American Prospect: Contemplating Edwards As The Nominee
According to a recent American Prospect story:
...as we draw closer to actual votes being cast, the value of punditry and speculation begin to fade and the Democrat who seems most comfortable in his own skin and most secure at his core is John Edwards, who is neither the Establishment candidate nor the Excitement candidate. Still, as Clinton and Obama increasingly find themselves playing call and response, saying things to upset and derail each other, Edwards is emerging as the feisty voice in the back field talking most directly to the voters.
As a firm believer in the man/woman-of-the-moment doctrine, I hardly expected to be contemplating John Edwards' prospects at this late stage in the game. The early rounds of the campaign seemed to firmly establish that his moment had passed and that what he offered the American people was not what they were interested in.
...Edwards does have a few things in his favor. The top three are:
1. Sitting senators don't get to be president.
2. The best preparation for running for president is to have run for president.
3. More than anyone else, Edwards seems to be running on something he believes in.
...with Clinton and Obama focused on sparring with each other, Edwards has been hard at work to develop a rapport with voters -- who, in the end, are the only ones that count.