In 2004 many Democrats looked at the candidates running for President and decided that Sen. John Kerry was most electable candidate. While some people now believe Kerry wasn't the best candidate, other than Sen. John Edwards it's hard to see anyone else who would have done much better than Kerry against the GOP War Machine. For better or worse, too many in the country had made up its mind long before the election.
In 2008 the media has focused on the Clinton - Obama race but Clinton may be hurt by her support for the Iraq war and recent attempt to limit her support. The Washington Post said she is changing and that recently she made "her harshest assessment to date of President Bush's Iraq war strategy yesterday, continuing her steady evolution from one of the war's staunchest supporters to one of the administration's most prominent critics."
If Kerry was killed by alleged "flip-flopping" its hard to believe people, and especially the press, will give Clinton a pass on this. As for Obama, people may be forced to ask "where's the beef." While his national experience is equal or beyond what other recent presidents have had, and his campaign speaking is excellent, one has to wonder if he is running because he has a great chance or he would make a great president.
Edwards, on the other hands, probably was just a few days away from winning the Iowa primary in 2004 and being the front runner. Looking at the reaction to the his announcement in Des Moines in late December 2006 before an overflowing crowd, it is hard to believe he won't be among the top candidates.
In 1992 Bill Clinton and Al Gore gave people a reason to believe. Today the country faces a lack of trust in the White House and a recognition that the world no longer trusts America. Edwards offers the country a chance to believe again and in looking at the candidates it may well be that he will be viewed as the candidate most electable.
No comments:
Post a Comment