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Edwards is good choice for Dems
Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry picked a winner when he chose the Carolinas’ John Edwards to be his running mate.
Born in South Carolina, not far from the Jackson County line, and raised and educated in the Tar Heel State, Edwards is a self-made millionaire who hasn’t lost his ability to connect with the South’s blue-collar workers.
The son of a millworker, Edwards is the first in his family to attend college. A successful trial lawyer who won major victories in personal injury lawsuits, Edwards has secured judgments against large corporations on behalf of everyday people who have suffered tragedies.
During his run for the Democratic presidential nomination, Edwards delivered a message of optimism for the future of this country. He promised to avoid negative campaigning, and he kept that promise.
Pairing the energetic Edwards with the more staid Kerry appears to us to be a shrewd strategy – teaming a prep school, Ivy League educated New England Catholic with a public-school, state-university educated Southern Protestant – should ensure a ticket that can reach out to most Americans.
And the presence of Edwards’ working class background should be a nice foil to the silver spoon-big business roots of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.
While Edwards is a relative newcomer to politics, he is certainly a fast learner. After all, he won a seat in the U.S. Senate in his first bid for elected office, defeating an incumbent in the process. We believe he has used his six years in the Senate to acquire the skills needed to help lead the nation.
To those who say Edwards has no experience in foreign policy, we can point to his tenure on the powerful Senate Intelligence Committee. He also served on the joint House and Senate panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That adds up to far more foreign policy experience than Bush had when he ran for president in 2000.
During his term in the Senate, Edwards has championed the issues that matter to American families: He’s working for quality health care; he co-authored a Patients’ Bill of Rights and helped pass it in the Senate; and he’s fighting for middle-class tax cuts – tax cuts that make a difference to working families.
Kerry waxed eloquent in describing the real-life rags-to-riches story of his running mate:
“John Edwards speaks the heart of America – hope and optimism,” Kerry said. “He is a lifelong champion for America’s families who has shown courage and conviction in standing up for America’s values. In the Senate, he has a record of reaching across party lines and working to reform our intelligence and keep our military strong.”
Kerry’s choice is a good one for the Democrats, and it’s a good one for North Carolina, a state that hasn’t fielded a vice presidential or presidential contender since the 19th century.
Edwards’ positive message and proven track record should give Kerry’s candidacy a boost.
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