Horrors! A "multi-millionaire" candidate who focuses on poverty.

[pnwmom]

What does MSNBC think people would prefer? A millionaire candidate like Bush who DOESN'T care about poverty?

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2006/dec/28/msnbc_on_populist_edwards_multi_millionaire_candidate

"Judging by an on-screen caption this morning on MSNBC, the biggest story to come out of John Edwards's campaign announcement is that ... he's fighting poverty even though he's rich. Yep, the caption actually reads: "Multi-millionaire candidate to focus on poverty in America."

[PCIntern]

1. On CNN Yesterday,

Ed Henry and Suzenne Malveaux pulled the same shit on Edwards. It was horrifying.

[Nite Owl]

2. The corporate msm is off to some start

for the '08 campaign. Yet they will drool all over a deranged slime ball like McCain.

[illinoisprogressive]

3. All the Candidates are getting a close look

I really understand your sensitivity to Edwards but, we have to be realistic. all the candidates are getting the go over. They will be getting tougher as time goes on. They are not trashing him but, asking questions people are asking.
The media got beat up badly for thier laziness with shrub. I think they will look closer and ask tougher questions.
to be fair, I've heard them ask some silly, tough, ect of the republicans as well.
And my candidate has gotten more scrutiny than anyone including Hillary.
I get frustrated because I want to shout "use google. Look up his record dammit"
Calm down and be ready. it will be a tough year and Edwards is going to get the same as everyone else. But, at least Matthews thinks he's fabulous. and says so. More than Hillary.

[renie408]

5. Yep

I thought Edwards handled the interview on CNN very well. It's one of the reasons I would like to see him or Gore get the nomination for '08. They have been through this particular ringer. I am not as positive about Kerry. He has been plagued with misinterpretations. I sometimes think he is not as careful as a candidate has to be these days.

[pnwmom]

6. Don't worry. I'm calm and I'm ready.

I disagree with you though that the media has changed because of shrub. I'll change my mind if I see them giving McCain and Guliani the going over they'll give to any Democrat.

[illinoisprogressive]

8. they have

I've heard them down at both giullianni and mccain. especially mccain. and they are not getting much press either. good or bad. but, I've heard them trash both.
Frankly, I've heard pretty much positive stuff about your guy. I really have not heard bad stuff.

[pnwmom]

18. Actually, he's not my guy. I don't have a favorite yet.

We're lucky this time that there are a number of great candidates, IMO. A far more impressive field than on the other side.

[durtee librul]

4. I think he scares

the crap out of them as he did grow up poor, went to college, sued some big corporations and won for the little guy, uses his money for philanthropic causes (learning centers with his son's name on them), and is just in general a likable guy who is beholden to 'gasp' the dreaded trial lawyers...his wife had cancer (the real cancer and not some mole removed), he lost his oldest son to a car accident.....he's real folks. Can't get any 'realer' than him .... he wasn't born with a silver spoon like others and he has no baggage like the Clintons did with Whitewater.

Someone should tell the dumbasses most of the people in gubmint ARE lawyers.....only they 'steal' from the poor and take payola from the corporations.

Sorry, so far, Edwards has my vote hands down and I hope he choses a running mate with some guts....I'd love to see Clark on his cabinet as I think Clark could offer a lot. I'd like to Dr. Dean on the cabinet as well with Health and Human Services....the list could go on and on....

Yepper, they can't find any dirty little secrets to expose about the guy so he's no fun for them. They want someone who will kiss their asses and pander to get camera time. I think Edwards is going to take a page from Dr. Dean and go all grassroots and show the airbags like Carville, Begala and Brazile just what train they can all take out of DC and hopefully out of the party as well.

Bottom line, the guy IS the American Dream....start out with nothing and run for President......(ok, so it used to be the apex of every mother to have their kid be prez....) Plus his wife is pretty neat as well and her dad is retired Navy if i remember right.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. Actually, there are some who do support your guy

Chris matthews has abandoned Hillary and now thinks he's the greatest thing since sliced bread.
You must be realistic. Everyone is going to get trashed and burned. all of them
they are not scared of Edwards. They know enough about him from 04. They don't care.
They are looking for a story and like to discuss pros and cons.
But, I heard alot of positive stuff about your guy. they like him.
I am not a supporter so I guess I'm more objective. not as sensitive. but, I honestly think he gets really good press.

