Why is John Edwards not doing better?

[kentuck]

Is it simply that Obama and Hillary are better candidates? Or that they have better messages? Or that they are simply better at communicating?

Or do many folks see him as fake or insincere when he talks about the "mills" and growing up poor, when his present life is the direct opposite? Oh, he gets those $400 dollar haircuts and lives in one of the biggest houses in NC. Is it that his message of populism seems contrived?

In my opinion, he has over-weighted his populism message, which is a winner and a message that the American people are ready to accept. However, Edwards has over-emphasized this populism, and would do better to talk about the lives of others than about his own poor upbringing, in my opinion.

Also, as Feingold pointed out, his message and issues now are quite different than when he was in the Senate. They question his sincerity. Personally, I think Edwards is very sincere about his beliefs, whether they have come about recently or not, and that his life's experiences, including Elizabeth's health, are guiding his present path.