I have got to say, the GOP is scared to death of John Edwards!

[saracat]

I have been channel surfing and even listening to FOX News. All the talking heads are trying to diminish Edwards and imply he has no chance.Some are saying that he will now have a "shadow " hanging over his campaign. Thankfully, some Dems are pointing out that instead of being an"also ran", as the GOP are continually saying, Edwards is leading in Iowa and likely to win Nevada.

I find in interesting that the GOP dominated MSM is pushing Hillary and Obama. And spending lots of time diminishing Edwards to the point of lying. One has to question "Why".
I think it is as Paul Begala noted yesterday(And I wouldn't have thought he would admit this) Edwards is probably the most electable candidate in the general election!

We had a conservative visitor yesterday that was "raving " about Obama.She said how much she liked him and that he was "fresh".She said she "hated " Edwards.I asked if she would vote for Obama in the general election.She said "certainly not.I am a Republican!" BTW, this alleged Obama fan is also a racist!

[SoFlaJet]

1. But no one scares them more than

AL GORE!!!!!

[saracat]

3. But Gore isn't running!

[Jacklyn75]

2. I didn't know that he was leading in Nevada!

Yes, I think they are very scared of him or Gore.

[saracat]

4. It is the unions that Edweards is tight with SIEU and another.

[quinnox]

5. Begala is right

about Edwards. He would have the best shot in a general election. Hillary would have it tougher but still could win.

Republicans would love to see an Obama nominated, IMHO. He would guarantee a repub presidential victory by losing Ohio and Florida. He might hold most of the deep blue states but that is about it.

[jcrew2001]

38. Edwards is the only Dem who can win over centrists

and independents. Southern republicans will only vote for their fellow southerner, Edwards is the only southerner in the race from either party.

He will hopefully be our next president, and it will be a great day!

[RBInMaine]

41. I agree! And there are some Southerners on the other side.

I agree! The question in this election is this: What red states can our nominee turn blue??!! Simple as that. I like ALL of our candidates, but Hillary and Obama are VERY, VERY risky. They are simply too polarizing in a year when we need someone who can turn red territory blue. Our base NEEDS to get this message!! An Edwards/Clark, Edwards/Biden, Edwards/Bayh, Edwards/Richardson type ticket would be VERY formidable. (God I hope Edwards stays in until the end.) We need a ticket that can beat a McCain/Guiliani/Romney type ticket, and that will be a VERY tall order without candidates with the right "ingredients." This is just the plain reality of it.

Huckabee of Arkansas and Gilmore of Virginia are both running (or talking big time about running) on the GOP side.

[saltpoint]

6. Saracat, if you can stomach Paul Begala for more than 2 minutes, you

are a champion, a hero, a Super Human. He's too much for me.

But I understand the connections you're making.

The GOP should fear an Edwards nomination, because he is so electable. As well, they better be afraid of just about anybody we nominate, because their party is in disaray and their current president is a vacuous monkey.

All the components necessary for the GOP to hold the White House have either been seriously damaged or destroyed outright. Even the nutbag fundies are scrambling to find a candidate they like, and the pickins are thin.

It's going to be a very blue November 08.

[Kolesar]

9. LOL

I do agree with your take on the 2008 election. The action is in the primary, IMHO.

[saltpoint]

10. Hi, BorealAvenger. Yes. Agreed -- the primaries will be the whole show.

I look through the list of GOP possible noms and they all look like morons, turncoats, thieves or psychotics.

[Cha]

31. Oh you mean..the ghoul,

mitt romney, the bullshit bus, or newt the newt?

[saltpoint]

34. Hi, zidzi. Yep -- the whole list. A frightening bunch.

[dragonlady]

46. We can't get too comfortable

The other side still has plenty of strength on their side to do dirty tricks--media, voting machines, voter suppression, fake scandals, and on and on. We need the strongest candidate possible (I'm leaning toward Edwards) and a massive ground team that makes 2004 look weak. If we don't win this time, it's over for our democracy.

