John Edwards Discusses Poverty In America

[RestoreGore]

Run time: 03:53 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0tBrW5nrOc   Posted on YouTube: July 26, 2007 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 02, 2008 By DU Member: RestoreGore Views on DU: 1053

 
Apart from the climate crisis which is my passion, poverty is the one issue I want to see candidates discussing much more. Addressing poverty in America is John Edwards's passion and I can see that everytime he talks about it and believe he is sincere about it. Therefore, I believe he will do something about it if given the chance. I also believe poverty and the environment are inextricably linked and you cannot address one without addressing the other.

But I have to admit that it is hard for me to commit to anyone. As someone who has lost much faith in this entire political process and who hasn't then really had much to say about it, I will however, say that I like John Edwards's stance on poverty and his environmental plan (which I hope to see as the cornerstone of all campaigns this year.)

It also isn't easy for me to commit to anyone considering that yes, honestly, after supporting Al Gore politically for a long time it feels strange. However, any candidate who talks about poverty, the environment, and is not afraid to stand up to corporate interests holds my interest.

It is time poverty in America got the attention it deserves. I believe if this country focuses more on solving the climate crisis the jobs that could be created from the solutions to it will help lift Americans out of poverty. It is time to then stand up for someone who is willing to take on that challenge from inside.

I still support Al Gore as a great man of integrity, honor, vision, and courage who is still fighting the good fight from out here to bring a grassroots down to up change... and I hope and pray that John Edwards can be the man on the inside to take the momentum from Mr. Gore's fight out here and use it to turn this country around. Imagine... Al Gore out here, John Edwards in there, and us... to me truly a triple threat to restore my faith.

[Sweet Pea]

1. Is he lecturing us......

from the porch of his 28,000 square foot home?

[onehandle]

2. Yeah! John Edwards is just like those big phonies...

FDR, JFK, and RFK.

Never trust anyone with a Big House!


Thanks for your Fox News opinion.

[Sweet Pea]

4. So....

if you don't like the dichotomy of throwing the bullshit flag on someone who has $900 haircuts, a 28,000 square foot home, founds a "Poverty Center" and sends said Poverty Center workers on extensive trips to engage in....foreign policy round tables, you are immediately classified a Fox nut.

Bullshit. Edwards has *absolutely no business* lecturing *me* on poverty when he absolutely *wastes* money the way he does and quite obviously cares not one goddamned whit about the poor in this nation. Anyone can sit and talk about it, which is what he does to no end, but talking about it from your 28,000 square foot house is crap. Pure and simple.

Thanks for your inclusive, big-tent approach to progressive issues.

[BeatleBoot]

14. I would love for the Great Depression folks to read this.

So, when FDR spoke from his mansion, and then pulled everyone out of the Great Depression, people chastised him?

Guys like my dad, who literally ate out of dumpsters, might consider the chastisement rooted in nothing more than jealousy.

And as far as lecturing anyone, it was just a speech about what he believes and what he is going to do.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

He cares about the poor and he's going to walk the walk.

Because that's what real men do.

[ihavenobias]

15. Exactly

If anything, the *real* false dichotomy is created by those who suggest you're either rich and care *only* about the rich or poor and care *only* about the poor.

[bobbolink]

18. The fact that you felt you had to more than DOUBLE the amount of his haircut says it all to me.

The same damned stuff the RW does.

When you want to bash, at least get your facts straight.

And, hurrah for Bobby Kennedy, wealthier than Edwards EVER dreams of being, and who became the beacon of hope for poor folk.

Certainly much more than the Clintons and their welfare deform would ever be able to be!

[Sweet Pea]

20. LOL....

Ok...a $400 haircut is *soooooo* much more reasonable!

How many dinners could $400 make for a family in poverty? How many children would not go to sleep hungry if John Edwards choose to get *one* $10 haircut?

[bobbolink]

21. LOL back atcha! How much does sHill spent on having her hair colored, and permed, let alone cut?

Be reasonable, and maybe people would listen to you more.

[bobbolink]

23. No answer to that, right? So, STOP the crap about Edwards, eh?

[bobbolink]

17. .

:) :hi: :) :)

:applause:

[RestoreGore]

3. He went to New Orleans. Did You?

[Sweet Pea]

5. So?

All you have to do to be a Big Boy in your mind is go to New Orleans and swing a hammer at a few nails?

Life must be great in your underachieving world.

[RestoreGore]

6. Many went to New Orleans

And it was to do more than swing a hammer. Is that how you feel about those there who are still in need and those who help them? That it's no big deal to help them? And you're a Democrat? It's sad how political acid can even erode your principles. And you know what, I posted this to give my view on his regarding poverty which is an IMPORTANT issue especially in regards to our environment, and I didn't piss on or insult anyone else in doing it. I know that is hard for so many to do here, but give it a try, because I'm not spending my time here in a pissing contest with you.

[Kurovski]

7. Count your fucking blessings someone is even fucking talking about poverty.

It's been taboo since the Reaganaught invasion.

What exactly do you fucking want here?

Go and run for office as a genuine poverty-stricken candidate if you can. I'm lucky to keep my ass out of the rain and my maw fed on $517.00 fucking dollars a month, so I won't be the poverty candidate any goddamn time soon.

Oh, Brother!

[bobbolink]

22. You're so completely right! NOBODY was talking about poverty until EDWARDS made it a big issue!

sHill certainly didn't care.

Obama wasn't speaking about it, let alone starting a foundation.

None of them were doing ANY of that, or writing a book about how poverty can be eliminated in the US.

I'm sick of all this ugly shit.

[JDPriestly]

8. When I worked for a non-profit that served the homeless,

our board members were mostly wealthy. Several represented corporations. There were a couple of token representatives of the "served population" and some who were well connected politically. That is because homeless and other projects that serve the poor generally have to rely on donations for much of their funding. Those who don't have a lot of money may give small donations, but you can't run really effective programs on small donations. You have to have steady flows of grants, government money and large private donations. So there is nothing unusual about a wealthy person caring about poverty. What is done in this country for the anonymous poor is mostly done by the government and the very rich. Ordinary people may serve meals, donate food to food banks and help a few individuals, but they do not provide the money needed for the programs that reach out to the many poor. (At the time I worked in that field, we usually had to show that we could also get private money for our programs to qualify for government money. Not always, but often.)

If you are doubting Edwards' sincerity on this issue, I would like you to explain to me what in the world Edwards would have to gain from speaking up for the poor to the extent that he has if he did not really care.

when I said last summer that I was backing Edwards, a couple of academic experts (family members who have PhDs in this area) in political science, the kind who study polls, voter reactions and trends told me: He can't win because no one can win on poverty issues. That's based on polling. So, you can be pretty sure that no experts, no polls have suggested that Edwards take on the poverty issue.
As a matter of fact, it is such a given among experts on political science that poverty is not a winning issue that, since maybe Carter, we have hardly heard presidential candidates mention it. The last president to really try to do something about poverty in terms of strong legislation was LBJ. Edwards is out on an unpopular limb when he champions the poor. There can only be one reason for his statements in my opinion -- and that is because the poverty issue is very important to him.

The poverty issue also happens to be important to me. I believe that we can only make a dent in the problem of poverty if we have a lot of government money infused into the agencies that serve poor people and build a safety net for low-income working people.

[Kurovski]

10. Thank you for those comments.

It actually takes BRAVERY to discuss poverty as a candidate, fer cry-eye.

As a candidate, You can yam on about Jesus 'til the lambs come home and you'll rack-up political brownie points, but God forbid someone mention one of Christ's overriding concerns during his time on this Earth: poverty.

[ihavenobias]

16. You know what

that is an EXCELLENT point.

Obviously he DOES care about poverty considering his talking about it has a neutral effect *at best* with regard to his campaign.

I heard a talk show host the day other breaking down a recent Edwards campaign commercial. He basically said that while he agreed poverty needs to be discussed (and addressed) he thinks Edwards is wasting his time *from a purely political perspective*.

He pointed out that (generally speaking) the only type of populism that most people seem to respond to is the "rich people/corporations are screwing you" line (to put it simplistically).

[Xipe Totec]

13. I hope you're a tree hugger,

'cause I'm seeing a lot of green on ya'.

[TexasBushwhacker]

9. FWIW, Al Gore's total real estate is larger

Al has his primary residence in Tennesse that is 10K square feet. He has the family farm, he has a 4K square foot home in Arlington, VA, and a $2 million condo in San Francisco. My guess is that Bill and Hillary Clinton are living pretty large as well, because they are wealthy.

Nevertheless, John Edward's is a wealthy man and wealthy people tend to have big homes. My guess is Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani's real estate holdings are sizeable as well. The thing is, Edwards is the only candidate who's made poverty reduction a central issue of his campaign. We don't expect the other candidates to take vows of poverty and we shouldn't expect the Edwards family to live in a 1,800 SF starter home either.

[cynthia]

11. Thank you for posting this one

I, too, feel that poverty is an important issue that is so often overlooked in this county. But it gets back to the American Dream. If we really want it to be true that anyone can be whatever they want to be, then we have to have a safety net that ensures that everyone has the basic necessities - shelter, food, health care, heat (it's about 10 degrees here today!), transportation, education. When we look at children who are not achieving in school, how many of them are children who don't have these basic necessities taken care of at home? Addressing poverty is addressing education, health care, and fairness in our society.

[RestoreGore]

12. Absolutely. It's about having dignity as a human being

And poverty like the environment is a topic political "handlers" have moved away from because their precious polls tell them it isn't something you talk about if you want to be elected because it isn't glamorous enough... funny, but I would think it is exactly what you talk about in regards to the very policies they do push candidates to talk about that lead us into poverty in the first place. And this is about not only providing a safety net, it is about giving people a sense of pride and dignity in themselves. Addressing poverty is to address the main social issue in our country as so much else flows from our economy which is in turn influenced by our environment. And that does include education, healthcare, social equity, our prison system, ...hell, our very survival. I can't understand how anyone who cares for this country could not want to address the plight of millions of Americans who struggle to survive every day...especailly those of us considered the working poor who are the backbone of this country and who have been ignored for far too long.

[bobbolink]

19. I wish all these naysayers could walk in my shoes for a while, then see how "dignity" is.

But please... remember that all of us are NOT "working poor", and we deserve the same dignity, and the same basics as everyone else.

Otherwise, accept that we have the right to throw ourselves off a damned cliff to get away from the misery.

We're tired of being invisible.