John Edwards held a rally in West Hollywood. I attended the rally to see what Edwards supporters were all about. While I did not reveal to them that I am a conservative republican, I was polite, friendly and asked them sincere questions. I freely admit that I am not an Edwards fan. I have nothing against Mr. Edwards as a person. I just find him to be wrong for the job.
In addition to providing my analysis, I humbly provide you the analysis of the great comedian Jackie Mason. http://www.jackiemason.com/youtube/5_27_07.html
I interviewed about 20 of his supporters. I left their names out to protect them. I have no proof that anything I write in this column is truthful, but I respect my integrity too much to devalue myself to the level of the Jayson Blair Times.
When asking how people liked Edwards’s speech, they loved it. When asked why, the most common response was because “he shares their beliefs.” When asked what specific parts of his speech they liked best, I heard the following responses.
“I didn’t really hear it. It was loud in the room.”
“I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“It wasn’t what he said, but how he said it.”
I asked if Edwards stayed to shake hands, or if he quickly got out of there and left.
“He shook some hands, but looked like he wanted to quickly get out of their and leave. He barely stayed.”
“He shook every hand in the room and autographed every sign. Although I did not shake his hand or get my sign signed.”
“He immediately left.”
These people were all at the same function.
The people admitted that he spoke in generalities, but did not give specifics. They were thrilled that he spoke about universal health care, but admitted he did not say how he would pay for it. One comment that elated people was when he said he “would get the insurance companies.” How would he get them? What does this mean?
In case people are not following, Edwards would pay for universal health care by “getting” those evil insurance companies and drug companies. Drug companies save lives, but spending money on research and development is evil. Perhaps they can give “research credits” to private citizens and let them do their own drug research.
One woman compared Edwards to RFK. Several people loved his passion, and his anger. When asked why they preferred Edwards to Obama, they complained that Obama was too lofty and upbeat. Edwards had anger. I asked one woman how Edwards’s anger was better than Howard Dean’s anger, and she explained that Dean was “loud angry,” while Edwards was “quiet angry.” I was at the speech. Edwards was not quiet. He spoke in a thunderous voice, although compared to Howard Dean anybody can look reasonable.
When asked why they preferred Edwards to Obama and Hillary, the major criticism of the others was their being tied to special interests. Edwards was going to break the special interests. He did not say how, and nobody questioned it. Perhaps it was not made clear that trial lawyers are a special interest group. There is nothing wrong with taking money from people who philosophically agree with you. It is not the money. It is the piety. Edwards is sanctimonious, but these people want a holier than though candidate.
The people referred to themselves as progressives. I asked them why they did not call themselves liberals, and that they should be proud to be liberals. One woman stated loudly, “I don”t care if Edwards calls himself a liberal, a progressive, or a f*cking Muppet. I care how he votes. Also, I am proud to be a f*cking feminist.” This woman also pointed out that impeachment of President Bush can be done in only two months.
Some people liked Edwards’s energy policy, although all he stated was that coal was not the answer. Respectfully, he is, as usual, wrong. Educating him on coal would be healthy for the political environment in the form of less political gases and more intelligent analysis.
He promised to get us out of Iraq, but of course did not say how. He did not mention Al Queda, terrorism, or the Middle East. Israel was not mentioned either.
Frightened as I was of most of these people, not all of the people there had tinfoil hats. One woman admitted that she supported Edwards because she believed he would be a stronger general election candidate than Hillary or Obama. I agreed with her. This same sane woman said she was against impeachment, that we should focus on the future, and that Rudy Giuliani was a moderate. One Obama supporter said that he felt that Edwards was too angry, and Obama was more hopeful. He went to the Edwards rally since he is a political junkie.
Edwards also spoke about “renegotiating” NAFTA. Revoking it would show a lack of US integrity (Edwards does not care about our promises to the Iraqi people), but renegotiating it would be giving our word that we would screw over our trading allies before actually doing it. It is honest betrayal. It is also wrong. If we want to make enemies in South America, let’s forget CAFTA and go protectionist.
Some of the people talked about political strategy. They felt that Edwards could blunt the criticism of his being a trial lawyer by having the victims he defended campaign with him. It is nice to know that the supporters of the candidate are as shameless as the candidate himself. Let’s trot out a four year old girl with a bad heart valve to rail about medical malpractice. It is ok to exploit children provided it is for a good cause. The ends justify the means, especially when the cause is so noble.
I want to make it clear that compared to Howard Dean supporters, these people were normal. Nobody made anti-semitic remarks blaming Israel for the world’s problems, although Edwards’s campaign manager and uber-anti-Israel menace David Bonior was not present. Nobody burned George W. Bush in effigy or compared him to Hitler. Nobody stripped naked for the right to smoke marijuana, and no bras were burned. It could have happened, but I did not witness it.
There were some protesters holding signs reading “chemistry.com,” with the words, “Nope, we’re still gay,” on the other side. However, their signs were too incomprehensible to be offensive, and I do not have direct evidence that they backed Mr. Edwards. I believe they were Obama supporters, but would not swear to it. Even though the whole point of the debate in Los Angeles was gay rights, Edwards barely spoke about them except to say he favored them. He also did not mention Mary Cheney, having learned that cheap shots are only made by cheap candidates.