[saltpoint]

47. Agree -- we still must work very hard. But I like our position now

constrasted with theirs.

[jcrew2001]

39. which states will turn blue?

I doubt florida or ohio will easily turn blue.

[saltpoint]

40. Ohio pretty much has already. The 2006 election was a thunderous win

for the blue team. A U.S. Senator, a Governor, several Congressional seats -- we kicked their butts soemthin' fierce.

Ohio is never a guarantee for either major party, but I like our chances there now better than at any time in a long while.

Florida will be tougher but not impossible. The GOP candidates are not terribly popular across the country. We can fight them to the finish in a lot of close states, Florida included.

[RBInMaine]

44. Not so fast!

The American people are very particular in their presidential voting. Don't think for a second that anyone we nominate is a shoe-in. It's a long way off, and the GOP will have huge money and a very good campaign machine. If their base is smart enough to nominate McCain, Guiliani, or Romney then we will have a VERY tough fight on our hands. We need to win over red territory and keep all of our blue territory at the same time. We need to win over moderates and independents. These are the folks who determine presidential elections and the people we have lost time and time and time again over the last thirty years. The election is a long way off, plenty of the time for the GOP to coalesce and gear up with mountains of cash, excellent campaigning tools, and a very well oiled attack machine. Obama or Hillary would have a hard time with almost any GOP nominee because both are so polarizing, let alone the likes of Guiliani, McCain, and Romney (all VERY formidable - and Hagel too if he gets in). Edwards with the right VP is the best electoral bet we have right now. If he gets out, I hope like hell that Gore gets in.

[saltpoint]

48. I figure nearly anything can happen.

[ThomCat]

7. Why they're pushing Hillary and Obama

They're looking forward to using sexism or racism to their advantage in 08. That won't work if Edwards gets the nomination.

They're experienced bigots. They know who they have more dirty cards to play with either Hillary or Obama.
x(

[gaspee]

13. I agree

I live in RI, one of the bluest of the blue. And racism and sexism is everywhere. When I lived in Florida, it was 100X's worse. About the only place I've lived where I didn't see overt and racism and sexism is San Francisco. It was still there but nothing like Florida and not like it is in RI. Though in RI, I think it might have more to do with New Englanders not taking to outsiders right off. We take time to warm up to people.

I think a lot of white people like to deny the racism they see every day. I know they deny the sexism. And that goes for liberals as well as the mouth breathers. The liberals deny it exists and the mouth breathers revel in it.

If Hillary or Obama get the nomination look for subtle and not so subtle ads appealing to the side of people they like to deny even exists.

I like to think that good triumps over evil. Then I look back at the past 6 years and laugh at myself.

[southerncrone]

35. My take on it exactly!

Unfortunately, though we don't like to admit it, the Democratic Party has it's fair share of bigots. That is why I don't think Hillary or Obama are electable as the Prez candidate. Maybe as VP's.

[SOS]

50. Agree 100%

Edwards is essentially banned by the Wall Street corporations that control our mass media.
They hate his "two America's" speeches and have decided to keep his ideas off television.
They present our primaries as if only two people were running.
Either Edwards or Clark or Gore (if they run) are going to shock the hell out of our corporate media gatekeepers next February.

[gaspee]

8. Edwards is my first choice

second if gore runs. He's almost everything I want (he isn't female and he isn't a champion of gay rights) but I can live with him. Hilary's too far to the right for me and Obama's too much of an unknown to me. I'm working to change that. I could live with Edwards/Obama in '08 and Obama going for the big seat in '16. (If I haven't drowned by then, living at sea level and all...)

[SoFlaJet]

12. I'm right there with you gaspee

Edwards #1 Obama #2...Hillary #8-of course everybody moves over a notch if Gore decides to run

[robinlynne]

16. me three. Edwards has been doing and saying great things recently. more guts

than any of the other running candidates.
Gore/Feingold would give me a double orgasm, but that's just me.

