About John Edwards and Nation..and NC Politics and Why I Gave Up on Him Early...

[KoKo]

SAD AS IT IS: BECAUSE...Even though his MESSAGE: "Two Americas" was the Correct Note at the Time for us Dems...He was just never going to be the MESSENGER who could be CREDIBLE...

SADLY... Here's MY EXPERIENCE..and other NC'linians to John Edwards.

BTW: THEY HAVE GONE TO FAR! WHY ARE DEMS NEVER SUPPORTING THEIR OWN...while the REPUGS FIGHT TO THE DEATH?

JOHN EDWARDS HAS PAID HIS PRICE as a TRAGIC FIGURE...YET THEY KEEP AT IT!

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Here is my RANT about John Edwards and My Personal Experience with him and other supporters of him from North Carolina:I AM NO FAN OF EDWARDS...but it's just WRONG..how He is persecuted after his "Fall from Grace" and our Dem Party doesn't even TRY to defend him.

The Repugs Defend their OWN TO THE DEATH...but look what happens to the husband of one of the most popular people in US at one time (Elizabeth Edwards) and how We Dems somehow won't defend her Memory...because we WANT HER HUSBAND to get JUSTICE while REPUG TRANSGRESSORS GO FREE!

HERE's MY RANT:


[n]I was no fan of John Edwards (loved Elizabeth, though). He was my Senator...and we donated to him (thought he was a "real" liberal) Then the Iraq War debate started in the Senate with Senators Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy trying to stop that invasion. We got an invite to a "high donor" dinner for Edwards.. We had already given him a big donation...but, were suprised to get an invite for the $1,000 and up donors. We didn't have that kind of money to give, for sure... But, we decided to go along with a group of us who were against the invasion and stand outside with signs...hoping we would get his attention. I think about 300 of us showed up and we waited outside and for a long time. When he showed up he was hustled past us and he never gave us a glance even though we lined the walkway where he was. One of our group had pounded the pavements for Edwards when he ran and he sent a message in asking Edwards to meet with us and explain his position on the Iraq Invasion.

We waited outside through the whole dinner (couple of hours) and no answer came. Finally, we saw the guests leaving and hoped he'd stop by. But, then we heard he had been whisked out the back door by the kitchen and was gone.

That was the end of Edwards for me. I've posted this many times on DU when he was first running for President. I know that it always made the Edwards supporters here angry but, to me it showed a sign of some character flaw for him not to even answer the message sent by one of his biggest supporters who had worked tirelessly for him. And, this supporter was obviously devastated by the treatment.

Every time Edwards talked about "Two Americas" I cringed because I remembered that night we stood outside of that fundraising dinner (where many of us had an invitation) while the insiders ignored us, including the candidate we'd supported and donated to for his Senatorial seat. We were part of the "Two Americas." The ones who had donated and worked for a candidate who didn't give a shit that we were supporters of his who wanted to know what he felt about that Invasion (and how he would vote on the Iraq Resolution) because he was too busy chatting it up with his "over a $1,000 a plate donors in the BIG ROOM with the Fancy Dinner. We were nothing to him. BUT...he got his message correctly...we ARE.."TWO AMERICAS"....it's just that the candidate who delivered the message was so fatally flawed. [/n]

As far as Elizabeth goes...she was the true Democrat...I don't know what he is or was. But, I do think this has gone too far with Edwards. This is OTT and it's Repugs here who want his head on a platter along with probably the DINO Dems who are in league with them who want his message "Two Americas" buried along with anything else to do with him.

If Bunny Mellon (the NYC elderly patron of Edwards) wanted to give him money to cover up the affair then that's her business and I don't believe that Edwards used his campaign money to cover up the affair...and as you said...all the rest have done similar things with NO consequences. It's pure malevolence and cruelty what they are doing to him.

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[Cleita]

1. I think we backed the wrong Edwards. It should have been Elizabeth running.

If she hadn't the cancer, I think she could have gone on after the divorce from John and maybe made one great candidate in 2016 for the first woman President of this country. My heart just isn't in Hillary Clinton.

