James Denton, actor &
personal friend of yours truly, has written
a very nice bit of opinion in Salon about why he’s endorsing John Edwards:
Why John Edwards? That's a complicated question. Especially for a Southern Baptist, card-carrying NRA member from the rural South. Like so many Americans, I am simply fed up. Fed up with our government's seeming disregard for the environment and the economically challenged. Fed up with our debilitating dependence on foreign oil. Fed up with the Republican Party (with whom I voted most of my life prior to this administration) preaching that it is the party of the moral high ground when its leadership proves otherwise.
James is not bullshitting about being a Republican for most of life. And the man do love him some guns. So the fact that he has done such an about-face, politically, is not only a testament to his compassion and honesty, but also the most damning anecdote on the failures of the Republican Party that I personally know of. Believe me, when I first met JD, he would’ve rather stuck needles in his valuable baby blues than be accused of even dressing to the left.
By the way, JD is very busy off working for Edwards in Iowa right now, and not likely to read this post, so I believe that tempers the “sucking up to famous people” factor of the above paragraph. Right?
I met Edwards, and I listened to him speak, at a fundraiser at JD’s house a couple of months ago, and I’ve been mulling it ever since. I was reluctant to commit to a candidate that I thought might be perceived by the press as a calculated replay of the Clinton strategy. I was mindful of my disappointment of his performance against Cheney in the ’04 debates, and his unfortunate willingness to go along with massively dunderheaded Kerry campaign ideas, such as the cringe-inducing moment we he tried to make Mary Cheney’s gayness a election issue. Sure, he’s being bold now, I thought, bolder than anyone else about issues that I care about, and yet, will he continue to be bold when he actually has something to lose?
I can’t answer that last question. But I can’t deny that when Edwards speaks, I believe him. He is right when he tells Americans that they must sacrifice to achieve improvement. He is right to fix his campaign message on what is absolutely the most important issue in this country right now: poverty - because poverty is the hub around which a host of evils revolve. And when he says that "it is time for Americans to be patriotic about something other than war," I think that this country might finally be ready to hear that, and believe it.
11 comments:
as always -- great post.
it is nice to see that there are people (denton or anyone) that are committed to ideals and principles and not party and personality -- becuase that is what the dunderheads like Tweety want us to be -- addicted and attracted to personality and party -- NOT ISSUES -- i just cant watch these clowns/pundits drone on anymore about haircuts and other nonsense because they would rather entertain than report
back on subject -- Edwards is my guy for many reasons --- his passion, his anger, his commitment and his willingness to stick his neck and make mistakes, own uo to them, confront if necessary and be EVETYTHING Hillary is not.
i guess denton will tell you the GOP is not the GOP he knows -- and it aint -- it is a party of who loves jesus and who hates brown people the most. and they wrap it up in god. i am glad your pal is not so one issue that he can see the forest from the trees and realize that the person they elect has to cover a wide range of issues -- including ones that will effect their every day lives
You go, Vikki. I like Edwards a lot. I hope he makes it to the California primary. We must talk him up -- the media is owned by the very corporations Edwards threatens, so they will do everything they can to defeat him, and they do have the power: If people don't see him on TV (and they don't), he doesn't exist.
If he wins California, there will be NO FUCKING WAY to ignore him.
PS: I feel all icky knowing that someone who supported Republicans all his life now likes my guy for President. It's kind of like hearing that Sandra Day O'Connor regrets her vote in Gore v. Bush, 2000. The damage is done, baby.
DCap: I just can't get over how the media, even my beloved NPR, talk only about Hillary and Obama, and never about the 3rd guy in the 3-way tie that is Iowa.
Larry: Don't feel icky. It is a difficult thing to reject the party of your family and your childhood friends and all the people you most respect in your life.
Edwards is the only other candidate besides Kucinich who is speaking about issues relating to the labor movement, the widening gap between the rich and the poor, and many others that are near and dear to my heart and mind. I may end up voting for him in our primary here if Kucinich doesn't do well early.
Great post, and I hope and pray Edwards hangs in there long enough to get some media attention and win a few primaries.
Great post, and I'm right there with ya. I have my worries about whether it's all just talk, but right now Edwards is the only one I believe. I even went so far as to put him on my bloggy--I was commitment-shy for a long time. I'll still vote for whoever gets the dem nomination, but I'm hoping it's Edwards.
Go JtD!
I remember being shocked when he put the "If you're not completely appalled..." bumper sticker on his car.
Btw, Mary Cheney is an awesome goalie, she used to play in my league.
I am glad Edwards and Obama came in pretty well. I am also glad that Hillary didn't win it either.
At some point, people are going to realize that Hillary's too divisive and they could use a legit 2nd candidate.
If you can spare a moment from trying to save us from the rampant injustices of our present administration, I tagged you and would love to hear your answers.
Doc
Great work.
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