- Dave

[bobbolink]

45. I hope you're right. I'm pissed that there has been little effort to reach out to apathetic

non-voters.

I think we understand more now why they think as they do, and the time is ripe to TALK to them.

BUT... most LISTEN to them.

sigh..... we can't seem to reach beyond ourselves very effectively....

:(

[lisainmilo]

13. Extended family, not sure but,

Dad, Mom, Brother, Husband....and me....EDWARDS....all the way!

[CorpGovActivist]

14. Where Are You Guys Located?

Are you voting in one of the earlier contests?

Happy Holidays!

- Dave

[bobbolink]

23. .

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

For your family: :yourock:

[K Gardner]

29. It's just best if I not go, as I'm the lone Dem Sheep in the family.

It gets particularly nasty around election cycles. But that being said, no one is talking about it here. There has been almost no local media coverage, the papers aren't on it yet. Haven't seen ONE yard sign or bumper sticker, and we vote exactly one month after Iowa. I'm in a bright red district in the Bible Belt, so any coverage (when it starts) will be mostly of the Republican race. There are pockets of Dems, and Bill/Al carried us twice, but its gone solidly republican since. Go figure.

Those at work whom I actively engage in discussion are only superficially aware, but even they are skeptical of a Hillary run. I'm expecting Edwards to do well here once the holidays and the caucuses are over - and people start paying attention. Obama may play well in some areas, but I fear many people in my neck of the woods are going to look upon him as a "northern elitist". Heh, it's the deep south, what can I say?

[CorpGovActivist]

34. Hey, You Might Convince One Family Member!

Where in the Deep South are ya, if you don't mind telling?

- Dave

[K Gardner]

37. Tennessee :-)

[CorpGovActivist]

39. Good Solid Mountain Folk ...

... and one of those border/Upper Appalachian states I've been yammering about.

; )

- Dave

[smokey nj]

31. Mr. smokey and I are firmly in the Edwards camp.

Of my five siblings, I know one of my sisters also supports him and I suspect my brother does as well. My other three sisters suffer from varying degrees of RW delusion and I don't discuss politics with them EVER.

[CorpGovActivist]

38. Hearing a LOT of Huckabee Love-in Talk...

... among the RW contingent of my extended family.

- Dave

[Joe Fields]

41. We make it a rule not to discuss politics at family gatherings.

Not since my sister-in-law turned rabid freeper. The brother of mine that she is married to is a staunch democrat. It has really put a strain on their marriage. This all came about after 9/11. Before then she had never had any political interests.

But I can tell you this: My wife, son and I all feel little to no difference between Clinton and Edwards. We are all voting for Kucinich.

[CorpGovActivist]

43. Lots of Families Seem to Make - and Then Break - That Rule...

... judging by how often I hear that. A lot depends on how civil and respectful of differing opinions everyone can be. Thankfully, even the outliers in my family are open-minded and curious enough to keep the give-and-take well within the confines of the holiday spirit.

Where are you located?

- Dave

[Joe Fields]

56. Most of my family live in the Kansas City area.

We tried having civil political discourse at get-togethers, but the "civil" part eroded quickly, and so, to keep peace in the family we all decided that whoever's house we gathered at, politics would be off limits in conversations. The few times that rule was broken, the whole family came down hard on the perpetrator.

[CorpGovActivist]

58. Lord of the Gadflies?

:rofl:

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

52. It will be interesting to see how the MSM spins Iowa if Edwards Wins There....

I am expecting them to get behind Hillary, but grudgingly acknowledge that Edwards won 'in a surprise to them.'

The finish by Obama may be more critical for him than Edwards winning in Iowa. If Obama comes in 3rd in Iowa, the entire landscape will change heading into New Hampshire. The pressure for Obama to win in New Hampshire will ratchet up tremendously.

I think Hillary is in big trouble if either Obama or Edwards becomes a non-factor, leaving her to face off with the survivor one-on-one.

[CorpGovActivist]

53. If Obama Bows out...

... do you think he will endorse Edwards?

- Dave

[Blackhatjack]

61. This is where 'Back Channel Negotiation' would tell the tale...

IMHO Hillary would trade the VP spot to Obama for his endorsement in a minute.

However, I think Obama knows enough to be suspicious about any real power being ceded to him as the VP in a Clinton ADministration.

I don't know if Edwards would offer the VP spot to Obama for his endorsement, but I think Obama would get a position with real power in the Edwards Administration. That would set Obama up for a future run at the top spot.

Good question.

[CorpGovActivist]

62. I Suspect You're Right...

... Michelle Obama would see thru any Clinton overture in a heartbeat.

I wonder what the rapport between Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Edwards is like?

; )

An idle question it is not.

- Dave

[Snotcicles]

60. Wow 59 posts and not one Ignore, yet. nt

[mmonk]

63. Mine's split between Edwards, Kucinich, and Richardson.

[CorpGovActivist]

64. Applying Iowa Caucus 15% Rule, Where Would the ...

... Richardson and Kucinich folks land as their second choice?

- Dave

[mmonk]

67. Edwards.

[CorpGovActivist]

68. For That Very Reason, I Think Iowa Goes Edwards in the End n/t

[Missy Vixen]

65. We're visiting the Republican uncle tomorrow night

DH has already warned me to be on my best behavior, per his aunt. It's going to be difficult.

My SIL insists she is a Republican as well. I've resisted the impulse to ask her to name three planks of the Republican party platform.

When we're not doing that, the rest of the family are rabid liberals.

My husband and I support Edwards.

Julie

[CorpGovActivist]

66. Try Not to See Them As the Votes That Cancel out...

... yours in the general election, and love them anyway.

: )

Much to my surprise, I landed on Edwards, too.

- Dave