July 27, 2007
Edwards is leading the debate
From the WSJ no less...
This week, the former North Carolina senator has made his most prominent bid yet to place the oft-ignored issue of poverty prominently on the 2008 agenda, with a four-day tour of some of the most run-down parts of the South and Midwest, beginning with his sixth trip this campaign to this city, devastated by Hurricane Katrina. He has talked about the issue more than any of his rivals, and was the first to craft a "poverty" plank in his platform.About the time Mr. Edwards announced plans for his tour, one of his better-positioned rivals, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, posted a poverty plan on his Website. Mr. Edwards ended his tour -- wending through a poultry plant and an industrial neighborhood hit by factory closing -- Wednesday in Kentucky. On that day, Mr. Obama delivered a major speech on the subject in Washington, D.C.
An Obama campaign official dismissed as "absurd" the notion that Mr. Edwards drove the debate on poverty or any other issues. But some voters feel otherwise. "I appreciate Edwards because he's at least talking about poverty," said Scott Myers-Lipton, a San Jose State University professor who caught Mr. Edwards speaking in New Orleans. "He's the only one talking about it."
"He's a serious candidate and he's not to be discounted just because he lags in the national polls," says Democratic pollster Mark Mellman, who is neutral in the nomination contest. "It's a smart strategy for the front-runners to follow him."
Say what you will about the other contenders, Edwards is the one bringing the party as a whole back to progressive ideals that appeal to the vast majority of Americans.
Posted by mcblogger at July 27, 2007 01:57 PM
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