"The Edwards Effect"-Krugman NYT 2/1/08

[MilesColtrane]

The Edwards Effect

By PAUL KRUGMAN
Published: February 1, 2008

So John Edwards has dropped out of the race for the presidency. By normal political standards, his campaign fell short.

But Mr. Edwards, far more than is usual in modern politics, ran a campaign based on ideas. And even as his personal quest for the White House faltered, his ideas triumphed: both candidates left standing are, to a large extent, running on the platform Mr. Edwards built.

-snip-

If 2008 is different, it will be largely thanks to Mr. Edwards. He made a habit of introducing bold policy proposals — and they were met with such enthusiasm among Democrats that his rivals were more or less forced to follow suit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/opinion/01krugman.html?ex=1359522000&en=539936ff848cd0be&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. ...

:cry:

[texastoast]

2. Meeeee too

:cry:

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. I don't think I'll ever "get over it".

x(

[NC_Nurse]

3. Great post. He is absolutely right.

Thanks!

[Selatius]

4. Edwards really helped bring attention to the issue of universal health care by being the 1st big...

candidate to introduce a policy proposal. Technically, Kucinich was the first, but nobody took him seriously or saw him as a threat enough to listen.

[AP]

5. Donations to his campaign were well spent.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Yes they were.

[MilesColtrane]

9. I don't regret a dime of the donations I made to Edwards' campaign.

I'm hopeful that he'll be given the opportunity to give a real "come to Jesus" speech at the convention that will serve to refocus the party on it's populist roots.

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. No regrets here, either. That would be great!!

[Maribelle]

7. I totally agree. Edwards is making a mark.

I have often thought since 2004 : only if Gore/Edwards was the ticket in 2000 - how much better off our nation would be today, and evem the world.

[jackson_dem]

13. Yup. Reportedly Edwards was Gore's second choice

[kurth]

11. The best candidate Dems ever had

in a long time.

[applegrove]

12. It is so true that sometimes the person with the ideas doesn't make it

to political power...but their ideas do.

[jackson_dem]

14. Edwards lost but his ideas won. He brought change to the country which is what he sought

:)