why does Edwards seem so fake, but real to me

[jsamuel]

When he was on a national scale he just looked fake. When I saw him speak, saying the same stuff at a North Carolina audience, he was the real deal. Am I the only one that saw that in 2004? I think he could be great for the country with his anti-poverty program.

on edit: His wife always looks like the real deal on tv. National or not...

[ThomCat]

1. I thought he was the least fake when I saw him on TV.

[jsamuel]

2. nationally?

it might just be me?

[TornadoTN]

3. I heard that comment a lot from some

Maybe it comes across that way to some people because of the topics that John tackles and his image of being a "rich trial lawyer". A lot of that plays on the psyche of some people. People just can't get their head around the fact that someone who has made right in this world, worked hard and amassed a wealthy fortune would want to give back to the world and make a positive difference from all. That of course, falls in the face of Neocon logic, thus, he was portrayed as some sort of fake in the election.

I met Mr. Edwards and his wife in 04 while working on the Kerry campaign. I have never met two more genuine, down-to-earth people who walk the walk and talk the talk than the Edwards.

[Master Mahon]

4. MSM sound bites don't portray the real man

like playing the 'Dean Scream' 24/7 had nothing to say about who Dean really was and what he was about.
MSM plays selective clips as they deem necessary to leave the impression they want you to have. It's legal brain washing.
The same thing they do when they NEVER show the frequent 'Brian Farts'
that Bush speaks on a daily basis.

[MuseRider]

5. I never saw him as fake

and when I saw him in Lawrence I knew for certain he wasn't. I really believe he is a good man and he really wants to do the right thing for this country no matter what position he might find himself in.

[saltpoint]

29. - - - - -

:thumbsup:
:hi:
:dem:

[waiting for hope]

6. He is the real McKoy...no doubt in my mind...

:cry: I miss him as my NC Senator...Have wasted space Dole and follow the leader Burr. Eeeuck!

[rniel]

7. well he is a great lawyer

And he talks like a lawyer. Just like 99% of congress. That's why they all of them sound so fake to me.

He and kerry could learn to be be a little less wordy and to the point.

[jsamuel]

9. yeah, maybe that is it

[TornadoTN]

11. and then speak like a Republican?

No offense towards you, nor is it a slam, but I don't think dumbing down the message would make anyone "more real" in the eyes of the voter.

Maybe I'm just being overly optimistic, but I think that any thinking American would prefer someone with the right message rather than someone who speaks "plain" (i.e.- Remember "plain talking, every-man, George W. Bush"?) But considering the last few election cycles, maybe we do need to turn into Jethro's.

[rniel]

27. yes I think so

I'm probably in the bottom of the smart list on DU, but I have college degree and when I was listening to Kerry speak my attention span cannot hold. Keeping it short and to the point can really help. People are only going to take in very little of what they hear. TV news is where most people get their info so they need quick short and to the point soundbytes that will play well on tv, not a college research paper.

[oasis]

8. Too few folks with the charcater of the Edwards. Could it be that a lot

of people don't know the real thing when they see it?

We've been exposed to the spinners and the flim flam artists for so long that we tend to over analyze the motives of politicians.

[LittleClarkie]

10. I saw him give a speech to a bunch of lawyers in 2003

Some consultant somewhere taught him to talk all down-homey or something, and he ended up with "huckster" instead.

When he gave his final speech to the Senate, I heard him click into, and back out of, sincerity. It was when he thanked John Kerry. He sounded sincere at that moment in his speech. Then it was gone again.

I guess what I'm saying is he's sometimes TOO polished. Maybe that's it.

[mzteris]

12. ROFL

**some consultant somewhere taught him to talk all down-homey or something****

No, hon - he got that there accent honest-like. That boy be from rural North Carolina.

It ain't fake. He do be a good ol' boy.

:hi:

[LittleClarkie]

17. Then when he was talking to a bunch of lawyers

he swallowed it and talked straight.

I don't mean his accent. I mean the "aw shucks" attitude. Someone taught him NOT to be himself somehow. Maybe I can't put my finger on it. But I sense what the OP is talking about.

Not that I don't think he's sincere, mind you. I do. He just doesn't always come across that way. Same with my bud Kerry. I know he is sincere too. Just doesn't always come across.

