John Edwards radio address

quite a contrast to Bush's anti-gay one...

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=102-07102004

Good morning, this is John Edwards.

On Tuesday morning, I received a phone call from John Kerry. He asked me to be his running mate on the Democratic ticket. Nothing makes me prouder than to stand with John Kerry.

After I said yes, I asked my 6 year-old Emma Claire and my 4 year-old Jack to tell their mom. My daughter got on the phone and said, "Mommy Senator Kerry picked daddy." And then Jack got on the phone and said something that he thought was more important, "Mommy, I can swim with my head above water."

As a father, I know that John Kerry will make this country stronger and more secure for my children and for your children. And he will build an America that's stronger at home and respected in the world.
I am speaking to you today for one simple reason: I love my country. I grew up in a small town in North Carolina, and America has given me opportunities that I never thought I'd have. I believe that every American deserves the same chance that I had no matter where they live, who their family is or what the color of their skin.

I know John Kerry well. I've spent six years working with him in the Senate, and we spent a lot of time on the campaign trail together. And I'll tell you one thing: he has what it takes inside to be president of the United States -- backbone, strength, courage, heart. He has spent his life fighting for the good of others and for the good of America.

John Kerry understands that most middle-class families are struggling every day just to make ends meet. You can't save any money because it takes every dime you make to just to pay your bills. And if something goes wrong, a serious illness, or a layoff, you go right off the cliff. And to make things even worse, millions of Americans have lost their life's savings and pensions because of corporate crooks like Ken Lay.

It took three long years to see Ken Lay handcuffed and indicted for what he did. And in November, middle-class families will be able to rest assured that John Kerry will look out for their interests, restore corporate responsibility, and put our economy back in line with our values.

John Kerry will fight for jobs and trade agreements that work for American workers. He'll cut taxes for middle-class working families. And John Kerry will always stand by our men and women who wear the uniform. For him, it's personal. He will keep us safe and build a strong military, and lead strong alliances, so that young Americans are never put in harm's way because we needlessly decided to go it alone.

John Kerry volunteered for Vietnam -- not once, but three times -- and he volunteered for the most dangerous duty and risked his life for his country. And no one is more prepared to win the war on terror than John. As president, he will lead this world, not bully it.
I believe you can judge a man's values based on what he's done with his life -- not based on how he uses the word values in a political slogan or a political speech. If you want to know about John Kerry's values, ask the men who served with him in Vietnam. He put his life on the line for them every day -- seven days a week, 24 hours a day. They trusted him. They believed in him. They trust in him and believe in him today.

These are the kind of values we need in a president -- somebody who has strength, courage and determination and will never leave any American behind.

John Kerry returned from Vietnam and he never stopped serving this country. He served as a prosecutor protecting families from crime. He's been a leader in the United States Senate.

The truth is: John Kerry has spent his life fighting for the values that you and I believe in: hard work, faith, family, responsibility, opportunity for everyone. And you can take one thing to the bank: John Kerry will always tell the American people the truth.

Between now and November, the American people are going to reject the tired, old, hateful negative politics of the past and they're going to embrace the politics of hope, the politics of what's possible, because this is America, where everything is possible.

And that's what John Kerry is for this country. He's hope. Hope for you. Hope for me. Hope for our children. Hope for the future of America. With John Kerry as our president, America's tomorrow will once again be better than today.

Thank you for listening.

I'm so proud of them both!

:D

i followed things closely. not what the media said. but what kerry himself was saying and doing. and i also followed the possible vp choices. kerry and edwards had a very similar messages and they both used phrases each other used in the primary and afterwards. i also think kerry let edwards know it was him , but did not make the direct offer until the day he announced. kerry let mccain know it was edwards also.

Gah, this fluffy bullshit is exactly what I hate.

As a fellow fan of Wesley Clark, I hear what you're saying. Sometimes I wonder if a ticket including Clark and Edwards (take your pick on the order) wouldn't be the best idea. I'm a real admirer of Wesley Clark, as I believe him to be a true American hero and someone with a great deal of integrity and courage.

With things as they are, I'd really like to see Clark as our Secretary of Defense. He has miles of credibility in the position, and he is known and respected by many world leaders. If it weren't for Bill Clinton, I think he'd make a great Secretary of State too.

I can see how you think this stuff is fluffy, but it also covers the vast majority of what matters to the majority of voters in this election.

Let's call in Wesley Clark and have lengthy interviews with him. Let him draft 2 or 3 weekly addresses between now and election day on issues that he deems important, and let him read them. I'm all for that.

But let's also be happy that we've got such an articulate voice on the ticket for the bread-and-butter, "kitchen table" issues that are of such paramount importance to so many workaday families in this country.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

I'm so tired of cynicism from both sides of the political spectrum I could just scream!!! You may enjoy the politics of hate, but I'm tired of being alienated from my friends and family over this shit. They're speaking the truth about Bush and his lies, about the bullshit around the war, about the problems we face. But that's not enough to win an election. Offering people a nation of hope, unity and opportunity is what Wes Clark was all about. He'd be doing the same damn thing.

What do you want? More hate and vitriol like Bush dishes out?

The Dems have a good one here.

It's genius the way those paragraphs get to the crux -- to the core themes of this race.

If Americans don't embrace these ideas then they just don't want to be free and happy and secure.