It Seems I Should Be For John Edwards -- So Why Am I For Obama?

I'm what they call a "left conservative." That means someone who remembers when progressives were united around a vision of global economic justice, someone who cautioned against the displacement of that vision during the rise of an otherwise completely righteous identity politics in the '70s.

In a nutshell, it means someone who realizes that, while it is a sign of progress when Richard Parsons and Carly Fiorina can become CEOs of major corporations--it is not fundamental progress, it does not change the nature of institutions.

Apart from good ole' Dennis, hapless as he is, John Edwards is the candidate who comes closest to reviving that old vision. And yet, somehow, I just can't be for the guy. I'm a bit embarrassed about my reasons, they are so superficial--his naked ambition, his smoothness and, yes, his hair: it adds up to a package I just don't trust. His commitment is palpable, but it feels like a lawyer's commitment, a professional commitment, a determination to win whatever case he has.

But with Obama? Well, it is passing strange. With the exception of Iraq, his positions are as centrist and vague as his rhetoric. His ties to big money are established. But he's got something else--no, he is something else.

Bill Clinton said it best, actually--while he was slicing and dicing Barack on the Charlie Rose show. Just a Symbol of Change, he opined, not an Agent of Change. Like Hillary (say what?).

As an old-fashioned leftie I should be skeptical of a mere symbol, shouldn't I? Well, it depends. Obama is a very special symbol. He transcends the culture wars and identity politics simply in virtue of who he is. Andrew Sullivan gets it right in a recent piece called--Goodbye To All That. Exactly. Enough with us boomers and our ancient grievances.

Sullivan also emphasizes the impact of an Obama presidency on a world that now fears and despises us. Just the fact of it. Just the face. Just the name. At a stroke, America secures a new beginning--in its own eyes as well. Nothing else could do it so decisively. So what if he's inexperienced? He's smart. He's a quick study. He'll listen to Dick Holbrooke and Joe Biden and he'll make those sensible, centrist decisions. He's no radical, he's shown that, Lord knows--he'll be as deliberate and pragmatic in office as he's been in the campaign.

It's not the policy, stupid, it's the symbolism. Obama actually embodies what he represents. That means he doesn't just represent change. He is change.

Comments

[Desiderata]

If the commenters are representative of sober thinking throughout this nation, then I would have to conclude the electorate has managed to narrow the issues with the precision of a lazer.

They realize that saving the middle class (required to save the Republic) will require more than a Doctor Phil (Obama), absolutely not a Margaret Thatcher (Clinton) nor mere foreign policy wonks (Biden & Richardson).

Overwhelmingly the comments embrace Edwards__and for the fact that he actually has been fighting the corporate mob most of his adult life.

We have become a very nervous people. The times are as though a man stands in the shadows of our living rooms with just enough light to shine off the tip of the gun aimed right at our hearts.

We can no longer afford the luxury of those who would negotiate with those that are the truest threat to our security. We need a leader who will help us strike back, take the gun away, and wrestle these thugs to the floor.
And lock them away for a very long time.

Edwards. Yeah. He beat them in the courthouse. He'll kick their asses from the White House.

I'm onboard. Iowa, please vote for Edwards so I'll be able to vote for him, too.

[nolalily]

there's alot to address here but the first one is:

What big money? Show me the big money.

[Danny]

Get a grip -- Edwards is the one, this time.

[CGrace]

When I look at Senator Obama, I do not see a black man. I am a middle age white woman who will vote for Senator Obama and will not vote for Hillary. Race has nothing to do with this election. It's the best person to lead this country and to have the world look at us with respect again and that is Senator Obama.

[TomasDolor]

Edward's is a really good lawyer, don't know if he'll be able to clean up any of the incredible mess left by the RepubliCons, I don't see Hillary even trying, I don't see Obama knowing how to.
My money has been on John Edwards since day one.

[GuiltyByStander]

That should have read:

I'm choosing Senator Biden because he has said what he will change and his history shows that he does what he says he'll do.

[GuiltyByStander]

Wow. Mr. de Zengotita you're so tired of all the hard work in politics you're going for a symbol? I can't imagine how you'll feel in March 2009 when we've become accustomed to the symbol and it starts to take on its new meanings.

There's no contradiction between experience and change. I'm choosing Senator Biden becauchange and his history shows that he does what he says he'll do. Unfortunately, he's not black, he's not a woman, and no he's not inexperienced -- but I can live with that because he knows what to do and how to do it.

[pmorlan]

I'm a lefty too but you can keep your symbolism my friend. I'll take the man that will actually keep his promise for change -- John Edwards. A man that has been running an uphill battle since he started this campaign.

