I work in New York City, and my company is an integral part of the Broadway theatre community. As you would expect, the employees are all liberals. Not because we have any kind of Monica Goodling political litmus test for hiring employees. It's just the nature of the beast. The pool of candidates is self-selecting. Republicans in the Broadway theatre community are as scarce as WMDs in Iraq.
But being a liberal and being an informed liberal are not the same thing. Of the 45 or so people working in my office, I know of only one who gets any of their political news from the tubes. The rest get their news from the MSM.
So it came as no surprise to me whenever discussion of the primaries popped up that my co-workers could only talk about Hillary and Obama because that's the narrative they have been fed. As an Edwards supporter, I was a stranger in a strange land. Nothing I said could convince any of them to even consider Edwards. I was either met with cool disinterest, or all but laughed at. Edwards? Surely you jest. It will be Hillary or Obama.
This week, I found the key and have gained five new Edwards supporters.
And it wasn't Iraq.
It was healthcare. That was the key.
First I engaged them on the issue. Everyone I spoke to agreed our healthcare system is F*U*B*A*R.
Then I asked them what their candidate planned to do about it.
They were stumped. So I asked them if they would like me to send them info on the candidates plans. They said yes, they would like to know.
So first I sent them the link to the healthcare issue page on Hillary's website. They were stunned that there was no plan there at all. And when I told them that Hillary had said that she "Planned to have healthcare for all Americans by the end of my second term" they were outraged. Second term? She hasn't won her first term and is planning on pushing healthcare off until her second term? Uhm, no thanks.
So then I pointed them towards Obama's website. Well, now this was a different story. They all really liked what he had to say. And I listened to them gush about his various ideas.
Then I asked them what his actual plan was.
Stumped again.
Finally, I sent them the link to Edwards' healthcare plan, and directed them to read the PDF. Sorry, I can't figure out how to link that.
And that was all it took. The contrast between platitudes and an actual plan was so stark that all five have jumped on the Edwards train, and are now asking me to send them more info on Edwards, which I'm happy to oblige. Five down, forty to go.
I'm passing this on to Edwards supporters that are having a difficult time finding a way to get people to consider their candidate.
Updated to add this powerful video clip.