DUers: Have you visited the Edwards blog discussion boards?

Mrs. Edwards is talking about DU on her site. She says she visits DU, too. They link to us from the main site. How about returning the favor and visiting their site? I know there are a lot of Edwards supporters here at DU. How about checking out the Edwards blog? Share your thoughts, or suggest how they can improve their site.

http://blog.johnedwards2004.com

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

I'll happily vote for him if he wins the nomination.

I would love to know, though, if anyone from the Edwards blog can tell me why so many demcrats in NC think Libby Dole is representing us better. Or why he refused to sit with anti-war activists in Raleigh earlier this year. Or why so many of us feel like we've lost a seat in the senate for a long time.

I'm not trying to sound angry or anything. I helped get him elected in 1998. I'm an active D in NC. Edwards is a good man with a good record. I think he is a great citizen of my state and am grateful for his service in the senate. But I need explanations.

It sounds like you're in the wrong party. Check IBEW's voting chart:

http://capwiz.com/ibew/scorecard/?chamber=S&session=108&x=16&y=11

Edwards, Boxer, Biden, and Corzine are all at 90% this year.

Dole is at 20%. Check other scorecards, you'll see similar results.


As for not meeting with people who protested outside his campaign headquarters. I don't know how common it is for national politicians to sit down with people who try heavy handed tactics like that. Can you name any in recent history? I think you are being unrealistic. Yelling and beating drums is no way to start an open discussion.

Of course, where I live, I don't know any repubs, either. I think there are some in Biltmore Forest...

I visit his blog and have attended his appearances when I can. He's been my senator since I've been like 2, and I even campaigned for him with my family in 96(although I didn't know what I was doing or anything about politics back then, just held signs and consumed free snacks and drinks etc.

He's someone I have enourmous respect for, and I WANT to win New Hampshire

Incidentally, I should note that Edwards was getting good approval ratings in NC. Can't remember the actual numbers, but I don't know where people are getting the idea that he isn't popular in NC, other than from anectdote. Also, Edwards did meet with a representative from the anti-war protests. He just wouldn't let them sit-in in his office as a group. He invited one person, the organizer, to meet with him, and the person actually said mildly reasonable things about the meeting afterwards. This is from memory. I'm sure it can be found by Googling.

I know that these rebuttals are unsuported except by memory, but I wish people who make claims about popularity and certain news events would back them up with something other than anectdote (even if they claim to be from NC, and especially when they're such vocal supporters of other candidates). If the people making allegations cite facts, and provide links, I'll do the same. If they don't, then I wont either.

Incidentally, I should note that Edwards was getting good approval ratings in NC. Can't remember the actual numbers, but I don't know where people are getting the idea that he isn't popular in NC, other than from anectdote.

My conveying it to you is anecdotal. I can only say that most of the D's I know have the same questions I have. And it goes across the board. Plus, in local papers (I know, the media) there were reports of democratic leadership upset at his not making a decision about his senate seat until it was almost too late to field a candidate. The few "insiders" I know don't believe that Bowles has a chance to win in 2004, and that's conveyed in most of the discussions I've seen about it. A lot of people feel that by vacating it he has basically given it away to the right. And after our redistricting travesty and subsequent near takeover of our state legislature, this looks even more apparent, even though had he been in the senate voting instead of running for president, he might have kept the seat.

He will probably take NC. That's true. And it's not just because we let independents vote in our primary. He's a new democrat and it plays well here. But NC gives proportional delegates to the national convention, so taking this state doesn't really mean taking this state, as if NC mattered anyway.

Also, Edwards did meet with a representative from the anti-war protests. He just wouldn't let them sit-in in his office as a group. He invited one person, the organizer, to meet with him, and the person actually said mildly reasonable things about the meeting afterwards. This is from memory. I'm sure it can be found by Googling.

I would like it if you did. It would certainly help answer some of my questions.

I know that these rebuttals are unsuported except by memory, but I wish people who make claims about popularity and certain news events would back them up with something other than anectdote (even if they claim to be from NC, and especially when they're such vocal supporters of other candidates). If the people making allegations cite facts, and provide links, I'll do the same. If they don't, then I wont either.

They're MY questions, based on what I know or remember or believe. If I were trying to sway you, I would go to the work of getting all the links. But I'm not trying to sway anyone. If anyone knows what I'm talking about and has answers, then cool. If not, then that's fine. I am a vocal supporter of another candidate, and I'm not going to change my primary vote. But if Edwards wins, it will be a lot easier down the road to talk to people who bring up these same concerns if I know the answers.

Looks like I was wrong. Edwards did talk to the leader of the protestors after all. Time to reformulate your complaint, Hep?

http://nc.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/3375.php

"We did get one person inside to talk to Edwards."

So first they met with him, then they protest demanding to meet him...

http://newsobserver.com/iraq/latest_front/story/2370524p-2210122c.html

"Edwards did not address the crowd but met earlier in the day at his Raleigh office with William Towe, coordinator of N.C. Peace Action and one of the demonstrators."

...

People(more supporters of other primary candidates than NC dems) bashed him for not making a decision about his senate seat. Then when he made that decision they bashed him for "screwing democrats" and what not, because they wanted him to run for reelection, as you basically indicated you also believed. You also indicate that he waited to long for them to field a candidate.

The facts are that he and Erskine Bowles had an understanding for months that Edwards wasn't ready to decide, but that he would and what scenarios would/could happen when he did. Bowles is now the candidate for senate, and he is leading the GOP's Burr, who has been running for almost a year, by well over 10 points in polls.

This is bogus anti-edwards bs. I don't think your being malicious about it, but that you just have been hearing too much of it yourself

Could you get your husband to explain, in writing, why he chose to screw the disabled by voting for the misogynistic, racist Judge D. Brooks Smith for a LIFETIME appointment?

He's the judge that stated publically that he would do anything he could to water down the ADA. That's the same judge that believes the disabled should be delegated to back rooms and/or insitutions like the "good old days".

It wasn't like your husband was not informed about what that vote would mean to the millions of disabled in the U.S. He was flooded w/emails, faxes, snail mails and phone calls begging him to vote against Judge D. Brooks Smith. Yet, your husband chose to hide out in an office, across the hall until the vote was over. He then proceeded to ask if it was too late to have his YES vote count.

Btw, I was born, graduated from HS and my father has lived his whole life in North Carolina. I can not express deeply enough my disappointment in your husband.

What was his excuse?

I haven't heard of this one. I do back John E. 100% though.

please allow me to enlighten you.

In casting his vote to promote Judge D. Brooks Smith to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, only one step below the Supreme Court, candidate Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., disregarded the *extensive evidence of unethical behavior and discriminatory conduct that caused the Washington Post, New York Times and Los Angeles Times to oppose Smith's confirmation.

Sen. Edwards, hid out in his office across the hall from the hearing, and didn't even have the courage to cast his "Yes" vote in public.

http://www.now.org/press/05-02/05-23.html


When D. Brooks Smith's nomination for U.S. Appeals Court came up, only three Democrats voted for him. John Edwards was among them. Not only was he among them, he missed the vote, but later got approval to be recorded as voting for Smith.

Smith is a RW misogynist that has threathened to further weaken the rights of people with disabilities. He has been described as a throwback to an era when disabled people were routinely warehoused and forgotten.

Source - www.aapd-dc.org

* That evidence was presented to him by members of NOW and Justice for All. It was a huge campaign, of which I was a part of.

From an ex-Raleighite (and one still trying to sell a house there) I salute you. Look for me on the blog.johnedwards2004.com boards.