[Clark2008]

22. The good ole boys won't cotton to him, though.

eom

[Blackhatjack]

15. His character is above reproach, and he is exactly as he appears

I have followed John Edwards locally since 1982. There is nothing "huckster" about him. He is sincere, very smart, outworks everyone else, and has the respect of everyone who has gone up against him in a courtroom. Juries like him because he talks to them rather than speaking at them. He is not pretentious. He has an excellent memory, and often spoke for hours recounting testimony and evidence without any kind of notes or writings.

He could be making millions today in the courtroom, but his priorities changed with the death of his son Wade(who attended the same High School as my son). He and Elizabeth bought property across from the High School, and established the Wade Edwards Learning Lab so that all students could have access to computers and technology in their education, all at no expense to the students.

His recent work with the Anti-Poverty Center established at UNC-Chapel Hill is an issue he cares deeply about. If he runs for President in 2008, he will bring this issue to the voters because it is the right thing to do. Since the last presidential election he has travelled the world over, meeting leaders of different countries, and educating himself on foreign policy issues.

This country could only be so lucky as to have John Edwards as its President. For the same reasons, you can see why entrenched corporate Republican backed interests are intent on derailing his prospects as the Democratic candidate. Hope he runs in 2008.

[LittleClarkie]

18. I'm not talking about his character. Just how he comes across sometimes

It is my impression, and merely my opinion. You have yours, I have mine. Watching him sometimes I felt like he was too polished. I don't think he is a huckster. Just occasionally sounds like one.

[H2O Man]

31. I agree.

I think that Edwards only appeared "weak" on the national platform, because as the candidate for VP, he had to follow Kerry's direction.

He is, of course, a former trial lawyer. As such, he will have some of the polish that the best trial lawyers have. I am friends with a couple of the better trial lawyers in this area, and I admire their ability to communicate.

But as a human being, and not an attorney or a politician, John Edwards may be the closest thing our party will have to the Senator Robert Kennedy (D-NY) from 1967-68 in this era. There are events in a person's life that can lift them to a higher station than others. Edwards, like RFK, has experienced tragedy in his family life, which has transformed him.

[Hubert Flottz]

46. "Hope he runs in 2008"

Me too...

[sandnsea]

13. Nobody is "on" 100% of the time

Edwards had better days than others, that's true, but his sincerity came through often enough. You don't see Elizabeth on tv that often, not as many moments to compare. Biden comes through as genuine a lot of the time, but there is nobody more full of shit than him. I think people expect too much from politicians, they're just people too and can't be perfect every day.

[rucky]

14. I have a pretty good B.S. detector...

and Edwards is the real deal.

[Clark2008]

23. Funny, he makes my BS detector go on overdrive

I've never seen what half of DU sees in him. I think he's phoney like a Ken doll.

Maybe it's the fact that his accent seems to fade when he's up North (as it did in his commercials in Wisconsin).

:shrug:

[PeaceProgProsp]

32. Aren't you the DU'er who claimed that Nancy Pelosi's Democrat-hating

daughter said something about Edwards that you never substantiated?

[Southsideirish]

45. I saw him speak - way too slick and packaged for me.

[LSparkle]

16. He may LOOK too good to be true ... but he's not -- he IS real

I'm convinced he's the real thing, and in these days of suspicion/skepticism/constantly being on guard for "being taken," people truly are incapable of recognizing a good man when they're presented with one. "NOBODY can be that good" -- it's just projection by a public that knows THEY aren't that good and honest themselves.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

19. I think a part of the problem is he's almost TOO good looking for politics

Makes it a bit harder for people to trust him sometimes.

[AndyTiedye]

20. The MSM Does Everything They Can To Make Our Candidates Look That Way

[depakid]

55. That may be true- but in Edwards case

when he takes a Wall Street job with the likes of fortress investments http://www.fortressinv.com/

and then promptly goes on a nationwide tour promoting the 2 Americas deal, a lot of people wonder whether he's talking out of both sides of his mounth, without the MSM's help.

Same is true when you look over his voting record.

[etherealtruth]

21. He has always impressed me as genuine

Funny how we all perceive things differently.

[SmokingJacket]

24. His looks are very polished, to the point of blandness.

But that's just the surface. He's a great person.

[Mojambo]

25. He needs a scar or eye-patch or something

He's just way too smooth and pretty.

I do believe he's genuine however.

[woo me with science]

50. I think a different haircut would help.

It is too fluffy and Redford-ish. He needs an older cut.

