Still, I believe - hope is on the way.
For a political junkie, waking up to the news that your chosen candidate is dropping out of the race is disheartening, to say the least.
For this political junkie, it threw the day out of whack - leading to sitting in my dorm room, watching MSNBC to see the announcement live. Responsible? Probably not. Comforting? Yes.
But, politics is more than what's comforting; it's more than what can pass through the confused Congress. Politics is, and should be, about principles. It should be about what you believe in.
Unfortunately, it’s all about the horserace. The horserace is exciting, don’t get me wrong - but I believe in a politics that’s more than that. I believe in, to borrow a phrase from Senator Obama, a politics of hope, of change, of what’s best for Americans not what’s best for the politicians. That’s why I support John Edwards.
After it was leaked to the press that he’d be making his announcement ending his candidacy this afternoon, I got a phone call from a friend asking what camp I’d be moving into since my first choice is no longer viable. That isn’t the story here, at least at this moment in time. Today’s story, at least in my book, belongs to the gentleman from North Carolina - former Senator John Edwards.
On December 28, 2006, Senator Edwards announced his candidacy for President of the United States from the backyard of a home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, wearing jeans and work boots, shovel in hand. From the moment he spoke, I was captivated. The mere thought, much less actual vision, of a politician with a shovel in his hands, out working for and with the American people affected by Katrina shocked me.
It’s just a stunt, I thought, just a gag to draw people in. I was drawn in by the poetic prose of Senator Barack Obama, and his discussion of the United States of America. But Edwards had worked his way into my brain, whether I knew it then or not.
Beautiful prose only gets you so far, and soon I found myself asking how Obama was going to unite America, wishing that he’d stop telling us that he can do these things, but talk about how he plans to do them. I found the answer in John Edwards, the first to propose a plan for universal healthcare, the first to talk about how his plans would come to fruition rather than speaking in the abstract or about how his record as a community activist or the wife of a powerful Democratic leader would make him a fantastic POTUS.
Unfortunately, the rockstar candidates overpowered his message of hope, of action, and of substance with money, media, and connections. Once again, the horserace wins.
This political junkie believes in one America, free of poverty, with a universal healthcare system. That’s why I support John Edwards. That’s why he has my respect - because he is a man of principle, a man of action.
And until someone proves to me that they aren’t relying on pretty words or an impressive resume to dazzle their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I will remain a Democrat who believes in one America, free of poverty, with a universal healthcare system.
For this political junkie, it threw the day out of whack - leading to sitting in my dorm room, watching MSNBC to see the announcement live. Responsible? Probably not. Comforting? Yes.
But, politics is more than what's comforting; it's more than what can pass through the confused Congress. Politics is, and should be, about principles. It should be about what you believe in.
Unfortunately, it’s all about the horserace. The horserace is exciting, don’t get me wrong - but I believe in a politics that’s more than that. I believe in, to borrow a phrase from Senator Obama, a politics of hope, of change, of what’s best for Americans not what’s best for the politicians. That’s why I support John Edwards.
After it was leaked to the press that he’d be making his announcement ending his candidacy this afternoon, I got a phone call from a friend asking what camp I’d be moving into since my first choice is no longer viable. That isn’t the story here, at least at this moment in time. Today’s story, at least in my book, belongs to the gentleman from North Carolina - former Senator John Edwards.
On December 28, 2006, Senator Edwards announced his candidacy for President of the United States from the backyard of a home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, wearing jeans and work boots, shovel in hand. From the moment he spoke, I was captivated. The mere thought, much less actual vision, of a politician with a shovel in his hands, out working for and with the American people affected by Katrina shocked me.
It’s just a stunt, I thought, just a gag to draw people in. I was drawn in by the poetic prose of Senator Barack Obama, and his discussion of the United States of America. But Edwards had worked his way into my brain, whether I knew it then or not.
Beautiful prose only gets you so far, and soon I found myself asking how Obama was going to unite America, wishing that he’d stop telling us that he can do these things, but talk about how he plans to do them. I found the answer in John Edwards, the first to propose a plan for universal healthcare, the first to talk about how his plans would come to fruition rather than speaking in the abstract or about how his record as a community activist or the wife of a powerful Democratic leader would make him a fantastic POTUS.
Unfortunately, the rockstar candidates overpowered his message of hope, of action, and of substance with money, media, and connections. Once again, the horserace wins.
This political junkie believes in one America, free of poverty, with a universal healthcare system. That’s why I support John Edwards. That’s why he has my respect - because he is a man of principle, a man of action.
And until someone proves to me that they aren’t relying on pretty words or an impressive resume to dazzle their way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I will remain a Democrat who believes in one America, free of poverty, with a universal healthcare system.