Did John Edwards sound particularly twangy last night?

[bluethruandthru]

I really like Edwards and right now, he's my top choice, but I was surprised at how pronounced his accent was last night. Several people I've talked to today have mentioned they were put off by how he spoke. They didn't like his use of the word High-Falutin' and they said he sounded too much like a "good ole boy".

Thoughts?

[polichick]

1. Playing to the in-house crowd?

Maybe it's a when-in-Rome thing ~ I thought he was more low-key than usual, a little less energetic.

[bluethruandthru]

12. He did seem tired.

[Nia Zuri]

2. How 'bout Barracks' black southern drawl?

[bluethruandthru]

15. Keith Olbermann pointed Obama's out.

Saying that after being in South Carolina for two hours, even he was developing a drawl!

[Sequoia]

3. Maybe he's tired.

When I get tired my old southern accent comes into play.

[AlCzervik]

10. he looked tired.

[stirlingsliver]

4. So What?

So what if he did?

Why would anyone hold the way he speaks against him?

[bluethruandthru]

14. Some told me they were just

tired of hearing anyone who sounded like Bush. I thought that was interesting coming from someone I thought was a republican.

I pointed out that Edwards accent is real...Bush's is phony.

[Virginia Dare]

5. Are your friends, by chance, yankees?...

and more importantly, what did they think of his hair?

[polichick]

6. Lol

He did look pretty spiffy!

[Rosemary2205]

7. I talk different when I go home too.

I've worked hard to upgrade my language but whenever I go home I seem to just revert back to what's easy and familiar.

[polichick]

8. I have a yankee mom and a rebel dad.

Even as a kid my accent shifted into home-turf mode when visiting grandparents and other relatives in the north or south. Just came naturally, along with the mashed potatoes and grits!

[JerseygirlCT]

9. When I worked with a few women from the Carolinas, it didn't

take this northeasterner very long at all to develop a bit of a drawl. It's quite contagious, actually.

So I imagine his gets stronger when he's back at home.

[Beaverhausen]

11. He has always had a fairly pronounced southern accent. He sounded no different

this is a stupid criticism. God, I dread the next 18 months.

[Marie26]

13. He looked really tired,

almost depressed. Very different from his usual self. I didn't see much of the debate, though, so maybe he got more energetic later on.

[polichick]

16. Yeah...

I hate to say it, but maybe it's too much for him to be doing this when his wife is so sick. He may be emotionally drained.

[Marie26]

19. That was my impression too. nt

[Beaverhausen]

28. Except she isn't 'so sick' - her treatment this time isn't Chemotherapy

so it doesn't have the debilitating effects. She was there yesterday and looked good.

[bluethruandthru]

17. No, not much

however, I thought he made great points and seemed quite presidential.

[Marie26]

21. That's good

I'm probably going to vote for Edwards, & he did make good points. But it seemed like his wife's cancer is taking an emotional toll on him. He just didn't have that same big smile & energy; it's kind of sad.

[bluethruandthru]

23. Even with all he's going through

he's still such a positive person and I think it showed, even through the 'tiredness' or whatever it was.

[madfloridian]

18. This kind of post annoys the heck out of me...I don't care who it is about.

It is so obvious and so personal. Very annoying. If you are going to criticize do it intelligently and not in a whiny way about a tone of voice.

[bluethruandthru]

22. I'm sorry you're so annoyed.

Edwards is my favorite candidate at this point so I'm particularly tuned in to what my co-workers were saying about him when discussing the debate today. I didn't really think much of the accent last night, but when a couple of people mentioned it as being irritating to them, I took notice.

I was only looking to get the thoughts of other DUers...but I guess that's not allowed.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

26. I disagree. How a candidate comes across - his/her voice,

looks, demeanor DO matter. They are factors of electability. Of course, his beliefs are prime factors.

[stray cat]

20. I revert back to a southern accent when I am with family in the south

If you are from the region the accent bounces back very quickly - within a day or less. If Guiliani develops a southern accent than I will say its political grandstanding. A southerner speaking with a more pronouced southern accent when in the south sounds pretty normal in my experience.

[LisaM]

24. Funny that you bring that up. My boyfriend is always railing about Hillary's voice

but gives Edwards' accent a pass, which is probably because his mother is from North Carolina, so it doesn't bother him.

Edwards has been in the south for the last number of days - I heard him on Ed Schultz the other day, from Chapel Hill. He seemed quite energetic then - maybe he's got a cold or something.

I plan on voting for Edwards at this point, but give me a good New England accent any day! I am really tired of southern accents, too. I know it's a surface thing on which to judge, but I think it's as legit to go after Edwards' drawl as Hillary's Chicago accent.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. He should take voice lessons. There are places where they

can tone down a southern accent. It slays me when he says " NAY'toe"

Jimmy has a more aristocratic accent.

I do like Edwards, despite his accent.

[napi21]

27. I too believe it's because he was back home. I'm a damn yankee

from Pittsburgh, Pa. We moved to SC in 1987 and it took memany months to understand many of the local words, but it took the same amount of time for them to understand what I was talking about too! I never thought I had any Pgh. accent, until it was pointed out to me, and I sure never thought I'd ever acquire a shouthern accent. BUT....after 4 years, we visited Pgh. for the first time since moving. Everyone told me "Oh man, you sound like a southerner!"

Sometimes I even hear it in thingsI've said. I can imagine how it must affect someone who lived their entire life in NC!

I don't think it matters much. It's more WHAT he says than how he says it.

[FourScore]

29. When Carter was elected,

during his acceptance speech in Atlanta, he quipped that it will be nice to have a President in office without an accent. The crowd in Atlanta went wild!