So I saw John Edwards in person last night,

[GumboYaYa]

and I was vastly underwhelmed. Up until last night Edwards was my number two pick.

Last night they wisked him into the bar where he was giving his speech. Edwards proceeded to deliver his standard stump speech. The first time I heard it I thought it was a really good speech. This time I could have recited it myself. He doesn't change a word of that speech.

After he finished they wisked him away before anyone could ask any questions. There was no content to this appearance at all. The speech is all platitudes with no substantive policy discussion.

I was very disappointed. You will have to give me more substance than what I saw last night before you get my vote Senator Edwards.

[spooky3]

1. Remember that most people are hearing his speeches for the first time.

So, he goes with the message that communicates best with first time listeners. And we know he has done well with that for most people.

He has also deliberately chosen to leave out details from the stump speech, because sadly, most people glaze over. However, he has booklets detailing his positions that are distributed to anyone interested (and of course there is his detailed website, johnedwards2004.com). As you saw during his stump speech, if it goes for longer than a few minutes, he always asks to borrow a booklet from someone who has one in his/her hand, and tells everyone that all of his positions are detailed in the booklet and encourages everyone to pick one up, then gives it back to the person. Those who are as serious as you are about politics will read it. As you know, many people will not. But it's not fair to conclude there is a lack of substance on the basis of a quick campaign stop. Read what is on his website, please, before drawing conclusions.

[GumboYaYa]

5. Why doesn't he take questions?

I had several and felt short-changed when he sped out without taking one single question.

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. he has been taking questions for a year

now we are less than two weeks away from a shiload of primaries and unless a question session is broadcast on TV, it would be a colasol...ney...sinful waste of time.

[AP]

16. Because he's running in seven states at once and needs to

see lots of people.

If you wanted to meet and talk to him and shake his hand, you might have missed your chance.

I wish I could have taken you to the events I attended between August and December, or the onese on CSPAN all last year. Fortunately, for Edwards the days of the intimate house party are gone. It's now or never, and the crowds are bigger or it isn't worth gettin in front of them.

[sistersofmercy]

2. Hey GumboYaYa!

I heard he stood on a police car outside and addressed those who couldn't get in. The Kerry rally was great, huge turnout.
BTW, do you have info on the MO debate for Monday? I hope the candidates do it.

[GumboYaYa]

9. He did.

I was inside and it was packed. The crowd outside dispersed before the speech was over so I can't tell you how many people were out there. It was also hard to tell how many people were there since they had them spread all over the place. It was impossible to move around inside.

As of last night the only person who had accepted the invitation to the debate was Lieberman. Unless something changes fast, I don't think the debate will happen.

[sistersofmercy]

34. I thought I heard on the news last night there were 2 who accepted

The MO Dems are pushing for it. I hope it happens. Sorry you didn't have a good time last night.

[absyntheNsugar]

3. Welcome to US Politics

Having worked on several campaigns I can assure you none of them change their speeches - much less those deemed 'sucessful' by the media. Even the ones that aren't deemed sucessful just get reworded and changed around.

[Nashyra]

4. Clark takes questions from the people

At two rally's in NH and Clark works with the crowd and takes an honest interest.

[spooky3]

8. Edwards has also taken questions in Iowa and NH (they were on CSpan).

He is better with Q&As than even in his standard speeches, and he is damn good with those.

However, I am sure that you are aware that not every campaign stop allows the time for a long speech and Q&As, especially not with 7 states' primaries coming up. Clark and every other candidate has some stops with more time and some where he doesn't speak at all--just shakes hands--and everything in between.

[GumboYaYa]

10. Last night's event was the last stop of the night for him.

I see no reason he could not have taken questions.

[spooky3]

14. Then you are extremely inexperienced about political campaigns.

[GumboYaYa]

17. Right, when you don't have an answer condescend.

I was at the event with two professional campaign workers who worked on the Bradley campaign and multiple others since 2000 and they agreed with me. These are people who put bread on the table working on campaigns. Sorry, try again.

