What do you think about Edwards?

[UrbScotty]

Poll question: What do you think about Edwards?

Which of these most reflects your view of John Edwards's future?

[sandnsea]

1. He's our next VP

Better stay in the race and let people get to know him!

[Bombtrack]

3. NO HE ISN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this must be the 8 zillionth time I've said this. Stop relegating him to this.

There is a reason that the RW radio hosts relegated him to this when he anounced

Edwards as a PRESIDENTIAL nominee would be the worst thing to happen to Bush possible

Edwards as a VP nominee would add almost zero electoral advantage to a Northern candidate, because the states he would most critically take away from Bush - NC, TN, and AR - would never be won by another candidate like Kerry or Dean

[sandnsea]

7. Calm down!!!

Edwards doesn't have the experience and that's just the way it is. But as a Kerry VP he's got the ability to take Kerry's ideas and crunch them down so regular people can understand them. The two of them are absolutely unbeatable!

I haven't been so excited about a ticket since Kennedy. Kerry/Edwards would be awesome! Kerry debating Bush, I laugh at the prospect. And Edwards champion of the people against the evil corporate Cheney???? Oh my god, it's too beautiful for words!!!!

I love it, asolutely love it!!!

[PurityOfEssence]

14. Let's talk experience

Although he may have only been in national politics for a scant 4.5 years, he's been an awfully quick study.

Think of this: he's extremely adaptable, having worked his way through life into the position where he now is. He's dealt with cabbages and kings and threaded his way through dealing with the corporate world very effectively. Whatever experience he lacks is well offset by his understanding of the dynamics of human beings, something career politicians and career patricians don't always "get".

Don't mean to thump on you here, you're a very fair-minded and always interesting poster, but don't confuse "experience" with "competence" or "years-spent-in-gummint". I guarantee you he'll have more than just a leg up with the international community--especially the third world--and above all else, he doesn't posture as if he has all the answers.

Experience can also be a trap; one can do things in an unimaginative way just due to the stultification of convention.

This guy is a "do-er", and he's not afraid to go out and make a mistake or two. Lest we forget, if the subject of "experience" is being looked at through the prism of "electability", that may well be an advantage next year; many people are getting a bad taste in their mouths from career apparatchiks.

The only area where "experience" is an issue here is with foreign policy, and I don't think he's at a disadvantage against any other major contender. Of the 9, Kerry is the only one who can really claim vestments of international wisdom. (Lieberman is poisoned by his blind eye about Israel among other things.)

Hell, the metro area I live in has TWENTY SEVEN times the population of Vermont.

There are many ways to look at things...

[Bombtrack]

22. the fact that he and Bush will have been in office for the exact same

amount of time before a presidential run is perfect. Bush being a puppet governor who gave his duties the the Lt. Gov, rarely worked, and deregulated enron -

to a senator who's racked up more accomplishents and has worked harder than many do in 2 or more terms. And he has been on the perfect committees for what the issues will be in this election. And unlike Kerry, he strikes the perfect balance between alien-to-washington outsider(especially post- 9-11) and favor owing insider.

Kerry would be the better veep, the guy with gravitas and experience, like Cheney. We need our presidential nominee to connect to the people, our vp nominee isn't going to be able to do that for him.

Look, Gore had the worst rural turnout of any dem candidate in since 84 I believe, and he was the first southern democrat to not win a southern state(except maybe Florida which is clearly not typically southern in many areas of it).

You want to tell me that Kerry is going to reverse this pattern of rural and southern votes to the GOP, and not do even worse than Gore did?

[sandnsea]

27. Maybe

"Kerry would be the better veep, the guy with gravitas and experience, like Cheney." Well Kerry as his VP would make me feel alot better about Edwards as the President. On the other hand, I'd like to have the President actually be the one who has the gravitas, unlike Dumbya.

I like Edwards, but I am disappointed with his health care plan and another issue I don't want to get into again. I also need to see him 'grow' for lack of a better word. I love the way Kerry gets right down into the nitty gritty of issues, knows them inside out, upside down. When Edwards can bring the same level of analysis to the debate, I'll have a little more confidence in him.

And we aren't going to turn around the entire south in one election, but maybe if we combine somebody who can talk to them with somebody who truly cares about uniting the nation, we can make some progress.

And I would campaign for Edwards wildly if he were nominated, I like him alot. I just like Kerry a teensy bit better.

[Bombtrack]

30. take a look at his 60 page proposal book

on his website in PDF form

and if you've been watching him lately, he's become a real policy wonk. He has said that his healthcare plan wouldn't be permanant, and that he would put into law a more expensive one when we got out of huge deficits, but that spending as much as some of the other candidates right now isn't realistic, and his would cover all kids and seniors

[Rooktoven]

35. And Bush _had_ experience???

Hell, he (shrub) still doesn't have experience. It's really about who the person surrounds himself with as well as the message carried. I don't care about years so much as I care about winning.

[inthecorneroverhere]

34. Edwards needs to stay IN

He, along with Graham, Gephardt, Kucinich, and Mosely-Brown, is one of the Southern-or-Midwestern candidates in the race. (Hope I didn't leave anybody out by accident). Since 1960, no Democrat who is not either a Southerner or a Midwesterner has won the Presidency. JFK in 1960, had LBJ from TX as a running mate.

Edwards needs to stay in the race because by doing so, it increases the odds of a Southerner or Midwesterner winning the nomination.

[Rooktoven]

37. Rove's (or was it Bush's ) words in 2000

When the rumors were swirling that Gore was considering Edwards for veep, reputedly Rove cackled "Bring on the trial lawyer!"

Careful what you wish for...

[ThorsteinVeblen]

2. He won't win the nomination but,

he is going to be a viable candidate in the future. So he should stay in for the experience alone.

[Bombtrack]

5. His support in all of the Febuary 3 states is growing

he can win the nomination. McCain had Edwards numbers in NH at this time, and he won that primary. Edwards isn't going to win that primary, because he's running against 2 candidates from bordering states and shared media markets

But he's polling well enough, and getting enough endorsements in all of the febuary 3 states, that in 7 months he could win alot of them or come in 2nd in them. I also think he could do very well in some super tuesday primaries

[ThorsteinVeblen]

10. He's too young.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. He'd Be

older than JFK, TR, and WJC, upon taking the oath of office.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

12. What I mean by young

is that he is too inexperienced. He hasn't even finished a full term in Senate and has never held a political office before that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. I Agree His Thin Resume Is A Liability

I just think his populist schtick would go down good in the South and border states and the East and West Coasters will gravitate to any Dem.

I do think it's way up hill for him.

[UrbScotty]

19. So why do you equate youth with inexperience?

At least it seems to me like you are here.

[ThorsteinVeblen]

21. Let me use the correct term then: He is unexperienced.

[Bombtrack]

23. He'd be older than 13 out of 43 presidents

His youthful-looks would be a constant reminder to America that working hard and living the American Dream is better for you than being drunk for your first forty years on your parents dime

[chimpymustgo]

25. Good one Bombtrack. Edwards is about to take off.

He's got plenty of experience - though not a lifetime of horsetrading in DC. His years as a litigator, fighting for people harmed by ruthless corporations is a crown to be worn proudly.

[kixot]

4. I think he has "it", he's got a shot at the White House, but not yet.

He could definately give Hillary a run for her money in '08.

[Bombtrack]

6. So by that logic, we would have lost in '04

and that is most likely to happen if we DON't nominate him. What part of Florida you in? I'll be meeting with college dems on his behalf both in South Florida where I go to school and all around the state whenever I get the chance

[sandnsea]

9. Perfect!!!

Because either way, getting the news about Edwards out in Florida is absolutely key to a Kerry/Edwards win.

Yeah, I'm yankin' your chain just a bit, it's tooo much fun!

(thanks for your dedication and hard work)

[kixot]

38. Palm Beach Dem

But I get around, spend lots of time in Lauderdale. E-mail me some time, the wife and I would love to get more active down here.

Oh, and ... huh?

[ThorsteinVeblen]

18. or 2012

Or he should be Clinton's VP so he can take over in 2016.

[Bombtrack]

26. I don't want Hillary to ever be the parties nominee

It seems that the right has told us that liberals want Hillary and many have accepted. Just because she's satan to them, doesn't mean she's god to me. She can stay in the senate, and maybe some day down the road become Majority Leader if that pleases the Hillary lovers

The only 2 future presidents I see right now for the history books are Edwards being the president who beat Bush, and further down Harold Ford the first black president

[West Coast Democrat]

8. He's very handsome......

that never hurts.

[tjdee]

13. Tougher time in the primary than the general. For sure.

Edwards would skate, SKATE to victory in the general election. There is not a doubt in my mind. Not one bit.

But the Dem base wants to 'experience'/'gravitas' things to death, and that's fine. Experience is important, and he doesn't have a lot of it.

I don't think he'll win the nomination, so I voted for 'let's see what happens'. I hope he will, but I'm not out buying cigars.

[West Coast Democrat]

15. You may be right about that

He's handsome and magnetic, a lot like Bill Clinton.

[chimpymustgo]

16. Shrub Killer in the General.

If he makes it through the primaries.

[gully]

20. I like him but...

he blinks too much.

I think he will make a great VP candidate for Dean or Kerry...

[JustJoe]

24. No chance,

no gravitas, but he should stay in
as long as he can, which won't be long.

[w13rd0]

28. I don't see him on the ticket this time around...

...but I do see a future Edwards/Ford ticket, or Clinton(H)/Edwards ticket in 2008 or 2012, depending on what he does over the next several years...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. Running for VP

His "base" is non-existent at this stage - unless lieberman sees the handwriting on the wall and drops out.

Kerry/Dean would appeal to the DLC wing of the party because of the unfounded belief that southern "moderates" would vote Democratic (in enough numbers to make a difference) if one their own was nominated.

[Bombtrack]

31. Ughhhhhhhh everything in your post is wrong

No he friggin isn't. I here this Limbaugh-line more here than any other.

His base is trial-lawyers, obviously. Just as gephardts is Unions and Deans is anti-war activists and some gays. And he isn't Leiberman-like in any just because he has the ability to APPEAR moderate.

You're last sentance really makes no sense at all, really I have no idea what you're trying to say but I'll break it into parts I guess.

"Kerry/Dean will appeal to the DLC wing of the party"
- First of all the DLC isn't a wing of the party it's a think tank. And if you mean moderate I don't think it's about being a moderate or left-wing democrat in you're support for one of them, I think It will be more about how many of them understand electoral politics and who can win. If they do Dean, will lose and Kerry will win the nom, or if they really get it Edwards will.

because of the unfounded belief that southern "moderates" would vote Democratic (in enough numbers to make a difference) -- Yeah, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton all splitting or sweeping the south, and Gore coming closer to winning several states than McGovern, Mondale, or Dukakis is a complete coincidence.

I will give you a pass on this foolish post if you were drunk or something, but otherwise that's pretty bad

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

32. Remind me. How many southern states did Gore win?

Let's see, there was Arkansas? TN? NC? SC? VA? AL? MS? LA? TX? GA? FL?

A "base" of trial lawyers? Gosh, there must be....thousands of them.
Rather thin don't you think?

Where else does his support come from? The East? The North? The West? Women? Minorities? Environmentalists? The Left?

Sorry, to get nominated for president, he'll have to get more than the mighty trial lawyers' vote.

[Bombtrack]

40. Anyone has to get more than just there base

but that is his base

And Gore came close to winning a few southern states. They really put all of their money on Florida and Tennessee and we all know what happened in Florida and the same thing according to some in Tennessee
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=10589

He also made Bush spend like hell and put tons of resources into these close southern states. Resources that Bush wouldn't have to use in nearly the same capacity if at all in 04 against an upper-crust Massachusetts or Vermont Dem who is perceived to be as liberal as the state they come from. The GOP can then use all of those resources and all that cash to win Gore states, specifically Oregon, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

[CSI Willows]

33. Nominee! Nominee!

I've been behind him ever since summer 2002 when he was on NPR and got my father so angry he turned the radio off.

[Donny247]

36. Anyone who underestimates Edwards check this out!!!

Here are the ads he's started running in New Hampshire and Iowa. Damn this guy's good! I highly recommend you check them out!

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/television-ads.asp

[jagguy]

39. this guy has "it"

get ready for his tide to build

[mndemocrat_29]

41. Edwards Future

I think that he shouldn't be the presidential nominee at this stage (he needs more experience as a speaker and a politician). I also think that he shouldn't be vice president (Wesley Clark or Bob Graham should take this, John Edwards is again too much of a political novice as a speaker. I'm not as worried about Clark's inexperience because anyone who's doubting his ability should look at his resume). Additionally, I think that Edwards should continue his run, because I think that the exposure will help him in future runs (he'll be a good candidate once he's had more exposure to the general public). Lastly, I think he should not run for the Senate in 2004, because if he dropped out of the presidential race now, he'd appear like a complete political loser and if he doesn't let someone start running against Richard Burr, we won't be able to win NC.

However, I think John Edwards does have a future in politics: as Atty. General. It's the perfect job to boost his credentials. If the ticket is Kerry/Graham, then Bob Graham probably won't want to run in 2012 (he'll be 74), and that would leave Edwards in a high profile, nearly-universal name recognition position to take the nomination in 2012. Also, Edwards would be well-liked in office, since anyone would be an improvement over John Ashcroft.

[Bombtrack]

43. You got that idea from my other post correct?

I said the same thing in a different post, that if the
candidate was Kerry, Kerry might want Edwards as his attourney
general, AND with Graham as Kerry's veep

I was just saying that right now Kerry has a better chance to
get the nom and that might be likely if it does happen

I don't think you can look at all of Edwards endorsements from
both state and federal politicians, current and former, and
say that he doesn't have enough experience. He has enough to
win, he'd be more likely to win than any other candidate. Do
you really think he'd be so unprepared that he wouldn't be
able to govern? It's not like operating a bulldozer. The
"he doesn't have enough experience" line is an empty
republican attack on a very hard target. 

[Castilleja]

42. Isn't it way too early to expect anyone to drop out??

I think they should all stay in for as long as is possible, that way there are 9 people all ragging on Hideous George*.