Only John Edwards Can Beat McCain
I'll be 60 eight days before the election in November. This is a bad thing and a good thing. The bad thing is it ain't going to be a real long time before I'm dead. The good thing is I've traveled a few miles and have picked up something along the way, and that something is called "institutional memory".
As I watched news coverage of Monday night's debate, the ever-escalating "I know you are, but what am I?" fight between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton suddenly struck a memory from 28 years back. The feud between Teddy Kennedy and Jimmy Carter rushed into my mind like a horrible memory of an old girlfriend. My recollection of their self-destructive hostilities reminded me how their battles went a long ways toward giving this nation Ronald Reagan.
It was 1980, and the Democratic Party had two supposedly strong national candidates--one an incumbent president, the other a scion of America's national family. They were going up against a Republican Party that was searching for an identity and would go deep on the bench to nominate the host of "Death Valley Days".
I remember this as an election we shouldn't have lost. But as we have done so many times in the past, we Democrats figured out a way to step on our Johnson.
In that 1980 nominating battle, our two candidates went after each other like Sherman went after Georgia. The result? Unbelievably, half of Washington is now named after Ronald Reagan--though I'll still say I'm flying into National Airport until the day the Good Lord or the Devil calls me home.
Surely, I'm not the only one who can see this six-foot rabbit named Harvey. John McCain is going to be the Republican nominee. How do I know? Because "institutional memory" also reminds me that the Democratic Party I love can't count. And regardless of what you think of the Republicans, they can.
It should be clear to anybody with over a 50 IQ that my boy John Edwards, with his combination of red state electoral experience and toughness, is the only candidate who can beat John McCain. Whether you believe polls or not, polls from CNN to Rasmussen say just that.
And it should be equally as clear to anybody with over a 25 IQ that Obama and Clinton are going to render each other totally unelectable against any Republican, especially John McCain, by the time we get to the convention.
All the Republicans have to be loving this. Because the Democrat they don't want to face, John Edwards, is getting sandwiched between the coverage of this murderous cat fight between two so-called "historical" candidates who, when all is said and done, will be just that. HISTORY.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Billy Carter would beat McCain if his name was on the dem side of the ballot.
The republican side and all they've done in the past 13 years in congress and the white house will not be soon forgiven.
Most voters have an IQ over 50.
The ones that don't will vote for McCain.
John Edwards will not win the nomination anyway, moot point.
I wish Dean was running again.
Don't be coy: He's being IGNORED by the mass media. The corporate/repug controlled media is railroadig us into either Hillary or Obama. Its a scam and its unfair.
I have to grudgingly disagree, Mr Saunders.
I say "grudgingly," because edwards is my first choice as a candidate. However, not being a Republican, I have not sacrificed Truth to Ideology.
I believe any of the top three Democrats can beat McCain.
McCain is the darling *of the Press* and as such, gets positioned as "the guy to beat" at every opportunity. And the GOP "moderates" love him.
He isn't.
People forget: He does NOT have the GOP base behind him. The so-called Social Conservatives detest him and I don't believe that even a "Hillary candidacy" could get them to overcome that loathing. (That's what you get for smearing him as "Not Us" in 2004, GOPpers!)
It doesn't matter how low any candidate's negatives are now. The GOP Smear Machine will get the Dem candidate thoroughly soiled before this is all over. Ironically, Hillary is the most immune to this -- having already been through the process. Little additional mud can be applied successfully.
Anyway, vote for Edwards (or any other Dem candidate) based on their platforms -- not on any perceived or feared electability. Me? I hope Edwards can pull it out. But if Hillary or Barak get the Dem nomination, I will enthusiastically vote for them.
Everyone talks about Clinton's and Obama's "experience" but you never hear about Edwards' experience. Can anyone tell me what this guy has done? I follow politics pretty closely and as far as I can tell, Edwards was a wealthy trial attorney for most of his life, served maybe two years in Congress, lost the Vice Presidential election (an election we should easily have won) and has spent the last 7 years running for President. (I don't think having a father who worked in a Mill all his life counts as experience) How is this guy going to beat anybody? (In fact, he has yet to show that he can beat Hillary or Obama in even one state).
Stupid is as Stupid does! If the electorate wants a symbol there's: Enron, Larry Craig,Dead-Eye Dick, Ann Coulter, Karl Rove, greed, corruption, etc., etc. If you want a president....there's John Edwards and me....and I know you don't want me. I have no tolerance, nor would I show any mercy to peckerheads of any stripe!