[dysfunctional press]

26. it's his dlc and bilderberger training...

i'm guessing that he carries the mark of the beast, somewhere...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

30. I was going to mention how he met with the Bilderberges in 2004 during the

election. Since then, he didn't look as shiny as he had before......

[KoKo]

41. Sign of a successful Politician...Cultivate those who will support you ...

don't leave any stone unturned even if it's the Bilderbergers..... If one is very ambitious and wants to "fit in."

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

44. And it doesn't hurt to kiss the ring of David Rockefeller either. nt

[Blackhatjack]

49. Keep your friends close, your enemies closer .....

You will recall that Ike met with many people representing the "military industrial complex" which he later castigated and warned the republic about.

I think the same thing is going in with Edwards. He studies the opposition every opportunity he is given. I do not think his attendance at one Bilderberg meeting is going to change the person he has become. I do think he probably filed away lots of information regarding who is powerful, who has power, and who is trying to wield that power.

The man obviously has more in common with the majority of us than the elite Bilderberg set. After all, he inherited nothing, and made everything he has today through his own efforts.

[dysfunctional press]

52. yeah...that must be it...

:eyes:

edwards doesn't even make my LONG list for possible candidates to support in 2008.

[PWRinNY]

53. So if he were to become the nominee

would you stay home on Election Day, or would you support the republican?

[saltpoint]

28. I bet the corporations whose legal team got their butts kicked by Edwards

don't think he's the least bit fake.

Neither do I.

He's a top contender for the top job in 08.

And as real as they come.

[KoKo]

33. I think his wife is "The REAL DEAL."

I've not had any positive experiences with him...personally. But, he does seem to talk a good "populist line" when he's up to it.

[FrenchieCat]

34. Well, I know that he really did co-sponsor the IWR that

Lierberman sponsored that became the Blank Check given to Bush to go to war in Iraq.

I didn't like his stance on the war then, and I don't like the way he apologized 3 years later after the polls turned blaming it on being misled. Too many others were not "misled".

For me, it ain't about "good intentions gone bad" from a nice guy.....
for me, it's about admiring politicians who have exhibited the right judgments when it counted (in particular in the areas of war and peace), and not way after the fact.

Edwards, no matter how "nice", sincere and cute, ain't getting rewarded for being so wrong about Iraq for so long till we've had to shell out 1/2 a trillion on this war. 1/2 trillion that could have been used to pay for the social programs that are being cut left and right as we speak.

No wonder he opened up a poverty center. His actions were part of what has created more poor folks in this country.

He's doesn't have the judgment to be President, and he has shown it...

Other than that, he's OK by me.

[PeaceProgProsp]

37. He actually voted against shelling out money for the war

during the presidential campaign (and I think Kerry made that vote to, but Lieberman didn't, and Dean said he would have voted for the allocation -- don't remember Clark's position).

[PeaceProgProsp]

48. Here's a relevant article on this issue:

Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman and Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri voted for the original war resolution; of those, only Gephardt and Lieberman voted to continue the financing. Clark also said he opposed the war, but said he probably would have voted in favor of the resolution if he had been in Congress.

and, regarding Clark's hypothetical vote on the allocation:

Looking at Clark, {Lieberman} said: "I heard him tonight. He took six different positions on whether going to war was a good idea. It took him four days to decide whether voting for the $87 billion was a good idea."

Clark, who had initially declined to say how he would vote on the allocation, saying that he was not running for Congress, said Sunday that he would have voted against it.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/10/27/MNG6A2K0871.DTL&type=printable

[KoKo]

35. I think his wife is "The REAL DEAL."

I've not had any positive experiences with him...personally, Campaign Issues. But, he does seem to talk a good "populist line" when he's up to it.

[KoKo]

36. Check his voting record and his "absent record." A one term Senator

who spent his time as a Senator picking and choosing votes while runnin for 2004.

He talks a very good "Populist Line of Talk." Maybe he really believes it...but his WIFE is more REAL than he is.

Not saying he shouldn't run. He does point out holes in the "safety net" that need to be plugged and on that I commend him.

I hope he runs...but he wouldn't be my "First Choice" if he does.

But, he does sound good when the tries to express what Democrats "Used to be FOR." Just check his voting record and "absent votes" though before you feel he's our Next Best Hope to replace the Chimp. I think he would be an asset to a Dem Administration but there's just that conniving side to him that I've found worrysome. Might be just his nature as a "Leader" that I find suspicious...but then I watched him as My Own Senator for his "one term" and he left us with a Right Wing Monster who is anoher Jesse Helms Clone when he allowed DLC'er/Clintonite Erskine Bowles to steal Edwards Senate Seat so he could run and LOSE AGAIN!!!

