Is Elizabeth Edwards Helping John's campaign or

[2rth2pwr]

hindering it?

After watching Hillary on all the Sunday shows this morning and seeing how well she didi, I started thinking "who could knock her down?" Obama is closest but he seems to be making rookie mistakes, like his non-vote this week on the MoveOn ad. And then there is John Edwards and he seems to be more appealing to the base and I know Elizabeth has ties to forums like these. She seems to have taken on a large role in John's campaign and am interested in your opinion- is she helping or hurting.

Just this week she seems to have shut down criticism of Hillary's Health Care plan by saying that it is basically identical to John's and twice has spoken out against MoveOn for no apparant reason.

"Does Mrs. Clinton's plan seem very familiar to you?" Edwards said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Mrs. Clinton has - seven and a half months after John unveiled his health care plan - unveiled a health care plan that is in every material respect just like John's."

Edwards calls Clinton's plan "John Edwards' health care plan as delivered by Hillary Clinton."

Edwards stood by her criticism of liberal group MoveOn.org for a New York Times ad that called Iraq war Gen. David Petraeus "General Betray Us" before his testimony last week.
http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/09/092007edwards.htm

[Mythsaje]

1. I'm not really sure at this point...

I like Elizabeth and JE is my preference, but I'm no happier with his healthcare plan than I am with Hillary's.

The only one I actually like is DK's.

[2rth2pwr]

2. Sorry, fixed poll. Had two choices for "helping" nt

[MessiahRp]

3. You only have the option of she is helping John or what she says makes no difference...

Either an edit is in order or this post is ridiculously framed.

Personally I think she's sort of neutral to the campaign... reason being is all the positive things she says to debunk a lot of crap sourt of get counter balanced when she slams other candidates or speaks of talking point of what her husband's campaign is saying.

I don't think Edwards is my guy (of course I am not solidly behind any of our candidates yet... waiting for Gore and if that doesn't happen I may vote for Kucinich in the primaries to try to swing our candidate's agenda more to the left) but while I don't like the cancer framing the GOP and MSM tried to toss onto her I also don't like everything she says.

Of course good luck finding anyone who says everything you want them to say.

Rp

Edit:

You fixed the poll. Thanks... :hi:

[Colobo]

4. His non-vote was not a mistake.

[hisownpetard]

6. I'm for Obama but was disconcerted to hear that he didn't vote. Do you know the reason?

I read that he was on the floor or in the vicinity at the time.

Thanks.

[cboy4]

8. Just curious....why do you think his non-vote is not a mistake?

Did he have something going on that that kept him voting like all of the other candidates from the senate?

[BeyondGeography]

12. Because the amendment was a bullshit GOP frame that never should have reached the floor

[cboy4]

15. Oh I agree with you. However, I just think if it's a bullshit

issue, you vote no and then articulate why you voted no using that explanation.

To me, it comes across as a lack of leadership by copping out and/or trying to have it both ways.

And if if I feel that way, I'm pretty sure others might as well, regardless of how well intentioned his decision was.

[BeyondGeography]

17. Arguments can be made for or against what he did; he's not lacking for support on this matter

Read comments:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/09/20/372106.aspx?Ajax_CallBack=true

More significant, his decision was consistent with a primary theme of his campaign; to reject mindless partisanship. For better or worse, that's who he is.

[cboy4]

19. Thanks for that...just read his statement. I couldn't agree more

with what he said.

I guess on one hand, by not voting, you can argue you aren't dignifying something so ridiculous with a response.

So I can understand his point in that regard.

[sandnsea]

5. Elizabeth is helping Obama

Saying all the stuff about Hillary that needs saying but that he can't say, and it doesn't hurt his campaign when she says it either.

[jillan]

7. Agreed.

[2rth2pwr]

20. I should have put that answer in the poll!

good one

[cboy4]

9. I think she should choose some of her battles more wisely. I thought

getting involved in the Coulter debate wasn't a good idea.

Why dignify Coulter's anti social disorder rants with a response, let alone during one on one showdown on Tweety?

Same thing about the Moveon.org. She went on and on too much about it in my opinion.

I don't necessarily feel she's hurting his campaign. She's not the one running after all.

[yurbud]

11. she made Coulter look like a tool, simply by responding as a human being.

[cboy4]

16. No, what she did was hand Coulter more material for her next

book.

Who cares about making Coulter look like a tool? She's not running for anything.

The left already think she's a tool and the right seemingly likes her. So what's the point?

The worst thing you can do is give a sadist like Coulter the attention she craves.

It only encourages her to keep it up.

