My condolences to the heart-broken and the bereaved.
He was such a NICE looking boy.
However…
Read on for more.
1-I am sorry to remind y’all of this, but he had no chance of winning from the get-go.
Not because of his message…which was not a bad message as far as it went, whether it came from the heart or from the triangulating brain of a politician who saw a vacant place on the Dem call-board…but because of his front. A front which was as bad, as easily seen-through as was that of his other-side-of-the-coin brother-in-failure Rudy Giuliani’s. ANYONE…friends of mine, foes or anywhere in the middle…who did not see that from the first exaggerated curl of his lip as he strenuously postured to make people “believe in” him is SERIOUSLY lacking in any understanding whatsoever about what makes a successful national American politician in this buggered, media-hypnotized world that we laughingly call “The Information Age”.
That pioneering media-hypnotist Samuel Goldwyn pinned it 70 years ago. “Sincerity is the most important thing. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.”
Neither Giuliani nor nor Edwards could fake that…not even if they really WERE sincere, which I believe they both were to a great degree…and as a result they are both outta here.
2-As I pointed out in my recent article Ya Gotta Love American Politics: The Gang of Four vs. The Clintonistas, there is something fishy going on in the DemRat Party regarding Hillary Clinton’s nomination. I believe that Edwards’ abrupt withdrawal from the race is part of the same movement.
Sue me if I’m wrong…but I wouldn’t go out looking to hire a lawyer too quickly if I were you.
Wait and see who Mr. Edwards…formally or informally…endorses, and/or what position(s) he is offered by whom in the coming Dem administration.
Betcha a deal has already been cut or will be cut within a fortnight.
Watch.
Betcha.
Super Tuesday will tell the tale.
After that, the REAL game of Dem musical chairs will begin.
Watch.
My bet?
Hillary Clinton absolutely despises him. You could see it in her body language at every debate.
He allies in some way with Obama in return for the Attorney General’s office.
With Gore…who also gets on board the Obama gravy train after or possibly a little before Super Tuesday…as Secretary of State.
Watch.
Betcha.
Why?
Because NONE of them stand a tinker’s damn of a chance regarding having any power whatsoever in a Clinton administration, that’s why.
Except for Obama, who if he does not win Super Tuesday outright will be seriously reexamining his options in light of a VP spot.
Watch.
Betcha.
Watch.
I called this one months ago…Edwards’ and Giuliani’s total failures.
Watch.
AG
…but I’d rather be right than comfortable.
He was a seriously flawed candidate.
No political talent.
Too bad.
Get over it.
Time to decide.
Do you want a Dem administration or not?
If so…choose which of the two front-runners stands the best chance to win and get the fuck on board.
Or…drop out/look for a third party candidate to support.
Like …snicker…Bloomberg.
Simple enough, isn’t it?
So it goes.
Let’s get on with it.
AG
I usually love your stuff AG, but I have to admit that when I tried to find the bright side of Edwards dropping out, one of the first things I thought of was that I wouldn’t have to read any more of your tiresome screeds about him.
Oh, and I should add that I agree with most of your analysis. I do think a deal has been struck with Obama. I hope it’s for AG. I think even the timing of his announcement was done to help out Obama, to steal the news cycle from Clinton’s empty Florida victory and ‘snubgate’, and to give his supporters time to move to Obama.
Y’know…here’s what those “tiresome screeds” were REALLY about.
They were about the self-defeating left and its eternal propensity to shoot itself in the foot because it cannot accept the rule of the middle.
The middle ALWAYS wins. there are just too many of them. The best that we can do…short of fomenting violent revolution, and you know where THAT always ends up (Right back where it started, which is why it’s called a revolution.)…the best that we can do is to apply an effective leftward vector to the represenatives OF that middle.
But instead…well, Grouch Marx summed it up quite nicely in Horsefeathers
You’re against it.
And flogging some hopelessly, helplessly lost so-called “national” candidate while the real hustlers just sail blithely on by, almost totally undisturbed by your imp[otent screams of rage at their conniving, triangulating ways.
