September 14, 2004
WHERE CAN WE HIDE PRETTY BOY?:
Edwards's unheard message (Joan Vennochi, September 14, 2004, Boston Globe)
DICK CHENEY, the dour vice president with the downward-curling lip, is clobbering Democratic vice presidential nominee John Edwards.Everyone knew that Edwards brought good looks and charisma to the Democratic ticket. But the one-term senator and trial lawyer from North Carolina supposedly offered more. During the primary season, Edwards delivered a stump speech that made liberals' eyes mist: There are two Americas, he said, the haves and the have-nots, the people buying $800 Manolo Blahnik pumps at Neiman Marcus versus the people buying flip-flops at Wal-Mart. [...]
Cheney snidely sidetracked the Democrats' message with these words: "Kerry says he sees two Americas. It makes the whole thing mutual. America sees two John Kerrys." [...]
"In a game of visibility, it's a technical knock-out," says Boston political consultant Joe Baerlein. "Dick Cheney is the designated pitbull. His job is to make news and stir up controversy." He believes the Kerry campaign is deliberately choosing another strategy, using Edwards to make the case to swing voters in select markets, "in a nonpolarizing way."
Mr. Edwards message of two Americas was always going to be a non-starter amongst a populace which, unlike those of Europe, is not much driven by envy and demands for equality. Bad enough this kind of divisiveness made an easy target for Republicans, the most devastating repudiation came from John Kerry himself: "We are one America in our prayers for those who were taken from us on September 11th and for their families. And we are one America in our unbending determination to defend our country – to find and get the terrorists before they get us." Which leaves only Mr. Edwards's looks as reason to have him on the ticket, but they're confining him to campaigning in places where ho one even sees him. Voters trying to get seem feel for how a President Kerry would govern have to be disconcerted by the hash he's made of his campaign staff and his vp pick. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 14, 2004 9:27 AM
I like flip-flops from Walmart as long as they aren't senators from Massachusetts. Anyone who buys $800 women's shoes is a fool.
I am also a bit astonished at how little Edwards has been a factor. Sure, VP candidates don't really win a ticket (although they could lose a ticket by showing poor judgment on the part of the Presidential candidate) but there were times in August and September where hardly a peep came out of Robin the boy wonder from North Carolina.
Posted by: pchuck at September 14, 2004 9:39 AM
Pchuck:
Do you think he's trying to distance himself in order to maintain viability for 2008?
Posted by: Jeff at September 14, 2004 10:03 AMWith Ter-a-za doing her 'Anyone who disagrees with John is an idiot' routine, do they really need another person from the campaign making inflammatory statements?
Posted by: Chris B at September 14, 2004 10:19 AMI don't think Cheney is dour, I think he's funny.
Posted by: Sandy P at September 14, 2004 10:39 AMI must be missing something. Isn't Condi Rice the GOP veep candidate?
Sorry, Orrin. Can't resist a little jibe. Just don't get me started on your love for higher gas taxes.
Posted by: Casey Abell at September 14, 2004 11:17 AMEdward's appeal is not based on European-style Socialism and perfectly consistent with historical themes in America going back to the Grange. What Edwards' take eventually offers is a return to the old, successful, Democratic brand by showing how to unite working class whites and minorities through a common interest rather than through post-1968 multiculturalism, which has simply been a disaster.
One good thing about the Bush presidency is that it is cementing minority participation in the GOP at high levels, thus securing the GOP's full support for anti-discrimination. Ultimately, the fact that both parties now bear responsibility for doing so helps the Democrats more because it can purge the most odious elements of minority leadership that limits their appeals to the center. Most whites will never vote for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, but they will for Barack Obama.
The GOP will simply cherry pick the most successful individual minorities - it will never appeal to the working class on economic issues. A Democratic party purge of multi-culti think will greatly improve their prospects with voters who formerly voted for Democrats but abandoned the party mainly for cultural issues.
Of course, this is all sometime in the future. I don't expect the Democrats to become electorally successful until they spend enough years in the wilderness to purge the post-1968 leadership which destroyed the party.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at September 14, 2004 11:39 AMChris:
When you talk about 2 Americas in a country where 70% think they're middle class you're fighting a losing battle.
Posted by: oj at September 14, 2004 12:03 PMCasey:
They seem to have decided that it's safer just to appoint her than have her campaign.
Posted by: oj at September 14, 2004 12:05 PMIt oughtn't take a rocket scientist to figure out taht if you happen to be a superstar trial lawyer and your partner happens to be married to Teresa Heinz, speaking in fervent tones about two Americas may be slightly less than convincing....
It didn't work for William Jennings Bryan. What made them think it would work for Kerry and Edwards?
Posted by: Mikey at September 14, 2004 12:23 PMJohn F**ing Kerry, Working Class Hero. I can just see him giving the stump speech and the audience doubled over in laughter.
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 14, 2004 1:00 PMJohn Edwards claims that there are two Americas in which the downtrodden can never succeed (America #1) and the rich just keep getting richer (America #2). That is compelling stuff; however, as John Edwards keeps telling us, he is the son of a mill worker from America #1 who through hard work as a trial attorney attained wealth and power in America #2. What contradictory message does that send?
Posted by: pchuck at September 14, 2004 1:02 PMDon't worry, Orrin. Dan Rather showed me a memo that says Condi will take over as veep in March...of 2001.
Posted by: Casey Abell at September 14, 2004 4:27 PMHas anyone considered the possibility that Edwards is purposely avoiding John Kerry? If someone like Kerry was embracing and slobbering over me in the manner of the photos of the pair displayed just after the Democratic Convention, I'd be giving him a wide berth too.
Posted by: Josh Silverman at September 14, 2004 5:25 PMThe Dem '004 ticket—
None of the Above & What's-His-Name
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at September 14, 2004 6:20 PM