[yurbud]

24. there's a third group watching: independents & undecideds. Elizabeth reminded them Coulter's bile

is directed at real people and can have real consequences, making her seen less like a freak show and more like a walking hate crime.

someone watching might have made also then noticed that what Coulter says is not terribly different from what Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and the whole bunch say.

[cboy4]

25. Alright. Well, I just find it difficult to believe that anyone

on the fence would ultimately decide to vote for a Democrat based on what Ann Coulter has to say.

But maybe I'm wrong. Who knows.

[yurbud]

28. if they someone on the fence saw that bit between Elizabeth Edwards & Coulter, who looked worse?

Even if some conservatives might have identified more with Edwards than the icy Coulter there.

[illinoisprogressive]

10. Elizabeth is always a help and Obama;s nonvote was a protest.

hillary is a robot. elizabeth is wonderful. She would be an asset to anyone.
Obama made a protest by refusing to play republican games. And the pundits say he makes mistakes because he doesn't act like Hillary. He acts like himself and be damned with the conventional wisdom. he is challenging them.

[calteacherguy]

13. Obama's refusal to participate in that ludicrous charade was exactly the right thing to do.

As for the poll, well, does it really matter at this point in the game?

[2rth2pwr]

21. If it was the right thing to do, why did

he vote on the Boxer amendment?

"In fact, Boxer's amendment did mention the MoveOn.org advertisement, calling it an "an unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus." Moreover, in describing the amendments as "extremely similar," the Times did not report that, while Cornyn's amendment singled out the MoveOn.org ad, Boxer's amendment also cited Republican-backed attacks against Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) and former Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA) in condemning "all attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably" in the military. http://mediamatters.org/items/200709210010


Here is some of the wording in her amendment-

(6) On September 10, 2007, an advertisement in the New York Times was an unwarranted personal attack on General Petraeus; who is honorably leading our Armed Forces in Iraq and carrying out the mission assigned to him by the President of the United States; and

(7) Such personal attacks on those with distinguished military service to our nation have become all too frequent.

...2) to strongly condemn all attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization.

How he voted-

Obama (D-IL), Yea
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00343

[yurbud]

14. first false note from Elizabeth was spinning Edwards & Hillary plans to exclude others from debates

I saw two more false notes in the OP in this thread:

• Saying Hillary's healthcare plan is a copy of yours is essentially bragging about being a tool of the insurance companies like Hillary.
  
  
• likewise, saying anything about the stupid-ass "Betray Us" controversy other than what Bill Richardson said is a sign of being a corporate sell out, since corporations were likely the only "people" offended by the ad beyond the toothless, paranoid schizophrenics that still trust Bush.

[XemaSab]

18. I think it's the multiple personality campaign...

John is running as Mr. Bland Nice Guy and Liz is throwing out the snark and speaking her mind.

I'm not sure that dog will hunt.

[durrrty libby]

22. Sorry that people can't see something so obvious

Elizabeth hurts John. It looks like mommy has to fight her little boy's battles

[2rth2pwr]

27. "Mommy has to fight her little boy's battles"

It does seem that way.

[Beaverhausen]

29. I see it completely differently

I respect the fact that she goes out and speaks her mind, even if I don't agree with everything she says.

I don't agree with everything anyone ever says, certainly not my boyfriend, certainly not any candidate.

I think its important to get to know the spouses of our candidates because, at least with those on the left, we can assume that a marriage is an equal partnership and the spouse will have a big influence on the candidate's term in office. The Big Dawg himself said this on TDS last week.

I like John even more knowing he is with such a smart, outspoken and caring woman.

I also think the press misinterprets what she says quite often...then again they do that with anyone they can.

[journalist3072]

23. I know that she has really turned me off from her husband's campaign

I wasn't planning on voting for John Edwards anyway.

But if I wanted to give his candidacy another look, his wife has completely turned me off from doing so.

Her first strike was her personal attack again Hillary Clinton, saying that she was a happier person than Hillary.....that the choices she made in her life made her a happier person than Hillary.

Then there was her idiotic (and in some way racist) remark about wishing she could make John Black or White so he could get more media attention.

She's become quite annoying.

[Adelante]

26. Obama's "non-vote this week on the MoveOn ad"

I very much disagree that this was a mistake. Obama voted earlier for the Boxer amendment, withdrew from the Cornyn amendment, and later voted for the Feingold amendment. He had his head screwed on right between what really matters and what is a mockery of a travesty of a sham! I am glad Democrats voted for Boxer and I respect the No votes on Cornyn, certainly over the Yes votes on Cornyn. But I wish every single Democrat had said shove it on Cornyn and not voted. GOBAMA.

[PresidentObama]

30. Elizabeth helps the campaign. She's honest and open, and speaks her mind.

Whats not to love?