So it goes.
Well, you won’t have the opponents of John Edwards to kick around anymore.
Too bad.
He was SUCH an easy target
Any politician with hopes of capturing a national constituency that necessarily includes at least some substantial part of John Wayne’s “Murica who allows the ablove film to escape captivity without the total evisceration of whoever filmed and distributed it is sikmply not qualified for higher office in the dog-eat-dog world of big power.
Someone like Putin would eat him ALIVE.
Obama? Obama might be smart enough to deal witha killer like Putin.
Hillary?
Putin and Hillary would be evenly matched.
TWO vicious infighters.
Bet on it.
Mixed Martial ASrts on the highest of levels.
As above, so below.
Sorry ejmw.
Das’ de way it woiks.
Yup.
Das’ de way it woiks on de BIG street.
Bet on it.
Later…
AG
way to take the high road, arthur.
I take it where it leads me.
AG
It certainly shows what a classy individual that the diarist is.
I’m not the one endlessly primping my pretty locks.
Classy?
Not in my book.
Narcissistic is more like it.
Sorry pinky.
Homey don’t play that game, and he dislikes others who do as well.
AG
LMAO…AG..you just gotta be vertically challenged ; )
He’s not. I can attest, because I’ve met him. Nice enough guy, too. But we he targets someone for an attack, or his special brand of analysis, he pretty much chews them off at the ankles :o)
I’m sorry to learn that Edwards has given up the fight. Of the three annointed ones, he best fit someone I could possibly vote for. Now, I don’t know.
Horizontally.
Dylan knew…
“Fools to the left of me, jokers to the right…here I am stuck in the middle with you.”
Yup.
Horizontally.
Later…
AG
great tune, one of my favs….LOL..always love your diaries/comments there AG ..
keep’m com’m..
peace
Here‘s why I hope Obama does not make any deals with Edwards. Kerry sure wished he hadn’t.
The company he keeps! So uncool!
It was difficult to understand the engouement of some Americans for a candidate who had so obviously donned the mantle of the ‘saviour of the poor and down-trodden’ for political gain (see Feingold’s link above). Still, the electorate in general has shown that it won’t be fooled any longer and that it is able to detect opportunism when it shows its face, as appealing at that ‘face’ may be. Kudos to them!
My bet: HRC will offer him the VP. They’re two of a kind. We’ll see.
.
It’s a great privilege for me to be able to participate in this conference which has played an important role in bringing people together from all walks of life. The Herzliya Conference is a great forum for what is happening in Israel.
I am aware that it was at this conference that PM Ariel Sharon gave his courageous speech outlining his disengagement. He helped Israel face some of its major challenges.
Throughout his career and public service Sharon has shown courage, including his historic decision to evacuate Gaza. More than anyone else, Sharon has, in my judgment, believed that a strong Israel is a safe Israel and that Israel needs to defend itself against security threats.
…
While Iran is the greatest threat now, but just as alarming is the one on your doorstep. Hamas, with Iranian support, doesn’t make any mistake of its intentions to wipe out Israel, and repeatedly makes calls to raise the banner of Allah over all of Israel. Israel made many concessions. Many settlers gave up there land in order to advance peace.
Israel can take more steps to advance peace like bolstering Abbas against Hamas. While Israel is willing to go back to negotiating table, little has been seen on the Palestinian side. We instead have seen chaos and violence on the street, and no revocation of violence against Israel.
…
For example, we need to support direct engagement with Iranians, we need to be tough. But I think it is a mistake strategically to avoid engagement with Iran.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."Pandering to Israel and Arthur thought he wasn’t establishment.
How many? A few dozen out of how many thousands. Its like a Palestinian negotiator once said “Ok you have given us Gaza now what do we get in return.” If Hillary was not running Edward’s would have allied himself with the DLC….again.
Thanks Oui a gold nugget that one.
In fact…I disbelieved EVERYTHING he said.
His problem is…he’s a courtroom lawyer.