[fooj]

20. Ditto.

:hi:

[catabryna]

19. Me four!

Edwards is my top choice. As difficult as it would be for me, because I really respect Edwards for a number of reasons, Gore would knock probably knock Edwards down to #2. But, it would most definitely be the hardest primary decision I'd ever have to make.

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. I think this is the core of it:

>>>Edwards is probably the most electable candidate in the general election!>>>

I haven't cast my lot with anyone yet but I have to agree that Edwards brings more to the electability table than the other two biggies.

I can't see either Clinton ( whom I dislike) or Obama( whom I do like... so far, anyway) winning any state that Kerry failed to win.

And remember, the DEM candidate is not going to be running against a *chimpanzee* in '08. The opposition will likely field a more credible candidate than they have in the last two elections.

The cancer thing is a complete wild card, though.

[SoFlaJet]

14. Did you happen to see DeLay on Hardball yesterday?

The #1 thing that will bring the "republic" party back together is....Hillary Clinton...I would really have a hard time voting for her I gotta tell you my fellow democrats-and I don't know why-I just don't like her-it's gotta be something subliminal or something

[Smarmie Doofus]

23. Didn't see Delay. Re Clinton:

>>>>her I gotta tell you my fellow democrats-and I don't know why-I just don't like her-it's gotta be something subliminal or something>>>>

I'm fully aware of why I don't like her. She's yet to demonstrate any leadership ability . She has no core values or beliefs. She's being thrust down our throats by an elite sophisticated political apparatus. Her core constituency likes the *idea* of Clinton and is either oblivious to or ignorant of the actuality. A dangerous delusion, seems to me.

That said, I'll vote for her if she's nominated but I don't see her winning.

[SoFlaJet]

24. Yea Paul

and she's also being thrust down our throats by the MSM who seem to think that we democrats actually LIKE her

[AnneD]

15. I have been saying that since he first ran....

the guy is clean as a whistle, thinks on his feet, and can dish back what he is given. And what a story. Of course they will make up shit about him because he is too damn electable. And if Elizabeth dies, they'll question his sanity and claim he doesn't have family values. Edwards is a good guy and electable. I also think Obama is electable and clean. Hillary could do the job but has too much baggage and is a target the right wing would love to hit. We need to have a president that can work out the problem of the US...not fend off nut wing attacks.

[robinlynne]

17. well any dem will be a target.

[gaspee]

18. Agreed. They're all targets.

I have to say that even though Clinton isn't my first choice, I'm voting for her if she gets the nom. I hate the two party system. Sigh. I'd rather vote for Clinton than give a protest vote or not vote at all. I don't think Nader was the reason Gore lost, but imagine if so many people hadn't made a protest vote. Or if we didn't have a winner take all system. The world would be a very different place right now.

If Clinton does win though, it might be kind of fun to watch what happens to the insane people on the right. They will be frothing at the mouth. Why in the world would Clinton want to subject herself to that again?

[AnneD]

45. Of course all Dem's are target...

the question is...will it stick, will it raise enough doubt in the voting public. What I like about Edwards is he fights back in a good way. Take the vote to go to war with Iraq. Hillary has hemmed and hawed all around the issue in a kind of 'I was against the war after I was for the war' way. Now Edwards has said that he voted for the war given the information he was provided with. And once the knowledge that the data was cherry picked and Congress was lied to became known, he opposed it. Many that supported it now know they were lied to. Edwards admits he vote poorly and regrets his vote. Nothing wrong in admitting a mistake.

Edwards and Obama are the most middle class folks we have running and they are the best hope for the middle class. I like them both. I like Edwards a bit more for his union and mining background (nothing builds a healthier distrust of big business than a mining background).

I am a yellow dog Dem so I will keep trying to wrestle control of my party back from the DLC DINO's. But I won't waste my vote. Frankly, I am for an amendment that does away with the Electoral college-but I am in favour of true democracy.

[Inspired]

28. No one and question his family values

after yesterday's news conference.

God - how I would love to see an election between him and Rudy or Newt.

