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Download | Play (h/t Bill W) Wolf Blitzer:
BLITZER: You know, it’s interesting. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama seem to be making the same point in criticizing you. They suggested yesterday — Hillary Clinton said it’s not something you have to do by yelling and screaming. They are talking about your being supposedly one angry man. Barack Obama saying change doesn’t come by hollering.
What do you say to their criticisms that you are just running over around the state screaming and hollering and making a lot of noise, but you’re not ready to really get things done to work to get things done?
EDWARDS: Well, I would respectfully say that the reason both of them are attacking me is that they know from what they are seeing and their campaigns are seeing is that we are moving up every single day. All the polling shows it, I see it on the ground. And — but the mistake that is being made in the criticism, of course, is I’m not the normal politician doing political talk. Instead, I’m speaking from my heart and soul and my gut about what I believe needs to be done in this country to stop corporate greed and to strengthen the middle class. And they are seeing the response, and they are trying to figure out some way to blunt it.
Is John Edwards this election cycle’s Howard Dean? Because now, on the eve of first state primary, the meme being pushed by both the media and his Democratic nominee rivals is that John Edwards’ rhetoric is a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I’m no fan of Charles Krauthammer, but he said it best today:
“If young people show up to caucus, advantage Obama. If older people show up to caucus, advantage Clinton. If angry people show up to caucus, advantage Edwards!”
I hate to quote Charles, but I just couldn’t put Edward’s increasingly confrontational persona into words better than he did. I’m not sure if America is ready to elect a black candidate, or even a woman. But I’m absolutely convinced that America is not going to elect an angry candidate. And that is what John Edwards is becoming—”the angry candidate”.
I don’t know how much this persona is of media creation, because I haven’t seen any stump speeches of Edwards where he seemed unduly angry, although it’s certainly possible. This tidy little categorization–which may or may not be accurate–feels uncomfortably similar to Howard Dean’s smearing as unhinged during the 2004 primaries.
Cruz at DailyKos asks the question “Why shouldn’t Edwards be angry? Aren’t you?”
No Trackbacks To “Blitzer: Is John Edwards the Angry White Man?“
john for Pres!!!!!
Goddammit I *STILL* would love a Howard Dean presidency. *sigh*
Honestly, if the media are trying to tell me someone is ‘too angry’ to be President, then that actually encourages me they might be a good one. Because dammit we SHOULD be pissed off!
We the People are fucking sick and tired of being sick and tired! Being an angry *anything* right now is good!
Dodd or Kucinich are my first choices still; but this just makes my opinion of Edwards improve; and it wasn’t a BAD opinion to start with.
And HRC is a liar, and Obama is like a mime he waves his hands so much…magic is not going to solve anything either. Bah, this whole thing is a drag.
Hew’s got the Moxie - NOT the yelling and hollering they call it - to move people to vote for his campaign. I think he can and should win. We need a strong fighter - go DEMS!
Hillary Clinton’s Recent Meteoric Rise in Wealth Pictorial Graph
http://thememlingindex.com/hil.....ealth.html
As opposed to the rest of the crowd?
John Edward’s poses a threat to these “talking head buffoons” because he is calling for an end to corporate “welfare”, the military/industrial complex and most of the networks are owned by huge conglomerates. They all received massive tax breaks, no regulation whatsoever, under an agreement made by Rove when Bush was running in 2000. These corporations have seen their profits soar and they have screwed the american taxpayer.
Edwards is absolutely right and if he makes it to Massachusetts I will definitely be voting for him. I’ve grown disillusioned with Obama and forget Hillary. I hope Edwards does well tomorrow night.
we need a president that is as PISSED as I am!!!!
we need to stand behind edwards!!
he is not perfect, but he is the best chance we have!!
beltway bumpkins get the bozack. Anyone that cares about the poor and middle class and doesn’t speak Broderese is “angry”
Just look at his voting record. He’s nothing but hype. Anybody that votes for him is a sucker that just listens to whoever yells the loudest.
Well, there’s alot to be angry about.
Still undecided and this “anger management” issue isn’t going to sway me one way or the other.
Jason B @ 10:
Like Clinton and Obama that continue to fund the war but say they are against it? He has gone up against big Corp as a lawyer and did a damn good job!!!!
If you’re not angry, you haven’t been paying attention these last seven years.
A lot of people are justifiably angry. Why should that exclude Edwards?
I want someone who is angry about the status quo to represent me in DC.