[absyntheNsugar]

25. I think they all take questions from the people

But speeches - think of it like a band's hit single. Everytime you go see Steppenwolf you expect to hear "Born to be Wild." If they diverge and play 20 minutes of improvisational jazz, you are bound to be dissapointed.

[GumboYaYa]

11. It's not the repetition that bothers me.

It's the fact that the speech takes no controversial policy positions. It's all fluff. I did not see anyone with booklets last night and Edwards did not mention them in his speech that I heard. I will lokk for one of these booklets and see if I change my mind.

[spooky3]

15. great--go to JohnEdwards2004.com and click on the links

on the various policy positions.

You will probably disagree with some of them because he is pretty upfront in his positions.

[Lex]

19. A friend in MO saw him last night

and thought Edwards was GREAT. She emailed me this morning gushing about him and how thrilling it was to hear his speech.

He took questions at the place she was (not certain where but it was earlier in the evening).

She was deciding between Edwards and Kerry and is now definitely voting for Edwards.

So, to each his own.

[bearfartinthewoods]

22. you can read the booklet on line

http://www.johnedwards2004.com/real-solutions.asp

[absyntheNsugar]

26. At this point in the campaign...

... I don't think anyone is going to be controversial. Candidates do that in the beginning when defining themselves. Now they start their slow trickle to the center. Edwards especially since he has a good shot.

It's a dance they do every time - albeit maddening - it's all part of the game.

[Sophree]

32. Hey GumboYaYa!

Edwards' plans are actually the most detailed and extensive of all the candidates. (IMHO)

I think he doesn't want to get too wonky or bogged down in policy in his speeches, which I kinda think is a good thing.

Here's the link for his "Real Solutions"
http://www.johnedwards2004.com/real-solutions.asp

:hi:

[AP]

18. This is a criticism they'll only use against Edwards.

Why criticize a boring speaker for being boring? Everyone can tell it's a script.

With Edwards, he seems so natural, his opposition needs to sow the seed that this is a script.

If this is the best they have, you might as well just sit back and enjoy the speech. He's masterful and calling him repetitive isn't going to change that.

[GumboYaYa]

23. It's more than the repetition. I've said that already.

It is a completely totally contentless speech. After you hear it morethan once he really sounds like a trial lawyer trying to convince a jury and it begins to sound disingenous.

I donated to Edwards through your link the other day AP, so I'm not just trying to raise a stink because I support someone else. I was truly disappointed last night when I realy listened to the speech instead of being sucked into the smooth delivery and charming personality.

[absyntheNsugar]

27. Ever hear Clinton's "New Covenant" speech?

Totally devoid of substance, but the media ate it up.

Now is the time for those kinds of speeches. At this point, the junior reporters (left-leaning, optimistic) who covered the first legs of the campaigns are back to doing police blotter, and the senior reporters (centrist and jaded) have taken over.

The candidates know this and have adjusted accordingly.

[AP]

28. The meme is way more repetitious than the stump speech.

Edwards's speech is actually quite brilliant, which is why Carville said so.

Over at the Edwards blog, people who attended said the atmosphere was electric last night.

[bearfartinthewoods]

35. we have a blog????????????????? link?

[AP]

37. I think it's blog.johnedwards2004.com

at www.johnedwards2004.com, there's a button link to it at the top of the front page ('Blog Community' I think it's called).

[bearfartinthewoods]

38. this is a good part

Knocking down Kerry now, they say, could help ignite the candidacy of a Democrat some Bush campaign officials fear even more: Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who finished a strong second in Iowa but slumped to fourth place in New Hampshire, just behind retired Gen. Wesley Clark, his other Southern rival. A recent poll showed Edwards with a slight lead in South Carolina's critical primary next Tuesday, and he holds a strong appeal elsewhere in the South, which was Bush Country in 2000.

