Despite Best Efforts, Edwards May HAVE to Return to North Carolina (My title)

CNN ^ | April 2, 2003 | Unknown

[Lee'sGhost]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush has invited one of his Democratic rivals for the White House to join him on Air Force One for a trip to North Carolina's Camp Lejeune.

Sen. John Edwards, who is seeking the party's presidential nomination, and Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-North Carolina, received the invitations from the White House and are scheduled to travel with the president when he flies to Jacksonville, North Carolina, Thursday.

[Lee'sGhost]

President Bush must have seen BJ Jr.'s face on a milk carton and thought it would be nice to bring him home. Only question is, will Edwards lower himself to return to the state that elected him? Folks around here thought he had moved to either Iowa or New Hampshire.

[TexasNative2000]

Despite Best Efforts, Edwards May HAVE to Return to North Carolina (My title) ????

Would you please translate your title for the rest of us?

[Lee'sGhost]

Bump. Mentioned yesterday in thread related to fund raising, but worth bumping today as its own story. Anyone know if Sen. Exlax is actually coming?

[Lee'sGhost]

Edwards, AKA Sen. Exlax (because he's for the regular guy), has been MIA almost since the time he was elected to office -- because he wants to be the next president. He is Klintoon extra lite. Soccer moms love him bec he had "good" hair. Sold himself as a moderate then voted lib, antiBush almost the whole way.

[Rebelbase]

The thought crossed my mind (scary, that actually happens from time to time) that Bush is priming the pump for 2004 by inviting Edwards along for this event.

Edwards gains prestige, PR shots coming off Air-Force One and PR shots of being in the Presidents's "counsel"...this will give Edwards clout in the primary bid, taking away from those that are better suited to challenge Bush.

Anything anyone can do to help Edwards fracture the Dem. party vote, is going to help the Repubs in the Nov. 2004 vote.

[Poohbah]

Then he should invite Al Sharpton :o)

[Oldeconomybuyer]

My take is that this is another example of the Bush administration being a class act. Note that over the past 14 days there have been virtually no blatant examples of the White House playing partisan politics.

As the senior senator from NC, Sen. Edwards should accompany the President and I expect him to show support for the administration and the soldiers at the military base.

[randita]

Edwards gains prestige, PR shots coming off Air-Force One and PR shots of being in the Presidents's "counsel"...this will give Edwards clout in the primary bid, taking away from those that are better suited to challenge Bush.

I took it exactly the opposite. The die hard primary voters are rabidly anti-war. By showing Edwards glad handing troops, Bush is actually putting him at a disadvantage with his primary voters. With this invite, Bush might be trying to cut the legs out from under Edwards.

Edwards, by straddling the fence, might actually capture some of the mushy middle who would otherwise go for Bush.

I think Bush would much rather run against someone like Dean who has no hope of capturing the mushy middle.

[Libloather]

And we were doing so well without him...

[Lee'sGhost]

Interesting how you both came up with plausible but distinctly different opinions. I can tell you that BJ Jr. has supported the war effort rhetorically while giving lip service to "it could be done better." His base, ultra left libs, hate it. He got moderated in the last election bec he sold himself as a moderate. He's trying to do the same now. His voting record would rate somewhere around 95% lib. And remember, he's trying to reach all of America this time, not just NC. And just like BJ Sr., he follows the wind of public opinion.

[Katya]

" think Bush would much rather run against someone like Dean who has no hope of capturing the mushy middle. "

Let's hope not...Dean is something of an anomaly...he's rabidly pro gun and anti-war...although his anti-war stance seems to be one of " we now have to support the troops". The far lefties are willing to overlook his gun stance, and his migrating war position.
Personally, I hope Kerry gets the nod....Dean is slick...and we've seen the results of that before.

[Mamzelle]

I don't get your reasoning. Edwards is the man to beat. Just because you see through him, doesn't mean the soccer moms will. That's an error I made with Clinton which I don't intend to repeat. ("Good grief, what a hustler, anyone can see that, he'll never get very far"--hah--famous last words about BJ Clinton.) Remember, he's stood before juries and the wimmen give him lots of other people's money. I'd say we have to take him seriesly.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[areafiftyone]

I agree with you. The liberal Democreeps are extremely angry at Edwards because he supports the war. He was booed last time. He is very low in the polls and apparently his good looks (and I tend to differ) are not working in his favor like they did for Clinton. The pretty boy stuff doesn't work anymore. This country had 8 years of that and realize that along with looks comes a huge ego.

[Rebelbase]

Edwards is not the man to beat. He has no record and sex only goes so far.

You are gunshy to compare Edwards to x42. Clinton had a past history as an elected Attorney General and Governor and could draw on an established (and corrupt) Arkansas political machine to help him along.

Edwards does not have that machinery. Bush will devastate him if it came down a one on one battle.

One battle that does concern me is a Hillary/Edwards ticket....that would be the ultimate sleaze candidacy.

All IMHO, of course.

[Mamzelle]

(((Edwards is not the man to beat. He has no record and sex only goes so far.)))

Clinton had only smalltime elections behind him, and sex seems to have taken him far...(don't ask me to explain that, it's just what I saw)

(((You are gunshy to compare Edwards to x42. Clinton had a past history as an elected Attorney General and Governor and could draw on an established (and corrupt) Arkansas political machine to help him along. )))

Well, how about a trial lawyer lobby flush with billions in tobacco money, and billions in asbestos money?

(((Edwards does not have that machinery. Bush will devastate him if it came down a one on one battle. )))

I do hope so. I still can't believe anyone voted for Clinton. Edwards will have Harpootlian (Dem leader and head of state Trial Lawyers) to usher him through South Carolina, and then he can conveniently lose his accent in New Hampshire.

(((One battle that does concern me is a Hillary/Edwards ticket....that would be the ultimate sleaze candidacy. )))

Hillary does not concern me. The women will not go for her, at least not the straight women.

[Amalie]

In addition to any personal improprieties, Edward's Archilles heel is his connection to the trial lawyers. What needs to happen is to reveal the link between huge medical costs and corporate bankrupties tied to his cronnies at the courthouse; they are HIS GUYS, and lets face it, most people are not real happy about lawyers. DO NOT underestimate the slick GQ look on women voters; if they think he is "kind," votes will go his way. Got to admit, I think the logical Dems are probably hoping he's their boy for '04 unless it is so certain that Bush will win that they don't want to hold him up for sacrifice. My money says it will be a Edwards/Leiberman (new South/Old NE liberal compo) ticket to go. Kerry and Dean are blips on the radar now; neither will get enough traction nationwide to take the nomination...

[Mamzelle]

re: Edward's Archilles heel is his connection to the trial lawyers)))

I wish. Keep in mind Erin Brockovich, and the myth of the crusading lawyer.

[Oberon]

My wife came to me several months ago in a somewhat agitated state. "Did you hear?" she asked, "Al Sharpton is considering a run for president."

"Great," I replied.

She stared at me, wondering if I'd finally lost my last marble.

"I hope he does run," I said. "In fact, I hope he wins the nomination."

Another beat went by... "Oh..." she said. "You're right. Yeah!"

It was a real Kodak moment.

[Constitution Day]

Heh heh!
I told my wife the same thing a while back, with a similar reaction from her.

Rocky Mount bump!