BUT - Blitzin - if you are trying to cast aspersions at Edwards in the typecast of the “Angry White Male” - you need only look to the repiglican party. They uniformly fit the mold with criteria of White, Christian, Authoritative, and Male.
There, you can have your pick of any number of angry white males.
*
Obama will vote ‘present’ at the Iowa caucus.
At least I know where Edwards stands on the issues. I can’t say that for either Obama or Clinton — or any of the Republican crowd. Only Edwards and Kucinich actually have a plan and have laid it out. Clinton and Obama are all sizzle and no steak. Keep yelling John!
No John, are they the normal, scratch that, super normal politician, saying one thing and meaning another, this blame the rich and corporations shit is not going to work. You worked for a hedge fund now you want to tax them, you want free housing, food, college education, etc, saying whatever it is you have to say to get elected. I think it will be interesting to see what he does when he does not win the nomination, my bet he makes a load of cash and forget his two Americas crap!
That is an absolutely BS accusation…Edwards sounds the most human, and compelling out of all of them. Those comments are just meant to negate his positives.
(Yea, I would vote for Hillary in the Iowa caucus, but when it comes down to it for the 100th time, ANY DEM OVER ANY REPUBLICAN, and the Dem has my vote, period.)
Freewayblogger of the Year:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.....-year.html
From the Angry White North…
Well, gee, the majority of this country is angry. I’m a voter and I’m angry. I’m glad to see there’s at least one presidential front runner who is, too. Thanks, Wolf, Hilary and Obama for steering me to Edwards!
California Dave @ 11:
You’re foolish if you think anyone can just walk away from the war in Iraq. There is no way around that, we are there for at least a decade. You can sneer at Obama for voting to fund the war, but you might want to consider thanking Edwards, who voted for it. Obama didn’t - but he does recognise that “you break it, you buy it.”
So, our choices are:
Justly angry guy
vs.
Stepford glazed eyes
who you going to choose?
Ummm…. I think the punditocracy is missing the fact that the electorate IS angry about everything. Edwards doesn’t seem angry so much as earnest about his beliefs, but maybe being labeled angry isn’t all that bad.
Chuck Todd-When electorates turn Angry, members of both parties may be running for their political lives Nov 7. 2007
I’m voting Kucinich in the primaries, but my second choice is John Edwards.
I think that Dennis Kucinich is throwing some support to Obama’s campaign because he too realizes that John Edwards is moving up in the polls and wants to knock him down.
Anyways, I don’t choose presidents by their looks or what they say, rather, I look at their voting record because candidates get desperate and start saying stupid things, that includes Dennis Kucinich and the Obama/ Iowa comment.
Dennis Kucinich still has the best voting record and that is why i will vote for him.
Bowl week @ 16:
Spoken like a true repiglican’t. go back to LGFB!
eeewwww! He so angry! Grrrrrrr!
How does Blitzed sleep at night. What a disingenuous nit!
Must be very slow at CNN today.
Decent argument from Michael Moore on why he’s leaning towards Edwards and away from Obama and Hillary
About time one of these candidates at least pretends to be pissed at what has happened the last 8 years. Um..hey Wolf “mother of all” Blitzers…it isn’t going to work this time.
Wolf just wants Edwards to be pissed enough to shoot an old man in the face.
this is what happens when you start getting somewhere….now he’s a threat…and with the way their attacking him…….it’s gonna turn and bite them on the ass. There are still a lot of undecideds (me for one) and I frown on bullshit cheap attacks…..
Count Leslie Blitzer as another one of the irrelevant talking heads who can’t stand Edwards. It just keeps making John seem more appealing.
Edwards may be the last best hope for progressives.
Funny thing is, when Dean was the angry candidate in 2004, Edwards was busy being the “sunny” candidate. Why wasn’t Edwards angry in 2004? It’s all political strategy. Say what you want about Dean, but his anger was genuine. Also Dean wasn’t ratcheting up his anger like some sort of calibrated machine to peak on polling day. Dean was angry throughout because he saw right through the Bush BS before anyone else did. It’s stunning how many people have fallen for the Edwards ver. 2008, I guess I’ll never understand.
If he is the Howard Dean, that’s not a bad thing. Now people know Rove mischaracterized Dean and he would have been a perfectly good president.
Just shows the media wants Clinton…I mean…look at her experiences…defending Walmart…oh and that defending Coke from disabled people…I mean she’s perfect
If all they got on Edwards is the “angry” angle, or “all talk” angle, its the height of irony that either the always careful and calculated Clinton or the freshmen Senator who likes skipping votes should be characterizing anyone as being more talk than action.
