Edwards.. running 3rd....Hardest working candidate scores well on MTV political forum.

[Ninga]

DURHAM, New Hampshire — There was no "boxers or briefs?" moment, but a relaxed John Edwards seemed to win over an attentive University of New Hampshire crowd Thursday afternoon (September 27) during the first MTV/MySpace Presidential Dialogue by doing something many professors might want to try: talking to the students, not at them.



Dressed casually in faded jeans, a blue oxford shirt with no tie and a sports coat (which he doffed mid-show), Edwards had ready answers to questions about everything from universal health care and global warming to the genocide in Darfur, the war in Iraq and the lack of funding for music education in schools. He offered specifics on each question without overwhelming the crowd with a blizzard of figures and vague political-speak.

Along the way, he took a few swipes at what he characterized as the Bush administration's failed policy in the so-called "global war on terror" and vowed that as president he'd immediately begin bringing troops home. He also pointedly mentioned the "similarities" between his plan for universal health care and the one recently unveiled by fellow Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton.

With questions from the audience, as well as online users who were instant-messaging tough queries in real time, Edwards made a point of personalizing his answers on topics ranging from the perceived Eurocentric bias in the school curriculum (he said he's seen it in the texts taught to his own children in public school) to how he would support all forms of stem-cell research, the latter in answer to a legally blind student who said he could benefit from more research on the matter.

"As a parent, you want your children exposed to diversity. You want them exposed to a range of diverse scholars and diverse textbooks and diverse academic work so that they have the kind of perspective on the world that is represented by that kind of diversity," Edwards said, focusing his gaze on the student intently as he argued for more voices from black, Asian, Muslim and Latin American scholars.

But then he did something a bit unexpected in answering the day's first question: He admitted that as president he wouldn't necessarily have much power to affect change on that particular issue, even if he could offer financial incentives to get the job done. It was the kind of candidness that students applauded as they hurried out after the event on their way to classes and tests — including a number who said they were Republicans coming in and were impressed with the former senator's ideas (see "John Edwards: Why He Wants To Be Your Next President").

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