Reply #18: Edwards will be much easier to pigeonhole and marginalize.

[sadiesworld]

His career as a PI attorney is red meat to the right. For years the RW has managed to convince a large chunk of the population (and not just the hard right) that "greedy" plaintiff attorneys and frivolous lawsuits are responsible for everything from high health care costs to companies moving jobs overseas. Invariably when I make this argument someone will pop up and argue that tort attorneys actually provide a valuable service. While I might agree with that assessment, the problem is that many do not. Bottom line: Edwards' lucrative legal career IS a RW talking point.

Edwards' youthful good looks are another potential problem. While many will find those qualities appealing, the RW will use terms like "pretty boy", "lightweight", "empty suit".

Edwards' lack of foreign policy experience is simply unacceptable in a post-9/11 world. If Kerry makes the mistake of choosing Edwards, be prepared to hear the RW echo chamber ask, ad nauseam, whether the American people would be comfortable with Edwards' at the helm in the event something happens to Kerry.

Clark, OTOH, has a 30+ year military career (MUCH more difficult to criticize), he oozes gravitas, and his knowledge of foreign policy is beyond dispute.

Finally, I suspect Clark knows quite a bit about the black hole AKA defense budget, and he just may have enough integrity to do something about it.