Either way, I hear Edwards is always late and pissing people off, and then always has some bullshit excuse for being late. That alone makes me wary of voting for someone who cant be on time and that is not sincere with his reasons.
Extrapolate that into someone who ranked right up there with LIEberman in his war fever.
He may just be a smooooooth tawker, but aint they all?
JJohnson @ 2:
Good answer. Everyone should be angry.
Tom (Not Tom) @ 12:
agreed……he needs to make it clear he ISpissed off….and why.
Wolf Blitzer, representing a network that every night shoves Glenn Beck and Lou Dobbs down our throats, the network that gave us Crossfire for God’s sake, asks if John Edwards is too angry. Amazing.
-ep
Really, if you’re not angry, somebody should pull your feeding tube.
odanny @ 36:
good point….I wouldn’t appreciate being made to wait………….in the cold and snow no less.
Jason B @ 20:
Tell that to the moron who posted “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” on a giant billboard behind his podium…
Who are you calling foolish? We need to count are losses, reel all of our troops back in…blame it all on the asshole at the helm…and bitch slap everyone who speaks like you…
I get so sick of this “we are obligated shit”! I didn’t vote for this asshole! In fact, I don’t think he even won! Yet we have an illegal war that constantly takes the lives of perfectly good people who have been duped into joining the military to help “defend freedom” or “bring democracy to Iraq”! I don’t like the idea that we have lost! And I most assuredly don’t think that the soldiers have lost their lives for nothing! But, I think America is in the midst of a constituational crisis and these soldiers have been sacrificed to prove that the truth should stand against this oppressive administration! So in other words, SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!
He’s angry with an expensive haircut….hmm, not much happening in the Comedy Situation Room.
Meanwhile, we’re losing count of America’s mayor’s scandals and soon-to-be-repug-nominee.
It’s funny that people claim Obama only votes present, yet it is his legislation that opened up government transperancy and federal spending to be viewed online. His voting record is the most progressive, his rhetoric tells us that we’re not going to get anything done by stomping our feet and screaming, and he’s right. The neocons and republicans have ruined our country, but they still make up almost 50% of the population - pointing our fingers and screaming at them isn’t going to help them come across to our side and we need a MAJORITY in order to pass the hard legislation that needs to happen.
Go ahead and vote for Edwards, and you’ll find yourself with another 51% president that gets nothing of value done because the other side hates him so much. If you want to fix this country, we actually have to work WITH the people on the other side of the political spectrum, instead of yelling at them about how wrong they are.
Jason B @ 44:
we’ve tried working with them.
And look what it got us.
Chip @ 42:
Tell that to the moron who posted “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED” on a giant billboard behind his podium…
Who are you calling foolish? We need to count are losses, reel all of our troops back in…blame it all on the asshole at the helm…and bitch slap everyone who speaks like you…
I get so sick of this “we are obligated shit”! I didn’t vote for this asshole! In fact, I don’t think he even won! Yet we have an illegal war that constantly takes the lives of perfectly good people who have been duped into joining the military to help “defend freedom” or “bring democracy to Iraq”! I don’t like the idea that we have lost! And I most assuredly don’t think that the soldiers have lost their lives for nothing! But, I think America is in the midst of a constituational crisis and these soldiers have been sacrificed to prove that the truth should stand against this oppressive administration! So in other words, SIT DOWN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!
I voted against Bush, and I’m very angry about the whole thing, too. But you know what? There are MILLIONS of innocent people in Iraq who will die if we leave. What about them, huh? Are you so cold as to turn your back on an entire country and let it burn because it’s inconvenient to you? Bush may be the idiot who put up the “mission accomplished” banner, but regardless of who went in to Iraq, we are there now, and PEOPLE WILL DIE IF WE LEAVE. Yeah, we’re losing our troops, too, but that’s the cost of this country’s mistake. Maybe in 10 years the people who supported the war to begin with will have finally learned their lesson.
What is wrong with people that they want to leave innocent Iraqis to die? You want to hold the Bush Administration accountable, you get angry when the Bush administration ISN’T held accountable, and then you want the ENTIRE COUNTRY OF AMERICA to not be held accountable for wars we start! That’s completely retarded!
I’m angry about it, too! I’m damn angry - but there ain’t shit we can do about it! We invaded this country, we destroyed their police system, fire system, hospitals, WE let anarchy run loose in that nation and it’s up to US to fix it! America needs to be held accountable for its actions, sorry that that’s so inconvenient to you.