I loved Edward's message of the Two Americas and I hope some Wellstone-like candidate picks it up for 2016, one who genuinely believes in it and will fight against all odds for it. The message is still right on. Yeah, Edwards I guess is going to have to join Weiner, Blagovich and all the other shamed and dishonored Democrats on the sidelines. It's too bad.

[KoKo]

2. Agree about Elizabeth...but we know...

She would NEVER been allowed. One has to go "through the system," ...and be "Vetted" by "The System."

She went with her Husband...she could have never done it alone...because "The Parties" on both sides are the "DECIDERS"

I can see practical reasons for that...but, in the past many years..their judgement seems to have gone all awry with BOTH Parties ... Although, I must admit that OBAMA was the FINAL JACKPOT...an UNTOUCHABLE for our DEMS...this time. THIS TIME...This Time.

If he doesn't make it and do some good stuff...then we gotta be in fearful mode...

Just watching it all go forward. It's all we can do.

[onehandle]

3. He was my pick and won polls here at DU even after he dropped out...

...just before Super Tuesday. He talked the anti-corporation talk I preferred.

However, I frequently said that I would happily support Obama or Hillary.

[emulatorloo]

4. He was my primary pick as well. This prosecution is purely political

I appreciate Maddow's coverage last night.

He was a horrible disappointment to us, and Koko I really do appreciate your story.

But I really really hope he is acquitted.

[KoKo]

9. "Two Americas" was an Excellent Campaign Point. Goes along with "We are the 99%".

The "Message not the MAN" was what would have lasting power to resonate with voters.

But, of course the Weak Messenger caused the "Message" to get drowned out in his weakness of character.

Still...he has paid horribly for his failure. Enough is Enough with going after him more...(since his donations to conceal his indiscretions) didn't seem to come from his contributions by local citizens who gave to him.

If you had checked back then...he was getting overwhelming donations in small numbers of Teachers, Construction Workers, etc. (from the Voting Disclosure Website) and so many people believed in him...like us who donated to him.

[Carolina]

5. K&R

I had a similar experience at a rally here in SC, though I got to talk to JE. I begged him NOT to vote for IWR (10/2002), but after he gave some BS explanation, what struck me was how he looked at me like I was one of the little people who simply couldn't understand the world.

I wrote him off then and there, though of course I voted for Kerry/Edwards... what choice was there?!

[otohara]

6. His Mega Mansion

is what turned me off.
Hard to take his two America's seriously when he's building a home the size of a hotel.

[Beacool]

7. I preferred Elizabeth to Edward.

I have come to realize that I tend to like the women a lot of times more than the male candidate. Betty Ford was better than Gerald, so was Eleanor better then FDR, Hillary is a better person than Bill and currently I like Michelle a lot more than Obama.

As for Edwards, he can go to hell as far as I'm concerned. He started an affair and fathered a child while running in the primaries. His affair came to light two weeks before the Democratic Convention. What would have happened if he had been the nominee? We would probably have president McCain and Sarah Palin as VP.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

8. This is where most of my anger stems from as well...

he put the entire party in jeopardy. He could have easily bowed out gracefully
due to Elizabeth's health. Had he been nominated or chosen as VP we would still be
reeling from the ramifications.

[JI7]

11. maybe in a way he knew he really had no chance, and i think Elizabeth probably pushed for it

more than he did. when news of her cancer coming back came out during the campaign i remember that he wanted to end the campaign but she wanted him to keep going on.

in some ways i wonder if he resented her for that .

[graham4anything]

10. Elizabeth was 2x as power hungry as he was

he AND HIS POWER HUNGRY WIFE ELIZABETH.

Amazing some will still only see 1/2 the story.

May the courts find him guilty and may he serve his time like any "poor" person would charged
with the same crimes.

but then I myself told you so about him all those years ago.

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. What's with the crocodile tears? Thank you, but I'll save my sympathies for those who actually....

deserve it.