Edwards
What to say?!! I guess the best way to sum my feelings up is this. During the primaries, early on, when Dean was the frontrunner and Joe Lieberman and the Republicans (is that a redundancy?) were coming down hard on Dean for his anti-war stance, I kept on thinking that Dean's strength and the democrats concerned about him were an illustration of what's great about the Democratic party - we have the anti-war and the pro-war all here, we debate and we fight, but we have people from all sides of the issues. My only concern, I wasn't sure there was a candidate who could bring all those different opinions together. Then I watched John Edwards, and while we didn't have the courage (foolish or not) to nominate the candidate that inspires us and brings us all together, we've got the second best thing. The nominee decided to nominate that candidate.
What do you say about the reach of a guy that starts of as one of the neoliberal Democratic Leadership Council's darlings and ends up cutting deals with Dennis Kucinich by the Iowa caucus - all while staying more committed to his original positions than any other candidate. I call it breathtaking, and I'm glad that Kerry decided riding a Harley is for candy-asses; real men choose more sexy men for their VP runningmates.
The media establishment's belief that no non-ivy-leaguer could possibly have intelligence AND character aside, Edwards is both mentally able and possessed of a rigid conscience. He's proven himself on the issues, and in the debates. And his defending his decision on the Iraq war (which I disagreed with but respect) while continuing to assess the results realistically indicate he takes his word more seriously than most of the Senate, and, frankly, than Kerry. And Edwards' hope and optimism is not just schtick either. He's had that hope and optimism since he entered politics. It was about 6 1/2 years ago that a no-name political novice told his supporters the "train is leaving the station." He never once stopped smiling and enjoying himself during the campaign, then, and his enthusiasm is not something chosen and learned - otherwise it would easily be simulated by others. And I also think that Edwards life has been tested in a way that makes comparison's to the "Breck Girl" unseemly and insulting. This man lost his son, his best friend when the child was only 16. His life was changed forever. And while it may not have been the impetus for his political aspirations, it certainly is what put him on the train. I see it guiding him now on the campaign trail.
This is a man for whom life has been a happy challenge, followed by a tragic moment, who has turned that moment into yet another happy challenge, this one guided by faith and a sense of duty. I'm a romantic when it comes to politics, a lover of the Wellstones, the Sanfords, the Bobby Kennedys of the world. But to me, one of the most redeeming features of being in this country is believing that Edwards' combination of optimism and challenge and the progress that is forged, both personally and societally from it, is what makes America great.
His policy positions reflect someone willing to not just learn the issues, but also put forward actual realistic and often unconventional ideas. His health care plan represent an understanding that fixing health care means addressing the problems of insurance-abuse, bad-medicine, and frivolous lawsuits with the patient, and most importantly, the uninsured in mind first. While the GOP hopes to take advantage of stereotypes of trial lawyers, Edwards is worried about the problems of real people, patients in rural areas and the doctors who serve them.
One of the most interesting proposals Edwards has made, narrowing the anti-trust exemptions that esssentially allows Medical Malpractice insurers to collude on premium rates. This is a big idea. Why aren't we talking about it? So is his idea to make lawyers bring MedMal cases swear that they have an expert willing to testify that real malpractice occured. But alas, "he's just a trial lawyer" is all CNN and the other lemmings can muster.
I say let them, because the more the GOP and the media come at Edwards with the lawyer=evil argument the more we're going to see the stories of who he represented. There's a lot of things wrong with MedMal cases, and the system is broke, there's no doubt. But in a political fight, I don't think this will be close. Because whatever you think about lawyers in general, John Edwards is probably the best poster boy we lawyers could have.
Which brings me to my final observation about Edwards. I know him. Not personally, but I know him from the perspective of someone that worked to defeat him in the 1998 Democratic primary for the NC Senate seat. And I know this, that there is hardly a person who has anything bad to say about John Edwards the man and the lawyer - basically the consensus was that he was simply ethical, brilliant and hard-working.
