Still Riding the Edwards Train

Yup, after his expected third-place showing in New Hampshire (not a state that would be inclined to favor his big-government populist message), I'm still on board. Daily Kos poster Felagund makes the case better than I have the desire to do in an insomniac state at 3:15 AM:

I can see that [Obama]'s charismatic, and maybe if I were in my early 20s that might be enough. But I'm forty, and extremely bitter and cynical about what's happened in American politics since the Clinton healthcare débacle, and at this point, I find his obvious charisma and rhetorical talents more of a turnoff than anything. I think he's an excellent salesperson, but I learned a long time ago that it's more important to check out the actual product.

And I don't see much of an actual product there. Sure, he had a good record as a state senator, and that's all great and everything, but I haven't seen him take any kind of a risk to stand up for anything progressive since he became a US senator. Other than coming out against the war long before it was fashionable, for which he deserves kudos, it's been careful, cautious centrism the whole way. I might be inclined to think there was a there there if the guy had stood up and opposed the Supreme Court nominations, or torture, or wiretapping... or anything. But it's just bland words about hope and unity.

And that's what turns me off the most about the guy. I don't want reconciliation, unity and bipartisanship. I want the next President to investigate, indict, prosecute and convict the living shit out of the thieves and murderers that have despoiled our beautiful country over the last seven years and well before. I want a President who's going to put on some boots and stomp on the throats of the Republicans, tear away the media lies and the layers of obfuscation and show everyone in America just what was done in our name. I don't want warm and fuzzy: I want thunder and lightning. I want a perp walk every night on the news.

I think Obama's just too cozy with his corporate donors to be willing to do that. If he really had that kind of fire in him, he'd have been doing it for years now. He'd have made his claim to the Presidency on the basis of real change, not just the rhetoric of change. I think Obama wants to be liked too much to take risks to do good.

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Having Edwards in the race until the end not only enables us all to vote for someone who actually has battled with, and defeated, the corporate monsters that control us, but moves the race in a more progressive direction...



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I don't dislike Obama as much as Felagund does, I just feel that Edwards has done something extremely important in coming out against corporate American on behalf of the middle and working classes, and not only is that maybe the most important thing a candidate can do in my eyes (and not something I've really seen wholeheartedly done before on a national level), but it also takes massive cojones. Bigger than Obama's. And hell, it's not like Edwards isn't a great speaker in his own right -- I find it impressive how on top of his game he is at all times (like tonight after losing in NH), and his speaking is a lot less abstract to me than Obama's (who admittedly made a great speech tonight in NH himself).

So, yes, until further notice, Edwards is my man in this race, as long as he's in it. But I'll happily pull the lever for either Obama or Hillary in the general if it comes to that. It's a good year to be a Democrat, and I'm happy that I don't have to support one of these clowns.

Labels: 2008 Election, 2008 Primaries, Barack Obama, Democratic Party, John Edwards, Republican Party

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