In 2004, John Edwards was perceived as a centrist Southern Democratic. He had voted to authorize war against Iraq and many saw him as representative of backward DLC Democrats. When Howard Dean announced he was from the "Democratic wing of the Democratic Party," many assumed that put him on the other side of the ideological spectrum from his rival John Edwards. In fact, when Edwards appeared at the California Democratic Party Convention, liberal activists booed him when he defended his vote on Iraq.
But Edwards was never really a centrist, especially considering he was a Senator from North Carolina. He was always more of a populist, a former trial lawyer, who represented the little guy against big corporations. In America, however, perceptions of candidates tend to be based more on style than substance. Edwards was Southern, from a rural, small town, and still married to his college sweetheart. As Thomas Frank talks about in "What’s the Matter With Kansas," it’s really not about policy, it’s about "authenticity." Edwards’ progressive voting record notwithstanding, he was authentically not an East Coast Liberal which made many assume he was a conservative Democrat.
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