Is this a joke? Edwards has been attacked already by his own party, Kerry's former campaign manger has said that Kerry thought he was sleazy, he was an ambulance chaser who made multiple millions of dollars and now tries to talk as though he is "One of the downtrodden" If there are any polls that show this guy doing well in a national election it's only because he hasn't been under the microscope like the other candidates.
Gee, I thought my IQ was higher than 50, but I guess not.
Here's how to beat McCain. First, point out that he is old, old, old. Secondly, paint him as nothing more than a "Bush third term" based on his policy statements, particularly about the war in Iraq. Third, run a gazillion ads showing the photo of him hugging Bush. Fourth, point out that our current economic problems (which will still exist) come directly out of two terms of Republican policies (Do we need or want more of this?). Fifth, instead of a totally useless VP candidate that brings nothing to the ticket (like your boy John Edwards in 2004), put someone in who takes national security off the table as an issue. Someone like, oh, say, Wesley Clark.
McCain is eminently beatable.
As a foreigner taking a keen interest in this race, I have to agree with the logic of this article. In many respects, McCain has better credentials as an agent of " change " than does Mrs. Clinton. He has, after all, been proposing campaign finance reform for eons. He will also be able to play the " experience " card over Obama, though the polls seem to indicate that unlike Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama would at least have a shot against Mr. McCain. Absent a John Edwards candidacy (which looks extremely unlikely given the media's focus to date), one wonders what the reaction of the U.S. electorate would be to an Obama/Edwards ticket ? Believe me, the last think we Canadians want to see is another Republican adminiatration to the south, but from up here, the Dems are looking awfully naive in towing an establishment line and propelling Mrs. Clinton forward at any cost. She's a smart and worthy politician but the evidence and history suggest that she could not succeed against a Republican machine backed McCain campaign. Will the Dems find a way to lose yet another presidential election ?
Edwards is the only one of the three who is not a corporate whore, taking money from the corporations of those industries who have bought the presidency, the congress, and now the courts. Look at the last decision of the Supremes. A slap in the face of the Enron employees who lost their lives' savings.
Edwards knows this, and says he'll take 'em on. That's why he gets so little press. The corporate pimps are influencing TV and print media to ignore him. They're worried as hell that Edwards will get the nod.
Edwards may not be the only one who can beat McCain, but he's the only one who will address our major problem, the corruption of corporate control.
General Electric has more power that any twenty members of congress.
Hilarious post! I enjoyed it immensely. I can't believe all the people that thought it was real.
You are so correct I want to scream. (no,, I don't really do that)
Why can some see everything so clearly and most are blind to the obvious?
The obvious, especially after the 2004 election scenario, is that the Republicans run the Democratic party. How else can you explain Kerry beating Edwards for the nomination and then throwing the election just as he was winning?
And we won't even get into the 2000 race, it's just too laughable. (well, maybe if it didn't cost thousands of lives it would be laughable)
Now, in 2008, we have the same disaster scenario. Only difference is there are 2 runners distracting from Edward's presence. A double team tactic right out of the wonderful world of pro wrestling. All that's missing are the capes and tights.
When will it become obvious to this nation that the corporate world has a stranglehold on our electoral proccess, among everything else?
Are we doomed?
We are if we don't start ignoring puppets like Clinton and Obama and put Edwards out front where he belongs.
Have we really gotten so dumb that Edwards has a chance? In a country with an iota of a brain National Socialist Workers' Party of Edwards supporters would not have had a chance because people would insist on learning from history. Are we really insisting on the opposite? He would drive everyone into a poor house. How are we even considering him?
McCain has a very shaddy History, having known him for many years both in and out of Gov't service. The questions he needs to answer are.
1. His involvement with the FBI in the Peort 92 Dirty Tricks
2. His involvement in the Arizona BFA Scandal with our Church North Phoenix Baptist Church and the missing $$
3. His concealment of the Narcotics he got for Cindy from Dr's
4. His meetings with DOD staff to conceal the POW files in his committe.
Mudcat, Mudcat, Mudcat... Your fine memory must recall the many innacuracies offered by the polls. The most recent being the NH Obama/Clinton blunder. Surely you can envision Obama's youth, vigor and message easily competing with and defeating McCain. Obama's inclusiveness will repair our dismal status in the world, end our preemptive 'war' of disgrace in the middle east, reverse the attack on our liberties and unite and uplift people here and around the world. He has continually demonstrated the ability to reverse polls and those polls you cite will also be reversed.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
