I have just been informed by Reuters that John Edwards will not accept the Vice Presidential candidate nomination, assuming it were to be given to him. I find this to be rather disappointing to the state of the United States.
John Edwards should have been the nominee... in 2004... and in 2008. Of all the potential candidates he was the most tolerant, the most pragmatic and the most concerned with issues that we should concern ourselves with of those who had a chance of winning in either party. It was only John Edwards who talked about the "Two Americas" and he did so in a most eloquent manner.
I will never wholeheartedly trust a politician, especially one who seeks a position of such largely unregulated and unchecked power but Edwards seemed like the best major party candidate to me in a long time. His populist ideals and practical approaches to how to resolve such inordinate access to a better life in the United States spoke volumes about this establishment candidate who could have brought more change from within than anyone currently running.
I think Democrats forgot something crucial this year. That would be that just because you are a woman does not mean that you will necessarily be the most productive candidate for the advancement of the women's agenda, just because you are a black man does not necessarily mean that you will be the most productive candidate for the advancement of the long-oppressed black man.
The primary platform of Mr. Edwards was to tackle financial inequality in the United States. That would have helped the two most financially oppressed—women and blacks—more than anything that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama have included in their platform.
It's not progressive to have the first black or female president if they don't do anything different to white males. What's really progressive is a rich, white male who looks out for the poor. I won't necessarily celebrate the day a woman or black person becomes president, I will celebrate the emergence of true progress when we as a nation elect an individual who speaks for those who have no voice in contemporary politics.
Edwards should be this year's Democratic Vice Presidential candidate because Vice Presidents have a high success rate when they run for President and we could sure use a President Edwards right now. As the recession creeps up on us so that we can all minutely sympathize with the daily plight of the urban poor, we need a president who will bring us back to the policies of Johnson's Great Society and Edwards is that man.
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As the recession creeps up on us so that we can all minutely sympathize with the daily plight of the urban poor, we need a president who will bring us back to the policies of Johnson's Great Society and Edwards is that man.
Speaking of recession, when congress came out with the Bush-approved recession bill earlier this year, Edwards was the only candidate I heard take the opportunity to propose amendments that would have had a sustainable impact on our economy. He would have invested in green infrastructure and bright green technology, I'm sure of it!
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
With rhetoric like the "Two Americas" bit, we could still use him as attorney general. I welcome the day!
ps. Greatest blog i've seen in a week--you may want to tag it 'defining progress' if you haven't already written for that contest. Honestly i dig the angle and animately agree with yer position.
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly