David Brooks -- Edwards has not swung left; he's "a culturally conservative anti-Washington liberal"

[wyldwolf]

The New York Times' conservative columnist writes this morning (behind the subscribers-only TimesSelect firewall) that "I came out to Iowa having read that (Democrat John) Edwards had swung left this election campaign. He was going to outflank Clinton and Obama among liberals and then sweep his way to the nomination. But out here it's clear that the Edwards campaign is based on the same conviction that organized his last campaign: no one understands regular people the way he does. No one else can get out of a bus in places like Pocahontas, Iowa, and bond with the farmers, nurses and hairstylists the way he can. No one else comes from their ranks the way he does."

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/

[jsamuel]

1. Being progressive and appealing to Republicans is one reason why Edwards is leading in the GE in

many polls.

As for David Brooks, even a stopped watch is right twice a day.

[waiting for hope]

6. Snark....

"stopped watch is right twice a day."........ ;)

[MannyGoldstein]

2. Brooks Is Losing It

Sad.

[n2doc]

3. one can only hope so

We need less Washington insiders and more liberalism, that is for sure. Enough of the g---damm big money types controllling who gets elected.

[Bongo Prophet]

4. Brooks would MAGICALLY change his view of Edwards in the general. Sure bet.

Some say Clinton would be attacked mercilessly, but that is of course true of ANY candidate we put up.
GOP loved Edwards in the primaries in 04 too, but not in the general.

It is their pattern of behavior.

[Hieronymus]

11. It's a sure thing.

[Bongo Prophet]

12. Makes sense though -Brooks is a TOOL, and tools should be reliable!

:hi:

[iamahaingttta]

5. Brooks is a weenie!

Every time Sweetie or I see Brooks on the NewsHour or on the Times OpEd page, we shout to the other "Brooks is a Weenie!"

It really is great fun!

[Progressive Friend]

7. David Brooks = neocon

[trayted]

8. Culturally conservative is a bunch of non-sense. Does John Edwards "oppose" Roe v. Wade?

But that's the benefit of having a "southern accent." John Edwards can take more liberal positions and still maintain an air of moderation, which is what's reflected in the use of conservative and liberal in the same description of Edwards, since them crossing one another out = moderate.

[DaveinMD]

9. he's a populist

this breaks through left-right divide.

[zulchzulu]

10. Where to begin with Brooks...

He mentioned something in the article about how Edwards wants to address Obama's lack of experience. Excuse me? Being a state senator for 8 years and 3 as a Senator is more than 6 years as a Senator last I checked.

Also, his squashing and twerping and duct-taping political jargon so that Edwards is a "a culturally conservative anti-Washington liberal" was possible evidence that he should stop smoking the cheap stuff.

What an amusing lout.

[maximusveritas]

13. That doesn't even make sense; of course he's swung to the left

If not in his positions, then certainly in his rhetoric. If Brooks can't see that, he's even dumber than I thought he was (and I thought he was as dumb as a rock).

[saltpoint]

14. Brooks is an intelligent man with considerable talent whose head is up his

hindend well over 95% of the time.

Entire teams of proctologists have been unable to locate it.

If Edwards were much more to the Right, instead of quite a hell of a lot to the Left, the media wouldn't be trying to undermine his campaign.

Worse yet for writers ike Brooks, a John Edwards presidency would affirm the death of Brooks' party. It would affirm the constituencies he and his party routinely dismiss, ignore, and oppose. Labor. Education. Civic activism. Peace initiatives. Brooks stands in opposition to these things. Edwards strongly represents those constituencies and therefore it is in Brooks' best interest to try to head this off at the pass.

Under an Edwards presidency, there'd be meaningful reform in may of those areas. And that would piss conservatives like Brooks off real, real bad.