Some Bush campaign advisers worry that Edwards' promise to end what the candidate charges are the "two Americas" - one for the wealthy and privileged and the other for working people and the poor - could have broad appeal. Bush operatives are also mindful that in Edwards' 1998 election, about six in 10 women backed him, and black voters supported him by a 9-to-1 margin.


http://blog.johnedwards2004.com/homepage/04/01/29/1110247.shtml

[AP]

29. If you REALLY feel like you missed out on something...

...find a link to his Commonwealth Club speech. It's probably the best speech I've ever heard. Listen to the Q & A too.

[skanky_corporate_ho]

6. but

He's still pretty hot. Maybe he should do a peekaboo spread for The Nation.

[zulchzulu]

7. That's been my assessment of him too

I saw him at a couple events in Iowa and he had the same pitch, same generalities and same stale lines that I've seen on CSPAN...

His line about how he can appeal to the North, East, West (and pointing to his mouth) the South seems a bit disingenuous to Southerners that are somehow only concerned about whether someone has a Southern accent or not.

I've lived in the South and that's not necessarily true.

[spooky3]

13. I'm sure you know he doesn't believe nor say that. He is using a metaphor

when talking to Northern audiences to explain how a person from the South will have an advantage in the South, for those who may be worried that the Democrats can't win in the South. He expressly mentions BUSH, not the other candidates, when he says, "Bush says he will win in the South because it is his backyard. The South is not *'s backyard. It is MY backyard."

What he says is no different from saying someone from Ohio would have an advantage in Ohio. That is a far cry from trying to claim that Ohioans would be "somehow only concerned" with whether someone is from Ohio.

If you don't like him, I'm sure you'll vote for someone else, but please don't misstate what he says and does.

[AP]

21. This is becoming quite a popular meme!

It's funny that the people who care enough about politics to post at DU are suddenly so naive they don't realize politicians stay on message by delivering the same speeches. Is there a naivity flu spreading around?

And the last thing Edwards is is a dull stump speech deliverer. Let me introduce you to the rest of the field (bar Dean).

[surfermaw]

20. Edwards: Is intelligent enough to not be whisk away, It doesn't happen

Now tell me what underwhelmed you, since Dean and many others has been repeating him self on TV free advertisement for many months.

Fact is Edwards , never has been whisk away form supporters, the shortest time spend with supporters was in N. H, when one room filled and he had another room filled with Elizabeth speaking to them, he then left a little earlier than usual, but then spent more time with them than the average candidate.

Is this sour grapes, keep it up if you want to elect George Bush.

[GumboYaYa]

24. No it's not sour grapes at all. I donated to Edwards just the

other day. I have been strongly considering working for his campaign locally. I truly considered him my number 2 and he may still be. I am simply posting my honest impressions of him from seeing him last night.

Can any campaign accept honest criticism without screaming sour grapes? Do we always have to malign others on here as ignorant or naive if they have different reactions to candidates than our own?

[1morelib]

30. Saw him too yesterday

I attended the rally held at Durant,OK yesterday afternoon. He did take questions at this rally and also changed his speech a little. It was a very large crowd especially for such a small town and very enthusiastic. He was probably running behind all day, but still put on a good show for us. When you are making 5-6 stops in one day in 3 different states a few shortcuts are not surprising. I guarantee he picked up a lot of votes in Oklahoma!

[tryanhas]

31. They need to let him answer questions again

That is his strong suit, and the fact that his handlers are rushing him in and out of places is really pissing me off.

I'm also getting tired of hearing the same things over and over again.

They need to let him be more interactive again.

[GumboYaYa]

33. Exactly, that is what I missed last night.

Maybe it was because our stop was his last of the night and he was just exhausted. I also had heard he was great with one-on-one questions. It was disappointing to miss that performance.

[ngGale]

36. Edwards is best one on one...

He probably was tired last night. He can't be beat one on one. There so many people and so little time.