I just came from a John Edwards event in Boston. For $15 dollars a head, prospective voters – and anyone else who might be interested – could hear the senator speak in a relatively intimate (100-150 people) setting.
My first impression was that I was quite surprised by the security, or rather, by the lack thereof. There was no Secret Service, as far as I could see, and no one was searched. Any homicidal lunatic could have carried a gun into the place and gotten a shot off at Senator Edwards. And given the close proximity, it would have been hard to miss. I realize it's early in the campaign, and therefore maybe too soon for a Secret Service detail to have been assigned, but I would have expected the campaign to provide some kind of security. Frankly, it was a little scary just how exposed Edwards was. It's a shame to have to think that way, but unfortunately the world can sometimes be dangerous, especially for people in the public eye.
The next thing I noticed was the variety of people there. From old hippies to business people in suits. Some people brought their children, spit-shined and freshly combed. I got the opportunity to speak to several people. Some were longtime Edwards supporters. But there were a fair number who were there because they felt like he had the best chance to win. I heard a lot of talk about what an uphill struggle Hillary Clinton would have. I also heard one person say that, on issues, he lined up most closely with Kucinich, but he wanted someone who actually had a chance. All in all, it was an interesting mix.
Senator Edwards himself came out and spoke for about 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately (for anyone familiar with Massachusetts politics) he was introduced by our former attorney general and failed gubernatorial candidate, Scott Harshbarger, a Boston machine pol who possesses, at least in my opinion, all the appeal of a bucket of hair. However, once Harshbarger had ceded the microphone, everything changed.
We've all heard that Edwards is charismatic, but I don't think you really understand it until you're there with him in person. It's been said that great politicians possess a certain indefinable something, a presence, a magnetism that draws people to them. Well, that's undoubtedly true of John Edwards. Say what you will about his positions and his policies, the man is one hell of a politician. From the moment he enters the room he is the focus of attention. You just want to be near him, to talk to him. I'm not ashamed to say that after tonight I think I have a little man-crush on John Edwards.
His remarks were essentially his standard stump speech. He talked about his "Two Americas," ending the war in Iraq, providing health care for all, etc. But that's okay. That's what politicians do – they deliver their stump speech. As such speeches go, it's a pretty good one. And, as much as it's possible to do so with any politician, I believe him. I believe John Edwards when he says that he genuinely wants to make life better for poor, working class, and middle class Americans. I believe him when he says that he wants to create a country where anyone can "go from nothing, to getting a $400 hair cut." Yeah, he said that. The crowd loved it.
There's a lot of campaign left in front of us. A lot could happen. There's going to be peaks and valleys for every candidate. But I can't help but thinking that tonight I might have been in the presence of the next President of the United States.