Much Ado About Nothing but Subterfuge
Roger Simon indicates John Edwards may be speaking in code that only he can decipher. But then his decipherer skills wander all over without any real conclusion.
John Edwards happens to believe he can do better with rural, white, downscale voters than either Obama or Hillary can.
I challenge Simon to show where Edwards has added ‘white’ to his description of the rural demographic. However, polling has made clear that the GOP continues to do better attracting the votes of white males, particularly in non-urban areas. Part of that has been achieved utilizing the infamous Southern strategy. Is there any evidence at all that Edwards is emulating that low road?
Nope.
At least Simon correctly points out that Southern roots has meant something in previous Dem candidates. But he entirely misses the economic populism Edwards champions, which has a distinct blue collar appeal that lacks any racial or gender connotations.
He concludes with the tired old nag about Edwards having too much money to be trusted. So how many other millionaires are in the race who did NOT get there as a professional politician but gained their wealth via another vocation devoid of government contracts? How come that never gets attention?
Poor Okies trusted FDR. Poor West Virginia miners came to trust the wealthy Kennedys. What those politicians did and who they spoke up for mattered more than their monetary assets.
Simon’s just part of the bandwagon who sees that Edwards really does threaten to draw from part of the base Republican presidential candidates have depended on for 35 years. The difference is that Edwards actually has some plans that could benefit that group economically. Since the GOP has so rarely delivered that, taking that base for granted, they use the last rabbit in their nearly empty hats, suggesting Edwards is making white males sound marginalized by women and minorities.
In fact, he’s making a very persuasive case that they’re the victims of GOP hypocrisy. And the GOP’s made billions more than that barber did, shaving the middle class way too close to the bone.
