Daily Kos: Why Edwards will be the Nominee (by Ashami)

[Catchawave]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/7/103313/1886

by Ashami
Tue Aug 07, 2007 at 10:51:46 AM EDT
I predict that Edwards will be the 2008 Democratic Party nominee.

The reasons are fairly simple...


The press is going to increasingly bait Hillary and Obama into scuffles...expect to see a lot more stories like this one. Eventually, voters will get fatigued, and the two candidates will increasingly bruise each other. This will hurt Obama more than Hillary, since his big thing is being positive and about hope...his inevitable negative attacks will mar his sheen.

The only thing anyone has on Edwards is his "hair issue". His progressive credentials are solid and his message is compelling without being divisive (among liberals, that is).

As this wonderful post shows, the early poll numbers mean nothing.
Hillary is sinking herself with the progressive base. This labor story today is only the beginning.

The DKos community backs Edwards, as the recent straw poll shows. As this last weekend showed, this is no small matter.

All three would make fine presidents, and they would all get my vote. But I think it will be Edwards.

Hyperlink enabled and poll too at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/7/103313/1886

[OwnedByFerrets]

1. I hope they are right.......nt

[William769]

2. I have said all along Edwards is in for the long haul.

But what that article says about Hillary is totally false and delusional. This past weekend at YearlyKos proved it.

[melody]

3. I agree with this 100%

My sister and I were just saying this yesterday.

[tularetom]

4. I'm liking him better all the time

But TPTB are going balls to the wall to try to ensure that Clinton will be the nominee. We see news item after item about the inevitbality of her nomination. It just makes me wonder why the media are so anxious that she becomes the nominee.

[liberal N proud]

5. I concur

[Warpy]

6. He's getting Gored by the press, unfortunately

because he scares the hell out of the plutocracy. He knows they have to be forced to share the wealth with the people who produce it, and that's the last thing they want.

For Edwards backers, word of mouth is going to be extremely important.

The two I like most this season are Edwards and Richardson, both of whom have been out of the DC culture long enough to have regained a grip on reality.

[Clark2008]

14. No he doesn't.

Take a look at his Senate record.

Why should that scare the corporate masters?

[Catchawave]

23. Link? LOL, Clark2008, check out SharonRB's thread

at the KOEB.....that's me in the Teamsters truck at the Hoffa rally :evilgrin:

scroll down here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=315x92186

Seriously, I met DUer Tom Rinaldo at YK, what a warm and fabulous man. I met him after the Clark keynote, another warm and fabulous man :)

What I had in common with Tom, was the desire to raise the level of discussion at DU, will you help us?

[Sapphire Blue]

50. Why John Edwards must not only be defeated, but destroyed

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Sapphire%20Blue/430

[GreenArrow]

44. "scares the plutocracy"? nah,

he wouldn't be jetting around with Jack Kemp doing foreign policy crap for the CFR or cavorting with all the movers and shakers at the Bilderberg meeting if he scared the plutocracy. Not to mention his Senate record.

He's what's typically called, in common parlance, a "ringer."

[DavidDvorkin]

7. I'd like to think so

He's my choice (assuming Gore doesn't etc.). I've been dismayed that he hasn't moved up in the national polls, and I'm disturbed by the latest Iowa poll.

But it's early days, of course. Since I'm a pessimist by nature, I appreciate it when others are optimistic. I suck their optimism like a vampire!

[benny05]

8. He was electric at Yearly Kos

I was at the break out session and he had garnered so much energy from the forum. His room was so packed, and the only one in which the candidate was in the middle of a circle of 500 people.

[Catchawave]

10. I felt bad how many people we had to turn away for the break out..

Especially in a venue as massive as the McCormick Place. He could have filled the Grand Ballroom :party:

Nice to have met you benny :hi: Isn't there a link to the breakout video? I could tell he was really enjoying the questions....only bloggers can ask the toughies :D

[benny05]

13. Link to YT--Breakout session

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFHmvqriZ94

[Catchawave]

21. Thanks !!! I was sitting behind him

Darn my dialup, it will take me several hours to find ME :) Well, my experience is that a 2 minute YouTube is an hour download x 35 minutes =...sigh.

[Catchawave]

37. Update: dial-up download at the 11 minute mark....Woot !

But I can confirm: That's my little chimpmunk head to the lower left of the red laptop and I seem to appear frequently under JE's left armpit when he faces the camera. I'm in a dark hoodie/short blonde hair with the shit eating grin.

Ask me anything :D

[FreeStateDemocrat]

9. The sad truth is that he has the demographic appeal to win where Hillary & Obama can't.

[benny05]

11. I don't find that sad, but for a different reason

He appeals to independents, regardless of gender or race.

[Clark2008]

15. Where?

Not here.

[benny05]

17. Are you an independent voter?

I might add that at Yearly Kos, I worked at Edwards' booth and quite a few stopped by and said that if Gore was not going to jump in, Edwards was their choice. He had a strong performance at the forum. Chris Dodd did a good job too.

