I met with Edwards yesterday w/pic
Sat Jun 23, 2007 at 05:42:53 AM PDT
Yeah, was was impressed too, i had went a "small Change for Big Change" event in NYC, billed as "meeting for a hour with John" which I was thinkin’ that it would be an exchange of ideas via questions and answers. Whatta I know, I didn’t read the fine print, and fellow kossasks were coming so it would be a meet up too. Like the poster yesterday who got a txt message saying "john wants 2 talk 2 U" and was somewhat disappointed when they got a voice message from Edwards asking for money, I didn't get to chat with Edwards, go figure, i got a stump speech, (more on that below) but, hey, if you don't want the corporations to select the president, then the candidates have to raise money somehow.
ok, it was a traditional stump speech with a txt message attached, but it was a cool experience. My first clue that this wasn't gonna be a nice sit down chat about the issues of the day, was the venue, Strata is a big bar, a hip bar, but it’s not the kinda place one sits and chats about politics.
so i find myself standing right next to the stage, like a groupie "Oh John, you’ll sooooooo groovveeey" The crowd grows, the appointed hour comes and goes, no Edwards, lots of talking in the crowd, a guy behind me, wearing a "Impeach Chaney First" pin is talking about Chaney’s lastest hi-jinx, the I’m-not- part- of-the-exec.-Branch- go-bite me-gate, others in his group are surprised to hear this, ok, this is old news, like over the winter news,but hey I’m more informed than the average bear, I read Dkos, (among other websites,and read books, like armed madhouse, it’s a good quick read, I’ll wait, go order a copy),
We discussed our choices for president, my top non-Gore choice is Edwards, I don’t like Clinton (I think its sexist to call her by her first name and the other candidates by their last names as people/media do it all the time, and I don’t care it may be used for clarification between her and her husband, its wrong. I also think the MSM tends to call guiliani, rudy to make that madman more likeable, but that’s another story), i dont like Obama either, because i don't think either can win the general, so how's my man Edwards?
Well, the crowd’s building up, I’m still thinking there would be some interactive q&a. I am so gullible, there’s got to be about 1,000 people in the bar, (I’m just picking an number out of my ass, I haven’t a clue, for some reason that’s 1200 is the number stuck in my head) but hey hope springs eternal, I’ve got my question for him(and no I’m not gonna spill, make up your own questions), Edwards arrives, there’s chapping, cheering, hand shaking, (by this time, we’ve been standing and sitting around for like an hour), he takes the mic, and the stump speech begins. I’m pissed, I wanted grassroots, I wanted interaction, a market place of ideas, or at least a stall.
At least it was a good speech, Here’s a summary of the speech, it, poverty sucks, it’s a shame that in this country there’s uninsured, hungry people, (luke warm applause), we need living wages jobs, protections, strong unions (big applause), we need to regain our leadership role in world politics, I would close Gitmo (bigger applause) get out of Iraq (big, "amen brother"-type applause) moral standing vis a via the world needs to be repaired, improve Africa,(applause) environment issues, cut CO2 emissions by 90 percent by 2040 or something like that (big applause), oil is bad, causes problems in middle east, they are intoxicated by oil (ok he didn’t say that, but close). now Edwards has me, the environment is my big issue, (and if it’s not yours I suggest you see or read an inconvenient truth) Edwards goes on with a really odd logic train, - we should become leaders in bio-fuel, we have land and Europe and china don't, they will have to import for Africa, which will raise Africa out of poverty, (very idealist) then he goes on to say social movements in America can drive policy, i.e. the civil rights movement, Edwards then asks people start becoming involved, the next president can’t do (or un-do) everything by himself and asks people to txt message o five digit number, End of Show, No questions.
Damn, where’s my marketplace of ideas, where’s my interactive, an informed citizenry,damn, Oh, wait there’s a few hecklers, oh, it’s the confounded 9/11 inside job idiots,
(is this a new york thing?). At the end, as I was fiddling with my camera,as Edwards starts shaking hands with people next to me, now it wouldn’t be polite not to shake, right, so I did, but I’m not sure where’s he going, and I’m holding
the camera, and I forgot to let go of his hand (and yes I’m
never gonna wash it again). I finally I remember to let go and recede, ashamed into the crowd.
However, John (see we’re on a first name basis now) heard us, the crowd through the clapping, the words exchanged while shaking hands, the heckling, it’s all productive, for
him, for us, for the entire system, this is close to the way a democracy it was supposed to work.
Afterwards we, the kossaks, went to a nearby diner. Blogging is good, but talk is golden Jefferson would have been proud, interesting ideas floated around as we eat.
That was probably the best result from the speech, people talking like adults about things that matter. ‘Nough said.
BTW' i have given up on hotlinking the pix, here's a link to my flickr account with Edwards pix
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