[spooky3]

11. I don't see anything in the post you reacted to or the OP

that suggests that either of the writers is too "sensitive" or not "objective." They don't need to be told to "calm down" or "be realistic." They are simply expressing their views about the media coverage in a reasonable way.

If you look at the link in the OP, you'll see that the commenters largely agreed that this was a dumb thing (or worse) for the media to say. And check out www.mediamatters.org at your leisure. You will see that there is plenty to object to in the media today--in inaccurate stories about progressives and liberals, etc.

[silverlib]

9. I'm glad there is a millionaire that will pick up the cause...

Because this poor person isn't getting much publicity.

[fuzzyball]

10. The only problem is...no one has ever succeded in helping the poor

in any country which does not have capitalistic system.
The more socialist a country, the more poor. Look at
the former Soviet Union, Cuba, N. Korea, etc.

The countries which have the least poverty also have a
free market system along with low taxation. Look at
Taiwan, Singapore, Japan.

If Edwards wants to really help the poor, he will follow
the actual examples in the real world.

[illinoisprogressive]

12. I have a friend in Sweden and family in France

and I know the problems there are nothing compared to here. and the people are more sypathetic and not as selfish as they are here. Nor as greedy and materialistic.

[fuzzyball]

15. My first wife was from Sweden and I have spent a lot of time there

and I learned one thing real fast. The taxes are REAL REAL high.
It is impossible to get rich there no matter how hard you work
if you are starting at the bottom.

But you are right about the Swedes...they are the nicest people
I have ever met on a country wide basis.

[pnwmom]

22. The taxes are very high and there is very little poverty.

You won't get rich there OR fall through the cracks.

[marmar]

13. Actually, the most well-off countries are in Scandinavia...

socialist societies with very high taxes.

[fuzzyball]

16. Sweden with which I am familiar, is a very

small country...I forget the exact population but
it is like 10 million. And Swedes are pretty homogenous
race compared to a large diverse country such as the United States.

And since I was married to a swede, I had the opportunity to observe
the life in Sweden at first hand. I found them to be hard working
and generous people. And one of the nicest people on a country wide
basis I have ever met.

But all my wife's relatives (and her family there is large)
did not have half the material wealth I was able to accumulate
in the US, where I started out as a poor immigrant from India
with 100 dollars in my pocket and only enough other cash to pay
for 1 semesters tution at University of Iowa. I understand that
material wealth is not everything, but I feel much better about
my childern's futures knowing they will benefit from my efforts
and have a good chance at a better life here in the US which is
the greatest country for opportunities in the entire world.

[marmar]

17. But there was a study, I believe it was released this year....

That showed that your chances of advancing from poor to rich are much poorer in the United States than in most of the industrialized West. The "American Dream," whatever that is these days, is becoming more and more mythical.

[fuzzyball]

19. It is certainly getting harder to progress into middle-class

but it is still no worse than any country in Europe.
If you study the US Treasury data on income tax returns
you will see that more people progress into becoming
new millionaires in the US than any country on earth.

But you are probably right that it is harder than it used to be.
I was fortunate to arrive here when manufacturing was a large
part of the economy, with a lot more better paying jobs than
today.

[pnwmom]

20. We don't have to look out of this country. We have had many periods

of time when the poor were -- relatively speaking -- much better off than they are now. The disparity between the rich and the poor in the U.S. is close to its peak, as I understand it.

As to your examples . . . I don't know about low taxation in Japan, but I know there is far less of a range in salaries between the top executives in a company and its lowest paid workers.

And what about the Scandinavian countries? They are socialistic, and yet have very low rates of poverty compared to us. How do you explain that?

[Eric J in MN]

14. They used the same crap against John Kerry.

He's a millionaire pretending to be a friend of the working man.

Republicans don't get insulted by the MSM for having money, only Democrats.

[pnwmom]

21. That's right, they did. And do you ever hear them say,

"John McCain, who divorced his first wife and married a beer heiress, doesn't focus on poverty."

Or "The three-times married Rudolph Guiliani is a millionaire who capitalized on his 9/11 fame by founding a security consulting company in 2002. And he doesn't focus on poverty either."

[stray cat]

23. a multimillionaire who didn't inherit it from daddy

but came up from poverty - sounds pretty negative to me (sarcasm)