I was surprised by the fact that nobody had anything positive to say about Hillary. One female Edwards supporter called her a b*tch. I walked away, lest I be associated with such incivility. It is not that I like Hillary, but I like myself.
The Edwards people I met, for the most part, were not bad people (some of them were scary, but some were pleasant). They were just simply easily swayed. Edwards is their pied piper. He will break the lobbyists and special interests, give guaranteed universal health care, end the War in Iraq, and get the insurance and drug companies. While at no time did anybody ask how he would do this, the people admitted they did not care. What was important was that he was saying the right things.
Style was plentiful, substance was non-existent, and moderation was the devil. These people wanted the democrats to start acting like democrats again, which means they want George McGovern and Walter Mondale to bring back the glory in the form of an anti-business, anti-free trade, class warfare bitterness.
My only worry is that these people will be ignored, and the democrats will move to the center. If these people are allowed to keep speaking loudly, the republicans should coast in 2008. Again, Edwards and his supporters are not bad people. They are just angry, and wrong. They need to stop feeling about issues and start thinking about them. Passion is no substitute for logical reasoning or accurate information.
Mr. Edwards can unite this country, and upon proving the Earth is flat, he will give his supporters a tinfoil hat in every home, to be paid for by raising taxes.
I came home and gave myself a good scrubbing.
eric
Edwards is an empty suit who speaks in generalities and his supporters seem to be too superficial for politics.
It’s like a politician screaming,”I’m against war!!”.
Well who isn’t? But it has no substance.
Cheering generalities without substance seems to be a liberal thing, it’s how they make them feel, not about how they’re going to solve the problem.
JOHN EDWARDS campaigned for the United States Senate from North Carolina
in 1 9 9 8 , castigating incumbent LAUCH FAIRCLOTH for – – get this – –
‘ absenteeism . ‘ Faircloth missed fourteen per cent of the roll call votes during his lone six year – term . Senator EDWARDS ? He was absent FIFTY – EIGHT
per cent of the time .
The one term in the Senate is the sum of Edwards ‘ s political experience .
Edwards was selected by JOHN KERRY to be the Vice – Presidential nominee in
2 0 0 4 , presumably because a Southerner on the lower half of the Democratic
ticket would make the Southern and Border States more competitive . NOT
HARDLY ; even North Carolina rejected the ‘ Kedwards ‘ ticket by a plurality
of over four – hundred – thousand votes .
An Edwards Presidency would mean unrelenting resistance to Tort Reform
( the obligatory sop for TRIAL LAWYERS , a core constituency of the Democratic
Party ) ; rejection of free trade agreements to mollify labor unions ( who now
comprise a measly seven per cent of American workers ) ; higher taxes on
individuals , corporations and capital gains , all of them serious economic
disincentives ; additional nationalization of health care , already forty per cent
administered by the Federal Government via Medicare and Medicaid ; no relief
in sight for entitlement reform , et . al .
Edwards is – – no better word – – CREEPY for insisting on running for President
while his wife deals with a potentially deadly cancer . He and DENNIS
KUCINICH are the most loathsome of the Democratic Presidential wannabes ,
as BOB SHRUM reaffirms about Edwards in the recently – published memoir
of the 2 0 0 4 campaign and as Kucinich demonstrates every time he opens
his mouth , particularly when he touts the ‘ Fairness ‘ Doctrine .
John Edwards , a shakedown barrister who did much to harm health care in
North Carolina and who enriched himself with contingency fees therefrom ,
professing to have ANY credibility at all on health care ? In a word , ‘ Sick ‘ .
Edwards and his wife , professing to be aghast at the vitriol from ANN COULTER ,
when Mrs . Edwards hires guttersnipes the likes of AMANDA MARCOTTE and
MELISSA McEWAN as bloggers / consultants ? Dare to have a look at yourselves
in the mirror for some purpose other than primping !
Symbolism over substance.
It’s the liberal way.
Don’t forget to mention one of the Democrats’ worst features: the endless race baiting. I don’t think there’s an issue on earth that they can’t frame in black vs. white.
‘Perhaps they can give “research credits” to private citizens and let them do their own drug research.’
I did my own drug research in the ’60s and I did it pro bono.
Unfortunately I didn’t manage to cure anything but my own boredom.
Eric said;
“Let’s trot out a four year old girl with a bad heart valve to rail about medical malpractice. It is ok to exploit children provided it is for a good cause. The ends justify the means, especially when the cause is so noble.”
I felt the same way when he proped up his wife in front of the country to announce at a press conference that she had breast cancer.
Now, dont get me wrong, please. I dont wish Elizabeth anything but health and happiness.
But something in the back of my mind was telling that this press conference where they were both wearing their strength and determination on their sleeve just didn’t smell right.
Edwards could of just appeard briefly to announce the sad news and make a short but to the point statement and that should of been that.
I wonder if right now he would really want his wife in the hands of socialized medicine ?
Funny how the liberal commenting on Hillary agreed with the assessment of Newt’s mom, oh so many years ago!
I suppose there was no mention of boycotting tangerines either. Funny how Mrs. Edwards will boycott “shipped in” tangerines because of the carbon footprint yet fails to see the carbon footprint of everything else she buys including the fuel for her car, food on her table, clothes that she wears, etc.
The problem is, with Obama going down and Edwards looking shaky, that leaves only one credible candidate and heaven help us if she gets in.
Coal is not the answer.
What is ?