What's your opinion of John Edwards?

[Dave from Michigan]

My opinion of John Edwards?

Great candidate, miserable human being.

He's an ambulance chasing, soak the rich, amoral, soul-less individual who presents a wonderful facade of depth behind his personal charisma and good hair.

He's basically an amoral person with no values and no strongly held political beliefs other than that which helps him get elected and insulates him from criticism.

Essentially, John Edwards is a less intelligent version of Bill Clinton, only he had a more successful legal career, and seems to have better control of his genitals than Clinton did.

exactly Edwards is no more than a slick sneaky lying politican

[12th Doctor]

The trial lawyer thing is a bit questionable, but on the whole I think Edwards is a good man, even if I disagree with his policies.  He is definatly a better man then Kerry.

[angus]

The trial lawyer thing is a bit questionable, but on the whole I think Edwards is a good man, even if I disagree with his policies.  He is definatly a better man then Kerry.

yeah, youze guys are a little hard on John Edwards.  Opebo calling him venal is particularly ironic.  

[opebo]

The trial lawyer thing is a bit questionable, but on the whole I think Edwards is a good man, even if I disagree with his policies.  He is definatly a better man then Kerry.

yeah, youze guys are a little hard on John Edwards.  Opebo calling him venal is particularly ironic.  

Hah, good one.  But I would prefer Kerry to Edwards.  I don't like populists - I suspect them of being con artists since they're peddling nonsense.  So are liberals like Kerry, but its slightly less blatant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Amoral?! He's actually very religious... but has never made a big deal of it in political campaigning.

Personally, I don't think being religous is very moral (being looked at as that damn, troublemaker atheist family next to all the good, nice, catholic school boys will do that to you).  Thats the only thing I don't like about the guy, is thats he's religous.  At least it never seems to get in his way of doing his job right.  

Edwards' is a Methodist

What are you Al?

Non-Alignend-Methodist leaning-Non-Conformist

[angus]

This may be of interest to Kerry/Edwards fans:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/politics/campaign/30EDWA.html

[The Vorlon]

Edwards is a heck of a campaigner, and I like his optimist and generally positiver campaign style.

He would make a lousy VP addition to the Kerry ticket for the following reasons..

1)  He adds no regions or states to the ticket.  Unless the Democrats suddenly nominate Robert E. Lee as the VP, the south is long gone...

2) The role of the VP is to attack...  People like Edwards because he was NOT a pitbull, turn him into a pitbull and folks don't like him any more.

I would expect that Edwards will pick one of the following:

A) A Rust Belt VP (help out in Ohio/Michigan/Pennsylvania/Michigan)

B) A Hispanic to take a shot at Nevada/New Mexico/Arizona

C) A midwesterner VP candidate to take a shot a Iowa/MIssouri/Minnesota/Michigan area.

[zachman]

Edwards is most popular among independents and the parent demographic. He would add a tremendous amount of enthusiasm to the Kerry ticket and would finally enthuse democrats about their candidate.

[Lunar]

Edwards is most popular among independents and the parent demographic.

Is that overall or only Democratic primary voters?  For example, if 90% of Rush Limbaugh fans that voted in the Democratic primary voted for Edwards, that doesn't necessarily translate into votes in the general election.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Edwards is most popular among independents and the parent demographic.

Is that overall or only Democratic primary voters?  For example, if 90% of Rush Limbaugh fans that voted in the Democratic primary voted for Edwards, that doesn't necessarily translate into votes in the general election.

Edwards is liked among independents.  In this election, the republicans are going to vote for the republican.  The democrats are going to vote for the democrat.  It's going to come down to the group Edwards can deliver.  No, he wont reel in the Carolinas, but he will win Ohio and West Virgina, and keep WI, IA, MN, and MI.  Kerry wont lose with Edwards on the ticket.

[Lunar]

You have to translate it into votes from the bottom of the ticket though.  Sure he's liked by independants, but so is Bayh, and Bayh might be able to do more from the VP side of the ticket.  To me, it seems like you're analyzing it from the Democratic primaries, which is a completely different electorate and a completely different situation (Edwards was competing for the #1 spot rather than from the #2).

[© tweed]

Edwards would help marginally in the Midwest, but that's it.

[Ben.]

Edwards would help marginally in the Midwest, but that's it.

thats all it would proably take...

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

You have to translate it into votes from the bottom of the ticket though.  Sure he's liked by independants, but so is Bayh, and Bayh might be able to do more from the VP side of the ticket.  To me, it seems like you're analyzing it from the Democratic primaries, which is a completely different electorate and a completely different situation (Edwards was competing for the #1 spot rather than from the #2).

Bayh is liked by Independents in Indiana, but he isn't KNOWN by anyone anywhere else.  And he's such a boring personality that I don't know if he would get much better known in the course of a presidential campaign.  Edwards has already shown that he can shine on a national stage.

[Lunar]

I'm pretty sure whoever Kerry chooses will become known.

[zachman]

Bayh seems too traditional. Kerry needs a lively VP, and he needs to figure out how to be the star of the show.

[angus]

Edwards would help marginally in the Midwest, but that's it.

thats all it would proably take...

...to hang on to what Gore won last time.  

[Ben.]

Edwards would help marginally in the Midwest, but that's it.

thats all it would proably take...

...to hang on to what Gore won last time.  

I wouldn’t deny it… a lot of Dems (not really here but generally) tend to assume Kerry can just assume he will win all the Gore states, the common refrain “If we can win all the Gore states, plus…”, illustrates this…

The truth is we don’t have a great candidate for VP from the Midwest, Bayh is too wooden, Gephardt is too old and tarnished, Vilsack has a funny name, Harkin is too old and too leftwing, Granholm is not eligible, Doyle has only been WI gov since 02, and Feingold is too much like Kerry in outlook (liberal)…oh and err…Kucinich yeah… well he’s just a wacko IMHO


However luckily to appeal in this region you don’t necessarily need to hail from it… Clinton and Reagan largely swept the region… but those examples are largely “by the by”… in the open primaries Edwards generally did better, now I know it is difficult to extrapolate trends in the general electorate to those in the electorate that takes part in the open primaries, but as far as getting a sense of whom democratic leaners prefer “open primaries” are quite useful… and the most obvious conclusion that can IMO be drawn from these open primaries is that Edwards plays best with moderates and independents…added to this Edwards has a strong and likeable TV presence much as Clinton did (now having said that I realise I’m opening myself up to a hail of GOP abuse, but so be it)… in sort Edwards helps address Kerry’s weaknesses and can appeal in a region that will most probably decided the election unlike the other two potential VPs who I could see Kerry choosing (Mark Warner and Bill Nelson) who are not as sure bets though having said they have not had a chance to be presented to the general electorate, but imho neither can really compare to Edwards in their debating ability and broad appeal… and so that’s my case for Edwards… oh and he could help Kerry boost rather than drag down southern senate candidates, then again I don’t think that at the senatorial level in the south (and else where) Kerry would have anywhere near as disastrous an impact as the abrasive Dean could have had…              

[Psychic Octopus]

Low-life white trash con-man.  A less intelligent and more venal (if that's possible) version of Clinton.

Interesting to note that Opebo got this right.