[corkhead]

19. I'm in that camp myself. I think he is going to pick up a lot of Gore holdouts if Gore holds out.

[The Backlash Cometh]

29. Eh? This "independent" voter thinks that Edwards pulled ahead after

last week's skirmishes.

[Perry Logan]

12. That must be why Giuliani says he's the only one who can beat Hillary.

[ananda]

16. Works for me.

I can go with Edwards.

[stillrockin]

18. He's been my candidate all along.

:dem:

[Perry Logan]

20. Beware of any prediction that contains the phrase "poll numbers mean nothing."

[RedEarth]

22. If Gore doesn't run, Edwards has my vote

[Catchawave]

25. I heard that a lot at YK, and that is good :)

I volunteered at the Edwards exhibit and many Gore supporters stopped by to give us good wishes. There is truly another world outside the DU :party:

I also heard from Howard Dean that if fundraising was the key to victory, he'd be in the Oval Office right now :)

I guess the most important thing I brought home from YK, is that we are all on the same team. That's a good thing :loveya:

[sampsonblk]

24. Edwards? Is he still in the race?

This isn't a boxing match, its a political campaign. In a year like this, its very hard to see how Edwards even becomes a factor in the race.

[Catchawave]

31. Yes, Yes he is :)

:hi:

[rndmprsn]

26. I really like what i've been seeing and hearing from Edwards...

a real candidate with a real progressive agenda and someone who can speak the language of populism and walk the walk too...i'm impressed with Edwards.

[JDPriestly]

51. Actually, Edwards' stand on NAFTA crosses party lines

That is why I like Edwards. I believe he is the candidate most likely to appeal to disgruntled Republicans -- to Christian voters -- to union voters who became Reagan Republicans. He has the message of hope for America. He has the energy, the idealism and the excitement.

Hillary will never get one Republican vote. She just can't reach across. One of my friends (who is not even very political) was telling me just a couple of weeks ago that the Clintons murdered a bunch of people. Of course, that is so ridiculous that you can't believe anyone would actually fall for it, but there are many, many people who think the Clintons are headed for Hades. They will never vote for her. It is unfortunate but true. Her perfect campaign will alienate them further, not attract them. Of all the candidates, Hillary is the least amiable, the least affable, the person you would least like to sit down with for coffee or beer depending on your taste. Edwards is the winner. The press won't give him the time of day, so we Edwards supporters have to get out there and talk to our friends and neighbors.

[AX10]

27. I agree with Edwards on the disparity in income equality...

in this country.

[JohnWxy]

28. Since I've always liked Edwards a lot, I have been quietly wondering if such a sceanario might

indeed play itself out. I'd be for it. There is nobody the American Taliban (Neocons) love to hate more than Bill Clinton except for Hillary; Obama I'm afraid the Fascists will attack him successfully on racial grounds (ethnocentric fear and hatred is one of the Repubs specialties) - this makes Edwards a safer candidate to go up against the Repubs.

HE is so cool in handling their lowest, meanest, most dispicable personal attacks - (I think his experience as a trial lawyer up against teams of lawyers for insurance companies makes him particularly well prepared to take on Republican attackers).

[Catchawave]

32. If you have time, please view link at #13 of his breakout session...

he answered the tough questions and he loved them.

[JDPriestly]

52. JohnWxy. You are so right about his experience with other lawyers.

It is the best training ground possible for handling vermin and mites. There can be no nastier bunch than arrogant lawyers out to put an opponent in his or her place. Mind you, lawyers can be the nicest people on earth when they want to be. But don't get on the wrong side of a trial lawyer. They draw blood when they bite. It is great training for running for president. Please note the SwiftBoaters did not go after Edwards.

[zulchzulu]

30. Good luck

We'll see. A couple people who I've talked to (one works for The Nation) say his campaign is fizzling.

It's still 5 months until Iowa votes.

[Catchawave]

33. His campaign isn't "fizzling"......

Good grief :hi:

[jazzjunkysue]

34. I wanted Edwards the morning Kerry caved. Edwards said "count every

vote."

John is our man. It will be easy to get the GOP base to come out against Hillary, but they'll stay home if it's Edwards/Giuliani. And staying home is the point, not polls. Polls don't ever tell you who's staying home.

[Catchawave]

39. JK was still in the Senate....counting every vote would have been....

well...not practical.

Not that I agree with that, but one of the reasons JE didn't seek re-election to the Senate at the same time he was running for the higher offices. I'm seeing that in today's race.

If Hillary and Obama don't get the nom, they keep that money :( Otherwise, don't you think they'd be better off resigning?

[CTyankee]

35. Some people are coming around to JE after looking at Obama and HRC

My son, a prosecutor in Brooklyn, NY, told me he was impressed with Edwards, but had been sending money to Obama. I mentioned that I was leaning to Edwards but that electability was my big issue this time around (some of us just fell for Kerry's urbane suaveness and convinced ourselves that everybody thought so!). Sorry to disappoint on this thread -- I really, really like what JE is saying and he has a real agenda for change, it's not just rhetoric -- but at the end of the day, I'll have to go with electability. That's awful; I was all prepared to fall in love with JE (politically speaking, of course, ahem).