And as this campaign has wound down your symbol has copied my candidate's stump speech in the hopes of getting more votes (pandering). He has also gone negative in the final weeks of the campaign attacking both Edwards & Clinton. So much for the symbolism of the poltics of hope and changing the tone in Washington. He didn't even get elected before he sold out his message. No, I want no empty symbols as our nominee - give me a man that is willing to outwork everyone in this race to fight for ideas he believes in.

[Noelle]

I get what your saying about Edwards, I feel it too. It's about trust.

When Edwards was in the Senate and in a position to lead and stand up for the people he did not. In 2000 he jumped ship on the democrats to join the republicans in supporting the Bankruptcy Overhaul Bill. The bill was eventually vetoed by Clinton because it was "too hard on debtors".

In 2001 he did it again, voting with nearly the entire republican caucus in a similar bankruptcy bill and went against his fellow democrats in voting to end debate on the bill.

He was a major thorn in Paul Wellstone's side, voting against all the amendments to the bills written by Wellstone. One of Wellstone's amendments was an exemption for people forced into bankruptcy by medical conditions and unforeseen medical bills. Dodd, Feingold, Kerry, Kennedy and Durbin all supported it...John Edwards fought against it and eventually voted against it.

Edwards has called for the re-instatement of voting rights for ex-convicts and to expand the voting rights act but when a bill that did just that, sponsored by Harry Reid and Russ Feingold, was introduced, Edwards voted against it.

Edwards co-sponsored the Iraq Res. and claimed he read the NIE only to later say that he actually didn't read it. There are so many examples of this from the Patriot Act to trade agreements where Edwards was on the wrong side.

I really love Edwards populist message but it just doesn't match his voting record. He says there are two Americas. Well there are also two John Edwards. How do we really know which one we are going to get?

I would welcome Edwards with open arms before I would vote for Clinton but I think the best ticket is Obama/Edwards. Senator Obama is a good man with a brilliant mind. I believe an Obama/Edwards ticket would energize the democratic party and ensure a high turnout for local and state candidates all while giving John Edwards time to prove that he has really changed.

[StephenDedalus82]

He is change? Why, because he says so? Why is he a symbol? Because he's multiracial? From my view he's a nakedly ambitious politician taking his cues from the media. He's a media creation and his supporters are buying into it. He'll get butchered in a general election, that much I am certain of. If he wins the nomination I'll work my hardest to see him elected, but I wish his supporters would start talking about reality a little more because this fluffy symbol crap is getting a bit obnoxious.

[Kreskytim]

Wow, have we all lost our collective minds? Why don't we just use a dart board to pick a President. Sure let's use Andrew Sullivans opinion, sure why not. How about Pat Buchanan or Chris Mathews will you're at it. They all love Obama... and they all voted for Bush. And they aren't going to vote for Obama in November. Not after the Republican mean machine turns him into a inexperienced half-frican Muslim upstart. As other's have posted, if Kerry and Gore were left unrecognizable than good luck to Obama.
George Bush was the feel good candidate in 2000. You'd want to have a beer with him, remember? He was a uniter not a divider!, remember? He went with his gut too, remember?
It's time to wake the F up. We need experience and a hardened fighter that can take all the shit that is going to come. Not fantasy kumbiyah candidates. Lokk at what we will be facing in the months ahead. It will not look anything like the primaries. It's all about wining because if you don't win you will have a REAL Republican in the White House. That means more wars and a ultra-conservative supreme court. And that's just the appetizer

[RepublicanBrain]

Yes, of course, because who a person is matters more then what they will do. Forget the lack of experience, ties to corporations and money people criticize Bush for. He's different, he's a different race. That's important.

If you want a symbol, look for something real. Look for someone who had nothing and worked his way to everything. Look for a man who didn't have any connections, look for a woman who didn't play the gender card to get ahead. There's a symbol, there's something special.

While you're looking for symbols, I'll be busy working to fix this country. I can see I can't count on your help.

[OkieMon]

I don't know either as most obama supporters are basically Hillary Haters and will not vote for her even if she is the nominee which is a suicidal attitude for the democratic party.

[trumpcoward]

Symbols are not real.

[trumpcoward]

At the beginning of the campaign David Axelrod, Obama's campaign guru, said that they were going to run on the image of Obama as a person rather than on his politics. You see, they thought they could tantalize enough people to an image through simple brand marketing--which, in this case, is the idea of a post-partisan, post-racism candidate who can put an end to our woes. It is a nice story, and it is meant to appeal to you, however, are problems as a nation cannot be solved so simply. We need more than to just end partisanship--as if Obama is somehow capable of that--we need to change the direction of the country. Just playing nice is not enough, and unfortunately, this marketing story is a gimmick. It will take much more than liberals feeling good about voting for Obama; we need real change, not just an image.

Its just sad that so many people are suckers for a good marketing campaign.