Note: This piece was written by my fellow writer Thomas at Scotch & Politics. I thought my fellow Kossacks might find it interesting.
Etched into the wall of the Washington, DC memorial built for Franklin Delano Roosevelt are excerpts from speeches summing up the ideology of his presidency. As you might expect from FDR and the memorial designers, they are broad, sweeping and often powerful mantras about what he sought in his presidency. But, one in particular, I find to be especially relevant today as look we back at John Edwards’ populist crusade when juxtaposed with the vicious intolerance of Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and Tom Tancredo’s campaigns.
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."
America is about making and taking opportunities for future, no doubt. Without hard work, you can’t get very far in this country (unless you are the son of a former president and rich oil man), and that’s good for everyone. It shouldn’t change. People should be encouraged to work their butts off and learn what hard work really means, but they should also not be spinning their wheels as the country runs itself off of their meager paychecks.
According to the most recent estimates, 12.3 % of our country lives in poverty. Fortunately, that was down in 2006 from 12.6% in 2005, but it still means (according to the census counter at the time I write this, that roughly 37,312,006 AMERICANS are living in poverty. I’m not talking about Sudanese or Palestinians or Indians, I’m talking about people in MY country, and we should find that despicable (This is not to demean in any way those living in extreme or moderate poverty in other countries, as they are likely worse off than nine out of every 10 Americans in poverty, but that will require a whole other post on this guy’s work). Think about that number: 37 million Americans. That’s roughly the entire population of California all living without enough to eat or care for their children healthily. Think about that concept: all of California living in shanties or – if they are lucky – housing projects. ALL OF THEM!
Now, if I were Ronald Reagan or Mitt Romney or Dubya, I would just dismiss these people as lazy (Tom Tancredo would just blame them for being evil brown people) and say they should go get a job. But, while I might make some radical statements, I really don’t think it wise to criticize the character of 37 million people in one fell swoop when I don’t know most of them or their life stories. What I will say, though, is that these are Americans who lost in the lottery of birth. They were born into the most prosperous country in the world – oh, so close – but they were born on the wrong side of the tracks and most of them were born into the poverty they still live in. I can’t speak for everyone reading this site, but I know that the five of us who write for this site are pretty damn lucky to have been born with parents who could provide us with what we needed – including a stable home life - that allowed us to get succeed.
John Edwards was also lucky. Despite being born into a home without much cash flow, he was able to succeed (Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee were also lucky, for that matter, but this post isn’t about them). And, Edwards didn’t forget it, but instead saw the enormous and yawning gap in our society that is eroding the middle class with stagnant wages and less opportunity to succeed. And, so he took what he saw and managed to run a populist campaign in honor of America’s common man in a country that often decries "class warfare" and turn economic inequalities into a major issue of the 2008 presidential campaign. In short, Edwards’ campaign was about making sure that we provide enough for those who have too little, and it was remarkably well done, even if he didn’t win.
It’s been over-spoken by the pundits and campaigners, but we are at a crossroads of history, and I supported Edwards because I saw him as offering the best chance to get America back onto its footing as the place of opportunity for all, not just for some. When I think about the differences of my nieces and nephews academic experiences in Atlanta’s private schools and those experiences of the students in the school district where I used to teach in the Mississippi Delta, I am horrified by the lack of opportunity in the Delta, but so excited for the possibilities of tomorrow when I see the amazing things going on in some of America’s best-funded schools. Schools can do amazing things, and we need to make sure that ALL children are exposed to broader horizons of thought, not just some.
But there is more than that. Not only do we have 37 million Americans living in poverty, an additional 10 million do not have health insurance. When it comes down to pure ideology, I wish we did not have to have health insurance. It seems that insurance has corrupted the natural flow of the market, and I find that disappointing. But that is not the world we live in, and John Edwards rightly made universal healthcare a central part of his plan. The Republicans claim that the market will sort out health insurance problems, and while I am a staunch believer in the free market, we have to admit its limitations, even if it does make some of us uber-millionaires often in very unique ways. Clearly, turning healthcare into a "business" has benefited those who can afford the care, but it has not helped everyone, and the lack of insurance is sucking dry the coffers of American government. We can fix that, and Edwards had a plan for it. Unfortunately, that chance in particular has passed us by, but fortunately, Edwards made healthcare an important part of the campaign, and all of the candidates are talking about it. As Paul Krugman points out, if we see a major shift in healthcare policy, Edwards will deserve some of the credit.
In fact, I don’t think we have seen the last of Edwards. I don’t know where he will turn up again, but we will see more of him. I doubt it will be in the number two slot on the Deomcratic ticket... again, but he’ll turn up, and the country will be better for it as it is reminded to provide enough for those who have too little due to the lottery of birth.