Situational truth is their stock in trade.
After a while…out of sheer necessity, because they must to some degree “believe” what they are saying in court if they are going to be at all effective…they no longer really believe ANYTHING.
Now this state can an advantage for a professional pol.
But only if he can act.
Edwards was the WORST “actor” that I have ever seen being foisted off as a major candiidate in a national debate.
(Well…maybe Giuliani as well…)
And the people read him.
Why wouldn’t they? They sit in front of their TV sets 5 hours a day being exposed to really GOOD professional actors, people who have managed to win audition after audition right up the ladder of their careers. The bad ones get sucked out early in that process.
As they do in this process as well.
As the media becioomes ever more powerful, people are becoming ever more demanding of their actors.
And Edwards coouldn’t cut it.
Simple enough…
And there it is.
No real talent for prevarication.
OK in court.
People on the jury mostly just want to get the fuck outta there anyway.
But on the big screen?
On national TV?
Not even good enough for B movies.
REALLY not ready for prime time.
I understand the looks that Hillary was giving him in tthe debates.
I really do.
I feeel the same way on the bandstand when some semi-amateur who just picked up the gig by accident is dinking and donking around up there, taking up time that could be used to better advantage by the real pros.
So it goes.
Later…
AG
I think that you are wrong about that Hillary/VP thing, though. During the debate whenever she had to deal with Edwards she leaned so far back in her chair to get away from him that a couple of times I thought she might actually fall over.
I am sure that sometime over the next year or two we will hear the real scoop on Edwards from a number of sources. Feingold is just the first of many.
Bet on it.
AG
Great link Gene. We need to keep an eye on these fellows the ones that are still in the race:
Romney flew to Israel to address this thing? Did he take his seeing stones. They would help him understand Israeli policy toward the Pelestinians.
Ask any woman of sound mind and spirit about Hillary’s snow job with the tears thing. That was the WORST acting I have ever seen. Miss put your finger in the air and see which way the wind is blowing makes me want to puke. Mr. “I did not have sex with that woman” going off on the press. It’s all acting Arthur. Every one of them. Obama “the great oratot, acting. They are auditioning for the part. So John or Billary or BArak, McCain, Romney or Huckleberry are all actors. Get over it.
I actually think that Hillary’sacting in that case was was brilliant acting. Acting bordering on the truth. Method acting. Acting bordering on…or even residing on the other side of the border from…the real thing.
Nor am I saying that the others are not acting, which would have been perfectly clear if you had only shown me the respect to take the time to actually read what I wrote rather than knee-jerking your way through my posts.
What I AM saying is that he is a bad actor. The machinations that he goes through with his lips and mouth and his tortured atempts to speak with some sort of :”sincere southern” accent…I swear, I have never heard anybody in the south but a con man or used car salesman speak the way Edwards does…put him out of the running right from the get-go.
“Smarmy” is the only adjective that comes to mind, Nancy.
Smarmy.
On the level that he is trying to operate, smarmy just won’t cut it.
Sorry, m’dear.
He is a loser.
And he lost.
AG
It’d be easier to get over it if you’d stop poking every one in the eye.
I have no more particularly to say on the subject, Booman, nor am I trying to poke people in the eye. I take no joy in his failure any more than I do in the failures of Howard Dean, Russ Feingold, Bill Bradley, George McGovern, Gene McCarthy, Mario Cuomo, Dennis Kucinich or any other U.S. pols who have tried and failed to get things done that I would like to see done. I am merely answering comments, not soliciting them.
AG
Smarmy.
Sorry.
That what I smell.
And quite apparently, I am not by any means alone.
” ‘Tain’nt Whatcha Say, Hit’s The Way ‘Atcha Say It” to paraphrase the great musician Trummy Young with the Jimmy Lunceford band in the ’30s.
That’s the way it works here.
Now more than ever.
Now more than ever.
Bet on it.
AG
You are an horse’s ass for sure.
I really dislike you, A.G. I will never click on one of your diaries again. That is all.
AG