[w4rma]

21. If Gore doesn't jump in, I, by far, want Sen. Edwards to win this thing and become President.

The GOP should be scared of him. He'll win the general election in a cakewalk and unlike Clinton, he won't close the books on the neo-con investigations.

[AtomicKitten]

22. the GOP has nothing

Their nastiness towards the Edwards' family has finally scraped the bottom of the barrel.

Karma is going to be a bitch for the GOP.

[opihimoimoi]

25. The GOP got Delusion and nothing but venom....they are a Negative Force..look at the damage

[knitter4democracy]

26. Edwards may not be perfect, but he'd be a great candidate.

Yeah, he's not anti-war enough for me, even though he apologized, etc. He does have amazing charisma, though. He also has some good plans and ideas, which makes him good enough for me.

Edited for spelling.

[thoughtcrime1984]

27. I want Obama, but

I like Edwards, he's my #2. I will agree that there are far too many racists and sexists in the US, but that does not necessarily preclude an Obama Presidency. I think that those of us Dems who decide to not support Obama simply because he's "not electable" because of his color, should realize that this herd mentality will ensure that he cannot win. If you think Obama is the best candidate, then PLEASE support him, he IS electable! I will gladly support our nominee, be it Edwards, Obama, or even, gulp, Hillary, but this not electable BS needs to go. A true Democratic thinker will cast aside thoughts of race and sex, the typical Repub voter will just vote for their candidate anyway. The swing voters need to ask themselves who the best candidate is, the one that will best represent them and their country, and in my opinion, I don't see a single Dem. candidate that couldn't be the better choice over any Repub. candidate. But that's just me. The Repubs should fear losing the WH to any of our candidates, the threat is very strong, as are our candidates.

[Inspired]

29. Please tell me his plan on health care or energy.

I would love to know what Obama's plans are.

[Cha]

30. Anyone the corporatemediawhores

rant and rage against..I automatically seem to respect with high esteem. Gore is a good example of someone who the cmwhores excoritate and you bet they're scared shitless of him.

[saracat]

33. They are more scared of Edwards because he is actually running!

[Cha]

37. Yes, John Edwards is

the one who is running for Prez but Gore is trying to change the way corporatepolluters and car emissions are regulated. Scary stuff for business as usual crowd.

[bread_and_roses]

32. He talks about poverty. Can't have that.

If we talked about poverty we might be prompted to do something about it. Who knows where that may lead? Maybe even to underlying structural issues like institutionalized racism, the great big elephant in our living room.

[southerncrone]

36. So it's settled, we're all voting for Edwards, right?

Except for Obama_for_the_future, which is fine.
;)

[RBInMaine]

43. Edwards has the "right ingredients". THIS IS REALITY!!

Hey, we all like Obama and Hillary. Either would be much better than the mess we have in the White House now. But we also have to look at electoral reality in a year when we need to win. Winning is what it is all about!! Hillary and Obama have big name recognition right now and celebrity. But can they WIN in North Carolina, Arkansas, Montana, Colorado, Louisiana, Indiana... against the likes of a McCain, Guiliani, or Romney?? WE MUST BE REAL and not "ideal" in our personal voting decisions if we want the White House back. Hillary and Obama are EXTREMELY risky!! It is a risk I don't want to take, and MANY of us don't want to take. Our base needs to get VERY VERY real this time. The GOP is HOPING LIKE HELL that Hillary or Obama is nominated because their attack machine is already gearing up to rip them to shreds.

[gasperc]

42. I've sensed the same thing

whether it's truly artificial stuff like they think it'll be easier to run a nasty campaign against Clinton and Obama and do dirty crap like they did to Harold Ford

[jcrew2001]

49. I think that Gore will likely jump into the race in the fall

I think that Hillary is weak and can't win the general election, same with Obama, and Edwards will be hindered by his wife's health.

Does anyone know if polls show that Gore beats McCain or Rudy?

Because right now it shows rudy beating all the Dems.