I fought like hell to see DG Martin beat him, like so many involved in politics, I left a chunk of my soul in that campaign. I believed I was right then to do so, and because DG would have made a great Senator, I'm proud of the work I did. In short, I've got plenty of reasons to oppose John Edwards. But today, having seen Edwards, and knowing what makes the Democratic party great, I can't think of a better person to be our President than John Edwards. And though I know a great many other consideratons must have come into play, I'm glad John Kerry seems to think so, too.
What do you say about the reach of a guy that starts of as one of the neoliberal Democratic Leadership Council's darlings and ends up cutting deals with Dennis Kucinich by the Iowa caucus - all while staying more committed to his original positions than any other candidate. I call it breathtaking, and I'm glad that Kerry decided riding a Harley is for candy-asses; real men choose more sexy men for their VP runningmates.
The media establishment's belief that no non-ivy-leaguer could possibly have intelligence AND character aside, Edwards is both mentally able and possessed of a rigid conscience. He's proven himself on the issues, and in the debates. And his defending his decision on the Iraq war (which I disagreed with but respect) while continuing to assess the results realistically indicate he takes his word more seriously than most of the Senate, and, frankly, than Kerry. And Edwards' hope and optimism is not just schtick either. He's had that hope and optimism since he entered politics. It was about 6 1/2 years ago that a no-name political novice told his supporters the "train is leaving the station." He never once stopped smiling and enjoying himself during the campaign, then, and his enthusiasm is not something chosen and learned - otherwise it would easily be simulated by others. And I also think that Edwards life has been tested in a way that makes comparison's to the "Breck Girl" unseemly and insulting. This man lost his son, his best friend when the child was only 16. His life was changed forever. And while it may not have been the impetus for his political aspirations, it certainly is what put him on the train. I see it guiding him now on the campaign trail.
This is a man for whom life has been a happy challenge, followed by a tragic moment, who has turned that moment into yet another happy challenge, this one guided by faith and a sense of duty. I'm a romantic when it comes to politics, a lover of the Wellstones, the Sanfords, the Bobby Kennedys of the world. But to me, one of the most redeeming features of being in this country is believing that Edwards' combination of optimism and challenge and the progress that is forged, both personally and societally from it, is what makes America great.
His policy positions reflect someone willing to not just learn the issues, but also put forward actual realistic and often unconventional ideas. His health care plan represent an understanding that fixing health care means addressing the problems of insurance-abuse, bad-medicine, and frivolous lawsuits with the patient, and most importantly, the uninsured in mind first. While the GOP hopes to take advantage of stereotypes of trial lawyers, Edwards is worried about the problems of real people, patients in rural areas and the doctors who serve them.
One of the most interesting proposals Edwards has made, narrowing the anti-trust exemptions that esssentially allows Medical Malpractice insurers to collude on premium rates. This is a big idea. Why aren't we talking about it? So is his idea to make lawyers bring MedMal cases swear that they have an expert willing to testify that real malpractice occured. But alas, "he's just a trial lawyer" is all CNN and the other lemmings can muster.
I say let them, because the more the GOP and the media come at Edwards with the lawyer=evil argument the more we're going to see the stories of who he represented. There's a lot of things wrong with MedMal cases, and the system is broke, there's no doubt. But in a political fight, I don't think this will be close. Because whatever you think about lawyers in general, John Edwards is probably the best poster boy we lawyers could have.
Which brings me to my final observation about Edwards. I know him. Not personally, but I know him from the perspective of someone that worked to defeat him in the 1998 Democratic primary for the NC Senate seat. And I know this, that there is hardly a person who has anything bad to say about John Edwards the man and the lawyer - basically the consensus was that he was simply ethical, brilliant and hard-working.
I fought like hell to see DG Martin beat him, like so many involved in politics, I left a chunk of my soul in that campaign. I believed I was right then to do so, and because DG would have made a great Senator, I'm proud of the work I did. In short, I've got plenty of reasons to oppose John Edwards. But today, having seen Edwards, and knowing what makes the Democratic party great, I can't think of a better person to be our President than John Edwards. And though I know a great many other consideratons must have come into play, I'm glad John Kerry seems to think so, too.
posted by SebbyMan at 8:52 PM
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