I couldn't help but feel that I was witnessing history. John Edwards is absolutely not the same candidate he was in 04. In all of my relatively short life, I have never been this inspired by any candidate. Sitting in that room and hearing him speak, I realized that I was going to be a life long supporter. Both my girlfriend and I had become so cynical since the 2000 election, when we were first becoming conscious of American politics and with good reason. I know, especially with todays developments in our democratic senate, that many of you feel that nothing can ever change. After all, we haven't had a true progressive in the white house in my lifetime.
A lawyer sitting at our table remarked before John's appearance that we "never get the progressive" in the primaries, and that John Edwards was giving him hope. He said that he had never seen anyone polling so well with such an anti-corporate, anti-lobbyist, pro-union, populist message. A message that is resonating not just in blue states, but throughout the South and Midwest.
Yes, Clinton still dominates the polls, even after her remarks that lobbyists "represent real americans". Obama has dropped in the polls significantly as of late, probably as people realize his ambiguous language about "coming together" is meaningless. I'm tired of going to his website and seeing "time for change"; change to what Barack? More coal plants? Coal industry subsidies? A health care plan that fails to cover all americans? Where does Obama plan to find common ground with Tom Coburn (A republican he has named as someone he would work with)?
Edwards closed his speech with three things that he will do on the first day that he is president. He will bring 50,000 troops home. He would propose a law to congress, stripping them of their healthcare and his own, if universal healthcare is not passed bu July 20 of 2009. He will also restore our constitution by closing Guantanamo, ending illegal wiretaps, and condemning torture (something that he said was rediculous that he would even have to bring up in a national campaign).
The fact is, that there is no better candidate on both principle, and strategy. Not only is Edwards the best candidate from a progressive perspective, but he is also the most likely to win. He beats every republican by the widest margins of any democratic candidate. He has the lowest unfavorables. He can help to elect democrats in southern, midwest, and mountain west districts that will just not be in play if Hillary is the nominee. I also believe that he can win more states than any other candidate.
I'd like to close this out with something that Edwards said near the end of his speech. That this is the main cause of his life, and that he will never give up fighting. That he can see an America in which everyone has healthcare, in which anyone can go to college that wants to, in which everyone is given equal education regardless of where they live, and which is loved by people abroad. John Edwards is the only person that can do this, and should he lose the primary, I will support him again in four years.
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My girlfriend and I with John Edwards
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