[JDPriestly]

54. Edwards is the most electable candidate.

Hillary is not electable because she will not garner any Republican votes. To the contrary, Republicans who are disgusted with Bush will turn out just to vote against her. They hate her in an emotional way that will not yield to reason. Also, she will be called to task for all the problems that the Republicans have blamed (wrongly) on Bill. She has been set up to fail. 9/11 -- well Hillary wasn't that Bill's fault. Bill should have . . . . The economy -- well, Hillary, why didn't Bill? Health care -- we had 8 years of Bill Clinton and you tried to change the health care system. It didn't work then. How are you going to make it work now? And on and on and on. It's going to be falsifications of Bill's record thrown at Hillary for the entire campaign. Hillary cannot win. She will just be a slight distraction from a relentless Republican campaign against liberals.

Obama -- He is not ready. He does not have the knowledge or experience on the federal level to get through. He is a babe in the woods, and the Republicans will play up every small faux pas. Things they whitewash with Bush like ignorance of some detail in foreign affairs will be magnified a thousand times. Face it, Obama is a great guy and very likable, but he is a threat to the white dominant maledom in America, and they will never let him forget it. He does not have a chance.

Richardson, Dodd and Biden are vice presidential candidates. They are not in the running although each of them is perfectly qualified to be president. They just haven't put the money and time into running that is necessary to get the press coverage.

That leaves Edwards -- and not just by process of elimination. His stance on NAFTA is going to bring the Reagan Republicans back to the Democratic Party. (Note that Clinton is responsible for NAFTA. It is disingenuous for Hillary to be criticizing NAFTA at this point. It is Bill's invention.) Also, Edwards strong pro-union, pro-lower- and middle-class appeal is going to draw a lot of voters. Edwards is our winner.

[Va Lefty]

36. God, I hope you're right

I think he is the hardest of the announced candidates for the 'pukes to beat. That's why they and their "tools" in the MSM are going after him so hard.

[MrSlayer]

38. I've been predicting that Edwards will win Iowa.

Provided Gore doesn't get in. Why? Because the voters there will take the safest bet. Hillary is way too risky and so is Obama. They will make the smart, sensible, winning choice.

[waiting for hope]

40. Thanks Catchawave!

Glad you're back and I KNOW you must have had a great time! I'm seeing more and more posts like the one on DK - I think the public is seeing that Edwards has what it takes.

K&R!! and a few of these: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :hi:

[Catchawave]

41. Thanks hope :)

Glad to be home, Yearly Kos was this political junkie's Disney World. :hi:

[ultraist]

42. K&R

:kick:

[Catchawave]

48. .

:hi:

[Jimdish25]

43. Edwards is talking the talk..

and I believe him when he says he has (and will) walk the walk. I know he wasn't great a few years ago but I really feel he's outgrown his handlers and gone back to his roots as a fighter for the working man and the uninsured.

He's admitted his Iraq mistake (unlike Hillary) and I'm willing to forgive him. Just this once.

[Placebo]

45. HA!

Whatever.

[EVDebs]

46. Edward's on 'not playing nice anymore' with corps and ins cos

wins my vote. DK is great but since M$M writes him off their only tactic against the well known target of Edwards is to ignore him. Edwards now, correctly, is raising the decible level. The fear in MSNBC, Tweety's show on mainline NBC/GE, and the others is almost palpable now.

The Corporations fear John and his message. Time to bring the hammer down !

If he and DK can campaign together and show solidarity together ... this could be a great partnership of progressives. They both are fairly indistinguishable ( ok, Dennis needs John's or his wife's help with a tailor for instance !) but these guys should get together for progressive's sake all around and fight the good fight TOGETHER.

[mdelaguna2000]

47. Go Edwards (from a Gore holdout watching with great interest)...

[Az_lefty]

49. Edwards get's gored by the MSM because they want Hillary...

they see her as not being able to win the general election, thus giving us another publican to keep their profits up. Fu@k'em...Edwards and the only candidate who has been consistent and actually has a chance in 2008. As much as I respect Kucinich, I just don't see him winning the nomination.

[bamacrat]

53. Edwards will not get the nomination.

I could see him as a possible running mate to Clinton, Obama or Kucinich but not president.

[EVDebs]

56. Thus sayeth the corporate media and pro-Hillary neocons who see her as beatable

You can't beat Edward's populist appeal, you can only ignore it or try to minimize it by not showing that clip on media. Murdoch and Tweety will see to that.

See post at

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/Sapphire%20Blue/430

[Catchawave]

57. I'm a huge Sapphire Blue fan...

thanks for the link :hi:

[BigDDem]

55. Head to Vegas

and place lots of money on that.
Oh, and let us know how it works out for ya!