Why Edwards Hurts Kerry

National Review Online ^ | 7-6-04 | Byron York

[Mark in the Old South]

Kerry would have been wiser to pick Gov. Warner of Virginia. He is just as shallow (a necessary attribute for any southern democrat) as Edwards without the Liberal track record of a Senate term. Edwards know he could not win a second term from N.C.. Let us face facts, his run for the Demoncratic nomination was just an audition for the V.P. spot.

He may not be very bright but he is smart enough to know good hair, a southern accent, shallow values married to ambition can get you places in the Demoncratic party.

Bush is going to kick butt (can I say that on the air) come November.

[smonk]

G'hardt would have definitely put missouri in play, and that
may have been enough all by itself. I live in south carolina,
and I just don't see how edwards puts either carolina in play.

[Sam the Sham]

I will be blunt.

I have seen what H1B's and offshoring have done to people I care about. I spent 18 of the last 31 months unemployed. Frankly, I was enraged at the callous, "Let them eat cake", "Start your own business" obliviousness of globalists at what offshoring and outsourcing are doing to American workers. I still am.

I am conservative but parties need the occasional defeat to nudge them in the right direction. For a while I was of the opinion that it would not be such a bad thing for Bush to lose to a non-antiwar Democrat and the party to come back in four years minus the WSJ editorial page cheap labor globalists.

But as a Christian, the sheer godlessness of the DU types sickens me. If the Dems win, so has gay marriage. And what is next ? "Transgenerational love" ? Group marriage ? These people are foaming at the mouth with eagerness to tax churches and silence the Christian voice. As a Christian, I cannot let these people win. I cannot let America be turned into a San Francisco toilet. If the Dems lose, let them know that gay marriage was the reason why.

In the final resort, both parties abound in free traitor globalists. The fight has two fronts.

[familyofman]

Where were the case(s) tried - in the South, urban/rural, wealthy/poor. This looney-tune may have a larger appeal than he's being given credit for. From what I've heard - he is a dynamite public speaker & gets the crowds excited. Something like a good lawyer in closing arguments.

There are many here among us that think he is but a joke. A truly damgerous attitude - attack an image, not the ideas.

[Mark in the Old South]

Virginia has not gone to a Demoncrat is almost 50 years. It is not at all close in this state. Bush will most likely not even campaign here. We will be lucky to get his wife or the VP.

WV is another matter.

[familyofman]

"It is not at all close in this state."

I'm in VA too and thought I saw a poll last week that had Bush 48% Kerry 43%. That's close for VA. I think Edwards did real well in OH as well, especially in the more urban areas & places where jobs have been lost.

[longtermmemmory]

How much do you want to bet that on sunday morning it was still up in the air...

[smonk]

I think he got forced into this by the dem establishment.

they wanted edwards BAAAAADLY, but he just doesn't seem to
be a "kerry sort of guy". kerry would have been much happier
with another DC insider like G'hardt.

now they have not ONE but TWO senators on the same ticket.

I forecast failure for that reason alone.

[KC_Conspirator]

The question is not whether or not we are for or against it, what we are talking about is whether it is a strong issue for democrats to run on. We believe it is because its the type of issue that would appeal to middle America, such as families that lost their incomes to having their jobs shipped overseas. Edwards used this briefly at the end of his primary campaign and it worked.

For the record, I am against outsourcing in general, but understand that making brooms and such can be done elsewhere. I have a big problem with companies sending skilled jobs in technology and manufacturing overseas, especially when many of these companies own lucrative contracts with the US government funded by tax payer dollars.

I can't speak for Sam, but why would someone vote on just one issue? Why would I vote for Kerry? Terrorism will abound if he gets in the WH. Kerry may also pretend that he is against outsourcing, but he could care less about the middle class as the Heinz corporation has 2/3 of its operations overseas.

[conserv13]

The more the subject is "Jobs" the less the subject is "Gay Marriage".

Why is the subject "Gay Marriage" at all? Most people (including me) don't care about gay marriage - it is not what this election is all about. National Security and the economy are the two big issues in this election - and Bush/Cheney are the best men for the job in that respect.

[Akira]

Which southern states does this put in play?

I consider TN, VA and NC more in play now, states where Bush's lead has narrowed, where they can try and hammer home the job situation and hide the recovery. I didn't say Edwards gives the Dems any of these, I just feel it might help to narrow the gap even further.

[justshutupandtakeit]

No it splits economic Know Nothings from those who actually have a little knowledge of how an capitalistic economic system works. Just another RAT appeal to ignorance and envy.

Outsourcing is just another RATmedia slogan to capture the heart of the Leftists/Victims.

[Edit35]

Question: What is John John and the Pony Boy gonna do when terrorists get ahold of chemical or biological weapons?

Answer: They'll pee their pants --- and then file a lawsuit against Osama bin Ladin.

[Akira]

I hope you're right. I agree that most states you mention are solid red. But I'm not entirely sure why people keep focusing on the fact that Edwards didn't win some of these primaries. It will be a narrow race in many states, and any little swing helps. They're clearly going after the youth vote even more than usual, and Edwards helps there by perception alone.

[Fraulein]

he's cute and women will vote for him because he's cute

He's a sleazy pretty boy type. All style and no substance, which will undoubtedly appeal to the Hollywood crowd. The GOP, however, has REAL men who are just downright sexy: Rumsfeld & Cheney. In my opinion, Rumsfeld is one of the sexiest men alive. No doubt, imho, that the GOP has the hottest men.

[Akira]

Yep, I expect them to hammer the lawyer thing home, and hope they do. But you said:

The only thing Edwards gets them is the "I vote for the cutest candidate" crowd.

As sad as this is to say, I would not discount this. This is one reason I think Edwards was a smarter choice than Gephardt. The Dems continue to go after the weak-minded and easily-influenced MTV crowd, and you cannot discount this aspect of it, especially in a close election.

[Mark in the Old South]

I do not believe these polls, any of them. I can not point to any evidence but I am getting the same feeling that I got in 92, when the press was telling us it was the worse economy since the great depression. Family and friends who were self employed told me I was nuts, that I didn't know after all I was in the Navy and in a military town. I stuck to my guns and said the economy was good, and as soon as the election was over you would read about it. Well the very next day USA Today had a headline, the recession had ended a year ago.
I rubbed everyone's nose in it for weeks.

I am telling you now, they are lying. They know Kerry is going to loose big time. I said it before, I will say it again Kerry will win 5-6 states max.

[Mr. Bird]

Both of your replies help, I think, to illustrate my original point. I think trade issues have appeal, but only to those who won't be changing their mind anyway. It's a stump speech issue, reserved for the Tuesday morning breakfast chat with the guys down at the mill. It is not something to hinge a campaign on, certainly not with the foreign policy issues on the table right now.

Rest assured, the Dems will use the issue in certain localities. But they won't hammer it nationally because it's just not a winner. And by saying this, I don't mean to imply that campaigning on "free trade" is a winner. Neither will energize those that matter.

[Sam the Sham]

It splits the smugly arrogant from those who do not regard people with less than college degrees as subhuman losers. And it is that half of America with less than college degrees that has seen its standard of living crumble since deindustrialization.

[Bassfire]

Let the excitement begin! /A>