Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) has offered a refreshing voice to the 2004 primary campaign, exuding confidence, morality and optimism that the Democrats must play up when they fight for the Oval Office as well as seats in the 109th Congress this November. Since George W. Bush took office in 2001, Democratic dissent to his policies has been attacked as socially immoral, soft on the faceless War on Terrorism, and intrusive in fiscal matters.
But Edwards, a dark horse before the first primary contests took place, has charged against these stigmas undaunted — outlasting all others to be the last remaining serious threat to frontrunner Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). And on March 2, Edwards deserves the support of UCSD voters selecting a Democratic nominee when the California primary election rolls through as part of “Super Tuesday.”
Edwards, age 50, has an American story much different than silver-spooners Bush and Kerry. Raised modestly in a rural town in North Carolina, Edwards was the first in his family to attend college. He worked his way through college and law school — both at public institutions. He later went on to practice law (where he met wife Elizabeth), and his courtroom success in fighting powerful insurance companies on behalf of families earned him a great deal of respect in the legal and local communities.
Enough respect in North Carolina, in fact, to, in 1998, unseat the Jesse Helms political machine when he ran for U.S. Senate as an inexperienced Democrat in a largely conservative state. His prowess caught the eye of his party’s leadership, and he has continued to be rewarded with new committee assignments in his first term. Edwards currently serves on the Senate Committees on Intelligence; Small Business; Judiciary; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. As a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, he has worked to pressure the administration on an exit strategy for Iraq and was on the first congressional delegation to Afghanistan after the Taliban fell.
But while no President has been elected straight from the halls of Congress since John F. Kennedy — largely due to the public perception of it as an inefficient institution as well as opponents’ ability to scrutinize the countless number of votes senators and congressman make — Edwards sees himself as an outsider with a term’s worth of insider knowledge. His campaign has largely touted his outsider’s perspective of how special interest lobbies reign supreme in policy making, citing the recent Medicare prescription drug bill and pork-barrel appropriations bills as running rampant with rewards for lobbyists.
Edwards believes Washington should be returned to the interests of people, and has not accepted a dime from political action committees or interest groups. While it is important to show that over half of the personal donations Edwards has garnered have been from fellow trial attorneys, his record reflects an unusual integrity — in the 2003 Patient’s Bill of Rights, he fought for language that safeguards against frivolous lawsuits, opposing the wishes of his lawyer brethren.
Edwards’ platform has been clear and lacking ambiguity. His economic plan resonates best with Middle America: scaling back Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans and reinvesting those funds in tax breaks for new homeowners, retirement accounts and small businesses.
The greatest difference between Edwards and Kerry has been on trade issues. Edwards cites the North American Free Trade Agreement and other similar pacts for being largely responsible for outsourcing manufacturing and technology jobs to foreign countries. Kerry voted for NAFTA and trade agreements with Chile and Singapore that did not include enforceable language for the partnerships’ labor and environmental standards. The outsourcing of technology jobs should concern college students hoping to break into this once-promising field, and labor unions that have recently flown endorsements for Kerry should pay attention to their real interests in this matter.
Most importantly, however, Edwards represents change for American politics. He has run the cleanest campaign in recent memory, avoiding personal attacks toward his opponents while focusing on a new hope for America rather than the tactics of fear so often employed.
His message of the “Two Americas” — one for the wealthy and one for everyone else — has struck a chord most visibily with voters from the South and rural areas, as well as with independents. These are keys demographics the Democrats must capitalize upon in November’s general election if they are to compete with Bush. Currently, Edwards holds a 54-percent to 44-percent lead over Bush in the Feb. 18 CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll and his charisma and speaking skills will only inspire more voters as November nears.
Edwards represents real change for this country and will work to unite the nation in these times of war and economic lethargy. He is a persuasive leader who has won support from within and outside of the Democratic Party in Congress and in the polls. Edwards offers a fresh outlook to the office of the Presidency and a real plan for improving the nation — he deserves to be nominated as the Democratic candidate for President.
More information can be found at the candidates’ web sites:
Sen. John Edwards
http://www.johnedwards2004.com
Sen. John Kerry
http://www.johnkerry.com
Rep. Dennis Kucinich
http://www.kucinich.us
Al Sharpton
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