Why I'm for John Edwards
Kari Chisholm--Blue Oregon
Tuesday, May 1, 2007 ----
Tomorrow, Senator John Edwards will bring his presidential campaign to Portland. (RSVP for the free town hall event here.)
So, it seems like a good time to tell you why I'm supporting John Edwards for President - with my volunteer time and a check big enough to hurt.
He's a good guy. I had a chance to spend a day with Senator Edwards last summer, driving him around Portland to a handful of events. I saw him operate up close and when he was "off camera". In private, he's much like he appears in public. I've seen enough politicians mistreat hotel staff and young campaign aides; I was impressed that Senator Edwards was the opposite - a good guy, affable and decent.
He's right on the issues.
His health care plan is detailed and progressive. I've spent a lot of time recently thinking about health care, particularly
Senator Wyden's health care plan. They're not the same, but as I commented somewhere recently, I sure would love to see Senator Wyden join a President Edwards in the Oval Office to hash out a universal health care program.
His
multi-facted strategy to attack poverty shows an understanding that everyone and everything in our economy is connected - from the minimum wage, labor law, predatory lending, higher education, teen pregnancy, and more. There is no silver bullet that will end poverty; just a sustained and deliberate strategy to remove obstacles and support people lifting themselves up.
He understands that
fighting global warming and creating energy independence can't be just a bunch of regulations and rules. Rather, his plan calls for strong investments in renewable energy technology, modernization of the auto industry, rethinking incentives in the energy industry, and creating a GreenCorps within AmeriCorps.
He's got the confidence to be authentic. Aren't you tired of slick politicians saying exactly what they think you want to hear? I know I am. But John Edwards is defying all the conventions - and just being himself. From his presidential announcement -- in a
9th Ward backyard in New Orleans, sans balloons and bunting -- to the matter-of-fact way that he and Elizabeth announced her cancer diagnosis... he's just speaking from the heart. And that translates to the politics.
(...)
He's building a
transformational movement for progressive change. Wow, that's a mouthful. But if you've been watching John and Elizabeth Edwards - and the Edwards '08 operation - you'll notice something special happening. Slowly, carefully, and deliberately, they're building
an organization that will last beyond the campaign... and into the White House. By the time he takes the oath of office, should he win, I'm confident that he'll have a core of some 8 to 10 million diehard supporters committed to his policy agenda.
(...)
He can win. Politics, of course, is the art of the possible. And if you don't win, you can't make policy change. As Susan Estrich once told me, "It's nice to be right, but it's more fun to win." Of course, winning isn't everything -- but it's an important thing. And there's no doubt in my mind, that this Carolina son-of-a-millworker has what it takes to go all the way. I'm not necessarily a fan of the Iowa caucuses, but can there be any doubt that those voters know these candidates the best? John Edwards has
led in Iowa for months.
He's a decent and authentic progressive; he can win; and he'll lead a transformational movement for real change. That's why I'm for John Edwards for President.
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