I hope Edwards has learned...but he's been compliant with the DLC Game for so long...it's hard to know what's real or not about him.

His Wife should run....I think she knows what the "real deal" is. ..But maybe it's just hype with her, too.

[PeaceProgProsp]

38. I distinctly remember him having the best voting record of all

the candidates running except, maybe, Kucinich -- but they both around 85%. Gephardt might have been the one with the worst -- but I'm not sure about that.

But if you have links, provide them...

[KoKo]

40. Gephardt had the best record of all the candidates for Labor....you

check out the rest. I told you...I hope he runs and I don't want to turn off DU'ers who recognize that he's latched onto a "Populist" thing when he speaks.

I just know some of our NC'linians (who aren't DLC'ers) experience with him as our "one term Senator" who left his seat to a RW/Religious Nut who also was put in place by the Dentists and Doctors who are fighting agains patients being able to sue for malpractice. Richard Burr (a Monster) is the darling of the Repug Medico's who think what they do to patients shouldn't come under ANY scrutiny.

John Edwards was our NC Hope for the Senate by Dems fed up with Jesse Helms. Edwards lust for Presidency seemed to get in the way of him saving his Senate Seat giving us NC'linians only Liddy Dole and Richard (RW) Burr.

No one to send letters to when both your Senators are RW Repug Bush Bots.

But...we have some great Progressive Congressfolks who kind of help and if we can take back the House....we here in NC do have a stake in those who represent us there..even though our Senators are LOST to us..

[PeaceProgProsp]

47. I was talking about "absent" record.

But wasn't Edwards ranked the fourth most liberal senator according to that ranking that put Kerry at No. 1? Although I know how those rankings were misused, it was a ranking system that the National Journal has done every year or six months for over ten years, right? And they are based on 16 or so votes that are fairly indicative of where you stand on the spectrum (business vs worker, free trade, environment, race/gender, etc.), no?

Also, I do remember hearing on the radio the author of What's the Matter with Kansas say that Edwards was so disliked by the National Association of Manufacturers, a major DLC-style (pro free-trade, pro-big business) PAC, that they took the unusual step of warning Kerry that if they put such and anti-big business candidate on the ticket they would actively campaign against him.

Anyway, there's a lot of crazy information out there that can be used for and against a candidate, and maybe I'm only remembering the good stuff, but I definitely remember a lot of good stuff about Edwards from 2004 which I think should make anyone comfortable who cares about what's the matter with US.

[Thirtieschild]

39. The accent bothers me...

Yes, it's a real deal Southern accent, but it isn't a real deal son of a millworker, grandson of a share-cropper accent. Either he never had a son-of-a-millworker accent, or lost it along the way. You can't even hear undertones of it. My son was briefly married to a woman, also from North Carolina, who had worked in cotton mills. I take her accent to be a real deal millworker accent and she sounded nothing like Edwards.

[laureloak]

42. Then stay away from Moore County NC

because we all sound like JRE. He grew up in the little town of Robbins which is in the northern part of the county and the people from there are very, very "country". Pinehurst, a popular tourist and retirement destination, is in the center of the county and it is quite "yankee". So you are right about one thing - Moore County natives don't seem to have as much southern accent as other parts of NC.

I'm as southern as cornbread but I don't have to talk that way unless I want to. It's not that I'm fake, it's that I'm not always in the mood to be made fun of - and that's what people do when they hear a thick southern accent.

BTW, do you really believe that all cotton mill workers sound alike????

[laureloak]

43. Why oh why are you attacking a Dem??

It doesn't make sense why so many Clark supporters spend so much energy trying to tear down John Edwards. Like he's the big enemy or something. Every time I read a thread like this, I'm more turned off to Clark.

[jsamuel]

54. I don't like Clark very much, I like Edwards much better

I was actually just trying to see if I could support Edwards. I wanted to see if anyone else felt the way I did. It turns out, mostly no.

I watched him on c-span last night and he seemed like the real deal.

[philosophie_en_rose]

51. He always seemed real to me.

I don't see the "fakeness" that others attribute to him. He's a genuine person.

My friend described him as the "white-guy, lawyer Oprah," but I just don't see it.