I just got back from Pittsburgh's annual Labor Day parade. I am a member of the United Steel Worker's Union, although I am not a steel worker. I woke up early and brought my 5 and 7 year old boys downtown so we could see John Edwards accept our union's endorsement. John Edwards did not disappoint.
There was a nice crowd of union supporters that showed up early to see Edwards accept the dual endorsement from the Steel Workers and the Mine Workers. Edwards said all the right things and the crowd responded with polite applause. Overall, the reaction was pretty restrained. I am not sure if this is because the election is so far away or because the unions have really take a beating in DC these past 7 years despite our best efforts.
John Edwards is definitely the type of candidate that union members will support whole heartedly. He comes across as genuine and he takes exactly the right positions on the issues most important to union members. Unions could be the key to getting Edwards the nomination, and Edwards is the last best chance to make unions relevant again.
I love the Labor Day parade. I love spending a Monday morning with thousands upon thousands of hard working Americans. These people are 95% Democrat and they are ready to go to battle. It's time that the netroots and the unions come together and help each other to get politicians in power who will support our shared progressive ideals. I think Edwards could finally be the candidate that unites the netroots and the unions. He certainly appears to have significant support from both.
Elizabeth Edwards came down from the stage and mingled with the Steel Workers after John's speech. She was extremely friendly and genuine. I can't believe anyone ever said John shouldn't run for President due to her illness. She is fired up for this campaign and I don't know how that could be bad for her health.
Finally, I didn't write this diary because I am an Edwards supporter. I wrote this diary to share my experiences from today and to let you know what I took away from it. I hope today was the start of something truly special. The potential exists to turn things around in a hurry if we can harness the energy of all those people in all those parades across the country.